bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Renal Medullary Interstitial COX-2 (Cyclooxygenase-2) Is Essential in Preventing Salt-Sensitive Hypertension and Maintaining Renal Inner Medulla/Papilla Structural Integrity
Authors: Zhang Ming-Zhi , Wang Suwan , Wang Yinqiu , Zhang Yahua , Ming Hao Chuan , Harris Raymond C.
Published: October 2018

COX (cyclooxygenase)-derived prostaglandins regulate renal hemodynamics and salt and water homeostasis. Inhibition of COX activity causes blood pressure elevation. In addition, chronic analgesic abuse can induce renal injury, including papillary necrosis. COX-2 is highly expressed in the kidney papilla in renal medullary interstitial cells (RMICs). However, its role in blood pressure and papillary integrity in vivo has not been definitively studied. In mice with selective, inducible RMIC COX-2 deletion, a high-salt diet led to an increase in blood pressure that peaked at 4 to 5 weeks and was associated with increased papillary expression of AQP2 (aquaporin 2) and ENac (epithelial sodium channel) and decreased expression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. With continued high-salt feeding, the mice with RMIC COX-2 deletion had progressive decreases in blood pressure from its peak. After return to a normal-salt diet for 3 weeks, blood pressure remained low and was associated with a persistent urinary concentrating defect. Within 2 weeks of institution of a high-salt diet, increased apoptotic RMICs and collecting duct cells could be detected in papillae with RMIC deletion of COX-2, and by 9 weeks of high salt, there was a striking loss of the papillae. Therefore, RMIC COX-2 expression plays a crucial role in renal handling water and sodium homeostasis, preventing salt-sensitive hypertension and maintaining structural integrity of papilla.
Genotype‐Positive Status Is Associated With Poor Prognoses in Patients With Left Ventricular Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Li Shijie , Zhang Ce , Liu Nana , Bai Hui , Hou Cuihong , Wang Jizheng , Song Lei , Pu Jielin
Published: October 2018

Background

Left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy (
LVNC
) is a genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous disease. This study aims to investigate the genetic basis and genotype‐phenotype correlations in a cohort of Chinese patients with
LVNC
.

Methods and Results

A total of 72 cardiomyopathy‐associated genes were comprehensively screened in 83 adults and 17 children with
LVNC
by targeted sequencing. Pathogenicity of the detected variants was determined according to their prevalence and American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics recommendations. Baseline and follow‐up clinical data were collected. The primary end point was a composite of death and heart transplantation. Overall, 42 pathogenic variants were identified in 38 patients (38%), with

TTN

,

MYH
7

,

MYBPC
3

, and

DSP

being the most commonly involved genes. At baseline, genotype‐positive adults had higher rates of atrial fibrillation and family history, and lower left ventricular ejection fraction, compared with genotype‐negative adults. During a median follow‐up of 4.2 years, more primary end points occurred in genotype‐positive adults than in genotype‐negative adults (50.0% versus 23.5%;
P
=0.013). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that genotype‐positive status was associated with higher risks of death and heart transplantation, independent of age, sex, and cardiac function at baseline in patients with
LVNC
(adjusted hazards ratio, 2.49; 95% confidence interval, 1.15–5.37;
P
=0.020).

Conclusions

Our study revealed a distinct genetic spectrum in Chinese patients with
LVNC
, with variants in

TTN

,

MYH
7

,

MYBPC
3

, and

DSP

being the most common. The presence of pathogenic variants is an independent risk factor for adverse outcomes and may aid in risk stratification in adult patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.
International Comparison of Patient Characteristics and Quality of Care for Ischemic Stroke: Analysis of the China National Stroke Registry and the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines––Stroke Program
Authors: Wangqin Runqi , Laskowitz Daniel T. , Wang Yongjun , Li Zixiao , Wang Yilong , Liu Liping , Liang Li , Matsouaka Roland A. , Saver Jeffrey L. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Smith Eric E. , Schwamm Lee H. , Prvu Bettger Janet , Hernandez Adrian F. , Peterson Eric D. , Xian Ying
Published: October 2018

Background

Adherence to evidence‐based guidelines is an important quality indicator; yet, there is lack of assessment of adherence to performance measures in acute ischemic stroke for most world regions.

Methods and Results

We analyzed 19 604 patients with acute ischemic stroke in the China National Stroke Registry and 194 876 patients in the Get With The Guidelines––Stroke registry in the United States from June 2012 to January 2013. Compared with their
US
counterparts, Chinese patients were younger, had a lower prevalence of comorbidities, and had similar median, lower mean, and less variability in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (median 4 [25th percentile–75th percentile, 2–7], mean 5.4±5.6 versus median 4 [1–10], mean 6.8±7.7). Chinese patients were more likely to experience delays from last known well to hospital arrival (median 1318 [330–3209] versus 644 [142–2055] minutes), less likely to receive thrombolytic therapy (2.5% versus 8.1%), and more likely to experience treatment delays (door‐to‐needle time median 95 [72–112] versus 62 [49–85] minutes). Adherence to early and discharge antithrombotics, smoking cessation counseling, and dysphagia screening were relatively high (eg >80%) in both countries. Large gaps existed between China and the United States with regard to the administration of thrombolytics within 3 hours (18.3% versus 83.6%), door‐to‐needle time ≤60 minutes (14.6% versus 48.0%), deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis (65.0% versus 97.8%), anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation (21.0% versus 94.4%), lipid treatment (66.3% versus 95.8%), and rehabilitation assessment (58.8% versus 97.4%).

Conclusions

We found significant differences in clinical characteristics and gaps in adherence for certain performance measures between China and the United States. Additional efforts are needed for continued improvements in acute stroke care and secondary prevention in both nations, especially China.
The Casa da Índia and the Emergence of a Science of Administration in the Portuguese Empire
Authors: Barreto Xavier Ângela
Published: October 2018

The role played by archives in the making of a Portuguese science of imperial administration is scarcely known. Systematic research is still lacking on what literature suggests was a critical dimension in the management of the empire. By focusing on the Casa da Índia’s activities of production, record-keeping and retrieving of information and knowledge, this study intends to contribute to a better understanding of the links between empire and Portuguese early-modern archival experiences. For more than a century, the Casa da Índia was the institution responsible for the circulation and storage of commodities, information and people within the Portuguese empire, as well as the payment of duties and taxes. What challenges did territorial expansion entail for the Portuguese monarchy, and, in particular, for its archival organization and practices? How did the Casa da Índia register these imperial dynamics? Did its archive materialize the Empire at home? Finally, was its archive relevant to the emergence of a Portuguese science of imperial administration?
Tyndale, Erasmus, and the Early English Reformation
Authors: Rankin Mark
Published: October 2018

This essay reconsiders the relationship between William Tyndale, the English reformer and bible translator, and Erasmus of Rotterdam. Modern Tyndale biographers have distorted their account of this relationship because of their commitment to interpreting events associated with Tyndale through a hagiographical lens. The essay reviews evidence of Tyndale’s knowledge of Erasmus’ writings and argues that Tyndale used Erasmus to support his positions, but also differed from him when occasion demanded. Diglot bibles printed from the 1530s to c. 1550 paired Tyndale’s and Erasmus’ bible translations beside each other and thereby established an interpretation that has endured into modern times.
An Eleventh- or Twelfth-Century Masoretic Bible Codex (Jeremiah, Zechariah, Proverbs, and Chronicles): Its Place among Eastern Codices
Authors: Penkower Jordan S.
Published: October 2018

This study analyzes BB (Bloomsbury Bible), an eleventh- or twelfth-century Eastern Masoretic Bible codex of Jeremiah, Zechariah, Proverbs, and Chronicles (all incomplete). Comparing BB in Jeremiah and Chronicles with other early Eastern Masoretic codices, we arrive at the following characteristics: (1) Text—BB is far from A (Aleppo Codex) (mostly plene-defective spelling), but not very far like the Ashkenazi based Soncino 1488 edition; other Eastern codices are closer to A; (2) Sections—BB is far from A; so, too, other Eastern codices; (3) Sedarim—BB, as well as other Eastern codices, reflect one tradition, with only minor variants; (4) Poetic texts—two layouts, depending on column width: (a) each line represents a verse, with a space before the second hemistich; (b) each line does not represent a verse; there is a space before each hemistich (wherever it occurs on the line). BB follows the second layout.
Betaphycus gelatinus and B. philippinensis (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) are conspecific
Authors: DUMILAG RICHARD V.
Published: October 2018

Due to lack of definitive differences in phenotypic characters, earlier taxonomic work questioned the separation between Betaphycus gelatinus and B. philippinensis. To date, no attempt has been made to clarify their species boundaries. To investigate whether the two names constitute distinct species, an organellar marker-based phylogenetic approach (rbcL, COI-5P, and cox2-3 spacer) was performed using molecular species discrimination methods (ABGD, SPN, GMYC, and PTP/bPTP). Concordant with observed and published morphological data, the molecular results revealed that B. gelatinus is indistinguishable from B. philippinensis. The name B. philippinensis is thus relegated to synonymy with B. gelatinus.
Robust Responses of the Sahelian Hydrological Cycle to Global Warming
Authors: Hill Spencer A. , Ming Yi , Zhao Ming
Published: October 2018

How the globally uniform component of sea surface temperature (SST) warming influences rainfall in the African Sahel remains insufficiently studied, despite mean SST warming being among the most robustly simulated and theoretically grounded features of anthropogenic climate change. A prior study using the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) AM2.1 atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) demonstrated that uniform SST warming strengthens the prevailing northerly advection of dry Saharan air into the Sahel. The present study uses uniform SST warming simulations performed with 7 GFDL and 10 CMIP5 AGCMs to assess the robustness of this drying mechanism across models and uses observations to assess the physical credibility of the severe drying response in AM2.1. In all 17 AGCMs, mean SST warming enhances the free-tropospheric meridional moisture gradient spanning the Sahel and with it the Saharan dry-air advection. Energetically, this is partially balanced by anomalous subsidence, yielding decreased precipitation in 14 of the 17 models. Anomalous subsidence and precipitation are tightly linked across the GFDL models but not the CMIP5 models, precluding the use of this relationship as the start of a causal chain ending in an emergent observational constraint. For AM2.1, cloud–rainfall covariances generate radiative feedbacks on drying through the subsidence mechanism and through surface hydrology that are excessive compared to observations at the interannual time scale. These feedbacks also act in the equilibrium response to uniform warming, calling into question the Sahel’s severe drying response to warming in all coupled models using AM2.1.
Using a Canopy Model Framework to Improve Large-Eddy Simulations of the Neutral Atmospheric Boundary Layer in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model
Authors: Arthur Robert S. , Mirocha Jeffrey D. , Lundquist Katherine A. , Street Robert L.
Published: October 2018

A canopy model framework is implemented in the Weather Research and Forecasting Model to improve the accuracy of large-eddy simulations (LES) of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The model includes two options that depend on the scale of surface roughness elements. A resolved canopy model, typically used to model flow through vegetation canopies, is employed when roughness elements are resolved by the vertical LES grid. In the case of unresolved roughness, a modified “pseudocanopy model” is developed to distribute drag over a shallow layer above the surface. Both canopy model options are validated against idealized test cases in neutral stability conditions and are shown to improve surface layer velocity profiles relative to simulations employing Monin–Obukhov similarity theory (MOST), which is commonly used as a surface boundary condition in ABL models. Use of the canopy model framework also leads to increased levels of resolved turbulence kinetic energy and turbulent stresses. Because LES of the ABL has a well-known difficulty recovering the expected logarithmic velocity profile (log law) in the surface layer, particular focus is placed on using the pseudocanopy model to alleviate this issue over a range of model configurations. Tests with varying surface roughness values, LES closures, and grid aspect ratios confirm that the pseudocanopy model generally improves log-law agreement relative to simulations that employ a standard MOST boundary condition. The canopy model framework thus represents a low-cost, easy-to-implement method for improving LES of the ABL.
Perirenal Fat: A Unique Fat Pad and Potential Target for Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Liu Bo-Xun , Sun Wei , Kong Xiang-Qing
Published: October 2018

Although visceral obesity is recognized as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the efficacy of omental fat removal in CVD treatment is still controversial. There is a need to identify other visceral fat depots for CVD management. This review aims to provide a summary on perirenal fat as an important risk factor for CVD. Studies on epidemiology, anatomy, and function of perirenal fat were reviewed. Observational studies in humans suggest that excessive perirenal fat increases the risk of hypertension and coronary heart disease. Anatomy studies prove that perirenal fat is unique compared to other connective tissues in that it is well vascularized, innervated, and drains into the lymphatic system. Other special morphological features include a complete fascia border, sympathetic-independent development of architecture, and proximity to the kidneys. Based on these anatomical features, perirenal fat regulates the cardiovascular system presumably via neural reflex, adipokine secretion, and fat–kidney interaction. These new insights suggest that perirenal fat may constitute a promising target for CVD management.
Does Patient-centered Care Change Genital Surgery Decisions? The Strategic Use of Clinical Uncertainty in Disorders of Sex Development Clinics
Authors: Timmermans Stefan , Yang Ashelee , Gardner Melissa , Keegan Catherine E. , Yashar Beverly M. , Fechner Patricia Y. , Shnorhavorian Margarett , Vilain Eric , Siminoff Laura A. , Sandberg David E.
Published: October 2018

Genital surgery in children with ambiguous or atypical genitalia has been marred by controversies about the appropriateness and timing of surgery, generating clinical uncertainty about decision making. Since 2006, medical experts and patient advocates have argued for putting the child’s needs central as patient-centered care. Based on audio recordings of 31 parent–clinician interactions in three clinics of disorders of sex development, we analyze how parents and clinicians decide on genital surgery. We find that clinicians and parents aim for parent-centered rather than infant-centered care. Parents receive ambivalent messages about surgery: while clinicians express caution, they also present the surgery as beneficial. We examine how parents and clinicians reach agreement about surgery—differentiating parents who push strongly for surgery from parents who do not express any preconceived preferences about surgery and parents who resist surgery. We conclude that clinicians use clinical uncertainty about surgery strategically to direct parents toward perceived clinically appropriate decisions.
Relationship Between Autism Spectrum Disorder Characteristics and Humor Appreciation in Typically Developing Individuals
Authors: Nagase Kai
Published: October 2018

Extant research regarding humor appreciation in individuals with autism spectrum disorder has been equivocal. This study aims to clarify the relationship between the severity of autism spectrum disorder characteristics and humor appreciation in typically developing individuals. We hypothesized that the severity of autistic traits would have a U-shaped linear relationship with humor appreciation. Eighty typically developing undergraduates between the ages of 18 and 22 years ( Mage = 20.20; SDage = 1.08) were recruited for this study. They were asked to answer 24 statements, devised to measure humor appreciation, in response to a joke stimulus comprising 12 typically funny daily life occurrences (two statements per episode). The participants also responded to the Japanese version of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient. A significant U-shaped relationship was observed between the severity of autistic traits and appreciation of humor. A similar significant U-shaped relationship was seen between humor appreciation and the Autism-Spectrum Quotient subscales of attention switching, communication, and imagination. Humor appreciation showed no significant U-shaped relationship with the Autism-Spectrum Quotient subscales of social skills and local details. This study identified ways that autistic traits may influence how people appreciate humor. These findings are discussed in relation to cognitive processes underlying humor appreciation.
Disease Intervention Specialist Education for the Future: An Analysis of Public Health Curricula
Authors: Mase William A. , Hansen Andrew R. , Smallwood Stacy W. , Shah Gulzar , Peden Angela H. , Mulherin Ted , Bender Kaye
Published: October 2018

Objectives:

The objectives of this study were to (1) determine the degree of alignment between an existing public health curricula and disease intervention specialist (DIS) workforce training needs, (2) assess the appropriateness of public health education for DISs, and (3) identify existing curriculum gaps to inform future DIS training efforts.

Methods:

Using the iterative comparison analysis process of crosswalking, we compared DIS job tasks and knowledge competencies across a standard Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)-accredited bachelor of science in public health (BSPH) and master of public health (MPH) program core curricula offered by the Georgia Southern University Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. Four researchers independently coded each DIS task and competency as addressed or not in the curriculum and then discussed all matches and non-matches between coders. Researchers consulted course instructors when necessary, and discussion between researchers continued until agreement was reached on coding.

Results:

The BSPH curriculum aligned with 75% of the DIS job tasks and 42% of the DIS knowledge competencies. The MPH core curriculum aligned with 55% of the job tasks and 40% of the DIS knowledge competencies. Seven job tasks and 9 knowledge competencies were considered unique to a DIS and would require on-the-job training.

Conclusions:

Findings suggest that an accredited public health academic program, grounded in CEPH competencies, could address multiple components of DIS educational preparation. Similar analyses should be conducted at other CEPH-accredited schools and programs of public health to account for variations in curriculum.
Composite geotextile made with a reinforcing method using friction to unwind filament tows: Manufacturing techniques and property evaluations
Authors: Li Jia-Hsun , Shiu Bing-Chiuan , Lou Ching-Wen , Hsieh Jing-Chzi , Hsing Wen-Hao , Lin Jia-Horng
Published: October 2018

Engineering design and academic research have been paying more attention to low impact development (LID), one prime development of which is geotextiles. This study uses friction to unwind filament tows for the production of composite geotextiles, meeting the demands of engineering and strengthened geotextiles. The mechanical and physical properties of the composite geotextiles are evaluated in terms of the filament content and needle punching depth. The test results prove that filament-reinforcement can significantly improve mechanical properties: tensile strength and tearing strength of the composite geotextiles are 2.3 and 7 times, respectively, those of commercially available geotextiles. The physical properties of the geotextiles also meet the standards, suggesting that the reinforcing method, which requires simple equipment to unwind the filament tows, can mechanically improve geotextiles and is suitable for mass production. The method creates multi-functional composite geotextiles and embodies the principles of LID technology. The composite geotextiles with a diversity of applications are helpful with environmental protection and sustainable development.
Mechanical properties and buckling analysis of woven fabric
Authors: El Messiry Magdi , El-Tarfawy Shaimaa
Published: October 2018

The buckling of a woven fabric influences its performance throughout processing and during actual use. In addition, this phenomenon reflects on the recovery of the textile–polymer composites. The mechanics of the buckling behavior of woven, knitted or non-woven fabrics have a large number of different approaches, and the obvious inconsistency of applying the classical beam theory to the textile problem remains. The buckling of textile materials is a deciding factor of their drape and conformability. Fabric buckling also defines the ability of a fabric to fit to a different shape object without wrinkling. An empirical approach foundation to quantitatively compare the buckling of existing and new flexible textile materials, no matter what their composition, was developed. The buckling coefficient was found to be highly correlated to the fabric modulus of rigidity, fabric Young's modulus and fabric weave design. For the twill structure, the value of twill line angle to the direction of buckling force has a significant effect. In this paper, the buckling of woven fabric with or without holes was analyzed. It has been proven that major modes of deformation in the buckling of fabrics with holes are fabric bending rigidity, fabric design and the ratio of the volume of the hole to sample volume.
Exploring the underwater air-retaining ability and thermal insulating effect of terry fabrics inspired by Salvinia molesta
Authors: Zheng Yawen , Zhou Xiang , Xing Zhiqi , Tu Tianmin
Published: October 2018

The plant leaf of Salvinia molesta can retain an air layer underwater due to the hydrophobic and elastic eggbeater-shaped hairs on its surface, which have potential applications in thermal insulation devices. In this research, terry fabrics are explored to mimic the air-retaining ability of the salvinia leaf for potential application in overwater life-saving appliances. The surface structure of the fabric is analyzed and the superhydrophobicity is obtained by hydrophobic treatment combined with microscale roughness brought by the fabric texture. The air volume change and the thermal insulation tests demonstrated that terry fabrics, F1 and F3, can retain an air layer on their surfaces and hold air in between the fibers and inside the loops for a long time underwater, which would provide thermal insulation and buoyancy force—the two key features of life-saving appliances.
Metal compounds as catalysts in the intumescent flame retardant system for polyethylene terephthalate fabrics
Authors: Wu Yarong , Zhou Xiang , Xing Zhiqi , Ma Jiangtao
Published: October 2018

Forming a carbonaceous protective layer during combustion has been proven to be an effective way to improving the flame retardancy of polymers and it has been found that some metal compounds could promote dehydrogenation and aromatization of the degradation products. In this research, several divalent or multivalent metal compounds were added in the intumescent flame retardant (IFR) based on ammonium polyphosphate, pentaerythritol and melamine for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabrics. The prepared flame retardant dispersions containing 25 wt% IFR and 1 wt% metal compounds were applied on PET fabrics by the common pad-dry-cure method. None of the treated samples generated any dripping during the vertical burning test, with the highest limiting oxygen index being up to 33.4%. Thermogravimetric analysis showed that the catalytic effect of metal compounds may occur in promoting the formation of char residues. The morphology of char residues of two of the IFR/metal compound-treated PET fabrics, IFR/FeCl3 and IFR/ZnCl2, were smooth and compact, as shown by scanning electron microscopy. Laser Raman spectroscopy of the char residues suggested that a higher graphitization degree was obtained by adding the metal compounds. Real-time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed that metal compounds made more phosphorus available for phosphorylation and char formation. The results of the present study indicate the possibility for enhancing char formation via the catalytic effect of metal compounds to improve the flame retardant and anti-dripping properties of the PET fabrics.
Exploring the factors of the English Comprehension Test
Authors: Arendse Danille Elize , Maree David
Published: October 2018

The empirically designed English Comprehension Test was initially developed as a means of assessing individual’s English comprehension skills. The test development of the English Comprehension Test led to the piloting of two test versions of the English Comprehension Test, namely, version 1.2 and version 1.3. The purpose of this study was to statistically explore the factors emerging from the two test versions of the English Comprehension Test. This study is the initial step towards establishing the construct validity, which forms part of the validation of the English Comprehension Test. This quantitative study involved an exploratory inspection of the factors of the English Comprehension Test, with the use of factor analyses. It also employed two factor extraction methods (Principal Component Analysis and Principal Axis Factoring) for comparison. These two factor extraction methods used for the exploratory factor analyses revealed a dominant factor for both test versions of the English Comprehension Test, thereby endorsing an argument for unidimensionality of the English Comprehension Test. The similarities between the results for the two test versions confirmed the existence of an inherent structure for the English Comprehension Test, despite the differences between the two test versions. The labelling of the factors of the test also suggests that the English Comprehension Test could be an assessment of cognitive (verbal) aptitude. A major limitation of this study is the restriction of range and lack of generalizability. The contribution made by this study will enhance psychometric validation studies in South Africa as well as increasing literature on South African test construction for multicultural and multilingual individuals.
Assessing the Violent Offending and Violent Victimization Overlap Among a Sample of Chinese Youth and Young Adults
Authors: Wang Xia , Cheon Hyunjung , Beckman Laura
Published: October 2018

Although an increasing number of studies have examined offending and victimization in China, little is known about the extent of the victim–offender overlap and what factors may explain differential tendencies toward offending versus victimization in the Chinese context. To fill this gap and to broaden the empirical base of the current literature on the victim–offender overlap, we examine the association of a number of prominent theoretical constructs with overall violent encounters and role differentiation. Using data collected from over 2,000 students from six schools in Changzhi, a city in Northern China, and multilevel item response theory modeling, we find a nontrivial overlap between violent offending and victimization and differential tendencies toward offending versus victimization. We also find that most of our theoretical constructs are associated with overall violent encounters, but only moral beliefs, peer delinquency, drinking, and gender are related to role differentiation. Findings for theory and research are discussed.
The Limits of Pragmatism: The Rise and Fall of the Brazilian Workers’ Party (2002–2016)
Authors: Loureiro Pedro Mendes , Saad-Filho Alfredo
Published: October 2018

Under favorable external circumstances, the pragmatic political and economic strategy of Brazil’s Partido dos Trabalhadores (Workers’ Party—PT) helped to secure short-term political stability, boosted growth, and supported an unprecedented distribution of income. However, it also meant that the PT had to accommodate to rather than transform the constraints on growth in Brazil and that stability would involve unwieldy political alliances preventing deeper reforms. When it was confronted with deteriorating global economic conditions and increasingly ineffectual economic policies, the PT’s strategy immobilized the party, facilitated the dissolution of its base of support, and expedited its ouster from power. The Brazilian experience suggests that political pragmatism can, within limits, support progressive economic change but that the outcomes depend heavily on external circumstances and the stability of the political coalitions supporting the administration.

Em circunstâncias externas favoráveis, a pragmática estratégia política e econômica do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) ajudou a assegurar a estabilidade política no curto prazo, impulsionou o crescimento e apoiou uma distribuição de renda sem precedentes. No entanto, isso também significou que o PT teve que se acomodar a, em vez de transformar, as restrições ao crescimento no Brasil, e que a estabilidade envolveria alianças políticas comprometedoras, impedindo reformas mais profundas. Quando foi confrontada com a deterioração das condições econômicas globais e apresentando políticas econômicas cada vez mais ineficazes, a estratégia do PT imobilizou o partido, facilitou a dissolução de sua base de apoio e acelerou sua saída do poder. A experiência brasileira sugere que o pragmatismo político pode, dentro de certos limites, apoiar a mudança econômica progressista, mas que os resultados dependem muito das circunstâncias externas e da estabilidade das coalizões políticas que apóiam a administração.
Assessing Employee Support during Union Organizing Campaigns
Authors: Rogers Sean E. , Eaton Adrienne E. , Voos Paula B. , Chang Tracy F. H. , Valenzuela Marcus A.
Published: October 2018

Many labor unions assess support among prospective members to guide decision making during organizing campaigns, and to predict voting in representation elections. However, research on the actual practice of how unions make assessments is limited. We fill this void through a study that combined quantitative and qualitative analysis of the assessment activities. The quantitative portion involved a survey of eligible voters in the 2010 flight attendant representation election at Delta Air Lines. The qualitative portion involved in-depth interviews with staff involved in that campaign and organizing directors or key organizing staff in nine of the largest labor unions in the United States. We focus on the factors that influence the accuracy of assessment predictions, describe practices currently being used to predict votes in these campaigns, and discuss future research needs.
Turkey’s failed coup as an ‘ongoing media event’ and the formation of public affect
Authors: Bulut Ergin , Can Başak
Published: October 2018

Following the coup attempt in Turkey, former Gulenists made appearances on various television channels and disclosed intimate and spectacular information regarding their past activities. We ask: what is the political work of these televised disclosures? In answering this question, we situate the coup within the media event literature and examine the intimate work of these televised disclosures performed as part of a media event. The disclosures we examine were extremely spectacular statements that worked to reconstruct a highly divided and polarized society through an intimate language. Consequently, these television performances had two functions: ideological and affective. First, these disclosures and television shows chose to foreground sensation and therefore mystified the illegal networks that historically prepared the coup. Second, using a language of regret and apology, these disclosures aimed to teach the audience how to be purified and good citizens through a mediated, pedagogical relationship. Within the vulnerable context of a hegemonic crisis, these disclosures intended to form their own publics where citizens were invited to sympathize with those who made mistakes in the past, ultimately aiming to create national unity and reconciliation.
The Gendered Division of Sterilization “Fertility Work:” The Role of Educational and Racial/Ethnic Heterogamy
Authors: Eeckhaut Mieke C. W.
Published: October 2018

Drawing on data from the 2006 to 2010 and 2011 to 2013 rounds of the National Survey of Family Growth, this study examines the division of sterilization “fertility work” among couples who have completed intended childbearing. Results show that use of female versus male sterilization varies by couples’ racial/ethnic composition, but not by couples’ educational composition. Couples in which the man is non-Hispanic White and the woman is of minority background were found to have an increased likelihood of relying on male versus female sterilization. This finding supports the gender perspective, as it shows the male partner to be most willing to participate in sterilization “fertility work” when he is a member of the dominant racial/ethnic group and his partner is of minority background.
Optimal Allocation of Interviews to Baseline and Endline Surveys in Place-Based Randomized Trials and Quasi-Experiments
Authors: Green Donald P. , Lin Winston , Gerber Claudia
Published: October 2018

Background:

Many place-based randomized trials and quasi-experiments use a pair of cross-section surveys, rather than panel surveys, to estimate the average treatment effect of an intervention. In these studies, a random sample of individuals in each geographic cluster is selected for a baseline (preintervention) survey, and an independent random sample is selected for an endline (postintervention) survey.

Objective:

This design raises the question, given a fixed budget, how should a researcher allocate resources between the baseline and endline surveys to maximize the precision of the estimated average treatment effect?

Results:

We formalize this allocation problem and show that although the optimal share of interviews allocated to the baseline survey is always less than one-half, it is an increasing function of the total number of interviews per cluster, the cluster-level correlation between the baseline measure and the endline outcome, and the intracluster correlation coefficient. An example using multicountry survey data from Africa illustrates how the optimal allocation formulas can be combined with data to inform decisions at the planning stage. Another example uses data from a digital political advertising experiment in Texas to explore how precision would have varied with alternative allocations.
The relationship between musical self-concept and musical creativity among secondary school music students
Authors: Mawang Lucy Lugo , Kigen Edward M. , Mutweleli Samuel M.
Published: October 2018

The purpose of this study was to establish the relationship between musical self-concept and musical creativity, and to determine the best predictors of musical creativity given the musical self-concept dimensions. Participants ( N = 201) were music students, drawn from 21 secondary schools in Kenya. Music Self-perception Inventory-Version 2 (MUSPI) was used to gather data on participants’ musical self-concept. Musical creativity was measured using the Consensual Musical Creativity Assessment Scale (CMCAS). Results indicated a positive relationship between musical self-concept and musical creativity ( r = .25, p < .01). All the musical self-concept dimensions, except singing and dancing showed positive associations with musical creativity. Further, a significant mean difference in musical creativity for positive and negative musical self-concept was observed. Multiple regression indicated that the best predictors of musical creativity were sense of rhythm and dancing self-concepts and the strongest predictor of musical creativity was sense of rhythm self-concept. A significant gender difference in musical creativity was observed, with males scoring higher than females. However, there was no significant difference in participants’ musical creativity based on age. The study recommends interventions and conducive environments for the development of positive musical self-concept.
State transformation and populism: From the internationalized to the neo-sovereign state?
Authors: Chryssogelos Angelos
Published: October 2018

This article conceptualizes populism as a discourse of international relations that arises as response to state transformation, a phenomenon that encompasses changes in both state-society relations and the norms defining the appropriate practice of statehood. The current surge of populism is a response to one such transformation: the internationalization of state elites and their insulation from popular scrutiny. Populism does not simply address material and cultural dislocations that internationalization entails. Crucially, its distinct discursive logic allows these partial social demands to adopt the moral claim to representation of the ‘real people’ and so counter the universality of the international norms that underpin state transformation. Beyond the current conjuncture of state internationalization, this conceptualization accommodates iterations of populism in various regional and historical contexts of state transformation, making it a promising basis for the further comparative study of populism.
A Managed-Participatory Approach to Community Resilience: The Case of the New York Rising Community Reconstruction Program
Authors: McDonnell Simon , Ghorbani Pooya , Wolf Courtney , Cruz Maria Jessa , Burgy David M. , Desai Swati , Berkovits Daniel , Silberblatt Renata
Published: October 2018

Research shows that resilient communities are best achieved through active public participation, informed by local input. However, post-disaster strategies in the United States are typically federally led and top-down in nature. We present an exploratory case study of resilience planning in New York State in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy, which is a combination of public participation and government supervision. We name this approach “managed-participation” because it emphasizes engaging the public in post-disaster planning, guided by a high degree of state-level leadership. We adapt a theoretical proposition of horizontal and vertical integration framework for an exploratory analysis of the case. We find that New York’s approach contributes to both horizontal and vertical integration of impacted communities by enhancing active participation in resilience efforts, and taking advantage of the state government’s position to connect local needs with federal funding. Furthermore, by utilizing expertise and funding support to guide and translate local knowledge, it produces potentially more viable resilience plans.
Sampling-based methods for factored task and motion planning
Authors: Garrett Caelan Reed , Lozano-Pérez Tomás , Kaelbling Leslie Pack
Published: October 2018

This paper presents a general-purpose formulation of a large class of discrete-time planning problems, with hybrid state and control-spaces, as factored transition systems. Factoring allows state transitions to be described as the intersection of several constraints each affecting a subset of the state and control variables. Robotic manipulation problems with many movable objects involve constraints that only affect several variables at a time and therefore exhibit large amounts of factoring. We develop a theoretical framework for solving factored transition systems with sampling-based algorithms. The framework characterizes conditions on the submanifold in which solutions lie, leading to a characterization of robust feasibility that incorporates dimensionality-reducing constraints. It then connects those conditions to corresponding conditional samplers that can be composed to produce values on this submanifold. We present two domain-independent, probabilistically complete planning algorithms that take, as input, a set of conditional samplers. We demonstrate the empirical efficiency of these algorithms on a set of challenging task and motion planning problems involving picking, placing, and pushing.
What do listeners understand by “continuity” and “closure”? Tracking down the links between tonal expectancy, music training, and conceptualization
Authors: Kristop Carlos A. , Moreno Santiago J. , Anta J. Fernando
Published: October 2018

In two studies, the following hypothesis was tested: music training promotes the formation of two conceptually driven schemas of tonal expectancy, continuation, or the expectation that a melody will move to a (relatively) unstable tone, and closure, or the expectation that a melody will move to a (relatively) stable tone. Specifically, musicians and nonmusicians were asked to rate how well various melodic fragments either “continued” or “ended” with a set of probe tones (Study 1), or to do this but with the caveat that “continuation” meant “not ending/completion,” and vice versa (Study 2). When judging completion, both groups of listeners showed expectations for the most stable tones of the key, that is, those of the tonic chord. When judging continuation, the same was the case in nonmusicians, indicating that in untrained listeners tonal cognition is partially nonconceptual—that is, that categorization of stable tones is not systematic. Instead, musicians showed expectations for a subset of relatively unstable tones, those of the dominant chord (Study 1), especially when discriminating between “continuations” and “completions” (Study 2). These findings support the hypothesis that there is a link between tonal expectancy, music training, and conceptualization, and provide novel information regarding how tonal concepts are hierarchically interrelated.
CEO characteristics and corporate philanthropy in times of organizational crisis
Authors: Cha Wonsuk , Rew Dongjun
Published: October 2018

While corporate philanthropy has been considered a firm’s reputation management activity, less research has focused on the relationship between CEOs as the ultimate decision maker and corporate philanthropy, particularly when organizational crises occur. To fill this research gap, this study examines certain CEO characteristics (such as founder status and CEO network) and two causes of philanthropy (such as business-related philanthropy and cause-related philanthropy). This study suggests that there will be a positive relationship between these characteristics of CEOs and causes of corporate philanthropy, and organizational crises will moderate that relationship. This study contributes to a new conceptual framework to explore the relationship between CEO characteristics and different corporate philanthropic causes following organizational crises. This study discusses the scholarly suggestions of our conceptual framework and concludes with implications for future research.
Burial, erosion, and transformation of archaeological landscapes
Authors: Hilton Michael , Walter Richard , Greig Karen , Konlechner Teresa
Published: October 2018

A high proportion of archaeological sites are located on the world’s shorelines and recent research has documented the vulnerability of these sites to coastal processes and climate change. However, archaeological landscapes on many temperate coasts have already been degraded as a result of changes in dune dynamics related to changes in dune vegetation. These changes have produced marked spatial and temporal variations in patterns of burial and erosion in transgressive dune systems. This paper examines the modification and conservation of archaeological landscapes from a biogeomorphic perspective, using the example of marram grass ( Ammophila arenaria) invasion of dune systems in southern New Zealand. The impact of marram grass on dune system dynamics and the underlying archaeological landscape are complex. Full invasion may result in the general burial and protection of these landscapes, but the risk of degradation of sites is high during the invasion process. In southern New Zealand, marram invasion has resulted in the formation of stable foredunes, often associated with coastal progradation. Archaeological sites located close to the shoreline can be subject to either burial or erosion, or both, as marram grass establishes in the foredune zone. The spatial relationship between cultural sites and the shoreline may be lost as the coast progrades. The impact of marram invasion can extend throughout the hinterland dune system as a result of (i) dune mobility triggered by marram grass invasion and (ii) the development of a negative sand budget, which prevents or reduces beach-foredune-dune system sand exchange. The risk of degradation of the archaeological landscape can be significantly heighted by marram invasion, which can have profound implications for the preservation and interpretation of archaeological sites and materials. Paradoxically, dune system restoration may lead to the re-exposure of these sites, but the principal outcome of dune system restoration is expected to be a decline erosion (manifest as in deflation surfaces) and reburial of the archaeological landscape.