bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The underestimated dynamics and impacts of water-based recreational activities on freshwater ecosystems
Authors: Venohr Markus , Langhans Simone D. , Peters Oliver , Hölker Franz , Arlinghaus Robert , Mitchell Lewis , Wolter Christian
Published: January 2018

Recreational activities on, in, and along freshwaters (e.g., boating, bathing, angling) positively contribute to human well-being but can also concurrently stress aquatic ecosystems. While outdoor recreation, aquatic ecosystems, and human well-being form coupled social-ecological systems, inherent fluxes and interactions between these have rarely been properly quantified. This paper synthesizes information on links between water-based recreational activities, effects on freshwater ecosystems integrity and recreational quality, and proposes a novel framework for assessment and integrated management. This framework is based on understanding relationships between recreational quality, demand and use, and recreational use-induced impacts on ecosystem state and function, as well as ecological and social carrying capacities. Current management approaches of freshwater ecosystems addressing economic, environmental, or recreational aspects are poorly linked and harmonized, and are further constrained by inadequate information on the dynamics and densities of recreational uses. Novel assessment and monitoring methods are needed to capture the short-term peak dynamics of water-based recreational uses, and we argue social media could play an increasingly important role here. An integrative recreation ecology management concept combined with peak usage information has great potential to form the basis for next-generation management approaches of freshwater and other ecosystems.
A State of Art Review on Various Aspects of Multi-Agent System
Authors: Kamdar Renuka , Paliwal Priyanka , Kumar Yogendra
Published: January 2018

The world is witnessing a sudden shift in the paradigm of technology moving from centralized to decentralized approach. Centralized approach leads to single point of failure if any fault occurs and hence a whole system comes to rest. Hence, a decentralized approach like Multi-Agent System is trending now-a-days. A MAS is a collection of a number software entities (agents) working together in pursuit of specified tasks. This paper presents a comprehensive review on various aspects of multi-agent system. The paper explains the basic concepts of MAS with various ways it has been defined in literature. A comparison has been made on the standards to be followed for applying MAS. Classification of MAS architecture has been investigated and compared. Application of MAS in various areas of optimization technique, software platform and real-time simulation are listed in the paper. The paper draws attentions toward benefits and limitations of using MAS based on the survey done. Finally, after visualizing the wide scope of research in the field of MAS, an attempt has been made to identify future research avenues.
Probing screened modified gravity with nonlinear structure formation
Authors: Mota David F.
Published: January 2018

We review the effects of modified gravity theories, in particular the symmetron and [Formula: see text] gravity, on the nonlinear regime of structure formation. In particular, we investigate the velocity dispersion of galaxy clusters as a function of the halo masses, how the matter power spectra depend on the coupling, range, and screening scale of the fifth force, and on possible ways of detecting violations of the equivalence principle using the mass inferred via lensing methods versus the mass inferred via dynamical methods. Furthermore, we show how one could use different voids statistics as one of the most promising probes of modified gravity.
Generation of the relic neutrino asymmetry in a hot plasma of the early universe
Authors: Semikoz Victor B. , Dvornikov Maxim
Published: January 2018

The neutrino asymmetry in the early universe plasma, [Formula: see text], is calculated both before and after the electroweak phase transition (EWPT). In the Standard Model, before EWPT, the leptogenesis is well known to be driven by the abelian anomaly in a massless hypercharge field. The generation of the neutrino asymmetry in the Higgs phase after EWPT, in its turn, has not been considered previously because of the absence of any quantum anomaly in an external electromagnetic field for such electroneutral particles as neutrino, unlike the Adler–Bell–Jackiw anomaly for charged left and right polarized massless electrons in the same electromagnetic field. Using the neutrino Boltzmann equation, modified by the Berry curvature term in the momentum space, we establish the violation of the macroscopic neutrino current in plasma after EWPT and exactly reproduce the nonconservation of the lepton current in the symmetric phase before EWPT arising in quantum field theory due to the nonzero lepton hypercharge and corresponding triangle anomaly in an external hypercharge field. In the last case, the nonconservation of the lepton current is derived through the kinetic approach without a computation of corresponding Feynman diagrams. Then, the new kinetic equation is applied for the calculation of the neutrino asymmetry accounting for the Berry curvature and the electroweak interaction with background fermions in the Higgs phase. Such an interaction generates a neutrino asymmetry through the electroweak coupling of neutrino currents with electromagnetic fields in plasma, which is [Formula: see text]. It turns out that this effect is especially efficient for maximally helical magnetic fields.
The future of gravitational theories in the era of the gravitational wave astronomy
Authors: Corda Christian
Published: January 2018

We discuss the future of gravitational theories in the framework of gravitational wave (GW) astronomy after the recent GW detections (the events GW150914, GW151226, GW170104, GW170814, GW170817 and GW170608). In particular, a calculation of the frequency and angular dependent response function that a GW detector would see if massive modes from [Formula: see text] theories or scalar–tensor gravity (STG) were present, allowing for sources incident from any direction on the sky, is shown. In addition, through separate theoretical results which do not involve the recent GW detections, we show that [Formula: see text] theories of gravity having a third massless mode are ultimately ruled out while there is still room for STG having a third (massive or massless) mode and for [Formula: see text] theories of gravity having a third massive mode.
A Comparative Study of Factors’ Influences Affecting Tourists’ Intention to Use Mobile Food Information: Independent Tourists and Package Tourists
Authors: Trakulmaykee Numtip , Wongsirichot Thakerng , Trakulmaykee Yaowalak
Published: January 2018

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a comprehensive model of international tourists’ intentions to use mobile food information (MFI). The study compares the intentions of independent tourists and package tourists focusing on the influences of mobile design qualities and tourists’ perceptions. The model is based on the technology acceptance model. The results revealed that the proposed model more efficiently predicted intention in groups of independent tourists than in groups of package tour. Furthermore, there are some differences between these groups. The proposed model could contribute to future collaboration between tourist agents and mobile-based developers to achieve the implementation of MFI.
CrowdService
Authors: Peng Xin , Gu Jingxiao , Tan Tian Huat , Sun Jun , Yu Yijun , Nuseibeh Bashar , Zhao Wenyun
Published: January 2018

Some user needs can only be met by leveraging the capabilities of others to undertake particular tasks that require intelligence and labor. Crowdsourcing such capabilities is one way to achieve this. But providing a service that leverages crowd intelligence and labor is a challenge, since various factors need to be considered to enable reliable service provisioning. For example, the selection of an optimal set of workers from those who bid to perform a task needs to be made based on their reliability, expected reward, and distance to the target locations. Moreover, for an application involving multiple services, the overall cost and time constraints must be optimally allocated to each involved service. In this article, we develop a framework, named C
rowd
S
ervice
, that supplies crowd intelligence and labor as publicly accessible crowd services via mobile crowdsourcing. The article extends our earlier work by providing an approach for constraints synthesis and worker selection. It employs a genetic algorithm to dynamically synthesize and update near-optimal cost and time constraints for each crowd service involved in a composite service and selects a near-optimal set of workers for each crowd service to be executed. We implement the proposed framework on Android platforms and evaluate its effectiveness, scalability, and usability in both experimental and user studies.
Requirements for Data Quality Metrics
Authors: Heinrich Bernd , Hristova Diana , Klier Mathias , Schiller Alexander , Szubartowicz Michael
Published: January 2018

Data quality and especially the assessment of data quality have been intensively discussed in research and practice alike. To support an economically oriented management of data quality and decision making under uncertainty, it is essential to assess the data quality level by means of well-founded metrics. However, if not adequately defined, these metrics can lead to wrong decisions and economic losses. Therefore, based on a decision-oriented framework, we present a set of five requirements for data quality metrics. These requirements are relevant for a metric that aims to support an economically oriented management of data quality and decision making under uncertainty. We further demonstrate the applicability and efficacy of these requirements by evaluating five data quality metrics for different data quality dimensions. Moreover, we discuss practical implications when applying the presented requirements.
Statins and New-Onset Diabetes in Cardiovascular and Kidney Disease Cohorts: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Kamran Haroon , Kupferstein Eric , Sharma Navneet , Karam Jocelyne G. , Myers Alyson K. , Youssef Irini , Sowers James R. , Gustafson Deborah R. , Salifu Moro O. , McFarlane Samy I.
Published: January 2018

Background: Statins have long been prescribed for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and kidney disease. Their benefits and efficacy are widely accepted in current clinical practice, but like any other therapeutic agents, they have adverse effects. One of the emerging concerns with statin therapy is the development of new-onset diabetes mellitus (NODM), a dreaded risk factor for CVD and kidney disease and widely viewed as CVD equivalent. Accumulating evidence indicates that NODM is a consequence of statin use. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of studies reporting on associations between NODM and statin use. Based on strict exclusion criteria, a total of 11 studies were selected. Their data were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis® statistical software and reported as odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The cumulative fixed effect for use of statin therapy and incident NODM was an OR of 1.61 (95% CI 1.55–1.68, p < 0.001). Our results suggest that statin therapy is associated with NODM, such that there is a small but significant risk of NODM among patients receiving statin for CVD prevention therapy. However, this high-risk population also has other diabetes risk factors (such as obesity and hypertension) contributing to the development of NODM. Conclusions: It is imperative that patients on statin therapy be monitored carefully for NODM. However, it can be argued that the risk of statin therapy is offset by the multitude of cardiovascular and kidney-protective effects provided by such an important and highly effective therapeutic agent.
Nomenclatural acts for some Neotropical Tachinidae (Diptera)
Authors: Nihei Silvio Shigueo , Dios Rodrigo De Vilhena Perez
Published: January 2018

New replacement names and synonymies are proposed for Neotropical Tachinidae, mainly from Brazil. The following 13 new replacement names are proposed for junior secondary homonyms: Jurinella neobesa, new name for Jurinella obesa (Townsend, 1928) (preocc. Wiedemann, 1830); Archytas wulpianus, new name for Archytas nigrocalyptratus (Wulp, 1888) (preocc. Macquart, 1846); Calodexia neofumosa, new name for Calodexia fumosa (Townsend, 1917) (preocc. Townsend, 1912); Calodexia bigoti, new name for Calodexia flavipes (Bigot, 1889) (preocc. Schiner, 1868); Eucelatoria paracarinata, new name for Eucelatoria carinata (Townsend, 1927) (preocc. Townsend, 1919); Eucelatoria currani, new name for Eucelatoria carinata (Curran, 1926) (preocc. Townsend, 1919); Lixophaga opsiangusta, new name for Lixophaga angusta (Townsend, 1927:294) (preocc. Townsend, 1927:284); Lixophaga thompsoniana, new name for Lixophaga fumipennis (Thompson, 1968) (preocc. Townsend, 1927); Lixophaga townsendiana, new name for Lixophaga fumipennis (Townsend, 1928) (preocc. Townsend, 1927); Myiopharus argentata, new name for Myiopharus argentescens (Townsend, 1935) (preocc. Townsend, 1927); Phyllophilopsis disgracilis, new name for Phyllophilopsis gracilis (Townsend, 1927) (preocc. Townsend, 1919); Phasia townsendiana, new name for Phasia brasiliana (Townsend, 1937) (preocc. Townsend, 1929); and Phasia aurodysderci, new name for Phasia dysderci (Townsend, 1940) (preocc. Townsend, 1938). And the two following synonymies are proposed (reinstated): Jurinella ambigua (Macquart, 1851) = Jurinella obesa (Wiedemann, 1830); and Archytas analis (Macquart, 1843) = Archytas analis (Fabricius, 1905).
Clonal Expansion of Endothelial Cells Contributes to Ischemia-Induced Neovascularization
Authors: Manavski Yosif , Lucas Tina , Glaser Simone F. , Dorsheimer Lena , Günther Stefan , Braun Thomas , Rieger Michael A. , Zeiher Andreas M. , Boon Reinier A. , Dimmeler Stefanie
Published: January 2018

Rationale:

Vascularization is critical to maintain organ function. Although many molecular pathways were shown to control vessel growth, the genuine process of capillary formation under different conditions is unclear.

Objective:

Here, we elucidated whether clonal expansion contributes to vessel growth by using Confetti mice for genetic tracing of clonally expanding endothelial cells (ECs).

Methods and Results:

In postnatal retina angiogenesis, we predominantly observed random distribution of fluorescence labeled ECs indicative of random integration or cell mixing. However, in models of pathophysiological angiogenesis (retinopathy of prematurity), as well as ischemia-induced angiogenesis in limbs and hearts, clonally expanded ECs were significantly more abundant (≤69%). Inhibition of VEGFR2 (vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2) reduced clonal expansion after ischemia. To determine the mechanism underlying clonal expansion in vivo, we assessed gene expression specifically in clonally expanded ECs selected by laser capture microscopy. Clonally expanded ECs showed an enrichment of genes involved in endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Moreover, hypoxia-induced clonal expansion and endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition in ECs in vitro suggesting that hypoxia-enhanced endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition might contribute to vessel growth under ischemia.

Conclusions:

Our data suggest that neovascularization after ischemia is partially mediated by clonal expansion of ECs. Identification of the pathways that control clonal expansion may provide novel tools to augment therapeutic neovascularization or treat pathological angiogenesis.
Estimates of Surface Waves Using Subsurface EM-APEX Floats under Typhoon Fanapi 2010
Authors: Hsu Je-Yuan , Lien Ren-Chieh , D’Asaro Eric A. , Sanford Thomas B.
Published: January 2018

Seven subsurface Electromagnetic Autonomous Profiling Explorer (EM-APEX) floats measured the voltage induced by the motional induction of seawater under Typhoon Fanapi in 2010. Measurements were processed to estimate high-frequency oceanic velocity variance associated with surface waves. Surface wave peak frequency fp and significant wave height Hs are estimated by a nonlinear least squares fitting to , assuming a broadband JONSWAP surface wave spectrum. The Hs is further corrected for the effects of float rotation, Earth’s geomagnetic field inclination, and surface wave propagation direction. The fp is 0.08–0.10 Hz, with the maximum fp of 0.10 Hz in the rear-left quadrant of Fanapi, which is ~0.02 Hz higher than in the rear-right quadrant. The Hs is 6–12 m, with the maximum in the rear sector of Fanapi. Comparing the estimated fp and Hs with those assuming a single dominant surface wave yields differences of more than 0.02 Hz and 4 m, respectively. The surface waves under Fanapi simulated in the WAVEWATCH III (ww3) model are used to assess and compare to float estimates. Differences in the surface wave spectra of JONSWAP and ww3 yield uncertainties of <5% outside Fanapi’s eyewall and >10% within the eyewall. The estimated fp is 10% less than the simulated before the passage of Fanapi’s eye and 20% less after eye passage. Most differences between Hs and simulated are <2 m except those in the rear-left quadrant of Fanapi, which are ~5 m. Surface wave estimates are important for guiding future model studies of tropical cyclone wave–ocean interactions.
Potential Uses of Arginine in Dentistry
Authors: Nascimento M.M.
Published: January 2018

Carious lesions develop in tooth surfaces where there is an imbalance of the processes of acid and alkali production by supragingival biofilms. Since low pH is the main driving factor in the development of carious lesions, most efforts to identify an effective anticaries therapy have focused on targeting the acid-producing bacteria and their mechanisms of acid production. An expanding area of oral microbiology has now been devoted to explore microbial metabolic activities that help to neutralize biofilm pH and thus inhibit the caries process. Arginine metabolism via the arginine deiminase pathway (ADS) produces alkali in the form of ammonia that counteracts the effects of biofilm acidification from bacterial glycolysis. ADS also functions as an adaptive strategy used by certain bacteria to thrive in oral biofilms. Substantial evidence accumulated from laboratory and clinical observations supports the hypotheses that measurements of arginine metabolism via ADS may serve as an important caries risk assessment criterion and that providing arginine regularly to supragingival biofilms can be an effective therapy for caries intervention. This article reviews the potential of arginine-based therapies such as the use of arginine as prebiotic, ADS+ strains as probiotics, and oral care formulations containing arginine for prevention and management of dental caries.
Fluoride Use in Health Care Settings: Association with Children’s Caries Risk
Authors: Fontana M. , Eckert G.J. , Keels M.A. , Jackson R. , Katz B. , Levy B.T. , Levy S.M.
Published: January 2018

Expanded partnership with the medical community is an important strategy for reducing dental caries disparities. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between fluoride (F) “in office” (drops/tablets and/or varnish), as prescribed or applied by a health care professional by age 1 y, and 1) caries development and 2) presence of other caries risk factors or mediators (e.g., socioeconomic status). Child–primary caregiver (PCG) pairs ( N = 1,325) were recruited in Indiana, Iowa, and North Carolina as part of a longitudinal cohort study to validate a caries risk tool for primary health care settings. PCGs completed a caries risk questionnaire, while children received caries examinations per the criteria of the International Caries Detection and Assessment System at ages 1, 2.5, and 4 y. Baseline responses regarding children’s history of F in office were tested for association with other caries risk variables and caries experience at ages 2.5 and 4 y via generalized estimating equation models applied to logistic regression. The sample was 48% female, and many children (61%) were Medicaid enrolled. The prevalence of cavitated caries lesions increased from 7% at age 2.5 y to 25% by age 4 y. Children who received F in office were likely deemed at higher caries risk and indeed were significantly ( P < 0.01) more likely to develop cavitated caries lesions by ages 2.5 and 4 y, even after F application (odds ratios: 3.5 and 2.3, respectively). Factors significantly associated with receiving F included the following: child being Medicaid enrolled, not having an employed adult in the household, child and PCG often consuming sugary drinks and snacks, and PCG having recent caries experience. Increased F in office from a health care provider by age 1 y was associated with known caries risk factors. Most (69%) children had never been to the dentist, suggesting that risk factors could be alerting medical providers and/or parents, thereby affecting in-office F recommendations. Differences among states could also be related to state-specific F-varnish reimbursement policies (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01707797).
The Evidence for Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA®)
Authors: Featherstone J.D.B. , Chaffee B.W.
Published: January 2018

A system for Caries Management by Risk Assessment (CAMBRA®) has been developed in California. The purpose of this article is to summarize the science behind the methodology, the history of the development of CAMBRA, and the outcomes of clinical application. The CAMBRA caries risk assessment (CRA) tool for ages 6 y through adult has been used at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), for 14 y, and outcome studies involving thousands of patients have been conducted. Three outcomes assessments, each on different patient cohorts, demonstrated a clear relationship between CAMBRA-CRA risk levels of low, moderate, high, and extreme with cavitation or lesions into dentin (by radiograph) at follow-up. This validated risk prediction tool has been updated with time and is now routinely used at UCSF and in other settings worldwide as part of normal clinical practice. The CAMBRA-CRA tool for 0- to 5-y-olds has demonstrated similar predictive validity and is in routine use. The addition of chemical therapy (antibacterial plus fluoride) to the traditional restorative treatment plan, based on caries risk status, has been shown to reduce the caries increment by about 20% to 38% in high-caries-risk adult patients. The chemical therapy used for high-risk patients is a combination of daily antibacterial therapy (0.12% w/v chlorhexidine gluconate mouth rinse) and twice-daily high-concentration fluoride toothpaste (5,000 ppm F), both for home use. These outcomes assessments provide the evidence to use these CRA tools with confidence. Caries can be managed by adding chemical therapy, based on the assessed caries risk level, coupled with necessary restorative procedures. For high- and extreme-risk patients, a combination of antibacterial and fluoride therapy is necessary. The fluoride therapy must be supplemented by antibacterial therapy to reduce the bacterial challenge, modify the biofilm, and provide prevention rather than continued caries progression.
Stannous Fluoride Effects on Gene Expression of Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus
Authors: Shi Y. , Li R. , White D.J. , Biesbrock A.R.
Published: January 2018

A genome-wide transcriptional analysis was performed to elucidate the bacterial cellular response of Streptococcus mutans and Actinomyces viscosus to NaF and SnF2. The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) of SnF2 were predetermined before microarray study. Gene expression profiling microarray experiments were carried out in the absence (control) and presence (experimental) of 10 ppm and 100 ppm Sn2+ (in the form of SnF2) and fluoride controls for 10-min exposures (4 biological replicates/treatment). These Sn2+ levels and treatment time were chosen because they have been shown to slow bacterial growth of S. mutans (10 ppm) and A. viscosus (100 ppm) without affecting cell viability. All data generated by microarray experiments were analyzed with bioinformatics tools by applying the following criteria: 1) a q value should be ≤0.05, and 2) an absolute fold change in transcript level should be ≥1.5. Microarray results showed SnF2 significantly inhibited several genes encoding enzymes of the galactose pathway upon a 10-min exposure versus a negative control: lacA and lacB (A and B subunits of the galactose-6-P isomerase), lacC (tagatose-6-P kinase), lacD (tagatose-1,6-bP adolase), galK (galactokinase), galT (galactose-1-phosphate uridylyltransferase), and galE (UDP-glucose 4-epimerase). A gene fruK encoding fructose-1-phosphate kinase in the fructose pathway was also significantly inhibited. Several genes encoding fructose/mannose-specific enzyme IIABC components in the phosphotransferase system (PTS) were also downregulated, as was ldh encoding lactate dehydrogenase, a key enzyme involved in lactic acid synthesis. SnF2 downregulated the transcription of most key enzyme genes involved in the galactose pathway and also suppressed several key genes involved in the PTS, which transports sugars into the cell in the first step of glycolysis.
Silver Fluoride as a Treatment for Dental Caries
Authors: Horst J.A.
Published: January 2018

Medical management of caries is a distinct treatment philosophy that employs topical minimally invasive therapies that treat the disease and is not merely prevention. This strategy is justified as an alternative or supplement to traditional care by significant disease recurrence rates following comprehensive operative treatment under general anesthesia. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is one agent to enable effective noninvasive treatment. The announcement of breakthrough therapy designation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) suggests that SDF may become the first FDA-approved drug for treating caries. Since our systematic review performed in April 2015, 4 clinical trials have been completed, which inform an update to the application protocol and frequency regimen. Suggestions from these studies are to skip the rinsing step due to demonstration of safety in young children, start patients with high disease severity on an intensive regimen of multiple applications over the first few weeks, and continue with semiannual maintenance doses as previously suggested. Breakthroughs in elucidating the impact of SDF on the dental plaque microbiome inform potential opportunities for understanding caries arrest. SDF can be added to the set of evidence-based noninvasive methods to treat caries lesions in primary teeth, such as the Hall crown technique and sealing lesions with accessible margins.
Deciphering the magic of community school leadership
Authors: Purinton Ted , Azcoitia Carlos , Carlson Karen
Published: January 2018

To build and maintain a genuine partnership between the school and those it serves requires sophisticated leadership. Leaders can develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create effective community schools, and they should do so purposefully, choosing to learn, model, and practice successful strategies in all aspects of their work. Such leadership is valuable in every kind of school, not just in those that fully embrace the community school approach.
City Connects prompts data-driven action in community schools in the Bronx
Authors: Haywoode Alyssa
Published: January 2018

Community schools have a long history of helping students succeed in school by addressing the problems they face outside of school. But without specific data on students and the full range of their needs, community schools cannot be as effective as they would like to be. Driven by the desire to make more data-informed decisions, the Children’s Aid Society worked with City Connects, a program based at Boston College’s Lynch School of Education, to gather data, assess it, and develop more creative ways to meet the full range of children’s and their families’ needs.
Looking to near peers to guide student discussions about race
Authors: Kaplowitz Donna Rich , Lee Jasmine A. , Seyka Sheri L.
Published: January 2018

The authors describe a promising approach to engaging high school students in intergroup dialogues, relying on “near peers” — in this case, local college students — to facilitate a series of classroom discussions about racial identity, differences, and opportunities to connect. Early results suggest that the approach had significant benefits for all participants. The high school students deepened their ability to think critically about racial issues and listen actively to others’ opinions, and the college students reported increased compassion, efficacy, and confidence as change agents. Further, even though their role was just to observe the dialogues, the cooperating teachers reported that they learned new facilitation skills and became more willing to address racial issues in the classroom.
Separated from My Mother's Womb: An Appraisal of Paul's Testimony in Galatians 1:15
Authors: Jung Jason J. C.
Published: January 2018

In Galatians 1:15, Paul uniquely presents his appointment and apostleship as God's separating him from his mother's womb and calling him by grace. However, Paul's meaning behind the phrase, “separated from his mother's womb,” has been speculated with little biblical-theological substance. Thus, this article presents a fresh argument that in this phrase Paul alludes to his birth as a Roman citizen, which is later followed by his calling to be an apostle to the Gentiles. This study also concludes that Galatians 1:15 functions as the center of Paul's argument in 1:6–2:10 with 2:11–21 as its illustration.
Representation as a political-theological concept
Authors: Mulieri Alessandro
Published: January 2018

In his 1923 work, Roman Catholicism and Political Form, Carl Schmitt claims that representation is a complexio oppositorum (a unity of opposites) and incarnates a hierarchical form of political authority, which is alternative to liberalism. This article shows that Carl Schmitt’s interpretation of the political theology of representation is based on a misreading. Schmitt selectively overlooks some meanings of the theology of repraesentatio to build his decisionistic political agenda. An investigation of the original conceptual meanings of representation in Tertullian, the first Christian author who theorized representation and established many of its subsequent theological meanings, shows a different picture. At its inception, representation already included mechanisms of plurality and participation, which anticipated, and perhaps motivated, the absorption of the representation vocabulary within democratic discourse and practice. Political theology is a valuable field of inquiry to prove the claim that there is no participation without the logic of representation.
Couples’ day-to-day pain concordance and marital interaction quality
Authors: Wilson Stephanie J. , Martire Lynn M. , Zhaoyang Ruixue
Published: January 2018

Chronic pain is a common stressor in couples’ daily lives, but little is known about couples’ day-to-day pain concordance (i.e., agreement regarding one partner’s level of pain) and its relevance to both partners’ daily marital interaction quality. Using 22-day diaries of patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and their spouses, the current study sought to quantify the degree of daily fluctuation in both partners’ reports of patient pain, pain concordance, and marital interaction quality as well as assess the links between daily concordance and marital tension and enjoyment. Half of the variability in patient–spouse pain concordance and marital interaction quality was attributable to daily fluctuations in these experiences. Furthermore, after accounting for global marital satisfaction, on days when spouses overestimated pain, patients enjoyed marital interactions more, whereas spouses themselves experienced greater tension. Findings underscore the importance of examining pain concordance at the daily level, pain agreement’s significance for everyday marital function, and the potential challenge chronic illness poses for partners in daily life.
Circadian- and Light-driven Metabolic Rhythms in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Rhoades Seth D. , Nayak Katrina , Zhang Shirley L. , Sehgal Amita , Weljie Aalim M.
Published: January 2018

Complex interactions of environmental cues and transcriptional clocks drive rhythmicity in organismal physiology. Light directly affects the circadian clock; however, little is known about its relative role in controlling metabolic variations in vivo. Here we used high time-resolution sampling in Drosophila at every 2 h to measure metabolite outputs using a liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) approach. Over 14% of detected metabolites oscillated with circadian periodicity under light-dark (LD) cycles. Many metabolites peaked shortly after lights-on, suggesting responsiveness to feeding and/or activity rather than the preactivity anticipation, as observed in previous transcriptomics analyses. Roughly 9% of measured metabolites uniquely oscillated under constant darkness (DD), suggesting that metabolite rhythms are associated with the transcriptional clock machinery. Strikingly, metabolome differences between LD and constant darkness were observed only during the light phase, highlighting the importance of photic input. Clock mutant flies exhibited strong 12-h ultradian rhythms, including 4 carbohydrate species with circadian periods in wild-type flies, but lacked 24-h circadian metabolic oscillations. A meta-analysis of these results with previous circadian metabolomics experiments uncovered the possibility of conserved rhythms in amino acids, keto-acids, and sugars across flies, mice, and humans and provides a basis for exploring the chrono-metabolic connection with powerful genetic tools in Drosophila.
The Effect of Nasoalveolar Molding on Nasal Airway Anatomy
Authors: Massie Jonathan P. , Bruckman Karl , Rifkin William J. , Runyan Christopher M. , Shetye Pradip R. , Grayson Barry , Flores Roberto L.
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To determine the effects of nasoalveolar molding (NAM) on nasal airway architecture.

Design:

Retrospective case-control study of patients with unilateral cleft lip treated with NAM vs without NAM.

Setting:

Tertiary referral center specializing in cleft and craniofacial care.

Patients, Participants, and Interventions:

Thirty-six patients with complete unilateral cleft lip and alveolus: 19 with NAM therapy and 17 without NAM therapy.

Main Outcome Measures:

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were compared in multiple coronal sections and were evaluated for linear and angular septal deviation, inferior turbinate hypertrophy, and linear and 2-dimensional airway area.

Results:

There were no significant differences in linear or angular septal deviation, inferior turbinate area, linear stenosis, or airway area between NAM- and non-NAM-treated patients.

Conclusions:

NAM effectively molds the external nasal cartilage and structures but may have limited effects on internal nasal structures.
Behavioral-Social Adjustment of Adolescents with Craniofacial Microsomia
Authors: Wallace Erin R. , Collett Brent R. , Heike Carrie L. , Werler Martha M. , Speltz Matthew L.
Published: January 2018

Objective:

The objective was to assess differences in psychosocial adjustment between adolescents with and without craniofacial microsomia (CFM).

Design:

This is a case-control follow-up study in adolescents with and without CFM.

Setting:

Participants were originally recruited as infants from 26 cities across the United States and Canada.

Participants:

Participants included 142 adolescents with CFM (cases) and 316 peers without CFM (controls), their caregivers, and their teachers.

Main Outcome Measures:

Social and behavior measures from the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessments (ASEBA), the PedsQL: Core Version, and the Children’s Communication Checklist–2nd edition (CCC-2) were used. Linear regression was used to estimate case-control differences and corresponding standardized effect sizes (ES) and 95% confidence intervals after adjustment for sociodemographic confounds. We also examined case-control differences by facial phenotype and hearing status.

Results:

The magnitude and direction of case-control differences varied across assessment and respondent, but were generally modest (ES = –0.4 to 0.02, P values ranged from .003 to .85). There was little evidence for variation in case-control differences across different facial phenotypes or as a function of hearing status.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that in spite of multiple risk factors, adolescents with CFM exhibit behavior problems no more frequently than their peers without CFM. Future studies of individuals with CFM should focus on resilience and social coping mechanisms, in addition to maladjustment.
Predictive Validity of Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing Scores in Secondary Schools
Authors: Lane Kathleen Lynne , Oakes Wendy Peia , Cantwell Emily D. , Royer David J. , Leko Melinda M. , Schatschneider Christopher , Menzies Holly Mariah
Published: January 2018

In this article, we examined predictive validity of Student Risk Screening Scale for Internalizing and Externalizing (SRSS-IE) scores for use at the middle ( N = 2,313 from four middle schools) and high ( N = 2,727 from two high schools) school level. Results indicated middle and high school students with high levels of risk according to fall SRSS-IE scores (particularly those with externalizing behaviors) were likely to have lower grade point averages, fail more courses, have more nurse visits, and spend more time in in-school suspensions compared with students at low risk for externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Education implications, limitations, and future directions are presented.
Big Five personality and health in adults with and without cancer
Authors: Rochefort Catherine , Hoerger Michael , Turiano Nicholas A , Duberstein Paul
Published: January 2018

Personality is associated with health, but examinations in patients with illnesses are lacking. We aimed to determine whether personality–physical health associations differed between community and cancer samples. This cross-sectional study involved 168 participants without cancer, 212 men with prostate cancer, and 55 women with breast cancer. We examined whether the Big Five personality dimensions were associated with health behaviors and multiple health indicators. Higher conscientiousness and lower neuroticism were associated with better health behaviors and health ( rmax = .31), with few differences between community and cancer samples. Findings call for research on the implications of personality in patients with serious illnesses.
Separated Same-Sex Parents: Troubling the Same-Sex Parented Family
Authors: Gahan Luke
Published: January 2018

Same-sex parented family research and academic literature has focused primarily on intact families and/or those created after a heterosexual divorce–their family models, methods of family creation and the fertility process, and the health and well-being of their children. Similarly, separation and divorce research and academic literature has focused primarily on opposite-sex parented families. To date, limited research has explored the experiences of same-sex parents who separated after having children within their relationship. This article reports on findings from a qualitative study of semi-structured in-depth interviews with 22 same-sex parents in Australia who had experienced parental separation and aims to contribute to a new phase of same-sex relationship and parenting research that explores divorce and separation. Participants were acutely aware that their separation and post-separation families troubled the social expectations and mores of the same-sex parented family by appearing to break unwritten rules, threatening to disrupt campaigns for social and political acceptance, and falling off an apparent pedestal that their families and relationships had been placed on. Separated same-sex parents were also concerned that their families would disrupt efforts to achieve social and political acceptance–and this created challenges with recruitment and interviewing techniques with male participants in particular. This article will demonstrate the pressure for same-sex parents to present an idyllic image of family. It will also discuss how, as a consequence of being seen as troubling, same-sex parental separation created experiences of isolation and invisibility for parents during and after their separation.
Parliament as an arena for politicisation: The Finnish Eduskunta and crisis management operations
Authors: Raunio Tapio
Published: January 2018

The literature on parliamentary war powers has focused on the veto rights of legislatures. This case study on the Finnish Eduskunta adopts a more comprehensive approach. Based on parliamentary documents and statistics, it reconstructs parliamentary involvement in decision-making on individual crisis management operations, laws on crisis management, and ‘grand strategy’ documents since the mid-1990s. The findings underscore the importance of politicisation, with conflicts over legislation and the Government Security and Defence Policy Reports enabling political parties and the Eduskunta to set parameters for subsequent decisions on individual operations. The politicisation of crisis management facilitated stronger participation rights for the Eduskunta and created ‘ownership’ of troop deployments among members of parliament (MPs). Debates have nonetheless become less intense, with broader cross-party support for participation in crisis management and for European Union (EU)-led operations in particular.
Toward ‘normal’ politics? Security, parliaments and the politicisation of intelligence oversight in the German Bundestag
Authors: Hegemann Hendrik
Published: January 2018

Security has often been considered a special kind of politics that presents a particular challenge for liberal democracy, whether due to securitised states of exception or technocratic risk management. This article examines whether and how parliaments can be sites of politicisation, moving security from exceptional and technocratic politics toward more ‘normal’ democratic politics. Moving beyond the narrow focus on decisions over the use of military force, the examination focuses on the ‘hard case’ of parliamentary oversight of intelligence agencies and provides a case study on the German Bundestag. Overall, it finds that a strict divide between security and normal politics is overly simplistic, even when it comes to intelligence. There is evidence for politicisation that reveals patterns of normal politics through an increasingly institutionalised framework as well as public, increasingly controversial debates, including a good deal of partisan politics. However, debates tend to center on institutional and legal issues as well as symbolic skirmishes after specific events of high visibility, while many restrictions are deeply entrenched in parliamentary conventions and attitudes.
Exploring the Great Schism in the Social Sciences: Confirmation Bias and the Interpretation of Results Relating to Biological Influences on Human Behavior and Psychology
Authors: Winking Jeffrey
Published: January 2018

The nature–nurture debate is one that biologists often dismiss as a false dichotomy, as all phenotypic traits are the results of complex processes of gene and environment interactions. However, such dismissiveness belies the ongoing debate that is unmistakable throughout the biological and social sciences concerning the role of biological influences in the development of psychological and behavioral traits in humans. Many have proposed that this debate is due to ideologically driven biases in the interpretation of results. Those favoring biological approaches have been accused of a greater willingness to accept biological explanations so as to rationalize or justify the status quo of inequality. Those rejecting biological approaches have been accused of an unwillingness to accept biological explanations so as to attribute inequalities solely to social and institutional factors, ultimately allowing for the possibility of social equality. While it is important to continue to investigate this topic through further research and debate, another approach is to examine the degree to which the allegations of bias are indeed valid. To accomplish this, a convenience sample of individuals with relevant postgraduate degrees was recruited from Mechanical Turk and social media. Participants were asked to rate the inferential power of different research designs and of mock results that varied in the degree to which they supported different ideologies. Results were suggestive that researchers harbor sincere differences of opinion concerning the inferential value of relevant research. There was no suggestion that ideological confirmation biases drive these differences. However, challenges associated with recruiting a large enough sample of experts as well as identifying believable mock scenarios limit the study’s inferential scope.
Out of Africa: The organization of migrant smuggling across the Mediterranean
Authors: Campana Paolo
Published: January 2018

How are human smuggling operations organized? This paper presents an empirical in-depth study of the structure and activities of a smuggling ring operating between the Horn of Africa and Northern Europe via Libya. It relies on a unique set of novel data sets manually extracted from an extensive police investigation launched after the 2013 Lampedusa shipwreck, in which 366 migrants lost their lives. The evidence includes wiretapped conversations on both sides of the Mediterranean. Using a number of network analysis techniques, this paper reconstructs the structure of the ring and investigates the determinants of coordination among its actors. This paper is the first work to offer a formal network modelling of human smuggling operations. It shows that, rather than being internalized within a single organization, activities are segmented and carried out by localized and rudimentary hierarchies with a small number of high-centrality actors operating at various stages along the smuggling route. Coordination is more likely to occur vertically than horizontally, indicating that higher-level smugglers are largely independent and autonomous. There are also indications of competition among them. Finally, even in rings involved in the supply of a truly transnational commodity, the local dimension still plays a crucial role. The implications for criminal justice responses to human smuggling are discussed.