bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Promotion of Colorectal Cancer Invasion and Metastasis through Activation of NOTCH–DAB1–ABL–RHOGEF Protein TRIO
Authors: Sonoshita Masahiro , Itatani Yoshiro , Kakizaki Fumihiko , Sakimura Kenji , Terashima Toshio , Katsuyama Yu , Sakai Yoshiharu , Taketo M. Mark
Published: November 2014

We have recently identified a metastasis suppressor gene for colorectal cancer: AES/Aes, which encodes an endogenous inhibitor of NOTCH signaling. When Aes is knocked out in the adenomatous epithelium of intestinal polyposis mice, their tumors become malignant, showing marked submucosal invasion and intravasation. Here, we show that one of the genes induced by NOTCH signaling in colorectal cancer is DAB1/Dab1. Genetic depletion of DAB1 suppresses cancer invasion and metastasis in the NOTCH signaling–activated mice. DAB1 is phosphorylated by ABL tyrosine kinase, which activates ABL reciprocally. Consistently, inhibition of ABL suppresses cancer invasion in mice. Furthermore, we show that one of the targets of ABL is the RAC/RHOGEF protein TRIO, and that phosphorylation at its Tyr residue 2681 (pY2681) causes RHO activation in colorectal cancer cells. Its unphosphorylatable mutation TRIO Y2681F reduces RHOGEF activity and inhibits invasion of colorectal cancer cells. Importantly, TRIO pY2681 correlates with significantly poorer prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer after surgery.

Significance: These results indicate that TRIO pY2681 is one of the downstream effectors of NOTCH signaling activation in colorectal cancer, and can be a prognostic marker, helping to determine the therapeutic modality of patients with colorectal cancer. Cancer Discov; 5(2); 198–211. ©2014 AACR.

See related commentary by Kranenburg, p. 115

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 97
Pediatric Tracheostomy
Authors: Van Buren Nicholas C. , Narasimhan Evan R. , Curtis Jonathan L. , Muntz Harlan R. , Meier Jeremy D.
Published: November 2014

Objectives:

No consensus exists on appropriate timing for the first tracheostomy tube change. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety of early tracheostomy change in the pediatric population.

Methods:

A case series of all children undergoing tracheostomy at a tertiary children’s hospital between 2008-2013 was retrospectively reviewed.

Results:

A total of 151 children undergoing tracheostomy were identified. The average age was 48.1 ± 66 months and median age was 10 months. The initial tracheostomy tube change occurred on postoperative day 3 (POD 3) in 65 children (43.0%) safely without any complications.

Conclusions:

Early tracheostomy tube change was safely performed in a significant portion of this population. Routine tube change on POD 3 in many children could save resources by reducing the length of ICU and hospital stays.
Elections, Information, and Policy Responsiveness in Autocratic Regimes
Authors: Miller Michael K.
Published: November 2014

The responsiveness of policy to election results is a central component of democracy. Do the outcomes of autocratic elections also affect policy choice? Even when the threat of turnover is low, I argue that autocratic elections influence policy by allowing citizens to signal dissatisfaction with the regime. Supplementing existing work, this study explains how this opposition is communicated credibly and then shows that ruling parties use this information to calibrate policy concessions. In the first cross-country analysis of autocratic election outcomes and policy choice, I find that negative electoral shocks to ruling parties predict increases in education and social welfare spending and decreases in military spending following elections. In contrast, there is no policy effect leading up to elections, in response to violent contestation, or in resource-rich regimes, illustrating a potential mechanism for the resource curse.
Does Acquiescence Affect Individual Items Consistently?
Authors: Kam Chester Chun Seng , Zhou Mingming
Published: November 2014

Previous research has found the effects of acquiescence to be generally consistent across item aggregates within a single survey (i.e., essential tau-equivalence), but it is unknown whether this phenomenon is consistent at the individual item level. This article evaluated the often assumed but inadequately tested proposition that individual items are affected by acquiescence to the same degree. We modeled an external acquiescence criterion to assess (a) whether it affected scale items consistently and (b) whether it would be strongly correlated with an acquiescence factor based on an assumption of tau-equivalence. The results did not support this assumption. As further evidence, we identified a situation in which this tau-equivalence assumption could potentially be violated. We propose that the response style be best understood within a framework of an acquiescence × item interaction.
En sus proprias palabras (in their own words): Latina women’s perspectives on enablers of HIV testing using freelisting
Authors: Morrison Sharon D , Sudha S , Herrera Samantha , Ruiz Carolina , Thomas Emma
Published: November 2014

Objective:

Comprehensive information on the facilitators of HIV testing in Latino women (Latinas) in the Southeastern USA is lacking. Efforts to rectify this should include Latina perspectives on the issue. This study aimed to (1) solicit Latina perspectives using qualitative methodology and (2) characterise enablers of HIV testing follow-through.

Method:

The study used the freelisting interview approach to document the perspectives of Latinas (18 years and older). The purposive sample included HIV-tested ( n = 21) and non-tested ( n = 10) women. The setting was Non-Traditional Counseling, Testing and Referral Sites in five counties in Central North Carolina, USA. The protocol was guided by the PEN-3 framework, which aims to take culture into account as part of health education. The focus was on the enablers (i.e. social groups, networks, information channels, systems and environments) of health behaviours.

Results:

While participants listed 66 enablers, 37 met the criteria for analyses. The top 10 enablers were TV advertisements/commercials, friends, personal health, family wellbeing, children, TV shows, pamphlets, self-interest, knowing someone HIV positive and spouse/partner. The most salient enabler for HIV-tested Latinas was children. For non-tested Latinas, it was friends.

Conclusion:

Freelisting proved to be a simple and effective data collection strategy with literate and low-literate women, providing culturally relevant concepts for inclusion in subsequent quantitative survey instruments. Study participants identified a number of important enablers that could serve as supports or reinforcements for health education outreach and interventions to enhance HIV testing uptake.
The Forrests as science fiction
Authors: McNeill Dougal
Published: November 2014

This article positions New Zealand author Emily Perkins’ celebrated novel The Forrests (2012) as an example of science fiction, reading it against the grain of critical reception, developed by Patrick Evans especially, that locates Perkins in globalizing trends in New Zealand literature. Instead, this article suggests that The Forrests’ science fictional qualities are connected to very particularly New Zealand and postcolonial concerns, and that Perkins’ development of an alternative future in her fiction serves ethical and political ends. Drawing on the work of Seo-Young Chu, I consider the ways in which this text’s qualities as science fiction relate to its status as a postcolonial novel.
Dynamic anti-crushing behaviors of woven textile sandwich composites: Multilayer and gradient effects
Authors: Chen Hailong , Zheng Qing , Wang Peng , Fan Hualin , Zheng Jingjing , Zhao Long , Jin Fengnian
Published: November 2014

Low-velocity dynamic compression tests were carried out to reveal the failure mechanism and the energy absorption capacity of multilayered woven lattice sandwich panels. Dynamic compression coupled with shear deformation results in typical softening deformation after the peak stress. The load–displacement curve is characterized by a long zigzag deformation. Multilayered woven lattice sandwich panels have deformation characteristics of type II structure. Compared with the quasi-static compressed panel, the impacted woven textile sandwich has similar failure mode but excellent energy absorption induced by greater dynamic strength. Strain rate effect of the structure was explained by dynamic buckling theory. Gradient structure, placing the hardest layer as the first impacted layer and the weakest as the last, has great benefits in terms of energy absorption efficiency and should be ideal to serve as an energy-absorbing structure.
Low-velocity impact behavior of hollow core woven sandwich composite: Experimental and numerical study
Authors: Hosseini Seyyed Ahmad , Sadighi Mojtaba , Maleki Moghadam Reza
Published: November 2014

Low-velocity impact analysis of 3D woven hollow core sandwich composite was conducted experimentally and numerically. Damage modes, perforation loads, load-time and energy-time curves, contact time, force-displacement and deflection-energy relationships were studied for three energy levels on specimens with different thicknesses utilizing both FE simulations and low-velocity impact tests. According to the results, contact stiffness and perforation load decreased with the panel thickness, whereas panels of higher thicknesses exhibited higher energy absorption capacity. The FE model consisting of glass fabric and surrounding resin reasonably predicted the impact behavior and damage modes. Subsequently, it could be inferred that FE simulation is capable to be used instead of time-consuming experiments to study impact properties of such materials.
Optimization of nozzle structure parameters of vortex spinning
Authors: Shang Shanshan , Sun Na , Yu Chongwen , Chang Tao , Li Meiling
Published: November 2014

In order to optimize the nozzle structure of vortex spinning, the structure of the nozzle components, such as guided body, vortex tube and cone body, were combined to conduct spinning experiments, which provides a certain reference for the setting of nozzle structure parameters. Viscose fiber was used in this study; the weight of the used viscose sliver is 3.2 g/m, with fiber length × fineness of 39 mm × 1.23 dtex. The results showed that the optimum structure parameters of the nozzle are as follows: spiral angle of guided body: 35°; guided needle length: 1 mm; orifice angle of the vortex tube: 50°; orifice diameter: 0.4 mm; orifice number: 5; the tip conical degree of the cone body: 10°; the front inner diameter: 1.3 mm for approximate 20 tex viscose yarn.
Sizing system for girls aged 13–20 years based on body types
Authors: Hrženjak Renata , Doležal Ksenija , Ujević Darko
Published: November 2014

Body shape and size reached by an adult human being are the results of complex growth processes and development occurring during childhood and youth. To develop a suitable size system, anthropometric measurements of the selected population should be carried out. For this purpose, a sample of 4071 girls aged 13–20 years in Croatia was measured. As the basis for a new method of clothing size system, the system and methods defined in the standards HRN EN 13402 (1st–3rd parts) were used. Factor and two-stage cluster analyses were performed in this research and as a result three girl body types were obtained. Also 56 sizes for a girl’s lower body with a coverage rate of 77.7% were determined.
Deodorizing function and antibacterial activity of fabrics dyed with gallnut (Galla Chinensis) extract
Authors: Lee Young-Hee , Hwang Eun-Kyung , Baek Young-Mee , Kim Han-Do
Published: November 2014

To examine the deodorizing function and antibacterial activity of fabrics dyed with gallnut extract, a natural dying aqueous solution was prepared by extraction from gallnut using water at 90℃ for 90 min with a fixed liquor ratio of 1:10. The colorimetric properties, the deodorization performance and the antibacterial ability of fabrics (cotton, silk and wool fabrics) dyed with the natural colorant extract solution were evaluated. The main component of the colorant (yellowish color) in the gallnut extract was found to be gallotannin. The K/ S value of the dyed fabrics increased in the order of cotton < silk <wool. From curve fitting of ultraviolet-visible spectra, the gallnut extract obtained in this study was found to comprise gallotannin (69.0%), gallic acid (25.7%) and methyl gallate (5.3%). The dyed fabrics showed a better deodorizing function against ammonia, trimethyl amine and acetaldehyde, compared to the control (undyed) fabrics. The dyed fabrics showed an excellent antibacterial function (99.9% reduction) against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia. These results highlight the strong potential of the natural dyed fabrics as a functional material with both high antibacterial activity and deodorizing function.
PLA nonwovens modified with poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) as antimicrobial filter materials for workplaces
Authors: Gutarowska Beata , Stawski Dawid , Skóra Justyna , Herczyńska Lucyna , Pielech-Przybylska Katarzyna , Połowiński Stefan , Krucińska Izabella
Published: November 2014

The objective of the present study was to assess the antimicrobial effectiveness of silver- and copper-modified polylactide (PLA)–poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA) nonwovens used as materials for the production of air purifying respirators. The antimicrobial activity of six types of PLA nonwovens, with different PDMAEMA, Ag, and Cu contents, were tested using the ATCC 100 method. Microorganisms were isolated from the air in 12 workplaces within composting plants, tanneries, and museums. Dominant bacterial and fungal species were identified using 16S RNA and ITS1/2 molecular analysis, respectively. Air samples collected from the composting plant and tannery were highly contaminated with bacteria, while those from museums with fungi (103–104 CFU/m3). We identified potentially pathogenic microorganisms from the following genera: Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Pseudomonas, Candida, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis, and Paecilomyces. PLA nonwovens containing 5.1% poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) and 2.7% Ag or 3.8% Cu exhibited good antimicrobial properties ( R > 99.9%) against the pathogenic strains found in the above workplaces. These nonwovens also have good inspiratory resistance parameters.
A review on the application of photocatalytic materials on textiles
Authors: Wang Jinfeng , Zhao Jian , Sun Lu , Wang Xungai
Published: November 2014

Incorporation of functional additives is one of the most important ways of functionalizing textiles. Among the additives, photocatalyst has been used extensively in recent years. This paper reviews the current research status on application of photocatalysts in fibrous materials. The review concentrates on novel methods for coating various photocatalysts on textiles and properties of the photocatalyst-modified textiles. The fundamental limitations and future prospects of this research are also discussed.
Removal and recovery of CI reactive red 195 from effluent by solvent extraction using reverse micelles
Authors: Yi Shixiong , Sun Sheng , Deng Yimin , Ye Ying , Jian Xinyi
Published: November 2014

To reduce environmental pollution by CI reactive red 195, solvent extraction of the dye from water was performed by using reverse micelles prepared from hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide and amyl alcohol. The effects of dye concentration, surfactant concentration, sodium chloride concentration, and pH on the removal percentage of the dye were investigated. A pseudo-first-order kinetic model and an ion-exchange reaction model were used to fit the experimental data. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectra and particle size distribution were analyzed to evaluate the state of the dyes in the reverse micelles. In addition, the dyes were recovered by backward extraction and then reused for dyeing cotton fabric. The removal percentage of CI reactive red 195 increased with increasing concentrations of surfactant and sodium chloride. Increasing dye concentration and pH values resulted in less removal of dyes. The dye extraction process could be described by the pseudo-first-order kinetic model and by the ion-exchange reaction equations. The state of the dye in the reverse micelles was similar to that in bulk water. The mean particle diameter of the reverse micelles was 10.8 nm. Dye recovery was improved by adding a counterionic surfactant. The recovered CI reactive red 195 had a good dyeing property for cotton fabric.
Interfacial heat transfer through a natural protective fibrous architecture: a wild silkworm cocoon wall
Authors: Jin Xing , Zhang Jin , Gao Weimin , Li Jingliang , Wang Xungai
Published: November 2014

The wild Antheraea pernyi silkworm cocoon is a thin and light-weight structure, yet it has shown effective thermal insulation characteristics against extreme temperature fluctuations, which meet the demands of humans for lighter materials with higher thermal resistance. We present a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model of this unique fibrous cocoon structure to simulate the heat transfer process through the cocoon wall. The model is able to predict the temperature field inside the cocoon reasonably well. The results of the model also show that the mineral crystals present in the outer layers of the Antheraea pernyi cocoon can increase air flow resistance and decrease the effect of natural convection, which further reduces the heat transfer through the cocoon wall effectively. This has practical significance for the development of thermal functional textiles and composite structures.
Infrared stealth property study of mesoporous carbon-aluminum doped zinc oxide coated cotton fabrics
Authors: Wang Wei , Fang Shuaijun , Zhang Linping , Mao Zhiping
Published: November 2014

Low-emitting cotton fabric with low infrared emissivity near to 0.795 at the wavebands of 8–14 µm was prepared using mesoporous carbon-aluminum doped zinc oxide (C-AZO) coatings. The effects of binders, the content of C-AZO composites, coating thickness and roughness of fabrics on the infrared emissivity were investigated. Results showed that the emissivity firstly decreased, and then gradually reached a stable and lowest value as the content of C-AZO composites and coating thickness increased. The lowest infrared emissivity of coated fabric was obtained when the content of C-AZO composites was around 40 wt% with coating thickness over 300 µm. Moreover, infrared transparent binders and a smooth surface were found to reduce the infrared emissivity. The coated fabric with infrared emissivity of 0.795 could be matched in the surroundings of withered grass or rock under the condition of no sunshine.
The Social Context of Adolescent Friendships: Parents, Peers, and Romantic Partners
Authors: Flynn Heather Kohler , Felmlee Diane H. , Conger Rand D.
Published: November 2014

We argue that adolescent friendships flourish, or wither, within the “linked lives” of other salient social network ties. Based on structural equation modeling with data from two time points, we find that young people tend to be in high-quality friendships when they are tightly embedded in their social network and receive social support from their peers, parents, and romantic partners. In addition, females have higher quality friendships than males, and the life course transition to marriage has detrimental effects on friendship quality. Findings show that the influence of parents does not end in childhood but continues into adolescence. Furthermore, although earlier research documents that friends affect romantic relationships, we find the reverse, that is, romantic partners influence friendships. Results demonstrate that social connectedness and support from a range of network ties contribute to high-quality, caring friendships among youth, highlighting the utility of life course and social network perspectives.
Disparities in Physician-Patient Communication by Obesity Status
Authors: Richard Patrick , Ferguson Christine , Lara Anthony S. , Leonard Jennifer , Younis Mustafa
Published: November 2014

This study aimed to examine variations in patient-physician communication by obesity status. We pooled data from the 2005-2007 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS),_included only individuals who completed the self-administered questionnaire themselves, and restricted the sample to patients who received care from primary care physicians. We included a total of 6,628 unique individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 who had at least one office or hospital outpatient visit during the past 12 months. There are six outcomes of interest in this study. The patient-physician communication composite score is based on five questions that the MEPS adapted from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey. The other five variables were: respect from providers, providers’ listening skills, explanations from providers, time spent with patients, and patient involvement in treatment decisions. The key independent variable was obesity. Bivariate and multivariate models such as ordinary least squares (OLS) and logistic regression were used to examine the relationship between patient-physician communication and obesity status. Multivariate models showed that obese patients had a reduced physician-patient communication composite score of 0.19 (95% CI 0.03-0.34, p=0.02), physicians’ show of respect OR 0.77 (95% CI 0.61-0.98, p=0.04), listening ability OR 0.82 (95% CI 0.65-1.02, p=0.07), and spending enough time OR 0.80 (95% CI 0.62-0.99, p=0.04) compared to non-obese patients. We found a negative association between physician-patient communication and patients’ obesity status. These findings may inform public health practitioners in the design of effective initiatives that account for the needs and circumstances of obese individuals.
Hobbes Smashes Cromwell and the Rump
Authors: Patterson-Tutschka Monicka
Published: November 2014

Recent scholarship interprets Leviathan as subtly revealing Thomas Hobbes’s allegiance to Cromwell, the Rump Parliament and (or) the Commonwealth. I, however, argue that Hobbes’s Leviathan intends to smash the religious principles underwriting Cromwell, the Rump and the new regime. I begin by situating Leviathan alongside the popular religious rhetoric favoring Cromwell, the Rump and their allies. I then proceed to reveal how Hobbes’s Leviathan subverts the popular religious opinions justifying their claims to authority. Hobbes’s politically subversive arguments are important because de facto power ultimately rests on the legitimizing public opinions that lead men to consent to obey and to support a particular man or an assembly of men. That is, right makes might, according to Hobbes. By subverting the powerful religious opinions legitimizing Cromwell’s and the Rump’s rise, Hobbes intends Leviathan to disempower Cromwell and the Rump Parliament.
Empire and Compulsory Heterosexuality in Diderot’s Supplement to the Voyage of Bougainville
Authors: Klausen Jimmy Casas
Published: November 2014

Drawing insights from queer theory, this essay argues for making sex a more central category in political theorists’ interpretations of Diderot’s Supplement, and also of his contributions to History of the Two Indies. The Supplement has sometimes been considered a “libertine” text for depicting Tahiti as a society where sex is open, and indeed where foreign guests are treated to sexual hospitality. This essay reconstructs how and why Diderot’s Tahitians make promiscuity public policy and why Diderot makes miscegenation central to his views on how to improve colonialism morally and politically. In the end, though, the Supplement is beset by asymmetric sexual logics that erode its apparent affirmation of egalitarianism, consent, hospitality, and non-egocentric interest. Although the presentation of sexual hospitality serves to critique French imperialism, its heterosexuality is compulsory and patriarchal. Nevertheless the text unwittingly offers a glimpse of a more radical, queer model of sociability.
Neural-network-based composite disturbance rejection control for a distillation column
Authors: Li Juan , Li Shihua , Li Shengquan , Chen Xisong , Yang Jun
Published: November 2014

Binary distillation columns are essentially multi-variable systems with couplings, non-minimum phase characteristics, model mismatches and various external disturbances. To get the desired top (distillate) and bottom product composition, a composite disturbance rejection control strategy using a radial basis function network (RBFN) is proposed in this paper. The composite controller includes neural network inverse controller (NNIC) and neural network disturbance observer (NNDOB) both using the inverse model of system which is identified by the RBFN. The stability of the identified inverse model is proved, and a rigorous analysis is also given to show why the NNDOB can effectively suppress the disturbances. Performances of the proposed scheme are compared with PID and NNIC without disturbance compensation in three cases by simulation studies. The simulations demonstrate the feasibility, effectiveness and disturbance rejection property of the proposed method in controlling the product composition of the binary distillation columns.
Media events, spectacles and risky globalization: a critical review and possible avenues for future research
Authors: Seeck Hannele , Rantanen Terhi
Published: November 2014

We review the research conducted to date on media events and media spectacles. We posit that the main phenomena challenging the current conceptualizations of media event and media spectacle are (1) the understanding of risk, (2) the context of disasters and (3) globalization and the mediation of news in the context of transnational and transitional societies. We suggest that more research on disruptive events is needed. In the context of the new media landscape in particular, the ritual researcher may need to take into account the concepts of temporality and unpredictability as inherent features of media events and rituals – the traumatic events researcher may benefit from the concept of global risk society. Finally, we argue that more research needs to be carried out on transitional societies, as we need to learn more about the role of mediation, events and spectacles in democratization processes and in contemporary revolutions. Overall, our findings indicate that in the context of global risk society, constant disruptions and unplanned events, together with the changes in news transmission, need to be taken as a starting point also in the research frames used to understand the mediation of events in contemporary society.
Media witnessing: exploring the audience of distant suffering
Authors: Kyriakidou Maria
Published: November 2014

This article aims at demonstrating the relevance of the concept of ‘media witnessing’ as an analytical lens for the study of audience engagement with media reports of distant suffering. Drawing upon existing theoretical work on the concept, the article approaches media witnessing as a distinct modality of audience experience and constructs an analytical framework for its study. Applying this framework on an empirical study of Greek audiences, the article provides a typology of witnessing, consisting of four different types of audience engagement with media stories of human suffering. This typology illustrates the complexities inherent in the practice of watching suffering on television, as well as the limitations of mediated cosmopolitan imagination.
A cultural shock doctrine? Austerity, the neoliberal state and the creative industries discourse
Authors: Newsinger Jack
Published: November 2014

A number of writers have made the argument that the development creative industries policy discourse in the United Kingdom and elsewhere represents the articulation of a politics that is neoliberal in character. The marginalisation of Blairism in the United Kingdom, and the Liberal Democrat-Conservative Coalition Government’s adoption of an ever more explicit neoliberal dogma in its radical restructuring/dismantling of the welfare state, provides the opportunity to evaluate this argument. This article summarises the creative industries policy discourse and the main research paradigms that have been used to interrogate it. From there, it explores a number of discursive positions that have placed pressure on policy actors and explores their institutionalisation in policy structures since 2008. It is argued that the major institutional policy frameworks of the creative industries discourse have proved remarkably durable through the current phase of neoliberal restructuring of the state. At the same time, discursive pressure is being exerted from a reactionary cultural conservatism that seeks to further undermine and delegitimate the socially and politically progressive elements of the creative industries discourse.
Political trust, extra-representational participation and the openness of political systems
Authors: Braun Daniela , Hutter Swen
Published: November 2014

The relationship between trust in representative political institutions and extra-representational participation (ERP) is contested. Generally, scholars have assumed that distrust is a major source of ERP. However, empirical studies have yielded inconclusive results. This article contributes to the debate by linking it to recent studies on how contextual factors affect the amount of ERP and interact with micro-level predictors. We take an innovative stance by conceptualizing the openness of political systems in both institutional and cultural terms, and by arguing that the negative micro-level relationship between political trust and ERP should be stronger in more open political systems. With a multi-level analysis of 22 European democracies, we show that citizens who distrust representative institutions are indeed more likely to engage in ERP. Most importantly, our findings indicate that the more open a political system in cultural terms, the stronger the negative micro-level relationship between political trust and ERP.
Number of Siblings During Childhood and the Likelihood of Divorce in Adulthood
Authors: Bobbitt-Zeher Donna , Downey Douglas B. , Merry Joseph
Published: November 2014

Despite fertility decline across economically developed countries, relatively little is known about the social consequences of children being raised with fewer siblings. Much research suggests that growing up with fewer siblings is probably positive, as children tend to do better in school when sibship size is small. Less scholarship, however, has explored how growing up with few siblings influences children’s ability to get along with peers and develop long-term meaningful relationships. If siblings serve as important social practice partners during childhood, individuals with few or no siblings may struggle to develop successful social lives later in adulthood. With data from the General Social Surveys 1972-2012, we explore this possibility by testing whether sibship size during childhood predicts the probability of divorce in adulthood. We find that, among those who ever marry, each additional sibling is associated with a 3% decline in the likelihood of divorce, net of covariates.
Parenting Stress Among Low-Income and Working-Class Fathers
Authors: Nomaguchi Kei , Johnson Wendi
Published: November 2014

Contemporary norms of fatherhood emphasize the dual demands of breadwinning and daily involvement in child care. Recent qualitative research suggests that working-class fathers find it difficult to meet these demands due to job instability and workplace inflexibility. Yet little quantitative research has examined how employment characteristics are related to fathers’ parenting stress, in comparison with mothers’. Analyses using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 3,165) show that unemployment and workplace inflexibility, but not overwork, multiple jobs, odd jobs, and nonstandard hours, are related to more parenting stress for fathers. Although these two factors are also related to more parenting stress for mothers, nuanced gender differences emerged: these are better predictors than other parental or child characteristics for fathers only, and the effect size of workplace inflexibility is greater for fathers than mothers. In sum, securing a job with flexible schedule is central to reducing fathers’ parenting stress.
Job and Professional Leaving Among Newly Licensed RNs
Authors: Unruh Lynn , Zhang Ning Jackie , Chisolm Latarsha
Published: November 2014

With more than 50% of the nursing workforce close to retirement, it is especially important to keep younger nurses in nursing jobs and careers. This study empirically tests a structural equation model of registered nurse (RN) intent to leave the job and profession using data from a survey of newly licensed RNs (NLRNs). Job demands, difficulties and control, intent to leave the job, and intent to leave the profession were latent variables. A number of direct, indirect, and mediating relationships were modeled. Measurement models for all latent variables and the structural model had good fit. The final model showed a path from job demands, difficulties, and control to job satisfaction to intent to leave the job to intent to leave the profession. The results suggest that the process of an NLRN intending to leave the job and profession involves a number of mediators between the work environment and this intent.
The good, the bad, and the risky
Authors: Stinson Danu Anthony , Cameron Jessica J. , Robinson Kelley J.
Published: November 2014

Social risk interacts with self-esteem to predict relationship-initiation motivation and behavior. However, because socially risky situations afford both rewards and costs, it is unclear which affordance is responsible for these effects. Two experiments primed social rewards or costs within different relationship-initiation contexts and then evaluated participants’ relationship-initiation motivation and behavior. Results revealed that global self-esteem regulates responses to both affordances. When social rewards were primed, lower self-esteem individuals (LSEs) exhibited stronger relationship-initiation motivation than higher self-esteem individuals (HSEs), whereas the reverse was true when social costs were primed. Furthermore, LSEs exhibited the strongest relationship-initiation motivation when rewards were primed, whereas HSEs exhibited the strongest relationship-initiation motivation and used more successful relationship-initiation behaviors when costs were primed. This pattern of results suggests a complex association between social affordances and self-esteem during relationship initiation that is not predicted or explained by current theoretical models and thus deserves further empirical attention.
Validity argument for assessing L2 pragmatics in interaction using mixed methods
Authors: Youn Soo Jung
Published: November 2014

This study investigates the validity of assessing L2 pragmatics in interaction using mixed methods, focusing on the evaluation inference. Open role-plays that are meaningful and relevant to the stakeholders in an English for Academic Purposes context were developed for classroom assessment. For meaningful score interpretations and accurate evaluations of interaction-involved pragmatic performances, interaction-sensitive data-driven rating criteria were developed, based on the qualitative analyses of examinees’ role-play performances. The conversation analysis performed on the data revealed various pragmatic and interactional features indicative of differing levels of pragmatic competence in interaction. The FACETS analysis indicated that the role-plays stably differentiated between the varying degrees of the 102 examinees’ pragmatic abilities. The raters showed internal consistency despite their differing degrees of severity. Stable fit statistics and distinct difficulties were reported within each of the interaction-sensitive rating criteria.The findings served as backing for the evaluation inference in the validity argument. Finally, implications of the findings in operationalizing interaction-involved language performances and developing rating criteria are discussed.
Exploring ways to provide diagnostic feedback with an ESL placement test: Cognitive diagnostic assessment of L2 reading ability
Authors: Kim Ah-Young (Alicia)
Published: November 2014

Previous research in cognitive diagnostic assessment (CDA) of L2 reading ability has been frequently conducted using large-scale English proficiency exams (e.g., TOEFL, MELAB). Using CDA, it is possible to analyze individual learners’ strengths and weaknesses in multiple attributes (i.e., knowledge, skill, strategy) measured at the item level. This study explored how a placement test score could be used for diagnosing the L2 reading ability of incoming students to an adult ESL program. Five content experts completed a reading placement test and identified the attributes required for successfully completing each item on the test, while referring to the list of L2 reading attributes. Then, content experts’ codings were analyzed and developed into an item-by-attribute Q-matrix. The Fusion model, a type of cognitive diagnostic model (CDM), was used for refining the Q-matrix and diagnosing 1982 learners’ strengths and weaknesses in L2 reading. Results suggest that 10 major L2 reading attributes were involved in the reading test. In addition, examinees’ strengths and weaknesses were identified for the overall group, three reading proficiency groups (i.e., beginner, intermediate, and advanced), and individual learners. Such information could be provided to ESL program administrator and teachers for enhancing the reading curriculum and developing instructional materials.
Treatment Attrition of Probationers With Mental Illness From an Enhanced Day Reporting Center
Authors: Carr W. Amory , Cassidy James J.
Published: November 2014

Treatment completion is an important outcome for both mental health and criminal justice agencies tasked with managing offenders with mental illness in the community. Previous research has shown that greater degrees of criminogenic risk factors (e.g., specific criminal history variables) predict treatment non-completion among legally mandated populations. However, most studies were conducted with offenders without mental illness. In this study, demographic (e.g., age, gender), clinical (e.g., psychiatric diagnosis), and criminogenic risk factors (measured using the Level of Service Inventory–Revised [LSI-R]) were compared by treatment completion status using 167 probationers with mental illness treated at an enhanced day reporting center. Bivariate and multivariate (i.e., forward entry logistic regression) analyses revealed that while the LSI-R total score was unrelated to treatment completion, higher scores on the LSI-R Alcohol and Drug use subscale (odds ratio [OR] = 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.01, 1.54]) and older age (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = [1.00, 1.09]) were significantly predictive of non-completion.
Resilience Building Among Adolescents From National Guard Families
Authors: Baptist Joyce , Barros Patricia , Cafferky Bryan , Johannes Elaine
Published: November 2014

A better understanding of resilience building in military-connected children is needed to serve the needs of military families and sustain the security of the United States. This study explored the development of resilience in 30 adolescents from National Guard families that had been deployed. Using thematic analysis, we found that military-connected adolescents are affected by events in settings far beyond their control—political and civil upheavals in foreign lands, military cultural values, societal perception of the military and of wars, and communities’ responses to military families. When comfort was not offered by familiar social and school networks, these adolescents had only their families to which they could turn. The extent to which adolescents can depend on parents for comfort was influenced by the quality of the parental relationship. Even when parents were available, adolescents were inclined to uphold the military value of personal courage and withdraw to self-soothe.
Facilitating Treatment Access and Engagement for Justice-Involved Veterans With Substance Use Disorders
Authors: Glynn Lisa H. , Kendra Matthew S. , Timko Christine , Finlay Andrea K. , Blodgett Janet C. , Maisel Natalya C. , Midboe Amanda M. , McGuire James F. , Blonigen Daniel M.
Published: November 2014

More than one half of U.S. military Veterans with criminal-justice involvement report problematic substance use, but less than one third ever receive or engage in treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs), despite access to the Veterans Health Administration (VA). This underutilization of services places an already vulnerable population at risk of negative outcomes, such as poor physical and mental health, intimate partner violence, homelessness, suicide, and criminal recidivism. These risks and harms can be reduced through connection with SUD treatment services, and many Veterans already qualify for care through the VA and other agencies. In this review, we outline the known and likely barriers to SUD treatment access and engagement for justice-involved Veterans, suggest policy responses to these barriers, and describe current efforts within the VA and community organizations to address access and engagement in this population. A summary of current knowledge is provided, and directions for future research are suggested.
“Some of Us Are Good, God-Fearing Folks”
Authors: Sumerau J. Edward
Published: November 2014

In this article, I examine how a group of LGBT Christians explained Christianity. Based on more than 36 months of fieldwork in a southeastern LGBT Christian church, I analyze how a group of LGBT Christians, responding to sexual and religious stigma, justified their Christian belief and practice by (1) denying abnormality, (2) appealing to emotions, and (3) claiming self-sacrifice. In conclusion, I draw out implications for understanding how members of subordinate groups justify seemingly normative behaviors, and some consequences these actions have for the reproduction of inequality.
A new homing guidance law to reduce sensitivity on initial heading errors
Authors: Shin Hyo-Sang , Lee Jin-Ik , Tahk Min-Jae
Published: November 2014

In this paper, a new guidance law is developed to reduce sensitivity on heading errors at the initial homing phase. The key enabler to propose such a guidance law was to design a new performance index by introducing distribution functions to the input weighting. The distribution functions in the new performance index are expressed in terms of a second-order polynomial of time-to-go and inverse weighted time-to-go. This allows distribution of the relative input weighting over the entire homing phase. Then, a homing guidance law is derived by applying the optimal control theory to the linear quadratic optimal problem with the new performance index. Unlike the conventional proportional navigation (PN) guidance law with a constant navigation gain, the proposed guidance law has a time-varying gain to ease the heading error sensitivity at the initial homing phase. The characteristics of the proposed guidance algorithm are analytically investigated and its performance is demonstrated through numerical simulations.
Dialogue on ‘1 Malaysia’: The uses of metadiscourse in ethnopolitical accounting
Authors: Buttny Richard , Hashim Azirah
Published: November 2014

A small group of ethnically and religiously diverse Malaysians were assembled to discuss the recent call for ‘1 Malaysia’. Dialogue is widely recognized as a worthwhile communication activity to deal with the differences and issues between peoples. But how does dialogue actually work in practice? In this study, metadiscourse – talk about talk – is used as a resource to get at how participants understand their own discussion, for example, ‘we should have dialogues like this’ or ‘as long as we continue talking and trying to find solutions we have a hope of finding a solution if we don’t talk there won’t be any chance for a solution’. However, there are few instances of such metadiscourse in the over 2-hour discussion. More common are uses of metadiscourse to characterize prior problematic situations or what is needed in the future. Participants use metadiscourse as part of a narrative to give voice to self or other in making an argument about the situation in Malaysia. Participants’ narratives show how ethnicity and religion have become politicized into an ethnopolitical conflict. Most of all of the narratives are of problematic ethnopolitical relations between the Malays and non-Malays. Yet giving voice to these sensitive issues in a mixed group also points to possible solutions and a way forward.
Welfare regimes and social stratification
Authors: Esping-Andersen Gøsta
Published: November 2014

This study examines the conditions under which welfare state policies contribute to an equalization of the opportunity structure, focusing in particular on Scandinavia. Using data on inter-generational mobility and educational attainment, I find a clear equalizing effect in Scanidnavia that does not obtain elsewhere. The effect, however, is assymetric in the sense that it is almost exclusively a bottom-up equalization.
Increased Syk phosphorylation leads to overexpression of TRAF6 in peripheral B cells of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Iwata S , Yamaoka K , Niiro H , Jabbarzadeh-Tabrizi S , Wang S-P , Kondo M , Yoshikawa M , Akashi K , Tanaka Y
Published: November 2014

Objective

Activation of B cells is a hallmark of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Syk and TRAF6 are key signaling molecules in B-cell activation through BCR and CD40/TLR, respectively. Nevertheless, whether expression of Syk and TRAF6 is altered in SLE B cells remains unknown.

Methods

Phosphorylation and/or expression of Syk and TRAF6 were analyzed by flow cytometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from SLE patients.

Results

Pronounced phosphorylation and expression of Syk were noted in B cells from SLE patients compared with healthy donors. Levels of Syk phosphorylation correlated with the disease activity score. TRAF6 was significantly over-expressed in B cells of SLE patients as compared with healthy donors, and significant correlation of levels of TRAF6 expression and Syk phosphorylation was observed in SLE patients. Levels of TRAF6 expression were more pronounced in CD27+ memory B cells than in CD27-naïve B cells. In vitro treatment of SLE B cells with a Syk inhibitor (BAY61-3606) reduced Syk phosphorylation as well as TRAF6 expression.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the activated Syk-mediated TRAF6 pathway leads to aberrant activation of B cells in SLE, and also highlight Syk as a potential target for B-cell-mediated processes in SLE.
Estimating the average treatment effects of nutritional label use using subclassification with regression adjustment
Authors: Lopez Michael J , Gutman Roee
Published: November 2014

Propensity score methods are common for estimating a binary treatment effect when treatment assignment is not randomized. When exposure is measured on an ordinal scale (i.e. low–medium–high), however, propensity score inference requires extensions which have received limited attention. Estimands of possible interest with an ordinal exposure are the average treatment effects between each pair of exposure levels. Using these estimands, it is possible to determine an optimal exposure level. Traditional methods, including dichotomization of the exposure or a series of binary propensity score comparisons across exposure pairs, are generally inadequate for identification of optimal levels. We combine subclassification with regression adjustment to estimate transitive, unbiased average causal effects across an ordered exposure, and apply our method on the 2005–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to estimate the effects of nutritional label use on body mass index.