bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Common Polymorphisms at the
CYP17A1
Locus Associate With Steroid Phenotype
Authors: Diver Louise A. , MacKenzie Scott M. , Fraser Robert , McManus Frances , Freel E. Marie , Alvarez-Madrazo Samantha , McClure John D. , Friel Elaine C. , Hanley Neil A. , Dominiczak Anna F. , Caulfield Mark J. , Munroe Patricia B. , Connell John M. , Davies Eleanor
Published: February 2016

Genome-wide association studies implicate the
CYP17A1
gene in human blood pressure regulation although the causative polymorphisms are as yet unknown. We sought to identify common polymorphisms likely to explain this association. We sequenced the
CYP17A1
locus in 60 normotensive individuals and observed 24 previously identified single-nucleotide polymorphisms with minor allele frequency >0.05. From these, we selected, for further studies, 7 polymorphisms located ≤2 kb upstream of the
CYP17A1
transcription start site. In vitro reporter gene assays identified 3 of these (rs138009835, rs2150927, and rs2486758) as having significant functional effects. We then analyzed the association between the 7 polymorphisms and the urinary steroid metabolites in a hypertensive cohort (n=232). Significant associations included that of rs138009835 with aldosterone metabolite excretion; rs2150927 associated with the ratio of tetrahydrodeoxycorticosterone to tetrahydrodeoxycortisol, which we used as an index of 17α-hydroxylation. Linkage analysis showed rs138009835 to be the only 1 of the 7 polymorphisms in strong linkage disequilibrium with the blood pressure–associated polymorphisms identified in the previous studies. In conclusion, we have identified, characterized, and investigated common polymorphisms at the
CYP17A1
locus that have functional effects on gene transcription in vitro and associate with corticosteroid phenotype in vivo. Of these, rs138009835—which we associate with changes in aldosterone level—is in strong linkage disequilibrium with polymorphisms linked by genome-wide association studies to blood pressure regulation. This finding clearly has implications for the development of high blood pressure in a large proportion of the population and justifies further investigation of rs138009835 and its effects.
On Transcription and Oral Transmission in Aseneth: A Study of the Narrative’s Conception
Authors: Elder Nicholas A.
Published: February 2016

The purpose of this article is to investigate and elucidate the oral aspects of Joseph and Aseneth. This is to suggest that Joseph and Aseneth had an oral tradition that preceded, and likely also proceeded, the written version(s) that is (are) now extant. The text is best understood using oral hermeneutics. By making this argument I do not postulate any one oral or written genre for the text, nor any argument for how it might have been composed. Instead, I seek to demonstrate that Joseph and Aseneth retains strong residual orality. Many of the oral features of the text are salient in its written form, including: the consistent use of paratactic καί; the use of the ‘intonation unit’; the one new idea constraint, which is often accomplished by the form ἦν; the visible and descriptive nature of the narrative; and the redundancy of certain words and phrases. The second half of the article offers some repercussions that an oral existence of the narrative might have on Joseph and Aseneth scholarship. The most pertinent effects relate to the assumption that Joseph and Aseneth is a Jewish Hellenistic romance novel and to the scholarly divide concerning the ‘originality’ of the longer b-family textual recension as opposed to the shorter d-family textual recension.
The Bigger the Crime, the Smaller the Chance of a Fair Trial?
Authors: Thommen Marc , Samadi Mojan
Published: February 2016

This article discusses evidence exclusion under Swiss, Dutch and the ECtHR’s case law. It is shown that different national rules can still lead to similar outcomes. This can be explained by the influence of the ECtHR’s case law and by common normative underpinnings of evidence law. In all systems there are cases of strict exclusion of evidence (e.g., torture). If evidence cannot be strictly excluded courts apply a balancing approach. They consider among other factors the seriousness of the crime. Illegally obtained evidence can thus be used, if a serious crime is at stake. It is argued that this seriousness-argument not only fails to serve the objectives of evidence exclusion (deterrence, protection of rights etc.), but for the defendant it means that the bigger the crime he is accused of the smaller becomes his chance of a fair trial.
Mandatory Sperm Donor Registration
Authors: Weyers Heleen
Published: February 2016

Seven European countries prohibited anonymous sperm donation. This article looks at the similarities and differences of these laws. The laws share the structure of a prohibition and an obligation. Another common characteristic is that they all lack the legal provision to inform children that they are donor offspring. This suggests that the laws are merely symbolic.

The laws differ regarding their orientation. The Swedish and Norwegian laws are value-oriented. They explicitly aim at the best interest of the child and try to guarantee that the child will grow up under good conditions. The Dutch law is merely process-oriented.

To decide whether the laws are instrumental or symbolic, the missing provision of the laws is discussed. Next to that, the ultimate goal of the laws is considered. The conclusion is that a deeper look in to parliamentary debates is needed to determine the characters of the laws.
Morphology, Anatomy and Palynology of Turkish endemic species Haplophyllum myrtifolium, H. vulcanicum & H. megalanthum (Rutaceae) and their systematics implications
Authors: ULUKUŞ DENİZ , TUGAY OSMAN , CELEP FERHAT
Published: February 2016

Haplophyllum is one of the taxonomically difficult genera in the Rutaceae. Three Turkish endemic species of Haplophyllum, namely Haplophyllum myrtifolium, H. vulcanicum and H. megalanthum, have similar morphological features, therefore identification of the species are extremely difficult. In the present study, morphological, anatomical and palynological characteristics of the species are examined in order to understand the usefulness of these characteristics for systematics purposes. Morphological characteristics of leaves and corollas, absence/or presence of glandular hairs on the stem and inflorescence, expansion form of filaments and ovarium appendage are useful for specific delimitation among the species. Anatomical characters such as number of cortex layers and sclerenchymatic cell layers in stem, size of the vascular bundle in the midrib provide information of taxonomical significance. In addition, exine sculpturing pattern of pollen grains can be used for taxonomic purposes.
New genera, species and records of Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) from Brazil
Authors: GADELHA SIAN DE SOUZA , NUNES JULIANO FIORELINI , OLIVEIRA MARCIO LUIZ DE
Published: February 2016

Two new genera of Doryctinae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) are described, Parsteres n. gen., Tuberatra n. gen., and are added to the identification key of Marsh (1997). Three new species are also described: P. pilosus n. sp., T. curvicauda n. sp., and Barbalhoa longicaudus n. sp. An identification key to the species of Barbalhoa Marsh, 2002 is presented, and nine species of the subfamily have their first record for Brazil.
Taxonomic revision of Richardiodes Hendel (Diptera, Richardiidae)
Authors: WENDT LISIANE DILLI , ALE-ROCHA ROSALY
Published: February 2016

Richardiodes Hendel is a genus scarcely known taxonomically and two species are recognized: Richardiodes rectinervis Hendel from Brazilian Amazon and R. trimaculata Hennig from Peru. Herein, these two species are revised and illustrated. Examination of non-type specimens revealed considerable variation in the general body color, and the geographic distribution of each species has been expanded, especially of R. rectinervis. The limits of the genus are revised and better supported with the addition of new diagnostic characters. The male and female terminalia are described and illustrated for the first time.
A new Mexican species of Belonuchus Nordmann (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)
Authors: RODRÍGUEZ WILLIAM DAVID , NAVARRETE-HEREDIA JOSÉ LUIS
Published: February 2016

A new species of Belonuchus Nordmann, 1837 is described based on 118 specimens from Cerro de Garcia, Jalisco, Mexico. Belonuchus cifuentesi Rodríguez & Navarrete-Heredia sp. nov. was primarily collected associated with Agave inaequidens, and is similar to B. arizonicus Casey, 1915 but differs mainly in the structure of the aedeagus and color pattern.
Taxonomic study of the genus Lycophantis Meyrick from China (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) with descriptions of three new species
Authors: CONG PEIXIN , LI HOUHUN
Published: February 2016

Six Chinese species of the genus Lycophantis Meyrick, 1914 are reviewed, including three new species: Lycophantis mucronata Li, sp. nov. from Zhejiang and Hubei, L. stenopetala Li, sp. nov. and L. incurvula Li, sp. nov., both from Xizang (Tibet). Lycophantis leviaurata Sohn & Park, 2010 is newly recorded from China. Images of adults and genitalia are provided, along with key to all the Chinese species of Lycophantis.
Knowledge and the Norm of Assertion
Authors: Turri John
Published: February 2016

Language is a human universal reflecting our deeply social nature. Among its essential functions, language enables us to quickly and efficiently share information. We tell each other that many things are true—that is, we routinely make assertions. Information shared this way plays a critical role in the decisions and plans we make. In Knowledge and the Norm of Assertion, a distinguished philosopher and cognitive scientist investigates the rules or norms that structure our social practice of assertion. Combining evidence from philosophy, psychology, and biology, John Turri shows that knowledge is the central norm of assertion and explains why knowledge plays this role.

Concise, comprehensive, non-technical, and thoroughly accessible, this volume quickly brings readers to the cutting edge of a major research program at the intersection of philosophy and science. It presupposes no philosophical or scientific training. It will be of interest to philosophers and scientists, is suitable for use in graduate and undergraduate courses, and will appeal to general readers interested in human nature, social cognition, and communication.
Coherent Structures in the Boundary and Cloud Layers: Role of Updrafts, Subsiding Shells, and Environmental Subsidence
Authors: Park Seung-Bu , Gentine Pierre , Schneider Kai , Farge Marie
Published: February 2016

Coherent structures, such as updrafts, downdrafts/shells, and environmental subsidence in the boundary and cloud layers of shallow convection, are investigated using a new classification method. Using large-eddy simulation data, the new method first filters out background turbulence and small-scale gravity waves from the coherent part of the flow, composed of turbulent coherent structures and large-scale transporting gravity waves. Then the algorithm divides this coherent flow into “updrafts,” “downdrafts/shells,” “subsidence,” “ascendance,” and four other flow structures using an octant analysis. The novel method can systematically track structures from the cloud-free boundary layer to the cloud layer, thus allowing systematic analysis of the fate of updrafts and downdrafts. The frequency and contribution of the coherent structures to the vertical mass flux and transport of heat and moisture can then be investigated for the first time. Updrafts, subsidence, and downdrafts/subsiding shells—to a lesser extent—are shown to be the most frequent and dominant contributors to the vertical transport of heat and moisture in the boundary layer. Contrary to previous perspective, environmental subsidence transport is shown to be weak in the cloud layer. Instead, downdrafts/shells are the main downward transport contributors, especially in the trade inversion layer. The newly developed method in this study can be used to better evaluate the entrainment and detrainment of individual—or an ensemble of—coherent structures from the unsaturated boundary layer to the cloud layer.
Modified “Rule N” Procedure for Principal Component (EOF) Truncation
Authors: Wilks Daniel S.
Published: February 2016

Principal component analysis (PCA), also known as empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, is widely used for compression of high-dimensional datasets in such applications as climate diagnostics and seasonal forecasting. A critical question when using this method is the number of modes, representing meaningful signal, to retain. The resampling-based “Rule N” method attempts to address the question of PCA truncation in a statistically principled manner. However, it is only valid for the leading (largest) eigenvalue, because it fails to condition the hypothesis tests for subsequent (smaller) eigenvalues on the results of previous tests. This paper draws on several relatively recent statistical results to construct a hypothesis-test-based truncation rule that accounts at each stage for the magnitudes of the larger eigenvalues. The performance of the method is demonstrated in an artificial data setting and illustrated with a real-data example.
Stimulants for depression: On the up and up?
Authors: Malhi Gin S , Byrow Yulisha , Bassett Darryl , Boyce Philip , Hopwood Malcolm , Lyndon William , Mulder Roger , Porter Richard , Singh Ajeet , Murray Greg
Published: February 2016

The use of traditional psychostimulants (methylphenidate and dexamphetamine) and stimulant-like drugs (modafinil and armodafinil) for the treatment of depression is a growing concern given the lack of research evidence supporting their effectiveness. The current article describes the role of stimulants in treating depression – specifically their risks and benefits and their potential use alongside antidepressants. Clinically, the rapid amelioration of depressive symptoms with traditional psychostimulants is often dramatic but short-lived, and this suggests that they likely operate via different mechanisms to conventional antidepressants. More importantly, there is little evidence from randomised controlled trials supporting their efficacy in treating depression, although modafinil has been shown to be effective in reducing prominent depressive symptoms, such as fatigue. Research is urgently required to clarify psychostimulants’ mechanisms of action and to evaluate their long-term benefits and risks in the treatment of major and bipolar depression. Ultimately, specificity of action needs to be determined to inform the sophisticated clinical use of psychostimulants in the management of depression. Until then they should only be prescribed if absolutely necessary, and even then their prescription should be facilitatory and time limited unless it is for investigational purposes.
Male-to-female transitions: Implications for occupational performance, health, and life satisfaction
Authors: Bar Michal Avrech , Jarus Tal , Wada Mineko , Rechtman Leora , Noy Einav
Published: February 2016

Background.

People who undergo a gender transition process experience changes in different everyday occupations. These changes may impact their health and life satisfaction.

Purpose.

This study examined the difference in the occupational performance history scales (occupational identity, competence, and settings) between male-to-female transgender women and cisgender women and the relation of these scales to health and life satisfaction.

Method.

Twenty-two transgender women and 22 matched cisgender women completed a demographic questionnaire and three reliable measures in this cross-sectional study. Data were analyzed using a two-way analysis of variance and multiple linear regressions.

Findings.

The results indicate lower performance scores for the transgender women. In addition, occupational settings and group membership (transgender and cisgender groups) were found to be predictors of life satisfaction.

Implications.

The present study supports the role of occupational therapy in promoting occupational identity and competence of transgender women and giving special attention to their social and physical environment.
Effective Hegemonic Influence in Africa: An Analysis of Nigeria’s ‘Hegemonic’ Position
Authors: Ogunnubi Olusola
Published: February 2016

This paper examines the utility of the hegemonic stability theory in understanding regional power dynamics within Africa. The study operationalizes the concept of regional hegemony by drawing insights from a comparative foreign policy analysis of African regional powers, with emphasis on Nigeria. Using a largely qualitative methodology supplemented with primary data, the paper examines the underlying assertions of Nigeria’s perceived ‘hegemonic’ influence. Through the use of the hegemonic stability theory as a theoretical lens, this paper argues that Nigeria’s foreign policy shows few signs of a continental hegemonic disposition. In applying this theory at a regional level of analysis, the study finds very little empirical evidence that it fits the African regional context. In short, hegemonic claims in Africa are mere (un)official rhetoric and lack substance.
Zimbabwean Transnational Migration, (In) Visible Masculinities, and the Reconfiguration of Gender in Shimmer Chinodya’s Chairman of Fools
Authors: Musanga Terrence
Published: February 2016

This article examines the effect of the relationship between Zimbabwean transnational migration and gender on the concept of “invisible masculinities” and how the space that would have been evacuated by these “masculinities,” as a direct consequence of the migratory experience, is reorganized or reconfigured in Shimmer Chinodya’s Chairman of Fools. This space, both marital and familial, compels us to reconfigure our conceptualization of masculinities and femininities, gender relations, and gendered identities in general. However, men’s temporary or permanent return migration results in return masculinities being forced to accept the changes provoked by their absence and in the process transforming gender relations and gendered identities into more democratic spaces of interaction. The transformation of these gender relations and gendered identities also triggers changes in the marriage institution as spouses begin to see and interact with each other as partners and equals. In addition, the changes witnessed in gender relations and gendered identities result in the production of a tolerant masculinity that is adaptive, flexible, and reflexive.
Hiding violence to deal with the state
Authors: Cruz José Miguel , Durán-Martínez Angélica
Published: February 2016

In 2012, the two major street gangs in El Salvador, Mara Salvatrucha 13 and Barrio 18, struck a truce credited with reducing homicide rates by more than 50% in one year. Although the gang truce held for only 18 months, the significant reduction in homicides puzzled observers that believed youth gangs were unable to coordinate violence, especially considering that previous and similar efforts aimed at striking agreements did not achieve similar results. This article addresses a question posed by the puzzle of the Salvadoran truce’s success: under what conditions do negotiations between or with criminal organizations effectively reduce criminal violence? By comparing truces and criminal pacts in El Salvador and in Medellin, Colombia, we argue that criminal pacts can reduce homicides when (a) they directly involve the state as an administrator of incentives to reduce violence and (b) criminal organizations have achieved organizational cohesion and leadership that facilitate territorial control and strategic dependability. These conditions allow organizations to regulate violence. Our argument highlights the importance of how violence is performed and, more importantly, its visibility, to fully understand criminal behavior within pacts. It also points to potential lessons for countries seeking alternatives to reduce criminal and political violence in Latin America and elsewhere.
Use existing laws to address teacher quality
Authors: Paige Mark , Cote Felicia , Allmendinger James
Published: February 2016

The focus on using the courts to abolish tenure is a distraction from the important work of improving teacher quality. Unfortunately, the recent decision of Vergara v. California has only perpetuated the mistaken notion that only after tenure is abolished can underperforming teachers be removed. But the authors contend that administrators, including those in states with tenure statutes, have all the tools at their disposal to terminate poor performing teachers. Toward this end, the authors describe several recommendations based on their extensive professional experience in the law. Significantly, these suggestions come from three different professional perspectives: a union-side attorney, a school district attorney, and an education law professor.
Under the Law
Authors: Underwood Julie
Published: February 2016

There has been recent focused public attention on sports-caused brain injuries. Considering the possibility of severe injury to students, districts and employees should carefully reconsider their policies and practices on children’s accidental brain injury. Consistent with the return-to-play requirements in the statutes, when an injury occurs that may have caused brain trauma, schools should exercise caution.
Sociology in the 1980s: The Rise of Gender (and Intersectionality)
Authors: Roth Silke , Dashper Katherine
Published: February 2016

The social, economic and political context of the 1980s in Britain shaped the contributions to the journal, and the early part of the decade was marked by emphasis on the interrelations between class and gender. The introduction of this e-special discusses the increasing importance of gender in sociological analysis in the 1980s. This development is related to a shift from production to consumption and a growing interest in life-style leading to the debates around ‘the end of class’, the ‘cultural turn’ and ‘identity politics’. We assess the influence of articles published in the 1980s and how sociology – both the discipline and the journal – have changed since these articles have been published. The selected articles provide a historical perspective and are – as we argue – still highly relevant for the current state of the discipline and sociological debate. They illustrate the evolution of British sociology, from an emphasis on class analysis in the 1970s towards the growing prominence of intersectionality and subjectivity in the 1990s and beyond. Feminist theory and research in the 1980s within and beyond Sociology indicate the importance and utility of intersectionality, even if the terminology has shifted, and the decade resulted in considerable advances in terms of the prominence, legitimacy and sophistication of gender analysis
Public Policy and Religious Diversity
Authors: Giumbelli Emerson
Published: February 2016

Recently in Brazil, diversity has become a guiding principle in formulating public policy, and “interreligious spaces” have been established in public hospitals for the use of religious groups of various kinds. An examination of the use of these spaces in two major public hospitals in Porto Alegre makes it clear that religious diversity has fundamental political dimensions involving the representation and recognition of social groups and that a commitment to religious pluralism does not rule out other hegemonies.

Recentemente no Brasil, a diversidade tornou-se um princípio norteador para a formulação de políticas públicas. Consequentemente, “espaços interreligiosos” veem sendo estabelecidos em hospitais públicos para serem utilizados por diversos grupos religiosos. Uma análise dessa utilização, em dois importantes hospitais na cidade de Porto Alegre, demonstra com clareza que a diversidade religiosa apresenta dimensões políticas fundamentais que abarcam a representação e o reconhecimento de grupos sociais. Ademais, atesta que o comprometimento com o pluralismo religioso não exclui outras hegemonias.
Religion and Politics in Argentina
Authors: Esquivel Juan Cruz
Published: February 2016

The interactions between the state and religious institutions in Argentina are expressed on the municipal, provincial, and national levels, in the sphere of legislation and public policy, and in a wide range of undefined informal relationships. Politics and religion have historically been intertwined, and their relationship can be described as subsidiary laicism, in which the recognition of civil rights coexists with significant intervention of the Church in the implementation of public policy and in which state support of religion at an intermediate level is considered legitimate. Religious institutions and convictions influence votes in the Congress on laws expanding sexual and reproductive rights, and under such influence provincial and municipal governments delay the implementation of those laws.

Las interacciones entre las instituciones estatales y religiosas en la Argentina se expresan a nivel municipal, provincial y nacional en el ámbito de la legislación y la política pública, y en una amplia gama de relaciones informales no definidas. La política y la religión han sido entrelazadas históricamente, y se puede describir su relación como laicismo ancilar, donde el reconocimiento de los derechos civiles coexiste con apreciable intervención de la Iglesia en la implementación de la política pública, y en dónde el apoyo estatal a la religión a un nivel intermedio se considera legítimo. Las instituciones y convicciones religiosas influyen sobre la votación en el Congreso sobre leyes ampliando los derechos sexuales y reproductivos, y bajo tal influencia los gobiernos provinciales y municipales retrasan la implementación de aquellas leyes.
Blend modified recurrent Gegenbauer orthogonal polynomial neural network control for six-phase copper rotor induction motor servo-driven continuously variable transmission system using amended artificial bee colony optimization
Authors: Lin Chih-Hong
Published: February 2016

Because the non-linear and time-varying characteristics of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) system driven by using a six-phase copper rotor induction motor (IM) are unknown, improving the control performance of the linear control design is time consuming. To overcome difficulties in the design of a linear controller for the six-phase copper rotor IM servo-driven CVT system with lumped non-linear load disturbances, a blend modified recurrent Gegenbauer orthogonal polynomial neural network (NN) control system, which has the online learning capability to return to the non-linear time-varying system, was developed. The blend modified recurrent Gegenbauer orthogonal polynomial NN control system can perform overseer control, modified recurrent Gegenbauer orthogonal polynomial NN control and recompensed control. Moreover, the adaptation law of online parameters in the modified recurrent Gegenbauer orthogonal polynomial NN is based on the Lyapunov stability theorem. The use of amended artificial bee colony optimization (ABCO) yielded two optimal learning rates for the parameters, which helped improve convergence. Finally, comparison of the experimental results of the present study with those of previous studies demonstrated the high control performance of the proposed control scheme.
Three-phase series-connected photovoltaic generator for harmonic and reactive power compensation with battery energy storage device
Authors: Behera Maheswar P , Ray Pravat K
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a photovoltaic (PV) generator along with a battery energy storage system connected in series with a three-phase grid. The objective of the proposed system is to provide uninterruptable compensation to the series-connected grid and non-linear load during strong sunlight as well as at night or in cloudy conditions. The interface between the grid and the PV is carried out through a voltage source converter (VSC), eliminating both the current and voltage harmonics and compensating the reactive power. The DC voltage control of the DC bus capacitor is employed in order to maintain unity power factor operation of the system, irrespective of changes in solar radiation level or due to change in load. Another control scheme is implemented to charge and discharge the connected battery whenever the sun goes out, to meet the DC bus voltage requirement of the VSC through a bidirectional DC-DC converter.
Barrier Lyapunov function-based adaptive output feedback failure compensation for a class of non-linear systems with unknown dead-zone non-linearity
Authors: Wu Yuefei , Yao Jianyong
Published: February 2016

In this paper, an adaptive robust output feedback control approach is proposed for a class of uncertain non-linear systems with unknown input dead-zone non-linearity, unknown failures and unknown bounded disturbances. By constructing the dead-zone inverse and applying the backstepping recursive design technique, a robust adaptive backstepping controller is proposed, in which adaptive control law is synthesized to handle parametric uncertainties and a novel robust control law to attenuate disturbances. The robust output feedback control law is developed by integrating a switching function σ algorithm at each step of the backstepping design procedure. In addition, K-filters are designed to estimate the unmeasured states and neural networks are employed to approximate the unknown non-linear functions. By ensuring boundedness of the barrier Lyapunov function, the major feature of the proposed controller is that it can theoretically guarantee asymptotic output tracking performance, in spite of the presence of unknown input dead-zone non-linearity, various actuator failures and unknown bounded disturbances via Lyapunov stability analysis. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated by the simulation examples.
Human Milk for Ill and Medically Compromised Infants
Authors: DiLauro Sara , Unger Sharon , Stone Debbie , O'Connor Deborah L.
Published: February 2016

The use of human milk (mother's own milk and/or donor milk) in ill or medically compromised infants frequently requires some adaptation to address medical diagnoses and/or altered nutrition requirements. This tutorial describes the nutrition and immunological benefits of breast milk as well as provides evidence for the use of donor milk when mother's own milk is unavailable. Several strategies used to modify human milk to meet the medical and nutrition needs of an ill or medically compromised infant are reviewed. These strategies include (1) the standard fortification of human milk to support adequate growth, (2) the novel concept of target fortification in preterm infants, (3) instructions on how to alter maternal diet to address cow's milk protein intolerance and/or allergy in breast milk–fed infants, and (4) the removal and modification of the fat in breast milk used in infants diagnosed with chylothorax.
Safety of Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis in Patients Equipped With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators
Authors: Meyer Philippe , Makhlouf Anne‐Marie , Mondouagne Engkolo Louis P. , Trentaz Florence , Thibault Ronan , Pichard Claude , Burri Haran
Published: February 2016

Background. Current guidelines warn of potential electromagnetic interferences (EMI) when using bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) to measure body composition in patients equipped with implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICDs). We aimed to test the occurrence of EMI in a setting where this risk was experimentally maximized. Materials and Methods. Outpatients scheduled for routine ICD controls simultaneously underwent a BIA measurement using an electrical current of 0.8 mAmp at frequencies from 5–100 kHz. ICD sensitivity levels were set to maximum levels while therapies were temporarily inactivated. The device electrograms were monitored in real time to detect sensed and/or visible EMI during BIA measurement. Results. A total of 63 patients equipped with single‐chamber (n = 13), dual‐chamber (n = 18), or biventricular (n = 32) ICDs from 5 major manufacturers were included. No EMI were detected by the ICDs in these patients, nor were any artifacts visualized during real‐time electrogram recordings. Conclusion. BIA can be safely performed in patients equipped with ICDs without cardiac monitoring. Current guidelines should be updated accordingly.
Portable x-ray fluorescence in sourcing prehistoric whelk shell artifacts
Authors: Bissett Thaddeus G , Claassen Cheryl P
Published: February 2016

Portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometry was used to chemically source Busycon shell items from three eastern Tennessee Mississippian period sites. Discriminant function analysis of portable x-ray fluorescence data from control shells from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts indicated variation in strontium levels in Busycon provides a statistically significant predictor of shells’ origins, correctly classifying 86.5% of controls to their coasts of origin. Application of the discriminant function to shell items from Mississippian sites in northeastern and southeastern Tennessee indicated significant differences by region in proportions of artifacts classified as deriving from Atlantic or Gulf coast shell. More than 60% of items from southeastern Tennessee exhibited strontium levels similar to Gulf coast control shells; less than 50% of northeastern Tennessee items were classified as deriving from the Gulf. Variation in ratios of Gulf- to Atlantic-sourced shell artifacts by region is consistent with past predictions that late prehistoric inhabitants of southeastern and northeastern Tennessee participated in different long-distance exchange networks.
Exploring the intention to use cloud services in collaboration contexts among Taiwan’s private vocational students
Authors: Huang Yong-Ming
Published: February 2016

Cloud services have been widely regarded as a useful tool to support collaboration. However, exploring the intention to use cloud services in collaboration contexts among students who enroll in private vocational universities in Taiwan has received little scholarly attention. Most of these students are low academic achievers or not very interested in learning, which has become a great challenge to their teachers. Previous studies have indicated that collaboration among students is beneficial to their learning. Accordingly, in this study, cloud services were used to facilitate student collaboration and to further understand their intention to use such services. The results show that facilitating conditions significantly influence perceived ease of use and attitude toward using and social influence greatly affects perceived usefulness and behavioral intention. These results imply that the educational training or problem solving involved in using cloud services can help make students aware that the services are easy to use and can generate a positive attitude toward using them and that the opinions expressed by teachers or classmates are valuable with regard to leading to a belief that the services are useful for learning and contribute to behavioral intention.
Emotional Bias in Classroom Observations: Within-Rater Positive Emotion Predicts Favorable Assessments of Classroom Quality
Authors: Floman James L. , Hagelskamp Carolin , Brackett Marc A. , Rivers Susan E.
Published: February 2016

Classroom observations increasingly inform high-stakes decisions and research in education, including the allocation of school funding and the evaluation of school-based interventions. However, trends in rater scoring tendencies over time may undermine the reliability of classroom observations. Accordingly, the present investigations, grounded in social psychology research on emotion and judgment, propose that state emotion may constitute a source of psychological bias in raters’ classroom observations. In two studies, employing independent sets of raters and approximately 5,000 videotaped fifth- and sixth-grade classroom interactions, within-rater state positive emotion was associated with favorable ratings of classroom quality using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS). Despite various protections enacted to secure reliable and valid observations in the face of rater trends—including professional training, certification testing, and routine calibration meetings—emotional bias still emerged. Study limitations and implications for classroom observation methodology are considered.
Les facteurs explicatifs de la prédisposition des entreprises prestataires à co-créer un service B2B
Authors: Jouny-Rivier Elodie , Ngobo Paul-Valentin
Published: February 2016

La co-création, c’est-à-dire l’implication des clients dans les phases de création de nouveaux produits, est de plus en plus considérée comme une stratégie efficace pour améliorer le taux de réussite de nouveaux services. Cependant, de nombreuses entreprises demeurent réticentes à co-créer avec leurs clients. Dès lors une question se pose : pourquoi certaines entreprises sont-elles plus disposées à co-créer des services alors que d’autres le sont moins ? Les résultats d’une étude quantitative menée auprès de 175 prestataires de services indiquent que les principaux facteurs explicatifs de la prédisposition à co-créer sont les bénéfices-clients attendus par une entreprise. La perception de ces bénéfices-clients est essentiellement influencée par les facteurs relationnels tels que les outils collaboratifs et la confiance inter-organisationnelle.
Seeking Justice for Wartime Sexual Violence in Kosovo
Authors: Di Lellio Anna
Published: February 2016

At different times, and for different reasons, Kosovo informal and organized women’s networks have dealt with wartime sexual violence in different ways: they have followed either a strategy of silence or one of speech. Throughout, they have struggled to disentangle gender from ethnicity, straddling the line between a deep connection with local culture and domestic and international norms and agendas. This article tells their story, which in broader terms is the story of the subjectivity of women’s rights activists—domestic and international—as it connects with the normative framework of transitional justice. The case of Kosovo shows that transitional justice meaningfully engages local actors as a human rights project sensitive to political change, more than as a “toolkit” which packages truth, reconciliation and justice with recipes for implementation. The case of Kosovo also confirms that lobbying by women’s networks is crucial to the inclusion of women’s perspectives in transitional justice, and that the exclusion of women from decision making results in a net loss for women’s concerns. I would take the argument even further, and suggest that the inclusion of women and their agendas, as well as the struggle by women’s networks for inclusion, is necessary for human rights transformation.
Role of Residency Interview Preparatory Activities as a Determinant on Pharmacy Residency Match Rates
Authors: Caballero Joshua , Benavides Sandra , Clauson Kevin A. , Hardigan Patrick C. , Steinberg Jennifer G. , Gauthier Timothy P. , Sherman Elizabeth M. , Seamon Matthew J. , Valdes Jose , Thomas Jennifer E.
Published: February 2016

Purpose:

Different strategies have been implemented to assist students in securing residency positions. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of student participation in residency preparation activities on match rates.

Methods:

A retrospective observational study was conducted to explore the effect of participation in residency preparation activities and grade point average (GPA) on residency match rate. Match rates for students participating in the Residency Interview Preparation Seminar (RIPS) or mock interviews (ie, intervention group) were compared with students who participated in neither activity (ie, control group).

Results:

A total of 118 individuals were included in the comparison. Forty-eight students participated in RIPS (n = 29) or mock interviews (n = 19), while 70 students were in the control group. The intervention group had a statistically larger proportion of students securing residency than the control group (81% vs 57%; P = .009). Match rates between students enrolled in RIPS versus those in the mock interview group were not significant. No statistically significant differences were observed based on GPA.

Conclusion:

Students receiving additional preparation prior to interviews when seeking postdoctoral training were significantly more likely to obtain a residency position. In academic settings with limited resources, mock interviews may be preferred over comprehensive preparatory courses.
Infants Understand Others’ Needs
Authors: Köster Moritz , Ohmer Xenia , Nguyen Thanh Dung , Kärtner Joscha
Published: February 2016

Infants begin to help other individuals in the second year of life. However, it is still unclear whether early helping behavior is based on an understanding of other individuals’ needs and is thus motivated prosocially. In the present eye-tracking study, 9- to 18-month-old infants ( N = 71) saw a character in need of help, unable to reach its goal because of an obstacle, and a second character that was able to achieve a goal on its own. When a third individual (a helper) initiated an action, the infants expected the helper to help the character in need (as indicated during the anticipatory-looking and violation-of-expectation phases). Their prosocial understanding did not differ between age groups and was not related to their helping behavior (measured in two behavioral tasks). Thus, infants understand other individuals’ needs even before they start to help others themselves. This indicates that early helping may indeed be motivated prosocially and raises the question of which other competences underlie the ontogeny of helping behavior.
‘Doing the Wait’: An exploration into the waiting experiences of prisoners’ families
Authors: Foster Rebecca
Published: February 2016

Waiting is a universal experience and a ‘taken for granted’ form of time. However, it is given a social specificity when embodied by particular agents in particular settings. This paper reflects on the universal experience of waiting in the very particular setting of the prison, specifically a prison visitors’ centre; this is the space where families wait prior to visiting their incarcerated relatives. I draw on the literature of waiting and prisoners’ families, as well as my own empirical work and ethnographic observations of waiting families. In this work, I explore issues of power and agency, and explore the social relations which are orchestrated within and beyond this organisation of space and time. This paper aims to bring together two distinct areas of literature: one which explores how prisoners ‘do time’, and the other which explores the impact of imprisonment on the families outside. In marrying the two, this paper explores the temporal impact of the imprisonment on the family members of those incarcerated.
Facing pitch: Constructing associations between space and pitch leads to better estimation of musical intervals
Authors: Loudwin Johannes , Bannert Maria
Published: February 2016

Mental-spatial representations are often used for processing quantities and magnitudes such as numbers or pitch. The present study investigates whether the active creation of associations between space and pitch magnitude leads to a better estimation of the distances between pitches (musical intervals). Non-musicians performed an aurally presented comparison task in which musical intervals had to be estimated both before and after a training phase. Experiment 1 shows that the experimental group participants who were given the opportunity to establish associations between space and pitch (by means of spatial visualizations presented during training) improved significantly regarding their skill of estimating musical intervals compared with a control group without exposure to spatial visualizations during training. Experiment 2 replicated these findings, and a supplementary experimental group showed that the establishment of these associations is hindered when, additionally to pitch, task-irrelevant information about the point in time at which a tone is played during a trial, is also presented spatially during training (which does not decrease performance in training). We found that explicitly creating associations between space and pitch leads to a better estimation of the size of musical intervals, and we conclude that using analogies between space and pitch, e.g., in aural training in music education, is an efficient way to train the perception of pitch distances between musical notes.
Part I: An Introduction to Conducting Qualitative Research in Children With Cancer
Authors: Woodgate Roberta
Published: February 2016

Over the past decade, pediatric nurse researchers have acknowledged the need to study children's cancer illness experiences within the qualitative research framework. Support for more qualitative research is based on the belief that it will afford researchers the opportunity to get closer to understanding children's perspectives of their cancer experience. A priori theories or generalizations by the researcher are not imposed; therefore, information emerging from the research is believed to be more a reflection of the perspectives of child participants and not adult researchers. Although pediatric oncology nurses may be interested in using more qualitative methods in their research, deciding on the appropriate qualitative research design may not always be so evident, considering that the adoption of qualitative inquiry in the study of childhood cancer is in its infancy. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to increase the reader's understanding of the use of the qualitative research paradigm in the study of children's experiences with cancer. An overview of four qualitative research designs that pediatric oncology nurse researchers may adopt is presented. Specifically, the qualitative designs of grounded theory, ethnography, phenomenology, and biography or illness narratives are examined. To facilitate discussion, each of the four designs are applied to the study of symptom experiences in children with cancer.
Important Aspects of Care and Assistance for Children With Cancer
Authors: Enskär Karin , von Essen Louise
Published: February 2016

This study examined aspects of care and assistance that are important for 8- to 12-year-old children with cancer. Data were gathered through interviews with 25 children, 31 parents, and 32 nurses. Each participant was asked: "What caring aspects are important for you/your child/the child to feel cared for?" and "What help, if any, do you/your child/the child need outside the hospital?" Data were analyzed by content analysis. The following important caring aspects were identified: amusement, clinical competence, continuity, family participation, honest communication, information, participation in decision making, satisfaction of basic needs, social competence, and time. Children most frequently mentioned the importance of social competence, amusement, and satisfaction of basic needs. Parents and nurses most frequently mentioned the importance of information, social competence, and participation in decision making. The following important assistance aspects were also identified: emotional support, family life, meeting friends, practical support, rehabilitation, and school support. Two-thirds of the children did not mention that they needed any help outside the hospital. According to parents and nurses, one third of the children needed emotional support, whereas none of the children mentioned a need for this.