bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined Interstitial and External Radiotherapy in the Definitive Management of Carcinoma of the Prostate
Authors: GUERRIERO, WILLIAM G. , CARLTON C. EUGENE , HUDGINS PHILIP T.
Published: April 2018

Five hundred and forty‐two patients have been treated for prostatic carcinoma with radiotherapy between 1965 and 1976 at our institution. All patients have been followed for longer than one year. Two hundred and ninety‐five patients have been subjected to surgical exploration to document the precise stage of their disease and undergone staging pelvic lymphadenectomy at the time of interstitial implantation of radioactive gold grains. Postoperatively, these patients have received an average of 4500 rad, given over one month, external beam radiotherapy to the prostate. Excellent survival data are presented including the results of post treatment needle biopsy in a selected number of patients.
Colorectal cancer screening prevalence and predictors among Asian American subgroups using Medical Expenditure Panel Survey National Data
Authors: Sy Angela U. , Lim Eunjung , Ka’opua Lana Sue , Kataoka‐Yahiro Merle , Kinoshita Yumiko , Stewart Susan L.
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

Asian American (AA) ethnic subgroups are diverse in socio‐economic status, years in the United States, English proficiency, and cultures with different health seeking behaviors and health care access. Fifty‐two percent of AAs age ≥50 years had colorectal cancer screening (CRCS) in 2013, compared with 61% of non‐Hispanic whites. We hypothesized that CRCS prevalence among AA ethnicities is heterogeneous and that the reasons related to CRCS among AA subgroups are associated with demographic characteristics, acculturation, health care access, and health attitudes.

METHODS

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data for 2009‐2014 compared CRCS status among whites (n = 28,834), Asian Indians (n = 466), Chinese (n = 652), and Filipinos (n = 788). Multivariate logistic regression examined ethnic differences and correlates of CRCS accounting for complex sampling design.

RESULTS

Whites had the highest prevalence of screening (62.3%), followed by Filipinos (55.0%), Chinese (50.9%), and Asian Indians (48.6%). Older age, having health insurance, and having a usual care provider predicted CRCS across all ethnicities. Different demographic, health care access, and health attitude predictors within each ethnic group were related to CRCS.

CONCLUSION

This study contributes to the literature on influences of differential CRCS prevalence among AA subgroups. CRCS promotion should be tailored according to attitudes and structural barriers affecting screening behavior of specific ethnic subgroups to truly serve the health needs of the diverse AA population. Cancer 2018;124:1543‐51. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Impact of a smoke‐free–living educational intervention for smokers and household nonsmokers: A randomized trial of Chinese American pairs
Authors: Tong Elisa K. , Saw Anne , Fung Lei‐Chun , Li Chin‐Shang , Liu Yu , Tsoh Janice Y.
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

Chinese American men smoke at a high rate, which puts household nonsmokers at risk. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief‐intensity versus moderate‐intensity smoke‐free–living educational intervention for household pairs.

METHODS

The authors conducted a randomized controlled trial of Cantonese‐speaking Chinese American smoker and household nonsmoker pairs in San Francisco, California. Pairs were randomized to moderate‐intensity or brief‐intensity group sessions with their household partner. The moderate‐intensity group received 2 group sessions, a laboratory report of their baseline smoke exposure, as measured by 4‐(methylnitrosamino)‐1‐(3‐pyridyl)‐1‐butanol (NNAL), and 3 follow‐up calls over 6 months. The brief‐intensity group received 1 group session on tobacco‐cessation resources. Primary outcomes were biochemically validated, past‐month smoking abstinence and elimination of nonsmoker household exposure at 12 months.

RESULTS

Participant pairs (n = 203) were male smokers, one‐half of whom did not intend to quit within 6 months, with mostly female spouses as household nonsmokers. Approximately three‐quarters of nonsmokers in both groups already had smoke‐free home rules. At 12 months, smokers in both groups had similar biochemically validated 30‐day abstinence rates (moderate‐intensity group, 0%‐20.7%; brief‐intensity group, 0%‐20.0%;P= .002 over time). More smokers in the moderate‐intensity group used subsequent cessation group classes (moderate‐intensity group, 50%; brief‐intensity group, 24%;P= .004). Household nonsmokers in both groups had similar biochemically validated rates of no home exposure (moderate‐intensity group, 24.5%‐42.2%; brief‐intensity group, 24.8%‐33.3%;P= .0001 over time).

CONCLUSIONS

A moderate‐intensity smoke‐free–living educational intervention for Chinese‐speaking household pairs was not more effective than a brief‐intensity intervention for smoking abstinence and elimination of household nonsmoker exposure. Abstinence rates were similar to those achieved with standard group counseling.Cancer2018;124:1590‐8. ©2018 American Cancer Society.
Temporal trends in disease presentation and survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A real‐world experience from 1998 to 2015
Authors: Kim Nathan G. , Nguyen Pauline P. , Dang Hansen , Kumari Radhika , Garcia Gabriel , Esquivel Carlos O. , Nguyen Mindie H.
Published: April 2018

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the few cancers whose incidence continues to increase. The goal of the current study was to investigate the presentation and survival trends of patients with HCC presenting to a university hospital between 1998 and 2015.

METHODS

Study data were ascertained by individual chart review with survival data also supplemented by National Death Index query up to December 31, 2015. Patients were divided into three 6‐year groups by diagnosis date (1998‐2003, 2004‐2009, and 2010‐2015).

RESULTS

A total of 2106 consecutive patients with HCC were included. The majority of patients had either hepatitis C (56.7%) or hepatitis B (22.1%), but cases of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis HCC increased by 68% over the most recent time period. Screening/surveillance identified 61% of HCC cases, but only 31% of these patients underwent curative treatment, which did not increase significantly over time. The overall median survival was 29.8 months (2.48 years) and without improvement over time. On multivariable analysis, Asian or Hispanic ethnicity, meeting Milan criteria, and receiving any of the standard HCC treatments were found to be significantly associated with improved survival, but diagnosis time period and liver disease etiology were not.

CONCLUSIONS

Over the last 18 years, the percentage of cases of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis HCC has increased but not overall survival. It is interesting to note that only 31% of patients with HCC identified via screening/surveillance received any curative treatment. Further research is needed to better understand the barriers to curative care for patients with HCC and the causes of the lack of improvement in survival in the more recent patient cohort. Cancer 2018;124:2588‐98. © 2018 American Cancer Society.
Analysis of Neuropsychiatric Disease‐Related Functional Neuroanatomical Markers in Mice
Authors: Garrett Lillian , Ung Marie‐Claire , Heermann Tamara , Niedermeier Kristina M. , Hölter Sabine
Published: April 2018

A better alignment of preclinical and clinical neurobiological measures could help improve neuropsychiatric disease therapeutic development. This unit describes a compendium of hypothesis‐driven neuroanatomical phenotyping strategies to be employed in genetic mouse models. Using neuropsychiatric disease‐based alterations as a guide, these are histological and immunohistochemical methodologies also applied to human tissue. They include quantification assays of neurochemical‐, newly born neuron‐ and glial‐cell markers, synaptic proteins, regional volumetrics, dendritic complexity and spine number as well as an index of excitation/inhibition balance. The techniques can be implemented in isolation or to complement concordant behavioral and electrophysiological analyses. Each outcome will provide functional detail necessary to decipher underlying neural circuit abnormalities associated with a brain‐related phenotype in mice. Experimental design, timing, anticipated results and potential pitfalls are discussed. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Production of Humanized Mice Through Stem Cell Transfer
Authors: Huey Devra D. , Niewiesk Stefan
Published: April 2018

The development of humanized mice has become a prominent tool for translational animal studies of human diseases. Immune‐deficient mice can be “humanized” by injections of human umbilical cord stem cells. The engraftment of these cells and development into human lymphocytes has been possible because of the development of novel, severely immune deficient mouse strains. Proven protocols for the generation and analysis of humanized mice on the NSG mouse background is presented here. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Noninvasive Electroretinographic Procedures for the Study of the Mouse Retina
Authors: Kinoshita Junzo , Peachey Neal S.
Published: April 2018

Overall retinal function can be monitored by recording the light‐evoked response of the eye at the corneal surface. The major components of the electroretinogram (ERG) provide important information regarding the functional status of many retinal cell types including rod photoreceptors, cone photoreceptors, bipolar cells, and the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). The ERG can be readily recorded from mice, and this unit describes procedures for mouse anesthesia and the use of stimulation and recording procedures for measuring ERGs that reflect the response properties of different retinal cell types. Through these, the mouse ERG provides a noninvasive approach to measure multiple aspects of outer retinal function, including the status of the initial rod and cone pathways, rod photoreceptor deactivation, rod dark adaptation, the photoreceptor‐to‐bipolar cell synapse, and the RPE. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Synthesis of ENA Nucleotides and ENA Oligonucleotides
Authors: Morita Koji , Koizumi Makoto
Published: April 2018

2′‐O,4′‐C‐Ethylene‐bridged nucleic acid (ENA) is a sugar‐modified oligonucleotide with an ethylene bridge between the 2′‐oxygen and 4′‐carbon of ribose. ENA not only has as high binding affinity to complementary RNA as conventional bridged/locked nucleic acid, but also has much higher nuclease resistance in plasma, which makes it a promising candidate for antisense therapeutics. This unit presents detailed protocols for the synthesis and characterization of ENA nucleosides and oligonucleotides. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Synthesis of Dye‐Modified Oligonucleotides via Copper(I)‐Catalyzed Alkyne Azide Cycloaddition Using On‐ and Off‐Bead Approaches
Authors: Schwechheimer Christian , Doll Larissa , Wagenknecht Hans‐Achim
Published: April 2018

Fluorescence molecular imaging is widely used to visualize and observe different biomolecules, in particular DNA and RNA, in vivo and in real time. Typically, DNA strands are tagged with only one fluorophore, and, in the case of molecular beacons, an additional quencher is conjugated, which bears the risk of false‐positive or false‐negative results because only fluorescence intensities at one fluorescence wavelength (color) are compared. To address this drawback, the concept of “DNA/RNA traffic lights,” which is characterized by a fluorescence color change due to energy transfer between two dyes, was developed by our working group. For these DNA and RNA systems, the oligonucleotides are post‐synthetically labeled, specifically after solid‐phase synthesis by chemical means, with a fluorescent dye using copper(I)‐catalyzed cycloaddition at the 2′ position of single uridines. In order to functionalize oligonucleotides with several different labels, an on‐resin method is required to ensure the necessary selectivity. This unit describes two different CuAAC (“click”) approaches—in solution (post‐synthetic) and on solid phase (during synthesis)—for the attachment of fluorophores to the 2′ position of DNA. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Chemical Quenching of Singlet Oxygen and Other Reactive Oxygen Species in Water: A Reliable Method for the Determination of Quantum Yields in Photochemical Processes?
Authors: Le Bechec Mickael , Pigot Thierry , Lacombe Sylvie
Published: April 2018

The production of singlet oxygen in aqueous solutions by photosensitizers (PS) grafted on silica was evaluated using the widely‐known singlet oxygen quencher, furfuryl alcohol (FFA). Although reliable data could be obtained when working with some of the water‐soluble PS in homogeneous solution, strong diffusion effects prevented the measurement of accurate singlet oxygen quantum yields of the silica materials. Moreover, when electron‐transfer reactions were possible and produced other reactive oxygen species (ROS), FFA oxidation did not result from singlet oxygen production but from electron transfer steps, as, for example, with TiO2 or with anthraquinone derivatives. Some literature data on singlet oxygen quantum yields with aqueous semiconductor suspensions in the presence of FFA have thus to be considered with care. Other issues were also raised with selective quenchers for other ROS such as hydroxyl radicals or superoxide radical anions and emphasize significant artefacts mainly arising from adsorption effects. The results obtained with anthraquinone derivatives confirmed its ubiquitous photochemical behavior and appeared as complex as that of the water‐soluble anthraquinone‐2‐sulfonate AQ2S. In any case, the covalent grafting of PSs on silica allows tuning the oxidative properties of the material. It also makes possible the efficient production of singlet oxygen by water‐insoluble PS, such as cyanoanthracene derivatives, in aqueous solutions.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Functionalization of Kraft Lignin: Ether Linkages through the Telomerization Reaction
Authors: Dumont Clément , Gauvin Régis M. , Belva Frédéric , Sauthier Mathieu
Published: April 2018

Kraft lignin was efficiently functionalized with octadienyl ether linkages through the palladium‐catalyzed telomerization of 1,3‐butadiene. Comparison with molecular model substrates assessed the grafting of phenols and alcohols and an optimization study led to up to 69 % conversion of the total number of hydroxyl groups present in lignin. This catalytic study evidenced the partial oxidation of triphenylphosphine into triphenylphosphine oxide and triphenylphosphine sulfide by contaminants present in the industrial grade kraft lignin. The telomerised lignin is a malleable material and a preliminary study of the thermal properties showed a decrease in the glass transition in comparison with the starting material.
Polysulfide Binding to Several Nanoscale Magnéli Phases Synthesized in Carbon for Long‐Life Lithium–Sulfur Battery Cathodes
Authors: Zubair Usman , Amici Julia , Francia Carlotta , McNulty David , Bodoardo Silvia , O'Dwyer Colm
Published: April 2018

In Li–S batteries, it is important to ensure efficient reversible conversion of sulfur to lithium polysulfide (LiPS). Shuttling effects caused by LiPS dissolution can lead to reduced performance and cycle life. Although carbon materials rely on physical trapping of polysulfides, polar oxide surfaces can chemically bind LiPS to improve the stability of sulfur cathodes. We show a simple synthetic method that allows high sulfur loading into mesoporous carbon preloaded with spatially localized nanoparticles of several Magnéli‐phase titanium oxide (TinO2n−1). This material simultaneously suppresses polysulfide shuttling phenomena by chemically binding Li polysulfides onto several Magnéli‐phase surfaces in a single cathode and ensures physical confinement of sulfur and LiPS. The synergy between chemical immobilization of significant quantities of LiPS at the surface of several TinO2n−1 phases and physical entrapment results in coulombically efficient high‐rate cathodes with long cycle life and high capacity. These cathodes function efficiently at low electrolyte‐to‐sulfur ratios to provide high gravimetric and volumetric capacities in comparison with their highly porous carbon counterparts. Assembled coin cells have an initial discharge capacity of 1100 mAh g−1 at 0.1C and maintain a reversible capacity of 520 mAh g−1 at 0.2C for more than 500 cycles. Even at 1C, the cell loses only 0.06 % per cycle for 1000 cycles with a coulombic efficiency close to 99 %.
Production of Plant Phthalate and its Hydrogenated Derivative from Bio‐Based Platform Chemicals
Authors: Lu Rui , Lu Fang , Si Xiaoqin , Jiang Huifang , Huang Qianqian , Yu Weiqiang , Kong Xiangtao , Xu Jie
Published: April 2018

Direct transformation of bio‐based platform chemicals into aromatic dicarboxylic acids and their derivatives, which are widely used for the manufacture of polymers, is of significant importance for the sustainable development of the plastics industry. However, limited successful chemical processes have been reported. This study concerns a sustainable route for the production of phthalate and its hydrogenated derivative from bio‐based malic acid and erythritol. The key Diels–Alder reaction is applied to build a substituted cyclohexene structure. The dehydration reaction of malic acid affords fumaric acid with 96.6 % yield, which could be used as the dienophile, and 1,3‐butadiene generated in situ through erythritol deoxydehydration serves as the diene. Starting from erythritol and dibutyl fumarate, a 74.3 % yield of dibutyl trans‐4‐cyclohexene‐1,2‐dicarboxylate is obtained. The palladium‐catalyzed dehydrogenation of the cycloadduct gives a 77.8 % yield of dibutyl phthalate. Dibutyl trans‐cyclohexane‐1,2‐dicarboxylate could be formed in nearly 100 % yield under mild conditions by hydrogenation of the cycloadduct. Furthermore, fumaric acid and fumarate, with trans configurations, were found to be better dienophiles for this Diels–Alder reaction than maleic acid and maleate, with cis configuration, based on the experimental and computational results. This new route will pave the way for the production of environmental friendly plastic materials from plants.
A feasibility study: association between gut microbiota enterotype and antibody response to seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine in adults
Authors: Shortt Nick , Poyntz Hazel , Young Wayne , Jones Angela , Gestin Aurélie , Mooney Anna , Thayabaran Darmiga , Sparks Jenny , Ostapowicz Tess , Tay Audrey , Poppitt Sally , Elliott Sarah , Wakefield Georgia , Parry‐Strong Amber , Ralston Jacqui , Gasser Olivier , Beasley Richard , Weatherall Mark , Braithwaite Irene , Forbes‐Blom Elizabeth
Published: April 2018

Objective

We investigated the potential feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of a nutritional intervention that may alter human gut microbiota and support immune defence against respiratory tract infection in adults (Proposed Study).

Methods

In total, 125 healthy adults aged 18–64 participated in a 6‐month study that measured antibody response to the seasonal trivalent influenza vaccine. We assessed completion rates, procedure adherence rates and the influence of possible exclusion criteria on potential recruitment into the Proposed Study. We examined whether the gut microbiota could be categorised into enterotypes, and whether there was an association between enterotypes and the antibody response to the influenza vaccine.

Results

The participant completion rate was 97.6% (95% CI 93.1–99.5%). The proportions (95% CI) of participants who may be excluded for antibiotic or corticosteroid use in the 30 days prior to the study, or due to receiving the influenza vaccine in the previous two years were 9.6% (5.1–16.2), 8.0% (3.9–14.2) and 61.6% (52.5–70.2), respectively. All participants were stratified into four gut microbiota enterotypes. There was no association between these enterotypes and the antibody response to the influenza vaccine, although the study was not powered for this outcome.

Conclusion

This study design is suitable for the Proposed Study. The completion rate is likely to be high, although exclusion criteria should be selected with care. Further analyses of gut microbiota composition or function in association with antibody and immune responses are warranted to explore the role of host–microbiota interactions on protective immunity.
Deployment and validation of out of band IP traceback approach (OBTA) in wireless mesh network
Authors: Gassara Mouna , Bouabidi Imen , Zarai Faouzi , Obaidat Mohammad S. ,   Fellow of IEEE and Fellow of SCS, Hsiao Kuei‐Fang
Published: April 2018

Wireless mesh networks (WMNs) have acquired recently enormous attention and momentum; therefore, security aspects have been a fundamental concern for them. Among catastrophic threats on WMNs, Denial‐of‐Service attacks that have become a severe danger because of their plug‐and‐play structural design. Unfortunately, preventing a Denial‐of‐Service attack presents a challenging issue. This fact is induced with the appearance of the source IP addresses spoofing. The resolution key of this issue is to reveal the attack source based on the path through which the attack packet passes. For this, many researchers in IP traceability field propose various methods and techniques to deal with the issue. In this article, we conceive a novel approach named out of band IP traceback approach in WMN (IEEE 802.11s). We create a new architecture using signaling messages for discovering the real source(s) of IP packets. Our solution is based on a security‐oriented signaling protocol. This protocol allows specialized signaling entities to communicate via reliable signaling information. This fact permits us to perform a simple and efficient traceback. In our novel approach, we use 2 radios: the first one transmits normal data packets whereas the second is reserved to exchange IP traceback information. The performance of the proposed scheme is analyzed via simulation analysis using the Network Simulator 3. The simulation results show that our scheme is efficient in dealing with the traceback problem in WMN environments.
Question yourself before presenting course schedule
Authors: Hodges Dawn Z.
Published: April 2018

I have long maintained that putting together a course schedule is an art and a science. It's probably the most daunting task put before the academic affairs team. Others outside the division just expect it to be there three times a year — fall, spring, and summer. “When's the schedule coming out?” they ask.
Help students in their career search
Authors: Hamblet Elizabeth C.
Published: April 2018

Our students use our accommodations and services to be successful in the classroom. It makes sense that they can benefit from our collaboration with career services and other departments, too.
A method to calculate a locally relevant water year for ecohydrological studies using eddy covariance data
Authors: Kamps Ray H. , Heilman James L.
Published: April 2018

Increased rainfall variability due to climate change significantly impacts carbon and water cycling in ecosystems, but these impacts may be masked when using arbitrary annual reporting periods such as the calendar year, which may not have any relevance to natural annual ecosystem processes. A variety of alternative annual integration periods have been described for specific purposes or locations, but are of limited general applicability. Here, we present an eddy covariance data‐driven empirical method to determine a locally relevant annual time period. The method selects a start date for a locally relevant water year (LRWY) that maximizes correlation between annual precipitation (AP), and annual evapotranspiration (AET) and annual gross primary production. The method was tested using data from 2004 to 2013 for 2 Ameriflux sites (woodland and grassland) in Central Texas. The timeframe included periods of unusually high rainfall and periods of extreme drought. The highest correlation between AP, and AET and annual gross primary production was obtained with an LRWY beginning in mid‐September. Use of the LRWY better captured the impact of soil water recharge in the autumn on photosynthesis the following spring than did calendar years. Use of the LRWY also identified more annual periods in which AET exceeded AP, which more accurately reflected the impact of drought on ecosystems processes than did analysis based on calendar years.
Spatio‐temporal dynamics of macroinvertebrate communities in northeast Greenlandic snowmelt streams
Authors: Docherty Catherine L. , Hannah David M. , Riis Tenna , Lund Magnus , Abermann Jakob , Milner Alexander M.
Published: April 2018

Future climate change throughout the Arctic is expected to increase channel stability in glacially influenced streams through reduced contributions from glacial meltwater and increases in groundwater. In contrast, predictions for northeast Greenland of increased precipitation for the next 100 years—including winter snowfall—which with warmer air temperature, is expected to increase the size of spring floods in snowmelt streams. Coupled with increased disturbance through frequent summer rainfall events, nivation processes and permafrost degradation will reduce resistance of channel sediments to erosion and thereby decrease channel stability. Decreased channel stability will impact macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity. Five streams sourced by snowpacks of varying extent were studied over 3 summer seasons (2013–2015) to investigate the potential effect of shift in snowmelt regime on macroinvertebrate communities.

Total abundance and taxa richness were significantly higher in streams with small snowpacks, where the chironomid genus Hydrobaenus was the most abundant taxon. Streams with large snowpacks were dominated by the chironomid genus Diamesa. Multivariate ordination models and correlation indicated that macroinvertebrate communities were significantly influenced by channel stability and bed sediment size. Macroinvertebrate abundance was significantly higher in 2013, following low winter snowfall and associated low meltwater inputs to streams, highlighting interannual variability in macroinvertebrate communities.

A shift towards less stable habitats in snowmelt streams will potentially lead to reduced macroinvertebrate abundance and taxa richness, and local extinction of specialized taxa. Thus, snowmelt‐fed streams in northeast Greenland may respond very differently to changing climate compared with streams in parts of the Arctic dominated by glacial meltwater.
Rare‐Earth Germanate Visible, Near‐Infrared, and Up‐Conversion Emitters
Authors: Ananias Duarte , Almeida Paz Filipe A. , Carlos Luís D. , Rocha João
Published: April 2018

The hydrothermal synthesis and structural characterization of new trivalent rare‐earth germanates, Na4[(Y1–aLna)2Ge4O13] (Ln = Eu, Tb, or Yb and Er; a = 0.05, 0.1) and Na4[(Yb0.9Er0.1)2Ge4O13] are reported. The structure of these solids was solved by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction (150 K). The materials crystallize in the orthorhombic non‐centrosymmetric Pna21 space group, and exhibit a framework comprising unprecedented anionic tetrameric [Ge4O13]10– units, tetrameric units of {GeO4} tetrahedra, and isolated dimeric units encompassing two distinct distorted {REO6} octahedra. These rare‐earth germanates feature interesting photoluminescence properties in the visible and near‐infrared spectral regions. Eu3+ photoluminescence confirms the presence of two distinct rare‐earth sites. Energy transfer between the latter sites is shown for the Yb3+/Er3+ pair, both displaying significant near‐infrared emission. Isomorphous Na4[(Yb0.9Er0.1)2Ge4O13] features up‐conversion emission, an unusual property among rare‐earth crystalline germanates.
Social justice is an enrollment concern: Strategies for enrolling a diverse student body
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: April 2018

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. – As an enrollment management or admissions professional, you have the ability to create positive change in your institution's demographics and address institutional bias by admitting students who will flourish at your institution but who might be overlooked using traditional benchmarking standards. Presenters at the University of Southern California Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice's annual conference shared strategies you can use to increase social justice outreach at your institution.
There Is More to Life Than Evaluation Logic and Data: Trusting Gut Feeling
Authors: Donaldson Stewart I.
Published: April 2018

In a 2014 AEA session, Stewart I. Donaldson shared his surprise that in his approach to evaluation of his own evaluands, he tends to be emotionally intuitive in addition to following the rational approaches he advocates to students and colleagues. He explores this discovery through reflection on experiences bridging multiple cultures in informal and formal settings. See the interview document here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ev.20284/suppinfo. Read only. This should not be used in any form without explicit permission from the author.
Combining Intuition and Rationality
Authors: Hurteau Marthe
Published: April 2018

Marthe Hurteau notes how she has tried to combine good aspects of her mother's nonprofessional intuition approach to evaluation with her father's evidence‐based and rational criminal judge evaluation approach. She finds that when she can do the best of both, her personal and professional evaluations are better. See the interview document here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ev.20286/suppinfo. Read only. This should not be used in any form without explicit permission from the author.
Speculations About My Roots as a Program Evaluator
Authors: Brandon Paul R.
Published: April 2018

Paul R. Brandon reflects on values he developed throughout his life and how they contributed to his eventual career as an evaluator based in Hawaii. See the interview document here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ev.20287/suppinfo. Read only. This should not be used in any form without explicit permission from the author.
Finding a Practical Niche in an Academic Space
Authors: Davidson E. Jane
Published: April 2018

In a 2014 AEA session, E. Jane Davidson presented some of her ideas about her practice‐based theory that she adapted from her logical/rational electrician dad. A partial transcription of her talk reveals a little bit about her Kiwi ancestry and subsequent educational experiences she feels are relevant to how she evaluates in life and as a professional. See the interview document here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ev.20298/suppinfo. Read only. This should not be used in any form without explicit permission from the author.
Dating and the Need for Establishing Evaluation Criteria
Authors: Davies Randall
Published: April 2018

One of Randall Davies’ evaluation students once told him that everything in life can be related to dating. He uses a high school dating story to illustrate the claim that we make informal evaluations regularly. He notes that coming up with good criteria (value‐based quality or success indicators) that are shared across stakeholders in formal evaluations involves balancing what can be easily measured with the more important criteria that can only be discovered over time and deep engagement with all participants. See the interview document here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ev.20308/suppinfo. Read only. This should not be used in any form without explicit permission from the author.
Cry the Fool
Authors: Kushner Saville
Published: April 2018

In this brief essay written for an AEA 2012 presentation, Saville Kushner summarizes poetically how his experiences learning to evaluate as a young Jew in a Christian community in England have influenced his approach to formal evaluation throughout his life. See the interview document here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/ev.20310/suppinfo. Read only. This should not be used in any form without explicit permission from the author.
A separate reduced‐form volatility forecasting model for nonferrous metal market: Evidence from copper and aluminum
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Zhu Xuehong , Guo Yaoqi , Liu Haibo
Published: April 2018

This article extends the HAR‐CJN model proposed by Andersen, Bollerslev, and Huang (Journal of Econometrics, 2011, 160, 176–189) and explores the role of overnight information and leverage effects in improving volatility forecasting. To explore the interaction between different components of daily volatility, this paper attempts to separately model the dynamics of continuous variation, the discontinuous jump, and the overnight return variance by including leverage effects. The findings show that lagged continuous and discontinuous jump variations generate significant impacts on future continuous segments, discontinuous jump segments, and the overnight return variance. Furthermore, in addition to the usual leverage effects, additional leverage effects with respect to overnight returns are found to play a significant role in volatility forecasting. Finally, out‐of‐sample forecasts are investigated; the results show that the new HAR‐CJN model can describe and predict daily volatility more accurately than other HAR models.
Energize Paperless Adoption Rates With Top E‐Billing Models
Authors:   KUBRA (Copeland)
Published: April 2018

E‐billing has certainly evolved over the past 15 years from simple websites for viewing bill images and limited payment options to a complex array of customer interaction channels across email, biller websites, bank sites, virtual filing cabinets, and mobile devices. The key to high paperless billing rates is delivering choice to your customers and giving them access to their bills when and how they prefer to engage. The approach “build it our way and they will come” no longer works, resulting in low e‐bill adoption rates and a frustrated customer base. Crucial for any biller is to understand how each e‐bill engagement channel works, how it has been successful for other billers, and how you can harness its value. This article provides a detailed description of each e‐bill channel and its benefits, including specifics on adoption metrics and how each channel applies to specific demographics and customer preferences.
Human migration to the forest frontier: Implications for land use change and conservation management
Authors: Jones Julia P.G. , Mandimbiniaina Rina , Kelly Ruth , Ranjatson Patrick , Rakotojoelina Bodonirina , Schreckenberg Kate , Poudyal Mahesh
Published: April 2018

Human migration is often considered an important driver of land use change and a threat to protected area integrity, but the reasons for in‐migration, the effectiveness of conservation restrictions at stemming migration, and the extent to which migrants disproportionately contribute to land use change has been poorly studied, especially at fine spatial scales. Using a case study in eastern Madagascar (603 household surveys, mapping agricultural land for a subset of 167 households, and 49 focus group discussions and key informant interviews), we explore the patterns and drivers of migration within the lifetime of those currently alive. We investigate how this influences forest conversion on the border of established protected areas and sites without a history of conservation restrictions. We show that in‐migration is driven, especially in sites with high migration, by access to land. There is a much higher proportion of migrant households at sites without a long history of conservation restrictions than around long‐established protected areas, and migrants tend to be more educated and live closer to the forest edge than non‐migrants. Our evidence supports the engulfment model (an active forest frontier later becoming a protected area); there is no evidence that protected areas have attracted migrants. Where there is a perceived open forest frontier, people move to the forest but these migrants are no more likely than local people to clear land (i.e., migrants are not “exceptional resource degraders”). In some parts of the tropics, out‐migration from rural areas is resulting in forest regrowth; such a forest transition is unlikely to occur in Madagascar for some time. Those seeking to manage protected areas at the forest frontier will therefore need to prevent further colonisation; supporting tenure security for existing residents is likely to be an important step.
Longitudinal profile of the Upper Weihe River: Evidence for the late Cenozoic uplift of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Shi Xiaohui , Yang Zhao , Dong Yunpeng , Wang Shidi , He Dengfeng , Zhou Bo
Published: April 2018

The Upper Weihe River (UP‐WHR) basin is located along the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. With the northeastward expansion of the Tibetan Plateau since the late Cenozoic, it has involved foreland propagation and undergone obvious surface uplift. In order to determine the latest differential rock uplift and river incision, longitudinal profiles for 12 major tributaries of the UP‐WHR were extracted. Among them, 11 tributaries display uneven profiles with “slope‐break” knickpoints, suggesting that they are in a transient state and that the change in base level caused by tectonic forces may respond to the channel evolution. In addition, channel steepness index (ksn) was calculated to detect the spatial variations of the rock uplift rate. The results show that the north margin of West Qinling (WQL) and the south Liupan Shan (LPS) areas have a high uplift rate. Reconstruction of the paleochannel indicates that the Weihe River has an average incision of 354 ± 130 m since it formed, and the south tributaries have a higher incision of 144 ± 25 m than the north. An average river erosion rate of 0.25–0.3 m/ka was estimated, the WQL has a higher erosion rate of 0.1–0.12 m/ka than Longzhong Basin and the south LPS. This uplift and river incision can be correlated to the northeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau since the late Cenozoic.
Abortion Bans, Doctors, and the Criminalization of Patients
Authors: Oberman Michelle
Published: April 2018

January 2018, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology issued a position statement opposing the punishment of women for self‐induced abortion. To those unfamiliar with emerging trends in abortion in the United States and worldwide, the need for the declaration might not be apparent. Several studies suggest that self‐induced abortion is on the rise in the United States. Simultaneously, prosecutions of pregnant women for behavior thought to harm the fetus are increasing. The ACOG statement responds to both trends by urging doctors to honor the integrity and confidentiality inherent in the doctor‐patient relationship.

Seen in the context of the larger battle over legal abortion, the statement has far broader implications. By acknowledging the role doctors play in enforcing pregnancy‐related crimes, the ACOG position statement wisely anticipates the ways in which doctors will be implicated should access to legal abortion be further restricted. To understand the need for the ACOG directive, you must first understand that the story of what will happen if abortion becomes a crime in the United States is not to be found in history books; it is staring at us across our southern border.
Organ Transplantation and the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act: A Fifty‐Year Perspective
Authors: Sadler Blair L. , Sadler Alfred M.
Published: April 2018

Fifty years ago this summer, the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act was adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws and approved by the American Bar Association. The UAGA has provided a sound and stable legal platform on which to base an effective nationwide organ donation system. The cardinal principles of altruism, autonomy, and public trust are still important. At a time when confidence and trust in our government and many private institutions has declined, maintaining trust and confidence in our health care system and its commitment to “first, do no harm” has never been more important. Any policies that override these core ethical principles could cause irreparable damage to the public's faith in our transplant system. While progress has been made to increase organ registration and the number of organs transplanted, much more must be done to realize the potential of life‐saving therapy without jeopardizing ethical principles.
The Right to Know: A Revised Standard for Reporting Incidental Findings
Authors: Schaefer G. Owen , Savulescu Julian
Published: April 2018

During the course of biomedical research, researchers sometimes obtain information on participants that is outside the aim of the study but may nonetheless be relevant to the participants. These incidental findings, as they are known, have been the focus of a substantial amount of discussion in the bioethics literature, and a consensus has begun to emerge about what researchers should do in light of the possibility of incidental findings. A consensus, however, is not necessarily correct. In this article, we address the common view that reporting of incidental findings should be based primarily on the possibility of medical benefit, factoring in the findings’ validity, clinical actionability, and significance to health or reproduction. While such medical beneficence should not be discarded, the need to give proper attention to participants’ autonomy, privacy, and interests (especially considering discussion of participants’ right not to know) suggests an alternative standard for when to report incidental findings: even if they are of no direct medical benefit, incidental findings should be reported based on the extent to which the participant can be expected to comprehend the information. We will offer a preliminary defense of this alternative as best respecting participants’ autonomy and privacy and promoting their interests. However, we acknowledge that the standard would face significant practical barriers, and these barriers lead us to propose a metaconsent addendum that would allow subjects to essentially waive the comprehension standard when resource or other constraints make meeting it impracticable.
SIRT3 restricts hepatitis B virus transcription and replication through epigenetic regulation of covalently closed circular DNA involving suppressor of variegation 3‐9 homolog 1 and SET domain containing 1A histone methyltransferases
Authors: Ren Ji‐Hua , Hu Jie‐Li , Cheng Sheng‐Tao , Yu Hai‐Bo , Wong Vincent Kam Wai , Law Betty Yuen Kwan , Yang Yong‐Feng , Huang Ying , Liu Yi , Chen Wei‐Xian , Cai Xue‐Fei , Tang Hua , Hu Yuan , Zhang Wen‐Lu , Liu Xiang , Long Quan‐Xin , Zhou Li , Tao Na‐Na , Zhou Hong‐Zhong , Yang Qiu‐Xia , Ren Fang , He Lin , Gong Rui , Huang Ai‐Long , Chen Juan
Published: April 2018

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major health problem worldwide. Maintenance of the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), which serves as a template for HBV RNA transcription, is responsible for the failure of eradicating chronic HBV during current antiviral therapy. cccDNA is assembled with cellular histone proteins into chromatin, but little is known about the regulation of HBV chromatin by histone posttranslational modifications. In this study, we identified silent mating type information regulation 2 homolog 3 (SIRT3) as a host factor restricting HBV transcription and replication by screening seven members of the sirtuin family, which is the class III histone deacetylase. Ectopic SIRT3 expression significantly reduced total HBV RNAs, 3.5‐kb RNA, as well as replicative intermediate DNA in HBV‐infected HepG2‐Na+/taurocholate cotransporting polypeptide cells and primary human hepatocytes. In contrast, gene silencing of SIRT3 promoted HBV transcription and replication. A mechanistic study found that nuclear SIRT3 was recruited to the HBV cccDNA, where it deacetylated histone 3 lysine 9. Importantly, occupancy of SIRT3 on cccDNA could increase the recruitment of histone methyltransferase suppressor of variegation 3‐9 homolog 1 to cccDNA and decrease recruitment of SET domain containing 1A, leading to a marked increase of trimethyl‐histone H3 (Lys9) and a decrease of trimethyl‐histone H3 (Lys4) on cccDNA. Moreover, SIRT3‐mediated HBV cccDNA transcriptional repression involved decreased binding of host RNA polymerase II and transcription factor Yin Yang 1 to cccDNA. Finally, hepatitis B viral X protein could relieve SIRT3‐mediated cccDNA transcriptional repression by inhibiting both SIRT3 expression and its recruitment to cccDNA. Conclusion: SIRT3 is a host factor epigenetically restricting HBV cccDNA transcription by acting cooperatively with histone methyltransferase; these data provide a rationale for the use of SIRT3 activators in the prevention or treatment of HBV infection. (Hepatology 2018).
Understanding the Growth of Contingent Faculty
Authors: McNaughtan Jon , García Hugo A. , Nehls Kim
Published: April 2018

This chapter presents demographic characteristics of contingent faculty across and within higher education sectors. The descriptive data provide insight into how each sector's hiring patterns have changed over the past 30 years. Results indicate that regardless of institutional type, the role of contingent faculty has increased and will likely continue to grow.
Contingent Faculty at For‐Profit Institutions
Authors: Proper Eve
Published: April 2018

Most instruction at for‐profit institutions is conducted by contingency faculty. This chapter will examine who contingency faculty are and how they have helped for‐profits be the fastest growing higher education sector for the last 20 years. This chapter will also examine how having a majority of part‐time faculty may also have negative impacts, including on accreditation.
75 Years of Too Cheap Water
Authors: Murdoch John H.
Published: April 2018

Murdoch admonished water providers for keeping the price of water artificially low. At one time, this was done to encourage customers to connect to water systems ‐ before they realized the benefits of treated and regulated water systems. But by 1956, the benefits were established, and Murdoch challenged water providers to reflect the value of water in charges that passed the real costs of providing that safe and adequate supply of water to their customers. To some degree, this situation continues to exist today.
Roundtable—Workplace Diversity
Authors: Mercer Kenneth L.
Published: April 2018

In the early 1990s, AWWA took stock of the water industry's workforce issues and tried to anticipate generational shifts and trends that might take root by the turn of the millennium through an effort called Workforce 2000. While some of the improvements identified at that time have been implemented, the water industry still faces many of the same challenges in 2017. From the current lack of family‐friendly benefits to the need for greater integration of women, minorities, and disabled and older workers, it would seem that, despite the dedicated efforts of some water professionals and overall changes in society, perhaps the original program should have been called Workforce 2050. As you read through the roundtable discussion of workplace diversity that follows, ask yourself ‐ how much have things changed in your own workplaces over the last 10 or 20 years, and further, what can we do, alone and collectively, to further improve workplace diversity and tolerance throughout the water industry?