bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of miR-148a in Mitigating Hepatic Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Repressing the TLR4 Signaling Pathway via Targeting CaMKIIα in Vivo and in Vitro
Authors: Zheng Daofeng , Li Zhongtang , Wei Xufu , Liu Rui , Shen Ai , He Diao , Tang Chengyong , Wu Zhongjun
Published: September 2018

Background/Aims: Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, which is mainly induced by inflammation and unstable intracellular ions, is a major negative consequence of surgery that compromises hepatic function. However, the exact mechanisms of liver I/R injury have not been determined. Positive crosstalk with the Ca2+/CaMKII pathway is required for complete activation of the TLR4 pathway and inflammation. We previously found that miR-148a, which decreased in abundance with increasing reperfusion time, targeted and repressed the expression of CaMKIIα. In the present study, we examined the role of the miR-148a machinery in I/R-induced Ca2+/CaMKII and TLR4 signaling changes, inflammation, and liver dysfunction in vivo and in vitro. Methods: Liver function was evaluated by serum aminotransferase levels and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. Inflammatory factors were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Gene and protein expression were assessed by RT-PCR and western blot. Small interfering RNA was used to silence target gene expression. HE staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling were used to measure hepatic tissue apoptosis. These assays were performed to identify factors upregulated in hepatic I/R injury and downregulated by miR-148a. Results: We manifested that expression of CaMKIIα and phosphorylation of TAK1 and IRF3 were elevated in hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-treated primary Kupffer cells (KCs) and liver tissue of I/R-treated mice, but these effects were attenuated by treatment with miR-148a mimic and were accompanied by the alleviation of liver dysfunction and hepatocellular apoptosis. Luciferase reporter experiments showed that miR148a suppressed luciferase activity by almost 60%. Moreover, knockdown of CaMKIIα in H/R KCs led to significant deficiencies in p-TAK1, P-IRF3, IL-6, and TNF-α, which was consistent with the effects of miR-148a overexpression. Otherwise, the same trend of activation of TAK1 and IRF3 and inflammatory factors in vitro was observed in the siTAK1 + siIRF3 group compared with the siCaMKIIα group. Conclusion: Taken together, we conclude that miR-148a may mitigate hepatic I/R injury by ameliorating TLR4-mediated inflammation via targeting CaMKIIα in vitro and in vivo.
Maintaining Links with the Homeland through Marriage and Naming
Authors: Sam Monibo A.
Published: September 2018

The more contemporary wave of diaspora Africans constantly call upon a wide array of elements of their native cultures as they negotiate life in their host societies, signifying their continuing linkage to their homelands. This article examines marriage among Nigerian immigrants in the US for patterns expressing their continuing connectedness to their native cultures. I argue that marrying fellow Nigerians allows them to create a space where their native cultures become part of their daily lives. Legitimizing their marriages using Nigerian institutions, to an extent which is not required by US law, also signifies their connection to their homelands. When they give their children ethnic (Nigerian) names, they do so explicitly to express their cultural identity and roots and sow the seeds of this consciousness in their children.
Pseudodactylaria brevis sp. nov. from Thailand confirms the status of Pseudodactylariaceae
Authors: LIN CHUAN-GEN , MCKENZIE ERIC H. C. , BHAT DARBHE J. , LIU JIAN-KUI , HYDE KEVIN D. , LUMYONG SAISAMORN
Published: September 2018

A new species, Pseudodactylaria brevis, is described, illustrated and compared with other Pseudodactylaria and Dactylaria-like taxa. Evidence for the new species is provided by morphological comparison and sequence data analyses. Pseudodactylaria brevis can be distinguished from other Pseudodactylaria and Dactylaria-like species by its short hyaline conidiophores and fusiform, 1-septate hyaline conidia. Phylogenetic analysis of LSU and ITS sequence data was carried out to determine the phylogenetic placement of the species and confirm the taxonomic status of Pseudodactylariaceae.
Reinstatement of the independent specific status of Thalictrum hamatum (Ranunculaceae), with T. macrorhynchum reduced to its synonymy
Authors: ZENG YOU-PAI , YUAN QIONG , YANG QIN-ER
Published: September 2018

Thalictrum hamatum (Ranunculaceae) has been previously placed in synonymy with T. uncatum. Our critical examination of the original material of T. hamatum reveals that this species is actually not conspecific with T. uncatum, but with T. macrorhynchum. As T. hamatum was published earlier than T. macrorhynchum, we reduce the latter to the synonymy of the former herein. Lectotypification is proposed for T. macrorhynchum.
Two more new species of Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar (Burma)
Authors: GRISMER L. LEE , WOOD PERRY L. JR. , ZUG GEORGE R. , THURA MYINT KYAW , GRISMER MARTA S. , MURDOCH MATTHEW L. , QUAH EVAN S. H. , LIN AUNG
Published: September 2018

An integrative phylogenetic analysis recovers two new species of the gekkonid genus Hemiphyllodactylus (Bleeker) from the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar. Hemiphyllodactylus ywanganensis sp. nov. and H. uga sp. nov. are nested within the eastern Myanmar clade of a previous genus-wide phylogenetic analysis and form a more exclusive monophyletic group with H. linnwayensis. These species differ from each other and all other Hemiphyllodactylus in having unique combinations of character states involving postmental and subcaudal scale morphology; maximum SVL; digital formulae; numbers of chin scales, circumnasals, intersupranasals (=postrostrals), labials, longitudinally arranged dorsal and ventral scales, and pore-bearing femoroprecloacal scales; as well as subtle differences in coloration and pattern. The phylogenetic affinities of the eastern Myanmar clade are similar to those of an endemic clade of Cyrtodactylus from the Shan Hills in that both are more closely related to Indochinese taxa east of Myanmar as opposed to other Indo-Burmese species. The discovery of these new species underscores the underappreciated herpetological diversity of limestone ecosystems as well as the remote nature of the rugged uplands of the Shan Hills and emphasizes the need for continued field work in this region.
Two new species of Corumbataia (Hypoptopomatinae: Loricariidae) from Rio Corrente, upper Rio Paraná basin, Brazil
Authors: SILVA GABRIEL S. C. , ROXO FABIO F. , SOUZA CAMILA S. , OLIVEIRA CLAUDIO
Published: September 2018

We describe two new species of Corumbataia from Central Brazil. The new species are known from Rio Corrente, a tributary of the upper Rio Paraná basin. Furthermore, the two species are distinguished from congeners, mainly by the presence of a broad naked area without plates or odontodes on the dorsal portion of the snout. Additionally, the two new species described here can be distinguished from each other by the caudal-peduncle depth, number of infraorbitals plates series and by the general color pattern of caudal fin.
A new species of Chorisquilla Manning, 1969 (Stomatopoda: Protosquillidae) from Korea and Japan with redescription of C. mehtae Erdmann & Manning, 1998
Authors: HWANG HEE-SEUNG , AHYONG SHANE T. , KIM WON
Published: September 2018

A new species of protosquillid mantis shrimp is described from the coastal waters of Korea and Japan. Chorisquilla orientalis n. sp. is distinguished from congeners by the combination of deep grooves and pits on the dorsal surface of abdominal somite 5, 8–14 spines on lateral margin of the telson, numerous minute dorsal spines on the telson and abdominal somite 6, and large, pyriform submedian bosses on the telson preceded by a small rounded boss. Chorisquilla orientalis is morphologically closest to C. mehtae Erdmann & Manning, 1998, from Indonesia, but differs chiefly in the dorsal ornamentation of abdominal somite 6 and the telson and reaches a considerably larger size. Chorisquilla orientalis n. sp. shows developmental changes from juvenile to adult in the shape of the ocular scales and anterior margin of lateral plates of carapace, and in the number of lateral spines on telson. Also, C. mehtae Erdmann & Manning, 1998, which, to date has not been adequately illustrated, is redescribed and figured. A key to the Korean gonodactyloids is presented.
The Dodge City Tornadoes on 24 May 2016: Damage Survey, Photogrammetric Analysis Combined with Mobile Polarimetric Radar Data
Authors: Wakimoto Roger M. , Wienhoff Zachary , Bluestein Howard B. , Reif Dylan
Published: September 2018

Polarimetric measurements recorded by a mobile X-band radar are combined with photographs of the Dodge City, Kansas, tornado to quantitatively document the evolving debris cloud. An inner annulus or tube of high radar reflectivity encircled the tornado at low levels. A column of low cross-correlation coefficient ρhv was centered on the funnel cloud during the early stage of the tornado’s life cycle. In addition, two areas of low ρhv were located near the inner annulus of high radar reflectivity and were hypothesized to be regions of high debris loading that have been reproduced in simulations of lofted debris. Another column of low ρhv was a result of strong wind speeds that were progressively lofting small debris and dust as inflow rotated around and within the weak echo notch of the hook echo. A column of negative differential reflectivity ZDR was also centered on the tornado and was hypothesized to result from common debris alignment. The polarimetric structure undergoes a dramatic transition when the debris cloud was prominent and enveloped most of the funnel cloud. The weak echo column (WEC) began to fill at lower levels as large amounts of debris were lofted into the circulation. The axis of minimum ρhv shifted to a radius just beyond the funnel cloud. A column of positive ZDR was collocated with the funnel surrounded by negative ZDR. The negative ZDR and low ρhv within the debris cloud were likely the result of some common debris alignment from wheat stems. The positive ZDR within the funnel signified the presence of a few hydrometeors.
Prevalence, Incidence, and Contributors of Subclinical Atheromatosis, Arteriosclerosis, and Arterial Hypertrophy in HIV-Infected Individuals: A Single-Center, 3-Year Prospective Study
Authors: Psichogiou Mina , Kapelios Chris J. , Konstantonis Giorgos , Argyris Antonis , Nasothimiou Euthimia , Papadopoulou Martha , Kitas George , Papaioannou Theodoros G. , Daikos George L. , Sfikakis Petros P. , Protogerou Athanase D.
Published: September 2018

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is an important comorbidity for people living with HIV infection (PLWH) in the combined antiretroviral therapy era. We prospectively examined the presence of subclinical arterial disease in 138 consecutive CVD-free, HIV-infected individuals compared to 664 HIV-negative individuals. We studied 10 arterial sites in 4 beds using 5 distinct biomarkers of subclinical atheromatosis, arteriosclerosis, and hypertrophy and evaluated the association of subclinical arterial damage with CVD-related and HIV-related factors at baseline and at 3-year follow-up. Atheromatosis, arteriosclerosis, and arterial hypertrophy were present in 36.1%, 59.7%, and 34.3% of HIV-infected individuals, respectively, at baseline. HIV infection was independently associated with carotid atheromatosis and hypertrophy. The presence of carotid atheromatosis was independently associated with age, years of smoking, and exposure to nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs). The annual incidence of atheromatosis, arteriosclerosis, and arterial hypertrophy was 5.5, 18.6, and 12.5 cases/100 patients, respectively. Carotid atheromatosis progression was significantly associated with NNRTI exposure. People living with HIV infection exhibited high prevalence and incidence of subclinical arterial damage and site-specific predilection for the carotids. These investigations may help optimize HIV-specific CVD prediction models. The NNRTIs may contribute to atheromatosis, emphasizing the need to consider the atherogenic potential of antiretroviral drugs in management strategies.
The relationship between body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review of direct comparative studies
Authors: Malcolm Amy , Labuschagne Izelle , Castle David , Terrett Gill , Rendell Peter G , Rossell Susan L
Published: September 2018

Objective:

Current nosology conceptualises body dysmorphic disorder as being related to obsessive-compulsive disorder, but the direct evidence to support this conceptualisation is mixed. In this systematic review, we aimed to provide an integrated overview of research that has directly compared body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Method:

The PubMed database was searched for empirical studies which had directly compared body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder groups across any subject matter. Of 379 records, 31 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed.

Results:

Evidence of similarities between body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder was identified for broad illness features, including age of onset, illness course, symptom severity and level of functional impairment, as well as high perfectionism and high fear of negative evaluation. However, insight was clearly worse in body dysmorphic disorder than obsessive-compulsive disorder, and preliminary data also suggested unique visual processing features, impaired facial affect recognition, increased social anxiety severity and overall greater social-affective dysregulation in body dysmorphic disorder relative to obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Conclusion:

Limitations included a restricted number of studies overall, an absence of studies comparing biological parameters (e.g. neuroimaging), and the frequent inclusion of participants with comorbid body dysmorphic disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Risks of interpreting common features as indications of shared underlying mechanisms are explored, and evidence of differences between the disorders are placed in the context of broader research findings. Overall, this review suggests that the current nosological status of body dysmorphic disorder is somewhat tenuous and requires further investigation, with particular focus on dimensional, biological and aetiological elements.
Rights for Same-Sex Couples and Public Attitudes Toward Gays and Lesbians in Europe
Authors: Abou-Chadi Tarik , Finnigan Ryan
Published: September 2018

This article investigates how changes in same-sex rights affect attitudes toward homosexuality. We argue that different same-sex relationship policies vary in their impact. Whereas registered partnership laws construct a distinct target population that receives new benefits, marriage equality sends an unambiguously positive signal and reduces the perceived group difference through inclusion into existing rights. As a consequence, marriage equality should have a positive effect on attitudes toward homosexuality, whereas partnership laws should have much less positive effects and could even lead to backlash among some groups. Combining data from eight waves of the European Social Survey with data on legislation, we analyze the effects of same-sex marriage, registered partnerships, and marriage bans on attitudes toward gays and lesbians. Marriage has a positive effect, bans and registered partnerships have a negative effect. Legalized partnership is especially associated with significantly more negative attitudes among nonreligious and less educated people.
Watching the watchers: Taskforce Argos and the evidentiary issues involved with infiltrating Dark Web child exploitation networks
Authors: Bleakley Paul
Published: September 2018

As the kind of technology used by offenders advances, it has become increasingly necessary for global law enforcement agencies to adopt proactive strategies in order to effectively combat the threat posed by the organisation of child exploitation networks on the Dark Web. In spite of concerns regarding the collection of evidence, Queensland Police’s Taskforce Argos has cultivated a reputation for success in the covert infiltration of online forums dedicated to child exploitation material, due largely to the relatively loose restrictions placed on it, which allow officers to commit a wide range of criminal acts whilst conducting controlled undercover operations.
Empirically Derived Test Specifications for the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor Examination: Revisiting the Essential Competencies of Rehabilitation Counselors
Authors: Leahy Michael J. , Chan Fong , Iwanaga Kanako , Umucu Emre , Sung Connie , Bishop Malachy , Strauser David
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this article is to examine the results of the certified rehabilitation counselor (CRC) knowledge validation study conducted in collaboration with the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification (CRCC). The research design for the present study includes both descriptive and ex post facto approaches. Three hundred ninety-four CRCs completed the Knowledge Validation Inventory–Revised (KVI-R) survey. Factor analysis results revealed six knowledge domains: (a) rehabilitation and mental health counseling, (b) employer engagement and job placement, (c) case management, (d) medical and psychosocial aspects of chronic illness and disability, (e) research methodology and evidence-based practice, and (f) group and family counseling. The findings of this study provide important information for CRCC to examine and develop test and item specifications that will guide future versions of the CRC examination. The findings also inform the description of the knowledge base underlying the practice of rehabilitation counseling and contribute further empirical evidence regarding the knowledge domains identified in this replication and extension of the previous study completed in 2012.
Macroeconomic, Income Inequality, and Poverty Relationship: A Review of Research Perspectives
Authors: Ainous Redouan
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this study is to review a major section of the literature on macroeconomics and poverty to achieve better perspectives on emerging macroeconomic research streams. The article examines the research on macroeconomics and poverty relationship and presents a conceptual framework. This article discusses the studies published on gross domestic product (GDP) growth, income distribution, inequality, inflation, unemployment, and poverty. An international journal and different articles related to the relatioship between macroeconomics and poverty are examined. The study contributes to the macroeconomic literature by identifying key areas of research on the relationship between macroeconomics and poverty. This survey article is special in that it examines the macroeconomics and poverty literature and summarizes the results to gain a proper understanding of macroeconomics and poverty and also provides perspectives for future research.
Historicizing waterboarding as a severe torture norm
Authors: Cox Rory
Published: September 2018

The debate on waterboarding and the wider debate on torture remains fiercely contested. President Trump and large sections of the US public continue to support the use of waterboarding and other so-called ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ as part of the ‘War on Terror’, thus putting the anti-torture norm under pressure. This article demonstrates that the re-imagining of waterboarding as ‘torture-lite’ is contradicted by the long history of waterboarding itself. Examining pre-modern uses and descriptions of torture and waterboarding, this article highlights that the post-2001 identification of waterboarding as a relatively benign interrogation technique radically inverts a norm that has predominated for over 600 years. This historical norm unequivocally identifies waterboarding not only as torture but as severe torture. The article highlights the value of historically contextualizing attitudes to torture, reviews how and why waterboarding was downgraded by the Bush Administration, reveals the earliest explicit description of waterboarding from 1384, and argues that the twenty-first-century re-imagining of waterboarding as torture-lite is indicative of the fragility of the anti-torture norm.
On the Feasibility of Ultrasound Imaging Enrichment by Medium-Temperature Changes
Authors: Teixeira C. A. , Pastrana-Chalco M. , Simões R. J. , Pedrosa A. , von Krüger M. A. , Alvarenga A. V. , Fontes-Pereira A. J. , Pereira W. C. A.
Published: September 2018

We describe the concept of a new imaging modality based on the tracking and dynamic modeling of local intensity changes (ICs) observed in conventional ultrasound images collected during a medium-temperature change. We computed the pixel-by-pixel IC from averaged B-mode images that exhibited different behaviors with varying temperature resulting from changes in the speed of sound, which consequently induce changes in the backscattered energy. Moreover, for each pixel, a first-order polynomial model was adjusted to the different temperature-dependent ICs. The representation of the polynomial angular parameter in 2D pixel space was used to obtain a parametric image. The results obtained by simulations and with real B-mode images indicated that this new ultrasound imaging modality was able to enhance the contrast and highlight structures that were poorly visible or even undetected in conventional images. A temperature change of 3°C was found to be sufficient to generate appropriate images with the proposed method. In addition, if a temperature change of 6°C was considered, the thermal dose, measured as the cumulative number of equivalent minutes at 43°C (CEM43°C), was 2.4 CEM43°C, which is a value that is considered safe according to the literature. We provide a proof-of-concept of a new imaging modality that opens new opportunities for the enhancement of ultrasound images and consequently contributes to improvements in ultrasound-based diagnoses. Our approach is based on images returned by commercial ultrasound scanners. Therefore, it can be implemented in any ultrasound system and is independent of specific ultrasound hardware and software data acquisition characteristics.
Domestic Labor, Attitudes, and Women’s Marital Satisfaction: A Longitudinal Study in Korea
Authors: Cheung Adam Ka-Lok , Kim Erin Hye-Won
Published: September 2018

This study examines how gender and family attitudes moderate the relationship between domestic labor and marital satisfaction in Korea, where the heavy and unequal burden of domestic labor on women intersects with traditional familism and gender ideology. We analyze panel data from the Korean Longitudinal Survey of Women and Families ( n = 11,488). Our individual fixed-effect regressions reveal that women’s time spent on domestic labor is negatively associated with the marital satisfaction of younger wives (in their 20s and 30s) when they do not hold traditional family attitudes. However, younger women’s satisfaction is positively associated with their husbands’ share of domestic labor regardless of the women’s gender-role attitudes. For older women (in their 40s or older), we find no evidence for either interaction effect. With the continued erosion of traditional familism in Korea, the burden of domestic labor may become more problematic for younger women’s marriages.
A Qualitative Examination of the Experiences of Veterans Treatment Court Graduates in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Authors: McCall Janice D. , Rodriguez Keri L. , Barnisin-Lange Debra , Gordon Adam J.
Published: September 2018

U.S. Veterans treatment courts (VTCs) serve justice-involved Veterans with behavioral health and reintegration issues. However, there is paucity of efforts examining VTC participants’ experiences and distinguishing the unique operations of VTCs. We summarize a descriptive history of a large VTC program in a major metropolitan area (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and examine the experiences of this VTC’s participants. We used content analysis to code VTC graduation proceeding transcripts with complementary content data from resources distributed by the presiding Judge to entering participants. From 2009 through 2016, 118 Veterans were graduated, averaging 9 to 12 months for completion for those with felony or non-felony charges, and blended monitoring with positive reinforcement within a three-stage program. From 62 VTC graduates across eight graduations, testimonies centered on gratitude toward the treatment team, treatment readiness, treatments received, and reintegration. As several theoretical frameworks on behavior change exist, opportunities remain to enhance the delivery of the VTC.
Empirical Research on Domestic Violence in Contemporary China: Continuity and Advances
Authors: Zhang Hongwei , Zhao Ruohui
Published: September 2018

Domestic violence is not uncommon in China. Myths and misconceptions about it do exist, especially in the context of rapid social changes. Compared with its Western counterparts, the study on domestic violence in China is considered rudimentary and of low priority. Empirical studies, especially those measuring the correlates and/or risk factors related to domestic violence, are still lacking. This special issue aims to advance understanding on domestic violence through much-needed empirical research. It also demonstrates joint efforts by local Chinese scholars and their Western counterparts to strengthen collaboration in this important research area. Based on relatively large sample surveys, the articles incorporated in this special issue provide relatively accurate estimates of factors related to domestic violence and responses to it in mainland China and Taiwan. Future studies should give priority to developing indigenous theories and practices in addition to adapting and testing theories and models developed in the West.
On Augmenting Adaptive Cruise Control Systems with Vehicular Communication for Smoother Automated Following
Authors: Meier Jan-Niklas , Kailas Aravind , Abuchaar Oubada , Abubakr Maher , Adla Rawa , Ali Mahdi , Bitar George , Deering Richard , Ibrahim Umair , Kelkar Paritosh , Kumar Vivek Vijaya , Moradi-Pari Ehsan , Parikh Jay , Rajab Samer , Sakakida Masafumi , Yamamoto Masashi
Published: September 2018

This paper focuses on evaluating, in a structured manner, the potential benefits, along with the implementation and performance issues, of utilizing dedicated short range communication-based communication in conjunction with adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems. This work was done in the United States under a cooperative agreement between the Crash Avoidance Metrics Partners LLC and the Federal Highway Administration. Designing cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC) as an extension of ACC, and by using a combination of a comprehensive simulation framework and test vehicles, benefits of vehicular communication on string stability were established, and the performance of the novel CACC-enabling software modules were validated. Another key contribution of this work is the consideration of vehicles with different dynamic responses as a part of a single string. Four light-duty vehicles (hatchback, mid- and full-size sedans, large SUV), each from a different automotive original equipment manufacturer, were retrofitted with common ACC and vehicular communication systems. They were tested under many different conditions to obtain performance data (such as radar sensor readings, etc.) when operating in a vehicle string. These data were then integrated into the simulation environment to develop and validate the CACC modules. The paper concludes with a recommendation of some data elements for over-the-air messages to enable CACC functionality.
Effective Post-Construction Evaluation Practices for Work Zone Management Strategies
Authors: Volk Michael J. , Jeong Ryan S. , Shane Jennifer S.
Published: September 2018

State departments of transportation (DOTs) invest a significant amount of effort to develop and implement transportation management plans (TMPs) in order to effectively manage the traffic flow of work zones and secure the safety of workers and the traveling public during construction of highway projects. State DOTs typically spend an average 3% to 5% of the total construction cost for TMP development and implementation, but some urban projects, in highly congested areas, may require up to 30% of the total construction cost for this effort. For continuous improvement of TMP development and implementation, it is critically important to monitor the performance of work zone management strategies during construction and evaluate them at the conclusion of construction. However, most state DOTs lack structured policies and/or work processes to ensure the implementation of these important monitoring and evaluation components as part of the TMP. A working feedback loop must be established in the project delivery process to document lessons learned, successes and failures, potential changes to the TMP, and transfer them back to the early TMP development stage. This research extensively reviews existing literature and evaluates the current practices of monitoring and evaluating work zone management strategies. This study identifies and presents effective practices for continuous improvement of TMP development and implementation through creating a working feedback loop.
Urban Transportation Mode Choice and Carbon Emissions in Southeast Asia
Authors: Ng Wei-Shiuen
Published: September 2018

Cities are growing differently across the world, even within the same region, and presenting different transportation trends and challenges. Existing transportation services and travel behavior are some of the key variables shaping future transportation trends and carbon emissions projections. This study uses five developing cities in Southeast Asia to illustrate how different policy scenarios can help cities achieve more sustainable transportation development. Cities in Southeast Asia encompass distinctive characteristics, such as a wide range of transportation alternatives, often in the form of informal transit, and although they are not growing as rapidly as Chinese or Indian cities, their levels of transportation emissions have been increasing consistently. This study examines how different policies and measures will affect transportation mode choice and carbon emissions through the construction of mode choice models and the application of three policy scenarios. Carbon emissions can be reduced by as much as 93% in 2050 if cities implement a combination of land use planning changes, public transportation development, and economic policies for a modal shift to more energy efficient mode choices. Such policies and measures will therefore be able to contribute to city level climate goals or national climate targets.
Accommodation of Saltwater Temporary Pipelines on the Roadside
Authors: Holik William , Quiroga Cesar , Tsapakis Ioannis , Li Jing
Published: September 2018

Drilling and completing oil and gas wells, particularly when using horizontal and hydraulic fracturing techniques, requires enormous amounts of water. Generally, it is cheaper for the industry to move fluids by pipeline than by truck, hence the interest in using permanent and/or temporary pipelines to transport water in areas where oil and gas developments take place. This paper describes temporary pipeline installation and operation practices and how they impact roadside maintenance activities as well as offering guidelines on how to install and operate temporary pipelines. A GIS database of temporary pipeline locations was developed from permits issued by the Texas Department of Transportation between July 2011 and August 2016. General trends indicate that temporary pipelines are typically 3, 4, 8, or 10 inches in diameter. Operators tend to favor certain highway segments to install temporary pipelines within the right of way. When multiple temporary pipelines are installed on segments repeatedly, this can affect maintenance operations. Several trends were observed that necessitate the development of guidelines for temporary pipelines. Many temporary pipelines were placed away from the right of way line, which creates conflicts with maintenance operations and results in some temporary pipelines being in the clear zone. Many temporary pipelines are not anchored in place and roll into the bottom of ditches or do not maintain a uniform alignment, which affects roadside maintenance. The percentage reduction in overtopping flow rate due to installing temporary pipelines through culverts is also analyzed.
Evaluating the Impact of Real-Time Mobility and Travel Time Reliability Information on Truck Drivers’ Routing Decisions
Authors: Kong Xiaoqiang , Eisele William L. , Zhang Yunlong , Cline Daren B. H.
Published: September 2018

This study represents the first research to investigate the impacts of two critical determinants—level of congestion and travel time reliability—on routing decisions with two groups of truck drivers having different levels of awareness of the real-time and the historical traffic conditions on available routes. The research analyzed 14,538 global positioning system devices recording trips on the I-495 crossing through Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, and 2,166 trips in the Dallas area, to explore how truck drivers make routing decisions based on real-time travel time and reliability information by applying a binary logistic regression model. Researchers found that for truck drivers who are not familiar with the historical traffic and travel time conditions on available routes, real-time congestion information is a significant factor in their routing decision-making process, while travel time reliability is not a major consideration. For frequent truck drivers who are familiar with the historical traffic and travel time conditions on available routes, travel time reliability is a significant factor in their routing decision-making process, and traffic congestion information is not a significant factor. These results bring more accuracy to travel time prediction and provide valuable insights into traffic management and reliability performance measures. Moreover, this research provides statistical evidence proving the potential value of delivering travel time reliability information to drivers, traffic management agencies, and navigation map developers.
Data-Driven Opportunities from an Account-Based Fare Payment System
Authors: Chan Raymond , Vaishnav Maulik , Wainwright Scott , Murray Paul , Cui Alex
Published: September 2018

The development of an account-based transit card has provided an opportunity for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to examine transit usage differently. This new automated fare card/smart card system integrates many parts of a transit fare system, such as physical card, fare product, purchase information, and transit use location. The data are also integrated on a much longer timeframe than the previous generation transit card system. Increased data longevity allows the CTA to embark on a longitudinal study of transit card usage by separating cards in a priori groups. In a period between May 2016 and May 2017, a slight decrease in cards used in the system led to a small ridership drop, but a larger drop in ridership was found in passengers who used the system from one year to the next. This longitudinal application of passenger utilization of the transit network provides the agency with additional information that can be used to adjust fare policies and start marketing campaigns based on customer usages. This allows the agency to improve decision-making ability with greater insight on customer behavior.
Addressing the Double Burden of Malnutrition in Developing Countries: Need for Strategies to Improve the Lean Body Mass
Authors: Kulkarni Bharati
Published: September 2018

The double burden of childhood undernutrition and adult-onset adiposity-related chronic diseases is a key concern in many developing countries that are currently undergoing epidemiological and nutrition transition. Impaired linear growth with suboptimal lean body mass development seems to be the link between these 2 seemingly contrasting forms of malnutrition. Studies assessing the role of early nutrition in the later lean body mass development have shown consistent positive association. In addition, the nutrition during life course, especially the dietary intake of protein, zinc, calcium, and vitamin D status, impacts the lean body mass. Promoting increased intake of these important nutrients throughout life course would, therefore, be important for optimal development and maintenance of lean body mass. Diversified diets with increased consumption of nutrient-rich foods, especially milk and other animal source foods, are crucial for the development of optimal body composition and alleviation of the double burden of malnutrition.
Association of Dairy Protein Intake During Pregnancy with Birth Weight
Authors: Clark David C.
Published: September 2018

Background:

One in 4 children globally is stunted. Stunting is associated with reduced cognitive development, reduced productivity, and chronic disease in later life.

Objective:

To explore the association between maternal diet during pregnancy and low birth weight, which increases the risk of stunting.

Methods:

Current literature pertaining to maternal diet and low birth weight was reviewed.

Results:

Low birth weight and small for gestational age are risk factors for stunting. Dietary pattern studies show an association between moderate dairy protein intake and increased birth weight and reduced risk of low birth weight. Protein-to-carbohydrate ratios are important factors in relation to gestational weight gain and fetal programming. There is evidence suggesting that whey protein could play a role in fetal lean body mass and reduced risk of low birth weight.

Conclusions:

Maternal diet is associated with birth weight.
Roy Bhaskar’s Critical Realism and the Social Science of Marxian Economics
Authors: Westra Richard
Published: September 2018

This article supports claims that critical realism philosophy of science, as refounded in the hands of Roy Bhaskar, offers valuable knowledge enhancing insight into the advancement of Marx’s research program. However, it maintains that key principles set out by Bhaskar have not been adequately assimilated by those working with critical realism in the field of Marxist studies. When they are properly considered, they point to the necessity of reconstructing Marx’s corpus on a divergent basis from the conventional form it has assumed since the codification of “Marxism” by Karl Kautsky in the late nineteenth century as an overarching theory of history or historical materialism, wherein Marx’s economic studies in Capital are portrayed as but a subtheory. The article summarily breaks down three cardinal scientific principles elaborated by Bhaskar, which carry the most vital implications for Marxism. These are the bringing of ontology “back in” to theory construction, the robust case made for social science as a capital-S science, and the specification of retroduction as strategy for scientific discovery. It then explores the principles with regard to three abiding and interrelated questions of the Marxist research program: first is the very condition of intelligibility of economic theory; second is the question of the raison d’être for the dialectical architecture of Capital; third is the social scientific implications of the cognitive sequence in Marxism. In this endeavor the article introduces work in the Uno-Sekine tradition of Japanese Marxism. It shows how Uno’s reconstruction of Marxism is closely supported by Bhaskar’s fundamental criteria for science in a way that serves to strengthen Marx’s own scientific claims for his work.

JEL Classification: B51, B400
Correctional Facility Establishments and Neighborhood Housing Characteristics
Authors: McGeever Kelly
Published: September 2018

In the 1990s, the United States experienced unprecedented correctional population growth and accommodated the increase by building new facilities. Worries about the negative effect of such facilities on property values were a primary concern and complicated the siting of facilities. The aim of this study was to examine whether establishing correctional group quarters in urban neighborhoods changed housing characteristics. Propensity score matching was used to estimate the effect of establishing a correctional group quarter between 1990–2000 on 2000 median property values, median rent, home ownership rates, and vacancy rates for 12,790 neighborhoods in 124 large U.S. cities. Housing outcomes in neighborhoods with correctional facility sitings did not differ from what would be expected if such establishments were not created. This finding held regardless of the correctional facility type. The concern of declining property values as a result of the introduction of correctional group quarters populations in neighborhoods is generally unwarranted.
Gender Differences in Perceived Workplace Flexibility Among Older Workers in the Netherlands: A Brief Report
Authors: Damman Marleen , Henkens Kène
Published: September 2018

Flexibility in work schedule and work location have been suggested as being work features that may promote prolonged employment among older workers. This study focuses on the question whether access to workplace flexibility differs between male and female older workers and how potential differences can be explained. Analyses are based on data collected in 2015 among 4,813 Dutch older workers (age 60-65 years), who were employed in the government, education, care, and welfare sectors. Results show that the studied women on average perceive to have less workplace flexibility than men, both in work schedule and in work location. The gender difference in perceived location flexibility can be fully explained by differences in the human capital and job characteristics of male and female older workers. The gender difference in perceived schedule flexibility can be captured less clearly by these factors. This disadvantaged position of late-career women warrants attention in discussions about prolonged employment.
Text-to-Speech Software and Learning: Investigating the Relevancy of the Voice Effect
Authors: Craig Scotty D. , Schroeder Noah L.
Published: September 2018

Technology advances quickly in today’s society. This is particularly true in regard to instructional multimedia. One increasingly important aspect of instructional multimedia design is determining the type of voice that will provide the narration; however, research in the area is dated and limited in scope. Using a randomized pretest–posttest design, we examined the efficacy of learning from an instructional animation where narration was provided by an older text-to-speech engine, a modern text-to-speech engine, or a recorded human voice. In most respects, those who learned from the modern text-to-speech engine were not statistically different in regard to their perceptions, learning outcomes, or cognitive efficiency measures compared with those who learned from the recorded human voice. Our results imply that software technologies may have reached a point where they can credibly and effectively deliver the narration for multimedia learning environments.
The Association Between PTSD Symptoms and IPV Perpetration Across 6 Years
Authors: Shorey Ryan C. , Fite Paula J. , Menon Suvarna V. , Cohen Joseph R. , Stuart Gregory L. , Temple Jeff R.
Published: September 2018

A large literature documents that posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among adults. However, research on this relationship among adolescents and young adults has been plagued by methodological flaws (e.g., cross-sectional designs). Thus, the purpose of the present study was to examine the longitudinal and bidirectional associations between PTSD symptoms and psychological and physical IPV perpetration from adolesence to young adulthood. A sample of racially and ethnically diverse high school students ( N = 1,042; 56% female) were assessed annually for 6 years (from 2010 to 2015 in Southeastern Texas). At each assessment, participants completed measures of PTSD symptoms and psychological and physical IPV perpetration. The mean age of the sample at the first assessment was 15.09 ( SD = .79). Structural equation modeling demonstrated that PTSD symptoms at Years 2, 3, and 4 predicted increases in psychological IPV perpetration in the subsequent year. In turn, psychological IPV perpetration at Years 1 and 4 predicted increases in PTSD symptoms in the subsequent years. In addition, psychological IPV perpetration mediated the association between PTSD symptoms and physical IPV perpetration over time. Results were consistent across gender and race/ethnicity. Findings provide initial evidence that PTSD symptoms are associated with IPV perpetration across time from adolescence to young adulthood. Prevention and intervention programs for adolescent and young adult IPV perpetration may benefit from screening for, and potentially treating, PTSD symptoms.
School Attachment and Violent Attitudes Preventing Future Violent Behavior Among Youth
Authors: Varela Jorge J. , Zimmerman Marc A. , Ryan Allison M. , Stoddard Sarah A. , Heinze Justin E.
Published: September 2018

Evidence derived from social information theories support the existence of different underlying cognitive mechanisms guiding violent behavior through life. However, a few studies have examined the contribution of school variables to those cognitive mechanisms, which may help explain violent behavior later in life. The present study examines the relationship between school attachment, violent attitudes, and violent behavior over time in a sample of urban adolescents from the U.S. Midwest. We evaluated the influence of school attachment on violent attitudes and subsequent violent behavior. We used structural equation modeling to test our hypothesis in a sample of 579 participants (54.9% female, 81.3% African American). After controlling for gender and race, our results indicated that the relationship between school attachment and violent behavior over time is mediated by violent attitudes. The instrumentalization of the school context as a learning environment aiming to prevent future violent behavior is also discussed.
Relationship Dissatisfaction, Emotion Regulation, and Physical Intimate Partner Aggression in Heavy-Drinking, Conflict-Prone Couples: A Dyadic Analysis
Authors: Halmos Miklos B. , Leone Ruschelle M. , Parrott Dominic J. , Eckhardt Christopher I.
Published: September 2018

Relationship dissatisfaction is a known risk factor for intimate partner aggression (IPA). However, the possible effect of weak emotion regulation skills on this association is unclear, particularly in couples at risk for violence who drink alcohol heavily. This study examined the moderating effect of emotion regulation on the association between relationship dissatisfaction and physical IPA perpetration within a dyadic framework. Participants were 583 heavy drinking couples ( N = 1,166) with a recent history of psychological and/or physical IPA recruited from two metropolitan cities in the United States. Multilevel models were used to examine effects within an actor–partner interdependence framework. Gender, Actor dissatisfaction, and Actor and Partner emotion regulation were associated with greater physical IPA perpetration. Actor relationship dissatisfaction predicted significantly greater physical IPA perpetration in Actors characterized by weak versus strong emotion regulation. Furthermore, partner relationship dissatisfaction predicted significantly increased physical IPA perpetration in Actors reporting weak, versus strong, emotion regulation. Gender did not significantly interact with model variables. Utilizing the I3 metatheoretical model of IPA within a dyadic framework, results provide insight into the interactive effects of relationship dissatisfaction and emotion regulation deficits on physical IPA perpetration, particularly in those individuals already at risk for perpetration.