bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decision Support for Civil Engineering Students: Analysis of Alumni Career Paths
Authors: Hotle Susan L. , Katz Bryan J.
Published: November 2018

Undergraduate students in engineering face many important decisions in the final 2 years of their degree program. These decisions can have an impact on long-term career choices, such as specialization area, career role of interest, and whether to apply to graduate school. Unfortunately, uninformed decisions can lead to missed opportunities, as well as the student potentially leaving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education due to choosing a specialization that is not well aligned with their interests. This survey-based study assists students by analyzing the personality types, demographics, and career paths of 567 alumni that have earned an undergraduate degree in civil and environmental engineering (CEE) and are no longer enrolled in a university. Study findings include the fact that certain demographics, personality types, and job preferences are significant predictors of the final outcome of an alumni’s career when choosing between the different technical areas within CEE and professional roles. Family history of having an engineer in the immediate family did not prove to be a significant factor in these decisions. In addition, little significance was found between the data captured in the survey of whether or not someone would go on to earn a graduate degree in CEE. Given where significant relationships were found, it is recommended that future studies focus on testing additional personality types (e.g., is enthusiastic) and job traits (e.g., likes a desk job) to provide even greater distinctions between the technical areas and roles.
Optimal Information Provision at Bottleneck Equilibrium with Risk-Averse Travelers
Authors: Liu Peng , Liu Yang
Published: November 2018

This paper aims to study the effects of travel information provision on risk-averse travelers when travel time is uncertain. A stochastic bottleneck model is examined with risk-averse commuters, in which the free-flow travel time is assumed to be uncertain and follows a uniform distribution. A mean-variance approach is adopted to measure the travel cost under risk. It is proven that the individual travel cost at bottleneck equilibrium monotonically increases with the risk-aversion level. With a higher risk-aversion level, the morning peak hour starts earlier, but the duration of the peak hour remains constant regardless of the risk-aversion level. If improvement in information quality can reduce the travel time uncertainty, risk-averse commuters will benefit from the higher quality of information. Nevertheless, when the cost of information provision is also considered, the optimal information provision strategy is derived to minimize the total system cost. The numerical examples demonstrate the information efficiency and provision strategy. The findings reveal the congestion patterns of a stochastic bottleneck with risk-averse travelers and will guide us to provide appropriate travel information.
Fifteen-Year Audit of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions in the Australian Football League From 1999 to 2013: Return to Play and Subsequent ACL Injury
Authors: Lai Courtney C.H. , Feller Julian A. , Webster Kate E.
Published: November 2018

Background:

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has been a major cause of missed game time among Australian Football League (AFL) players. Return to play after ACL reconstruction is not always achieved, even among elite athletes. The rate of subsequent ACL injury in the AFL from 1990 to 2000 was high as compared with that of other elite sports.

Purpose:

To determine the rates of return to play and subsequent ACL injury after ACL reconstruction among AFL players from 1999 to 2013 and to explore factors associated with differing rates of return to play and subsequent ACL injury.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 158 AFL players who underwent ACL reconstruction were identified from a prospectively maintained registry of AFL player injuries. Further data were gathered from official playing statistics, surgical records, and structured phone interviews.

Results:

The rate of return to play after an initial ACL injury was 77% (121 of 158 players). Greater preinjury playing experience and earlier selection in the AFL draft were associated with higher rates of return to play. The rate of subsequent ACL injury to either knee was 30% (48 of 158 players) and was especially high among players aged <21 years (23 of 46 players, 50%). After subsequent ACL injury, 34 of 48 players (71%) returned to play. In primary ACL reconstruction, the use of Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System grafts resulted in a faster return to play ( P = .001) but had a higher risk of subsequent revision reconstruction (risk ratio = 2.8, P = .048). Family history of ACL injury was associated with an increased risk of subsequent contralateral ACL injury (risk ratio = 3.8, P = .002).

Conclusion:

Most AFL players who underwent ACL reconstruction returned to play at least 1 AFL match. The high rate of subsequent ACL injury among AFL players demonstrates the highly demanding nature of Australian football, particularly at the elite level. The risk factors for subsequent ACL injury should be considered carefully when treatment and rehabilitation decisions are made for these high-demand athletes.
The impact of sulfur oxidation level on flame retardancy
Authors: Howell Bob A , Daniel Yoseph G
Published: November 2018

Compounds containing sulfur in various forms may be used as flame retardants or as adjuvants to promote the activity of other flame-retarding elements, most notably phosphorus. To gain a better understanding of the nature of the sulfur moiety in a flame retardant on performance, a series of phosphorus esters derived from isosorbide containing sulfur at various levels of oxygenation (sulfide, sulfoxide, sulfone) have been prepared and evaluated for flame-retardant impact in diglycidyl ether of bis-phenol A epoxy. In all cases, the presence of sulfur positively impacts flame retardancy. In general, the impact on flame retardancy increases as the level of oxygenation at sulfur increases (sulfone > sulfoxide > sulfide).
Is Housing Diversity Good for Community Stability? Evidence from the Housing Crisis
Authors: Chakraborty Arnab , McMillan Andrew
Published: November 2018

This article explores the connections between the housing diversity of a community and its home foreclosures for a period before the peak in the national home foreclosure rate and its home sales for a period after the peak. We measure housing diversity as a mix of existing housing units by type and, separately, as a mix of zoned residential densities. We carefully select and analyze fourteen US metropolitan statistical areas. Using multivariate and spatial regression, we find that communities with lower housing diversity had higher rates of foreclosure. Finally, we discuss how our findings can help planners advance housing diversity.
Selecting Experimental Data for Use in Quantitative Risk Assessment: An Expert-Judgment Approach
Authors: Wolff Scott K. , Hawkins Neil C. , Kennedy Susan M. , Graham John D.
Published: November 2018

In many cancer risk assessments the experimental data used in statistical modeling are selected by applying generic guidelines. The guidelines exclude use of some types of experimental data and often appear arbitrary since rules rather than scientific judgments guide selection of data. This paper implements an alternative approach in which data are selected based on the judgments of practicing scientists. Eight such scientists were identified through an explicit selection procedure to help select data for use in a dose-response assessment of formaldehyde. Judgments about appropriate data sets were then elicited in personal interviews using a formal interview protocol. Appropriate data sets were fit to the multistage model and used as the basis for low-dose extrapolation. Low-dose risk estimates are shown to be sensitive to the selection of data, especially the treatment of benign tumors. The recommendations of the experts also differ in some respects from the choices made in previously published risk assessments. This suggests that scientific judgment may be an appropriate method to augment guidelines when a broad range of data is available. The paper argues that the expert judgment approach has some advantages that are worth considering.
Exposure to Man-Made Mineral Fibers: A Summary of Current Animal Data
Authors: Wheeler Candace S.
Published: November 2018

The inhalation of asbestos fibers (crocidolite, chrysotile and amosite) has been implicated in the development of a number of lung disorders including lung cancer, asbestosis, and mesothelioma. The mechanism responsible for these effects is not well characterized but is generally thought to be related to the fibrous nature of these materials. Therefore, concerns have also been raised as to the potential health impact of other fibrous materials including man-made mineral fibers.

Man-made mineral fibers are being used as substitutes for asbestos in a wide range of products. However, relatively little data are available on the potential health impact of these fibrous materials. Epidemiology and clinical studies have served as an important source of information on the effect of various environmental pollutants, but have not been sufficient to date to fully address the potential health impact of man-made mineral fibers. This is due in part to the relatively recent introduction of a number of these materials, the long latency period before the onset of clinical symptoms, and in general, the lower exposure levels associated with these materials. Therefore, a number of animal studies have been performed to predict or confirm the toxicity of various man-made mineral fibers in humans.

Both fibrosis and mesothelioma have been induced in experimental animals exposed to man-made mineral fibers although no disease has been consistently observed in occupationally exposed workers. While little is known about the mechanism of this response, information from animal and cell culture experiments indicate that dose, fiber dimension, and fiber durability are the most important factors in determining the biological activity of these materials. The purpose of this summary will be to review these and other properties of man-made mineral fibers from animal and in vitro cellular experimentation in an attempt to address the potential health impact of these materials. Particular attention will be placed on the route of exposure, fiber type and morphology, and species tested. Recommendations will be made as to future research needs.
Improved connective integration of a degradable 3D-nano-apatite/agarose scaffold subcutaneously implanted in a rat model
Authors: García-Honduvilla Natalio , Coca Alejandro , Ortega Miguel A , Trejo Cynthia , Román Jesús , Peña Juan , Cabañas M Victoria , Vallet Regi Maria , Buján Julia
Published: November 2018

In this work, we evaluate the tissue response and tolerance to a designed 3D porous scaffold composed of nanocrystalline carbonate-hydroxyapatite and agarose as a preliminary step in bone repair and regeneration. These scaffolds were subcutaneously implanted into rats, which were sacrificed at different times. CD4+, CD8+ and ED1+ cells were evaluated as measurements of inflammatory reaction and tolerance. We observed some inflammatory response early after subcutaneous implantation. The 3D interconnected porosity increased scaffold integration via the formation of granulation tissue and the generation of a fibrous capsule around the scaffold. The capsule is initially formed by collagen which progressively invades the scaffold, creating a network that supports the settlement of connective tissue and generating a compact structure. The timing of the appearance of CD4+ and CD8+ cell populations is in agreement with the resolved inflammatory response. The appearance of macrophage activity evidences a slow and gradual degradation activity. Degradation started with the agarose component of the scaffold, but the nano-apatite was kept intact for up to 30 days. Therefore, this apatite/agarose scaffold showed a high capacity for integration by a connective network that stabilizes the scaffold and results in slow nano-apatite degradation. The fundamental properties of the scaffold would provide mechanical support and facilitate bone mobilization, which is of great importance in the masticatory system or large bones.
Correlates and Predictors of Mothers’ Adaptation and Trauma Symptoms Following the Unveiling of the Sexual Abuse of Their Child
Authors: Daignault Isabelle V. , Hébert Martine , Cyr Mireille , Pelletier Marilou , McDuff Pierre
Published: November 2018

Child sexual abuse (CSA) can severely affect the mental health of children and their parents. While correlates of recovery have been documented in children, factors exacerbating parents’ adaptation to their child’s unveiling of CSA deserves further attention. Parents’ history of abuse has been inconsistently identified as a predictor of their distress in reaction to their child’s abuse disclosure. This study proposes a mediation model that explores various processes underlying mother’s psychological distress (posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], dissociation, and their comorbidity) following their children’s unveiling of CSA. It investigates the influence of mother’s own CSA, as well as of her exposure to additional forms of past and current victimization, on her reaction to the child’s CSA disclosure, while considering coping mechanisms as mediators (avoidance, problem solving, search for social support, and feeling of guilt). Data were collected through self-report measures completed by 298 mothers of children who had recently disclosed CSA. Path analyses revealed that mother’s exposure to interparental violence as a child acted as a primary predictor of dissociation and of its comorbidity with PTSD, while a history of CSA was directly and exclusively linked to dissociation. Being exposed to recent partner violence was indirectly related to trauma symptoms, with coping mechanisms acting as mediators. This study outlines the relationship between mother’s psychological distress and her cumulative, past, and current exposure to various forms of victimization. Exposure to interparental violence as a child represents a particularly important factor for identifying mothers most in need of support, as it is a significant predictor of dissociation and of its comorbidity with PTSD.
Exploring Faculty and Students’ Attitudes About Consensual Sexual Relationships and Sexual Harassment on College Campuses
Authors: Crittenden Courtney A. , Gimlin April M. , Bennett April , Garland Tammy S.
Published: November 2018

Over the last several years, there has been an increased awareness regarding consensual sexual relationships (CSRs) between professors and students. Specifically, there has been a growing movement for academic institutions to develop policies addressing, discouraging, and/or prohibiting these relationships due to the potential for sexual harassment cases. Even though the appropriateness of such relationships has been widely debated among the university community, a limited amount of empirical work has examined this issue with the majority focusing on attitudinal studies. The current exploratory study consists of a content analysis of 278 faculty and student responses to the question, “If there is a difference between consensual sexual relationships and sexual harassment, what is it?” Responses indicate that there are several overlapping themes for both faculty and students in how they view these differences, with a large number of responses specifically indicating themes such as “CSR is consensual” while “sexual harassment is one sided.” There are also some unique perspectives given by faculty regarding the complexities and acceptability of CSRs, who are generally more specific and nuanced in their answers. Considering the complexities of this issue, it is the recommendation of the current study that much more research fully exploring the attitudes of faculty and students is needed to develop a well-rounded and comprehensive policy.
Providing basic services under siege: preliminary insights from interim councils and medical providers in besieged urban areas of Syria
Authors: Morrison Chas
Published: November 2018

The interim councils and medical workers operating in besieged cities in opposition-held areas of Syria have faced enormous challenges in providing services to citizens. Despite the extremely difficult operating environment, some semblance of organized government has been installed by anti-regime rebels, whose functions include provision of basic services. Data collected from interviews with interim councils and medical workers in four opposition-held areas suggest that despite the acutely constrained environment and overwhelming challenges, governance structures there demonstrate a degree of success in delivering basic services to civilian populations. Their provision of basic services constitutes more than a bargaining tool or legitimacy signalling, and is better understood as an integral part of revolutionary struggle. Although producing an objective picture of events on the ground is hindered by the conflict conditions and heavy propaganda, the Syrian experience of service provision under siege merits further exploration and has relevance for other conflict environments.
A New Approach to Cerebral Palsy Treatment: Discussion of the Effective Components of Umbilical Cord Blood and its Mechanisms of Action
Authors: Jiao Yang , Li Xiao-yan , Liu Jing
Published: November 2018

Cerebral palsy (CP) includes a group of persistent non-progressive disorders affecting movement, muscle tone, and/or posture. The total economic loss during the life-span of an individual with CP places a heavy financial burden on such patients and their families worldwide; however, a complete cure is still lacking. Umbilical cord blood (UCB)-based interventions are emerging as a scientifically plausible treatment and possible cure for CP. Stem cells have been used in many experimental CP animal models and achieved good results. Compared with other types of stem cells, those from UCB have advantages in terms of treatment safety and efficacy, ethics, non-neoplastic proliferation, accessibility, ease of preservation, and regulation of immune responses, based on findings in animal models and clinical trials. Currently, the use of UCB-based interventions for CP is limited as the components of UCB are complex and possess different therapeutic mechanisms. These can be categorized by three aspects: homing and neuroregeneration, trophic factor secretion, and neuroprotective effects. Our review summarizes the features of active components of UCB and their therapeutic mechanism of action. This review highlights current research findings and clinical evidence regarding UCB that contribute to treatment suggestions, inform decision-making for therapeutic interventions, and help to direct future research.
A care ethics approach to the Gender Kidney Donation Gap
Authors: Hodson Nathan
Published: November 2018

Many studies have shown that women are more likely than men to be living kidney donors, and the discrepancy is particularly marked in heterosexual couples: wives are more likely than husbands to donate a kidney to their spouse. This ‘ Gender Kidney Donation Gap’ can be understood in terms of Carol Gilligan’s claims about gender differences in ethical decision-making style, making it appropriate to analyse responses to this imbalance using an ethic of care. This article centres the vast majority of living donors, those who donate in the context of a significant pre-existing relationship. A cost-neutral approach is unfair on donors who make society richer and healthier by helping a loved one. However, models of kidney sale fail to offer an acceptable alternative, either (a) compelling donors to sell into a pool where they do not know the recipient or (b) allowing affluent individuals unfair access to kidneys. Drawing on surrogacy law in England and Wales, a model of compensation is proposed that includes a range of non-financial benefits. This option celebrates donation and expresses gratitude to all donors while avoiding the pitfalls of the marketplace, with an emphasis on fair treatment of donors. Nevertheless, if more generous treatment led to a 10% increase in directed donation, then it would be equivalent to doubling ‘altruistic’ stranger donations. As long as the Gender Kidney Donation Gap persists, the best response is to minimise the discomfort and disruption caused to donors by their profound act of kindness.
Information Asymmetry and Debt–Equity Choice: Evidence from an Emerging Market, India
Authors: Sony Bipin , Bhaduri Saumitra
Published: November 2018

We examine the role of information asymmetry in the debt–equity choice decisions of firms from an important emerging market, India. Information problems are more severe in the emerging markets and we find strong evidence in favour of information asymmetry playing a key role in the capital structure decisions of Indian firms. Consistent with the pecking order model, we find that equity issues are lesser in number and firms facing fewer information problems issue equity. We use novel variables such as analyst coverage, analyst forecast surprise and dispersion to capture information asymmetry in the Indian market.

JEL: G32
Portliness Amidst Poverty: Evidence from India
Authors: Maitra Pushkar , Menon Nidhiya
Published: November 2018

We analyse patterns and correlates of excess weight of adults in India. We find that urban women are particularly at risk of being overweight or obese and that income or wealth, relative inequality, and lifestyle choices are strongly correlated with body mass index. Using panel data for women, we find that there is strong persistence in being overweight or obese—there are significant transitions into this category but very little movement out of this category over time. Estimates of health impacts indicate that overweight or obese weight status is positively associated with the incidence of diabetes and blood pressure.

JEL: I12, I15, O12
A matter of presence: A qualitative study on teaching individual and collective music classes
Authors: Schiavio Andrea , Biasutti Michele , van der Schyff Dylan , Parncutt Richard
Published: November 2018

In the current study, 11 expert music teachers were asked to reflect on their own practice and compare their experience of individual and collective teaching settings. Adopting an approach based on grounded theory, two interrelated themes were identified in the raw data: teaching issues and professional development. In both categories, the notion of ‘presence’ emerged as a defining feature of the comparison. Teachers reported to be less present in collective settings, whereas one would expect that the higher (cognitive, teaching, etc.) demands associated with more learners would result in teachers being instead more involved in the unfolding dynamics of the lesson. Inspired by the conceptual tools offered by the Extended Mind (ExM) approach, we suggest that in collective settings teachers feel less present because they can offload the cognitive role of ‘teacher’ onto the learners, giving rise to a hybrid extended system that fosters a shared sense of responsibility, where pedagogical dynamics are functionally distributed across the whole group. In reporting excepts from music teachers, and adopting a novel perspective to frame our discussion, our research may contribute to existing literature in (collective) music pedagogy.
Validation of an in-house real-time PCR fecal assay and comparison with two commercial assays for the antemortem detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis infection in culled sheep
Authors: Arsenault Julie , Singh Sohal Jagdip , Leboeuf Anne , Hélie Pierre , Fecteau Gilles , Robinson Yves , L’Homme Yvan
Published: November 2018

Paratuberculosis is a chronic infectious enteritis of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP). In sheep, the antemortem detection of the infection is challenging given the slow progression of the disease and the lack of sensitive, specific, and cost-effective validated tests. We adapted an in-house real-time PCR (rtPCR) assay targeting the multi-copy IS 900 element of MAP. The sensitivity and specificity of this essay for the detection of MAP infection were estimated in a convenience sample of culled ewes from 7 infected flocks and compared to a commercial fecal rtPCR, a commercial ELISA, and fecal culture. An infected ewe was defined as a ewe with a positive culture of the ileum and/or mesenteric lymph node. A non-infected ewe was defined as a ewe negative in intestinal tissue culture, negative in fecal culture, and with no lesions consistent with paratuberculosis. The in-house rtPCR had a sensitivity estimate of 84% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 59%, 97%) among the 44 infected ewes, which was significantly higher ( p ⩽ 0.05) than the sensitivity of a commercial fecal rtPCR (52%, 95% CI: 27%, 76%; or 63%, 95% CI: 35%, 87% depending on the cutoff used), an ELISA (14%, 95% CI:2.0%, 41%), and fecal culture (21%, 95% CI: 2.7%, 59%). No statistical difference in assay specificities was observed for the 30 non-infected ewes. The in-house rtPCR is a promising tool that could be used advantageously for the antemortem detection of MAP infection in sheep.
Combining Composition and Sonic Information Design in a New Electroacoustic Work
Authors: Cave James , Eyes Ben
Published: November 2018

It might be suggested that composition and sonic information design are fundamentally different. However, some academic commentators and composers have explored the intersection between these disciplines. The authors presented one such work, Eonsounds: Fiamignano Gorge, at International Community of Auditory Display 2017. We argue that analysis of the aesthetic and informational choices in such hybrid works is essential to the development of sonic information design, with implications for the emergence of sonic information design as a subtype of human factors design. By acknowledging the relationship between aesthetics and information presentation, sound designers may develop designs that are safer and more user-friendly.
Low Back Pain: The Potential Contribution of Supraspinal Motor Control and Proprioception
Authors: Meier Michael Lukas , Vrana Andrea , Schweinhardt Petra
Published: November 2018

Motor control, which relies on constant communication between motor and sensory systems, is crucial for spine posture, stability and movement. Adaptions of motor control occur in low back pain (LBP) while different motor adaption strategies exist across individuals, probably to reduce LBP and risk of injury. However, in some individuals with LBP, adapted motor control strategies might have long-term consequences, such as increased spinal loading that has been linked with degeneration of intervertebral discs and other tissues, potentially maintaining recurrent or chronic LBP. Factors contributing to motor control adaptations in LBP have been extensively studied on the motor output side, but less attention has been paid to changes in sensory input, specifically proprioception. Furthermore, motor cortex reorganization has been linked with chronic and recurrent LBP, but underlying factors are poorly understood. Here, we review current research on behavioral and neural effects of motor control adaptions in LBP. We conclude that back pain-induced disrupted or reduced proprioceptive signaling likely plays a pivotal role in driving long-term changes in the top-down control of the motor system via motor and sensory cortical reorganization. In the outlook of this review, we explore whether motor control adaptations are also important for other (musculoskeletal) pain conditions.
Walking and Talking Integration: Triangulation of Data From Interviews and Go-Alongs for Exploring Immigrant Welfare Recipients’ Sense(s) of Belonging
Authors: Flick Uwe , Hirseland Andreas , Hans Benjamin
Published: November 2018

Integration of immigrants is a major political and societal topic in societies such as Germany, although there are different ideas about when integration is achieved. For analyzing integration from the immigrants’ points of view, data triangulation of talking (episodic interviews addressing migration histories) and walking (mobile methods—go-alongs) reveals several levels of integration experiences. After outlining space and belonging as relevant theoretical concepts and the methods triangulated in a study, four case studies of immigrants from Turkey and the former Soviet Union in Berlin are presented. The immigrants’ perceptions and aspirations toward belonging, participation, and integration are explored and compared from an intersectional perspective. We find differing ways of positioning toward the German majority society, of getting connected to it and coping with unemployment. Relations of work and social integration or marginalization are discussed based on the case studies and the relevance of using various kinds of data is demonstrated.
Narrative Roles Among Contact Versus Noncontact Sexual Offenders
Authors: Hamilton Emma , Sanchez Delida
Published: November 2018

The current study explored narrative roles among individuals convicted of a sexual offense. Narrative roles in a criminal context are defined as specific personal accounts utilized by offenders to justify illegal behavior. The chosen theoretical framework recognized four primary offender roles: Revengeful Mission/Romantic Quest, Professional, Victim, and Tragic Hero. A total of 23 interviews were conducted with individuals convicted of a sexual offense ( n = 11 contact, n = 12 noncontact) to explore and compare narrative roles between contact and noncontact offenders. Interviews were conducted using a phenomenological approach and coded via Framework Analysis, a qualitative data analytic method. Findings revealed a general pattern of narrative themes among offenders, along with a tendency for contact offenders to endorse Revengeful Mission/Romantic Quest narrative roles and noncontact offenders to endorse Tragic Hero narrative roles. Findings suggest that incorporating narrative roles into conceptualization and treatment of sexual offenders may help with tailoring treatments more effectively.
The Virtuous Circle: A Grounded Theory Exploration of the Good Lives Model
Authors: Ryan Miriam , McCauley Mathew , Walsh Davina
Published: November 2018

Sexual offenses evoke strong emotional responses and frequently elicit demands from society that offenders be indefinitely incarcerated or treated until they are deemed safe, which may impact the provision of therapeutic treatment for offenders. However, in recent years, there has been a proposal to move toward a positive, strengths-based treatment approach, namely the Good Lives Model (GLM). The present study used semi-structured interviews and a constructivist grounded theory approach to examine the experience of 13 men who were voluntarily engaging in or had completed a GLM community-based treatment program. A conceptual model emerged which outlines the process the men underwent, the factors they identified as crucial for change, and the perceived gains. The model extends previous work by exploring the process from the clients’ perspective. Implications for future research, prevention, and treatment are discussed.
Heterogeneity in Male Adolescents With Illegal Sexual Behavior: A Latent Profile Approach to Classification
Authors: Everhart Newman Jan L. , Larsen Jessica L. , Thompson Kelli , Cyperski Melissa , Burkhart Barry R.
Published: November 2018

Current research has established that male adolescents with illegal sexual behavior (AISB) are a heterogeneous population. We aimed to explore this within-group heterogeneity to derive clinically relevant groups of AISB using the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). We then compared these groups on selected covariates (age at intake, minority status, and child maltreatment history) and distal outcomes (general, nonviolent, violent, drug, and sexual recidivism 5 years after release) to identify any differences. The sample consisted of 698 male AISB (age = 11-20 years) referred to a secure juvenile facility for assessment and treatment. A latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted using the clinical and personality scales of the MACI to identify AISB groups and examine group differences. Four unique AISB groups emerged: Anxious, Depressed/Anxious, Dysthymic/Disorganized, and Antisocial. Groups differed on age at intake and child maltreatment history, but not minority status. At 5-year follow up, groups differed in their rates of general, nonsexual, and violent recidivism but not in their rates of sexual or drug recidivism. Clinically relevant AISB groups can be identified using personality and psychopathology indicators from the MACI. Implications for the assessment and treatment of AISB, as well as directions for future research are discussed.
The Mobility Crime Triangle for Sexual Offenders and the Role of Individual and Environmental Factors
Authors: Chopin Julien , Caneppele Stefano
Published: November 2018

This study—based on a national data set ( N = 1,447)—focuses on extrafamilial sexual assaults and their mobility. Spatial information about the offender’s house, the victim’s house, and the crime scene was combined in mobility crime triangles. The findings reveal that most of the assaults fall in the categories of total mobility (42.78%) and offender mobility (33.10%). Our results also show the validity of the distance decay function with over 50% of aggressions occurring within 3 km of the offender’s house. The analysis did not reveal the existence of buffer zones, probably due to the acquaintance between some of the offenders and their victims. The evidence suggests that environmental risk factors are more significant than individual ones when it comes to explaining the variation among mobility patterns in sexual assaults. Offenders appear to adapt their mobility patterns and modus operandi according to the environmental constraints. Often, offenders choose their own or their victim’s house as a safe environment for performed sexual assault.
Do Developmental and Life-Course Theory Risk Factors Equally Predict Age of Onset Among Juvenile Sexual and Nonsexual Offenders?
Authors: Rosa Melanie , Fox Bryanna , Jennings Wesley G.
Published: November 2018

Previous empirical inquiries into the etiology of juvenile sex offending have been largely atheoretical. Consequently, a call for studies conducted utilizing developmental and life-course (DLC) criminological theory has been made to better understand the onset, development, risk, and protective factors of juvenile sex offending. Therefore, this study contributes to the discussion by testing key predictions proposed by the DLC framework regarding the theoretical correlates of early onset offending, as applied to juvenile sex offenders (JSOs) and juvenile nonsex offenders (JNSOs). Drawing on a data set of more than 64,000 youth referred to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, results indicate that although the number and severity of risk factors for early age of onset differ between the JSOs and JNSOs, the specific type of risk factors that emerged align with DLC theory predictions. The implications of these findings and contributions for DLC theory are also discussed.
NuRsing Research in the 21st Century: R You Ready?
Authors: Wright Michelle L. , Higgins Melinda , Taylor Jacquelyn Y. , Hertzberg Vicki Stover
Published: November 2018

Nurse scientists are adept at translating findings from basic science into useful clinical- and community-based interventions to improve health. Over time, the focus of some nursing research has grown to include the assessment and evaluation of genomic and other output from high-throughput, or “omic,” technologies as indicators related to health and disease. To date, the growth in the application of omics technologies in nursing research has included calls to increase attention to omics in nursing school curricula and educational training opportunities, such as the Summer Genetics Institute offered by the National Institute of Nursing Research. However, there has been scant attention paid in the nursing literature to the complexity of data analysis or issues of reproducibility related to omics studies. The goals of this article are to (1) familiarize nurse scientists with tools that encourage reproducibility in omics studies, with a focus on the free and open-source data processing and analysis pipeline, and (2) provide a baseline understanding of how these tools can be used to improve collaboration and cohesion among interdisciplinary research team members. Knowledge of these tools and skill in applying them will be important for communication across disciplines and imperative for the advancement of omics research in nursing.
Adoption, incorporation, and a sense of citizenship and belonging in Indigenous Nations and culture: a Haudenosaunee perspective
Authors: White Kevin J
Published: November 2018

During the salvage ethnography period in the early 20th century, the adoption of scholars by tribes provided those scholars with access to Indigenous Knowledge and garnered their support of Indigenous agendas at a time when there were few Indigenous scholars. Adoptive practices and protocols today raise complex questions that have very real legal, political, and cultural repercussions. The introduction of enrollment cards and blood quantum—how are we to make sense of old adoption protocols of Indigenous Nations outlined in traditional narratives such as Creation? The answer for Haudenosaunee communities lies in two of the core narratives: Creation and Great Law. What do these narratives illuminate regarding adoptive cultural practices that today can be utilized in an ever changing political, legal, and culture framework using the long-understood notion of Good Mindedness?
A Particular Medullary-Spinal Inhibitory Pathway is Recruited for the Expression of Muscle Atonia During REM Sleep
Authors: Valencia Garcia Sara , Luppi Pierre-Hervé , Fort Patrice
Published: November 2018

Muscle atonia is a major pathognomonic sign of paradoxical sleep (PS; coined REM Sleep), during which dreams mainly occur. In the 1980s, an idiopathic syndrome called REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) was described in patients endowed with loss of PS paralysis concomitant to abnormal movements, suggesting a dysfunction of PS networks. Another major clinical RBD feature is its prevalent phenoconversion into synucleinopathies as Parkinson’s disease in a delay of 10-15 years after diagnosis. Thus, we undertook experiments in rats to disentangle brainstem networks involved in PS, including atonia. We first identified a contingent of pontine glutamate neurons recruited during PS with inputs to the ventromedial medulla (vmM) where they contact γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)/glycine inhibitory neurons also activated during PS. Here, we further show that these vmM inhibitory neurons send efferents to somatic spinal motoneurons until lumbar levels. As reported for the pontine generator, the genetic inactivation of the vmM inhibitory neurons abolishes atonia during PS without effects on waking locomotion and is sufficient to recapitulate major RBD symptoms. These original data suggest that RBD may reflect a severe dysfunction and/or degeneration linked to a developing synucleinopathic attack targeting specifically neurons that generate PS-specific atonia.
Failure to Detect Measles Virus Rna, by Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction, in Peripheral Blood Leucocytes of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Brankin B. , Osman M. , Herlihy L. , Hawkins S.A. , Cosby S.L.
Published: November 2018

We have examined peripheral blood leucocytes (PBLs) from 17 multiple sclerosis patients, two patients with rheumatoid arthritis, one case of acute childhood measles and one case of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, as well as 19 healthy adult controls for measles virus (MV) RNA, by the technique of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. MV nucleocapsid gene specific primers were used to amplify all PBL-derived cDNA samples. These proved to be negative with the exception of the sample derived from the acute measles case. Selected cases were examined further, using fusion gene and matrix gene specific primers. MV RNA could not be detected.
Using the Social Return on Investment Framework to Evaluate Behavior Changes of Individuals Living With Learning Difficulties
Authors: Shaw Alan
Published: November 2018

A number of scholars have raised concerns that many social marketers fail to consider the cost of their programs and its related savings. One solution is to use the social return on investment (SROI) framework, which is rooted in the theory of change. To demonstrate its possibilities, a single case study, focusing on a small social enterprise based in the north of England, was used. They apply social marketing (SM) principles to influence positive behavior changes in people living with learning difficulties. The study was limited to their Teens-n-Twenties program, which was designed to support individuals between the ages of 14 and 25 become more independent. The results demonstrate that the program had an SROI valued somewhere between 2.36:1 and 3.88:1 (i.e., for every pound invested, a value of between £2.36 and £3.88 was delivered in social worth). This evaluation was used as evidence of the program’s effectiveness in a continuing funding bid, and the organization was awarded just under £500 K from the United Kingdom’s Big Lottery Fund. The study contributes to the knowledge and practice of SM by presenting a possible solution to the domain’s concerns on how SM can be evaluated.
Nicotine Induces Progressive Properties of Lung Adenocarcinoma A549 Cells by Inhibiting Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) Expression and Plasma Membrane Localization
Authors: Li Hui , Ma Ningxia , Wang Jing , Wang Ying , Yuan Chao , Wu Jing , Luo Meihui , Yang Jiali , Chen Juan , Shi Juan , Liu Xiaoming
Published: November 2018

Lung cancer remains one of the most common cancer-related deaths worldwide. The cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer development. Interestingly, the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator encoded by CFTR gene, an ATP-binding cassette transporter-class ion channel that conducts chloride and bicarbonate anions across membrane of epithelial cells, has recently been suggested to play a role in the development and progression of many types of cancer. It has been well-documented that mutations of CFTR gene are the cause of cystic fibrosis, the most common fatal hereditary lung disease in Caucasian population; the function of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator in the development of lung cancer however has not yet been established. In the present study, we aimed to interrogate the impact of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator on the nicotine-promoted progressive potency in lung adenocarcinoma cells by assessing capacities of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator to cell migration, invasion, and clonogenicity and the expression of markers of cell proliferation and lung stem cell–related transcription factors in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. The exposure of nicotine exhibited an ability to enhance progressive properties of adenocarcinoma cells including A549 cells, HCC827 cells, and PC-9 cells, alone with an inhibition of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein expression. Remarkably, an overexpression of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator significantly inhibited the progressive potency of A549 cells, including capacity of cell migration and invasion and clonogenicity, along with a decreased expression of cell proliferative markers Ki67, p63, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen, and cancer stem cell marker CD133, stem cell pluripotency-related transcription factors octamer-binding transcription factor ¾, and sex-determining region Y-box 2, regardless of the presence of nicotine. In contrast, opposite effects were observed in A549 cells that the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator was knockdown by short hairpin RNA to cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. This study thus suggests that cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator may play a tumor suppressor role in lung cancer cells, which may be a novel therapeutic target warranted for further investigation.
Delirium and Antipsychotic Medications at Hospital Intake: Screening to Decrease Likelihood of Aggression in Inpatient Settings Among Unknown Patients With Dementia
Authors: Wharton Tracy , Paulson Daniel , Burcher Kimberly , Lesch Heather
Published: November 2018

For individuals with dementia, disorientation and both external and internal stimuli may trigger behaviors that are difficult to manage or dangerous to health-care providers. Identification of correlational risk factors to aggressive behavior in patients who are unknown to the hospital can allow providers to adapt patient care quickly. Records for patients aged 60+ who spent at least 24 hours at the hospital other than in the psychiatric unit were used (N = 14 080). The first 4000 records and every 10th person who met criteria (N = 5008) were searched for documentation of dementia (n = 505). Logistic regressions and χ2 tests were used to examine relationships between variables. Recognition of delirium ( P = .014, Exp(B) = 2.53), coupled with an existing prescription for antipsychotic medication at intake ( P < .001, Exp(B) < 4.37), may be a reliable means of screening for risk and intervening at the earliest possible contact, improving quality of care and safety in acute care for individuals with dementia.
Couvade Syndrome Among Jordanian Expectant Fathers
Authors: Mrayan Lina , Abujilban Sanaa , Abuidhail Jamila , Bani Yassein Muneer , Al-Modallal Hanan
Published: November 2018

Studies of different cultures have reported that expectant fathers experience physiological and psychological changes during their partner’s pregnancy. These symptoms are classed as Couvade Syndrome (sympathetic pregnancy) symptoms. The main aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Couvade Syndrome among Jordanian expectant fathers. A descriptive quantitative research design that utilized the Men’s Health During Partners’ Pregnancy (MHDPP) questionnaire was employed to collect data from three Maternal and Child Health Care Centers in public hospitals. A total of 449 participants completed the questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of the sample and the main variables. Chi-square tests were conducted to find the relationship between the pregnancy trimester and the specific Couvade Syndrome symptom. Jordanian expectant fathers experienced high rates of Couvade Syndrome (59.1%). The prevalence of Couvade Syndrome among the participants is considered to be the highest reported rate when compared to the results of previous studies. This rate may be due to the tendency among men in Jordan to have a strong desire for children soon after marriage and to have a strong commitment to family life. With a better understanding of the expectant father’s response to pregnancy, health-care providers would be better able to provide them with the necessary support and education. This could contribute to the health and well-being of expectant fathers and their families.