bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overt and covert uses of metaphor in the academic mentoring in English of Spanish undergraduate students at five European universities
Authors: MacArthur Fiona
Published: June 2016

Twenty-seven semi-guided office hours’ consultations between lecturers and Spanish-speaking undergraduate students were recorded at five different universities in Europe where English is the medium of instruction. The linguistic data gathered show that metaphor plays a significant role in the way that lecturers explain to visiting Erasmus students how assignments, exams or course contents should be approached and understood. When mentoring their students, lecturers often frame the advice they are giving in metaphorical ways; occasionally this is done overtly, through establishing analogies or non-literal comparisons, but more often it is done covertly, through the use of conventional metaphorical expressions that are not accompanied by words or phrases that signal that the lecturers’ words should be understood as metaphors. This article examines extracts of talk from 5 academic conversations, looking at the different ways that ideas are framed metaphorically and the kind of responses they provoke in a conversational partner. The initial hypothesis was that overt metaphors would be a particularly effective means of communicating an idea in these cross-cultural mentoring sessions. However, when we compare this with covert uses of metaphor in the corpus, there is only weak evidence that it is so. Rather, the communicative success of any use of metaphor seems to depend very largely on the way that the conversational partners enact their roles as collaborative partners in an academic conversation.
The role of force dynamics and intentionality in the reconstruction of L2 verb meanings
Authors: Ibarretxe-Antuñano Iraide , Cadierno Teresa , Hijazo-Gascón Alberto
Published: June 2016

This paper examines the role of force dynamics and intentionality in the description of placement events by two groups of native speakers of typologically and genetically different languages, Danish and Spanish, and by two groups of intermediate adult learners, Danish learners of L2 Spanish and Spanish learners of L2 Danish. The results of the study showed that (a) force dynamics and intentionality are important semantic components in both languages, but their distribution and relative focus differed cross-linguistically, and (b) the two learner groups had difficulties in reconstructing the meanings of the L2 verbs involving these two semantic components. Learning difficulties were observed when moving from a less to a more complex L2 system, when moving in the opposite direction, i.e., from a more to a less complex L2 system and when moving to an L2 system that is as complex as the learners native one.
Thinking for translating and intra-typological variation in satellite-framed languages
Authors: Lewandowski Wojciech , Mateu Jaume
Published: June 2016

We analyze the expression of motion in translations of Tolkien’s The Hobbit into Polish and German within the framework of Talmy’s (1991, 2000) typology of macro-events and Slobin’s (1991, 1996) “Thinking for speaking” hypothesis. We show that although both languages pertain to the satellite-framed typological group, Polish provides less diversified Manner and Path descriptions than German, which exploits the satellite lexicalization pattern by far more productively. We relate these contrasts in the rhetorical style to the particular morpho-syntactic and semantic characteristics of the languages under discussion.
Residual stress distributions in laser and gas-metal-arc welded high-strength steel plates
Authors: Guo W. , Francis J. A. , Li L. , Vasileiou A. N. , Crowther D. , Thompson A.
Published: June 2016

S700 is a high-strength steel recently developed by Tata Steel. This paper describes the residual stress distributions in a multi-pass gas-metal-arc weld (GMAW), a single pass autogenous laser weld (ALW) and a multi-pass ultra-narrow gap laser weld (NGLW) in 13 mm thick high-strength (S700) steel plates, as measured by X-ray diffraction and the contour method. The relationships between microstructural variation and residual stress distributions were investigated. It was found that solid-sate phase transformations from austenite to ferrite, bainite and martensite changed both the magnitude and distribution of residual stresses in the three different welded specimens. The width of the regions sustaining tensile stress in each specimen decreased in the following order: GMAW > ALW > ultra-NGLW.

This paper is part of a Themed Issue on Measurement, modelling and mitigation of residual stress.
Determination of residual stress within complex-shaped coarse-grained cobalt–chromium biomedical castings
Authors: Conroy B. P. , Tanner D. A.
Published: June 2016

Cast ASTM F75 femoral knee implant components distort during manufacture due to residual stress re-distribution or inducement. These castings pose a number of challenges for residual stress determination methods; they have a complex geometry, their microstructure is inhomogeneous, they work-harden rapidly and they have a coarse, elastically anisotropic grain structure. The contour method is anticipated to be the most promising residual stress determination technique. X-ray diffraction is feasible for components which have experienced plastic deformation on their surface which results in refined diffracting domains. Centre-hole drilling is feasible, but the influence of stress induced from drilling and the effect of coarse grain structure is unknown. Neutron diffraction is challenging also due to a coarse grain structure and difficult nuclear material properties.

This paper is part of a Themed Issue on Measurement, modelling and mitigation of residual stress.
Measuring the Relationship between Sportfishing Trip Expenditures and Anglers’ Species Preferences
Authors: Long James M. , Melstrom Richard T.
Published: June 2016

We examined the relationship between fishing trip expenditures and anglers’ species preferences from a survey of Oklahoma resident anglers conducted in 2014. Understanding patterns in fishing trip expenditures is important because a significant share of state wildlife agency revenue comes from taxes on purchases of fishing equipment. Presently, there is little research that addresses the question of how spending levels vary within groups of sportspersons, including anglers. We used regression analysis to identify a relationship between trip spending and several preference variables, and included controls for other characteristics of fishing trips, such as location, party size, and duration. We received 780 surveys for a response rate of 26%, but only 506 were useable due to missing data or nonfishing responses. Average trip expenditures were approximately US$140, regardless of species preferences, but anglers who preferred to fish for trout and black bass tended to spend more than those who preferred to fish for catfish and panfish. These results were even more pronounced when location was considered, those who last fished at lakes spending more than those who fished at rivers or ponds. The results underscore the differences in spending among anglers with different preferred species and fishing locations.

Received September 18, 2015; accepted March 9, 2016 Published online June 27, 2016
‘The first dragon to slay’: unpacking Kenya’s war on drugs
Authors: Dimova Margarita
Published: June 2016

Kenya faces the challenge of policing not only drug smuggling through its territory, but a sprawling local market dominated by heroin. The government is enthusiastically embracing the global ‘war on drugs’ discourse, propped by external actors’ assistance and insistence. Guided by these developments, this article analyses Kenya’s local war on drugs using ethnographic material from immersive fieldwork in Nairobi and Mombasa. The aim is to decode local political actors’ engagement in the international drug control regime and its impact on everyday perceptions of Kenyan state authority. As such, this article provides an alternative explanation of the mechanics of Kenyan drug markets and the role some government officials play in (controlling) them.
Chain work: the cultivation of hierarchy in Sierra Leone’s cannabis economy
Authors: Suckling Christopher A.
Published: June 2016

Violence is often treated as an organisational complement to illicit drug production in the global South. The article challenges this view with reference to the ‘chain work’ undertaken by Sierra Leone’s cannabis cultivators. Life histories reveal that the migration of cultivators from Kingston, Jamaica to Sierra Leone’s Hastings and Waterloo established apprenticeship as the means by which young men participated in the cannabis economy under the guidance of those they referred to as ‘shareholders’. These shareholders acted as gatekeepers for access to land, cross-border exchange and extra-legal networks. The resulting structural advantages limited challenges by newcomers for an activity usually understood to be ‘naturally’ contestable. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology, cultivators are shown to reproduce practices that maintained the dominance of bosses without recourse to violence.
Securing (in)security: relinking violence and the trade in cannabis sativa in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Laudati Ann A.
Published: June 2016

The handful of studies that exist linking illegal drugs and violence in Africa tend to focus on understanding the role of drugs in shaping armed conflict. The reported linkages made between the trade in cannabis sativa and the continuing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo are exemplars. Contemporary reports of cannabis use in the region have largely focused on two main concerns: the psychophysiological effects of drug use on conflict actors and the participation of cannabis within the war economy. According to these narratives, drugs and violence are seen to go together, destabilising society, creating insecurity, and spreading HIV. Drawing from four months of qualitative research on the cannabis trade in eastern DRC, this paper presents an alternative story of drug-related violence in the region. Namely, it argues that the dangers stemming from an entanglement with the drug are rather, as one informant aptly stated, the result of ‘security’.
Exosomes mediate cell contact–independent ephrin-Eph signaling during axon guidance
Authors: Gong Jingyi , Körner Roman , Gaitanos Louise , Klein Rüdiger
Published: June 2016

The cellular release of membranous vesicles known as extracellular vesicles (EVs) or exosomes represents a novel mode of intercellular communication. Eph receptor tyrosine kinases and their membrane-tethered ephrin ligands have very important roles in such biologically diverse processes as neuronal development, plasticity, and pathological diseases. Until now, it was thought that ephrin-Eph signaling requires direct cell contact. Although the biological functions of ephrin-Eph signaling are well understood, our mechanistic understanding remains modest. Here we report the release of EVs containing Ephs and ephrins by different cell types, a process requiring endosomal sorting complex required for transport (ESCRT) activity and regulated by neuronal activity. Treatment of cells with purified EphB2+ EVs induces ephrinB1 reverse signaling and causes neuronal axon repulsion. These results indicate a novel mechanism of ephrin-Eph signaling independent of direct cell contact and proteolytic cleavage and suggest the participation of EphB2+ EVs in neural development and synapse physiology.
Insulin sends SEC16A packing
Authors: Short Ben
Published: June 2016

Study reveals that a protein known for its role in ER–Golgi transport also controls GLUT4 trafficking in adipocytes.
Improved resolution of single channel dwell times reveals mechanisms of binding, priming, and gating in muscle AChR
Authors: Mukhtasimova Nuriya , daCosta Corrie J.B. , Sine Steven M.
Published: June 2016

The acetylcholine receptor (AChR) from vertebrate skeletal muscle initiates voluntary movement, and its kinetics of activation are crucial for maintaining the safety margin for neuromuscular transmission. Furthermore, the kinetic mechanism of the muscle AChR serves as an archetype for understanding activation mechanisms of related receptors from the Cys-loop superfamily. Here we record currents through single muscle AChR channels with improved temporal resolution approaching half an order of magnitude over our previous best. A range of concentrations of full and partial agonists are used to elicit currents from human wild-type and gain-of-function mutant AChRs. For each agonist–receptor combination, rate constants are estimated from maximum likelihood analysis using a kinetic scheme comprised of agonist binding, priming, and channel gating steps. The kinetic scheme and rate constants are tested by stochastic simulation, followed by incorporation of the experimental step response, sampling rate, background noise, and filter bandwidth. Analyses of the simulated data confirm all rate constants except those for channel gating, which are overestimated because of the established effect of noise on the briefest dwell times. Estimates of the gating rate constants were obtained through iterative simulation followed by kinetic fitting. The results reveal that the agonist association rate constants are independent of agonist occupancy but depend on receptor state, whereas those for agonist dissociation depend on occupancy but not on state. The priming rate and equilibrium constants increase with successive agonist occupancy, and for a full agonist, the forward rate constant increases more than the equilibrium constant; for a partial agonist, the forward rate and equilibrium constants increase equally. The gating rate and equilibrium constants also increase with successive agonist occupancy, but unlike priming, the equilibrium constants increase more than the forward rate constants. As observed for a full and a partial agonist, the gain-of-function mutation affects the relationship between rate and equilibrium constants for priming but not for channel gating. Thus, resolving brief single channel currents distinguishes priming from gating steps and reveals how the corresponding rate and equilibrium constants depend on agonist occupancy.
A Dictionary of Logic
Authors: Ferguson Thomas Macaulay , Priest Graham
Published: June 2016

Over 450 entries

A Dictionary of Logicexpands on Oxford’s coverage of the topic in works such asThe Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. Featuring entries primarily concentrating on technical terminology, the history of logic, the foundations of mathematics, and non-classical logic, this dictionary is an essential resource for students of all levels studying philosophical logic at a high level.
Mating Type and Simple Sequence Repeat Markers Indicate a Clonal Population ofPhyllosticta citricarpain Florida
Authors: Wang Nan-Yi , Zhang Ke , Huguet-Tapia Jose C. , Rollins Jeffrey A. , Dewdney Megan M.
Published: June 2016

Phyllosticta citricarpa, the citrus black spot pathogen, was first identified in Florida in March 2010. Subsequently, this pathogen has become established in Florida but can be easily confused with the endemic nonpathogenic citrus endophyte P. capitalensis. In this study, the mating-type (MAT) loci of P. citricarpa and P. capitalensis were identified via draft genome sequencing and were characterized at the structural and sequence levels. P. citricarpa was determined to have an idiomorphic, heterothallic MAT locus structure, whereas P. capitalensis was found to have a single MAT locus consistent with a homothallic mating system. A survey of P. citricarpa isolates from Florida revealed that only the MAT1-2 idiomorph existed in the Floridian population. In contrast, isolates collected from Australia exhibited a 1:1 ratio of MAT1-1 and MAT1-2 isolates. Development and analysis of simple sequence repeat markers revealed a single multilocus genotype (MLG) in the Floridian population (n = 70) and 11 MLG within the Australian population (n = 24). These results indicate that isolates of P. citricarpa from Florida are likely descendent from a single clonal lineage and are reproducing asexually. The disease management focus in Florida will need to be concentrated on the production and dispersal of pycnidiospores.
Hemiepiphysiodesis for Idiopathic Genu Valgum: Percutaneous Transphyseal Screw Versus Tension-band Plate
Authors: Park Hoon , Park Minjung , Kim Sung Min , Kim Hyun Woo , Lee Dong Hoon
Published: June 2016

Background:

The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of angular deformity correction by percutaneous hemiepiphysiodesis using transphyseal screw (PETS) or tension-band plating (TBP) in growing children with idiopathic genu valgum with emphasis on the rate of deformity correction.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed cases of hemiepiphysiodesis for angular deformity in lower extremities between 2009 and 2014. A total of 90 limbs in 33 patients received PETS and 60 limbs in 24 patients received TBP. Angular measurements were compared preoperatively and at the time of hardware removal. The amount and rate of angular deformity correction were compared between the 2 groups. Potential factors affecting correction velocity were investigated using multivariate analysis.

Results:

Angular correction was achieved in all patients. The mean rate of correction was more rapid with PETS than with TBP at both the distal femur (0.92 vs. 0.64 deg./mo, respectively; P<0.001) and proximal tibia (0.72 vs. 0.55 deg./mo, respectively; P=0.019). Multivariate analysis showed that the used implant significantly affected the rate of correction: PETS demonstrated faster correction velocity than TBP (−0.26, 95% confidence interval, −0.35 to −0.17, P<0.001).

Conclusions:

Both PETS and TBP techniques result in satisfactory correction of coronal angular deformity in patients with idiopathic genu valgum. However, the observed rate of correction was faster with PETS than TBP. Correction with PETS, rather than TBP, may better serve patients near skeletal maturity.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—retrospective comparative series.
Randomized clinical trial: benefits of aerobic physical activity for 24 weeks in postmenopausal women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Rezende Rosamar E.F. , Duarte Sebastião M.B. , Stefano Jose T. , Roschel Hamilton , Gualano Bruno , de Sá Pinto Ana L. , Vezozzo Denise C.P. , Carrilho Flair J. , Oliveira Claudia P.
Published: June 2016

Objective:

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of aerobic physical activity in reducing the frequency of hepatic steatosis and metabolic and cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods:

Forty sedentary postmenopausal women (mean age 55.3 ± 8.0 y) with biopsy-proven NAFLD were randomly divided into two groups: an exercising group (19 participants) and a control group (nonexercising, 21 participants). The exercise group underwent a supervised aerobic physical activity program of 120 min/wk for 24 weeks. The anthropometric parameters; body composition; hepatic, lipid, and glycemic profiles; homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance index; cytokines; transient elastography (FibroScan; liver stiffness/controlled attenuation parameter); and cardiopulmonary exercise test were evaluated at baseline and after 24 weeks of protocol.

Results:

At baseline there were no significant differences in anthropometric, metabolic, and inflammatory parameters—stiffness and liver fat content by FibroScan between the groups. After 24 weeks, we observed a decrease of waist circumference, an increase of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P < 0.05), and improved cardiopulmonary functional capacity in the exercise group. In addition, the controlled attenuation parameter analysis showed no significant decrease of hepatic steatosis in the exercise group. With regard to the systemic inflammation, there were, however, no significant differences in the cytokines between the groups.

Conclusions:

An aerobic physical activity program of 24 weeks in NAFLD postmenopausal women showed improvement in some variables such as waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and cardiopulmonary performance that may be beneficial in improving cardiovascular risk factors in this population.
The miR-449b polymorphism, rs10061133 A>G, is associated with premature ovarian insufficiency
Authors: Pan Hong , Chen Beili , Wang Jing , Wang Xi , Hu Ping , Wu Shinan , Liu Yunyun , Xu Zuying , Zhang Wei , Wang Binbin , Cao Yunxia
Published: June 2016

Objective:

To determine if the miR-449b polymorphism, rs10061133 A>G, is associated with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) pathogenesis.

Methods:

From January 2011 to December 2014, a total of 148 individuals with POI and 225 age-matched controls were collected from the Center for Reproductive Medicine, 1st Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Hefei, China). Genotyping of miR-449b rs1006113 was performed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight-based mass spectrometry.

Results:

Rs10061133 A>G is a highly conserved SNP locus in the mature area of miR-449b. Association analysis shows that the rs10061133 AA genotype is a risk factor for POI.

Conclusions:

Our study provides the first evidence that the miR-449b rs10061133 AA genotype is associated with POI risk.
Age at natural menopause in women on long-term methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Banas Tomasz , Hajdyla-Banas Iwona , Pitynski Kazimierz , Niewegłowska Dorota , Juszczyk Grzegorz , Ludwin Artur , Knafel Anna , Ludwin Inga
Published: June 2016

Objective:

The aim of the study was to compare the natural menopause ages of healthy women with those of women with methotrexate (MTX)-treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to specifically assess the effect of disease onset and activity and the use of MTX on the age of the last menstruation.

Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of medical records to identify the ages at which menopause occurred in women with premenopausal RA treated with MTX and in women with postmenopausal onset, irrespective of therapy. Natural menopause ages were also compared between participants with and without RA.

Results:

Women with premenopausal onset of RA underwent menopause at a significantly younger age than did healthy women (P < 0.001) or those with postmenopausal disease onset (P = 0.001). Menopause also occurred at younger ages in participants with postmenopausal disease onset than in healthy controls (P = 0.012). The study suggested that menopause age was positively correlated with the age at which RA was diagnosed (R = 0.51; P < 0.001) in women with premenopausal RA onset, but was independent of the participant's age at menarche, number of pregnancies, or MTX therapy. Participants with RA onset at ≤ 35 years of age had a ninefold higher risk of premature menopause (P = 0.008).

Conclusions:

The age at which menopause occurs in a patient with RA depends on the patient's age at the time of disease onset and its duration, but is not influenced by MTX treatment.
Key Markers of Minimal Residual Disease in Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Xia Min , Zhang Hong , Lu Zhenghua , Gao Yuan , Liao Xuelian , Li Hong
Published: June 2016

The aim of this study was to identify key markers of minimal residual disease (MRD) in childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Bone marrow samples were collected at presentation from 139 patients with newly diagnosed B-lineage ALL. On the basis of the expression of CD19, CD10, and CD34 antigens by bone marrow cells, combined with the terminal deoxynucleotide transferase (TdT), CD38, CD45, CD58, CD21, CD66c, CD22, and CD33 expression patterns characterized at diagnosis, leukemia-associated immunophenotypes (LAIPs) were identified. One hundred thirty-nine patients with a median age of 4.3 years were screened with 4-color flow cytometry MRD screening, and 119 of them exhibited 1 or more LAIP suitable for further monitoring, constituting a coverage rate of 85.6%. Only 20 of the 139 (14.4%) had no LAIP identified for follow-up. The most applicable antibody combination was TdT/CD10/CD34/CD19 (87/139, 62.6%), followed by CD38/CD10/CD34/CD19 (85/139, 61.2%) and CD45/CD10/CD34/CD19 (58/139, 41.7%). We have identified a relatively effective MRD panel, combined with TdT, CD38, and CD45 as key markers, that is applicable to the majority of newly diagnosed B-lineage ALL.
Invasive Fungal Disease in Pediatric Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant
Authors: Aftandilian Catherine , Weinberg Kenneth , Willert Jennifer , Kharbanda Sandhya , Porteus Matthew , Maldonado Yvonne , Agarwal Rajni
Published: June 2016

Invasive fungal disease (IFD) remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). We analyzed the outcome of 152 consecutive pediatric patients who underwent allogeneic HSCT from 2005 to 2012: 126 of these without a history of IFD and 26 with IFD before HSCT. Antifungal prophylaxis agent was determined by the primary transplant attending. The rate of IFD after HSCT among patients with or without prior IFD was similar (7.7% with and 7.1% without a history of fungal disease before transplant). Mortality in these 2 populations did not differ (35% vs. 28%, P=0.48, χ2). Patients deemed at higher risk for IFD were generally placed on voriconazole prophylaxis; however, this did not affect rates of posttransplant IFD. All-cause mortality in patients with posttransplant IFD was significantly higher than those without posttransplant IFD (67% vs. 21%, P<0.0001,χ2). Identifying risk factors for posttransplant IFD remains a high priority to improve outcome of HSCT.
Development of Feeding Cues During Infancy and Toddlerhood
Authors: Hodges Eric A. , Wasser Heather M. , Colgan Brook K. , Bentley Margaret E.
Published: June 2016

Purpose:

To enhance responsive feeding, this study aimed to characterize the development of feeding cues during infancy and toddlerhood.

Study Design and Methods:

A secondary analysis was performed on a dataset of first-time, low-income African American mother–infant pairs assessed at infant age 3, 6, 9, 12, and 18 months. A subsample with the 15 highest, middle, and lowest infant body mass index (BMI) Z-scores at 18 months was selected (n = 45). Using video-recorded home feedings, early, active, and late receptiveness and fullness cues were assessed using the Responsiveness to Child Feeding Cues Scale at each time point. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize development.

Results:

Early receptiveness cues were relatively rare over time, whereas active receptiveness cues were much more common. However, there were changes over time. For example, settling into the feeding decreased from ~50% at 3 and 6 months to 4.8% by 18 months, whereas postural attention and reaching for food increased after 6 months. In the first 6 months, falling asleep and decreasing muscle tone and activity level were the most common early fullness cues. Thereafter, taking interest in surroundings was most prevalent. Active fullness cues became increasingly diverse after 6 months, led by more assertive cues such as pushing or pulling away and communicating “no” verbally or nonverbally.

Clinical Implications:

These findings provide an empirical description of waxing and waning in feeding cues and indicate increasing intentionality of cues over the first 18 months of life. Knowing common cues across development may aid clinicians in enhancing parental feeding responsiveness, avoiding overfeeding, thereby decreasing risk of early childhood obesity.
Interdisciplinary Feeding Team
Authors: McComish Cara , Brackett Kristen , Kelly Maureen , Hall Christine , Wallace Sharon , Powell Victoria
Published: June 2016

Pediatric feeding difficulties are complex and multifactorial in nature. Children who need assessment and individualized treatment for complex feeding problems are best served by an interdisciplinary treatment team. The medical, motor, and behavioral approach to treating pediatric feeding problems is presented as an avenue to treatment. By necessity, this approach requires a well-functioning interdisciplinary team, including nurses, physicians, registered dietitians, and feeding therapists (speech-language pathologists, occupational and physical therapists). We describe a robust interdisciplinary feeding team that applies a medical, motor, and behavioral approach to treating pediatric feeding problems. Within this team, pediatric gastroenterology nurse practitioners, dietitians, and speech pathologists function as integral members of the team. Description of each team member's expertise is provided and how they operate to support children with feeding problems and their families.
Nursing Student Self-efficacy in Psychomotor Skills
Authors: Bulfone Giampiera , Fida Roberta , Ghezzi Valerio , Macale Loreana , Sili Alessandro , Alvaro Rosaria , Palese Alvisa
Published: June 2016

Student perceptions of self-efficacy (SE) prevent stress and burnout and improve engagement in nursing education, thus increasing learning outcomes. The study aims were to (1) validate a scale measuring nursing SE in psychomotor skills (NSE-PS), (2) describe changes in NSE-PS over time, and (3) explore NSE-PS correlations with burnout and engagement. A total of 1117 nursing students participated. A significant increase in the NSE-PS scores over the years has emerged; in addition, all NSE-PS dimensions were correlated negatively with burnout and positively with engagement.
Perceptions of Family Nurse Practitioner Clinical Preceptors About Usefulness of Onsite Clinical Site Visits
Authors: Johnson Ragan , O’Brien Tara , Emerson Stacy , Reed Laura
Published: June 2016

Clinical site visits are important for evaluating graduate nursing students’ clinical success. This descriptive study surveyed family nurse practitioner preceptors’ perceptions of modalities for conducting site visits. Results indicated that preceptors believe faculty should make at least 1 face-to-face site visit to observe a student during the semester. No preference for telephone or mobile technology for conducting site visits was identified. The study provides important considerations when designing guidelines for faculty site visits.
Using a Holistic Preadmission Assessment to Help Predict Second-Degree Nursing Student Success
Authors: Barton Lisette , Willis Angela , Lin Hsin-Hui
Published: June 2016

The purpose of this study was to identify a profile of noncognitive preadmission characteristics that were associated with academic failure in a cohort of second-degree nursing students who applied to an urban school of nursing. Preadmission testing data for 86 students from a suite of assessments that predict performance in high-stress environments yielded unique characteristics that were associated with vulnerability to attrition. The findings support the use of holistic admissions criteria to promote success.
NASP: an accurate, rapid method for the identification of SNPs in WGS datasets that supports flexible input and output formats
Authors: Sahl Jason W. , Lemmer Darrin , Travis Jason , Schupp James M. , Gillece John D. , Aziz Maliha , Driebe Elizabeth M. , Drees Kevin P. , Hicks Nathan D. , Williamson Charles Hall Davis , Hepp Crystal M. , Smith David Earl , Roe Chandler , Engelthaler David M. , Wagner David M. , Keim Paul
Published: June 2016

Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of bacterial isolates has become standard practice in many laboratories. Applications for WGS analysis include phylogeography and molecular epidemiology, using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as the unit of evolution. NASP was developed as a reproducible method that scales well with the hundreds to thousands of WGS data typically used in comparative genomics applications. In this study, we demonstrate how NASP compares with other tools in the analysis of two real bacterial genomics datasets and one simulated dataset. Our results demonstrate that NASP produces similar, and often better, results in comparison with other pipelines, but is much more flexible in terms of data input types, job management systems, diversity of supported tools and output formats. We also demonstrate differences in results based on the choice of the reference genome and choice of inferring phylogenies from concatenated SNPs or alignments including monomorphic positions. NASP represents a source-available, version-controlled, unit-tested method and can be obtained from tgennorth.github.io/NASP.
Physical Basis of Large Microtubule Aster Growth
Authors: Ishihara Keisuke , Korolev Kirill S. , Mitchison Timothy J.
Published: June 2016

Microtubule asters - radial arrays of microtubules organized by centrosomes - play a fundamental role in the spatial coordination of animal cells. The standard model of aster growth assumes a fixed number of microtubules originating from the centrosomes. However, aster morphology in this model does not scale with cell size, and we recently found evidence for non-centrosomal microtubule nucleation. Here, we combine autocatalytic nucleation and polymerization dynamics to develop a biophysical model of aster growth. Our model predicts that asters expand as traveling waves and recapitulates all major aspects of aster growth. As the nucleation rate increases, the model predicts an explosive transition from stationary to growing asters with a discontinuous jump of the growth velocity to a nonzero value. Experiments in frog egg extract confirm the main theoretical predictions. Our results suggest that asters observed in large frog and amphibian eggs are a meshwork of short, unstable microtubules maintained by autocatalytic nucleation and provide a paradigm for the assembly of robust and evolvable polymer networks.
Williams Syndrome-Specific Neuroarchitectural Profile and Its Associations with Cognitive Features
Authors: Fan Chun Chieh , Brown Timothy T. , Bartsch Hauke , Kuperman Joshua M. , Hagler Donald J. , Schork Andrew , Halgren Eric , Dale Anders M.
Published: June 2016

Williams Syndrome (WS), a rare genetic disorders caused by hemizyous deletion of ~26 genes on the chromosome 7, has unique cognitive features and neuroanatomic abnormalities. Limited in statistical power due to its rareness had led to inconsistent in many direct comparisons using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and their associations with cognitive features of WS are not clear. Here, we used a novel approach to derive a WS specific neuroarchitectural profile and tested its association with cognitive features of WS. Using a WS adult cohort (n = 43), we trained a logistic elastic-net model to extract a sparse representation of WS specific neuroarchitectural profile. The predictive performances are robust within the training cohort (leave one out cross-validation AUC = 1.0) and generalized well in an independent teenager WS cohort (n = 60, AUC = 1.0). The WS specific neuroarchitectural profile includes multiple MRI measurements in the orbitofrontal cortex, superior parietal cortex, Sylvian fissures, and basal ganglia, whereas its variations reflect the underlying size of hemizygous deletion, and mediated the disease impact on the cognitive features of WS. In this study, we demonstrate the robustness of the derived WS specific neuroarchitectural profile, suggesting the joint developmental abnormalities in the cortical-subcortical circuitry cause the unique features of WS cognition.
Impact of indoor facilities management on the quality of life of the elderly in public housing
Authors: Leung Mei-yung , Yu Jingyu , Chow Hoyan
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The aging population is growing rapidly, causing significant increases in the demand for public housing. Normally, the elderly rely heavily on the facilities available in their living environment to maintain their quality of life (QoL). However, most public housing is not purposely designed for the elderly, and, thus, has inappropriate facilities, which often have a negative impact upon the physical and psychological health of residents. This paper aims to investigate the relationships between the indoor facilities management (FM) of public housing and the QoL of elderly persons.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on an extensive literature review, a questionnaire has been designed and distributed among elderly residents of different public housing buildings. To investigate the impact of indoor FM on the QoL of the senior residents in public housing, statistical analysis methods including reliability analysis and multiple regression modeling were adopted.

Findings

The study identified 12 indoor FM factors and six QoL domains (i.e. overall QoL, physical and psychological health, independence, social relationship and living environment). The results also reveal that space planning and bathroom influence most QoL domains, including overall QoL, physical/psychological health, independence and living environment of the elderly; electricity and noise mainly affect physical health and independence, while noise is negatively related to elderly QoL; and supporting facilities (including windows and doors, indoor decoration, non-slip floors and accessibility) have a positive impact on psychological health and social relationships.

Practical implications

Based on the current findings, several practical recommendations are made for the designers and facilities managers, including wide corridors for individuals with wheelchairs, the installation of single-lever-type mixers to provide a stable hot water supply and a window designed to get as much natural light as possible.

Originality/value

This paper provides a clear picture about elderly special requirements on indoor FM and their QoL. It can assist architects, engineers and facilities managers in public housing to understand elderly needs and improve FM during design and operation stages for enhancing QoL of elderly residents in public housing buildings.
Establishing a radon management program for public university facilities
Authors: Webber William Brent , Fotopulos Chris Peter
Published: June 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to elucidate best approaches for facility radon management in a resource-limited environment such as a public university. Radon exposures are believed to be a risk factor for lung cancer. However, the degree to which typical indoor radon levels within settings such as the university campus contribute to lung cancer risk is controversial. The authors sought to develop a risk-balancing approach to safe and cost-efficient facility radon management.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected pilot monitoring data to determine radon activity levels at a large public university within a projected high-radon region of the southeastern USA, then reviewed scientific literature, trade literature and regulatory guidance to determine radon risk knowledge and best practices for mitigation. From this body of data and information, the authors determined the safest and most resource-effective means for campus radon management.

Findings

The developed program for comprehensive radon management included guidance on building selection for most effective use of monitoring, tiered response and mitigation strategies based on radon activity levels and faculty, staff and student education.

Research Limitations/implications

The radon management strategies might not be generalizable to facilities with usage patterns that differ from a public university, and should be extrapolated with caution.

Practical Implications

This paper shows how building managers can address indoor radon in a manner that maximizes both safety and cost-efficiency.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills a need for evidence-based and prudent approaches to radon management for campuses with mixed residential, educational and occupational contexts and limited resources.
User experience of creative class district: Punavuori neighborhood
Authors: Tähtinen Sari , Kojo Inka , Nenonen Suvi
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to present empirical testing of an experience-based usability framework to study an urban area. The framework is applied to the Punavuori neighbourhood in Helsinki, Finland, to understand the issues that make this neighbourhood attractive to its users.

Design/methodology/approach

The experience-based usability framework for an urban area study is the 6T-model of experience of place, which was developed by combining service and experience design tools and methods as well as former research to assess the user’s experience. The framework is tested by analysing data gathered from documents, a walkthrough of the neighbourhood and interviews.

Findings

This paper interprets users’ experiences of the Punavuori area using the 6T-model to capture new perspectives on user-centric urban design and the management of places. The identified connections can be a starting point for investigations into users’ experiences as a part of the usability of an urban area.

Research limitations/implications

The results represent a beginning study into the usability and the usability experience of individuals in the built environment. The preliminary testing of the experience framework is used as a framework for the analysis of the secondary data. The user data have not been gathered in the broadest sense.

Practical implications

The results can be used in other experience-based research for (re-)design an existing or new area that attracts new inhabitants and business. The results can be applied by urban planners as well as place managers.

Originality/value

The identified points of connection provide a valuable approach to capture and discuss about user experiences in complex urban context.
A meta-synthesis of academic and social characteristic studies
Authors: Hicks Terence , Wood J. Luke
Published: June 2016

Purpose

Given that a relatively large percentage of college students entering historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) are first-generation students and considering the low completion rate among this group in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) discipline, the purpose of this preliminary meta-synthesis study is intended to facilitate a greater understanding of the academic and social adjustment among college students, particularly first-generation college students enrolled in STEM disciplines at HBCUs. Therefore, this meta-synthesis will shed light and offer important recommendations for university administrators and faculty members in supporting the academic and social adjustment of these students in STEM fields at HBCUs.

Design/methodology/approach

This review of literature was conducted using a meta-synthesis approach (also referred to as integrative review). A meta-synthesis is based on a process by which findings across multiple studies are organized and presented (Turner, Gonzalez and Wood, 2008; Wood, 2010). This approach is used to provide insight to academicians and practitioners alike on the status of research on a given phenomenon (Bland, Meurer and Maldonado, 1995; Patterson, Thorne, Canam and Jillings, 2001; Wood, 2010). We engaged in a cyclical process of collecting, annotating, and synthesizing research over a 45-year time-frame (1970 to 2015). This produced over 50 cited resources with more than 100 scholars including peer-reviewed articles, reports, books, book chapters, and conference papers.

Findings

Factors present in the literature that affected students enrolled in a STEM program at a HBCU are grouped into three contexts: (a) first-generation academic and social characteristics, (b) first-generation college dropout and transition, and (c) first-generation STEM retention. Tables 2 to 4 provide these contexts by author and year of publication. Within these general groupings, four interrelated themes emerged from the literature: (a) prior academic performance and STEM discipline, (b) college adjustment and STEM discipline, (c) social integration and STEM discipline, and (d) academic integration and STEM discipline.

Originality/value

This information may help professors and university professionals in the STEM fields to be more aware of the challenges faced by incoming college students. More empirical work is needed in this area in a way that is useful for understanding and enhancing professors’ and university professionals’ knowledge. To this end, research that carefully describes what HBCU professors and university professionals know or their ideas about teaching college students, especially first-generation students enrolled in the STEM discipline, is needed.
More than an intervention: strategies for increasing diversity and inclusion in STEM
Authors: Jones Sosanya
Published: June 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to provide insight into the strategies used by leaders of graduate school preparation programs for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to recruit and retain graduate students of color within STEM fields.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a qualitative multiple-case study using a snowball sample and semi-structured interview protocol. Twenty interviews were conducted.

Findings

Graduate program leaders use particular strategies to increase diversity and inclusion within graduate STEM education, and these strategies are strongly influenced by their institutional context. The most common strategies include collaboration, mapping the political terrain, evaluation, mediation, persistence, persuasion, networking in and outside of the institution, strategic planning, bargaining and negotiation, reaching out to the greater campus, and coalition building and developing allies.

Research limitations/implications

All of the institutions in this study were public research institutions. Further inquiry is needed on more diverse types of institutions.

Practical implications

The results of this study can be used by institutional and STEM program leaders who wish to increase diversity and inclusion.

Social implications

This research study raises awareness about an under-studied group of leaders, as well as the importance of considering context when developing strategic plans for increasing diversity and inclusion for STEM.

Originality/value

This study is unique because while graduate school preparation programs have become an important strategy for addressing diversity in STEM fields, research on these programs usually focuses only on student outcomes. This study provides rare insight into what is required to implement, sustain and expand these kind of diversity programs.
Mutation of the toxR or mshA genes from Vibrio coralliilyticus strain OCN014 reduces infection of the coral Acropora cytherea
Authors: Ushijima Blake , Videau Patrick , Poscablo Donna , Stengel John W. , Beurmann Silvia , Burger Andrew H. , Aeby Greta S. , Callahan Sean M.
Published: June 2016

Thermal stress increases the incidence of coral disease, which is predicted to become more common with climate change, even on pristine reefs such as those surrounding Palmyra Atoll in the Northern Line Islands that experience minimal anthropogenic stress. Here we describe a strain of Vibrio coralliilyticus, OCN014, which was isolated from Acropora cytherea during an outbreak of Acropora white syndrome (AWS), a tissue loss disease that infected 25% of the A. cytherea population at Palmyra Atoll in 2009. OCN014 recreated signs of disease in experimentally infected corals in a temperature‐dependent manner. Genes in OCN014 with expression levels positively correlated with temperature were identified using a transposon‐mediated genetic screen. Mutant strains harbouring transposon insertions in two such genes, toxR (a toxin regulator) and mshA (the 11th gene of the 16‐gene mannose‐sensitive hemagglutinin (MSHA) type IV pilus operon), had reduced infectivity of A. cytherea. Deletion of toxR and the MSHA operon in a second strain of V. coralliilyticus, OCN008, that induces acute Montipora white syndrome in a temperature‐independent manner had similarly reduced virulence. This work provides a link between temperature‐dependent expression of virulence factors in a pathogen and infection of its coral host.