bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dermoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy for clinically amelanotic nodules
Authors: Lin Matthew J , Xie Charles , Pan Yan , Jalilian Chris , Kelly John W
Published: August 2018

Background/Objectives

Amelanotic nodular melanomas are notoriously difficult to diagnose and are responsible for a disproportionate burden of melanoma mortality. It is important to distinguish them from other amelanotic nodules. This study aimed to describe the dermoscopic features of a series of nodular melanomas and other amelanotic nodules and to determine whether dermoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy.

Method

Retrospective analysis of 150 clinically amelanotic nodules with macroscopic and dermoscopic images.

Results

In terms of classifying the nodules as malignant, dermoscopy was superior to unaided eye (specificity 89%; 95% CI 71–98% vs 67%; 95% CI 46–83%, P = 0.03). Dermoscopy enhanced sensitivity for the diagnosis of both amelanotic melanoma and SCC. In 19% of cases, using dermoscopy, the most likely diagnosis was changed from incorrect to correct. This included 26% of amelanotic melanomas which had a macroscopic misdiagnosis overturned to the correct diagnosis. Polymorphous vascular structures were more common in malignant nodules. 76% of amelanotic melanomas/Merkel cell carcinomas had polymorphous vessels compared with 38% of SCCs/KAs/BCCs and 22% of benign nodules (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Dermoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy for amelanotic melanomas and other amelanotic nodules. Although dermoscopy improves diagnostic accuracy for amelanotic melanomas, these aggressive melanomas remain diagnostically difficult.
ACS in children with sickle cell anaemia in Uganda: prevalence, presentation and aetiology
Authors: Ochaya Odong , Hume Heather , Bugeza Sam , Bwanga Freddie , Byanyima Rosemary , Kisembo Harriet , Tumwine James K.
Published: August 2018

ACS (ACS) is a serious complication of sickle cell anaemia (SCA). We set out to describe the burden, presentation and organisms associated with ACS amongst children with SCA attending Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. In a cross‐sectional study, 256 children with SCA and fever attending Mulago Hospital were recruited. Chest X‐rays, blood cultures, complete blood count and sputum induction were performed. Sputum samples were investigated by Ziehl‐Nielsen staining, culture and DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Chlamydia pneumoniae. Of the 256 children, 22·7% had ACS. Clinical and laboratory findings were not significantly different between children with ACS and those without, besides cough and abnormal signs on auscultation. Among the 83 sputum cultures Streptococcus pneumoniae (12%) and Moraxella spp (8%), were the commonest. Of the 59 sputa examined with DNA PCR, 59·3% were positive for Chlamydia pneumoniae. Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in 6/83 sputa. These results show that one in 5 SCA febrile children had ACS. There were no clinical and laboratory characteristics of ACS, but cough and abnormalities on auscultation were associated with ACS. The high prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in children with ACS in this setting warrants the addition of macrolides to treatment, and M. tuberculosis should be differential in sub‐Saharan children with ACS.
Parent–child communication and self‐esteem mediate the relationship between interparental conflict and children's depressive symptoms
Authors: Ying Liuhua , Zhou Huayi , Yu Shasha , Chen Chuansheng , Jia Xuji , Wang Yanli , Lin Chongde
Published: August 2018

Background

Previous research has paid little attention to the series mediating effect of parent–child communication and self‐esteem in the relationship between interparental conflict and child outcomes, although several other mechanisms have been found to involve in this relationship. Thus, the purpose of the present study is to test these two factors' serial mediation of the relationship between interparental conflict and children's depressive symptoms in a sample of migrant children in China.

Methods

Four hundred thirty‐seven participants from two public schools for migrant children in Zhejiang Province, China, were administered four measures including the Children's Perceptions of Interparental Conflict Scale, the Parent–child Communication Questionnaire, the Global Self‐esteem Scale, and the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale for Children.

Results

Results showed that interparental conflict was positively related to depressive symptoms in migrant children, which was partially and serially mediated by parent–child communication and self‐esteem in that order.

Conclusions

Parent–child communication and self‐esteem play potential roles in the relationship between interparental conflict and depressive symptoms of migrant children in China. This finding has important implications for psychological service providers working with this group of children or children in similar situations.
Changes in Self‐Reported Well‐Being: A Follow‐Up Study of Children Aged 12–14 in Algeria
Authors: Tiliouine Habib , Rees Gwyther , Mokaddem Sahil
Published: August 2018

This article reports on a 2‐year follow‐up study (443 Algerian children). Using a variety of satisfaction measures, along with detailed questions relating to family, school, local area, material deprivation, and daily activities, we aim to explore changes in the self‐reported well‐being of children from age 12 to 14. Satisfaction with health and friends remained stable, meanwhile satisfaction with school decreased more for boys than for girls, but satisfaction with family, time use, and material possessions decreased for girls. This pattern was further confirmed by children's reports on the selected activities, experiences, and facilities provided to them. Regression analyses indicated that satisfaction with material possessions predicted satisfaction with life and positive affect, meanwhile satisfaction with family life and friends predicted eudaimonia.
Consumption frequency of added sugars and UK children's dental caries
Authors: Hong Jialan , Whelton Helen , Douglas Gail , Kang Jing
Published: August 2018

Objectives

To examine the association between consumption frequency of foods and drinks with added sugar and dental caries experience in the permanent teeth of 12‐ and 15‐year‐old children in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, using the Children's Dental Health Survey 2013 (CDHS) data.

Methods

Four thousand nine hundred and fifty children aged 12 and 15 have the following information available: daily consumption frequency of foods and drinks with added sugar, tooth‐brushing frequency, dental attendance, and water‐drinking frequency. The children's dental caries experience was available as a DMFT score (number of decayed, missing, filled permanent teeth). A zero‐inflated negative binomial model (ZINB) was used to fit the DMFT score.

Results

Lower socioeconomic status (SES), nonregular dental check‐ups, and low water‐drinking frequency were associated with higher consumption frequency of added sugar (all P < 0.05). The consumption frequency of both drinks and foods with added sugar also differed by region (P < 0.001), and children who more frequently consumed foods with added sugars also consumed drinks with added sugars more often (P < 0.001). Using the Zero‐Inflated Negative Binomial model, DMFT scores were not associated with consumption frequency of added sugars for children with caries (DMFT > 0), but the chance of being free of obvious caries (DMFT = 0) was lower for children with high frequency (≥4) of sugar‐added foods than for children reported to have a sugar‐free diet (OR = 0.5, 95% CI [0.3, 0.8]).

Conclusions

Consumption frequency of added sugars was associated with dental caries and a number of child demographic and lifestyle characteristics. Children who consume foods and drinks with added sugar more frequently are more likely to develop dental caries, but higher consumption frequency of drinking water in fluoridated areas might reduce dental caries. The findings add to the evidence for the association between children's dental caries and added sugar consumption.
Research with Disabled Children: How Useful is Child‐centred Ethics?
Authors: Alderson Priscilla , Goodey Christopher
Published: August 2018

The title of a collection on 'ethics and methodology of research with children' implies that research with children necessarily raises unique questions about ethics and methods. Our paper questions whether this is so, what the unique questions might be and how they arise. We consider that any extra complications in research with children are common to research with other 'minority' groups. The main complications do not arise from children's inabilities or misperceptions, but from the positions ascribed to children in late twentieth‐century Western societies. Clarity about the social origins of any complications in research with children is crucial if these complications are to be addressed. Ethics, methods, theories, data and policy conclusions are inextricably interwoven, and it is important to acknowledge how initial theories inevitably shape policies. Reasons are given for preferring rights‐based to child‐centred ethics.
The old, the new, and the in‐between: Preadolescents’ use of stylistic variation in speech in projecting their own identity in a culturally changing environment
Authors: Jacewicz Ewa , Fox Robert A.
Published: August 2018

Cultural learning begins early, with infants’ and young children's initial imitations of group‐specific local behaviors. Comparatively little is known about cultural development in older children, whose more advanced socio‐cognitive skills can moderate their decisions about adherence to the established cultural conventions and acceptance of new norms. Focusing on the acquisition of a regional dialect, the current study was conducted in a small community in western North Carolina, whose rich Appalachian heritage grew from distinctive cultural and living traditions. The region has gradually opened up to outside influences and the local culture is now shifting toward mainstream American socio‐cultural norms. The study sought to determine how preadolescents positioned themselves in this socio‐culturally changing environment. Using detailed acoustic analysis to measure stylistic variation in speech in 9–12‐year‐olds and perceptual ratings to verify its salience, we examined the pronunciation of the vowel /ai/ to test children's adherence to the old Appalachian identity marker (the monophthong) and their acceptance of the modern American society (the diphthong). As an innovation, children created an intermediate phonetic variant that reduced the pronunciation differences between the old and modern patterns. Demonstrating the ability to adapt speech style to context, they increased the degree of diphthongization in this /ai/‐variant in careful speech (reading), and reduced it in casual conversations. Girls’ productions were more diphthongal than were boys’ in reading but not in conversations. The new variant in children represents regional dialect levelling, and likely results from their accommodation to the changing environment, which promotes reduction of old marked forms.
Do‐it‐yourself Digital: the Production Boundary, the Productivity Puzzle and Economic Welfare
Authors: Coyle Diane
Published: August 2018

Part of the debate about the ‘productivity puzzle’ concerns potential mismeasurement of GDP due to digital activities. This paper discusses some measurement issues arising from digitally‐enabled substitutions in activity across the conventional production boundary. Production boundary issues are not new, as conventionally defined GDP statistics account for the monetary cost but not the time cost of consumption and production. This means that changes in the way in which time is allocated between market and home production affect measured growth and productivity, as well as economic welfare. Just as technological innovation in domestic appliances led to a substitution from home production into market consumption in the second half of the 20th century, today's digital innovations are driving some reverse substitution out of the market into home production. Statistical agencies do not currently collect the data needed to measure the scale of the switch, but the available evidence suggests that it may be enough to make a contribution to understanding the current productivity puzzle.
When do Voters Weaken Checks and Balances to Facilitate Economic Reform?
Authors: Forteza Alvaro , Pereyra Juan S.
Published: August 2018

Strong checks and balances aimed at protecting citizens from government abuse of power are key features of well‐performing democracies. Nevertheless, some presidents have enjoyed strong and often explicit popular support when they undermined these controls. We present a formal model of the trade‐off between control on the executive and delegation to analyse voters’ decisions on the strength of checks and balances. We argue that voters may support their loosening, even when this allows rent extraction, if they are convinced that checks on the executive are blocking necessary reforms. We discuss several cases of strong presidents in Latin America who, alleging that radical reforms were necessary, obtained popular support that allowed them to loosen checks on the executive. Some of these presidents had a pro‐market and some an anti‐market reform agenda so, as our model suggests, voters’ willingness to remove checks and balances can emerge under both right‐ and left‐wing executives.
Predictors of employment in young adults with psychiatric work disability
Authors: Joensuu Matti , Mattila‐Holappa Pauliina , Ahola Kirsi , Kivimäki Mika , Tuisku Katinka , Koskinen Aki , Vahtera Jussi , Virtanen Marianna
Published: August 2018

Aim

Mental disorders are the leading cause of work disability among young adults in the industrialized world. Factors predicting employment after long‐term psychiatric work disability are largely unknown.

Methods

We linked personal and clinical information from the benefit applications and medical certificates of 1163 young adults (18‐34 years) with a new‐onset fixed‐term psychiatric disability pension in 2008 with employment records between 2005 and 2013. The outcomes were starting employment during and being employed at the end of follow‐up.

Results

Of the participants, 48% had been employed during and 22% were employed at the end of follow‐up. Sustained employment history, university education (master's degree) and no recorded psychological symptoms in childhood were associated with both subsequent employment outcomes. Women and participants under 25 years were more likely to start employment. Depression and other mental disorders (vs psychotic diagnose) and having no comorbid mental disorders or substance abuse were associated with employment at the end of follow‐up.

Conclusions

Sustained employment history, university education and no recorded psychological symptoms during childhood predict a return to employment among young adults after a fixed‐term psychiatric work disability pension. Pro‐active interventions in psychological problems during childhood could enhance employment after a period of work disability.
Decreased vesicular acetylcholine transporter related to memory deficits in epilepsy: A [18F] VAT positron emission tomography brain imaging study
Authors: Wu Xu‐Qing , Zhao Ya‐Nan , Ding Jing , Si Zhan , Cheng Deng‐Feng , Shi Hong‐Cheng , Wang Xin
Published: August 2018

Objective

Vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) is a rate‐limiting factor for synaptic acetylcholine transport. Our study focused on whether [18F] VAT, a novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, could be used in detecting cognitive deficits in epilepsy.

Methods

Morris water maze test was used to evaluate learning and memory deficits in pilocarpine‐induced chronic epilepsy rats 12 weeks after status epilepticus. Interictal [18F] VAT PET was performed 13 weeks after status epilepticus to evaluate the level of VAChT in cholinergic pathways compared with [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose PET. The association between VAChT levels and memory measures was analyzed. Neuropathological tests were performed.

Results

Epileptic rats exhibited significant memory deficits in Morris water maze test. [18F] VAT uptake decreased in septum, hippocampus, thalamus, and basal forebrain, and correlated to memory function. Of note, the level of VAChT in basal forebrain significantly decreased, yet no glucose hypometabolism was detected. Immunofluorescence and Western blot demonstrated decreased expression of VAChT in hippocampus and basal forebrain in the epilepsy group, but no change of expression of acetyltransferase or activity of acetylcholinesterase was detected.

Significance

[18F] VAT PET is a promising method to test the level of VAChT as a valuable biomarker for memory deficits in pilocarpine‐induced chronic epileptic rats.
The exercise of human rights and citizenship by older adults with an intellectual disability in Ireland
Authors: McCausland D. , McCallion P. , Brennan D. , McCarron M.
Published: August 2018

Background

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) provides the benchmark for assessing human rights and citizenship for people with disabilities. This emphasises autonomy, choice, independence, equality and participation for individuals as its fundamental guiding principles.

Methods

This paper explores the exercise of human rights and citizenship for older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Ireland, including choice‐making, advocacy and political participation. Cross‐sectional data (n = 701) is drawn from wave 2 of the Intellectual Disability Supplement to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. Rates of participation are reported, along with bivariate associations across a range of demographic, personal and social variables, while factors associated with level of choice‐making and voting are explored.

Results

We found very low rates of choice‐making, advocacy and political participation amongst this population. Two factors of choice were explored: key life choice and everyday choice. Some commonalities were identified between the two factors, yet key differences were also noted. Type of residence was the strongest predictor of key life choice yet not significant in everyday choice, while the reverse was true for functioning in activities of daily living. Other factors were also significant in determining choice, including level of ID, contact with family, functional limitation, literacy, age, having friends and respondent type.

Conclusions

Low rates of participation reported here impinge on the rights of older adults with ID under the principles of the UN CRPD. Choice‐making emerged as a multi‐factorial phenomenon, with different factors important depending on the type of choice involved. This encourages a nuanced and personalised response from policy and support services to overcome individual challenges to participation as equal citizens. The significance of respondent type also highlights the difficulty of including self‐report, supported and proxy participants in ID research.
Structural changes of hair shaft after application of chemical hair straighteners: Clinical and histopathological study
Authors: Sanad Eman M. , El‐Esawy Fatma M. , Mustafa Amany I. , Agina Hala A.
Published: August 2018

Background

Chemical hair straightening becomes popular for managing frizzy hair. Keratin in hair care products can penetrate the cortex of the hair fiber improving the mechanical properties of damaged fibers and promote a surface coating that prevents or decreases water diffusion through the hair fibers. This may have beneficial effects on the hair structure; however, the side effects and safety of this treatment have not yet been completely evaluated.

Aims

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of chemical hair straightening application on the hair shaft.

Subjects and Methods

Thirty female subjects older than 15 years with hair curl types III–V were included. They were subjected to full history taking and dermatologic examination of hair and scalp prior to and after application of chemical hair straightener. To detect the presence of transverse fissures, split ends, or possible side effects, the distal 3‐5 cm of hair fibers were cut before and after the last step of chemical hair straightener application for light microscopy examination. Three randomly selected samples were examined by transmission electron microscope.

Results

Chemical hair straightening led to significant decrease in the degree of hair curl and increased hair smoothness and shine. The treated hair fibers showed significant repair of the broken cuticle (P < 0.001), while no significant improvement was observed regarding transverse fissures or split ends (P 0.60 and 0.74, respectively).

Conclusion

Although chemical hair straightening application has a beneficial effect on hair shafts, some side effects may occur after. Hence, it is necessary to develop a more safe tool.
Orthognathic surgery Deteriorates the osseointegration of dental implants: A propensity‐matched multicentre cohort study
Authors: Kim Jin‐Woo , Lee Ho , Lim Ho‐Kyung , Kim Ju‐Won , Byun Soo‐Hwan , Choi Young‐Jun , Lee Ui‐Lyong
Published: August 2018

This study aimed to investigate the possible influence of the regional acceleratory phenomenon (RAP) on dental implant osseointegration. Orthognathic surgery was set as an intervention for RAP, and a multicentre cohort study of two groups was undertaken. Group O included patients with single implant placement at least 4 months after orthognathic surgery and functional loading for more than 1 year, while controls (Group C) were without any major surgery. Clinical and radiographic assessments of implants, including changes in marginal bone levels, were analysed at baseline, 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up. Bivariate analysis of two groups with propensity score matching was performed. After propensity score matching, all 10 confounding variables had acceptable standardised difference scores (<20%), indicating that the matching procedure had efficiently balanced the two groups. Following the propensity score adjustment, the marginal bone loss was significantly higher in Group O than the control at 6 months (1.66 ± 1.05 mm vs 0.59 ± 0.64 mm, P < 0.001) and 12 months (2.30 ± 1.27 mm vs 0.82 ± 0.78 mm, P < 0.001). Compared to Group C, subjects in Group O had a higher incidence of peri‐implant mucositis and implantitis (11.8% vs 1.5%, P = 0.033). Impaired osseointegration of dental implants was associated with orthognathic surgery. Special considerations for peri‐implant soft and hard tissue stability should be addressed to obtain ideal treatment results and prognosis for patients who have had prior orthognathic surgery.
Characteristics of Family Interaction of Individuals with Hikikomori (Prolonged Social Withdrawal) From the Viewpoint of Behavior Theory
Authors: Nonaka Shunsuke , Shimada Hironori , Sakai Motohiro
Published: August 2018

The cognitive behavioral approach for families of individuals with hikikomori (IWH) places importance on assessing family interaction from a behavior theory. However, there is no gold standard method for the assessment of family interaction of IWH. Additionally, the characteristics of the family interactions of IWH have not been clarified. This study aims to (a) develop the Family Interaction Scale for Hikikomori (FIS‐H) using parent‐reported data, and (b) clarify the characteristics of hikikomori cases. First, the FIS‐H factor structure was examined. Second, to examine the reliability and validity of the FIS‐H and the characteristics of hikikomori cases, parents of IWH (hikikomori‐group) and unaffected parents (without‐group) completed the FIS‐H and the Relationship Happiness Scale. Based on data from 146 parents, the FIS‐H preliminary version consisted of four factors with a total of 12 items (Study 1). The reliability and validity of the FIS‐H were also confirmed to be acceptable using data from 246 hikikomori‐group participants. The hikikomori‐group had higher FIS‐H scores than did the without‐group (Study 2). These results show that it is important to appropriately assess family interactions.
Sporadic Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease with glial PrPRes nuclear and perinuclear immunoreactivity
Authors: Fernández‐Vega Ivan , Díaz‐Lucena Daniela , Azkune Calle Itxaso , Geijo Maria , Juste Ramon A. , Llorens Franc , Vicente Etxenausia Ikerne , Santos‐Juanes Jorge , Zarranz Imirizaldu Juan Jose , Ferrer Isidro
Published: August 2018

Proteinase K‐resistant prion protein (PrPRes) nuclear and perinuclear immunoreactivity in oligodendrocytes of the frontal cortex is found in one case of otherwise typical sporadic Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (sCJD) type VV2a. The PrP nature of the inclusions is validated with several anti‐PrP antibodies directed to amino acids 130–160 (12F10), 109–112 (3F4), 97–102 (8G8) and the octarepeat region (amino acids 59–89: SAF32). Cellular identification and subcellular localization were evaluated with double‐ and triple‐labeling immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy using antibodies against PrP, glial markers, and histone H3. Based on review of the literature and our own experience, this is a very odd situation that deserves further validation in other cases.
Autopsy‐proven case of paraneoplastic lower motor neuron disease with sensorimotor neuropathy due to Waldenström's macroglobulinemia
Authors: Suzuki Yasuhiro , Aizawa Hitoshi , Sakashita Kento , Kishi Hideaki , Nomura Kenta , Yoshida Kosuke , Aburakawa Yoko , Kuroda Kenji , Murakami Chisato , Kakinoki Yasutaka , Kimura Takashi
Published: August 2018

We report a case of a male patient with a 19‐year history of monoclonal and later polyclonal gammopathy who subsequently developed tetraparesis, bulbar palsy, and respiratory failure. Autopsy findings showed degeneration of the hypoglossal nuclei, prominent neuronal loss and atrophy in the anterior horn of the whole spinal cord despite the presence of mild astrocytosis, degeneration of the gracilis on one side, and infiltration of inflammatory cells, which included B cells and plasma cells in the anterior and posterior roots of the lumbar spinal cord, iliopsoas muscle, and perivascular area of the cervical cord. On immunostaining, cytoplasmic inclusions of phosphorylated transactivation response DNA‐binding protein of 43 kDa were observed in the motor neurons and astrocytes of the hypoglossal nuclei and whole spinal cord. The final diagnosis was paraneoplastic lower motor neuron disease with sensorimotor neuropathy due to Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.
The system of nursing in Chile: Insights from a systems theory perspective
Authors: Ayala Ricardo A. , Koch Tomas F. , Messing Helga B.
Published: August 2018

Nursing is possible owing to a series of intricate systemic relations. Building on an established tradition of sociological research, we critically analysed the nursing profession in Chile, with an emphasis on its education system, in the light of social systems theory. The paper's aim was to explore basic characteristics of nursing education as a system, so as to outline its current evolution. Drawing on recent developments in nursing, we applied an empirical framework to identify and discuss functionally differentiated systems that are relevant to nursing and observe communications between them. We found that the dynamics of nursing as a whole develop from communications with closely related systems, including the nursing profession and the education system more broadly. While the discipline (as a system of representations) strives to control the profession (as an applied occupational field), the necessities of practicing nurses imply other forces mediating the making of the profession, a process framed by market dynamics in education and health.
Discriminating among grounded theory approaches
Authors: Rieger Kendra L.
Published: August 2018

To rationalize the selection of a research methodology, one must understand its philosophical origins and unique characteristics. This process can be challenging in the landscape of evolving qualitative methodologies. Grounded theory is a research methodology with a distinct history that has resulted in numerous approaches. Although the approaches have key similarities, they also have differing philosophical assumptions that influence the ways in which their methods are understood and implemented. The purpose of this discussion paper is to compare and contrast three widely used grounded theory approaches with key distinguishing characteristics, enabling a more thoughtful selection of approach. This work contributes to the existing literature through contrasting classic Glaserian grounded theory, Straussian grounded theory, and constructivist grounded theory in a systematic manner with prominent distinguishing characteristics developed from a review of the literature. These characteristics included historical development, philosophical perspective, role of the researcher, data analysis procedures, perspective of the grounded theory, and strengths/critique. Based on this analysis, three considerations are proposed to direct the methodological choice for a study: purpose, philosophy, and pragmatics. Understanding the similarities and differences in the grounded theory approaches can facilitate methodological transparency and determine the best fit for one's study and worldview as a researcher.
Genetic analysis of Fusarium wilt resistance in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata Walp.)
Authors: Omoigui Lucky O. , Danmaigona Catherine C. , Kamara Alpha Y. , Ekefan Ebenezer J. , Timko Michael P.
Published: August 2018

This study investigated the inheritance of resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. tracheiphilum (Fot) in cowpea lines. Resistant and susceptible cowpea lines were crossed to develop F1, F2 and backcross populations. Reaction to Fot was evaluated in 2015 and 2016 using seed soak and modified root‐dip inoculation methods. The expression of resistance reaction in the F1 and segregation in F2 generations indicated the role of dominant gene controlling Fot in cowpea. These results were further supported by the result of backcross (BC1P1F1 and BC1P2F1) progeny tests. The backcross of F1 with the resistant parent produced progeny that were uniformly resistant, whereas backcross of F1 with the susceptible parent produced progeny that segregated into 1:1 ratio. The F2 segregation ratio in the reciprocal cross showed no evidence of maternal effect in the inheritance of the resistance. Allelism test suggests that the gene for resistance in TVu 134 was the same in TVu 410 and TVu 109‐1. We also identified an SSR marker, C13‐16, that cosegregated with the gene conferring resistance to Fot in cowpea.
Technocracy, the market and the governance of England's National Health Service
Authors: Horton David P. , Lynch‐Wood Gary
Published: August 2018

England's National Health Service, the fifth largest employer in the world, has become heavily influenced by expert authority and the market economy, which has had implications for accountability and the receptiveness of health decisions to stakeholder needs. One response has been the introduction of a range of regulatory provisions designed to facilitate effective governance and stakeholder engagement. These provisions are scrutinized using three conceptual devices: core accountability, social reporting and social learning. These devices have significant implications, as they enable technical experts to form closed communities, communicate among themselves mainly about economic and financial matters, and make decisions that aid the market without meaningful recourse to citizens. While technical experts are necessary to help manage complex areas, current arrangements reinforce an existing gap between economic and democratic values through hardened technocratic approaches to health care governance.
In praise of bad prose: Reading Pauline style in the Reformation
Authors: Knapper Daniel
Published: August 2018

This essay explores the process of defining and assessing Saint Paul's prose style in the Reformation. I demonstrate that, in their efforts to develop a coherent profile of Pauline style, biblical humanists follow a pattern of critical response in which they identify grammatical and rhetorical flaws in Paul's prose and inscribe them with positive effects, particularly power, speed, and profundity. After highlighting the prominence of a set of difficult formal features in discussions of Paul's style and examining the influence of these features over a passage from 2 Corinthians, I consider the different arguments, metaphors, and images that biblical humanists use to justify their rhetorical integrity and defend their aesthetic quality. Broadly speaking, humanist efforts to transform Paul's stylistic weaknesses into strengths reflects a common critical desire to protect Paul's credibility as a sacred author, and to assure Christian readers of the coherence and authority of his texts.
Imagining the Good Place: Public Services and Family Strategies in Rural Ecuador
Authors: Pratt Eleanor E. , Warner Mildred E.
Published: August 2018

Recent scholarship seeks to lift up alternatives to neoliberalism that build community well‐being and a sense of place. This study follows three families in a rural highland Ecuadorean community and their investments in human capital, family businesses, and migration. It applies a human ecological model to show how complex ideologies around community well‐being, such asbuen vivir(living well), are articulated at the macroscale and experienced at the meso‐ and microscales through investments in public services and their impact on rural families. Our collaborative ethnography elevates families’ voices to show how they both experience and envision community well‐being. We incorporate human capabilities and a community capitals framework to show how investments and ideologies flow across scales. We highlight the role of local social capital and regional territorial dynamics that support both economic growth and social inclusion. Our collaborative ethnography illustrates how rural residents imagine the good place (buen lugar), a resilient foundation from which they can build their family strategies. However, we find that lack of political and financial investment truncates active citizenship at the local scale, limiting the ability to achieve the full promise ofbuen vivir.
Mechanical Computing Systems Using Only Links and Rotary Joints
Authors: Merkle Ralph C. , Freitas Robert A. , Hogg Tad , Moore Thomas E. , Moses Matthew S. , Ryley James
Published: August 2018

A new model for mechanical computing is demonstrated that requires only two basic parts, links, and rotary joints. These basic parts are combined into two main higher level structures, locks, and balances, and suffice to create all necessary combinatorial and sequential logic required for a Turing-complete computational system. While working systems have yet to be implemented using this new approach, the mechanical simplicity of the systems described may lend themselves better to, e.g., microfabrication, than previous mechanical computing designs. Additionally, simulations indicate that if molecular-scale implementations could be realized, they would be far more energy-efficient than conventional electronic computers.
The Beauty of Physics
Authors: Lincoln Don , Olson Lindsay
Published: August 2018

The idea of a liberal arts education is deeply rooted in our academic history. Originally based in the goal of learning about the classical literature of Greece and Rome, the approach has morphed over the years into a broad course of study, including mathematics, literature, history, languages, philosophy, art, and the sciences. It is those last two subjects that caused the two of us to come to meet one another.
Motion Detectors Used in Measuring Heat Expansion
Authors: Gunderson Ross
Published: August 2018

With any piece of technology, there exists a learning curve where students need time to adjust to the ways in which the device works. If you struggle with having enough time for lab, it may be advantageous to have students learn how to operate one set of equipment and use that equipment as much as possible. In this article a unique application for the use of a motion detector is presented for measuring the thermal coefficient of expansion for a material. This lab involves using probeware to measure the temperature and change in length of a material. By the end of the lab, students make conclusions about the coefficient of linear expansion and heat capacity.
Even Liquids Are Magnetic: Observation of the Moses Effect and the Inverse Moses Effect
Authors: Laumann Daniel
Published: August 2018

In our everyday life, it seems that magnetic phenomena are restricted to ferromagnetic materials or electromagnetism caused by electric currents. From a physics point of view, we know that this everyday experience is contrary to the nature of magnetic phenomena. If one regards the magnetic properties of the elements of the periodic table in their natural appearance, there are just a few ferromagnetic (3) but a variety of diamagnetic (34) and paramagnetic (51) substances under standard conditions. Using strong neodymium magnets, it is possible to demonstrate the specific properties of diamagnetism and paramagnetism in the classroom for solids and, unexpectedly, as well for liquids because every piece of matter possesses magnetic properties.
On the Importance of Engaging Students in Crafting Definitions
Authors: Little Angela , Atkins Elliott Leslie
Published: August 2018

In this paper we describe an activity for engaging students in crafting definitions. We explore the strengths of this particular activity as well as the broader implications of engaging students in crafting definitions more generally.
On Times and Shadows: The Observational Analemma
Authors: Gangui Alejandro , Lastra Cecilia , Karaseur Fernando
Published: August 2018

The observation that the shadows of objects change during the course of the day and also for a fixed time during a year led curious minds to realize that the Sun could be used as a timekeeper. However, the daily motion of the Sun has some subtleties, for example, with regards to the precise time at which it crosses the meridian near noon. When the Sun is on the meridian, a clock is used to ascertain this time and a vertical stick determines the angle the Sun is above the horizon. These two measurements lead to the construction of a diagram (called an analemma) as an extremely useful resource for the teaching of astronomy. In this paper we report on the construction of this diagram from roughly weekly observations during more than a year.
A Simple Alternative to the Phone Book Friction Demonstration
Authors: Vera Francisco , Fernandez Nicolas , Ortiz Manuel
Published: August 2018

In this paper we describe a simple alternative to the telephone book friction experiment, a classic demonstration where a small force (generated for example by the bending of the outer pages) is amplified by the large number of surfaces in contact, resulting in a huge maximum static friction force that has to be counterbalanced in order to separate the books. The aim of our experiment is to illustrate the friction force in a dramatic way and to simplify the tedious job of interleaving a large number of book pages, by using the minimum number of sheets necessary to sustain the weight of a person using the normal force produced by their fingers.
What the CO2 Siphon Tells Us
Authors: Jumper William , Dy Simthyrearch
Published: August 2018

The debate over the mechanisms responsible for the flow rates of simple tube siphons (Fig. 1) has received much attention in the physics education and general physics literature in the past decade. Particularly with regard to the driving mechanism for water siphons, some suggested explanations emphasize contributions, or lack thereof, from the atmospheric pressure on the tank supply-side, while other sources argue for, and against, the pulling effect of the weight of the water in the long side of the siphon, in a chain-like action via intermolecular forces, as the dominant mechanism driving the siphoning action. What is more, the atmospheric model has recently become the principal competitor to the chain pulling model, neither of which in our assessment supplies the essential explanation of the dominant driving mechanism of simple tube siphons, nor in any way accounts for their near steady-state flow rates.
The Sverdrup: The Non-SI Unit of Large-Scale Volume Transport Over the Globe
Authors: Agrawal Dulli Chandra
Published: August 2018

The non-SI unit sverdrup, named to honor Norwegian oceanographer and meteorologist Harald Ulrik Sverdrup (1888-1957), is adopted for quantifying large-scale volume transport by oceanographers, meteorologists, and atmospheric physicists. The sverdrup is used to appraise the volumetric rate of evaporation, precipitation, runoff, transport of ocean current, and so on. Its symbol is Sv, which should not be confused with the SI unit sievert and the non-SI unit svedberg, both having the same symbol. One sverdrup is equivalent to volume transport of one million cubic meters per second. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the numbers associated with water transport over the globe in this unit.
Graphic Representation of Quasi-Static Heat Exchange
Authors: Rojas Roberto , Robles Patricio
Published: August 2018

Two bodies initially at different temperatures gathered into an isolated container exchange heat and reach an equilibrium state with a common final temperature. During the process, the system is out of equilibrium and its intermediate temperature is not well defined. By conceiving a quasi-static process with infinitesimal steps from the initial to the final state, a graphic representation of the intermediate temperatures is possible. We imagine an isolated container with the bodies in compartments separated by a wall, as shown in Fig. 1. If the conductivity of the wall is controlled, the heat exchange is made gradually through a sequence of very small portions of heat flowing from one body to the other. Each step is followed by a “dead time” in order to reach a momentary equilibrium state. These graphs are useful for students who need to analyze a phase change.
Wi-Fi-based Wireless Sensors for Data Acquisition
Authors: Bensky William C.
Published: August 2018

Although mainly used by the hobby or “maker” crowd, the Arduino microcontroller has made its way into all levels of education, including physics labs. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Arduino in this regard is the ease with which it can be interfaced and acquire data from a sensor, using any one of its many analog inputs, SPI or I2C interfaces. In this paper we wish to introduce the reader to the Sparkfun “Thing,” which is shown in Fig. 1. The “Thing” is a board that is smaller and less expensive than an Arduino, while being very similar in its programming, analog input capabilities, and support for the SPI and I2C interfaces. But here’s the real uniqueness of this board: it creates its own Wi-Fi network, just like ones we’re all used to using (for example, by our home routers). In use, one simply connects to the Thing’s Wi-Fi network using a standard device (laptop, tablet, smartphone, Chromebook, etc.) and retrieves the sensor data using a web browser. Thus, no custom programming is required, and no special software is needed by the end user. Its small size and easy access allows for all kinds of embedded and/or portable sensor applications.
Earthshine, moonshine, albedos, climate …
Authors: Agrawal Dulli Chandra
Published: August 2018

For a few days before and after a new moon, light from the Sun, reflecting off Earth and onto the Moon’s dark side, is just powerful enough to make the whole portion of the Moon facing Earth visible (see Figs. 1 and 2). This doubly reflected light (once from Earth’s surface, then from the lunar surface into our eyes) goes by the name earthshine. In the present note we discuss some features of earthshine and of the reciprocal phenomenon termed as moonshine.
Field trip to an MRI
Authors: Taghizadeh Sanaz
Published: August 2018

This is the second of two articles on MRI physics. In this article I discuss what a class of physics students might expect to see and learn from a field trip to a full-scale MRI. Magnetic resonance imaging is not only becoming a more common medical diagnostic tool—it is now a more common research tool. Being such an important application of physics, many universities have their own MRI for their medical physics programs.
Study reignites debate about when Thera blew its top
Authors: Wade Lizzie
Published: August 2018

Radiocarbon curve suggests archaeological data were right.
Detailed genome maps paths to better wheat
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: August 2018

Chromosome-by-chromosome sequence helps navigate crop's genomic complexity.
An island on the brink
Chesapeake Requiem
Earl Swift
Dey Street Books, 2018. 448 pp.
Authors: Miller Andrew J.
Published: August 2018

Convinced erosion, not climate change, threatens their home, a community grapples with an uncertain future
Choosing the right input in cell signaling
Authors: Kim Kibeom , Goentoro Lea
Published: August 2018

A decoding module discriminates ligands and signaling activation in the Wnt pathway
Don't lose race-conscious policies
Authors: Garces Liliana M.
Published: August 2018

Using race as a factor in admission decisions by U.S. colleges and universities—so-called affirmative action—has once again become a lightning rod for debate. Last month, several universities defended Harvard University against a lawsuit that attacks its use of race in student admissions. The backdrop of this case, and a similar one against the University of North Carolina– Chapel Hill, is even more disturbing. Also last month, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DOE), both under leadership appointed by the Trump administration, encouraged “race-neutral” admissions practices, rolling back previous guidance for achieving diversity by these very agencies. The U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly allowed higher education institutions to consider race as one factor, among many, in admissions decisions. The rollback does not change that precedent.
Alternative Strategy for a Quadrivalent Live Attenuated Influenza Virus Vaccine
Authors: Wan Zhimin , Cardenas Garcia Stivalis , Liu Jing , Santos Jefferson , Carnaccini Silvia , Geiger Ginger , Ferreri Lucas , Rajao Daniela , Perez Daniel R.
Published: August 2018

Seasonal influenza viruses infect 1 billion people worldwide and are associated with ∼500,000 deaths annually. In addition, the never-ending emergence of zoonotic influenza viruses associated with lethal human infections and of pandemic concern calls for the development of better vaccines and/or vaccination strategies against influenza virus. Regardless of the strategy, novel influenza virus vaccines must aim at providing protection against both seasonal influenza A and B viruses. In this study, we tested an alternative quadrivalent live attenuated influenza virus vaccine (QIV) formulation whose individual components have been previously shown to provide protection. We demonstrate in proof-of principle studies in mice that the QIV provides effective protection against lethal challenge with either influenza A or B virus.