bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
I hear what you see: Effects of audio description used in a cinema on immersion and enjoyment in blind and visually impaired people
Authors: Hättich Achim , Schweizer Martina
Published: March 2020

For people with disabilities being part of social life is essential for well-being. To accomplish this there are two possibilities: through interaction in person and through access to culture. One way to enjoy both possibilities is the cinema. For people with sight loss (people that are blind or visually impaired), there exists audio description which allows enjoying a film in a cinema. Project FASEA examined if this audience is as much immersed and could enjoy it as much as sighted people while watching a film with audio description, received through an app called ‘Greta’. Twenty-five people with blindness or visual impairment took part and were matched with sighted people in age, sex, education, and nationality. This was conducted in a commercial cinema under natural conditions with a comedy. We assessed immersion through the Narrative Engagement Scale (NES), the Modes of Reception Inventory (MOR), and the Audience Response Scale (ARS). Enjoyment was evaluated with the Emotions in Media Scale (EMS). People with sight loss showed lower scores in narrative understanding in NES and less thought-provoking and suspense in ARS. Also, they experienced fewer positive emotions. In all other scales, including all MOR scales, there were no differences between them and sighted people. The results confirm that audio description, provided by an application, is a useful tool for people with sight loss to immerse themselves and enjoy films as much as sighted people do and hence be part of social life.
Grievances and rebellion: Comparing relative deprivation and horizontal inequality
Authors: Siroky David , Warner Carolyn M. , Filip-Crawford Gabrielle , Berlin Anna , Neuberg Steven L.
Published: March 2020

Social science answers to the essential question of group conflict have focused on two main explanations—their motivating “grievances” and their mobilization “capacity” for collective action. Recent years have seen a renewed focus on grievances in the form of horizontal inequalities (between-group inequality), but the important conceptual and potential empirical differences between horizontal inequality and relative deprivation have not yet been incorporated into this discussion fully. This article first discusses these distinctions, and then assesses how they influence collective violence using new global evidence. Consistent with the theoretical discussion, the empirical results indicate that these concepts are not substitutes, and indeed are only weakly correlated, but rather tap into distinct aspects of grievance. The paper discusses the implications of these results, validates them in a series of robustness checks, and concludes with possible extensions along with future directions.
Cytokine Levels in Critically Ill Children With Severe Sepsis and Their Relation With the Severity of Illness and Mortality
Authors: Angurana Suresh Kumar , Bansal Arun , Muralidharan Jayashree , Aggarwal Ritu , Singhi Sunit
Published: March 2020

Objective:

To study the baseline cytokine levels and their relation with the severity of illness and mortality in critically ill children with severe sepsis.

Design:

Subgroup analysis of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting:

Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary level teaching hospital in India.

Patients:

Fifty children with severe sepsis aged 3 months to 12 years.

Material and Methods:

Blood was collected at admission for estimation of pro-inflammatory (interleukin 6 [IL-6], IL-12p70, IL-17, and tumor necrotic factor α [TNF-α]) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10 and transforming growth factor β1 [TGF-β1]) cytokines.

Primary Outcome:

To find out correlation between cytokine levels and severity of illness scores (Pediatric Risk of Mortality [PRISM] III score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment [SOFA], and Vasoactive-Inotropic Score [VIS]).

Secondary Outcomes:

To compare cytokine levels among survivors and nonsurvivors.

Results:

Baseline pro-inflammatory cytokine levels (median [interquartile range]) were IL-6: 189 (35-285) pg/mL, IL-12p: 48 (28-98) pg/mL, IL-17: 240 (133-345) pg/mL, and TNF-α: 296 (198-430) pg/mL; anti-inflammatory cytokine levels were IL-10: 185 (62-395) pg/mL and TGF-β1: 204 (92-290) ng/mL. Pro-inflammatory cytokines showed positive correlation with PRISM III score: IL-6 (Spearman correlation coefficient, ρ = 0.273, P = .06), IL-12 (ρ = 0.367, P = .01), IL-17 (ρ = 0.197, P = .17), and TNF-α (ρ = 0.284, P = .05), and anti-inflammatory cytokines showed negative correlation: IL-10 (ρ = −0.257, P = .09) and TGF-β (ρ = −0.238, P = .11). Both SOFA and VIS also showed weak positive correlation with IL-12 (ρ = 0.32, P = .03 and ρ = 0.31, P = .03, respectively). Among nonsurvivors (n = 5), the levels of all the measured pro-inflammatory cytokines were significantly higher as compared to survivors, IL-6: 359 (251-499) pg/mL versus 157 (97-223) pg/mL, P < .0001, IL-12p70: 167 (133-196) pg/mL versus 66 (30-100) pg/mL, P < .0001, IL-17: 400 (333-563) pg/mL versus 237 (122-318) pg/mL, P = .009, and TNF-α: 409 (355-503) pg/mL versus 330 (198-415) pg/mL, P = .002, respectively.

Conclusion:

In critically ill children with severe sepsis, pro-inflammatory cytokines (especially IL-12p70) showed a weak positive correlation with severity of illness and were significantly higher among nonsurvivors.
Medical Marijuana Dispensaries and Referrals for Child Maltreatment Investigations
Authors: Freisthler Bridget , Kranich Christiana
Published: March 2020

The changing legal status of marijuana in the United States has increased access to the drug through medical marijuana dispensaries. Limited research exists that examines the effects of these dispensaries on social problems including child maltreatment. The current study examines how medical marijuana dispensaries may affect referrals for child abuse and neglect investigations. Data are analyzed from 2,342 Census tracts in Los Angeles County, California. Locations of medical marijuana dispensaries were obtained through Weedmaps.com . Using conditionally autoregressive models, local and spatially lagged dispensaries show a positive relationship to rates of referrals in the unadjusted models. However, when we adjust for alcohol outlet density and measures of social disorganization, this relationship is no longer significant. Although this study does not find a relationship between medical marijuana dispensaries and referrals for investigations of child maltreatment, it should not be considered a definitive finding of this relationship. The increasing number of states that are allowing marijuana to be used for medical and recreational purposes is resulting in more people using the drug and the effects on parenting are still unknown.
Performance evaluation of pattern recognition networks using electromyography signal and time-domain features for the classification of hand gestures
Authors: Vasanthi S Mary , Jayasree T
Published: March 2020

The problem of classifying individual finger movements of one hand is focused in this article. The input electromyography signal is processed and eight time-domain features are extracted for classifying hand gestures. The classified finger movements are thumb, middle, index, little, ring, hand close, thumb index, thumb ring, thumb little and thumb middle and the hand grasps are palmar class, spherical class, hook class, cylindrical class, tip class and lateral class. Four state-of-the-art classifiers namely feed forward artificial neural network, cascaded feed forward artificial neural network, deep learning neural network and support vector machine are selected for this work to classify the finger movements and hand grasps using the extracted time-domain features. The experimental results show that the artificial neural network classifier is stabilized at 6 epochs for finger movement dataset and at 4 epochs for hand grasps dataset with low mean square error. However, the support vector machine classifier attains the maximum accuracy of 97.3077% for finger movement dataset and 98.875% for hand grasp dataset which is significantly greater than feed forward artificial neural network, cascaded feed forward artificial neural network and deep learning neural network classifiers.
Diffusion of RT Solar PV in Suburbs of Delhi/NCR, India: Triggers of Architect Recommendation Intent
Authors: Aggarwal Ashwini K. , Syed Asif Ali , Garg Sandeep
Published: March 2020

Solar energy has shown considerable promise world over, and the sector has been growing with dramatic reduction in commercial pricing, improved efficiencies and improved deployments/usage conveniences. Rooftop solar in India has grown to 4.4 GW by the end March 2019—but it’s still underperforming versus National Solar Mission (NSM) target of 40 GW. Clearly, India has a significant need to improve the penetration of the rooftop solar.

Recent studies in the Indian context have shown the role of social influence as a key enabler of the purchase intent for rooftop solar. Studies have also shown the relative prioritization between different opinion leader categories. A relevant question is to understand the triggers of pro-rooftop solar photovoltaic (RT SPV) recommendations from ecosystem players like architects.

This article builds an empirical approach to model the factors of behaviour intent (to recommend RT SPV) of the architects. The field study is conducted in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) suburbs of Gurgaon and Faridabad.

Policy implications are: To build focused penetration of communities, leveraging trusted peer networks, instead of a spray-and-pray approach. To build a solar champion branding (like green building certification) and a competence building programme to leverage natural position as a potential opinion leader while building one’s home.

This research is part of the first Indian empirical study leveraging multi-city survey of architects and end-users to build a statistically verified consumer behaviour model using unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) theory for end-user purchase intent and recommendation intent by architects for RT SPV installation by their clients in the residential sector.
A Teacher’s Guide to Using a Multiple Schedule of Reinforcement in Educational Settings
Authors: Vargo Kristina K.
Published: March 2020

Classroom teachers are responsible for providing high-quality instruction to multiple students simultaneously. When students engage in problem behaviors, instructional quality and instructional time may be negatively impacted. A multiple schedule of reinforcement is a behavioral intervention strategy that allows teachers to signal to students specific contexts under which behaviors will be reinforced (and also not reinforced). This article defines and describes a multiple schedule of reinforcement, its utility in educational settings, and recommendations for effective implementation.
Increased Risk of Velopharyngeal Insufficiency in Patients Undergoing Staged Palate Repair
Authors: McCrary Hilary , Pollard Sarah Hatch , Torrecillas Vanessa , Khong Leon , Taylor Helene M. , Meier Jeremy , Muntz Harlan , Skirko Jonathan
Published: March 2020

Objective:

To evaluate the association of 2-stage cleft palate (CP) surgery on velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI) incidence, speech surgeries, and cleft-related surgical burden.

Design:

Retrospective cohort with follow-up of 4 to 19 years.

Setting:

Academic, tertiary children’s hospital.

Patients:

Patients who underwent CP surgery between 2000 and 2017. Exclusions included submucous CP or age at last contact under 3.9.

Interventions:

Cleft palate surgery, completed in either a single-stage or 2-stage repair.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

Rates of VPI diagnosis and speech surgery and total cleft surgeries; t tests, tests of proportion, and linear and logistic regression were performed. Total cleft-related surgeries were examined in a subset (n = 418) of patients with chart reviews.

Results:

A total of 1047 patients were included; 59.6% had 2-stage CP repair, 40.4% had single-stage repair. Approximately 32% of children with 2-stage CP repair were diagnosed with VPI, as opposed to 22% of single-stage patients ( P < .001). Children with 2-stage CP repair were 1.8 times as likely to be diagnosed with VPI ( P < .001). Speech surgery rates were similar across groups. Patients who had 2-stage repair received an average of 2.3 more cleft-related procedures, when excluding prosthesis management procedures.

Conclusion:

Our data show an increased risk of VPI diagnosis and increased surgical burden among patients receiving 2-stage CP repair.
Superficial Angiomyxoma of the Nipple in a Japanese Woman: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Iwashita Waka , Kurabayashi Atsushi , Tanaka Chiharu , Naganuma Seiji , Kawamura Takanori , Aki Fuminori , Furihata Mutsuo
Published: March 2020

Superficial angiomyxoma is a rare, benign, multilobulated cutaneous tumor composed of stellate and spindle cells, a prominent myxoid matrix, and numerous blood vessels. Superficial angiomyxoma may be indistinguishable from cutaneous lesions of the Carney complex, although superficial angiomyxoma can occur independently of the complex. In this article, we present the case of a 39-year-old Japanese woman with a 40 × 30 mm, focally ulcerated, polypoid superficial angiomyxoma on the left nipple without any evidence of Carney complex. The development of superficial angiomyxoma on the nipples in a patient without the Carney complex is extremely rare. Indeed, only 3 cases of superficial angiomyxoma arising on the nipple have been reported to date, and this is the first such report in Japan. In such cases, the majority of superficial angiomyxoma of the nipples develop in premenopausal women. The possibility of superficial angiomyxoma should be considered for all polypoid nipple lesion, particularly in premenopausal women, and complete excision with follow-up observation should be performed.
Ensemble empirical mode decomposition-entropy and feature selection for pantograph fault diagnosis
Authors: Shi Ying , Yi Cai , Lin Jianhui , Zhuang Zhe , Lai Senhua
Published: March 2020

In this article, a fault diagnosis approach for a pantograph is developed with collected vibration data from a test rig. Ensemble empirical mode decomposition is used to decompose the signals to get intrinsic mode function, and four kinds of entropies (permu1tation entropy, approximate entropy, sample entropy, and fuzzy entropy) reflecting the working state are extracted as the inputs of the support vector machine based on particle swarm optimization algorithm support vector machine. The effect of data length, embedded dimension, and other parameters on calculation of the entropy value has also been studied. Multiple feature ranking criteria are used to select the useful features and improve the fault diagnosis accuracy of certain measurement points. Experimental results on pantograph vibration analysis have then confirmed that the proposed method provides an effective measure for pantograph diagnosis.
Riding populist storms: Brexit, Trumpism and beyond, Special Paper Series Editorial
Authors: Robinson Sarah , Bristow Alexandra
Published: March 2020

In this editorial, we aim to introduce the diverse set of 21 papers we have curated over the past 2 years, to review their collective contribution to the knowledge base in critical management and organisation studies, and to reflect on how they add to and challenge existing debates within our field. These papers speak about populism in a wide range of voices from multiple perspectives. The geographical reach is wide, with populism discussed in relation to the contexts of India, Latin America, France, the United Kingdom and the United States by authors working in the latter three countries as well as Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sweden and the Netherlands. The papers cross disciplinary and theoretical boundaries, drawing on political science, history, sociology, psychoanalysis and philosophy. Methodolotgical approaches include ethnography, historical narrative, discursive approaches and autoethnography. As such, these papers raise important questions and offer perspectives and ways forward that are in urgent need of attention and discussion by critical management and organisation studies communities, challenging readers’ understandings of populism at macro, meso and micro levels of analysis. Here we tie the whole series together by highlighting emergent themes and identifying future research directions that these papers have opened up.
Steady-state and transient wind characteristics of low-rise building roofs with openings in vulnerable areas
Authors: Dai Yimin , Yuan Yangjin , Song Siji , Li Yi
Published: March 2020

A strong wind would cause roof openings on a low-rise building and bring further structural damage. Previous related studies focused on different shapes of openings on flat roofs. Little study has been done on the sloped roofs with openings in vulnerable roof areas. In this study, wind tunnel tests were carried out to investigate the steady-state and transient internal pressure characteristics due to opening at the vulnerable roof areas of a low-rise building. The tests considered both steady-state and transient openings of roof. The experimental results indicated that the steady-state internal pressure distribution tends to be uniform and that the internal pressure induced by leeward roof ridge opening is obviously lower than that induced by the windward one. The fluctuation effect around the orifice area is apparent with the skewed wind direction and the combined effect of internal and external pressures on the unopened roof side is significantly smaller than that on the opened side. Current design provision of China for internal pressure evaluation is found to be unconservative. The transient overshoot is closely related to the opening location in the vulnerable roof area and is more pronounced when the opening is on the leeward side. Among the internal pressure coefficients commonly adopted in design, the extreme net wind pressure coefficient is most important, which is affected most at the orifice near eaves, roof corners and tails, and leeward roof ridge.
Bearing Witness to Ontological Inquiry: Being Activists for Radical Democracy
Authors: White Carolyne J. , Schiavone Fausta , Campbell Naomi , Carson Daisha
Published: March 2020

The authors write a queered autoethnographic text that illuminates a course encounter with ontological inquiry to prepare radically democratic citizen-leaders and activist educators within the constraints of the corporatized neoliberal university. They seek to touch, move, and inspire readers to experiment with this counterintuitive form of learning as a critical pathway toward the realization of John Dewey’s moral meaning of democracy and the institutions of the society foster the all-around growth of all participants.
Recentered influence functions (RIFs) in Stata: RIF regression and RIF decomposition
Authors: Rios-Avila Fernando
Published: March 2020

Recentered influence functions (RIFs) are statistical tools popularized by Firpo, Fortin, and Lemieux (2009 , Econometrica 77: 953–973) for analyzing unconditional partial effects on quantiles in a regression analysis framework (unconditional quantile regressions). The flexibility and simplicity of these tools have opened the possibility to extend the analysis to other distributional statistics using linear regressions or decomposition approaches. In this article, I introduce one function and two commands to facilitate the use of RIFs in the analysis of outcome distributions: rifvar() is an egen extension used to create RIFs for a large set of distributional statistics, rifhdreg facilitates the estimation of RIF regressions enabling the use of high-dimensional fixed effects, and oaxaca_rif implements Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition analysis (RIF decompositions).
Influence of Purposeful Activities on Upper Extremity Motor Performance: A Systematic Review
Authors: Collis Julie M. , Signal Nada , Mayland Elizabeth , Wright-St Clair Valerie A.
Published: March 2020

Following upper extremity injury, exercise-approaches are commonly used to address motor impairments. Occupation-based approaches are also used but less widely promoted and their mechanisms of action not well-understood. Movement performed during purposeful activities and occupations may yield better motor performance than during nonpurposeful tasks. This review investigated the influence of engagement in purposeful activities and occupations on upper extremity motor performance in healthy and musculoskeletal populations. Databases were searched for studies in healthy or upper extremity musculoskeletal–injured adults that compared motor performance during purposeful activities against nonpurposeful movements. Twenty-one studies of moderate quality, conducted predominantly in healthy populations, were included. Upper extremity movement quantity and quality were enhanced when performed during purposeful conditions. Purposeful activities have potential to be used following injury to enhance movement and address motor impairments to a greater extent than is currently promoted. Research in musculoskeletal populations is required.
Do Patients With Parkinson’s Disease With Freezing of Gait Respond Differently Than Those Without to Treadmill Training Augmented by Virtual Reality?
Authors: Bekkers Esther M. J. , Mirelman Anat , Alcock Lisa , Rochester Lynn , Nieuwhof Freek , Bloem Bastiaan R. , Pelosin Elisa , Avanzino Laura , Cereatti Andrea , Della Croce Ugo , Hausdorff Jeffrey M. , Nieuwboer Alice
Published: March 2020

Background. People with Parkinson’s disease and freezing of gait (FOG+) have more falls, postural instability and cognitive impairment compared with FOG−. Objective. To conduct a secondary analysis of the V-TIME study, a randomized, controlled investigation showing a greater reduction of falls after virtual reality treadmill training (TT + VR) compared with usual treadmill walking (TT) in a mixed population of fallers. We addressed whether these treadmill interventions led to similar gains in FOG+ as in FOG−. Methods. A total of 77 FOG+ and 44 FOG− were assigned randomly to TT + VR or TT. Participants were assessed pre- and posttraining and at 6 months’ follow-up. Main outcome was postural stability assessed by the Mini Balance Evaluation System Test (Mini-BEST) test. Falls were documented using diaries. Other outcomes included the New Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (NFOG-Q) and the Trail Making Test (TMT-B). Results. Mini-BEST scores and the TMT-B improved in both groups after training ( P = .001), irrespective of study arm and FOG subgroup. However, gains were not retained at 6 months. Both FOG+ and FOG− had a greater reduction of falls after TT + VR compared with TT ( P = .008). NFOG-Q scores did not change after both training modes in the FOG+ group. Conclusions. Treadmill walking (with or without VR) improved postural instability in both FOG+ and FOG−, while controlling for disease severity differences. As found previously, TT + VR reduced falls more than TT alone, even among those with FOG. Interestingly, FOG itself was not helped by training, suggesting that although postural instability, falls and FOG are related, they may be controlled by different mechanisms.
A novel demodulation algorithm for VHF Data Broadcast signals in multi-sources augmentation navigation system
Authors: Zhao Hongwei , Zhang Zichun , Shi Xiaozhu , Yin Yihui
Published: March 2020

The augmentation navigation system based on multi-source information fusion can significantly improve position accuracy, and the multi-source information is usually transmitted through VHF Data Broadcast . Aiming at the burst characteristics of VHF Data Broadcast, this article proposed a novel demodulation algorithm based on open-loop structure. When a VHF Data Broadcast burst is detected, the timing recovery should be finished first, and the value of cross-correlation between the timing-recovered signal and the local training symbol is calculated to complete the frame synchronization. Then, the data-aided and non-data-aided algorithms are used to estimate the frequency offset. Finally, the phase offset is estimated and the carrier synchronization is accomplished. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can quickly accomplished carrier synchronization without using feedback-loop structure, and the bit error rate is less than 10−4 when the signal-to-noise ratio is greater than 17 dB, which satisfy the requirement of receiving VHF Data Broadcast signals in augmentation navigation system. Therefore, the proposed algorithm can be used for receiving VHF Data Broadcast signals.
Research on multidimensional evaluation of tracking control strategies for self-driving vehicles
Authors: Ren Yuan-yuan , Wang Jie , Zheng Xue-lian , Zhao Qi-chao , Ma Jia-lei , Zhao Lan
Published: March 2020

Performance evaluation is a necessary stage in development of tracking control strategy of autonomous vehicle system, which determines the scope of application and promotes further improvement. At present, most of the tracking control strategies include performance evaluation. However, performance evaluation criteria differ from work to work, lacking comprehensive evaluation system. This article proposes a multidimensional integrated tracking control evaluation system based on subjective and objective weighting, taking into account the tracking accuracy, driving stability, and ride comfort. Through the co-simulation of CarSim and Simulink, qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis based on multidimensional evaluation system of five coupled longitudinal and lateral control strategies (lateral: pure pursuit feedforward control, dynamic-model-based optimal curvature control (dynamic feedforward control), Stanley feedback control, kinematics feedback control, and dynamic feedback control; longitudinal: the incremental proportion–integration–differentiation control) under typical operating conditions are carried out to analyze the operating range and robustness of each tracking control strategy. The results show that the Stanley tracking control strategy and the dynamic feedback tracking control strategy have a wide range of applications and robustness. The consistency of qualitative analysis results and the quantitative analysis results verify the validity and feasibility of the evaluation system.
Synthesis of 2-arylamino-5-formyl-pyrimidines from the bis(hexafluorophosphate) Arnold salt
Authors: Lu Qiuyu , He Wei , Sun Wen , Feng Ye , Zhan Li , Luo Yu
Published: March 2020

A three-step synthesis of 2-arylamino-5-formyl-pyrimidines is developed by condensation of the bis(hexafluorophosphate) Arnold salt with N-arylguanidines. This method conveniently provides the corresponding 2-arylaminopyrimidine derivatives in good yields.
Addressing Hybrid Threats: Priorities for the EU in 2020 and Beyond
Authors: Bajarūnas Eitvydas
Published: March 2020

This article discusses hybrid threats and the steps that Europe, through various national, EU and NATO initiatives, has taken in recent years to address them. Although these threats do not constitute a new challenge for states and international actors, they became a major concern for European countries following Russia’s conventional and unconventional war in Ukraine in 2014. The article argues that addressing hybrid threats is a constant, never-ending process that requires the development of societal and governmental resilience. Hybrid threats are constantly changing and evolving, which means that our response to them also needs to be constantly evolving in order to keep up. The article also provides some recommendations for European policymakers on the next steps that Europe, especially the EU, should take when addressing hybrid threats.
Effect of explosion source location on tunnel damage
Authors: Prochazka Petr , Jandeková Dagmar
Published: March 2020

The experimental study, the results of which are presented in this article, focuses on the shock wave behavior in scale models of tunnel structures and their consequences on the damage of tubes simulating tunnel lining. The source of the explosion is located either on the longitudinal axis of the tunnel or it is located near the bottom of the tunnel. The second case is more akin to reality. This article analyzes the consequences of the location of explosion sources and the influence of their brisance. In order to compare the effects of explosions on the tunnel lining, the effect of the charge deposited on the axis of the tunnel is investigated on a 0.5-m-diameter tube, while the effect of the charge deposited outside the tunnel axis is monitored on a 1-m-diameter tube. Thus, the magnitudes of the brisance may be comparable for both cases. The characteristics of the shock waves are described. The mass of the charges is graded so as not to allow a total collapse of the structure, but to manifest its damage.
“Do You Want to Be a Well-Informed Citizen, or Do You Want to Be Sane?” Social Media, Disability, Mental Health, and Political Marginality
Authors: Trevisan Filippo
Published: March 2020

This article examines the experiences of people with disabilities, a traditionally marginalized group in US politics, with social media platforms during the 2016 presidential election. Using focus groups with participants with a wide range of disabilities, the significance of YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook is discussed. Results highlight ambivalent experiences with these platforms, which support some elements of political inclusion (more accessible and more relevant election information) but at the same time also exacerbate aspects of marginality (stress, anxiety, isolation). Four coping strategies devised by participants to address digital stress (self-censorship, unfollowing/unfriending social media contacts, signing off, and taking medication) are illustrated. The relationship between these contrasting findings, social media design and affordances, as well as potential strategies to eliminate an emerging trade-off between discussing politics online and preserving mental health and social connectedness for people with disabilities are discussed.
Inequalities in Utilization of Maternal Reproductive Health Care Services in Urban Bangladesh: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Khan Md. Nuruzzaman , Kumar Pushpendra , Rahman Md. Mijanur , Islam Mondal Md. Nazrul , Islam M. Mofizul
Published: March 2020

This study examined inequalities in the utilization of maternal reproductive health care services in urban Bangladesh. Data of 6,617 urban women were extracted from most recent two rounds of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey, conducted in the years 2011 and 2014. Inequalities in the utilization of antenatal checkup, receiving care from a skilled birth attendant, delivery in health care facilities, and postnatal care were investigated through concentration index. Contributions of selected predictors to inequalities were estimated by using the regression-based decomposition method. Noticeable inequalities were observed. Concentration index for utilization of at least one antenatal care visit was 0.09, four or more antenatal visits was 0.17, care from skilled birth attendant was 0.16, delivery care in health care facilities was 0.17, and postnatal care within 2 days of delivery was 0.19. Exposure to mass media, educational status of women and their spouses, wealth status, employment, birth order, and age of pregnancy were significant determinants of inequalities. There was a gradient in the utilization of services when examined across wealth status. Those with unfavorable social determinants of health reported low levels of utilization. Alongside providing tailored health care services to urban poor women, efforts should be made to reduce inequalities in social determinants of health.
Effect Size of Spiritual Leadership: In the Process of School Culture and Academic Success
Authors: Karadağ Mehmet , Altınay Aksal Fahriye , Altınay Gazi Zehra , Dağli Gökmen
Published: March 2020

The basic objective of this study is to examine whether there is a relationship between spiritual leadership, school culture, and academic success. The data were collected by mixed method from teachers working in seven high schools and five achievement low level high schools in Şanlıurfa in 2018. The data obtained from the teachers were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. The conducted analyses revealed two important results. First, it can be claimed that as spiritual leadership perception of teachers increase, so does their school culture perception. The second result is the impact of both spiritual leadership and school culture on academic success. Therefore, the impact of spiritual leadership and school culture on two variables (high success, low success) has been examined separately. As the spiritual leadership and school culture perception of teachers increase, so does academic success.
Experiences of Turkish Teachers Working Abroad
Authors: Toraman Çetin , Özdemir Hasan Fehmi , Orakcı Şenol
Published: March 2020

Turkish teachers seek to work abroad for a variety of reasons with a mixed degree of success. This study examined the common essence of the experiences of Turkish teachers, through 25 interviews with teachers commissioned to teach Turkish and Turkish culture to Turkish students in Germany and France. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured interview questions and audio recordings. The analyses used an appropriate content analysis process for a qualitative phenomenological approach. Krippendorff’s alpha coefficient showed high interrater reliability with a value of .83, and to ensure the credibility the codings have been submitted to internal and external checks. The direct quotations of the participants’ discourses were shared in the text. The results of the study showed that there was a particular driving force that directed teachers to teach abroad. This driving force embodied itself in a sense of curiosity and pride for being chosen to work abroad.
Government Infrastructure Expenditure and Investment Drive in an Emerging Market Economy: Evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Azolibe Chukwuebuka Bernard , Okonkwo Jisike Jude , Adigwe Patrick Kanayo
Published: March 2020

Government infrastructure expenditure in an emerging market economy is critical for stimulating investment that will, in turn, foster economic growth. Given the recent growth in government infrastructure expenditure and the present deplorable state of infrastructure in Nigeria and in most emerging market economies, it becomes necessary to investigate whether the increasing government infrastructure expenditure actually drives both domestic investment and foreign direct investment (FDI). Thus, this study aimed at ascertaining whether government expenditure on roads infrastructure, transport infrastructure, defense infrastructure, and health-care infrastructure has significant positive relationship with the level of domestic investment and FDI in Nigeria. This study also employed econometric techniques in its investigation such as the unit root test, co-integration test, and error correction mechanism (ECM) in the estimation of the relevant relationships. The result of the co-integration test revealed that there exist long-run relationships between the variables in the models. The result of the short-run coefficients of the error correction estimates showed that government expenditure on road, transport, defense, and health infrastructure has positive relationship with domestic investment and FDI. However, this relationship was found to be insignificant. Thus, we conclude that government infrastructure expenditure is a good driver of investment in an economy.
Regulatory T cells promote alloengraftment in a model of late-gestation in utero hematopoietic cell transplantation
Authors: Riley John S. , McClain Lauren E. , Stratigis John D. , Coons Barbara E. , Ahn Nicholas J. , Li Haiying , Loukogeorgakis Stavros P. , Fachin Camila G. , Dias Andre I. B. S. , Flake Alan W. , Peranteau William H.
Published: March 2020

In utero hematopoietic cell transplantation (IUHCT) has the potential to cure congenital hematologic disorders including sickle cell disease. However, the window of opportunity for IUHCT closes with the acquisition of T-cell immunity, beginning at approximately 14 weeks gestation, posing significant technical challenges and excluding from treatment fetuses evaluated after the first trimester. Here we report that regulatory T cells can promote alloengraftment and preserve allograft tolerance after the acquisition of T-cell immunity in a mouse model of late-gestation IUHCT. We show that allografts enriched with regulatory T cells harvested from either IUHCT-tolerant or naive mice engraft at 20 days post coitum (DPC) with equal frequency to unenriched allografts transplanted at 14 DPC. Long-term, multilineage donor cell chimerism was achieved in the absence of graft-versus-host disease or mortality. Decreased alloreactivity among recipient T cells was observed consistent with donor-specific tolerance. These findings suggest that donor graft enrichment with regulatory T cells could be used to successfully perform IUHCT later in gestation.
Design and conduct of facility-based surveillance for severe childhood pneumonia in the Household Air Pollution Intervention Network (HAPIN) trial
Authors: Simkovich Suzanne M. , Underhill Lindsay J. , Kirby Miles A. , Goodman Dina , Crocker Mary E. , Hossen Shakir , McCracken John P. , de León Oscar , Thompson Lisa M. , Garg Sarada S. , Balakrishnan Kalpana , Thangavel Gurusamy , Rosa Ghislaine , Peel Jennifer L. , Clasen Thomas F. , McCollum Eric D. , Checkley William
Published: March 2020

Pneumonia is both a treatable and preventable disease but remains a leading cause of death in children worldwide. Household air pollution caused by burning biomass fuels for cooking has been identified as a potentially preventable risk factor for pneumonia in low- and middle-income countries. We are conducting a randomised controlled trial of a clean energy intervention in 3200 households with pregnant women living in Guatemala, India, Peru and Rwanda. Here, we describe the protocol to ascertain the incidence of severe pneumonia in infants born to participants during the first year of the study period using three independent algorithms: the presence of cough or difficulty breathing and hypoxaemia (≤92% in Guatemala, India and Rwanda and ≤86% in Peru); presence of cough or difficulty breathing along with at least one World Health Organization-defined general danger sign and consolidation on chest radiography or lung ultrasound; and pneumonia confirmed to be the cause of death by verbal autopsy. Prior to the study launch, we identified health facilities in the study areas where cases of severe pneumonia would be referred. After participant enrolment, we posted staff at each of these facilities to identify children enrolled in the trial seeking care for severe pneumonia. To ensure severe pneumonia cases are not missed, we are also conducting home visits to all households and providing education on pneumonia to the mother. Severe pneumonia reduction due to mitigation of household air pollution could be a key piece of evidence that sways policymakers to invest in liquefied petroleum gas distribution programmes.
12-year adherence to inhaled corticosteroids in adult-onset asthma
Authors: Vähätalo Iida , Ilmarinen Pinja , Tuomisto Leena E. , Tommola Minna , Niemelä Onni , Lehtimäki Lauri , Nieminen Pentti , Kankaanranta Hannu
Published: March 2020

Adherence to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) has been suggested to be poor but long-term follow-ups are lacking. The objective of the present study was to assess adherence to ICS treatment in patients with adult-onset asthma during 12-year follow-up.

A total of 181 patients with clinically confirmed, new-onset adult asthma were followed for 12 years as part of the Seinäjoki Adult Asthma Study. Adherence to ICS was assessed individually as the percentage of true dispensed ICS in micrograms per true prescribed daily ICS in micrograms over 12 years.

Mean 12-year adherence to ICS was 69% (mean±sddispensed 2.5±1.8 g and prescribed 3.6±1.5 g budesonide equivalent per patient for 12 years), annual adherence varying between 81% (year 1) and 67% (year 12). Patients with good 12-year adherence (≥80%) used oral corticosteroids more often, and had add-on drugs in use and asthma-related visits to healthcare more often. In addition, they showed less reversibility in forced expiratory volume in 1 s and had higher peripheral blood neutrophil counts. However, lung function decline was steeper in patients with poorer adherence (<80%) and this association remained in multiple linear regression analysis. No difference was found in symptom scores, blood eosinophil counts, exhaled nitric oxide or immunoglobulin E between the patients with different levels of adherence.

In patients with adult-onset asthma, adherence to ICS was moderate. Poorer adherence (<80%) to ICS was associated with more rapid decline in lung function but was not associated to symptoms or markers of inflammatory endotypes.
Polystyrene microplastics do not affect juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario) or modulate effects of the pesticide methiocarb
Authors: Schmieg Hannah , Huppertsberg Sven , Knepper Thomas P. , Krais Stefanie , Reitter Katharina , Rezbach Felizitas , Ruhl Aki S. , Köhler Heinz-R. , Triebskorn Rita
Published: March 2020

Background

There has been a rising interest within the scientific community and the public about the environmental risk related to the abundance of microplastics in aquatic environments. Up to now, however, scientific knowledge in this context has been scarce and insufficient for a reliable risk assessment. To remedy this scarcity of data, we investigated possible adverse effects of polystyrene particles (104 particles/L) and the pesticide methiocarb (1 mg/L) in juvenile brown trout (Salmo trutta f. fario) both by themselves as well as in combination after a 96 h laboratory exposure. PS beads (density 1.05 g/mL) were cryogenically milled and fractionated resulting in irregular-shaped particles (< 50 µm). Besides body weight of the animals, biomarkers for proteotoxicity (stress protein family Hsp70), oxidative stress (superoxide dismutase, lipid peroxidation), and neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase, carboxylesterases) were analyzed. As an indicator of overall health, histopathological effects were studied in liver and gills of exposed fish.

Results

Polystyrene particles by themselves did not influence any of the investigated biomarkers. In contrast, the exposure to methiocarb led to a significant reduction of the activity of acetylcholinesterase and the two carboxylesterases. Moreover, the tissue integrity of liver and gills was impaired by the pesticide. Body weight, the oxidative stress and the stress protein levels were not influenced by methiocarb. Effects caused by co-exposure of polystyrene microplastics and methiocarb were the same as those caused by methiocarb alone.

Conclusions

Overall, methiocarb led to negative effects in juvenile brown trout. In contrast, polystyrene microplastics in the tested concentration did not affect the health of juvenile brown trout and did not modulate the toxicity of methiocarb in this fish species.
Identifying nucleic acid-associated proteins in Mycobacterium smegmatis by mass spectrometry-based proteomics
Authors: Kriel Nastassja L. , Heunis Tiaan , Sampson Samantha L. , Gey van Pittius Nico C. , Williams Monique J. , Warren Robin M.
Published: March 2020

Background

Transcriptional responses required to maintain cellular homeostasis or to adapt to environmental stress, is in part mediated by several nucleic-acid associated proteins. In this study, we sought to establish an affinity purification-mass spectrometry (AP-MS) approach that would enable the collective identification of nucleic acid-associated proteins in mycobacteria. We hypothesized that targeting the RNA polymerase complex through affinity purification would allow for the identification of RNA- and DNA-associated proteins that not only maintain the bacterial chromosome but also enable transcription and translation.

Results

AP-MS analysis of the RNA polymerase β-subunit cross-linked to nucleic acids identified 275 putative nucleic acid-associated proteins in the model organismMycobacterium smegmatisunder standard culturing conditions. The AP-MS approach successfully identified proteins that are known to make up the RNA polymerase complex, as well as several other known RNA polymerase complex-associated proteins such as a DNA polymerase, sigma factors, transcriptional regulators, and helicases. Gene ontology enrichment analysis of the identified proteins revealed that this approach selected for proteins with GO terms associated with nucleic acids and cellular metabolism. Importantly, we identified several proteins of unknown function not previously known to be associated with nucleic acids. Validation of several candidate nucleic acid-associated proteins demonstrated for the first time DNA association of ectopically expressed MSMEG_1060, MSMEG_2695 and MSMEG_4306 through affinity purification.

Conclusions

Effective identification of nucleic acid-associated proteins, which make up the RNA polymerase complex as well as other DNA- and RNA-associated proteins, was facilitated by affinity purification of the RNA polymerase β-subunit inM. smegmatis. The successful identification of several transcriptional regulators suggest that our approach could be sensitive enough to investigate the nucleic acid-associated proteins that maintain cellular functions and mediate transcriptional and translational change in response to environmental stress.
Correction to: Assessing genotype-phenotype associations in three dorsal colour morphs in the meadow spittlebug Philaenus spumarius (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) using genomic and transcriptomic resources
Authors: Rodrigues Ana S. B. , Silva Sara E. , Pina-Martins Francisco , Loureiro João , Castro Mariana , Gharbi Karim , Johnson Kevin P. , Dietrich Christopher H. , Borges Paulo A. V. , Quartau José A. , Jiggins Chris D. , Paulo Octávio S. , Seabra Sofia G.
Published: March 2020

Following publication of the original article [1], it has been brought to the authors’ attention that in their paper (Rodrigues et al. 2016) they reported the genome size based on 2C values (diploid genome) when it is more common to present it as 1C value.
Type 2 diabetes induced microbiome dysbiosis is associated with therapy resistance in pancreatic adenocarcinoma
Authors: Kesh Kousik , Mendez Roberto , Abdelrahman Leila , Banerjee Santanu , Banerjee Sulagna
Published: March 2020

Resistance to therapy is one of the major factors that contribute to dismal survival statistics in pancreatic cancer. While there are many tumor intrinsic and tumor microenvironment driven factors that contribute to therapy resistance, whether pre-existing metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes (T2D) contribute to this has remained understudied. It is well accepted that hyperglycemia associated with type 2 diabetes changes the gut microbiome. Further, hyperglycemia also enriches for a “stem-like” population within the tumor. In the current study, we observed that in a T2D mouse model, the microbiome changed significantly as the hyperglycemia developed in these animals. Our results further showed that, tumors implanted in the T2D mice responded poorly to gemcitabine/paclitaxel (Gem/Pac) standard of care compared to those in the control group. A metabolomic reconstruction of the WGS of the gut microbiota further revealed that an enrichment of bacterial population involved in drug metabolism in the T2D group. Additionally, we also observed an increase in the CD133+ tumor cells population in the T2D model. These observations indicated that in an animal model for T2D, microbial dysbiosis is associated with increased resistance to chemotherapeutic compounds.