bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Social Class with Malaria Prevalence Among Household Heads in Ghana
Authors: Boadu Kwame , Trovato Frank
Published: July 2017

This is an exploratory study that investigates the association of social class with malaria prevalence among household heads in Ghana. Data utilized is taken from the 1997 Core Welfare Indicators Questionnaire (CWIQ) survey of Ghana. The survey collected information on households covering a variety of topics including education, health, employment, household assets, household amenities, poverty predictors, and child anthropometry. A total of 14,514 households were interviewed, comprising 63 percent rural household heads and 37 percent urban household heads. The research method employed in this study involves the construction of a composite index of social class from six indicators namely, education, dwelling ownership, heads of cattle, modern household items, main source of cooking fuel and type of toilet facility. Logistic regression was applied in examining the association between social class and the dependent variable, prevalence of malaria. Marital status and personal hygiene were examined together with social class as the predictor variables, while sex, age, place of residence and ecological zone were introduced as control variables. The study revealed that there was no direct association between social class and the prevalence of malaria among household heads in Ghana; rather, marital status served as a mediating factor.
On measures of association for multiple-cause mortality: Do we need more measures?
Authors: Bah Sulaiman , Rahman M. Mahibbur
Published: July 2017

More than 70 measures exist for analyzing the binary association of a 2x2 contingency table. Of these, only five are used in multiple-cause mortality. The aim of the paper is to answer the question of whether these measures are adequate. Building on comparative reviews of measures of association, the paper identifies three additional measures as suitable candidates. These additional measures, together with the five existing ones, are assessed for their theoretical utility based on seven criteria laid out in the paper. Subsequently, the same measures are applied to South African multiple-cause data that comprises over four million records. The multiple-causesoftware Cause_limp v1.1 was used to extract the data for the cell entries of the 2x2 contingency table, with diabetes as a multiple-cause and cardiac arrest as a co-morbid condition. The paperconcludes that existing measures of multiple-cause mortality need to be supplemented with other measures, in particular the Positive Matching Index (PMI). This measure is found to satisfy allthe criteria laid out, and produces the most consistent results among all the measures compared.
Childlessness of men in Canada: Result of a waiting game in a changing family context
Authors: Ravanera Zenaida R. , Beaujot Roderic
Published: July 2017

Childlessness was about 12–13 per cent for cohorts born in 1927 to 1941, but increased in younger cohorts, with the childlessness of men born in 1957–1961 reaching 20 per cent. Using data from the 2006 Canadian General Social Survey on families, we show that the intention to be childfree among young men has largely remained low, at 8 to 10 per cent. As men grow older, the intention to be childfree increases such that at age 45–49, 16 per cent intend not to become fathers. Rather than a deliberate choice, the increase in childlessness could be the result of a waiting game. Longer stays in school, later entry into the work force, and starting marital relations at older ages contribute to delays in becoming fathers. While for many men the delay does not necessarily end in childlessness, for others the period of waiting changes their intention to become fathers. The adjustment of intentions and the eventual childlessness are made easier because of the reduced normative pressure to have children.
Where have all the children gone? Quebec's fertility decline: 1941-1991
Authors: Krull Catherine , Trovato Frank
Published: July 2017

The province of Quebec, historically known for its unusually high reproductive
levels, has in the past few decades experienced a spectacular fertility decline.
This more or less abrupt decline in fertility has corresponded with the socioeconomic transformation of this French-speaking province into a modern
society. This paper presents a path analysis of period structural factors on
fertility change in Quebec from 1941 to 1991. The results are interpreted in the
context of Quebec’s family policies and assess whether government can or
should attempt to increase fertility levels in Quebec.
Living Arrangements among Single Mothers in India
Authors: Swain Pushpanjali , Pillai Vijayan K.
Published: July 2017

A large proportion of two parent households transition into single parent
households upon marital disruption. Single parent households, especially female headed households face an increase in the risk of poverty. This study focuses on whether widow status in India influences the likelihood of household headship in India. This study is based on the most recent National Family Health Survey 1998-1999, in India. The population of interest includes all mothers aged 15 to 49 years, without a spouse, living with one or more of their own children under 18 years of age. We find that being a widow increases the likelihood of being a household head compared to the likelihood of household headship among the divorced and the separated in India. This study provides some evidence on the continuing social discrimination against widows in India. The implication of the findings are discussed.
Does occupational status matter? Examining immigrants’ employment in their intended occupations
Authors: Frank Kristyn
Published: July 2017

Research examining the economic integration of immigrants to Canada primarily focuses on earnings differentials between the native-born and foreign-born populations. Although some studies examine occupational matching among immigrants, broad levels of occupational classification are employed. This paper has two objectives: (1) to examine occupational matching for the immigrant population at a precise level of classification and (2) to broaden the focus of immigrant employment research by considering whether characteristics of their intended occupations influence the likelihood of an occupational match. Results indicate that immigrants seeking high-status occupations are significantly less likely to obtain a match than those seeking low-status occupations.
Exploring the relationship between educational credentials and the earnings of immigrants
Authors: Adamuti-Trache Maria , Sweet Robert
Published: July 2017

The study uses the 2002 Ethnic Diversity Survey (EDS) to examine the
relationship between immigrants’ educational credentials and earnings. Three
aspects of an individual’s credentials are considered: country of origin, level of
education, and field of study. In addition, we examine the constraining effects of gender and visible minority status on the ability of immigrants to negotiate the value of their educational credentials in the Canadian labour market.
Health Consequences to Immigrant Family Caregivers in Canada
Authors: Suwal Juhee Vajracharya
Published: July 2017

This study revisited the “double jeopardy” hypothesis in terms of the health of
immigrant family caregivers. It also investigated the effect of “reciprocity”
(feeling of giving back something) on the health of family caregivers. The
General Social Survey 2002 Cycle 16 data were analyzed using χ2-test and
Logistic regressions. About 16% of immigrants and 13.6% of non-immigrants
said that their health was negatively affected as a result of caregiving.
Immigrant family caregivers were three times more likely than non-immigrants to report a health consequence. Reciprocity played a big role in this outcome. Given the fact that an increasing number of culturally diverse immigrants enter Canada every year and that the immigrant population is aging, more caregivers will be in demand. Policy makers need to find ways to keep immigrant caregivers healthy so that quality care can be given to immigrant older adults and also for maintaining an overall healthy Canada.
Length of time to first job for immigrants in the United Kingdom: An exploratory analysis
Authors: Wong JuYin (Helen)
Published: July 2017

This study explores whether ethnicity affects immigrants’ time to first employment. Many studies on labour/social inequalities focus on modeling cross-sectional or panel data when comparing ethnic minority to majority groups in terms of their employment patterns. Results from these models, however, do not measure the degree of transition-duration penalties experienced by immigrant groups. Because time itself is an important variable, and to bridge the gap between literature and methodology, a lifecourse perspective and a duration model are employed to examine the length of transition that immigrants require to find first employment.
Support Vector Machines as tools for mortality graduation
Authors: Kostaki Anastasia , Moguerza Javier M. , Olivares Alberto , Psarakis Stelios
Published: July 2017

A topic of interest in demographic and biostatistical analysis as well as in actuarial practice,is the graduation of the age-specific mortality pattern. A classical graduation technique is to fit parametric models. Recently, particular emphasis has been given to graduation using nonparametric techniques. Support Vector Machines (SVM) is an innovative methodology that could be utilized for mortality graduation purposes. This paper evaluates SVM techniques as tools for graduating mortality rates. We apply SVM to empirical death rates from a variety of populations and time periods. For comparison, we also apply standard graduation techniques to the same data.
Data and discrimination: A research note on sexual orientation in the Canadian labour market
Authors: Denier Nicole , Waite Sean
Published: July 2017

Growing interest in the labour market outcomes of sexual minorities presents novel methodological and theoretical challenges. In this note, we outline important challenges in the study of wage inequality between sexual minorities and heterosexuals in Canada. We discuss the current state of available data on sexual orientation and economic outcomes in Canada, and further evaluate how estimates of sexual orientation wage gaps differ across earnings definition and sample composition. Our analysis of the 2006 Census shows considerable heterogeneity in point estimates of wage disadvantage across definitions of earnings and sample selections; however, all estimates show that gay men suffer labour market penalties and lesbians experience wage premiums.L’intérêt grandissant pour la situation des minorités sexuelles sur marché du travail soulève de nouveaux enjeux méthodologiques et théoriques. Dans ce commentaire, nous soulignons les enjeux importants que présente l’étude des inégalités salariales entre minorités sexuelles et hétérosexuels au Canada. Nous discutons de la disponibilité actuelle de données sur l’orientation sexuelle et le revenu au Canada et évaluons la manière selon laquelle les écarts salariaux varient en fonction de la définition de revenu et la composition de l’échantillon. Notre analyse du recensement de 2006 indique une hétérogénéité considérable des estimations ponctuelles de l’écart salarial à travers différentes définitions de revenu et différentes sélections d’échantillon. Cependant, toutes les estimations indiquent que les hommes gays sont désavantagés sur le marché du travail et que les lesbiennes obtiennent des salaires supérieurs.
Korean migration to North America: some prices that matter
Authors: Han J. D. , Ibbott Peter
Published: July 2017

The empirical migration literature has emphasized the role that differences in the return to human capital play in the migration decision. In this paper, we argue that many migrants are also concerned with differences in the return to the financial capital that they bring with them. One testable implication of the
theory is that depreciation in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar should cause some migrants to substitute Canada for the United States as their destination of choice. Using data on Korean immigration to Canada and the United States, we estimate a regression model to test this hypothesis. The statistical evidence strongly supports a conclusion that exchange rate movements can cause some migrants to substitute destinations.
Demographic Change and Representation by Population in the Canadian House of Commons
Authors: Kerr Don , Mellon Hugh
Published: July 2017

This paper considers Canadian representational debates, including a brief
sketch of how electoral districts are defined across geography and population.
Electoral boundary commissions in Canada have long differed in terms of the
relative importance to be placed on population in decisions relating to the
delineation of boundaries of federal electoral districts. As argued in this paper,the traditional understandings and agreements that have shaped decisions relating to electoral districts are increasingly at odds with Canada’s emerging demographic realities. In a nation that is highly reliant on immigration in maintaining its population, the current representational order arguably penalizes regions of the country which are growing most rapidly, and in particular, where new immigrants are most likely to locate. The current paper also considers possible reforms in the manner in which electoral districts are drawn, which at a minimum could involve the use of more up to date and accurate demographic data.
Do craniopharyngioma molecular signatures correlate with clinical characteristics?
Authors: Omay Sacit Bulent , Chen Yu-Ning , Almeida Joao Paulo , Ruiz-Treviño Armando Saul , Boockvar John A. , Stieg Philip E. , Greenfield Jeffrey P. , Souweidane Mark M. , Kacker Ashutosh , Pisapia David J. , Anand Vijay K. , Schwartz Theodore H.
Published: July 2017

OBJECTIVE

Exome sequencing studies have recently demonstrated that papillary craniopharyngiomas (PCPs) and adamantinomatous craniopharyngiomas (ACPs) have distinct genetic origins, each primarily driven by mutually exclusive alterations: either BRAF (V600E), observed in 95% of PCPs, or CTNNB1, observed in 75%–96% of ACPs. How the presence of these molecular signatures, or their absence, correlates with clinical, radiographic, and outcome variables is unknown.

METHODS

The pathology records for patients who underwent surgery for craniopharyngiomas between May 2000 and March 2015 at Weill Cornell Medical College were reviewed. Craniopharyngiomas were identified and classified as PCP or ACP. Patients were placed into 1 of 3 groups based on their genomic mutations: BRAF mutation only, CTNNB1 mutation only, and tumors with neither of these mutations detected (not detected [ND]). Demographic, radiological, and clinical variables were collected, and their correlation with each genomic group was tested.

RESULTS

Histology correlated strongly with mutation group. All BRAF tumors with mutations were PCPs, and all CTNNB1 with mutations and ND tumors were ACPs. Preoperative and postoperative clinical symptoms and radiographic features did not correlate with any mutation group. There was a statistically significant relationship (p = 0.0323) between the age group (pediatric vs adult) and the mutation groups. The ND group tumors were more likely to involve the sella (p = 0.0065).

CONCLUSIONS

The mutation signature in craniopharyngioma is highly predictive of histology. The subgroup of tumors in which these 2 mutations are not detected is more likely to occur in children, be located in the sella, and be of ACP histology.
Reirradiation spine stereotactic body radiation therapy for spinal metastases: systematic review
Authors: Myrehaug Sten , Sahgal Arjun , Hayashi Motohiro , Levivier Marc , Ma Lijun , Martinez Roberto , Paddick Ian , Régis Jean , Ryu Samuel , Slotman Ben , De Salles Antonio
Published: July 2017

OBJECTIVE

Spinal metastases that recur after conventional palliative radiotherapy have historically been difficult to manage due to concerns of spinal cord toxicity in the retreatment setting. Spine stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), also known as stereotactic radiosurgery, is emerging as an effective and safe means of delivering ablative doses to these recurrent tumors. The authors performed a systematic review of the literature to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of spine SBRT specific to previously irradiated spinal metastases.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted, which was specific to SBRT to the spine, using MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Evidence-Based Medicine Database, National Guideline Clearinghouse, and CMA Infobase, with further bibliographic review of appropriate articles. Research questions included: 1) Is retreatment spine SBRT efficacious with respect to local control and symptom control? 2) Is retreatment spine SBRT safe?

RESULTS

The initial literature search retrieved 2263 articles. Of these articles, 160 were potentially relevant, 105 were selected for in-depth review, and 9 studies met all inclusion criteria for analysis. All studies were single-institution series, including 4 retrospective, 3 retrospective series of prospective databases, 1 prospective, and 1 Phase I/II prospective study (low- or very low–quality data). The results indicated that spine SBRT is effective, with a median 1-year local control rate of 76% (range 66%–90%). Improvement in patients’ pain scores post-SBRT ranged from 65% to 81%. Treatment delivery was safe, with crude rates of vertebral body fracture of 12% (range 0%–22%) and radiation-induced myelopathy of 1.2%.

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic literature review suggests that SBRT to previously irradiated spinal metastases is safe and effective with respect to both local control and pain relief. Although the evidence is limited to low-quality data, SBRT can be a recommended treatment option for reirradiation.
More Dynamic Than You Think: Hidden Aspects of Decision-Making
Authors: Robinson Jennifer , Sinclair Marta , Tobias Jutta , Choi Ellen
Published: July 2017

Decision-making is a multifaceted, socially constructed, human activity that is often non-rational and non-linear. Although the decision-making literature has begun to recognize the effect of affect on decisions, examining for example the contribution of bodily sensations to affect, it continues to treat the various processes involved in coming to a decision as compartmentalized and static. In this paper, we use five theories to contribute to our understanding of decision-making, and demonstrate that it is much more fluid, multi-layered and non-linear than previously acknowledged. Drawing on a group experience of deciding, we investigate the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and collective states that are at play. These states are shown to be iterative: each being reinforced or dampened in a complex interaction of thought, affect, social space and somatic sensations in a dynamic flux, whilst individuals try to coalesce on a decision. This empirical investigation contributes to theory, method and practice by suggesting that Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity (VUCA) is a human condition. VUCA permeates and impacts decision-making in a multitude of ways, beyond researchers’ previous understanding. The innovation generated through this paper resides in a set of propositions that will accelerate progress in the theory, method, and practice of decision-making.
Comparison of Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials Prepared at Laboratory Containing the Same Core and Different Shell Material
Authors: Giro-Paloma Jessica , Alkan Cemil , Chimenos Josep , Fernández Ana
Published: July 2017

Microencapsulated Phase Change Materials (MPCM) are widely used in active and passive systems for thermal energy storage. To evaluate the strength of a proper shell/PCM system, comparisons were performed between laboratory-prepared MPCM samples produced by in situ polymerization with a phase change temperature of 50 °C and a particle size of around 1–2 μm with tetracosane as PCM, and polystyrene (PS) and poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as shells. Evaluation of mechanical performance was performed for different samples by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) at different temperatures (23 °C and 60 °C) and with different encapsulation ratios (1:3 and 1:1, shell:core) in order to compare their properties with the PCM below and above its phase change. Evaluations of the Effective Young’s modulus (E) and deformation properties were performed for both types of MPCM. For an encapsulation mass ratio of 1:3, PS has better mechanical properties because, when increasing the temperature, the E decreases less than with PMMA. In the comparison between PS/tetracosane systems with different encapsulation mass ratios (1:3 and 1:1), E values were higher for the 1:3 encapsulation mass ratio at both temperatures under study. This means that, in terms of mechanical and thermal properties, the best combination core/shell/encapsulation mass ratio is PS/tetracosane/1:3.
Calculation of the Center of Mass Position of Each Link of Multibody Biped Robots
Authors: Muscolo Giovanni , Caldwell Darwin , Cannella Ferdinando
Published: July 2017

In this paper, a novel method to determine the center of mass position of each link of human-like multibody biped robots is proposed. A first formulation to determine the total center of mass position has been tested in other works on a biped platform with human-like dimensions. In this paper, the formulation is optimized and extended, and it is able to give as output the center of mass positions of each link of the platform. The calculation can be applied to different types of robots. The optimized formulation is validated using a simulated biped robot in MATLAB.
Solventless Coupling of Epoxides and CO2 in Compressed Medium Catalysed by Fluorinated Metalloporphyrins
Authors: Carrilho Rui , Dias Lucas , Rivas Raquel , Pereira Mariette , Claver Carmen , Masdeu-Bultó Anna
Published: July 2017

Metal complexes of meso-arylporphyrins (Cr(III), Fe(III), and Zn(II)) were evaluated in the coupling reaction of cyclohexene oxide (CHO) with CO2 in compressed medium, where the Cr complexes were demonstrated to be the most active systems, leading predominantly to copolymerisation products. It is noteworthy that no addition of solvent was required. To improve the catalytic activity, and to simultaneously increase the solubility in compressed CO2, a new fluorinated catalyst, tetrakis(4-trifluoromethylphenyl)porphyrinatochromium(III) chloride (CrCl-pCF3TPP), was applied to this reaction. The alternating copolymerisation of CHO with CO2, using the Cr(III) fluorinated porphyrin catalyst, required the use of a co-catalyst, bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium chloride (PPNCl), with the best yields of copolymers being obtained at 80 °C, and CO2 pressures in the range of 50–110 bar, over a period of 24 h, with a low catalyst/substrate molar ratio (0.07%). The polycarbonate’s structure was analysed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and MALDI-TOF spectroscopy, which demonstrated high carbonate incorporations (98–99%). Gel permeation chromatography revealed number-average molecular weights (Mn) in the range of 4800–12,800 and narrow molecular weight distributions (Mw/Mn ≤ 1.63).
Arenesulfonic Acid-Functionalized Bentonite as Catalyst in Glycerol Esterification with Acetic Acid
Authors: Tangestanifard Maryam , Ghaziaskar Hassan
Published: July 2017

The present study is focused on the synthesis of arenesulfonic acid-functionalized bentonite as a catalyst to produce monoacetin, diacetin, and triacetin from glycerol and acetic acid using toluene as solvent and a water removing agent. The best conditions for the present reaction with acetic acid were an acetic acid:glycerol:toluene molar ratio of 7:1:1.4, 100 °C, and 0.074 wt % of catalyst (based on the total weight of glycerol). Under the reaction conditions, 96% glycerol conversion was achieved within 0.5 h from the start of the reaction. The maximum selectivity of 66% and 74% were achieved for diacetin and triacetin after 0.5 and 3 h of reaction, respectively, without formation of any byproduct. The arenesulfonic acid-functionalized bentonite was characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, N2 adsorption/desorption experiments (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller, BET, method), field emission scanning electron microscopy, and the surface acidity was determined by back titration. Without significant treatment, the catalyst was reusable for 5 consecutive runs.
In Silico Studies of Small Molecule Interactions with Enzymes Reveal Aspects of Catalytic Function
Authors: Verma Rajni , Mitchell-Koch Katie
Published: July 2017

Small molecules, such as solvent, substrate, and cofactor molecules, are key players in enzyme catalysis. Computational methods are powerful tools for exploring the dynamics and thermodynamics of these small molecules as they participate in or contribute to enzymatic processes. In-depth knowledge of how small molecule interactions and dynamics influence protein conformational dynamics and function is critical for progress in the field of enzyme catalysis. Although numerous computational studies have focused on enzyme–substrate complexes to gain insight into catalytic mechanisms, transition states and reaction rates, the dynamics of solvents, substrates, and cofactors are generally less well studied. Also, solvent dynamics within the biomolecular solvation layer play an important part in enzyme catalysis, but a full understanding of its role is hampered by its complexity. Moreover, passive substrate transport has been identified in certain enzymes, and the underlying principles of molecular recognition are an area of active investigation. Enzymes are highly dynamic entities that undergo different conformational changes, which range from side chain rearrangement of a residue to larger-scale conformational dynamics involving domains. These events may happen nearby or far away from the catalytic site, and may occur on different time scales, yet many are related to biological and catalytic function. Computational studies, primarily molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, provide atomistic-level insight and site-specific information on small molecule interactions, and their role in conformational pre-reorganization and dynamics in enzyme catalysis. The review is focused on MD simulation studies of small molecule interactions and dynamics to characterize and comprehend protein dynamics and function in catalyzed reactions. Experimental and theoretical methods available to complement and expand insight from MD simulations are discussed briefly.
Extracting Knowledge from the Geometric Shape of Social Network Data Using Topological Data Analysis
Authors: Almgren Khaled , Kim Minkyu , Lee Jeongkyu
Published: July 2017

Topological data analysis is a noble approach to extract meaningful information from high-dimensional data and is robust to noise. It is based on topology, which aims to study the geometric shape of data. In order to apply topological data analysis, an algorithm called mapper is adopted. The output from mapper is a simplicial complex that represents a set of connected clusters of data points. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of topological data analysis for mining social network data by addressing the problem of image popularity. We randomly crawl images from Instagram and analyze the effects of social context and image content on an image’s popularity using mapper. Mapper clusters the images using each feature, and the ratio of popularity in each cluster is computed to determine the clusters with a high or low possibility of popularity. Then, the popularity of images are predicted to evaluate the accuracy of topological data analysis. This approach is further compared with traditional clustering algorithms, including k-means and hierarchical clustering, in terms of accuracy, and the results show that topological data analysis outperforms the others. Moreover, topological data analysis provides meaningful information based on the connectivity between the clusters.
Estimating Mixture Entropy with Pairwise Distances
Authors: Kolchinsky Artemy , Tracey Brendan
Published: July 2017

Mixture distributions arise in many parametric and non-parametric settings—for example, in Gaussian mixture models and in non-parametric estimation. It is often necessary to compute the entropy of a mixture, but, in most cases, this quantity has no closed-form expression, making some form of approximation necessary. We propose a family of estimators based on a pairwise distance function between mixture components, and show that this estimator class has many attractive properties. For many distributions of interest, the proposed estimators are efficient to compute, differentiable in the mixture parameters, and become exact when the mixture components are clustered. We prove this family includes lower and upper bounds on the mixture entropy. The Chernoff α -divergence gives a lower bound when chosen as the distance function, with the Bhattacharyaa distance providing the tightest lower bound for components that are symmetric and members of a location family. The Kullback–Leibler divergence gives an upper bound when used as the distance function. We provide closed-form expressions of these bounds for mixtures of Gaussians, and discuss their applications to the estimation of mutual information. We then demonstrate that our bounds are significantly tighter than well-known existing bounds using numeric simulations. This estimator class is very useful in optimization problems involving maximization/minimization of entropy and mutual information, such as MaxEnt and rate distortion problems.
Low Voltage Ride-through Scheme of the PMSG Wind Power System Based on Coordinated Instantaneous Active Power Control
Authors: Zhong Cheng , Wei Lai , Yan Gangui
Published: July 2017

Fast control DC-link voltage is the key to enhance Low-Voltage Ride-Through (LVRT) for the Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator (PMSG). When grid voltage dips deeply, by the constraint of the capacity of the grid-side converter and reactive power support by the grid-code required, the active power capacity of the grid-side converter will be reduced. Therefore, it cannot stabilize the DC-link voltage relying solely on the grid-side converter. This paper proposes an improved control strategy to combine generator-side and grid-side converter active power. Reactive power support and negative sequence feed-forward compensation are also considered in the paper. The effectiveness of the control strategy is verified by both simulation and the experimental results.
Using Intra-Annual Landsat Time Series for Attributing Forest Disturbance Agents in Central Europe
Authors: Oeser Julian , Pflugmacher Dirk , Senf Cornelius , Heurich Marco , Hostert Patrick
Published: July 2017

The attribution of forest disturbances to disturbance agents is a critical challenge for remote sensing-based forest monitoring, promising important insights into drivers and impacts of forest disturbances. Previous studies have used spectral-temporal metrics derived from annual Landsat time series to identify disturbance agents. Here, we extend this approach to new predictors derived from intra-annual time series and test it at three sites in Central Europe, including managed and protected forests. The two newly tested predictors are: (1) intra-annual timing of disturbance events and (2) temporal proximity to windstorms based on prior knowledge. We estimated the intra-annual timing of disturbances using a breakpoint detection algorithm and all available Landsat observations between 1984 and 2016. Using spectral, temporal, and topography-related metrics, we then mapped four disturbance classes: windthrow, cleared windthrow, bark beetles, and other harvest. Disturbance agents were identified with overall accuracies of 76–86%. Temporal proximity to storm events was among the most important predictors, while intra-annual timing itself was less important. Moreover, elevation information was very effective for discriminating disturbance agents. Our results demonstrate the potential of incorporating dense, intra-annual Landsat time series information and prior knowledge of disturbance events for monitoring forest ecosystem change at the disturbance agent level.
The Impact of a Horse Riding Intervention on the Social Functioning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Harris Androulla , Williams Joanne
Published: July 2017

This paper reports a case-control study of a horse riding intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A sample of 26 children, aged 6 to 9 years, were assigned to either the intervention (n = 12) or control group conditions (n = 14). Pre- and post-tests were carried out using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Second Edition (CARS2) and the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist-Community Edition (ABC-C). An observational measure of compliance and behaviour during the horse riding sessions was completed for the intervention group. There was a significant reduction in the severity of ASD symptoms and hyperactivity from pre- to post-test for the intervention group only. These results indicate that the intervention improves some aspects of social functioning for children with ASD.
Considerations and Future Research Directions for E-Cigarette Warnings—Findings from Expert Interviews
Authors: Wackowski Olivia , Hammond David , O’Connor Richard , Strasser Andrew , Delnevo Cristine
Published: July 2017

Tobacco warning labels are important sources of risk information but research historically has been cigarette-centric. This qualitative study aimed to inform future direction and research on warnings for e-cigarettes. Between June and August 2016, we conducted interviews with 10 researchers with expertise in tobacco warning label research. Interviewees were registrants of a 2016 National Cancer Institute grantee meeting on tobacco warnings. Several participants agreed that the Food and Drug Administration’s new nicotine addiction warning for e-cigarettes could be informative but that it might not resonate with young people. Many agreed that more than one warning would be important as e-cigarette science evolves and that research on additional warning themes (e.g., nicotine exposure, harmful constituents) and execution styles (including use of pictorials) was important. Participants were somewhat mixed about the use of reduced-risk messages within e-cigarette warnings, but agreed that research on how to communicate about cigarette/e-cigarette relative risks was needed. Overall, more research is needed on tobacco warnings for non-cigarette products, including on the message content, placement, execution and potential impact on audiences’ product knowledge, risk perceptions and use intentions. This is particularly needed for products such as e-cigarettes which may have harm-reduction potential relative to cigarettes and require unique considerations.
Environmental Drivers and Predicted Risk of Bacillary Dysentery in Southwest China
Authors: Zhang Han , Si Yali , Wang Xiaofeng , Gong Peng
Published: July 2017

Bacillary dysentery has long been a considerable health problem in southwest China, however, the quantitative relationship between anthropogenic and physical environmental factors and the disease is not fully understand. It is also not clear where exactly the bacillary dysentery risk is potentially high. Based on the result of hotspot analysis, we generated training samples to build a spatial distribution model. Univariate analyses, autocorrelation and multi-collinearity examinations and stepwise selection were then applied to screen the potential causative factors. Multiple logistic regressions were finally applied to quantify the effects of key factors. A bootstrapping strategy was adopted while fitting models. The model was evaluated by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), Kappa and independent validation samples. Hotspot counties were mainly mountainous lands in southwest China. Higher risk of bacillary dysentery was found associated with underdeveloped socio-economy, proximity to farmland or water bodies, higher environmental temperature, medium relative humidity and the distribution of the Tibeto-Burman ethnicity. A predictive risk map with high accuracy (88.19%) was generated. The high-risk areas are mainly located in the mountainous lands where the Tibeto-Burman people live, especially in the basins, river valleys or other flat places in the mountains with relatively lower elevation and a warmer climate. In the high-risk areas predicted by this study, improving the economic development, investment in health care and the construction of infrastructures for safe water supply, waste treatment and sewage disposal, and improving health related education could reduce the disease risk.
Predictors of Daily Mobility of Adults in Peri-Urban South India
Authors: Sanchez Margaux , Ambros Albert , Salmon Maëlle , Bhogadi Santhi , Wilson Robin , Kinra Sanjay , Marshall Julian , Tonne Cathryn
Published: July 2017

Daily mobility, an important aspect of environmental exposures and health behavior, has mainly been investigated in high-income countries. We aimed to identify the main dimensions of mobility and investigate their individual, contextual, and external predictors among men and women living in a peri-urban area of South India. We used 192 global positioning system (GPS)-recorded mobility tracks from 47 participants (24 women, 23 men) from the Cardiovascular Health effects of Air pollution in Telangana, India (CHAI) project (mean: 4.1 days/person). The mean age was 44 (standard deviation: 14) years. Half of the population was illiterate and 55% was in unskilled manual employment, mostly agriculture-related. Sex was the largest determinant of mobility. During daytime, time spent at home averaged 13.4 (3.7) h for women and 9.4 (4.2) h for men. Women’s activity spaces were smaller and more circular than men’s. A principal component analysis identified three main mobility dimensions related to the size of the activity space, the mobility in/around the residence, and mobility inside the village, explaining 86% (women) and 61% (men) of the total variability in mobility. Age, socioeconomic status, and urbanicity were associated with all three dimensions. Our results have multiple potential applications for improved assessment of environmental exposures and their effects on health.
Celiac Disease Presenting with Peripheral Neuropathy in Children: A Case Report
Authors: Pacitto Alessandra , Paglino Alessandra , Di Genova Lorenza , Leonardi Alberto , Farinelli Edoardo , Principi Nicola , Di Cara Giuseppe , Esposito Susanna
Published: July 2017

Background: Clinically relevant neurological manifestations in children with celiac disease (CD) are unusual, especially when they are considered as signs of the onset of the disease. In this paper, a case of Guillain-Barrè syndrome (GBS) as the first manifestation of CD in a 23-month-old child is reported. Case presentation: We describe a case of CD onset with peripheral neuropathy in a 23-month-old Bulgarian boy presenting with a sudden refusal to walk and absence of deep tendon reflexes in both lower limbs. Neurological symptoms were preceded by two months of gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal distention, and clear signs of malnutrition and weight loss. When we evaluated the child six months after the onset of the symptoms, clinical and laboratory findings showed clear signs of peripheral neuropathy associated with malnutrition. Serum deamidated gliadin and tissue transglutaminase antibodies were therefore measured. The anti-gliadin levels were more than sixteen times higher than normal and the IgA anti-transglutaminase levels were four times higher than normal. Anti-endomysium antibodies were positive, and human leukocyte antigens (HLA) II typing confirmed a genetic predisposition to CD (DQ2 positive and DQ8 negative). Given the association between the clinical evidence of the disease and the results of the celiac screening tests, a diagnosis of CD was made without biopsy confirmation of the enteropathy. The child began a restricted gluten-free diet that led to complete recovery of the peripheral neuropathy, walking, reflexes, and overall improvement after three months on the diet. Conclusion: Our case underlines the rare but possible associations between CD and peripheral neuropathy in children as an onset symptom, even in the absence of gastrointestinal manifestations, thus suggesting that CD should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in children. A good knowledge of the extra-intestinal manifestations of CD is essential for the rapid introduction of a gluten-free diet that could be useful for the resolution of the neurological symptoms.
Airborne PM2.5-Induced Hepatic Insulin Resistance by Nrf2/JNK-Mediated Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xu Jinxia , Zhang Wei , Lu Zhongbing , Zhang Fang , Ding Wenjun
Published: July 2017

Animal and epidemiological studies have suggested that exposure to airborne particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) is associated with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. However, the mechanism underlying this risk is poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated the effects of PM2.5 exposure on glucose homeostasis and related signaling pathways in mice. Wild-type and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) knockout (Nrf2−/−) C57BL/6 male mice were exposed to either ambient concentrated PM2.5 or filtered air (FA) for 12 weeks through a whole-body PM exposure system. At the end of the exposure, we assessed liver damage, and performed metabolic studies, gene expressions, as well as molecular signal transductions to determine the signaling pathways involving oxidative responses, insulin signaling, and glucose metabolism. Our results indicated that PM2.5 exposure for 12 weeks caused significant liver damage as evidenced by elevated levels of aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Furthermore, PM2.5 exposure induced impaired glucose tolerance and inhibited glycogen synthesis, leading to hepatic insulin resistance indicated by higher glucose levels, higher area under the curve (AUC), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) values. We further found that PM2.5 exposure significantly increased the expressions of Nrf2 and Nrf2-regulated antioxidant genes. Moreover, PM2.5 exposure activated the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway and increased insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) phosphorylation at Ser307, but reduced protein kinase B phosphorylation at Ser473. Taken together, our study demonstrated PM2.5 exposure triggered Nrf2-mediated oxidative responses and activated the JNK-mediated inhibitory signaling pathway, resulting in hepatic insulin resistance.
Sex Differences in the Relationship between Sleep Behavior, Fish Consumption, and Depressive Symptoms in the General Population of South Korea
Authors: Supartini Atin , Oishi Taro , Yagi Nobuyuki
Published: July 2017

Sleep, fish consumption, and depression have a close relationship; however, the role of sex differences in sleep, fish consumption, and depression research is not yet well-established. This study aimed to examine whether the impact of bedtime, sleep-onset latency, sleep duration, sleep quality, and fish consumption on depressive symptoms differed in women and men. An online survey was conducted in South Korea with a stratified random sample of 600 participants between the ages of 20 and 69, whose gender and age were proportional to estimates of Korea’s general population. The 20-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to measure depressive symptoms with a cut-off score of 16. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was applied to evaluate sleep timing, sleep-onset latency, sleep duration, and sleep quality. Our results indicated that late bedtime and short sleep duration were independently associated with depressive symptoms in women. Sleep-onset latency and poor sleep quality were independently associated with increased prevalence of depressive symptoms in both men and women. Higher fish consumption was significantly associated with decreased prevalence of depressive symptoms in men only. Our findings suggested the importance of a different approach for men and women in terms of promoting healthy sleep habits. In addition, higher fish consumption may be beneficial in the primary prevention of depression in Korean men. Further research is needed to confirm the findings from this cross-sectional study.
Pharmacogenomics of Targeted Agents for Personalization of Colorectal Cancer Treatment
Authors: Bignucolo Alessia , De Mattia Elena , Cecchin Erika , Roncato Rossana , Toffoli Giuseppe
Published: July 2017

The use of targeted agents in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) has improved patient outcomes. Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (anti-EGFR) agents (cetuximab and panitumumab) and antiangiogenic molecules (bevacizumab, regorafeninb, ramucirumab, and aflibercept) have been successfully integrated into clinical practice. Other drugs have been designed to target additional deregulated pathways in CRC, such as MAPK (mitogen-activated protein kinase)/PI3K-AKT (phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-AKT serine/threonine kinase)/mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), HER-2 and 3 ( human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 and -3), and BRAF. A major issue with targeted treatment is early identification of patients with primary or secondary drug resistance. Pharmacogenomic research has demonstrated its value in this field, highlighting some tumor mutations that could discriminate responders from non-responders. The tumor genetic profile of the RAS/RAF pathway is needed before treatment with anti-EGFR agents; mutations in EGFR pathway genes have also been explored in relation to antiangiogenic molecules although further data are required prior to their integration into clinical practice. The introduction of immunotherapy has paved the way for a new generation of predictive markers, including genome-wide assessment of the tumor landscape. Furthermore, the development of next generation sequencing technology and non-invasive approaches to analyze circulating tumor DNA will make real-time monitoring of the tumor pharmacogenomic markers possible in the clinical routine, rendering precision medicine available to every patient.
Combining Primed Photoconversion and UV-Photoactivation for Aberration-Free, Live-Cell Compliant Multi-Color Single-Molecule Localization Microscopy Imaging
Authors: Virant David , Turkowyd Bartosz , Balinovic Alexander , Endesfelder Ulrike
Published: July 2017

Super-resolution fluorescence microscopy plays a major role in revealing the organization and dynamics of living cells. Nevertheless, single-molecule localization microscopy imaging of multiple targets is still limited by the availability of suitable fluorophore combinations. Here, we introduce a novel imaging strategy which combines primed photoconversion (PC) and UV-photoactivation for imaging different molecular species tagged by suitable fluorescent protein combinations. In this approach, the fluorescent proteins can be specifically photoactivated/-converted by different light wavelengths using PC and UV-activation modes but emit fluorescence in the same spectral emission channel. We demonstrate that this aberration-free, live-cell compatible imaging method can be applied to various targets in bacteria, yeast and mammalian cells and can be advantageously combined with correlative imaging schemes.