bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incubation environment impacts the social cognition of adult lizards
Authors: Siviter Harry , Deeming D. Charles , van Giezen M. F. T. , Wilkinson Anna
Published: November 2017

Recent work exploring the relationship between early environmental conditions and cognition has shown that incubation environment can influence both brain anatomy and performance in simple operant tasks in young lizards. It is currently unknown how it impacts other, potentially more sophisticated, cognitive processes. Social-cognitive abilities, such as gaze following and social learning, are thought to be highly adaptive as they provide a short-cut to acquiring new information. Here, we investigated whether egg incubation temperature influenced two aspects of social cognition, gaze following and social learning in adult reptiles (Pogona vitticeps). Incubation temperature did not influence the gaze following ability of the bearded dragons; however, lizards incubated at colder temperatures were quicker at learning a social task and faster at completing that task. These results are the first to show that egg incubation temperature influences the social cognitive abilities of an oviparous reptile species and that it does so differentially depending on the task. Further, the results show that the effect of incubation environment was not ephemeral but lasted long into adulthood. It could thus have potential long-term effects on fitness.
Empirical evidence of fixed and homeostatic patterns of polyploid advantage in a keystone grass exposed to drought and heat stress
Authors: Godfree Robert C. , Marshall David J. , Young Andrew G. , Miller Cathy H. , Mathews Sarah
Published: November 2017

A long-standing hypothesis in evolutionary biology is that polyploid plants have a fitness advantage over diploids in climatically variable or extreme habitats. Here we provide the first empirical evidence that polyploid advantage in these environments is caused by two distinct processes: homeostatic maintenance of reproductive output under elevated abiotic stress, and fixed differences in seed development. In an outdoor climate manipulation experiment using coastal to inland Australian populations of the perennial grass
Themeda triandra
Forssk., we found that total output of viable seed in drought- and heat-stressed tetraploid plants was over four times higher than in diploids, despite being equal under more favourable growing conditions. Tetraploids also consistently produced heavier seeds with longer hygroscopic awns, traits which increase propagule fitness in extreme environments. These differences add to fitness benefits associated with broader-scale local adaptation of inland
T. triandra
populations to drought stress. Our study provides evidence that nucleotypic effects of genome size and increased reproductive flexibility can jointly underlie polyploid advantage in plants in stressful environments, and argue that ploidy can be an important criterion for selecting plant populations for use in genetic rescue, restoration and revegetation projects, including in habitats affected by climate change.
Do-it-yourself networks: a novel method of generating weighted networks
Authors: Shanafelt D. W. , Salau K. R. , Baggio J. A.
Published: November 2017

Network theory is finding applications in the life and social sciences for ecology, epidemiology, finance and social–ecological systems. While there are methods to generate specific types of networks, the broad literature is focused on generatingunweightednetworks. In this paper, we present a framework for generatingweightednetworks that satisfy user-defined criteria. Each criterion hierarchically defines a feature of the network and, in doing so, complements existing algorithms in the literature. We use a general example of ecological species dispersal to illustrate the method and provide open-source code for academic purposes.
1H-NMR metabolomic study of whole blood from hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) exposed to crude oil and/or Corexit
Authors: Bembenek Bailey Stasia A. , Niemuth Jennifer N. , McClellan-Green Patricia D. , Godfrey Matthew H. , Harms Craig A. , Stoskopf Michael K.
Published: November 2017

We used proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR) to evaluate metabolic impacts of environmentally relevant crude oil and Corexit exposures on the physiology of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Sample extraction and data acquisition methods for very small volume whole blood samples and sources of variation between individual hatchlings were assessed. Sixteen unclotted, whole blood samples were obtained from 7-day-old hatchlings after a 4-day cutaneous exposure to either control seawater, crude oil, Corexit 9500A or a combination of crude oil and Corexit 9500A. After extraction, one- and two-dimensional1H-NMR spectra of the samples were obtained, and 17 metabolites were identified and confirmed in the whole blood spectra. Variation among samples due to the concentrations of metabolites 3-hydroxybutyrate, lactate, trimethylamine oxide and propylene glycol did not statistically correlate with treatment group. However, the characterization of the hatchling loggerhead whole blood metabolome provides a foundation for future metabolomic research with sea turtles and a basis for the study of tissues from exposed hatchling sea turtles.
Genome diversity in the Neolithic Globular Amphorae culture and the spread of Indo-European languages
Authors: Tassi Francesca , Vai Stefania , Ghirotto Silvia , Lari Martina , Modi Alessandra , Pilli Elena , Brunelli Andrea , Susca Roberta Rosa , Budnik Alicja , Labuda Damian , Alberti Federica , Lalueza-Fox Carles , Reich David , Caramelli David , Barbujani Guido
Published: November 2017

It is unclear whether Indo-European languages in Europe spread from the Pontic steppes in the late Neolithic, or from Anatolia in the Early Neolithic. Under the former hypothesis, people of the Globular Amphorae culture (GAC) would be descended from Eastern ancestors, likely representing the Yamnaya culture. However, nuclear (six individuals typed for 597 573 SNPs) and mitochondrial (11 complete sequences) DNA from the GAC appear closer to those of earlier Neolithic groups than to the DNA of all other populations related to the Pontic steppe migration. Explicit comparisons of alternative demographic models via approximate Bayesian computation confirmed this pattern. These results are not in contrast to Late Neolithic gene flow from the Pontic steppes into Central Europe. However, they add nuance to this model, showing that the eastern affinities of the GAC in the archaeological record reflect cultural influences from other groups from the East, rather than the movement of people.
Archaeogenomic analysis of the first steps of Neolithization in Anatolia and the Aegean
Authors: Kılınç Gülşah Merve , Koptekin Dilek , Atakuman Çiğdem , Sümer Arev Pelin , Dönertaş Handan Melike , Yaka Reyhan , Bilgin Cemal Can , Büyükkarakaya Ali Metin , Baird Douglas , Altınışık Ezgi , Flegontov Pavel , Götherström Anders , Togan İnci , Somel Mehmet
Published: November 2017

The Neolithic transition in west Eurasia occurred in two main steps: the gradual development of sedentism and plant cultivation in the Near East and the subsequent spread of Neolithic cultures into the Aegean and across Europe after 7000 cal BCE. Here, we use published ancient genomes to investigate gene flow events in west Eurasia during the Neolithic transition. We confirm that the Early Neolithic central Anatolians in the ninth millennium BCE were probably descendants of local hunter–gatherers, rather than immigrants from the Levant or Iran. We further study the emergence of post-7000 cal BCE north Aegean Neolithic communities. Although Aegean farmers have frequently been assumed to be colonists originating from either central Anatolia or from the Levant, our findings raise alternative possibilities: north Aegean Neolithic populations may have been the product of multiple westward migrations, including south Anatolian emigrants, or they may have been descendants of local Aegean Mesolithic groups who adopted farming. These scenarios are consistent with the diversity of material cultures among Aegean Neolithic communities and the inheritance of local forager know-how. The demographic and cultural dynamics behind the earliest spread of Neolithic culture in the Aegean could therefore be distinct from the subsequent Neolithization of mainland Europe.
Perception of contextual size illusions by honeybees in restricted and unrestricted viewing conditions
Authors: Howard Scarlett R. , Avarguès-Weber Aurore , Garcia Jair E. , Stuart-Fox Devi , Dyer Adrian G.
Published: November 2017

How different visual systems process images and make perceptual errors can inform us about cognitive and visual processes. One of the strongest geometric errors in perception is a misperception of size depending on the size of surrounding objects, known as the Ebbinghaus or Titchener illusion. The ability to perceive the Ebbinghaus illusion appears to vary dramatically among vertebrate species, and even populations, but this may depend on whether the viewing distance is restricted. We tested whether honeybees perceive contextual size illusions, and whether errors in perception of size differed under restricted and unrestricted viewing conditions. When the viewing distance was unrestricted, there was an effect of context on size perception and thus, similar to humans, honeybees perceived contrast size illusions. However, when the viewing distance was restricted, bees were able to judge absolute size accurately and did not succumb to visual illusions, despite differing contextual information. Our results show that accurate size perception depends on viewing conditions, and thus may explain the wide variation in previously reported findings across species. These results provide insight into the evolution of visual mechanisms across vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, and suggest convergent evolution of a visual processing solution.
Development of low cost three-dimensional body scanner using depth perception camera
Authors: Lee Miyeon , Il Yoo Dong , Kim Sungmin
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a relatively inexpensive and easily movable three-dimensional (3D) body scanner.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple depth perception cameras and a turntable were used to form the hardware and a client-server computer network was used to control the hardware.

Findings

A portable and inexpensive yet quite accurate body scanner system has been developed.

Research limitations/implications

The turntable mechanism and semi-automatic model alignment caused some error.

Practical implications

This scanner is expected to facilitate the acquisition of 3D human body or garment data easily for various research projects.

Social implications

Many researchers might have an easy access to 3D data of large object such as body or whole garment.

Originality/value

Inexpensive yet expandable scanning system has been developed using readily available components.
A comparison between economic and organic store brands
Authors: Jara Magali , Cliquet Gérard , Robert Isabelle
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to tackle the issue of store brand equity by considering two store brand’s positioning strategies: those with high perceived added value (the organic store brands), as opposed to economic brands. It takes place in the current environmental considerations showing the important role played by the packaging in determining the store brand equity.

Design/methodology/approach

A PLS Path model divided into four sub-models enables the authors to make specific predictions about customers’ purchase intentions. It also provides a concise operational calculation of the brand equity of each studied store brand.

Findings

Results show that economic brands build their equity with reinforced packaging, and organic brands maximise their brand equity by using simple packaging. In general, reinforced packaging improves the perceived quality of economic store brands but destroys that of organic brands. The calculations of overall equity scores for each studied store brand reveal that economic brands could benefit from further development whilst organic brands already maximise their equity.

Practical implications

Results will enable large retailers to develop effective campaigns focussing on perceived quality and more specifically by designing packaging that are suitable for the positioning of their brands – a simple packaging for organic brands and a reinforced packaging for economic brands to maximise customers’ value.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to deepen the store brand equity, comparing two contrasting types of brands, by studying specifically variations of the levels of customers’ perceived quality depending of two types of packaging.
Traditional institutions and female labor force participation
Authors: Mukherjee Arghya Kusum
Published: November 2017

Purpose

In general, the return from participation in MNREGA will be highest for those women whose mobility and social interaction is least impeded by conservative social norms. However, if any intervention enhances knowledge base, or challenges traditional norms of gender, then return from that intervention may be highest for those women impede most by conservative social norms. It may be interpreted as non-monotonic effect of restrictedness across caste and religion. The purpose of this paper is to examine non-monotonicity hypothesis of social restrictedness for the intervention MNREGA.

Design/methodology/approach

Using primary data from three districts of West Bengal, the paper has tried to see whether there exists any non-monotonic effect of restrictedness on household’s “expenditure on consumption,” “expenditure on temptation good,” “expenditure on women’s health” and “expenditure on children’s education and health” across castes and religion. The sample is relatively homogeneous in terms of socio economic status, but differs in affiliation to castes and religion.

Findings

As a result of participating the labor force through MNREGA, the contribution of women to household earnings increases, which may potentially increase their bargaining power within the household. The conventional notion is that women who are least fettered by social norms should get maximum benefits of participation in MNREGA. However, the analysis shows that women of upper caste (UC) community have been able to exercise the highest level of agency in allocating household resources compared to the women of scheduled caste community. It substantiates the non-monotonicity of restrictedness of social norms across castes and religions. Agency of Muslim women has not increased significantly compared to the UC women.

Research limitations/implications

The study suffers from usual limitations of sampling.

Originality/value

There is hardly any study deciphering MNREGA from the perspective of caste, religion and gender.
Mobile money adoption and spending behaviour: the case of students in Ghana
Authors: Cobla Georgina Maku , Osei-Assibey Eric
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the use of the mobile money technology among students affects their spending behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The study reports interesting findings by using a random sample of 506 students from the University of Ghana and applying ordinary least squares regression technique.

Findings

The findings suggest that active use of mobile money services has significant influence on students spending behaviour. On a monthly basis, students who use mobile money spend on the average 20 Ghana Cedis more than their colleagues who do not use mobile money. Students who use both mobile money and ATMs jointly spend nearly 13 Ghana Cedis more than their counterparts who use either of them.

Social implications

The implication of this finding is that mobile money technology which provides easy access to money can increase spending behaviour of students and reduce the tendency of savings. The authors therefore conclude that although technological growth should not be curtailed given the numerous benefits technology accrues to society, its use must be controlled, in particular, when it comes to using it as a medium of exchange so as to minimize the negative influences (such as indiscriminate spending).

Originality/value

This paper studies the post-adoption behavioural responses of mobile money users particularly among students in Africa which is rare in the literature.
The best practices for school transformation: a multiple-case study
Authors: Waheed Zarina , Hussin Sufean , Bin Megat Daud Megat Ahmad Kamaluddin
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the best practices of school leaders, teachers, pupils, parents and the community in selected transformed schools in Selangor, Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative multiple-case study explores the best practices in two selected transformed schools through in-depth interviews, observations and document reviews. The data were collected from 2 school heads, 6 teachers with administrative responsibilities and 20 teachers. The themes were elucidated via open, axial and selective coding based on the grounded theory approach.

Findings

The analysis identified various best practices exhibited by school leaders, teachers, pupils, parents and the community. Four themes were found to be common as best practices in both selected schools, which were adaptive and multi-dimensional leadership, winning-the-hearts, extensive use of Information and Communication Technology in school operations, and a culture of acquiring and sharing professional knowledge. The unique theme for School A was the emphasis on the social, emotional and ethical well-being of the students, while extensive parental involvement and support was a unique theme identified in School B.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this paper may be used as guidance tool for policy makers and educational planners regarding school transformation in Malaysia, and as well as in other countries. Such practices can be learned, adapted and replicated by other schools in order to transform. The findings also have direct implications to current teachers, school leaders, parents and the community.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the growing body of research on the best practices and school transformation in Malaysian transformed schools. There is a decisive need to explore the best practices of transformed schools in Malaysia based on their own cultural and contextual needs in order to help schools that aspire for transformation.
Institutional quality and export-led growth: an empirical study
Authors: Sathyamoorthy Vidhya , Tang Tuck Cheong
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of institutional quality on the export-led growth (ELG) with global evidence of a panel of 119 countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The research framework looks at the role of exports in promoting growth via. good institutional quality. The methods of testing are panel data approach of causality, and fixed and random effects models.

Findings

Empirical results show that good Institutional quality mediates the ELG relationship in general, and middle income group in specific. The legal institutional quality has significant positive impact, whereas political and economic institutional quality have significant negative impact on ELG for all sampled countries.

Research limitations/implications

The Kuncic’s (2014) institutional quality data are annually available between 1990 and 2010. Therefore, time series analysis for individual country is bias with 21 observations. And, this study ignores other potential variables such as capital, labor, real exchange rate, and so on, may possibly contribute to omitted-variables bias.

Practical implications

Policymakers may well utilize institutional quality reforms either in terms of improving existing institutional quality or enhancing “second-best” institutions as a policy instrument to reap success from export-oriented growth strategies.

Originality/value

Existing studies on ELG have ignored institutional quality as a relevant variable. It looks at the three institutional quality indicators, namely political, economic, and legal in ELG framework.
Revisiting perspectives on George Homans: correcting misconceptions
Authors: Muldoon Jeff , Liguori Eric W. , Bendickson Josh , Bauman Antonina
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to correct some misconceptions about George Homans. Specifically, it clarifies the relationship between Homans and Malinowski, explains why Homans is rightfully considered the father of social exchange, shows Homans’ perspective on altruism and self-interest and analyses Homans’ place in management’s complex history.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper which synthesizes both primary and secondary sources on Homans, social exchange theory (SET), Malinowski and other Homans’ contemporaries and theories, which, in aggregate, help dispel some common misconceptions in the literature today.

Findings

This paper disperses several common misconceptions about Homans and his work. First, the findings show that beliefs that Homans was unaware of Malinowski are not justified, as Homans was not only aware of Malinowski but also significantly influenced by Malinowski’s work. Second, this manuscript clarifies that while Homans, for specific reasons, focussed on self-interest, his work accounted for altruism. Lastly, this paper also further cements Homans’ place in history as the father of social exchange.

Originality/value

Recent misconceptions have emerged in the literature calling to question not only Homans’ legitimacy as the father of social exchange but also some of his views on the theory itself. By clarifying these misconceptions, this paper enables scholars from a variety of management fields to better understand historical foundations of SET and its impact on current research.
Moving “The Greatest Show on Earth”: W.C. Coup as an innovation champion
Authors: Yoho Keenan D. , Ford Robert , Edvardsson Bo , Dahlinger Fred
Published: November 2017

Purpose

This research aims to provide a historical example of how an innovation champion radically changed the operations of the circus industry by incorporating both the rational and actuation models in his scaling-up innovations. The innovations to the logistics and operations of the P. T. Barnum Circus, “The Greatest Show on Earth”, created by William C. Coup in response to the massive technological development of integrated railroad systems offer new insights into how management effectuation operates through the capabilities and experiences of an innovation champion.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a theoretically anchored longitudinal study that captures the mechanisms and processes of innovation by adopting an explorative, inductive research design in the form of a single in-depth case analysis.

Findings

Coup’s contributions show how the management innovation process works and adds detail with regard to how a champion of change may succeed in an effectuation process. Coup’s management innovation was in scaling-up others’ innovations. In an effectuation process similar to what entrepreneurs must do when their new ideas find a growing market acceptance, Coup repeatedly scaled-up others’ ideas in ways that changed how his industry operated.

Originality/value

Although there is some agreement on how management influences innovation in their organizations, research identifying the characteristics of managers that cause them to be innovation champions is still evolving and this current work adds to this endeavor. This work provides a rich illustration of an innovation champion’s use of effectuation as a process of experimentation to discover pragmatic and effective solutions to problems arising from the use of new technology or scaling business models to levels never before imagined.
Capacity value estimation of wind power incorporating hourly wind speed
Authors: Nayak Ashwini Kumar , Mohanty Kanungo Barada , Kommukuri Vinaya Sagar , Thakre Kishor
Published: November 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the effect of randomness of wind speed on the capacity value estimation of wind power. Three methods that incorporate hourly wind speed have been evaluated.

Design/methodology/approach

Wind speed is simulated using autoregressive moving average method and is included in the calculation of reliability index as a negative load on an hourly basis. The reliability index is calculated before and after the addition of wind capacity. Increment of load or alteration of conventional capacity will lead to capacity estimation.

Findings

Among the aforementioned three methods, the former two exclude the availability rate and give the exact value for wind capacity addition. The third method is based on the availability rate and provides a little higher capacity value, indicating a clear correlation between availability and capacity value.

Originality/value

The methods that exclude the availability rate show consistent results. By including the availability rate, the third method predicts the inverse relation between the availability rate and the capacity value.
Abortion care as a key women's health service
Authors: Regan Lesley
Published: November 2017

Listen to an interview with Dr Sharon Cameron about papers in this issue at https://soundcloud.com/bjog/termination-of-pregnancy-virtual-issue.
Provision of basic services in slums: A review of the evidence on top‐down and bottom‐up approaches
Authors: Devkar Ganesh , Thillai Rajan A. , Narayanan Sriharini , Elayaraja M. S.
Published: November 2017

This article synthesizes the evidence on the effectiveness of top‐down and bottom‐up approaches in providing basic services in slums in developing countries. The findings indicate that: (1) government‐led top‐down approaches focus predominantly on connectivity, but approaches led by community‐based organizations (CBOs) and non‐government organizations (NGOs) improve many additional dimensions of access; (2) legal recognition of slums improves access to services in both approaches; and (3)NGOandCBOinvolvement results in the right balance between the technical, social and financial resources required for effective service delivery.
Validity and correlates of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire in first‐episode psychosis
Authors: Vancampfort Davy , De Hert Marc , Myin‐Germeys Inez , Rosenbaum Simon , Stubbs Brendon , Van Damme Tine , Probst Michel
Published: November 2017

Aim

The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is a self‐report tool commonly used in mental healthcare settings to assess physical activity. However, its validity has not yet been investigated in first‐episode psychosis (FEP). The aim of this study was to examine the concurrent validity of the IPAQ compared with an objective real‐life measure, the Sensewear Armband (SWA), in assessing moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in people with FEP. A secondary aim was to explore whether there are differences in correlates of the IPAQ vs SWA scores.

Methods

In total, 19 outpatients with FEP (15 men; 24.4 ± 5.1 years) wore an SWA for 5 full consecutive days, subsequently completed the IPAQ, performed a maximal cardiorespiratory fitness test and were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).

Results

There was no significant correlation between time spent in MVPA according to the IPAQ and SWA. In contrast with SWA scores, there were no significant associations between IPAQ scores and cardiorespiratory fitness levels. No correlations with PANSS scores were observed in both measures.

Conclusions

The current results suggest that the IPAQ should be used with caution when assessing levels of MVPA in FEP. More accurate methods of measuring physical activity are needed in this population.
The effect of C:N ratios on the fate of carbon from straw and green manure in soil
Authors: Dannehl T. , Leithold G. , Brock C.
Published: November 2017

Straw and green manures are among the most important soil amendments used worldwide to provide agricultural soil with organic matter (OM). The reported improvement in soil organic matter content varies greatly; therefore, there is a need for mechanistic approaches to evaluate substrate turnover in the soil. This study compares the results of a field and an incubation experiment to follow the fate of carbon from organic fertilizers in soil as a function of the C:N ratio of the amendments. The amendments were straw (small‐N, Hordeum vulgare L.; large‐N, Pisum sativum L.) or green manure (Sinapis alba (M)) with additional organic or mineral fertilizers to alter the C:N ratio of the soil–substrate mixture. In the 100‐day field study, C respiration was measured at defined intervals at three locations with different soil types (Luvisol, Fluvisol and Arenosol). In the incubation experiment, C changes over 300 days were quantified based on the measurement of C respiration and C amounts in the soil–substrate mixture at the start and end of the experiment. Furthermore, microbial biomass was quantified at the end of the experiment to enable an assessment of microbial C‐use efficiency. In the field experiment, a significant correlation between N supply and C fate occurred at one site only (Luvisol) where retention of C from organic substrates was larger with increased N supply. In the incubation experiment, N supply and C fate were correlated significantly for both soils under study (Arenosol and Fluvisol). Furthermore, C‐use efficiency was positively correlated with C retention from organic inputs to the Fluvisol in the incubation experiment, whereas the opposite situation occurred with the Arenosol. This indicated that C retention from organic inputs was not dependent on carbon‐use efficiency by the microbial community under these conditions. We conclude that stoichiometric implications apply to carbon retention in soil that depend on N availability for soil microbes. In the early stages of organic matter turnover, the outcome of N availability might be concealed by the effect of chemical recalcitrance of the substrates. The length of this phase will depend on environmental conditions for microbial activity. The effect of the C:N ratio on the fate of C from organic amendments must be considered in the assessment of C management strategies in arable farming.

Highlights

Organic inputs to soil with a large C:N ratio lose more C in turnover than amendments with a small C:N ratio.

Retention of C from organic amendments in soil appears to depend on microbial C-use efficiency and availability of nitrogen.

The soil type and related environmental conditions affect CUE and the magnitude of C retention.

Negative correlation between C:N ratio of organic amendments and C fate in soil must be considered in carbon management strategies.
Evolutionary aspects of resurrection ecology: Progress, scope, and applications—An overview
Authors: Weider Lawrence J. , Jeyasingh Punidan D. , Frisch Dagmar
Published: November 2017

This perspective provides an overview to the Special Issue on Resurrection Ecology (RE). It summarizes the contributions to this Special Issue, and provides background information and future prospects for the use of RE in both basic and applied evolutionary studies.
Parent–Child Contact for Youth in Foster Care: Research to Inform Practice
Authors: McWey Lenore M. , Cui Ming
Published: November 2017

Objective

The purpose of this study was to document how often youth in foster care have contact with their legal parents, test factors associated with the amount of contact, and determine if contact was associated with relationships with caregivers and youth mental health symptoms.

Background

Because parental reunification is the case plan goal for most youth in foster care, it is important to maintain contact with parents. Federal policy emphasizes the importance of parent–child contact for youth in foster care; however, little is known about how often visitation actually occurs.

Method

This study involved a nationally representative study of youth aged 6 to 17 years in the child welfare system (N = 452). Youth reported their amount of contact with parents, and levels of emotional security and involvement with current caregivers. Caregivers completed the Child Behavior Checklist. Multinomial logistic regression and analyses of covariance were conducted to determine linkages associated with parental contact, relationships with caregivers, and youth mental health.

Results

Most youth had at least weekly contact with mothers; however, more than half reported never having contact with fathers. Youths' age, race, type of maltreatment, and placement were associated with how often contact occurred. Findings also revealed statistically lower internalizing, externalizing, and total behavior problems of youth who had daily contact with mothers compared with youth with no contact.

Conclusion

When parent–child contact is safely possible, more frequent contact with mothers is associated with beneficial youth outcomes.

Implications

Applying a translational family science approach, implications for engaging mothers and fathers in visitation are discussed.
Introduction: Ethnography, Moral Theory, and Comparative Religious Ethics
Authors: Ranganathan Bharat , Clairmont David A.
Published: November 2017

Representing a spectrum of intellectual concerns and methodological commitments in religious ethics, the contributors to this focus issue consider and assess the advantages and disadvantages of the shift in recent comparative religious ethics away from a rootedness in moral theory toward a model that privileges the ethnography of moral worlds. In their own way, all of the contributors think through and emphasize the meaning, importance, and place of normativity in recent comparative religious ethics.
Ethnography and Subjectivity in Comparative Religious Ethics
Authors: Dunn Shannon
Published: November 2017

The ethnographic turn in religious studies has responded to important developments, such as the rejection of value neutrality and the need to better address the lived experience of individuals and communities. In this essay, I affirm the value of ethnography as a method in comparative religious ethics, but distinguish between two ways of framing ethnography in relation to ethics. The first way insists on the hard limits of translating values across cultures, and tends to marginalize or dismiss normative inquiry. The second way allows for the interpretation of practices of ethical justification in diverse cultural contexts. I argue that this second category of ethnography is more congenial to the work of comparative religious ethicists, since an integral part of ethical inquiry involves reflecting on, and making arguments about, social norms and practices.
Normativity in Comparative Religious Ethics
Authors: Jung Kevin
Published: November 2017

This essay seeks to clarify the meaning and nature of normativity in metaethics and offers reasons why comparative religious ethics (CRE) must properly address questions about normativity. Though many comparative religious ethicists take CRE to be a normative discipline, what they say about normativity is often unclear and confusing. I argue that the third‐wave scholars face serious questions with respect to not only the justification of moral belief but also the rationality of moral belief and action. These scholars tend to view the justification of moral belief to be a matter of process (that is, discursive social practice) rather than evidence‐possession, thus overlooking crucial differences between the two. They also run the risk of confusing motivating and explanatory reasons with normative reasons for moral belief and action. Consequently, their account of normativity would be insufficient for determining the rationality of moral beliefs and actions as well as for justifying moral beliefs.
Medical and Familial Claims to Long-Term Care: Institutional Gaps and Shifting Jurisdictions
Authors: Chiarello Elizabeth
Published: November 2017

In light of the contemporary long-term care crisis, Sandra Levitsky's book Caring for Our Own examines why there has been no movement to secure state support for caregivers. Speaking to sociolegal and social movement audiences, Levitsky reveals how lack of collective identity, the power of family-based ideologies, and the separation of support organizations from political ones help to repress mobilization. In this essay I refract Levitsky's findings through the lens of organizational theory and medical sociology. I argue that the social problem of long-term care is caught in an institutional gap since it does not readily fall under the purview of either medicine or family. I also discuss the implications of lay caregivers' provision of sophisticated medical care for theories of professional jurisdictions and gatekeeping.
Suppression of Ultraviolet B‐mediated Matrix Metalloproteinase Generation by Sorbus commixta Twig Extract in Human Dermal Fibroblasts
Authors: Xuan Song Hua , Park Young Min , Park So Hyun , Jeong Hyo Jin , Park Soo Nam
Published: November 2017

Sorbus commixta is a traditional oriental medicinal plant that grows in East Asian countries such as Korea, Japan and China. The twig of S. commixta has been considered valuable for centuries to treat diseases including asthma, cough and other bronchial disorders. However, the effect of S. commixta twig extract on human skin has not been investigated well. The present study aimed at assessing the antiphotoaging effect of S. commixta twig ethanol extract (STE) on ultraviolet B (UVB)‐induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) levels and its underlying mechanism in human dermal fibroblasts. In this study, we found that STE (12.5–50 μg mL−1) treatment significantly inhibited UVB‐induced MMP‐1, MMP‐2 and MMP‐3 expression, concomitant with a downregulation of intracellular ROS generation. These effects might be associated with a STE‐induced inhibition of the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Furthermore, STE also downregulated UVB‐induced c‐Fos expression in a concentration‐dependent manner, but had no inhibitory effect on c‐Jun phosphorylation. Taken together, these results indicate that STE may be an antiphotoaging agent and that its effect may occur via its inhibition of MMPs expression and MAPK pathway activation.
Performing plague: Antonio Zanchi and the dynamics of spectatorship at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice
Authors: Gear Jennifer
Published: November 2017

Thirty‐five years after the 1630–31 plague outbreak in Venice, Antonio Zanchi created ‘The Virgin Appears to the Plague‐Stricken’, a monumental painting in the stairway of the Scuola Grande di San Rocco that memorialized this public crisis. Beyond satisfying expectations for commemorative art and asserting the continued importance of the cult of the plague saint Roch, the artist sought to design something provocative – a work capable of evoking an embodied experience for viewers. From his incorporation of the stairway's built environment, to his use of techniques popularized by seicento operas in which spectators became implicated in performances, Zanchi's plague retrospective is an exercise in active viewing. This article explores the variety of sources tapped by the artist, including traditional plague iconography developed in the city over the previous two centuries, and the Venetian tradition of spectacle and civic ritual. While the seventeenth century in Venice is often considered a period of artistic stagnation, bracketed between the vitality of the sixteenth century and the decadence of the eighteenth, this article demonstrates the creativity and innovation in Venetian painting in the aftermath of the 1630–31 plague.
Continuity of European Languages from the Point of View of DNA Genealogy
Authors: Perdih Anton
Published: November 2017

The combination of linguistic and DNA Genealogy data indicates that the aboriginal Europeans, the Y Chromosome haplogroup I people were the Proto-Indo-Europeans and the Proto-Slavic speakers. In contact with newcomers of other language groups mixing took place. Either the newcomers were absorbed into the autochthonous Proto-Slavic community, or the native Proto-Slavic population was so effected by the immigrants that they lost their Slavic identity and formed a language, which remained Indo-European but no longer recognizable as specifically Slavic. The Kurgan Theory and the Pontic Steppe Theory of the Indo-European origin failed completely. The Neolithic Discontinuity Theory theory gives only a part of the necessary explanation. The Paleolithic Continuity Paradigm is superior to them, but it has to be adapted to the data presented by the DNA Genealogy about the timeframe and probable localities of past events.
Band structure analysis of phononic crystals based on the Chebyshev interval method
Authors: Lei Ji-Rong , Xie Long-Xiang , Liu Jian
Published: November 2017

Due to environmental changes and manufacturing errors, uncertainties inherently exist in phononic crystals, especially in the material properties and geometric parameters. To handle the uncertainties with limited information, two different methods are proposed for band structure analysis of phononic crystals with uncertainties. One is the Monte Carlo method (MCM). The main shortcoming of it is the high computational cost. The other is the simplex Chebyshev polynomial expansion (SPCE) method. In addition, the computational efficiency of the SPCE method is much higher. In the SPCE method, the simplex Chebyshev is employed to estimate the band structures of phononic crystals. Meanwhile, the simplified incremental sampling strategy is introduced for the simplex Chebyshev to retain calculation accuracy and improve computational efficiency simultaneously. In the Chebyshev surrogate model, the samples yielded with the MCM are used to calculate the interval ranges of the band structures in phononic crystals. Three numerical examples, including a two-dimensional (2D) Helmholtz resonator phononic crystal, a 2D solid–solid phononic crystal, and a three-dimensional phononic crystal, are introduced to verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method.
Wind noise spectra in small Reynolds number turbulent flows
Authors: Zhao Sipei , Cheng Eva , Qiu Xiaojun , Burnett Ian , Liu Jacob Chia-chun
Published: November 2017

Wind noise spectra caused by wind from fans in indoor environments have been found to be different from those measured in outdoor atmospheric conditions. Although many models have been developed to predict outdoor wind noise spectra under the assumption of large Reynolds number [Zhao, Cheng, Qiu, Burnett, and Liu (2016). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 140, 4178–4182, and the references therein], they cannot be applied directly to the indoor situations because the Reynolds number of wind from fans in indoor environments is usually much smaller than that experienced in atmospheric turbulence. This paper proposes a pressure structure function model that combines the energy-containing and dissipation ranges so that the pressure spectrum for small Reynolds number turbulent flows can be calculated. The proposed pressure structure function model is validated with the experimental results in the literature, and then the obtained pressure spectrum is verified with the numerical simulation and experiment results. It is demonstrated that the pressure spectrum obtained from the proposed pressure structure function model can be utilized to estimate wind noise spectra caused by turbulent flows with small Reynolds numbers.
Prion seeding activity and infectivity in skin samples from patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease
Authors: Orrú Christina D. , Yuan Jue , Appleby Brian S. , Li Baiya , Li Yu , Winner Dane , Wang Zerui , Zhan Yi-An , Rodgers Mark , Rarick Jason , Wyza Robert E. , Joshi Tripti , Wang Gong-Xian , Cohen Mark L. , Zhang Shulin , Groveman Bradley R. , Petersen Robert B. , Ironside James W. , Quiñones-Mateu Miguel E. , Safar Jiri G. , Kong Qingzhong , Caughey Byron , Zou Wen-Quan
Published: November 2017

Infectious prions can be detected in the skin of patients with sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
Integrated genomic and interfacility patient-transfer data reveal the transmission pathways of multidrug-resistant
Klebsiella pneumoniae
in a regional outbreak
Authors: Snitkin Evan S. , Won Sarah , Pirani Ali , Lapp Zena , Weinstein Robert A. , Lolans Karen , Hayden Mary K.
Published: November 2017

Integrating whole-genome sequencing and interfacility patient-transfer data reveals transmission pathways of a multidrug-resistant organism.
U.S. High-Level Isolation Unit Clinical Laboratory Capabilities Update
Authors: Herstein Jocelyn J. , Iwen Peter C. , Jelden Katelyn C. , Biddinger Paul D. , Gibbs Shawn G. , Le Aurora B. , Hewlett Angela L. , Lowe John J.
Published: November 2017

In late 2014, 56 hospitals in the United States were designated by state and federal public health authorities as specially designed high-level isolation units (HLIUs) equipped with advanced infrastructure, laboratory capabilities, and trained staff to care for patients with highly hazardous communicable diseases (HHCDs), such as Ebola virus disease. This survey describes the clinical laboratory support capabilities of U.S. HLIUs, including the specific test menus that HLIUs have identified to safely manage HHCD patients and the locations where such testing would be performed. In spring 2016, a survey was electronically distributed, as a fillable pdf file, to the 56 U.S. HLIUs. Site representatives completed the surveys, and data were coded and analyzed in an electronic spreadsheet, using descriptive statistics. Thirty-six HLIUs (64%) responded, and 33 completed the laboratory capabilities section. Thirty-one HLIUs (94%) had performed risk analyses for all laboratory procedures and equipment. Twenty-nine (88%) had decontamination procedures specified for all laboratory equipment used for patients with suspected or confirmed HHCDs. On-site laboratories in 27 HLIUs (81%) had the capacity to inventory and to securely store HHCD patient specimens. Ten HLIUs (31%) had at least one test they would conduct within the patient isolation room. The high-risk nature of HHCDs and the occupational exposures that may occur in clinical laboratories demand advanced preparation and risk assessment of work practices, laboratory equipment, and instrumentation by HLIU laboratories. Although risk analyses of clinical laboratory testing and equipment that HLIUs have conducted have likely focused on those for Ebola virus, HLIUs must be prepared to revise their current procedures for other HHCDs.