bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrative taxonomy of Mexican cycads: biogeography, morphology and DNA barcoding corroborate a new sympatric species in Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae)
Authors: MARTÍNEZ-DOMÍNGUEZ LILÍ , NICOLALDE-MOREJÓN FERNANDO , VERGARA-SILVA FRANCISCO , STEVENSON DENNIS W.
Published: July 2016

A new species, from the montane region of Los Tuxtlas (state of Veracruz, Mexico), Ceratozamia subroseophylla, is proposed in accordance with the integrative taxonomy framework and through application of the taxonomic circle rationale. Our identification of this new species is the result of a thorough re-evaluation of four formerly described Ceratozamia species, namely: (1) C. miqueliana, with which it overlaps geographically; (2) C. mexicana; (3) C. robusta, which has also been previously seen as morphologically similar to C. miqueliana; and (4) C. brevifrons, which was at the center of a controversy concerning the morphological and geographic limits when compared to C. mexicana. Even though there are morphometric affinities of C. subroseophylla with this set of species, there are apomorphies in qualitative morphological characters and diagnostic nucleotidic variants established through character-based DNA barcoding to allow the recognition of this new species. The implications that our integrative taxonomy-based assessment of systematic diversity in Ceratozamia species from Veracruz have for evaluating the overall taxonomic status of the genus are discussed.
Lectotypification of the name Begonia urunensis (Begoniaceae)
Authors: KOLLMANN LUDOVIC JEAN CHARLES , FREITAS JOELCIO
Published: July 2016

Kiew (2001) described twelve species of Begonia L. (1753: 1056) (Begoniaceae C. Agardh (1824: 200) to Borneo, Malaysia, among them B. urunensis Kiew (2001: 283) for Pensiangan District, Batu Urun, on Sabah. The author mentioned two herbaria (SAN and SING) as collections that possessed the type material deposited. Because these specimens are syntypes (Art. 9.5 of the Melbourne Code, McNeill et al. 2012), the aim of this note is designated a specimen as lectotype of this name.
Do Convection-Permitting Regional Climate Models Improve Projections of Future Precipitation Change?
Authors: Kendon Elizabeth J. , Ban Nikolina , Roberts Nigel M. , Fowler Hayley J. , Roberts Malcolm J. , Chan Steven C. , Evans Jason P. , Fosser Giorgia , Wilkinson Jonathan M.
Published: July 2016

Regional climate projections are used in a wide range of impact studies, from assessing future flood risk to climate change impacts on food and energy production. These model projections are typically at 12–50-km resolution, providing valuable regional detail but with inherent limitations, in part because of the need to parameterize convection. The first climate change experiments at convection-permitting resolution (kilometer-scale grid spacing) are now available for the United Kingdom; the Alps; Germany; Sydney, Australia; and the western United States. These models give a more realistic representation of convection and are better able to simulate hourly precipitation characteristics that are poorly represented in coarser-resolution climate models. Here we examine these new experiments to determine whether future midlatitude precipitation projections are robust from coarse to higher resolutions, with implications also for the tropics. We find that the explicit representation of the convective storms themselves, only possible in convection-permitting models, is necessary for capturing changes in the intensity and duration of summertime rain on daily and shorter time scales. Other aspects of rainfall change, including changes in seasonal mean precipitation and event occurrence, appear robust across resolutions, and therefore coarse-resolution regional climate models are likely to provide reliable future projections, provided that large-scale changes from the global climate model are reliable. The improved representation of convective storms also has implications for projections of wind, hail, fog, and lightning. We identify a number of impact areas, especially flooding, but also transport and wind energy, for which very high-resolution models may be needed for reliable future assessments.
Secondary Eyewall Formation in an Idealized Tropical Cyclone Simulation: Balanced and Unbalanced Dynamics
Authors: Wang Hui , Wu Chun-Chieh , Wang Yuqing
Published: July 2016

The secondary eyewall formation (SEF) in an idealized simulation of a tropical cyclone (TC) is examined from the perspective of both the balanced and unbalanced dynamics and through the tangential wind (Vt) budget analysis. It is found that the expansion of the azimuthal-mean Vt above the boundary layer occurs prior to the development of radial moisture convergence in the boundary layer. The Vt expansion results primarily from the inward angular momentum transport by the mid- to lower-tropospheric inflow induced by both convective and stratiform heating in the spiral rainbands. In response to the Vt broadening is the development of radial inflow convergence and the supergradient flow near the top of the inflow boundary layer. Results from the Vt budget analysis show that the combined effect of the mean advection and the surface friction is to spin down Vt in the boundary layer, while the eddy processes (eddy radial and vertical advection) contribute positively to the spinup of Vt in the SEF region in the boundary layer. Therefore, eddies play an important role in the spinup of Vt in the boundary layer during SEF. The balanced Sawyer–Eliassen solution can well capture the secondary circulation in the full-physics model simulation. The radial inflow diagnosed from the Sawyer–Eliassen equation is shown to spin up Vt and maintain the vortex above the boundary layer. However, the axisymmetric balanced dynamics cannot explain the spinup of Vt in the boundary layer, which results mainly from the eddy processes.
Nonmarital First Births, Marriage, and Income Inequality
Authors: Cherlin Andrew J. , Ribar David C. , Yasutake Suzumi
Published: July 2016

Many aggregate-level studies suggest a relationship between economic inequality and sociodemographic outcomes such as family formation, health, and mortality; individual-level evidence, however, is lacking. Nor is there satisfactory evidence on the mechanisms by which inequality may have an effect. We study the determinants of transitions to a nonmarital first birth as a single parent or as a cohabiting parent compared to transitions to marriage prior to a first birth among unmarried, childless young adults in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, 1997 cohort, from 1997 to 2011. We include measures of county-group-level household income inequality and the availability of jobs typically held by high school graduates that pay above-poverty wages (i.e., middle-skilled jobs). We find that greater income inequality is associated with a reduced likelihood of transitioning to marriage prior to a first birth for both women and men. The association between levels of inequality and transitions to marriage can be partially accounted for by the availability of middle-skilled jobs. Some models also suggest that greater income inequality is associated with a reduced likelihood of transitioning to a first birth while cohabiting.
Two Mechanisms of Tip Enhancement of Raman Scattering by Protein Aggregates
Authors: Sereda Valentin , Lednev Igor K.
Published: July 2016

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) is a powerful tool for probing the surface of biological species with nanometer spatial resolution. Here, we report the TER spectra of an individual insulin fibril, the protein cast film and a short peptide (LVEALYL) microcrystal mimicking the fibril core. Two different types of TER spectra were acquired depending on the “roughness” of the probed surface at the molecular level. A fully reproducible, low-intensity, normal Raman-type spectrum was characteristic of the top flat surface of the microcrystal while highly variable, higher intensity TER spectra were obtained for the edges of the microcrystal, cast film, and fibril. As a result, two tip enhancement mechanisms of Raman scattering, long- and short-range, were proposed by analogy with the physical and chemical enhancement mechanisms, respectively, known for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
Extracting Complex Refractive Index from Polycrystalline Glucose with Self-Referenced Method for Terahertz Time-Domain Reflection Spectroscopy
Authors: Zhang Yu , Zhang Lin , Sun Ping , He Yingfeng , Zou Yun , Deng Yuqiang
Published: July 2016

A self-referenced method for extracting the complex refractive index of material was proposed. The method utilized signals reflected from the front and rear surfaces of a slice sample as reference and sample signals, respectively. Before using the self-referenced method, a hybrid filtering technique for eliminating systematic and random noises of time-domain terahertz reflection spectroscopy was used. A terahertz reflection spectrum of crystalline glucose was measured and three feature absorption peaks were obtained from 0.2 to 2.0 THz. We suggest that intermolecular vibrational modes may contribute to the observed absorption spectra in the THz frequency range.
Foreign Direct Investment and Authoritarian Stability
Authors: Bak Daehee , Moon Chungshik
Published: July 2016

This article examines how foreign direct investment (FDI) affects the likelihood of authoritarian leaders’ political survival. We argue that FDI reduces the likelihood of experiencing political challenges from elites. We present two mechanisms for this claim. First, the host governments of authoritarian regimes can use FDI for long-term private good provision, so that FDI helps them to appease elite dissents and to buy off potential elite challengers. Second, FDI mitigates a commitment problem between elites and authoritarian leadership by creating an FDI-related distributional coalition, which in turn makes political defections costly to both parties. Our empirical tests using various two-stage estimators show that FDI significantly decreases the likelihood of elite-driven authoritarian leadership failure and coup attempt.
Drawing the discourses of ontological security: Immigration and identity in the Danish and Swedish cartoon crises
Authors: Agius Christine
Published: July 2016

The controversy of the Danish cartoon crisis in 2006 overshadowed a similar one that took place in Sweden a year later. The crises have broadly been framed as a clash of values but both cases reveal differences worthy of investigation, namely for the complex tensions and convergences between the two states on questions of immigration, Nordic solidarity and national identity. This article aims to explore the intersubjective discourses of identity that were threaded through the debates on the cartoon crises, looking to the overlapping discourses that have constructed ideas of identity in terms of ontological security, or security of the self. It argues that both cartoon crises represent a complex discursive performance of identity that speaks to a broader set of ontological security concerns which intersect at the international, regional and national levels. Even in their differences, Swedish and Danish discourses show the tensions associated with the desire for a stable and consistent idea of self when contrasted with the Muslim ‘other’, explored in the context of discourses of modernity and tolerance, which operate as key sites that work to reiterate, reclaim and reinstate the idea of the progressive state.
Fit for purpose? Fitting ontological security studies ‘into’ the discipline of International Relations: Towards a vernacular turn
Authors: Croft Stuart , Vaughan-Williams Nick
Published: July 2016

The performance of International Relations (IR) scholarship – as in all scholarship – acts to close and police the boundaries of the discipline in ways that reflect power–knowledge relations. This has led to the development of two strands of work in ontological security studies in IR, which divide on questions of ontological choice and the nature of the deployment of the concept of dread. Neither strand is intellectually superior to the other and both are internally heterogeneous. That there are two strands, however, is the product of the performance of IR scholarship, and the two strands themselves perform distinct roles. One allows ontological security studies to engage with the ‘mainstream’ in IR; the other allows ‘international’ elements of ontological security to engage with the social sciences more generally. Ironically, both can be read as symptoms of the discipline’s issues with its own ontological (in)security. We reflect on these intellectual dynamics and their implications and prompt a new departure by connecting ontological security studies in IR with the emerging interdisciplinary fields of the ‘vernacular’ and ‘everyday’ via the mutual interest in biographical narratives of the self and the work that they do politically.
Suggested Notes and Syllabus for Teaching Politics and Development in Africa
Authors: Fred-Mensah Ben K.
Published: July 2016

The primary objective of this study is to suggest reading materials and a teaching methodology for the study of politics and development in Africa. The aim of the article stems from the author's conviction that an understanding of the interplay of politics and economics in Africa is fundamental to the understanding of the regions' development predicaments. Teachers and students of international development, history, anthropology, politics, and economics with an interest in African studies will find this study an invaluable source of reference.
The Creative Artist, State and Society in Africa
Authors: Cham Mbye Baboucar
Published: July 2016

This article is a general survey of the complex relations between the creative artist, the state (or political/economic rulers) and the masses of society in Africa. Beginning with a historical account and analysis of the essentially conservative nature and function of traditional pre-colonial African art (i.e., the oral traditions) vis-a-vis the established power structure and society, in general, the paper goes on to discuss the ways in which contemporary writers and filmmakers define themselves and their art in relation to this indigenous artistic heritage, the present-day state structures and apparatuses and society. Where the traditional oral artist functions more as an advocate and promoter of the status quo, the contemporary writer and the filmmaker are seen to be vocal articulate critics and challengers of the established order, the self-appointed trumpets of the dispossessed masses. Oral artists, writers and filmmakers coexist today in Africa, and although each may relate in his/her own idiosyncratic way to the dynamics of contemporary sociopolitical life, they all share the common conception of art as an integral and crucial part of society, important primarily for the special way in which it throws light on the complex of relations and forces that define and shape society over time.
Blacks in Europe, Asia, Canada, and Latin America: A Bibliographical Essay
Authors: Fikes Robert
Published: July 2016

If as teachers and students of Black history and culture we wish to avoid a myopic perspective it is incumbent upon us to acquire a broader knowledge of our inheritance beyond the African and the Anglo-American experience. For those who venture to learn more than what is readily available in general readings and survey courses which may allude to the African presence in Asia, Europe, Latin America and Canada, a surprising amount of interesting material can be found on the topic. Whether for academic research or merely for one's personal edification, the study of Blacks on these four continents is likely to enhance a world view, i.e., an appreciation of the shared experiences of African peoples everywhere.
Transcendence: The Poetry of Maya Angelou
Authors: Ramsey Priscilla R.
Published: July 2016

Maya Angelou's autobiographies present a dislocated self image, one which becomes new and assertive as she transcends the singular self through a wide and compassionate direct assertion of her statements against political injustice. Her love poetry—suggests her relationship to a world which can be stultifying, mystifying and oppressive, but one she will not allow to become these things and overwhelm her. The voyage through her life has not been filled with soft and pliable steps each opening into another opportunity for self acceptance and yet she has filled that voyage with fantasy, song, hope and the redefinition of her worlds view through art.
The Foreign Policy of Mauritania
Authors: Ojo M. Adeleye
Published: July 2016

This article examines the foreign policy of Mauritania towards its North African states neighbors and other African states. The basis of Mauritania's foreign policy is decolonization, the liberation movement, apartheid, and minority regime. Additionally, policies towards the East, the West, the United States, and the United Nations are discussed. Post independence changes, Colonial legacy, the economy, and the Polisario guerrillas and the war will continue to be important factors in determining foreign policy in Mauritania.
A Bibliography of African Music and Dance—The Nigerian Experience, 1930–1980
Authors: Emezi Herbert O.
Published: July 2016

This bibliography is intended as an aid and impetus to the study of African music and dance with the hope of eventually elucidating the ethos of African culture. Although there exist bibliographies on African music and dance, none has been specific to Nigeria. With this modest beginning it is hoped that more researches will delve into the music and dance of various ethnic groups in Nigeria.
A Systematic Review of Research on the Use of Problem-Based Learning in the Preparation and Development of School Leaders
Authors: Hallinger Philip , Bridges Edwin M.
Published: July 2016

Problem: Problem-based learning (PBL) was introduced into the parlance of educational leadership and management almost 30 years ago. During the ensuing decades, a global community of professors, doctoral students, and curriculum designers has built upon early models with the goal of increasing the impact of school leadership preparation. This systematic review of the literature addressed three questions: (1) What is the scope and composition of the literature on PBL in educational leadership preparation and development? (2) What have we learned about the implementation and effects of PBL in educational leadership? (3) What directions should future research take in this domain? Method: For the review, we employed quantitative analysis and critical synthesis of 73 sources on the use of PBL in school leadership preparation and development published between 1989 and 2016. Findings: The literature on problem-based leadership preparation in education consisted primarily of descriptive studies of how PBL has been used in individual programs and courses. Progress was identified in terms of developing suitable learning strategies and curriculum designs for educational leadership programs. However, when compared with the literature on PBL in other professional fields, the research literature in this domain remains immature. Significance: This is the first published review of research on the use of PBL in school leader preparation and development. Implications: The authors highlight a need for more rigorous empirical research not only on PBL but also other innovative approaches to leader preparation in education.
Values in a Cross-Cultural Triangle
Authors: De Raad Boele , Morales-Vives Fabia , Barelds Dick P. H. , Van Oudenhoven Jan Pieter , Renner Walter , Timmerman Marieke E.
Published: July 2016

This study aimed at finding the kernel structure common to three different value taxonomies in European languages (Dutch with 641 values and 634 participants, Austrian with 496 values and 456 participants, and Spanish with 566 values and 532 participants). Values from those three taxonomies were translated into English, thus forming the basis for the connections between the taxonomies. Using the common values between the three pairs of languages, factor structures resulting from a principal components analysis (PCA) were pairwise compared based on congruence coefficients after Procrustes rotation. Moreover, PCA was applied to a set of 139 values that was common to the three taxonomies. Furthermore, a joint matrix of values was formed with 1,703 values and 1,622 participants. Using only the common values after translation into English, this matrix was compressed to a set with 413 values and 1,622 participants, which was subjected to simultaneous components analysis (SCA). The different procedures ultimately led to a common structure with five value components, each specified in four facets. Those value components are Interpersonal Relatedness, Status and Respect, Commitment and Tradition, Competence, and Autonomy.
Suicide and Mortuary Beliefs and Practices of the Akan of Ghana
Authors: Adinkrah Mensah
Published: July 2016

Akan society has traditionally held a negative and condemnatory view of suicide. Evidence of this is reflected in the lack of public mourning, brevity of the grieving period, and denial of proper burial rites and funeral obsequies for the suicide. Furthermore, because suicide is regarded as an abomination against the living, the departed ancestors, as well as the gods of the land, the political authorities of the land must be notified immediately of suicide deaths so that proper placatory and propitiation rituals can be undertaken to forestall any catastrophic diseases, accidents, and natural disasters. Given the current paucity of scholarship on the issue, it is the purpose of this article to explore in depth traditional Akan mortuary beliefs and practices governing suicidal death.
The Concept of Death and the Growth of Death Awareness Among University Students in Hong Kong
Authors: Wong Wai-ying
Published: July 2016

This study examined the concept of and attitudes toward death of university students and evaluated the efficacy of the death education courses offered by different universities in Hong Kong. The study adopted a pretreatment and posttreatment comparison approach in assessing the efficacy of the courses. The same set of instruments, Death Attitude Profile-Revised and Semantic Differential Ratings of Life and Death, measuring students' views of and attitudes toward death were administered to the students twice, once at the start of the courses and another at the end. Results of the pretreatment survey also served to depict the current state of students' views and attitudes. The target students comprised two groups: those taking the relevant courses and those not; this latter group served as a comparison group in assessing the treatment group's behavior. The achieved sample included 368 students who responded to both the pre- and posttreatment surveys, of which 134 had attended the relevant courses. The results indicated that the students had a more negative views on death as compared with that of life. Findings also suggested that the death education courses had significant and positive impact on the students, that is, viewing death more positively than before, having less fear and avoidance confronting death. However, the impact differed depending on the gender as well as death experience of the student.
Dual Process Model of Coping With Bereavement in the Test of the Subjective Experiences of Bereaved Spouses
Authors: Fasse Léonor , Zech Emmanuelle
Published: July 2016

The Dual Process Model of Coping With Bereavement (DPM) was developed to better understand the dynamic coping processes adopted by bereaved people. In the present study, we investigated the daily subjective experiences of widowed people and examined whether they recognized themselves in the model. Thirteen out of the 16 interviewed widowed persons reported that their bereavement experience basically fitted the model. However, they also identified discrepancies. Interviews with six bereaved spouses were subjected to an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three main issues were identified: (a) the interdependence versus distinctiveness of coping processes, (b) the conscious and intentional nature of coping strategies, and (c) the very nature of respite in the grief experience. The results indicated that, although relevant, the DPM did not always match the grieving experiences reported by the widowed individuals. Clinical and research perspectives are discussed.
Domains of Social Support That Predict Bereavement Distress Following Homicide Loss
Authors: Bottomley Jamison S. , Burke Laurie A. , Neimeyer Robert A.
Published: July 2016

Psychological adaptation following homicide loss can prove more challenging for grievers than other types of losses. Although social support can be beneficial in bereavement, research is mixed in terms of identifying whether it serves as a buffer to distress following traumatic loss. In particular, studies have not parsed out specific domains of social support that best predict positive bereavement outcomes. Recruiting a sample of 47 African Americans bereaved by homicide, we examined six types of social support along with the griever’s perceived need for or satisfaction with each and analyzed them in relation to depression, anxiety, complicated grief, and posttraumatic stress disorder outcomes. Results of multivariate analyses revealed that the griever’s level of satisfaction with physical assistance at the initial assessment best predicted lower levels of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder levels 6 months later, while less need for physical assistance predicted lower complicated grief at follow-up. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Death Cafe
Authors: Miles Lizzy , Corr Charles A.
Published: July 2016

This article explains the meaning of the phrase Death Cafe and describes what typically occurs at a Death Cafe gathering. The article traces the history of the Death Cafe movement, explores some reasons why people take part in a Death Cafe gathering, and gives examples of what individuals think they might derive from their participation. In addition, this article notes similarities between the Death Cafe movement and three other developments in the field of death, dying, and bereavement. Finally, this article identifies two provisional lessons that can be drawn from Death Cafe gatherings and the Death Cafe movement itself.
Coping With Imminent Death: Thematic Content Analysis on Narratives by Japanese Soldiers in World War II
Authors: Leung Enoch , Chalupa Amanda
Published: July 2016

Coping affects somatic and psychological outcomes. This article explores narratives in a book, Kamikaze Diaries: Reflections of Japanese Student Soldiers, which report on the ways of coping used by each kamikaze participant before and during military service. The purpose of this study is to observe the possibility of a trend in coping strategies and consider how these trends inform us about other populations facing imminent death. This study analyzed data and extracted meaning from the narratives in the book (thematic content analysis). Within the thematic content analysis, the Ways of Coping scale was used, which describes the coping strategies people use when facing problems. The most frequently used coping strategies before they entered the military were “Accept Responsibility,” “Endurance/Obedience/Effort,” and “Self-Control,” while once in the military, they were “Accept Responsibility” and “Endurance/Obedience/Effort.” All the coping strategies used by kamikaze pilots appeared to focus on the passive self, which may be the type of coping in other populations facing death.
Exploring the Most Important Negative Life Events in Older Adults Bereaved of Child, Spouse, or Both
Authors: Bratt Anna S. , Stenström Ulf , Rennemark Mikael
Published: July 2016

Losing a child or a spouse is described as the worst of experiences. However, it is not known whether older adults bereaved of a child, spouse, or both child and spouse experience these losses as among the most important negative events in their lifetime. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the 1,437 older adults bereaved of a child, spouse, or both included in the southern part of the Swedish National Study of Aging and Care mentioned these losses when asked about their three most important negative life events. Gender differences in their choices of important negative life events were also explored. About 70% of those bereaved of a child or a spouse mentioned these losses as among their three most important negative life experiences. In the child-and-spouse-bereaved group, 48% mentioned both the loss of their child and spouse, while 40% mentioned either the loss of a child or a spouse. Gender differences were only found in the child-and-spouse-bereaved group, with a few more women mentioning the loss of the child but not the spouse, and the men showing the opposite pattern.
Evaluation of liquid moisture management properties on hemp woven fabrics treated with liquid ammonia
Authors: Jin Lee Jung , Sun Ji Dong
Published: July 2016

The effects of yarn number and liquid ammonia (L/A) treatment on the liquid moisture management properties (such as wetting time, absorption rate, maximum wetted radius, spreading speed, accumulative one-way transport capability, and overall moisture management capability) of hemp woven fabrics were evaluated by using a moisture management tester on the basis of AATCC test method 195-2011. As a result of the L/A treatment, the crystal structure of hemp fiber was changed from cellulose I into a mixture of cellulose III and cellulose I and its crystallinity was slightly decreased from 66.1% to 57.4%. From scanning electron microscopy analysis, hemp fabric looked swollen and bulked after L/A treatment. The liquid moisture management properties of the L/A-treated hemp woven fabrics showed much better results compared with the untreated ones. Overall moisture management capacity values increased as the yarn number increased and the values of the L/A-treated hemp samples are higher than those of untreated ones. This research could be valuable for the improvement of liquid moisture management properties of hemp woven fabrics.
Parent–Child Connections on Social Networking Sites and Cyberbullying
Authors: Mesch Gustavo S.
Published: July 2016

This study examines the role of a parent–child connection on social networking sites on negative online experiences of young adolescents. Using data from a secondary analysis of teenagers (aged 12 to 17 years old) who participated in the 2011 Teens and Digital Citizenship Survey and controlling for their participation in risky online activities and socio-demographic factors, the study establishes that children reporting having a parent as a social networking friend are less likely to be victims of cyberbullying. Furthermore, the parent–child connection on social networking sites apparently has a specific protective effect that might result from the children’s disclosure of information to their parents through the mechanism of friending. The implications of the findings are discussed.
E-cigarettes
Authors: Bevan Imogen
Published: July 2016

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are growing in popularity among young smokers in France seeking to reduce tobacco-induced harms without abandoning the small everyday pleasures and social relationships that unfold around smoking. But e-cigarettes raise ideological challenges: The World Health Organization and the French Agency for Safety of Medicine and Health Products ( Agence Nationale de Sécurité du Médicament) have denied e-cigarettes the status of pharmaceutical substitution products in the cessation of smoking, while their possibilities for pleasure are seen as a threat by France’s public health council, the Haut Conseil de Santé Public. This paper discusses how different actors (policy makers, tobacco companies, and users themselves) have embraced this new technology. I argue that e-cigarettes have become a valued form of substitution precisely because they provide occasions for social bonding, gustatory pleasure, and the non-medicalized management of health with endless possibilities for individualized tailoring.
Anatomizing the Dynamics of Societal Behaviour towards E-waste Management and Recycling Initiatives: A Case Study of Kolkata, India
Authors: Roy Shaunak
Published: July 2016

It is a truth universally acknowledged that waste is continually generated in the course of production and consumption of products and materials. While augmented recycling and recovery initiatives are being undertaken to combat the ecological impact of skyrocketing municipal waste volumes, individuals must also be parallelly responsive towards the overwhelming environmental concerns sparked by the rapidly increasing volumes of electronic waste (e-waste) in the opted city of Kolkata, India. E-waste is a hazardous concoction of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, mercury, barium or arsenic, in addition to other halogenated compounds; its unconscionable disposal can adversely trigger soil and groundwater pollution, while taking its toll on human health as well as multifarious flora and fauna. In an attempt to remedy the problem in hand, the present study purports to investigate the attitudes, knowledge and behaviour of Kolkata’s populace, in light of e-waste management and recycling behaviour. With the aid of a structured questionnaire, an aggregate of 242 respondents have been surveyed, so as to gain cognizance of their voices and concerns towards e-waste management. The results have been scrutinized in order to prescribe diagnostic explications to policy-makers and general masses alike, such that appropriate measures may be undertaken to endorse recycling behaviour across all Indian households.
Attachment tendencies and sexual activities
Authors: Favez Nicolas , Tissot Hervé
Published: July 2016

The aim of this study was to test a specific model according to which representations of sexuality (sexual motivation, sexual satisfaction, sexual anxiety, and fear of sex) act as mediators between attachment tendencies and sexual activities (frequency of dyadic and solitary sexual activity and frequency of sexual desire). A community sample of men and women ( N = 490; 25–45 years) engaged in an ongoing couple relationship completed questionnaires related to the study variables. After age, duration of relationship, and marital satisfaction were controlled for, the main results showed that (a) in women, higher attachment anxiety was predictive of a higher frequency of dyadic sex and desire for sex; avoidance was predictive of a lower sexual desire; (b) in men, attachment avoidance was predictive of a lower frequency of dyadic sex and desire for sex and of a higher frequency of solitary activity; and (c) most of these effects were indirect and mediated through representations; the paths linking avoidance to sexual activities went mainly through lower positive representations in both women and men (sexual motivation and satisfaction), whereas the paths for anxiety went through a higher negative representation in men (sexual anxiety) and through a higher positive representation in women (sexual motivation). These results were consistent with the deactivation and hyperactivation strategies described for avoidant and anxious tendencies, respectively. However, several suppressor effects were observed, highlighting complex mediational paths. Finally, structural invariance showed that the links between attachment and sexual activities were mediated by representations for both women and men.
Tridecanoin is anticonvulsant, antioxidant, and improves mitochondrial function
Authors: Tan Kah Ni , Carrasco-Pozo Catalina , McDonald Tanya S , Puchowicz Michelle , Borges Karin
Published: July 2016

The hypothesis that chronic feeding of the triglycerides of octanoate (trioctanoin) and decanoate (tridecanoin) in “a regular non-ketogenic diet” is anticonvulsant was tested and possible mechanisms of actions were subsequently investigated. Chronic feeding of 35E% of calories from tridecanoin, but not trioctanoin, was reproducibly anticonvulsant in two acute CD1 mouse seizure models. The levels of beta-hydroxybutyrate in plasma and brain were not significantly increased by either treatment relative to control diet. The respective decanoate and octanoate levels are 76 µM and 33 µM in plasma and 1.17 and 2.88 nmol/g in brain. Tridecanoin treatment did not alter the maximal activities of several glycolytic enzymes, suggesting that there is no reduction in glycolysis contributing to anticonvulsant effects. In cultured astrocytes, 200 µM of octanoic and decanoic acids increased basal respiration and ATP turnover, suggesting that both medium chain fatty acids are used as fuel. Only decanoic acid increased mitochondrial proton leak which may reduce oxidative stress. In mitochondria isolated from hippocampal formations, tridecanoin increased respiration linked to ATP synthesis, indicating that mitochondrial metabolic functions are improved. In addition, tridecanoin increased the plasma antioxidant capacity and hippocampal mRNA levels of heme oxygenase 1, and FoxO1.
Linking Maternal Socialization of Emotion Regulation to Adolescents’ Co-rumination With Peers
Authors: Stone Lindsey B. , Silk Jennifer S. , Oppenheimer Caroline W. , Benoit Allen Kristy , Waller Jennifer M. , Dahl Ronald E.
Published: July 2016

Mounting research supports that co-rumination, the tendency to seek peer support by engaging in extensive negatively focused discussion, is a risk factor for adolescent psychopathology. It is unclear, though, how this interpersonal tendency develops. Parental responses to adolescents’ negative affect likely shape how youth utilize peer relationships to regulate distress, as they shift to reliance on peer support during this developmental stage. For example, nonsupportive parental responses may fail to instill healthy regulation strategies, resulting in ineffective forms of peer support, such as co-rumination. Conversely, high levels of supportive parental responses to adolescents’ negative affect may motivate youth to also express more negative affect with peers, leading to co-rumination. Eighty-nine healthy adolescents (9-17) and their mothers completed surveys and a support-seeking interaction. Only supportive maternal responses, including maternal affection, were associated with adolescents’ co-rumination. These analyses indicate that some forms of parental support are associated with adolescents’ tendency to co-ruminate.
Effect-site concentration of remifentanil for smooth inhalational induction with desflurane
Authors: Yoo Ji Young , Lee Sook Young , Jeong Hae Won , Park Hyung Bae , Chae Yun Jeong
Published: July 2016

Objective

To determine the effect-site concentration (Ce) of remifentanil target-controlled infusion required for a smooth inhalational induction without airway irritation using desflurane in a stepwise incremental manner for 50% of patients (EC50) and 95% of patients (EC95).

Methods

Patients with an American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II, aged 19–60 years undergoing elective surgery were enrolled in this study. When target Ce of remifentanil was reached, desflurane was inhaled at 4 vol% initially and then it was increased to 8 and 12 vol% at intervals of 30 s. Smooth induction was regarded as an absence of airway irritation signs and excitatory movements. The EC50 and EC95 values for remifentanil were determined using a modified Dixon’s up-and-down method as well as an isotonic regression method with a bootstrapping approach.

Results

The EC50 and EC95 of remifentanil for smooth induction during inhalation of desflurane were 3.40 ng/ml (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.42, 4.38 ng/ml) and 4.31 ng/ml (95% CI 2.15, 5.98 ng/ml), respectively.

Conclusion

Prior administration of remifentanil could provide smooth inhalational induction with desflurane in a stepwise increment.
Forensic Veterinary Pathology
Authors: de Siqueira A. , Cuevas S. E. Campusano , Salvagni F. A. , Maiorka P. C.
Published: July 2016

Sharp-force injuries are injuries caused by a mechanical force using sharp objects against the skin. Sharp-force injuries are mainly classified as stab, incised, chop, and therapeutic wounds and are less frequent than blunt-force injuries in animals. The analysis of the edges of the wound is crucial, especially if more than one type of lesion is involved. It may be difficult to differentiate between sharp trauma and blunt trauma, because lacerations can resemble incised wounds. The accurate documentation and examination of these injuries may indicate the instrument involved, the relationship between the animal and the perpetrator, and the force of the stab. Situations in which this type of trauma occurs may involve social violence, accidents, hunting, veterinary medical management, and religious rituals. The causes of death related to this type of trauma include hypovolemic shock, pneumothorax, or asphyxiation due to aspiration of blood. Necropsy findings should provide objective and unbiased information about the cause and manner of death to aid the investigation and further judgment of a possible crime.
Non-human animals within contemporary capitalism: A Marxist account of non-human animal liberation
Authors: Painter Corinne
Published: July 2016

Many intellectuals, various social movements, as well as all manner of individuals from around the globe who are critical of the ills of global, expansionist capitalism have written, spoken out about, and called for everything from minor changes to radical changes to the existing social, political and economic order. Moreover, many of these groups and individuals have used the tools of Marx’s critique of capitalism in order to advance their positions and calls for change. While most critics of the existing social, political and economic order advance their critical examination of capitalist-spawned injustices with the hope of providing a foundation for us to explore ways to resist, disrupt and replace them, with few exceptions, usually this exploration is confined to (or at least focused on) human communities. However, in this essay, using some key concepts in Marx’s oeuvre, I examine how the global expansion of capitalism, together with its requisite increase in structures of power and domination, are responsible for the intensification of similar injustices for non-human animals, which, according to Marx’s own theoretical commitments, I argue, should also be resisted and, indeed, eradicated. On the flip side, in addition to arguing that a proper understanding of some of Marx’s most fundamental commitments requires us to fight not only for human but for non-human animal liberation, I also argue that genuine animal liberation requires the radical disruption of capitalism and that the more common, less radical animal liberation movements are insufficient for bringing about this end.
Are Short-term Outcomes of Hip Arthroscopy in Patients 55 Years and Older Inferior to Those in Younger Patients?
Authors: Bryan Andrew J. , Krych Aaron J. , Pareek Ayoosh , Reardon Patrick J. , Berardelli Rebecca , Levy Bruce A.
Published: July 2016

Background:

Hip arthroscopy for young patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has been successful, but the efficacy of hip arthroscopy in older patients is not clearly defined.

Purpose:

To evaluate the clinical outcomes of patients 55 years and older who are undergoing hip arthroscopy and to compare outcomes with those of patients younger than 55 years.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A total of 201 (63 male, 138 female) patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy for FAI without radiographic arthritis (Tönnis grade <3) were isolated from a prospective database and stratified by age to <55-year and ≥55-year groups. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and 1 and 2 years postoperatively using the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) and Hip Outcome Score (HOS: functional scores, as well as Activities of Daily Living [ADL] and Sport subscales). A Wilcoxon signed rank sum test was used to evaluate the differences in outcome scores between the cohorts at each interval.

Results:

The <55-year group included 174 patients (mean age, 37 ± 12 years), and the ≥55-year group included 27 patients (mean age, 61 ± 5 years). The minimum follow-up time was 2 years in each group. Preoperative Tönnis grades and mHHS scores (59 vs 59; P = .75) were similar between groups. The ≥55-year cohort underwent labral debridement more frequently (78% vs 36%; P =.02) and were more likely to have full-thickness cartilage defects (22% vs 4%; P = .04). Despite this, the mHHS in both groups improved significantly from baseline, without significant differences at 1 year (86 [≥55 years] vs 81 [<55 years]; P = .53) or 2 years (73.88 [≥55 years] vs 79.54 [<55 years]; P = .06). However, at a minimum 2-year follow-up, patients <55 years had significant improvements over patients ≥55 years in the HOS subscales for ADL score (85.6 vs 75.2; P = .03), ADL rating (80.1 vs 70.0; P = .004), Sport score (70.2 vs 55.6; P = .04), and Sport rating (70.2 vs 58.0; P = .04).

Conclusion:

Although younger patients had superior HOS outcomes reported at 2 years compared with older patients after hip arthroscopy for FAI, both groups had significant improvement compared with their baseline. These data suggest that carefully selected patients 55 years and older without radiographic arthritis may benefit from hip arthroscopy.
School- and Community-Based Youth Suicide Prevention Interventions: Hot Idea, Hot Air, or Sham?
Authors: Kutcher Stan , Wei Yifeng , Behzadi Pegah
Published: July 2016

Suicide in young people is a significant health concern, with numerous community- and school-based interventions promising to prevent suicide currently being applied across Canada. Before widespread application of any one of these, it is essential to determine its effectiveness and safety. We systematically reviewed the global literature on one of the most common community suicide prevention interventions in Canada and summarized data on 2 commonly applied school-based suicide prevention programmes. None of these has demonstrated effectiveness in preventing youth suicide or safety in application. Concurrently with their widespread distribution in Canada, the suicide rate in young women has increased—the first time in over 3 decades. Policy and regulatory implications of these findings are discussed.
The Prevalence of Major Depressive Episodes Is Higher in Urban Regions of Canada
Authors: Wiens Kathryn , Williams Jeanne V. A. , Lavorato Dina H. , Bulloch Andrew G. M. , Patten Scott B.
Published: July 2016

Objective:

Major depressive disorder is an important contributor to disease burden. Anticipation of service needs is important, yet basic information is lacking. For example, there is no consensus as to whether major depressive episodes (MDE) are more or less prevalent in urban or rural areas. The objective of this study was to determine whether a difference exists in Canada.

Method:

A series of 11 Canadian national cross-sectional studies were examined from 2000 to 2014, providing much greater precision than prior analyses. Survey-specific MDE prevalence estimates were synthesized into a pooled odds ratio comparing urban to rural areas using meta-analytic methods.

Results:

Differences in the survey-specific estimates were not in excess of what would be expected due to sampling variability. This suggests that inconsistency in the prior literature is due to inadequate power and precision, an issue addressed by the meta-analytic pooling. The pooled odds ratio for Canada is 1.18 (95% confidence interval, 1.12 to 1.25), indicating that urban regions have higher MDE prevalence than rural regions. However, the difference is very small and of uncertain significance for policy and planning.

Conclusions:

Prevalence of MDE is approximately 18% higher in urban compared to rural regions of Canada. The difference is insufficient to impute differing need for services, but the result resolves an inconsistency in the existing literature and may play a role in future needs assessment.