bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reviewer Acknowledgements
Authors: Smith Robert
Published: June 2017

Journal of Education and Training Studies (JETS) would like to acknowledge the following reviewers for their assistance with peer review of manuscripts for this issue. Many authors, regardless of whether JETS publishes their work, appreciate the helpful feedback provided by the reviewers. Their comments and suggestions were of great help to the authors in improving the quality of their papers. Each of the reviewers listed below returned at least one review for this issue.Reviewers for Volume 5, Number 7Angela Lee, UNC Pembroke, USACarole Fern Todhunter, The University of Nottingham, UKCélio Gonçalo Marques, Polytechnic Institute of Tomar, PortugalChosang Tendhar, Baylor College of Medicine, USACynthia M. Compton, Wingate University, USAEbrahim Mohammadpour, Mimos Berhad, IranGökhan Demircioğlu, Karadeniz Teknik Universitesi, TurkeyHasan Seker, Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University, TurkeyHüseyin Çalışkan, Sakarya University, TurkeyJohn Cowan, Edinburgh Napier University, UKLaima Kyburiene, Kaunas University of Applied Sciences, LithuaniaLorna T. Enerva, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, PhilippinesMatthews Tiwaone Mkandawire, Central China Normal University, MalawiMehmet Inan, Marmara University, TurkeyMustafa Çakır, Marmara Üniversity, TurkeyRichard Penny, University of Washington Bothell, USASabahattin Deniz, Mugla Sıtkı Kocman University, TurkeySadia Batool, Preston University Islamabad, PakistanSamad Mirza Suzani, Islamic Azad University, IranSelahattin Kaymakçı, Kastamonu University, TurkeySenem Seda Şahenk Erkan, Marmara University, TurkeyStamatis Papadakis, University of Crete, GreeceThomas K. F. Chiu, The University of Hong Kong, Hong KongYi Lu, American Institute for Research, USAZafer Tangülü, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Turkey  Robert SmithEditorial AssistantOn behalf of,The Editorial Board of Journal of Education and Training StudiesRedfame Publishing9450 SW Gemini Dr. #99416Beaverton, OR 97008, USAURL: http://jets.redfame.com
Clinical associations of the positive anti Ro52 without Ro60 autoantibodies: undifferentiated connective tissue diseases
Authors: Murng Sai H K , Thomas Moira
Published: June 2017

Aims

Autoantibodies targeting Ro52 and Ro60 antigens are historically reported as anti SSA/Ro. In general anti SSA/Ro results are either anti Ro52+Ro60+ or anti Ro52−Ro60+ antibodies. Anti Ro52 without anti Ro60 (Ro52+ Ro60−) antibodies are often not reported routinely. This study intends to review the potential significance of these autoantibodies in the management of connective tissue diseases.

Method

A retrospective survey of Ro52+Ro60− was carried out as part of the service evaluation of extractable nuclear antigen antibodies (ENA) reporting from the immunology laboratory, the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC), UK. The clinical documents and laboratory results of 97 patients with Ro52+Ro60− and 100 patients with Ro52+Ro60+ were reviewed.

Results

Seventy-one patients (73%) with anti Ro52+Ro60− antibodies have been diagnosed with autoimmune conditions including undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (n=14, 14%), systemic lupus erythematosus (n=10, 10%), Sjögren’s syndrome (n=10, 10%) and rheumatoid arthritis (n=13, 13%). Twenty-three patients (24%) with anti Ro52+Ro60− antibodies have no autoimmune features but were found to have significant clinical conditions including malignancies. In contrast, 87 patients (87%) with anti Ro52+Ro60+ antibodies have autoimmune conditions including Sjögren’s syndrome (n=34, 34%), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE; n=23, 23%), undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (n=12, 12%) and rheumatoid arthritis (n=6, 6%).

Conclusion

Anti Ro52 without anti Ro60 (Ro52+Ro60−) antibodies should be reported. In the majority of patients these autoantibodies were associated with various autoimmune diseases. Anti Ro52+Ro60− antibodies were also found in patients with significant clinical conditions including malignancies even though there was no suggestion of autoimmunity at the time of testing.
The relationship between early childhood head injury and later life criminal behaviour: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Jackson Tracy L , Braun Joseph M , Mello Michael , Triche Elizabeth W , Buka Stephen L
Published: June 2017

Background

Childhood head injury has been associated with the development of behavioural and psychological problems. This study examined the relationship between head injury in young childhood and subsequent criminal behaviour.

Methods

Data were from the Providence cohort of the Collaborative Perinatal Project, a multicentre longitudinal study aimed at identifying the role of perinatal and prenatal factors on child health. History of head injury between ages 0 and 7 years was ascertained from health records of 2893 children. In total, 120 (4%) of children had a head injury. Propensity score matching was used to match each head injury case to five controls. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate the relationship between head injury and number of arrests, and log binomial regression was used to estimate risk of conduct problems.

Results

Those who suffered any head injury from ages 0 to 7 years had approximately 1.5 times the rate of arrests and risk of conduct problems compared with uninjured controls, though results did not meet the p<0.05 threshold for statistical significance. Severe head injury was associated with a twofold increased rate of juvenile arrests (incident rate ratio=2.44, 95% CI 0.93 to 6.46) and risk of conduct problems (risk ratio=2.47, 95% CI 0.90 to 6.74) that approached statistical significance.

Conclusions

Head injury in childhood was associated with increased criminality and conduct problems. Future work should identify mechanisms of this association in order to develop interventions to prevent criminal behaviour resulting from head injury.
Alcohol extract of North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) reduces fatty liver, dyslipidemia, and other complications of metabolic syndrome in a mouse model
Authors: Singh Ratnesh K. , Lui Edmund , Wright David , Taylor Adrian , Bakovic Marica
Published: June 2017

We investigated whether North American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) could reduce development of the metabolic syndrome phenotype in a mouse model (ETKO) of the disease. Young ETKO mice have no disease but similar to humans start to develop the fatty liver, hypertriglyceridemia, obesity, and insulin resistance at 25–30 weeks of age, and the disease continues to progress with ageing. ETKO mice were orally given an ethanol extract of ginseng roots at 4 and 32 weeks of age. Treatments with ginseng eliminated the ETKO fatty liver, reduced hepatic and intestinal lipoprotein secretion, and reduced the level of circulating lipids. Improvements by ginseng treatments were manifested as a reduction in the expression of genes involved in the regulation of fatty acid and triglyceride (fat) synthesis and secretion by the lipoproteins on one hand, and the stimulation of fatty acid oxidation and triglyceride degradation by lipolysis on the other hand. These processes altogether improved glucose, fatty acid, and triglyceride metabolism, reduced liver fat load, and reversed the progression of metabolic syndrome. These data confirm that treatments with North American ginseng could alleviate metabolic syndrome through the maintenance of a better balance between glucose and fatty acid metabolism, lipoprotein secretion, and energy homeostasis in disease-prone states.
Automated Quantum Circuit Synthesis and Cost Estimation for the Binary Welded Tree Oracle
Authors: Ghosh Mrityunjay , Chakrabarti Amlan , Jha Niraj K.
Published: June 2017

Quantum computing is a new computational paradigm that promises an exponential speed-up over classical algorithms. To develop efficient quantum algorithms for problems of a non-deterministic nature, random walk is one of the most successful concepts employed. In this article, we target both continuous-time and discrete-time random walk in both the classical and quantum regimes. Binary Welded Tree (BWT), or glued tree, is one of the most well-known quantum walk algorithms in the continuous-time domain. Prior work implements quantum walk on the BWT with static welding. In this context, static welding is randomized but case-specific. We propose a solution to automatically generate the circuit for the Oracle for welding. We implement the circuit using the Quantum Assembly Language, which is a language for describing quantum circuits. We then optimize the generated circuit using the Fault-Tolerant Quantum Logic Synthesis tool for any BWT instance. Automatic welding enables us to provide a generalized solution for quantum walk on the BWT.
QDflows
Authors: Abdellaoui Sabrina , Nader Fahima , Chalal Rachid
Published: June 2017

In the big data era, data integration is becoming increasingly important. It is usually handled by data flows processes that extract, transform, and clean data from several sources, and populate the data integration system (DIS). Designing data flows is facing several challenges. In this article, we deal with data quality issues such as (1) specifying a set of quality rules, (2) enforcing them on the data flow pipeline to detect violations, and (3) producing accurate repairs for the detected violations. We propose
QDflows
, a system for designing quality-aware data flows that considers the following as input: (1) a high-quality knowledge base (KB) as the global schema of integration, (2) a set of data sources and a set of validated users’ requirements, (3) a set of defined mappings between data sources and the KB, and (4) a set of quality rules specified by users. QDflows uses an ontology to design the DIS schema. It offers the ability to define the DIS ontology as a module of the knowledge base, based on validated users’ requirements. The DIS ontology model is then extended with multiple types of quality rules specified by users. QDflows extracts and transforms data from sources to populate the DIS. It detects violations of quality rules enforced on the data flows, constructs repair patterns, searches for horizontal and vertical matches in the knowledge base, and performs an automatic repair when possible or generates possible repairs. It interactively involves users to validate the repair process before loading the clean data into the DIS. Using real-life and synthetic datasets, the
DBpedia
and
Yago
knowledge bases, we experimentally evaluate the generality, effectiveness, and efficiency of QDflows. We also showcase an interactive tool implementing our system.
Exploring Biological Motion Regularities of Human Actions
Authors: Noceti Nicoletta , Odone Francesca , Sciutti Alessandra , Sandini Giulio
Published: June 2017

The ability to detect potentially interacting agents in the surrounding environment is acknowledged to be one of the first perceptual tasks developed by humans, supported by the ability to recognise biological motion. The precocity of this ability suggests that it might be based on rather simple motion properties, and it can be interpreted as an atomic building block of more complex perception tasks typical of interacting scenarios, as the understanding of non-verbal communication cues based on motion or the anticipation of others’ action goals.

In this article, we propose a novel perspective for video analysis, bridging cognitive science and machine vision, which leverages the use of computational models of the perceptual primitives that are at the basis of biological motion perception in humans.

Our work offers different contributions. In a first part, we propose an empirical formulation for the
Two-Thirds Power Law
, a well-known invariant law of human movement, and thoroughly discuss its readability in experimental settings of increasing complexity. In particular, we consider unconstrained video analysis scenarios, where, to the best of our knowledge, the invariant law has not found application so far.

The achievements of this analysis pave the way for the second part of the work, in which we propose and evaluate a general representation scheme for biological motion characterisation to discriminate biological movements with respect to non-biological dynamic events in video sequences. The method is proposed as the first layer of a more complex architecture for behaviour analysis and human-machine interaction, providing in particular a new way to approach the problem of human action understanding.
InformationSense
Authors: Butscher Simon , Dürr Maximilian , Reiterer Harald
Published: June 2017

Deformable displays can provide two major benefits compared to rigid displays: Objects of different shapes and deformabilities, situated in our physical environment, can be equipped with deformable displays, and users can benefit from their pre-existing knowledge about the interaction with physical objects when interacting with deformable displays. In this article we present InformationSense, a large, highly deformable cloth display. The article contributes to two research areas in the context of deformable displays: It presents an approach for the tracking of large, highly deformable surfaces, and it presents one of the first UX analyses of cloth displays that will help with the design of future interaction techniques for this kind of display. The comparison of InformationSense with a rigid display interface unveiled the trade-off that while users are able to interact with InformationSense more naturally and significantly preferred InformationSense in terms of joy of use, they preferred the rigid display interfaces in terms of efficiency. This suggests that deformable displays are already suitable if high hedonic qualities are important but need to be enhanced with additional digital power if high pragmatic qualities are required.
Harnessing Long Term Physical Activity Data—How Long-term Trackers Use Data and How an Adherence-based Interface Supports New Insights
Authors: Tang Lie Ming , Kay Judy
Published: June 2017

Increasingly, people are amassing long term physical activity data which could play an important role for reflection. However, it is not clear if and how existing trackers use their long term data and incomplete data is a potential challenge. We introduced the notion of adherence to design iStuckWithIt, a custom calendar display that integrates and embeds daily adherence (days with data and days without), hourly adherence (hours of wear each day) and goal adherence (days people achieved their activity goals). Our study of 21 long term FitBit users (average: 23 months, 17 over 1 year) began with an interview about their use and knowledge of long term physical activity data followed by a think-aloud use of iStuckWithIt and a post-interview. Our participants gained new insights about their wearing patterns and they could then use this to overcome problems of missing data, to gain insights about their physical activity and goal achievement. This work makes two main contributions: new understanding of the ways that long term trackers have used and understand their data; the design and evaluation of iStuckWithIt demonstrating that people can gain new insights through designs that embed daily, hourly adherence data with goal adherence.
An Analytic System for User Gender Identification through User Shared Images
Authors: Cheung Ming , She James
Published: June 2017

Many social media applications, such as recommendation, virality prediction, and marketing, make use of user gender, which may not be explicitly specified or kept privately. Meanwhile, advanced mobile devices have become part of our lives and a huge amount of content is being generated by users every day, especially user shared images shared by individuals in social networks. This particular form of user generated content is widely accessible to others due to the sharing nature. When user gender is only accessible to exclusive parties, these user shared images are proved to be an easier way to identify user gender. This work investigated 3,152,344 images by 7,450 users from Fotolog and Flickr, two image-oriented social networks. It is observed that users who share visually similar images are more likely to have the same gender. A multimedia big data system that utilizes this phenomenon is proposed for user gender identification with 79% accuracy. These findings are useful for information or services in any social network with intensive image sharing.
Muscle hypertrophy in prediabetic men after 16 wk of resistance training
Authors: Stuart Charles A. , Lee Michelle L. , South Mark A. , Howell Mary E. A. , Stone Michael H.
Published: June 2017

Resistance training of healthy young men typically results in muscle hypertrophy and a shift in vastus lateralis composition away from type IIx fibers to an increase in IIa fiber content. Our previous studies of 8 wk of resistance training found that many metabolic syndrome men and women paradoxically increased IIx fibers with a decrease in IIa fibers. To confirm the hypothesis that obese subjects might have muscle remodeling after resistance training very different from healthy lean subjects, we subjected a group of nine obese male volunteers to progressive resistance training for a total of 16 wk. In these studies, weight loss was discouraged so that muscle changes would be attributed to the training alone. Detailed assessments included comparisons of histological examinations of needle biopsies of vastus lateralis muscle pretraining and at 8 and 16 wk. Prolonging the training from 8 to 16 wk resulted in increased strength, improved body composition, and more muscle fiber hypertrophy, but euglycemic clamp-quantified insulin responsiveness did not improve. Similar to prior studies, muscle fiber composition shifted toward more fast-twitch type IIx fibers (23 to 42%). Eight weeks of resistance training increased the muscle expression of phosphorylated Akt2 and mTOR. Muscle GLUT4 expression increased, although insulin receptor and IRS-1 expression did not change. We conclude that resistance training of prediabetic obese subjects is effective at changing muscle, resulting in fiber hypertrophy and increased type IIx fiber content, and these changes continue up to 16 wk of training.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Obese, insulin-resistant men responded to 16 wk of progressive resistance training with muscle hypertrophy and increased strength and a shift in muscle fiber composition toward fast-twitch, type IIx fibers. Activation of muscle mTOR was increased by 8 wk but did not increase further at 16 wk despite continued augmentation of peak power and rate of force generation.
The Relationship between Age, Common Bile Duct Diameter and Diagnostic Probability in Suspected Choledocholithiasis
Authors: Karamanos Efstathios , Inaba Kenji , Berg Regan J. , Resnick Shelby , Okoye Obi , Alexopoulos Sophoclis , Chouliaras Konstantinos , Demetriades Demetrios
Published: June 2017

Background: Aging has been associated with increasing common bile duct (CBD) diameter and reported as independently predictive of the likelihood of choledocolithiasis. These associations are controversial with uncertain diagnostic utility in patients presenting with symptomatic disease. The current study examined the relationship between age, CBD size, and the diagnostic probability of choledocolithiasis. Methods: Symptomatic patients undergoing evaluation for suspected choledocolithiasis from January 2008 to February 2011 were reviewed. In the cohort without choledocolithiasis, the relationship between aging and CBD size was examined as a continuous variable and by comparing mean CBD size across stratified age groups. Multivariate analysis examined the relationship between increasing age and diagnostic probability of choledocolithiasis in all patients. Results: Choledocolithasis was diagnosed by MR cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) or endoscopic retrograde (ERCP) in 496 of 1,000 patients reviewed. Mean CBD was 6.0 mm (±2.8 mm) in the 504 of 1,000 patients without choledocolithiasis on ERCP/MRCP. Increasing age had no correlation with CBD size as a continuous variable (r2 = 0.011, p = 0.811). No difference occurred across age groups (Kruskal-Wallis, p = 0.157). Age had no association with diagnostic likelihood of choledocolithiasis (AOR [95% CI] 0.99 [0.98-1.01], adjusted-p = 0.335). Conclusion: In a large population undergoing investigation for biliary disease, increasing age was neither associated with increasing CBD diameter nor predictive of the likelihood of choledocolithiasis.
Influence of Sex and Age on Posterior Semicircular Canal Thickness
Authors: Whyte Jaime , Tejedor M. Teresa , Monteagudo Luis V. , Whyte Ana , Cisneros Ana I. , Crovetto Rafael , Fraile Jesus J. , Crovetto Miguel A.
Published: June 2017

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine whether sex and age influence posterior semicircular canal (PSC) thickness. Methods: This observational study was conducted in 3 tertiary hospitals. The minimal distance between the PSC and the posterior cranial fossa (PSC thickness) was estimated by thin-section multidetector row computed axial tomography (CAT) scan of the temporal bones. Nonselected consecutive patients of all ages (607 temporal bones) were considered. Results: A significant effect was only detected for sex (F = 5.418, p = 0.020); PSC thickness showed a higher mean value in women (mean difference ± SE: 0.224 ± 0.096 mm). A significant and negative r value was detected for males aged >45 years (-0.173, p = 0.026); in that group of patients, PSC thickness decreased as age increased (0.018 ± 0.008 mm/year). For females aged ≤45 years, a significant and positive r value was found (0.198, p = 0.022); in that group, PSC thickness increased as age increased (0.020 ± 0.008 mm/year). Conclusions: PSC thickness did not significantly evolve with age in young males (≤45 years) but it decreased from age 45 years onwards. On the other hand, PCS thickness increased with age in women until the age of 45 years and it did not significantly change in older females.
Anatomy Revisited: Hemodialysis Catheter Malposition in the Left Ascending Lumbar Vein
Authors: Büttner Stefan , Patyna Sammy , Rudolf Sarah , Avaniadi Despina , Kaup Moritz , Geiger Helmut , Betz Christoph
Published: June 2017

In selected cases, cuffed tunneled catheters via the iliac vein are implanted as a last resort access for hemodialysis. To monitor the correct position, sonography of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is sufficient in most cases. Position control using an X-ray of the abdomen is not routinely recommended when femoral catheters are implanted. In this report, we describe the case of a 59-year-old patient on chronic hemodialysis due to granulomatosis with polyangiitis and complex shunt history with multiple shunt occlusions and revisions. The implantation of an iliac-cuffed tunneled catheter led to complications because the catheter was malpositioned into the left ascending lumbar vein (ALV). It is important to be aware of potential incorrect positioning of dialysis catheters into the ALV. Due to the anatomical relation to the IVC, this happens more frequently on the left side than on the right side. In case of doubt, the correct placement of large-bore catheters via iliac access route should be verified by means of appropriate imaging before hemodialysis is performed.
Myeloperoxidase Levels and Its Product 3-Chlorotyrosine Predict Chronic Kidney Disease Severity and Associated Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Afshinnia Farsad , Zeng Lixia , Byun Jaeman , Gadegbeku Crystal A. , Magnone Maria Chiara , Whatling Carl , Valastro Barbara , Kretzler Matthias , Pennathur Subramaniam ,   Michigan Kidney Translational Core CPROBE Investigator Group
Published: June 2017

Background: The role of myeloperoxidase in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its association with coronary artery disease (CAD) is controversial. In this study, we compared myeloperoxidase and protein-bound 3-chlorotyrosine (ClY) levels in subjects with varying degrees of CKD and tested their associations with CAD. Methods: From Clinical Phenotyping Resource and Biobank Core, 111 patients were selected from CKD stages 1 to 5. Plasma myeloperoxidase level was measured using enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay. Plasma protein-bound 3-ClY, a specific product of hypochlorous acid generated by myeloperoxidase was measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. Results: We selected 29, 20, 24, 22, and 16 patients from stages 1 to 5 CKD, respectively. In a sex-adjusted general linear model, mean ± SD of myeloperoxidase levels decreased from 18.1 ± 12.3 pmol in stage 1 to 10.9 ± 4.7 pmol in stage 5 (p = 0.011). In patients with and without CAD, the levels were 19.1 ± 10.1 and 14.8 ± 8.7 pmol (p = 0.036). There was an increase in 3-ClY mean from 0.81 ± 0.36 mmol/mol-tyrosine in stage 1 to 1.42 ± 0.41 mmol/mol-tyrosine in stage 5 (p < 0.001). The mean 3-ClY levels in patients with and without CAD were 1.25 ± 0.44 and 1.04 ± 0.42 mmol/mol-tyrosine (p = 0.023), respectively. C-statistic of ClY when added to myeloperoxidase level to predict CKD stage 5 was 0.86, compared to 0.79 for the myeloperoxidase level alone (p = 0.0097). Conclusion: The myeloperoxidase levels decrease from stages 1 to 5, whereas activity increases. In contrast, both myeloperoxidase and ClY levels rise in the presence of CAD at various stages of CKD. Measuring both plasma myeloperoxidase and 3-CLY levels provide added value to determine the burden of myeloperoxidase-mediated oxidative stress.
Long Non-Coding RNA MALAT1 Decreases the Sensitivity of Resistant Glioblastoma Cell Lines to Temozolomide
Authors: Li Hongwei , Yuan Xiaoli , Yan Dongming , Li Dongpeng , Guan Fangxia , Dong Yang , Wang Hao , Liu Xianzhi , Yang Bo
Published: June 2017

Background/Aim: Multidrug resistance (MDR) is largely responsible for the failure of chemotherapy. The long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript (MALAT1) has been reported to be closely related to tumor biology. In the present study, whether MALAT1 contributes to the resistance of glioblastoma cell lines to temozolomide (TMZ) was investigated. Methods: The glioblastoma cell lines U251 and U87 were exposed to increasing concentrations of TMZ to generate TMZ-resistant colonies (the U251/TMZ and U87/TMZ cell lines). The expression levels of MALAT1 and proteins related to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) were detected by real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. After the transfection of si-MALAT1 or pcDNA-MALAT1, cell viability, mRNA expression of MDR-associated proteins (MDR1, MRP5 and LRP1), and protein expression of EMT related proteins (ZEB1, Snail and SLUG) were evaluated. Results: The expression of MALAT1 was upregulated in the U251/TMZ and U87/TMZ cell lines compared to that in U251 and U87 cell lines, respectively. The treatment of si-MALAT1 decreased MDR1, MRP5, and LRP1 expression, enhanced cell sensitivity to TMZ, and downregulated ZEB1 protein expression, whereas pcDNA-MALAT1 had the opposite effects. However, the effects of si-MALAT1 on MDR -associated protein expression, cell viability, and EMT status were reversed by the transfection of pcDNA-ZEB1, and the effects of pcDNA-MALAT1 were reversed by the transfection of si-ZEB1. In vivo, MALAT1 overexpression enhanced tumors’ TMZ resistance and upregulated ZEB1 expression. Conclusion: MALAT1 decreased the sensitivity of resistant glioma cell lines to TMZ by regulating ZEB1.
Subcutaneous Adipocyte Lipolysis Contributes to Circulating Lipid Levels
Authors: Rydén Mikael , Arner Peter
Published: June 2017

Objective—

Fatty acids released via fat cell lipolysis can affect circulating lipid levels. However, the contribution of different lipolysis measures in adipose tissue is unknown and was presently examined in isolated subcutaneous adipocytes.

Approach and Results—

One thousand and sixty-six men and women were examined for lipolysis regulation in subcutaneous abdominal fat cells. Results were compared with fasting plasma levels of total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (HDL-C) and triglycerides. Spontaneous (basal) lipolysis and the effects of the major hormones stimulating (catecholamines and natriuretic peptides) and inhibiting lipolysis (insulin) were examined. Several statistically significant (
P
<0.0001) correlations between the different lipolysis parameters and plasma lipids were observed. However, physiologically relevant correlations (adjusted
r
2
≥0.05) were only evident between basal or insulin-inhibited lipolysis and plasma triglycerides or HDL-C. Together, these lipolysis measures explained 14% of the variation in triglycerides or HDL-C, respectively. In comparison, a combination of established factors associated with variations in plasma lipids, that is, age; body mass index; waist circumference; waist-to-hip ratio; sex; nicotine use; fat cell volume; and pharmacotherapy against diabetes mellitus; hypertension; or hyperlipidemia explained 17% and 28%, respectively, of the variations in plasma triglycerides and HDL-C.

Conclusions—

Subcutaneous fat cell lipolysis is an important independent contributor to interindividual variations in plasma lipids. High spontaneous lipolysis activity and resistance to the antilipolytic effect of insulin associate with elevated triglyceride and low HDL-C concentrations. Thus, although several other factors also play a role, subcutaneous adipose tissue may have a causal influence on dyslipidemia.
Use of Statins and Outcomes in Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients
Authors: Siddiqui Fazeel M. , Langefeld Carl D. , Moomaw Charles J. , Comeau Mary E. , Sekar Padmini , Rosand Jonathan , Kidwell Chelsea S. , Martini Sharyl , Osborne Jennifer L. , Stutzman Sonja , Hall Christiana , Woo Daniel
Published: June 2017

Background and Purpose—

Statin use may be associated with improved outcome in intracerebral hemorrhage patients. However, the topic remains controversial. Our analysis examined the effect of prior, continued, or new statin use on intracerebral hemorrhage outcomes using the ERICH (Ethnic/Racial Variations of Intracerebral Hemorrhage) data set.

Methods—

We analyzed ERICH (a multicenter study designed to examine ethnic variations in the risk, presentation, and outcomes of intracerebral hemorrhage) to explore the association of statin use and hematoma growth, mortality, and 3-month disability. We computed subset analyses with respect to 3 statin categories (prior, continued, or new use).

Results—

Two thousand four hundred and fifty-seven enrolled cases (mean age, 62 years; 42% females) had complete data on mortality and 3-month disability (modified Rankin Scale). Among those, 1093 cases were on statins (prior, n=268; continued, n=423; new, n=402). Overall, statin use was associated with reduced mortality and disability without any effect on hematoma growth. This association was primarily driven by continued/new statin use. A multivariate analysis adjusted for age and major predictors for poor outcome showed that continued/new statins users had good outcomes compared with prior users. However, statins may have been continued/started more frequently among less severe patients. When a propensity score was developed based on factors that could influence a physician’s decision in prescribing statins and used as a covariate, continued/new statin use was no longer a significant predictor of good outcome.

Conclusions—

Although statin use, especially continued/new use, was associated with improved intracerebral hemorrhage outcomes, this effect may merely reflect the physician’s view of a patient’s prognosis rather than a predictor of survival.
DNA Barcoding of Chinese species of the genus Eurydema Laporte, 1833 (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)
Authors: ZHAO WANQING , ZHAO QING , LI MIN , WEI JIUFENG , ZHANG XIANHONG , ZHANG HUFANG
Published: June 2017

The phenotype, as a significant identification character for the bug species Eurydema Laporte, 1833, possesses many variation patterns, making this species difficult to determine. In this context, DNA barcoding provides an efficient method for species identification. In our study, we used distance-based and tree-based methods to assess the effectiveness of COI gene as an additional taxonomic method. We examined COI sequences of 203 specimens collected in China. Intra- and interspecific genetic distances were calculated, and a phylogenetic tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining (NJ) method. The program TaxonDNA was used to calculate the distribution of distances and investigated the barcode gap. DNA barcodes revealed 100% (ABGD), 99.5% (TaxonDNA) and 97.5% (Barcode Index Numbers) successful identification rates. In the NJ tree, all taxonomic species showed monophyletic clusters that were separated from each other by large genetic distances (> 4.3%). Low divergence (< 0.6%) and non-monophyly clusters that included different phenotype variations were found in E. dominulus and E. oleracea. Compared with other Eurydema species, E. sp. had an average interspecific distance of 7.4% that was congeneric distance, and formed a distinct cluster among Eurydema tree clades. We also confirmed a new combination of Eurydema qinlingensis (Zheng, 1982) comb. nov. based on DNA barcoding and morphology data. Overall, our data showed that, despite the little barcode overlap between intra- and interspecific genetic distances, DNA barcoding is a useful and effective method for enhancing morphological data and resolving taxonomic problems.
Metallic Mercury Contamination of the Dental Operatory
Authors: Domey Richard G.
Published: June 2017

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists 1971 standard threshold limit value (TLV) of 0.55 mgHg/m of air was found to be exceeded frequently in a sample of 60 dental operatories in San Antonio, Texas. Significant differences in contamination among laboratories were found, among sites within operatories, and among times of day, correlated with kilograms of mercury used, average number of amalgams inserted per day, age of operatories, height of carpeting pile, cleaning methods, frequency of cleaning, and general lack of routine monitoring and use of bioassays. Recommendations for control of metallic mercury contamination in dental operatories are offered.
Aircraft Simulator Motion and the Order of Merit of Flight Attitude and Steering Guidance Displays
Authors: Ince Fuat , Williges Robert C. , Roscoe Stanley N.
Published: June 2017

Twenty-four nonpilot, volunteer subjects were tested on three flight tasks while flying four basic aircraft attitude presentations (moving horizon, moving airplane, frequency-separated, and kinalog) in a light twin-engine aircraft simulator providing three types of motion cues (no motion, standard GAT-2 motion, and washout motion). The flight tasks involved conflicting visual and vestibular cues and included disturbed attitude tracking, command flight path tracking in both pursuit and compensatory modes, and a series of recovery trials from discrete unknown attitudes. To provide a basis for comparison, the present simulator study closely replicated the procedures used in the Roscoe and Williges (1975) flight experiment. The frequency-separated display yielded performances at least equivalent and in some cases superior to those obtained with the conventional moving horizon display. Either type of simulator motion resulted in better disturbed attitude tracking performance than no motion, and washout motion provided stereotypic control responses in recovery from unknown attitudes most closely corresponding to those obtained in flight. It was concluded that care must be used in generalizing simulator results to flight performance when no physical motion cues or inappropriate ones are present in the simulator.
Functional Completeness as a Determinant of Processing Load During Sentence Comprehension
Authors: Carroll John M.
Published: June 2017

Two experiments tested the hypothesis that processing load during sentence comprehension decreases more at the termination of functionally complete linguistic sequences than it does at the termination of functionally incomplete sequences. Functionally complete sequences were defined as consisting of complete, coherent, and fully explicit propositional structures: subject-verb-(object). It was shown that identifying sentence comprehension units with functionally complete sequences accounts for systematic fluctuations in processing load in cases for which purely syntactic definitions of sentence comprehension units make no predictions. Further empirical elaborations in the definition of functional completeness were discussed.
Rhetorical Pauses in Oral Reading
Authors: Clemmer Edward J. , O'Connell Daniel C. , Loui Wayne
Published: June 2017

Church lectors, beginning drama students, and advanced drama students read a passage from St. Paul's "First Letter to the Corinthians." Drama students used both faster articulation and speech rates and fewer silent pauses than church lectors. The advanced drama students also used a greater number of longer silent pauses than the other two groups. Both expert and nonprofessional evaluations showed preference for readings by the advanced drama students and then the beginning drama students over the church lectors.
The Generalization Hypothesis: Final Consonant Deletion
Authors: Elbert Mary , Mcreynolds Leija V.
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine the organization inherent in children's misarticulations of final consonant sounds. Four children with consistent omission of final consonants were taught to produce selected exemplars of either final stops or fricatives in a counterbalanced order within a multiple baseline design. Generalization across sound classes was tested. The results indicated that generalization was lawful but restricted to the class of sounds being taught (either stops or fricatives) and did not extend across sound categories. The examination of individual lexical items over time showed variations which seemed to reflect the active role of children during the learning process.
Perceiving the role of grassroots NGOs: From the new social movement perspective
Authors: Pattnaik Binay Kumar , Panda Biswambhar
Published: June 2017

In recent times, many grassroots micro movements, also known as new social movements (NSMs), have taken off, centring around contemporary issues of importance such as ecology/environment, women empowerment, human rights, sharing of natural resources and the like. Of late, India has also seen a phenomenal growth in non-governmental organisations (NGOs). They have contributed handsomely toward these NSMs through their intense campaigns, people's mobilisation programmes and effective networks. In the light of these, this article posits NGOs as a social force that facilitates collective action and people mobilisation. It discusses how, by deploying various people-oriented as well as people-centric strategies, these organisations build a rapport with them. This has been discussed from the NSM perspective. The article portrays empirically the roles that NGOs play in making the people environmentally aware. Based on empirical data from 40 grassroots environmental NGOs in coastal Orissa, the article discusses at length the various measures employed in building awareness and subsequently empowering them to meet the growing environmental challenges. In a strong civil society, it is people who ultimately have to protect and restore the ecosystems/ environment, for this is the key to the survival of the rural population and a sound environmental future in developing countries like India.
Entrepreneurial behaviour of Kashmiri women through cooperatives
Authors: Jan Muzamil
Published: June 2017

This study of agricultural and consumer cooperatives in Kashmir shows that men's cooperatives outnumber women's cooperatives at every level-block, district and state. They also have a higher number of active members; moreover, the number of active women members in men's cooperatives is abysmal. Yet, as many as 66% of the women's cooperatives are operating at a profit, against 46% such men's cooperatives. Though women's cooperatives make lower profits than the men's cooperatives, they are more viable. The study shows also that rural women are more aware of the cooperative movement than women in semi-urban or urban areas. In semi-urban areas, Hanji women are keen to carry out their traditional occupation of fishery through cooperatives. It was found also that urban and rural women are interested in establishing bakery, milk/dairy and consumer cooperatives. Such activities need to be encouraged.
Boosting rural employment in a globalised regime
Authors: Pradhan Rudra Prakash
Published: June 2017

The paper seeks to highlight the declining trends of rural employment in the Indian economy during the globalisation era of the 1990s. It identifies problematic areas like the farm and non-farm sectors, rural infrastructure, sectoral and direct employment programmes, decentralisation of government, shrinking opportunities for rural women and trade openness in the agriculture sector. The paper suggests vigorous policy decisions to modernise the rural economy and boost rural employment. This will entail substantial investment in both the farm and non-farm sectors and their integration with infrastructure development and genuine decentralisation.
Impact of Postmodernism on Public Sector Leadership Practices: Federal Government Human Capital Development Implications
Authors: Green Daryl D. , Roberts Gary E.
Published: June 2017

This paper explores the nexus of contemporary leadership theory and postmodern worldview influences within the public sector with special emphasis on the staffing challenges of the federal government. The postmodern values embraced by the replacement cohorts (Millennial and Generation X) for the retiring baby boomers are in direct conflict with traditional leadership theories reducing the attractiveness of governmental employment. The paper concludes with a series of specific recommendations to more closely align federal human capital development strategies with employee values and organizational needs including generational diversity education, strategic value alignment approaches, values-based recruiting and selection, more systematic mentoring programs, both traditional and reverse mentoring (younger employees coach older workers on technology issues), and a full range of work/life benefits.
Reliability and Validity Testing and Analysis of IPMA-HR Competency Model in China
Authors: Zhang Jin , Zheng Quanquan , Sun Li Linda , Zheng Lu
Published: June 2017

The IPMA-HR competency model forms the basis for a certification training program developed by International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR) for HR professionals, which has been introduced into China in recent years. The program is welcomed by Chinese HR professionals and serves as fairly popular and influential competency training for human resources and the HR certification system of China. However, few scholars have conducted systematic tests and analyses on the model's stability, dependability and its scientific nature and no actual measurement has been performed on its reliability and validity as well.

From empirical study perspective and on the basis of field survey and data collected in this study, we aim to test and analyze the four fundamental roles and twenty two competencies designed in the IPMA-HR Competency Model through using two main methods: the reliability & validity test and the path analysis. Besides concluding with positive findings of the program, we also summarize the practical applications of the IPMA-HR Competency Model in China's HR management and training market and propose our suggestions to improve the competency model in terms of a cultural identity perspective.
Institutional Strategy
Authors: Lawrence Thomas B.
Published: June 2017

The ability of organizations to strategically influence their environments has become a central concern in organizational research. In this article, I develop the concept of ‘institutional strategy’ to describe patterns of organizational action that are directed toward managing the institutional structures within which firms compete for resources, either through the reproduction or transformation of those structures. Drawing on a study of the Canadian forensic accounting industry, I describe two types of institutional strategy: (1) membership strategies that involve the definition of rules of membership and their meaning for an institutional community; and (2) standardization strategies that are concerned with the establishment of technical legal or market standards that define the "normal" processes involved in the production of some good or service.
Effects of Acculturation on Assistive Technology Service Delivery
Authors: Parette Howard P. , Huer Mary Blake , Scherer Marcia
Published: June 2017

This article offers a process for understanding the concept of acculturation within the context of assistive technology (AT) decision-making. Encouraging professionals to consider the influence from extent of acculturation on AT service delivery, the authors provide two types of information: academic discussions of topics such as the processes of assimilation, integration, separation, and/or marginalization, and personal stories from immigrant families and families within varying socioeconomic levels. Several different dimensions which may have a mediating influence on acculturation are integrated into the discussion of the necessity for more effective partnering with family members whose children have disabilities. Conclusions drawn should enable professionals to discover more appropriate solutions for and selection of AT devices from a broader culturally sensitive perspective.
Technology Use by Students with Intellectual Disabilities: An Overview
Authors: Wehmeyer Michael L. , Smith Sean J. , Palmer Susan B. , Davies Daniel K.
Published: June 2017

Technology is a prevalent feature of educational environments today. Unfortunately, in too many cases students with intellectual disabilities do not have access to or are not able to use such technologies. This article overviews the literature pertaining to the use of technology by students with intellectual disabilities, examines characteristics of this population that impact technology use, and provides a review of the literature pertaining to technology use by students with intellectual disabilities across several functional domain areas.
Creating a Technology Toolkit for Students with Mental Retardation: A Systematic Approach
Authors: Parette Phil , Wojcik Brian W.
Published: June 2017

Assistive technology consideration and implementation is often limited by the technology experience and knowledge of the education professionals involved in the process. The creation of a toolkit containing highly useful technologies may assist education professionals in this process. This article discusses a systematic method for creating a technology toolkit for use with students having mental retardation. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Usability Testing of the ClassWide Peer Tutoring-Learning Management System
Authors: Buzhardt Jay , Abbott Mary , Greenwood Charles , Tapia Yolanda
Published: June 2017

The usability of classroom interventions plays a significant role in the likelihood that they will reach wide scale use. The current report describes the usability testing of a software application designed for ClassWide Peer Tutoring (CWPT), a research-based classroom intervention. Initially, CWPT teachers rated the usability of the software and indicated how they used it in their classrooms. Then, teachers were observed completing seven common activities with the software. The following usability data were collected during the activities: how many teachers requested help and reported problems, what part of the software caused problems and prompted requests for help, and the time to complete activities. A part of the software was considered “difficult to use” if 40% or more teachers requested help with it or reported problems. After identifying the difficult-to-use parts of the software, the nature of the problem and how to correct it was assessed by reviewing teachers' specific questions and problems. Findings suggest that the software's usability ratings were much higher than its observed usability. The implications of usability evaluations beyond subjective ratings are discussed in terms of how to improve the scalability of educational interventions and technology.