bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterisation and prediction of carbohydrate content in zucchini fruit using near infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Pomares‐Viciana Teresa , Martínez‐Valdivieso Damián , Font Rafael , Gómez Pedro , del Río‐Celestino Mercedes
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND

Zucchini fruit plays an important part in healthy nutrition due to its high content of carbohydrates. Recent studies have demonstrated the feasibility of visible–NIRS to predict quality profile. However, this procedure has not been applied to determine carbohydrates.

RESULTS

Visible–NIR and wet chemical methods were used to determine individual sugars and starch in zucchini fruits. By applying a principal component analysis (PCA) with NIR spectral data a differentiation between the less sweet versus the sweetest zucchini accessions could be found. For the determination of carbohydrate content effective prediction models for individual sugars such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and starch by using partial least squares (PLS) regression have been developed.

CONCLUSION

The coefficients of determination in the external validation (R2VAL) ranged from 0.66 to 0.85. The standard deviation (SD) to standard error of prediction ratio (RPD) and SD to range (RER) were variable for different quality compounds and showed values that were characteristic of equations suitable for screening purposes. From the study of the MPLS loadings of the first three terms of the different equations for sugars and starch, it can be concluded that some major cell components such as pigments, cellulose, organic acids highly participated in modelling the equations for carbohydrates. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Maternal Body Mass Index and Amniotic Fluid Index in Late Gestation
Authors: Blitz Matthew J. , Rochelson Burton , Stork Leah B. , Augustine Stephanie , Greenberg Meir , Sison Cristina P. , Vohra Nidhi
Published: August 2017

Objectives

To determine the effect, if any, of an increasing maternal body mass index (BMI) on sonographically diagnosed oligohydramnios in late gestation and how it subsequently affects obstetric and neonatal outcomes.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study evaluated all women with singleton gestations who had a sonographic examination at 40 to 42 weeks' gestational age at North Shore University Hospital from 2010 through 2013. Underweight women (prepregnancy BMI < 18.5 kg/m2) were excluded because of higher rates of oligohydramnios and fetal growth restriction. Patients were classified into 5 groups by late‐pregnancy BMI. The primary variable of interest was the diagnosis of oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index < 5 cm). Secondary variables of interest included the mode of delivery and indication for primary cesarean delivery. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed.

Results

Oligohydramnios was identified in 189 of 1671 patients (11.3%). There was no significant difference in the amniotic fluid index between BMI groups. The rate of primary cesarean delivery increased with each successive BMI group (P < .001) such that women in the class III obesity group had an approximately 3‐fold higher rate of primary cesarean delivery than women in the normal BMI group and a 2‐fold higher rate than women in the overweight BMI group. In the final multivariable logistic regression model, a high BMI, nulliparity, and excessive gestational weight gain were associated with primary cesarean delivery. However, oligohydramnios did not contribute significantly to the model.

Conclusions

The maternal BMI is not associated with oligohydramnios in late gestation. An increasing maternal BMI significantly increases the risk of primary cesarean delivery.
Clinical Value of Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound Enhancement Patterns for Differentiating Focal Pancreatitis From Pancreatic Carcinoma: A Comparison Study With Conventional Ultrasound
Authors: Wang Yanjie , Yan Kun , Fan Zhihui , Ding Ke , Yin Shanshan , Dai Ying , Yang Wei , Wu Wei
Published: August 2017

Objectives

We explored the clinical value of using contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (US) enhancement patterns for the differential diagnosis of focal pancreatitis from pancreatic carcinoma.

Methods

A total of 136 solid pancreatic lesions with final diagnoses from January 2010 to February 2016 were enrolled in this study. Twenty‐five cases were focal pancreatitis; 86 cases were pancreatic carcinoma; and 25 cases were other types. All of the patients received conventional and contrast‐enhanced US examinations. Two experienced US physicians analyzed the contrast‐enhanced US enhancement patterns and made diagnoses according to the conventional and contrast‐enhanced US manifestations. The inter‐rater agreement for the contrast enhancement patterns between the readers was analyzed. The diagnostic efficiency of contrast enhancement patterns for differentiating focal pancreatitis from pancreatic carcinoma was analyzed and compared with that of conventional US.

Results

The κ test showed good concordance for contrast enhancement patterns between the readers (P < .05). The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of isoenhancement or isoenhancement with focal hypoenhancement in both the early and late phases for diagnosing focal pancreatitis were 72.0%, 95.5%, and 91.2%, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of isoenhancement or isoenhancement with focal hypoenhancement in both the early and late phases greatly increased for diagnosing focal pancreatitis in comparison with isoenhancement (72.0% versus 32.0%; P < .05). The diagnostic accuracy of contrast‐enhanced US was greatly increased over that of conventional US (85.6% versus 49.5%; P < .001).

Conclusions

Contrast‐enhanced US is a valuable tool for differentiating focal pancreatitis from pancreatic carcinoma and can greatly increase the diagnostic accuracy over conventional US.
Minimally elevated preoperative parathyroid hormone level influences the management of primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Sadeghi Nader , Li Ning‐Wei , Shokri Tom , Akin Esma , Joshi Arjun S. , Knoll Stanley
Published: August 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

To determine the effect of preoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) level on the extent of surgery and the accuracy of parathyroid imaging in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Methods

Final diagnosis of single‐gland adenoma and its location versus multigland disease was established in this retrospective cohort study. Positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of imaging were analyzed in relation to preoperative PTH levels.

Results

Eighty‐seven percent of the 218 patients enrolled in the study underwent unilateral targeted operation and had a 97.9% (95% confidence interval: 95.8%–100%) success rate. However, in patients with PTH <65 pg/mL, 28.6% had bilateral exploration compared to 10.3% in those with PTH ≥65 pg/mL (P = .042). In patients with PTH <65 pg/mL, 7/21 (33.3%) had inaccurate sestamibi findings compared to 24/174 (13.8%) in patients with PTH ≥65 pg/mL (P = .047).

Conclusions

Accuracy of sestamibi drops significantly, by threefold, in patients with mild primary hyperparathyroidism and PTH <65 pg/mL. Patients with PTH < 65 pg/mL have a 2.5‐fold higher rate of bilateral operation to identify the hypersecreting gland(s) compared to patients with PTH ≥65 pg/mL.

Level of Evidence

4. Laryngoscope, 128:1016–1021, 2018
Aromatic‐Turmerone Attenuates LPS‐Induced Neuroinflammation and Consequent Memory Impairment by Targeting TLR4‐Dependent Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chen Min , Chang Yuan‐yuan , Huang Shun , Xiao Li‐hang , Zhou Wei , Zhang Lan‐yue , Li Chun , Zhou Ren‐ping , Tang Jian , Lin Li , Du Zhi‐yun , Zhang Kun
Published: August 2017

Scope: Curcuma longa (turmeric) is a folk medicine in South and Southeast Asia, which has been widely used to alleviate chronic inflammation. Aromatic‐turmerone is one of the main components abundant in turmeric essential oil. However, little information is available from controlled studies regarding its biological activities and underlying molecular mechanisms against chronic inflammation in the brain. In the current study, we employed a classical LPS model to study the effect and mechanism of aromatic‐turmerone on neuroinflammation.

Methods and results: The effects of aromatic‐turmerone were studied in LPS‐treated mice and BV2 cells. The cognitive function assays, protein analyses, and histological examination were performed. Oral administration of aromatic‐turmerone could reverse LPS‐induced memory disturbance and normalize glucose intake and metabolism in the brains of mice. Moreover, aromatic‐turmerone significantly limited brain damage, through inhibiting the activation of microglia and generation of inflammatory cytokines. Further study in vitro revealed that aromatic‐turmerone targeted Toll‐like receptor 4 mediated downstream signaling, and lowered the release of inflammatory mediators.

Conclusion: These observations indicate that aromatic‐turmerone is effective in preventing brain damage caused by neuroinflammation and may be useful in the treatment of neuronal inflammatory diseases.
Diacylglycerol Enhances the Effects of Alpha‐Linolenic Acid Against Visceral Fat: A Double‐Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Saito Shinichiro , Mori Atsuko , Osaki Noriko , Katsuragi Yoshihisa
Published: August 2017

Objective

To investigate the effect of alpha‐linolenic acid‐rich diacylglycerol (ALA‐DAG) compared with alpha‐linolenic acid‐rich triacylglycerol (ALA‐TAG) on visceral fat area (VFA) in people with overweight.

Methods

Subjects with overweight were recruited to a randomized, double‐blind, controlled, parallel‐group designed trial and randomly allocated to two groups that consumed either 2.5 g/d ALA‐TAG or ALA‐DAG for 12 weeks. Two 4‐week nontreatment periods were placed before and after the treatment period. One hundred fourteen subjects (n = 57 in the ALA‐TAG group, n = 57 in the ALA‐DAG group) were enrolled into the analysis set for efficacy evaluation.

Results

The VFA and BMI were significantly decreased by the ALA‐DAG treatment with a treatment‐by‐time interaction compared with the ALA‐TAG treatment (P < 0.05). Additionally, the change from baseline of the fasting serum TAG concentration at week 12 was significantly decreased by ALA‐DAG treatment compared with ALA‐TAG treatment (P < 0.05). Safety parameters such as urinary measurements, hematologic parameters and blood biochemistry, and the incidence of adverse events did not differ significantly between groups, and no ALA‐DAG–associated adverse effects were detected.

Conclusions

Incorporation of ALA‐DAG in a regular diet for 12 weeks may lead to a reduction in VFA, BMI, and serum TAG in men and women with overweight.
Effect of the combined application of microencapsulated synthetic oviposition pheromone (MSP) with different larvicidal agents on the oviposition of Culex pipiens biotype molestus
Authors: Michaelakis Antonios , Papachristos Dimitrios P , Rumbos Christos I , Athanassiou Christos G
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND

Attract‐and‐kill strategies, in which a behavior‐modifying stimulus (e.g. a pheromone) is integrated with a pest control agent, have lately attracted increased interest for mosquito control. Previously, it was demonstrated that the polyurea microencapsulated synthetic oviposition pheromone 6‐acetoxy‐5‐hexadecanolide (MSP) was sufficiently attractive to gravid females of Culex pipiens L. biotype molestus Førskal (Diptera: Culicidae) for a period of 40 days. Furthermore, it was shown that MSP could be effectively combined with the organophosphate temephos to achieve efficient mosquito control. In the present study, the effect of the combined application of MSP with commonly used larvicides on the oviposition response of Cx. p. biotype molestus females over time was investigated in two‐choice oviposition bioassays. As larvicides, the insect growth regulator diflubenzuron and the bacterial insecticide spinosad were evaluated at their lowest recommended label dose, whereas temephos was used as a control.

RESULTS

When MSP was applied in combination with diflubenzuron, the attractancy of MSP to gravid females was in all cases negatively affected, as fewer egg rafts were laid in pots treated with MSP and diflubenzuron compared with MSP alone. Spinosad did not reduce, but rather increased, the attractive effect of the oviposition pheromone at the beginning of the bioassay (at 2 days of ageing) when co‐applied; however, the observed attractive effect was significantly reduced after 7 days of ageing and remained stable at the same level until the termination of the bioassay. Finally, the oviposition pattern of egg rafts laid on the pot with MSP and temephos was similar to that of egg rafts laid on the pot with MSP alone, showing that temephos did not significantly affect MSP activity.

CONCLUSION

The results of the present study highlight the effects of the combined application of MSP with spinosad and diflubenzuron on the oviposition of gravid Cx. p. biotype molestus females, which in most cases eliminated the attractive effect of MSP. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Employee Sensemaking on the Importance of Sustainability Reporting in Sustainability Identity Change
Authors: Onkila Tiina , Mäkelä Marileena , Järvenpää Marko
Published: August 2017

This study examines employee sensemaking processes in order to understand the role of sustainability reporting in organizational identity change. Through an analysis of 52 interviews with employees in two Finnish companies, we develop sensemaking frames for understanding the role of sustainability reporting in organizational identity change. The three sensemaking frames are individualistic, relational and decoupled. Each of these sensemaking frames differs in stakeholder orientation. They indicate that sensemaking influences the interpretation of how important sustainability reporting is for organizational identity change towards sustainability. The study shows how the individualistic and relational frames serve as sensemaking frames for framing sustainability reporting as being possibly beneficial in organizational identity change. However, the decoupled frame highlights the deficiencies of reporting, especially from the perspective of a collectivistic stakeholder orientation. We propose that a better understanding of the decoupled sensemaking frame helps to understand the justifications for the increasing criticism that has been targeted at sustainability reporting. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
A new Mississippian tetrapod from Fife, Scotland, and its environmental context
Authors: Smithson Timothy R. , Browne Michael A. E. , Davies Sarah J , Marshall John E. A. , Millward David , Walsh Stig A. , Clack Jennifer A.
Published: August 2017

The Visean stage of the Mississippian was a time of rapid tetrapod diversification which marks the earliest appearance of temnospondyls, microsaurs and the limbless aïstopods. Tetrapod finds from this stage are very rare and only a dozen sites are known worldwide. Here we announce the discovery of a new Visean site in Fife, Scotland, of Asbian age, and from it describe a new species of the baphetoid Spathicephalus. These specimens represent the oldest known baphetoid by three million years, yet belong to the most specialized members of the clade. Unlike typical baphetoids with large marginal teeth and palatal fangs characteristic of early tetrapods, spathicephalids had very broad flattened heads with a dentition consisting of a large number of small, uniform teeth. Spathicephalids were probably one of the earliest tetrapod groups to use suction feeding on small, aquatic prey. Palynological and sedimentological analysis indicates that the new fossil bed was deposited in a large, stratified, freshwater lake that became increasingly saline.
Journey Heading towards Enantioselective Synthesis Assisted by Organocatalysis
Authors: Kaur Jasneet , Chauhan Pankaj , Singh Sarbjit , Chimni Swapandeep Singh
Published: August 2017

This personal account summarizes the design of various organocatalysts derived from amino acids and Cinchona alkaloids and their applications in enantioselective carbon‐carbon and carbon‐nitrogen bond formation reactions. This account begins with the short description of the background of asymmetric organocatalysis. Various types of reactions like aldol reaction, Michael reaction, aza‐Henry reaction, Morita‐Baylis‐Hillman reaction are described in this account.
A novel method to check the axial tilt instability of the rectangular winding of the amorphous alloy transformer
Authors: Guo Jian , Fang Shuhua , Zhang Ying , Jin Yamei
Published: August 2017

The paper proposes a three‐dimensional buckling finite element method (FEM) to calculate the tilt limit force of the rectangular winding of an amorphous alloy transformer. The short‐circuit leakage magnetic FEM is used to calculate the axially distributed force of the transformer. The maximum axial compression force is obtained by integrating the short‐circuit distributed force along the axial height of the winding. The model is used to characterize the axial stability of the transformer by means of the maximum compression force and the size of the tilt limit force, and thus to formulate the evaluation criterion of the axial instability of the amorphous alloy transformer. The proposed method is verified by the calculation results of the tilt limit force and by checking the axial stability of the rectangular winding of an actual amorphous alloy transformer. The analysis results show that reducing the size difference of the rectangular winding between the long side and the short side and increasing the width of the wire will improve the tilt limit force. Experimental results of the short‐circuit test on several amorphous alloy transformers verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Statistical performance of dual‐hop variable gain AF relaying over Nakagami‐m fading
Authors: Qin Dong , Wang Yan
Published: August 2017

This paper evaluates the general statistical performance of dual‐hop variable gain amplify‐and‐forward relay over independently but not necessarily identically distributed Nakagami‐m fading channels, where m = m′/2 and m′ is a positive integer. This model is flexible enough to encompass a great variety of fading environments, such as one‐sided Gaussian distribution (m′ = 1) and Rayleigh fading (m′ = 2). Based on the configuration, we first present closed‐form formulas for the cumulative distribution function and probability density function of the equivalent signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) at a destination. Armed with these statistical results, we derive outage probability, moments of the SNR, and higher‐order statistics of the capacity, which can be effectively used to elucidate system performance. To provide a further insight into relay systems, we characterize a general expression for average symbol error rate in the context of an additive white generalized Gaussian noise. Simulation results are fully consistent with our theoretical analysis. © 2017 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Molecular Precursors for the Phase‐Change Material Germanium‐Antimony‐Telluride, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST)
Authors: Harmgarth Nicole , Zörner Florian , Liebing Phil , Burte Edmund P. , Silinskas Mindaugas , Engelhardt Felix , Edelmann Frank T.
Published: August 2017

This review provides an overview of the precursor chemistry that has been developed around the phase‐change material germanium‐antimony‐telluride, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). Thin films of GST can be deposited by employing either chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques. In both cases, the success of the layer deposition crucially depends on the proper choice of suitable molecular precursors. Previously reported processes mainly relied on simple alkoxides, alkyls, amides and halides of germanium, antimony, and tellurium. More sophisticated precursor design provided a number of promising new aziridinides and guanidinates.
Combined effect of elevated CO2 concentration and drought on the photosynthetic apparatus and leaf morphology traits in seedlings of yellow poplar
Authors: Je Sun‐Mi , Woo Su Young , Lee Seong Han , Kwak Myung Ja , Lee Tae Yoon , Kim Sun Hee
Published: August 2017

To counter the threat of drought, which is expected to increase in the future, we analyzed the combined effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and drought on the photosynthetic apparatus and morphological traits in seedlings of yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera). The plants were grown for four months in a phytotron under different CO2 concentrations [ambient CO2, 430 ppm, AC) and elevated CO2, 640 ppm, EC] and water treatment [field capacity, FC and 50% of field capacity, FC50]. FC50 was sufficient for inducing a reduction in the photosynthetic rate of L. tulipifera. However, under FC50 combined with EC, we observed an increase in photosynthetic rate with increased photopigment content, photochemistry efficiency, and light harvesting ability. Further, decreased specific leaf area and increased wax coverage in EC suggested that EC contributed to protect chloroplasts and reduce water loss. In conclusion, functional improvements of the photosynthetic apparatus with changes in morphological traits were observed under FC50 combined with EC and EC ameliorated the adverse effect of FC50 on the seedlings of L. tulipifera.
The Many Potential Uses for a Job Analysis
Authors: Waters Linda D. , Mironova Olga , Stobinski James X.
Published: August 2017

A job analysis is an integral component in the development of a certification examination. A job analysis, also referred to as a role delineation study, is an expensive, resource-intensive endeavor. The job analysis, the task and knowledge statements, and survey findings, are among the most valuable assets held by a certification organization, but this asset is often underutilized. This article presents alternative uses for job analysis results and strategies for increasing the return on investment for this asset.
The Value of Nursing Certification: Revisited and Reinforced
Authors: Fitzpatrick Joyce J.
Published: August 2017

Background: Nursing is the largest health care profession in the United States, and as such employment and professional development trends for this group are instructive. A significant ratio of individuals holding the vascular access-board certified credential are registered nurses. A large portion of the nursing workforce holds specialty certification, but this process is mainly voluntary and heavily dependent on the motivation of individual nurses. Certification rates among registered nurses lag behind other health care professions such as medicine.

Review of Literature: A summary of recent research centered on nursing certification is presented and divided into 3 major categories: value of certification perceived by nurses, traits associated with certification, and relationship between nursing certification and patient outcomes.

Conclusions: Although there are many studies available on nursing certification, additional work in the field is needed to promote and show benefits of specialty nursing certifications.
Party Polarization in America
Authors: Wood B. Dan , Jordan Soren
Published: August 2017

This book develops a general explanation for party polarization in America from both historical and contemporary perspectives. Prior polarization studies focused exclusively on the modern era, but this work traces party polarization from the constitutional convention of 1787 to the present. Using such a broad historical perspective shows that what was unusual in American history was the period of low polarization from the Great Depression through 1980, rather than the period of high polarization of the modern era. Polarization is the norm of the American system, not the exception, and is likely to persist in the future. More theoretically, party polarization in America has been due to class-based conflict and rent-seeking by the patrician and plebian classes in various historical eras, rather than conflict over cultural values. As in earlier historical eras, modern party polarization has largely been elite-driven, with party entrepreneurs cunningly and strategically using polarization to their advantage.
Monasteries and the Care of Souls in Late Antique Christianity
Authors: Dilley Paul C.
Published: August 2017

In Monasteries and the Care of Souls in Late Antique Christianity, Paul C. Dilley explores the personal practices and group rituals through which the thoughts of monastic disciples were monitored and trained to purify the mind and help them achieve salvation. Dilley draws widely on the interdisciplinary field of cognitive studies, especially anthropology, in his analysis of key monastic 'cognitive disciplines', such as meditation on scripture, the fear of God, and prayer. In addition, various rituals distinctive to communal monasticism, including entrance procedures, the commemoration of founders, and collective repentance, are given their first extended analysis. Participants engaged in 'heart-work' on their thoughts and emotions, which were understood to reflect the community's spiritual state. This book will be of interest to scholars of early Christianity and the ancient world more generally for its detailed description of communal monastic culture and its innovative methodology.
A Google-Based Freeware Solution for Archaeological Field Survey and Onsite Artifact Analysis
Authors: Cascalheira João , Bicho Nuno , Gonçalves Célia
Published: August 2017

This paper introduces a new freeware digital system, based on Google/Android platforms, designed to be a fully integrated and customizable solution to record, manage, and share archaeological survey data. The core of the system is two custom smartphone/tablet applications, through which surveyors are able to retrieve geographical coordinates and relevant attribute data from archaeological locations, but also to perform onsite analysis of artifacts, including taking accurate measurements with digital calipers directly connected to the mobile devices. The system saves all data recovered in the devices' internal memory, as well as in a cloud-based spatial database (Google Fusion Tables), where data can be automatically shared and examined using a rather intuitive set of visualization tools to instantly make maps or produce exploratory charts. Using the example of a recent field survey project for Stone Age sites in Mozambique, we provide a detailed discussion of the creation and use of all hardware and software components of our solution that will allow other researchers to reproduce the methodology and customize the system to meet the needs of their own projects.
TESTING FOR A UNIT ROOT IN LEE–CARTER MORTALITY MODEL
Authors: Leng Xuan , Peng Liang
Published: August 2017

Motivated by a recent discovery that the two-step inference for the Lee–Carter mortality model may be inconsistent when the mortality index does not follow from a nearly integrated AR(1) process, we propose a test for a unit root in a Lee–Carter model with an AR(p) process for the mortality index. Although testing for a unit root has been studied extensively in econometrics, the method and asymptotic results developed in this paper are unconventional. Unlike a blind application of existing R packages for implementing the two-step inference procedure in Lee and Carter (1992) to the U.S. mortality rate data, the proposed test rejects the null hypothesis that the mortality index follows from a unit root AR(1) process, which calls for serious attention on using the future mortality projections based on the Lee–Carter model in policy making, pricing annuities and hedging longevity risk. A simulation study is conducted to examine the finite sample behavior of the proposed test too.
How is Government Stability Affected by the State of the Economy? Payoff Structures, Government Type and Economic State
Authors: Hellström Johan , Walther Daniel
Published: August 2017

To what extent are incumbent governments affected by the state of the economy when it comes to premature dissolution? This article investigates this research question using a data set on parties and governments for 18 West European countries for the period 1945–2013. In addition to investigating the general effect of the state of the economy on government termination, we hypothesize that macroeconomic conditions affect cabinet termination in different ways depending on the type of government that is in power. Using Cox proportional hazards models to estimate how different government types are impacted by the same changes in the economy, our results indicate that economic changes do matter, but that they mainly affect coalition governments. Our results also indicate that there is a difference between minority and majority governments when it comes to the type of termination. Minority coalition governments resolve to early elections, not replacements, presumably because a minority government does not survive defection. Majority coalition governments, in contrast, show sensitivity towards both types of terminations.
Spatially explicit analysis sheds new light on the Pleistocene megafaunal extinction in North America
Authors: Emery-Wetherell Meaghan M. , McHorse Brianna K. , Byrd Davis Edward
Published: August 2017

The late Pleistocene megafaunal extinctions may have been the first extinctions directly related to human activity, but in North America the close temporal proximity of human arrival and the Younger Dryas climate event has hindered efforts to identify the ultimate extinction cause. Previous work evaluating the roles of climate change and human activity in the North American megafaunal extinction has been stymied by a reliance on geographic binning, yielding contradictory results among researchers. We used a fine-scale geospatial approach in combination with 95 megafaunal last-appearance and 75 human first-appearance radiocarbon dates to evaluate the North American megafaunal extinction. We used kriging to create interpolated first- and last-appearance surfaces from calibrated radiocarbon dates in combination with their geographic autocorrelation. We found substantial evidence for overlap between megafaunal and human populations in many but not all areas, in some cases exceeding 3000 years of predicted overlap. We also found that overlap was highly regional: megafauna had last appearances in Alaska before humans first appeared, but did not have last appearances in the Great Lakes region until several thousand years after the first recorded human appearances. Overlap in the Great Lakes region exceeds uncertainty in radiocarbon measurements or methodological uncertainty and would be even greater with sampling-derived confidence intervals. The kriged maps of last megafaunal occurrence are consistent with climate as a primary driver in some areas, but we cannot eliminate human influence from all regions. The late Pleistocene megafaunal extinction was highly variable in timing and duration of human overlap across the continent, and future analyses should take these regional trends into account.
Detector Sampling of Optical/IR Spectra: How Many Pixels per FWHM?
Authors: Robertson J. Gordon
Published: August 2017

Most optical and IR spectra are now acquired using detectors with finite-width pixels in a square array. Each pixel records the received intensity integrated over its own area, and pixels are separated by the array pitch. This paper examines the effects of such pixellation, using computed simulations to illustrate the effects which most concern the astronomer end-user. It is shown that coarse sampling increases the random noise errors in wavelength by typically 10–20 % at 2 pixels per Full Width at Half Maximum, but with wide variation depending on the functional form of the instrumental Line Spread Function (i.e. the instrumental response to a monochromatic input) and on the pixel phase. If line widths are determined, they are even more strongly affected at low sampling frequencies. However, the noise in fitted peak amplitudes is minimally affected by pixellation, with increases less than about 5%. Pixellation has a substantial but complex effect on the ability to see a relative minimum between two closely spaced peaks (or relative maximum between two absorption lines). The consistent scale of resolving power presented by Robertson to overcome the inadequacy of the Full Width at Half Maximum as a resolution measure is here extended to cover pixellated spectra. The systematic bias errors in wavelength introduced by pixellation, independent of signal/noise ratio, are examined. While they may be negligible for smooth well-sampled symmetric Line Spread Functions, they are very sensitive to asymmetry and high spatial frequency sub-structure. The Modulation Transfer Function for sampled data is shown to give a useful indication of the extent of improperly sampled signal in an Line Spread Function. The common maxim that 2 pixels per Full Width at Half Maximum is the Nyquist limit is incorrect and most Line Spread Functions will exhibit some aliasing at this sample frequency. While 2 pixels per Full Width at Half Maximum is nevertheless often an acceptable minimum for moderate signal/noise work, it is preferable to carry out simulations for any actual or proposed Line Spread Function to find the effects of various sampling frequencies. Where spectrograph end-users have a choice of sampling frequencies, through on-chip binning and/or spectrograph configurations, it is desirable that the instrument user manual should include an examination of the effects of the various choices.
Interpreting ISIS: Four Recent Works on the History and Strategy of the Islamic State
Authors: Byrd Anthony R.
Published: August 2017

Since Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim al-Badri, under his nom de guere Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, declared the establishment of a worldwide caliphate on 29 June 2014 from the Nur al-Din Zenki Mosque in Mosul, Iraq, dozens of books have been written seeking to explain the rapid rise and breathtaking brutality of the Islamic State group. There is a certain “all hands on deck” feel to the flood of commentary on ISIS—journalists, academics, policy wonks, military figures, analysts, and politicians all have had their say. The visibility of the group, augmented by the rhetorical use to which they have been put by unrelated political debates, have perhaps made this inevitable. The four books reviewed here are part of this trend, and their collective strength is in their breadth and factual detail. There is information aplenty, and all the books included in this review do an admirable job, each in its own way, of detailing the history of the organization. The Islamic State group's deft use of online propaganda, its place in the post-9/11 jihadi landscape, its territorial gains and losses, and its prodigious ability, until recently, to draw large numbers of recruits into Syria or online support roles, have all received detailed treatment.
Relationships between the Sakarya Zone and the Ankara–Erzincan suture (central-northern Turkey): geological and petrographic data from the Ankara–Çankiri, Çorum and Amasya areas
Authors: PANDELI ENRICO , ELTER FRANCO MARCO , TOKSOY-KÖKSAL FATMA , PRINCIPI GIANFRANCO , ORLANDO ANDREA , VALLERI GIGLIOLA , GIUSTI RICCARDO , ORTI LETIZIA
Published: August 2017

The study was performed in central-northern Anatolia (from Ankara to Amasya) to investigate the relationships of the Sakarya Zone units and the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan suture (IAES) melange. It reveals that all the Sakarya Zone units are metamorphic and three main tectonostratigraphic units have been distinguished for the first time: the BAA (metasiliciclastic rocks capped by metacarbonates and varicoloured phyllite), the BKC (poly-metamorphic garnet-bearing micaschist and metabasite with a well-preserved relict HP–LT amphibole in a low-amphibolitic to greenschist-facies framework) and the AMC (meta-arkose passing vertically to carbonate–phyllitic alternations and, then, to a thick succession of prevailing acidic to intermediate–basic metavolcanites and volcanic-rich metasediments). The BAA and AMC, whose metamorphic frameworks are of Cimmerian age, underlie the Mesozoic carbonate cover sequences (e.g. t2-3, j3–k1) that often show tectonic detachments and slicing. The piling up of the BAA above the HP–LT BKC can be correlated to the tectonic superposition of two similar units (i.e. the Cimmerian Çangaldağ Complex and the Alpine Middle–Upper Cretaceous Domuzdağ Complex, respectively) defined by previous authors in other sectors of the Central Pontides front. The ophiolitic melange generally underlies the Sakarya Zone, but locally (e.g. SE of Amasya) tectonically rests above the latter, probably owing to back-thrusting that occurred during the Tertiary syn-collisional shortenings and the later strike-slip tectonics. We hypothesize that, also in these areas, the Sakarya Zone–IAES consists of a complex tectonic stack of different units, belonging to different palaeogeographic domains and orogenic events (Cimmerian versus Alpine orogenies), but originated within a single long-lived (since Late Triassic to Paleocene/Eocene times), prograding subduction–accretion system in front of the Laurasian continent.
American Evangelical Politics before the Christian Right
Authors: WILLIAMS DANIEL K.
Published: August 2017

Is American Evangelicalism a politically progressive tradition? For contemporary observers who are familiar with American Evangelicalism only in its modern, politically conservative guise, the idea that many American Evangelicals have traditionally been on the left end of the political spectrum might come as a surprise. Yet, according to Randall Balmer's Evangelicalism in America and Frances Fitzgerald's The Evangelicals, both of which offer two-hundred-year surveys of Evangelical political activism in the United States, the Christian Right is an aberration in American Evangelicalism and not representative of the tradition's political orientation.
Multi-Sensor, Adjustable-Period Integrated Navigation Method Based on Multi-Stage Signal Trigger for Underwater Vehicles
Authors: Zhang Yanshun , Ding Baichao , Huang Xiaojuan , Yang Tao , Liu Xiaodong
Published: August 2017

For underwater vehicle navigation sensors, the output signal periods are different and time-varying. This would result in the decline of precision, and even wrong results. To deal with the problem, this paper puts forward a multi-sensor, adjustable-period integrated navigation method based on multi-stage signal trigger. This method considers the valid signals of a Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) as the trigger signals of a Dead-Reckoning (DR) navigation program. It also considers the valid signals of an acoustic positioning sensor as the trigger signals of the integrated navigation program. In this method, it can adjust the filtering period in real time. According to the time label of signals, this method actualises the time-space alignment of sensors. Then it conducts DR navigation and integrated navigation. The method can not only utilise the valid signals of each sensor sufficiently but also fuses the data based on time-space alignment efficiently. Sea trial data shows that when the output signal periods are certain, navigation precision of the method in this paper is better than a non-adjustable-period filtering method. Moreover, in poor conditions, it can also attain a high precision.
Learning Western Techniques of Empire: Republican China and the New Legal Framework for Managing Tibet
Authors: CARRAI MARIA ADELE
Published: August 2017

At the end of the nineteenth century, China found itself torn between its imperial past and its nation-state future. By the time it became a Republic in 1911, China had to redefine its territory in new national sovereign terms. Until then its territory had been inscribed in more malleable frontiers and boundaries within the normative framework of the so-called ‘tribute system’. The article shows how, applying the new legal techniques of empire learned from the West, the Chinese central government, wherever possible, attempted to expand its new sovereign domain in territories like Tibet, Xinjiang, and Mongolia, where, according to international law, all the prerequisites existed for national self-determination and independence. In the context of opposing British and Tibetan claims, the Chinese appropriation of international law in the Republican period (1911–1949) helped China not only to assert itself in the international domain as a sovereign state, defending itself against Western imperialism, but also to pursue its own fictional imperial claims over Tibet, without which the Communists’ ‘liberation’ of Tibet would have not been possible. The paper highlights the interplay of imperial techniques based on international law, the relativity of this legal language, and how the strategies of empire are not only a prerogative of the West, but can be quickly adopted by those who have been subjected to them, resulting in a vicious circle.
Identifying transmission routes of Streptococcus pneumoniae and sources of acquisitions in high transmission communities
Authors: ALTHOUSE B. M. , HAMMITT L. L. , GRANT L. , WAGNER B. G. , REID R. , LARZELERE-HINTON F. , WEATHERHOLTZ R. , KLUGMAN K. P. , RODGERS G. L. , O'BRIEN K. L. , HU H.
Published: August 2017

Identifying the transmission sources and reservoirs of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) is a long-standing question for pneumococcal epidemiology, transmission dynamics, and vaccine policy. Here we use serotype to identify SP transmission and examine acquisitions (in the same household, local community, and county, or of unidentified origin) in a longitudinal cohort of children and adults from the Navajo Nation and the White Mountain Apache American Indian Tribes. We found that adults acquire SP relatively more in the household than other age groups, and children 2–8 years old typically acquire in their own or surrounding communities. Age-specific transmission probability matrices show that transmissions within household were mostly seen from older to younger siblings. Outside the household, children most often transmit to other children in the same age group, showing age-assortative mixing behavior. We find toddlers and older children to be most involved in SP transmission and acquisition, indicating their role as key drivers of SP epidemiology. Although infants have high carriage prevalence, they do not play a central role in transmission of SP compared with toddlers and older children. Our results are relevant to inform alternative pneumococcal conjugate vaccine dosing strategies and analytic efforts to inform optimization of vaccine programs, as well as assessing the transmission dynamics of pathogens transmitted by close contact in general.
Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome have lower quality of life than healthy controls and children with other illnesses
Authors: Dempster Nicole , Cua Clifford L , Wernovsky Gil , Caris Elizabeth , Neely Trent , Allen Robin , Butz Catherine
Published: August 2017

Objective

Previous studies suggest that children with congenital cardiac diagnoses report lower quality of life when compared with healthy norms. A few studies have evaluated quality of life specifically in children born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition requiring several surgeries before age three. The aim of this study was to use an empirically validated and standardised measure – the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory – to evaluate quality of life in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and compare the findings with similar, medically complicated samples.

Methods

The parent-report Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory was administered, and demographic information was collected through an internet portal. A total of 121 caregivers of children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome responded. The sample included children aged 2–18 years (M=10.81 years). Independent sample t-tests were used to compare our sample with published norms of healthy children and children with acute or chronic illnesses.

Results

Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome were rated as having significantly lower overall quality-of-life scores (M=59.69) compared with published norms of children without medical diagnoses (M=83.00) and those with acute (M=78.70) or chronic (M=77.19) illnesses (p<0.001). Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome complicated by a stroke or seizure (15%) reported the lowest quality of life. The results held for all subscales (p<0.001).

Conclusions

Children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome appear to be a significantly vulnerable population with difficulties in functioning across psychosocial domains and across the age span. Further research is required to facilitate early identification of the need for resources for these children and families, especially for children who experience additional medical complications.
Giant coronary artery aneurysms complicating Kawasaki disease in Mexican children
Authors: Garrido-García Luis M. , Morán-Villaseñor Edna , Yamazaki-Nakashimada Marco A. , Cravioto Patricia , Galván Fernando
Published: August 2017

Background

One of the most important complications of Kawasaki disease is the development of giant coronary aneurysms. Risk factors for their development are still not clear.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted at the National Institute of Paediatrics in Mexico City, Mexico. It included all patients with a diagnosis of acute Kawasaki disease between August, 1995 and August, 2015. Clinical and laboratory findings, as well as echocardiographic measurements, were recorded. Patients with giant coronary aneurysms (z-score⩾10) were compared with the rest of the patients. A value of p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Odds ratios and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated to define risk factors.

Results

During the study period, 416 patients were diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. Of them, 34 developed giant coronary aneurysms during the acute stage of the disease. In the multivariate analysis, patients younger than 1 year, those with a higher duration of illness at the time of diagnosis, and those who received additional intravenous immunoglobulin showed a significantly higher frequency of giant coronary aneurysms.

Conclusions

One of the main factors associated with the development of giant coronary aneurysms was the delay in the diagnosis of Kawasaki disease. This finding highlights the importance of maintaining a high suspicion of the disease, which would enable an early diagnosis and prompt treatment and decrease the risk for developing giant coronary aneurysms.
Premature ventricular contractions as a side effect of filgrastim in a child with B-thalassaemia
Authors: Nazir Hanan F. , Joshi Niranjan , Wali Yasser A.
Published: August 2017

Premature ventricular contractions are a rare side effect of filgrastim, reported mainly in elderly men. Here we report the case of a 9-year-old child with thalassaemia who developed frequent premature ventricular contractions after three doses of filgrastim were given for deferiprone-induced agranulocytosis. The arrhythmia resolved 3 weeks after discontinuation of filgrastim. Children treated with filgrastim should be carefully monitored for potentially serious arrhythmia.
The effect of tax withholding on pre-retirement savings withdrawals: evidence from Canada
Authors: MESSACAR DEREK
Published: August 2017

This study assesses the effect of tax withholding on pre-retirement withdrawals from a tax-preferred savings account in Canada. Using a large sample of administrative tax records and exploiting inter-provincial variation in tax withholding rates over time in the identification, the withdrawal elasticity to the net-of-tax withholding rate is estimated to be approximately 0.40 for many prime-aged savers. Hence, tax withholding discourages pre-retirement savings withdrawals and serves as a de facto savings commitment device. This finding is not well-explained by rational agency, and theories of present-biased time preferences and fiscal illusion are shown to be a better explanation of such behavior.