bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LA CONVENTION CADRE POUR LA LUTTE ANTITABAC, DIX ANS APRES: LA FONCTION NORMATIVE DE L’OMS A LA RESCOUSSE DE LA SANTE MONDIALE?
Authors: Kastler Florian
Published: July 2016

Alors qu’au moment de son entrée en vigueur en 2005 la Convention cadre pour la lutte antitabac (CCLAT) était perçue comme un instrument juridique contraignant en santé, novateur et de portée internationale, dix ans après, un premier bilan de sa mise en oeuvre est ici envisagé. Considérée comme symptomatique de la fonction normative forte de l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) qui en est l’hôte en application de l’article 19 de sa Constitution, cette Convention a pu susciter une volonté d’en faire un exemple à suivre dans la mise en place de nouveaux instruments juridiques de santé mondiale. Après une analyse sur l’influence de cette Convention sur les systèmes juridiques nationaux et l’impact sur la santé des individus, cet article vise à étudier les éléments qui ont permis son adoption ainsi que les difficultés persistantes dans sa mise en oeuvre. Ce bilan permet de constater que si les résultats pour la lutte contre le tabagisme sont prometteurs, des leçons sont à tirer de l’expérience de la CCLAT: d’une part, afin d’améliorer le système de surveillance et de suivi de la mise en oeuvre de la Convention et, d’autre part, afin d’envisager de nouveaux instruments ambitieux dans d’autres domaines de la santé. Il apparait notamment que ces instruments devront être adaptés aux contextes particuliers de chaque enjeu de santé représenté. Plus généralement, dans un contexte de réforme, ce bilan démontre que l’utilisation pertinente de la fonction normative apporte une réponse aux critiques faites à l’encontre de l’OMS et qui remettent en cause sa légitimité et sa crédibilité en tant qu’institution spécialisée de la santé mondiale.
A crônica Hussita de Vavrinec Brezové e a sua autoimagem nacionalista tcheca
Authors: Aguiar Thiago Borges , Silva Davi Costa da
Published: July 2016

Neste artigo, recuperamos uma crônica escrita na Boêmia do início do século XV intitulada Husitská kronika (em tcheco ou Crônica hussita em português) por Vavřinec z Březové (Lourenço de Brezová), mestre em artes pela Universidade de Praga. Neste texto, o autor narra os eventos que vão da aceitação da comunhão em duas espécies às primeiras batalhas das Guerras Hussitas, de 1414 a 1421. Dada a ausência de materiais a respeito deste documento em língua portuguesa, neste artigo reconstruiremos os rastros biográficos de seu autor e faremos um mapeamento da crônica a partir de duas versões em tcheco publicadas na segunda metade do século XX. Na sequência, como primeira entrada no texto, faremos um apanhado da autoimagem nacionalista que o autor ajuda a construir a partir da associação entre ser um tcheco verdadeiro e ser um verdadeiro fiel.
Editorial
Authors: Moraes José Geraldo Vinci de
Published: July 2016

A Revista de História apresenta neste volume um conjunto de textos que alcança variados temas, lugares e temporalidades. É possível, contudo, reunir essa incrível variedade em grupos, possibilitando uma leitura mais coesa e integrada, se o leitor assim desejar. O primeiro grupo de artigos, por exemplo, aborda temáticas clássicas da historiografia: a escravidão no Brasil no século XIX e as relações com os indígenas na América colonial. Os dois primeiros textos tratam de assuntos raramente estudados em torno do escravismo: a surpreendente trajetória de Manoel Joaquim Ricardo um ex-escravo liberto que enriqueceu realizando o próprio tráfico interatlântico, entre outras tantas atividades comerciais que entabulou; e, na outra ponta do sistema escravista, a curiosa missão secreta da British and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society (BFASS) executada no Brasil em meados do XIX para apoiar e desenvolver a propaganda abolicionista. Já os textos seguintes destacam aspectos muito peculiares dos usos da mão de obra de indígenas no século XVIII e as atividades comerciais inter-étnicas praticadas em lugares distintos e distantes como a Amazônia brasileira e Carmen de Río Negro, na fronteira atual entre Chile e Argentina.
Serum Angiopoietin–Like Protein 2 Is a Novel Risk Factor for Cardiovascular Disease in the Community
Authors: Hata Jun , Mukai Naoko , Nagata Masaharu , Ohara Tomoyuki , Yoshida Daigo , Kishimoto Hiro , Shibata Mao , Hirakawa Yoichiro , Endo Motoyoshi , Ago Tetsuro , Kitazono Takanari , Oike Yuichi , Kiyohara Yutaka , Ninomiya Toshiharu
Published: July 2016

Objective—

Angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2), a proinflammatory mediator, has been reported to accelerate the development of insulin resistance, endothelial dysfunction, and atherosclerosis in mice. However, no cohort studies have examined the relationship between serum ANGPTL2 levels and the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a general population.

Approach and Results—

A total of 3005 community-dwelling Japanese aged ≥40 years without a history of CVD were divided into 4 groups according to the quartiles of serum ANGPTL2 concentrations (Q1, lowest and Q4, highest) and followed up for 10 years. The hazards ratios and their 95% confidence intervals for the development of CVD (coronary heart disease or stroke) were estimated using a Cox proportional hazards model. During the follow-up, 219 first-ever CVD events were observed. The risk of CVD increased significantly with elevating ANGPTL2 levels after adjustment for age, sex, serum total cholesterol, use of lipid-lowering agents, ECG abnormalities, smoking habits, alcohol intake, and regular exercise (hazards ratios [95% confidence interval], Q1, 1.00 [reference]; Q2, 1.27 [0.80–2.04]; Q3, 1.48 [0.95–2.32]; and Q4, 1.85 [1.20–2.85];
P
=0.003 for trend). After additional adjustment for metabolic syndrome components and serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels as an inflammatory marker, the association was attenuated but remained significant (hazards ratios [95% confidence interval], Q1, 1.00 [reference]; Q2, 1.21 [0.76–1.94]; Q3, 1.38 [0.87–2.17]; and Q4, 1.66 [1.05–2.60];
P
=0.02 for trend).

Conclusions—

Our findings suggest that elevated serum ANGPTL2 levels are a novel risk factor for the development of CVD in the general population. This association is partially mediated by metabolic disorders and inflammation.
Role of Axl in T-Lymphocyte Survival in Salt-Dependent Hypertension
Authors: Batchu Sri N. , Hughson Angie , Wadosky Kristine M. , Morrell Craig N. , Fowell Deborah J. , Korshunov Vyacheslav A.
Published: July 2016

Objective—

Survival of immune and nonimmune cells relies on Axl, a receptor tyrosine kinase, which is implicated in hypertension. Activated T lymphocytes are involved in regulation of high blood pressure. The goal of the study was to investigate the role of Axl in T-lymphocyte functions and its contribution to salt-dependent hypertension.

Approach and Results—

We report increased apoptosis in peripheral blood from Axl
−/−
mice because of lower numbers of white blood cells mostly lymphocytes. In vitro studies showed modest reduction in interferon gamma production in Axl
−/−
type 1 T helper cells. Axl did not affect basic proliferation capacity or production of interleukin 4 in Axl
−/−
type 2 T helper cells. However, competitive repopulation of Axl
−/−
bone marrow or adoptive transfer of Axl
−/−
CD4
+
T cells to Rag1
−/−
mice showed robust effect of Axl on T lymphocyte expansion in vivo. Adoptive transfer of Axl
−/−
CD4
+
T cells was protective in a later phase of deoxycorticosterone-acetate and salt hypertension. Reduced numbers of CD4
+
T cells in circulation and in perivascular adventitia decreased vascular remodeling and increased vascular apoptosis in the late phase of hypertension.

Conclusions—

These findings suggest that Axl is critical for survival of T lymphocytes, especially during vascular remodeling in hypertension.
Cardiac Involvement in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2 Patients With Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Schmacht Luisa , Traber Julius , Grieben Ulrike , Utz Wolfgang , Dieringer Matthias A. , Kellman Peter , Blaszczyk Edyta , von Knobelsdorff-Brenkenhoff Florian , Spuler Simone , Schulz-Menger Jeanette
Published: July 2016

Background—

Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is a genetic disorder characterized by skeletal muscle symptoms, metabolic changes, and cardiac involvement. Histopathologic alterations of the skeletal muscle include fibrosis and fatty infiltration. The aim of this study was to investigate whether subclinical cardiac involvement in DM2 is already detectable in preserved left ventricular function by cardiovascular magnetic resonance.

Methods and Results—

Twenty-seven patients (mean age, 54±10 years; 20 females) with a genetically confirmed diagnosis of DM2 were compared with 17 healthy age- and sex-matched controls using a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging. For myocardial tissue differentiation, T1 and T2 mapping, fat/water-separated imaging, focal fibrosis imaging (late gadolinium enhancement [LGE]), and
1
H magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed. Extracellular volume fraction was calculated. Conduction abnormalities were diagnosed based on Groh criteria. LGE located subepicardial basal inferolateral was detectable in 22% of the patients. Extracellular volume was increased in this region and in the adjacent medial inferolateral segment (
P
=0.03 compared with healthy controls). In 21% of patients with DM2, fat deposits were detectable (all women). The control group showed no abnormalities. Myocardial triglycerides were not different in LGE-positive and LGE-negative subjects (
P
=0.47). Six patients had indicators for conduction disease (60% of LGE-positive patients and 12.5% of LGE-negative patients).

Conclusions—

In DM2, subclinical myocardial injury was already detectable in preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Extracellular volume was also increased in regions with no focal fibrosis. Myocardial fibrosis was related to conduction abnormalities.
Plasma Macrophage Migration Inhibitor Factor Is Elevated in Response to Myocardial Ischemia
Authors: Fan Fenling , Fang Lu , Moore Xiao‐Lei , Xie Xuegang , Du Xiao‐Jun , White David A. , O'Brien Jessica , Thomson Helen , Wang Jun , Schneider Hans G. , Ellims Andris , Barber Thomas W. , Dart Anthony M.
Published: July 2016

Background

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (
MIF
) is a key regulator of inflammatory responses, including in the heart. Plasma
MIF
is elevated early in the course of acute myocardial infarction. In this study, we hypothesized that plasma
MIF
may also be increased in acute myocardial ischemia.

Methods and Results

Patients undergoing cardiac stress test (stress nuclear myocardial perfusion scan or stress echocardiography) were recruited. Twenty‐two patients had a stress test indicative of myocardial ischemia and were compared with 62 patients who had a negative stress test. Plasma
MIF
was measured by ELISA before and after the stress test.
MIF
was also measured in patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease before and after exercise causing claudication. Gene and protein expression of
MIF
was measured in mouse cardiac and skeletal muscle tissue by real‐time polymerase chain reaction and western blot, respectively. Plasma
MIF
was elevated at 5 and 15 minutes after stress (relative to before stress) in patients with a positive test, compared with those with a negative test. In contrast, high‐sensitivity troponin T and C‐reactive protein were not altered after stress in either group.
MIF
was not altered after exercise in
PAOD
patients, despite the occurrence of claudication, suggesting that plasma
MIF
is not a marker for skeletal muscle ischemia. This may be explained by a lower gene and protein expression of
MIF
in skeletal muscle than the heart.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that plasma
MIF
is an early marker for acute myocardial ischemia.
Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination
Authors: Lima Fabricio O. , Silva Gisele S. , Furie Karen L. , Frankel Michael R. , Lev Michael H. , Camargo Érica C.S. , Haussen Diogo C. , Singhal Aneesh B. , Koroshetz Walter J. , Smith Wade S. , Nogueira Raul G.
Published: July 2016

Background and Purpose—

Patients with large vessel occlusion strokes (LVOS) may be better served by direct transfer to endovascular capable centers avoiding hazardous delays between primary and comprehensive stroke centers. However, accurate stroke field triage remains challenging. We aimed to develop a simple field scale to identify LVOS.

Methods—

The Field Assessment Stroke Triage for Emergency Destination (FAST-ED) scale was based on items of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) with higher predictive value for LVOS and tested in the Screening Technology and Outcomes Project in Stroke (STOPStroke) cohort, in which patients underwent computed tomographic angiography within the first 24 hours of stroke onset. LVOS were defined by total occlusions involving the intracranial internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery-M1, middle cerebral artery-2, or basilar arteries. Patients with partial, bihemispheric, and anterior+posterior circulation occlusions were excluded. Receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of FAST-ED were compared with the NIHSS, Rapid Arterial Occlusion Evaluation (RACE) scale, and Cincinnati Prehospital Stroke Severity (CPSS) scale.

Results—

LVO was detected in 240 of the 727 qualifying patients (33%). FAST-ED had comparable accuracy to predict LVO to the NIHSS and higher accuracy than RACE and CPSS (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: FAST-ED=0.81 as reference; NIHSS=0.80,
P
=0.28; RACE=0.77,
P
=0.02; and CPSS=0.75,
P
=0.002). A FAST-ED ≥4 had sensitivity of 0.60, specificity of 0.89, positive predictive value of 0.72, and negative predictive value of 0.82 versus RACE ≥5 of 0.55, 0.87, 0.68, and 0.79, and CPSS ≥2 of 0.56, 0.85, 0.65, and 0.78, respectively.

Conclusions—

FAST-ED is a simple scale that if successfully validated in the field, it may be used by medical emergency professionals to identify LVOS in the prehospital setting enabling rapid triage of patients.
Natural History Illustration between Bologna and Valencia: The Aldrovandi–Pomar Case
Authors: Sallent Del Colombo Emma
Published: July 2016

The manuscript Atlas de Historia Natural, known as the Pomar Codex, in the University Library of Valencia contains more than a hundred images that are practically identical to those found in the Tavole acquerellate in the collection of Ulisse Aldrovandi in the University Library of Bologna. I will argue that the overwhelming presence of images belonging to Ulisse Aldrovandi’s collection in the Pomar Codex indicates that future research on this text should be based on trying to understand possible methods of exchange between Italy and the Iberian Peninsula. This case study will enable us to better understand the mechanisms of communication and exchange among early modern members of the Republic of Letters.
Visiting Old Libraries: Scientific Books in the Religious Institutions of Early Modern Portugal
Authors: Giurgevich Luana
Published: July 2016

Knowledge of libraries and book collecting is a preliminary task for the characterisation of scientific culture and practice. In the case of Iberia, and especially Portugal, this is still a desideratum. This paper provides a first global look at this issue. In early modern Portugal religious institutions organised impressive collections of books, by far the largest in the country. These libraries not only served the religious institutions themselves, but also supplied books to lesser libraries, such as the University Library of Coimbra and the Royal Library. The Portuguese book market mirrored the purchase and selection of books made by religious congregations. This was also true for the circulation of scientific books, which depended above all on the interests, choices and cultural relations of these most peculiar book collectors.
Studying the Weather and Climate of Alaska Across a Network of Observers
Authors: Collins Richard L. , Warner Susan P. , Martus Cameron M. , Moss Jennifer L. , Leelasaskultum Ketsiri , Winnan Reynir C.
Published: July 2016

Weather and Climate of Alaska is an undergraduate course for nonscience majors where students study meteorology from their home as part of a statewide network of classmates. The students draw on their experience of the weather and climate by observing weather locally and sharing their work with classmates across the state. The goal of the class is to have this cohort of students understand weather and climate through exploring the relationships between processes at the local, regional, and global scales. The class is organized around weekly investigations where the students use an equipment kit to make observations, report their work with videos, and discuss the work with the instructor and their peers. The students use NWS resources extensively, including station data to check the quality of their observations, weather maps and satellite images to understand the weather they have observed, weather forecasts to evaluate different forecasting techniques, and long-term data to compare their observations with the climate record. The course also includes traditional quizzes and exams. The instructor has regular teleconferences with students and discusses their work firsthand. A teaching assistant also supports the students. Students take pre- and postcourse tests and show gains typical of interactive science classes. The level of student support results in high student course completion rates.
Warm Season Dry Spells in the Central and Eastern United States: Diverging Skill in Climate Model Representation
Authors: Zhao Siyu , Deng Yi , Black Robert X.
Published: July 2016

Warm season dry spells over the central and eastern United States are classified into three canonical types via a hierarchical cluster analysis for the period 1950–2005. Four CMIP5 models exhibit diverging skill in representing the observed behavior, ranging from southern Great Plains dry spells that are reasonably simulated by all four models to southeastern U.S. dry spells that are only accurately captured by one model. A model’s skill in representing a particular dry spell cluster is positively correlated with the model’s ability to simulate the large-scale meteorological patterns (LMPs) accompanying the dry spell. The interannual variability and overall observed decreasing trend in dry spell days are represented with varying degrees of accuracy by the four models. The results 1) highlight existing shortcomings in the climate model representation of regional dry spells and 2) illustrate the importance of properly simulating the observed spectrum of LMPs in minimizing these shortcomings.
Drought in the Pacific Northwest, 1920–2013
Authors: Xiao Mu , Nijssen Bart , Lettenmaier Dennis P.
Published: July 2016

The severity–area–duration (SAD) method is used in conjunction with the Variable Infiltration Capacity model (VIC) to identify the major historical total moisture (TM; soil moisture plus snow water equivalent) droughts over the Pacific Northwest region, defined as the Columbia River basin and the region’s coastal drainages, for the period 1920–2013. The motivation is to understand how droughts identified using TM (a measure similar to that used in the U.S. Drought Monitor) relate to sector-specific drought measures that are more relevant to users. It is found that most of the SAD space is dominated by an extended drought period during the 1930s, although the most severe shorter droughts are in the 1970s (1976–78) and early 2000s (2000–04). The impact of the three severe TM droughts that dominate most of the SAD space are explored in terms of sector-specific measures relevant to dryland and irrigated agriculture, hydropower generation, municipal water supply, and recreation. It is found that in many cases the most severe droughts identified using the SAD method also appear among the most severe sector-specific droughts; however, there are important exceptions. Two types of inconsistencies are examined and the nature of the conditions that give rise to them are explored.
Partitioning Evapotranspiration into Soil Evaporation and Canopy Transpiration via a Two-Source Variational Data Assimilation System
Authors: Xu Tongren , Bateni Sayed M. , Margulis Steven A. , Song Lisheng , Liu Shaomin , Xu Ziwei
Published: July 2016

The primary objective of this study is to assess the accuracy of the two-source variational data assimilation (TVDA) system for partitioning evapotranspiration (ET) into soil evaporation (ETS) and canopy transpiration (ETC). Its secondary aim is to compare performance of the TVDA system with the commonly used two-source surface energy balance (TSEB) method. A combination of eddy-covariance-based ET observations and stable-isotope-based measurements of the ratio of evaporation and transpiration to total evapotranspiration (ETS/ET and ETC/ET) over an irrigated cropland site (the so-called Daman site) in the middle reach of the Heihe River basin (northwestern China) was used to investigate these objectives. The results indicate that the TVDA method predicts ETS and ETC more accurately than TSEB. Root-mean-square errors (RMSEs) of midday (1300–1500 LT) averaged soil and canopy latent heat flux (LES and LEC) estimates from TVDA are 23.1 and 133.0 W m−2, respectively. Corresponding RMSE values from TSEB are 41.9 and 156.0 W m−2. Compared to TSEB, the TVDA method takes advantage of all of the information in land surface temperature observations in the estimation period by leveraging a dynamic model (the heat diffusion equation) and thus can generate more accurate LES and LEC estimates.
Assimilation of Pseudo-GLM Data Using the Ensemble Kalman Filter
Authors: Allen Blake J. , Mansell Edward R. , Dowell David C. , Deierling Wiebke
Published: July 2016

Total lightning observations that will be available from the GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) have the potential to be useful in the initialization of convection-resolving numerical weather models, particularly in areas where other types of convective-scale observations are sparse or nonexistent. This study used the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) to assimilate real-data pseudo-GLM flash extent density (FED) observations at convection-resolving scale for a nonsevere multicell storm case (6 June 2000) and a tornadic supercell case (8 May 2003).

For each case, pseudo-GLM FED observations were generated from ground-based lightning mapping array data with a spacing approximately equal to the nadir pixel width of the GLM, and tests were done to examine different FED observation operators and the utility of temporally averaging observations to smooth rapid variations in flash rates.

The best results were obtained when assimilating 1-min temporal resolution data using any of three observation operators that utilized graupel mass or graupel volume. Each of these three observation operators performed well for both the weak, disorganized convection of the multicell case and the much more intense convection of the supercell case.

An observation operator using the noninductive charging rate performed poorly compared to the graupel mass and graupel volume operators, a result that appears likely to be due to the inability of the noninductive charging rate to account for advection of space charge after charge separation occurs.
Building capacity for community mental health care in rural Malawi: Findings from a district-wide task-sharing intervention with village-based health workers
Authors: Wright Jerome , Chiwandira Chikayiko
Published: July 2016

Background:

The mental health ‘treatment gap’ is at its widest in low-resource countries where the vast majority of its people have no access to mental health services and where developing effective models of primary mental health care that can expand from research pilot sites to large-scale population-based services is a major research and practice imperative.

Aim:

The Mental Health in Zomba initiative builds upon an earlier pilot project to establish and sustain a district-wide scale-up of a village-based health workers’ mental health task-sharing intervention in Southern Malawi across a population of more than 600,000 people.

Methods:

The article describes the development, implementation and structured evaluation of the impact of this task-sharing initiative.

Results:

Results from an examination of the care for 240 consecutive attendees show how the village-based workers recognised and responded to the needs of people experiencing both common and severe mental health problems and how they facilitated 850 mental health promotion events to more than 40,000 people within their communities.

Conclusion:

A new and essential district-wide tier of mental health service was established at the crucial intersection between health centre and the community. Within the socio-cultural context of rural Malawi with its diverse explanatory models for psychological distress, the approach of the village-based health worker was found to be both credible and practical in meeting the needs of the population and therefore responding to both the ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ elements of the mental health treatment gap.
Peace from the past
Authors: Wig Tore
Published: July 2016

Research on the relationship between political institutions and civil war has paid insufficient attention to the role of traditional institutions in developing countries. This study presents large-N evidence showing that traditional ethnic institutions with origins prior to Western colonization are associated with the prevalence of civil wars in Africa after independence. Matching ethnographic data on the pre-colonial political organization of African indigenous groups to contemporary data on ethnic groups in conflict, I investigate the relationship between the traditional organization of ethnic groups and ethnic civil wars in Africa after decolonization. Specifically, I argue that excluded groups with centralized traditional institutions can rely on these institutions to more credibly bargain with the state, and that this reduces their risk of conflict. Accordingly, I find that excluded groups with centralized pre-colonial institutions are less likely to be involved in civil wars.
How to learn to love your research ethics committee: recommendations for psychologists
Authors: Wassenaar Douglas R , Slack Catherine M
Published: July 2016

Ethics review of psychological and sociobehavioural research is increasingly required by leading South African research institutions and universities, following international trends, and national statutory developments. Local and international scholarly journals are also more routinely requesting proof of ethics approval before accepting empirical work for publication. In some instances, psychological researchers may regard ethics review as a process that imposes delays and adds little value to proposed studies, and they may experience the process as frustrating and unrewarding. This article aims to briefly review the issue of ethics review for such research and to focus on pragmatic recommendations for psychological researchers navigating ethical review, including how they could engage their research ethics committee more effectively to strengthen this critical relationship.
Smith and Rousseau, after Hume and Mandeville
Authors: Sagar Paul
Published: July 2016

This essay re-examines Adam Smith’s encounter with Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Against the grain of present scholarship it contends that when Smith read and reviewed Rousseau’s Second Discourse, he neither registered it as a particularly important challenge, nor was especially influenced by, or subsequently preoccupied with responding to, Rousseau. The case for this is made by examining the British context of Smith’s own intervention in his 1759 Theory of Moral Sentiments, where a proper appreciation of the roles of David Hume and Bernard Mandeville in the formation of Smith’s thought pushes Rousseau firmly into the background. Realising this, however, forces us to re-consider our evaluations of Rousseau’s and Smith’s very different political visions. Given that questions of individual recognition, economic inequality, and political stability remain at the heart of today’s social challenges, the implications of this are not just historical but of direct contemporary import.
Ménière’s Disease
Authors: Crowson Matthew G. , Schulz Kristine , Parham Kourosh , Vambutas Andrea , Witsell David , Lee Walter T. , Shin Jennifer J. , Pynnonen Melissa A. , Nguyen‐Huynh Anh , Ryan Sheila E. , Langman Alan
Published: July 2016

Objective

(1) Integrate practice‐based patient encounters using the Dartmouth Atlas Medicare database to understand practice treatments for Ménière’s disease (MD). (2) Describe differences in the practice patterns between academic and community providers for MD.

Study Design

Practice‐based research database review.

Setting

CHEER (Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research) network academic and community providers.

Subjects and Methods

MD patient data were identified with ICD‐9 and CPT codes. Demographics, unique visits, and procedures per patient were tabulated. The Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care was used to reference regional health care utilization. Statistical analysis included 1‐way analyses of variance, bivariate linear regression, and Student’s t tests, with significance set at P <. 05.

Results

A total of 2071 unique patients with MD were identified from 8 academic and 10 community otolaryngology–head and neck surgery provider centers nationally. Average age was 56.5 years; 63.9% were female; and 91.4% self‐reported white ethnicity. There was an average of 3.2 visits per patient. Western providers had the highest average visits per patient. Midwest providers had the highest average procedures per patient. Community providers had more visits per site and per patient than did academic providers. Academic providers had significantly more operative procedures per site (P =. 0002) when compared with community providers. Health care service areas with higher total Medicare reimbursements per enrollee did not report significantly more operative procedures being performed.

Conclusion

This is the first practice‐based clinical research database study to describe MD practice patterns. We demonstrate that academic otolaryngology–head and neck surgery providers perform significantly more operative procedures than do community providers for MD, and we validate these data with an independent Medicare spending database.
Thyroid Disease and Surgery in CHEER
Authors: Parham Kourosh , Chapurin Nikita , Schulz Kris , Shin Jennifer J. , Pynnonen Melissa A. , Witsell David L. , Langman Alan , Nguyen‐Huynh Anh , Ryan Sheila E. , Vambutas Andrea , Wolfley Anne , Roberts Rhonda , Lee Walter T.
Published: July 2016

Objectives

(1) Describe thyroid‐related diagnoses and procedures in Creating Healthcare Excellence through Education and Research (CHEER) across academic and community sites. (2) Compare management of malignant thyroid disease across these sites. (3) Provide practice‐based data related to flexible laryngoscopy vocal fold assessment before and after thyroid surgery based on the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation’s clinical practice guidelines.

Study Design

Review of retrospective data collection (RDC) database of the CHEER network using ICD‐9 and CPT codes related to thyroid conditions.

Setting

Multisite practice‐based network.

Subjects and Methods

There were 3807 thyroid patients (1392 malignant, 2415 benign) with 10,160 unique visits identified from 1 year of patient data in the RDC. Analysis was performed for identified cohort of patients using demographics, site characteristics, and diagnostic and procedural distribution.

Results

Mean number of patients with thyroid disease per site was 238 (range, 23‐715). In community practices, 19% of patients with thyroid disease had cancer versus 45% in the academic setting (P <. 001). While academic sites manage more cancer patients, community sites are also surgically treating thyroid cancer and performed more procedures per cancer patient (4.2 vs 3.5, P <. 001). Vocal fold function was assessed by flexible laryngoscopy in 34.0% of preoperative patients and in 3.7% postoperatively.

Conclusion

This is the first overview of malignant and benign thyroid disease through CHEER. It shows how the RDC can be used alone and with national guidelines to inform of clinical practice patterns in academic and community sites. This demonstrates the potential for future thyroid‐related studies utilizing the otolaryngology–head and neck surgery practice‐based research network.
Bridging the Otolaryngology Peer Review Knowledge Gap
Authors: Schmalbach Cecelia E.
Published: July 2016

Current otolaryngology literature and future scientific direction rely heavily on a rigorous peer review process. Just as manuscripts warrant thoughtful review with constructive feedback to the authors, the same can be said for critiques written by novice peer reviewers. Formal scientific peer review training programs are lacking. Recognizing this knowledge gap, Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery is excited to offer its new Resident Reviewer Development Program. All otolaryngology residents who are postgraduate year 2 and above and in excellent academic standing are eligible to participate in this mentored program, during which they will conduct 6 manuscript reviews under the direction of a seasoned reviewer in his or her subspecialty area of interest. By completing reviews alongside a mentor, participants gain the required skills to master the peer review process—a first step that often leads to journal editorial board and associate editor invitations.
Othering and Fear
Authors: Williams Maggie Griffith , Korn Jenny
Published: July 2016

Television is a significant socialization tool for children to learn about their social worlds. The children's brand, Thomas & Friends, targets preschool audiences with manifest messages about friendship and utility as well as troubling, latent messages about race, ethnicity, and difference. Through critical visual and verbal discursive analyses of the film, Hero of the Rails, we expose Thomas & Friends' investment in racial hierarchies despite its broader message of friendship. We identify four ways that Hiro is “othered” in the film: (1) his glamorized description as “strange,” (2) his consistently heavily accented voice, (3) his Japanese origin story, and (4) his pigmentation and powerlessness. Using theories of “othering,” we argue that the representation of cultural difference to the preschooler audience is fearful and propagates racist discourses of yellow peril and Orientalism.
Beyond poverty: Engaging with input in generative SLA
Authors: Rankin Tom , Unsworth Sharon
Published: July 2016

A generative approach to language acquisition is no different from any other in assuming that target language input is crucial for language acquisition. This discussion note addresses the place of input in generative second language acquisition (SLA) research and the perception in the wider field of SLA research that generative SLA ‘ignores’ the input. This impression may have arisen because generative SLA researchers have tended not to systematically study quantitative distribution of input properties, nor qualitative properties of the input available to learners. We argue that precisely these sorts of studies would be at least beneficial, if not indispensable, to the development of a comprehensive (generative) theory of SLA. Furthermore, a welcome side-effect of more systematic engagement with input would be potential for greater accessibility for generative SLA in the wider field of second language (L2) studies.
College Textbook Publishing
Authors: Carbaugh Bob
Published: July 2016

Based on the author’s many years of experience in college textbook publishing, this article discusses three topics relevant to the textbook-publishing business: (a) the motivations of the author and publisher regarding revenue maximization versus profit maximization, (b) the reimportation of textbooks as an impediment to the international price-discrimination practices of publishers, and (c) the effects of mergers among publishers. Each of these topics is an application of undergraduate microeconomic theories and principles.
Differences in Metabolite Concentrations Between the Hemispheres of the Brain in Healthy Children
Authors: Cichocka Monika , Kozub Justyna , Karcz Paulina , Urbanik Andrzej
Published: July 2016

The aim of this 1HMRS study was to identify hemispheric asymmetries in metabolismus in healthy children. The study group consisted of children of both sexes aged 6 to 15. Concentrations of 6 metabolites occurring in the brain were determined for 6 locations: hippocampus, frontal lobe, and basal ganglia in the left and right hemispheres. There were no hemispheric differences in the metabolites’ concentrations in the brain in children when the variable of sex was disregarded. Only in the group of boys and in the group of girls did the findings show few discrepancies. In none of these groups, relative concentrations to creatine concentration were found to be significantly different between hemispheres. In clinical practice, concentrations of specific metabolites are most frequently determined relative to the concentration of creatine. Consequently, the analysis of standard 1HMRS examinations in children does not need to take into account interhemispheric differences.
Disturbance rejection in DOC-out temperature control for DPF regeneration
Authors: Ning Jinbiao , Yan Fengjun
Published: July 2016

Control of diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) outlet temperature is critical for downstream diesel particulate filter regeneration, but is challenging to control due to the non-minimum phase behavior and varying time delay. To effectively address this issue, a novel and time-efficient composite controller based on modified active disturbance rejection control (mADRC) is proposed for DOC-out temperature control in this paper. The proposed mADRC-based composite controller is a new combination of a model-based feedforward controller and a mADRC with time delay compensation through the mass flow rate of exhaust gas. The model-based feedforward controller is designed to partially compensate the variations of DOC inlet temperature and mass flow rate, while the mADRC is proposed to address the remain disturbances and model uncertainties including time delay uncertainties. Simulation and test results through a high-fidelity Gamma Technologies-Power model demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed composite controller in the DOC-out temperature control under steady state and a highly transient new European dynamic cycle (NEDC).
Optimisation of a railway sanding system for optimal grain entrainment into the wheel–rail contact
Authors: Lewis SR , Riley S , Fletcher DI , Lewis R
Published: July 2016

To combat adhesion loss, sand is fired into the wheel–rail contact via a hose using compressed air typically from a storage hopper mounted to the under frame of the train. Many passenger trains in the UK are fitted with stepped braking controllers which range from 1 to 3 with a fourth step being ‘emergency braking’.1 Sand is fired automatically if wheel slip is detected from brake step level 2 upwards.2 Sand is automatically fired when the emergency brakes are applied irrespective of whether low adhesion/wheel slip has been detected.2 For adhesion loss in traction, sand can be applied at the driver’s discretion. Current railway standards2 govern the maximum permissible sand flow rate to protect against wheel/rail isolation of track circuits, but do not address the hose position. This results in a range of hose set-ups across different train types, some of which may not be effective at delivering sand. The work here was carried out using a full-scale laboratory rail–wheel test machine to find the position for the hose and sand flow rates that give optimum sand entrainment to the contact. It was found that ideally the hose should be aimed at the rail or nip and be as close to that contact as safely possible. The use of a 20 mm bore nozzle on the end of a 25 mm bore hose increased sand passing through the contact by up to 70% relative to widely used 25 mm bore hoses without a nozzle. Reduction in sand flow rate below the 2 kg/min threshold significantly reduced the amount of sand entering the contact. It was also shown that relatively small movements in the hose/nozzle from its ideal position and cross winds significantly reduced sand entrainment.
Incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus in a population-based cohort using revised 1997 American College of Rheumatology and the 2012 Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics classification criteria
Authors: Ungprasert P , Sagar V , Crowson C S , Amin S , Makol A , Ernste F C , Osborn T G , Moder K G , Niewold T B , Maradit-Kremers H , Ramsey-Goldman R , Chowdhary V R
Published: July 2016

In 2012, the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC) group published a new set of classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Studies applying these criteria to real-life scenarios have found either equal or greater sensitivity and equal or lower specificity to the 1997 ACR classification criteria (ACR 97). Nonetheless, there are no studies that have used the SLICC 12 criteria to investigate the incidence of lupus. We used the resource of the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify incident SLE patients in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1993 to 2005, who fulfilled the ACR 97 or SLICC 12 criteria. A total of 58 patients met criteria by SLICC 12 and 44 patients met criteria by ACR 97. The adjusted incidence of 4.9 per 100,000 person-years by SLICC 12 was higher than that by ACR 97 (3.7 per 100,000 person-years, p = 0.04). The median duration from the appearance of first criterion to fulfillment of the criteria was shorter for the SLICC 12 than for ACR 97 (3.9 months vs 8.1 months). The higher incidence by SLICC 12 criteria came primarily from the ability to classify patients with renal-limited disease, the expansion of the immunologic criteria and the expansion of neurologic criteria.
Linkages Within the Reproductive and Maternal Health Continuum of Care in Bangladesh
Authors: McDougal Lotus , Rusch Melanie L.A. , Silverman Jay G. , Raj Anita
Published: July 2016

The continuum of care (CoC) is a fundamental approach to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health policy and programs, but linkages along the CoC are inadequately understood. This article assesses linkages in reproductive and maternal health (RMH) services in Bangladesh using the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (n = 7170). Antenatal care (ANC) was positively associated with skilled birth attendance (SBA) among both pre-pregnancy contraceptive users and nonusers. Among women who used pre-pregnancy contraceptives but did not receive skilled ANC, there was a 26% decreased odds of SBA. Pre-pregnancy contraceptive use increased the odds of postpartum contraceptive use, but neither ANC nor SBA was associated with postpartum contraceptive use. There are clear linkages within maternal health services and within reproductive health services, but linkages across life stages were variable. Removing barriers to accessing health services early and addressing barriers in the transitions within RMH care will facilitate sustained engagement along the CoC.
Women’s Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Ethiopia: The Role of Social Norms in the Interview Context
Authors: Trott Carlie D. , Harman Jennifer J. , Kaufman Michelle R.
Published: July 2016

This study draws on a social norms framework to examine the influence of interview context—specifically the presence of other women and men—on women’s reported attitudes toward intimate partner violence (IPV) in Ethiopia, where IPV rates are among the highest in the world. The sample (16,515 women, ages 15-49) was taken from Ethiopia’s 2011 Demographic and Health Survey. Results showed the odds of women “justifying” IPV to be nearly twice as great when other women were present during the interview, and nearly half in the presence of men. Implications for more sensitive interview methodology are discussed.
Nonlinear Generalized Beam Theory for open thin-walled members
Authors: Piccardo Giuseppe , Ferrarotti Alberto , Luongo Angelo
Published: July 2016

In the framework of the Generalized Beam Theory (GBT) a new cross-section analysis is proposed, specifically suited for nonlinear elastic thin-walled beams (TWB). The approach is developed according to the nonlinear Galerkin method (NGM), which calls for the evaluation of nonlinear (passive) trial functions, to be used in conjunction with linear (active) trial functions, in describing the displacement field. The set of (quadratic) trial functions is determined here by requiring that the classic Vlasov’s kinematic hypotheses of the linear theory (i.e. (a) transverse inextensibility and (b) unshearability) are satisfied also in the nonlinear sense. The linear field is described by the so-called conventional displacements, by neglecting non-conventional displacements, which violate Vlasov’s hypotheses. The nonlinear trial functions thus generated are innovative deformation fields, which describe extensional and shear displacements in a different way from that of the non-conventional fields of the linear theory. In particular, they consist of non-constant tangential and out-of-plane displacements of the cross-section profile, able to ensure inextensibility and unshearability of all the plate elements, by balancing the second-order strains induced by the conventional displacements. Since nonlinear trial functions do not increase the number of the unknowns, the GBT spirit, as a reduction method, is preserved. A very promising example is discussed, which shows that equilibrium paths can be determined by using few linear trial functions in conjunction with the corresponding nonlinear trial functions, supplying good results when compared with burdensome finite-element solutions.
Effects of Higher EITC Payments on Children’s Health, Quality of Home Environment, and Noncognitive Skills
Authors: Averett Susan , Wang Yang
Published: July 2016

In 1993, the benefit levels of the earned income tax credit (EITC) were changed significantly based on the number of children in the household. Exploiting this policy change and employing a difference-in-differences plus mother fixed effects framework, we find significantly improved home environment quality for children of unmarried mothers, regardless of their race/ethnicity, and lowered probabilities of having accidents and improved mother-rated health for children of married white mothers. Children of unmarried black and Hispanic mothers also had better mother-rated health. Our results provide new evidence of positive spillover effects of the 1993 EITC expansion and therefore have important policy implications.
Increasing Cooperation With the Police Using Body Worn Cameras
Authors: Ariel Barak
Published: July 2016

What can change the willingness of people to report crimes? A 6-month study in Denver investigated whether Body Worn Cameras (BWCs) can change crime-reporting behavior, with treatment-officers wearing BWCs patrolling targeted street segments, while control officers patrolled the no-treatment areas without BWCs. Stratified street segments crime densities were used as the units of analysis, in order to measure the effect on the number of emergency calls in target versus control street segments. Repeated measures ANOVAs and subgroup analyses suggest that BWCs lead to greater willingness to report crimes to the police in low crime density level residential street segments, but no discernable differences emerge in hotspot street segments. Variations in reporting are interpreted in terms of accountability, legitimacy, or perceived utility caused by the use of BWCs. Situational characteristics of the street segments explain why low-level street segments are affected by BWCs, while in hotspots no effect was detected.