bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organoid Profiling Identifies Common Responders to Chemotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Tiriac Hervé , Belleau Pascal , Engle Dannielle D. , Plenker Dennis , Deschênes Astrid , Somerville Tim D. D. , Froeling Fieke E. M. , Burkhart Richard A. , Denroche Robert E. , Jang Gun-Ho , Miyabayashi Koji , Young C. Megan , Patel Hardik , Ma Michelle , LaComb Joseph F. , Palmaira Randze Lerie D. , Javed Ammar A. , Huynh Jasmine C. , Johnson Molly , Arora Kanika , Robine Nicolas , Shah Minita , Sanghvi Rashesh , Goetz Austin B. , Lowder Cinthya Y. , Martello Laura , Driehuis Else , LeComte Nicolas , Askan Gokce , Iacobuzio-Donahue Christine A. , Clevers Hans , Wood Laura D. , Hruban Ralph H. , Thompson Elizabeth , Aguirre Andrew J. , Wolpin Brian M. , Sasson Aaron , Kim Joseph , Wu Maoxin , Bucobo Juan Carlos , Allen Peter , Sejpal Divyesh V. , Nealon William , Sullivan James D. , Winter Jordan M. , Gimotty Phyllis A. , Grem Jean L. , DiMaio Dominick J. , Buscaglia Jonathan M. , Grandgenett Paul M. , Brody Jonathan R. , Hollingsworth Michael A. , O'Kane Grainne M. , Notta Faiyaz , Kim Edward , Crawford James M. , Devoe Craig , Ocean Allyson , Wolfgang Christopher L. , Yu Kenneth H. , Li Ellen , Vakoc Christopher R. , Hubert Benjamin , Fischer Sandra E. , Wilson Julie M. , Moffitt Richard , Knox Jennifer , Krasnitz Alexander , Gallinger Steven , Tuveson David A.
Published: May 2018

Pancreatic cancer is the most lethal common solid malignancy. Systemic therapies are often ineffective, and predictive biomarkers to guide treatment are urgently needed. We generated a pancreatic cancer patient–derived organoid (PDO) library that recapitulates the mutational spectrum and transcriptional subtypes of primary pancreatic cancer. New driver oncogenes were nominated and transcriptomic analyses revealed unique clusters. PDOs exhibited heterogeneous responses to standard-of-care chemotherapeutics and investigational agents. In a case study manner, we found that PDO therapeutic profiles paralleled patient outcomes and that PDOs enabled longitudinal assessment of chemosensitivity and evaluation of synchronous metastases. We derived organoid-based gene expression signatures of chemosensitivity that predicted improved responses for many patients to chemotherapy in both the adjuvant and advanced disease settings. Finally, we nominated alternative treatment strategies for chemorefractory PDOs using targeted agent therapeutic profiling. We propose that combined molecular and therapeutic profiling of PDOs may predict clinical response and enable prospective therapeutic selection.

Significance: New approaches to prioritize treatment strategies are urgently needed to improve survival and quality of life for patients with pancreatic cancer. Combined genomic, transcriptomic, and therapeutic profiling of PDOs can identify molecular and functional subtypes of pancreatic cancer, predict therapeutic responses, and facilitate precision medicine for patients with pancreatic cancer. Cancer Discov; 8(9); 1112–29. ©2018 AACR.

See related commentary by Collisson, p. 1062.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1047
Review of the Mobile Stroke Unit Experience Worldwide
Authors: Calderon Victoria J. , Kasturiarachi Brittany M. , Lin Eugene , Bansal Vibhav , Zaidat Osama O.
Published: May 2018

Background: The treatment of stroke is dependent on a narrow therapeutic time window that requires interventions to be emergently pursued. Despite recent “FAST” initiatives that have underscored “time is brain,” many patients still fail to present within the narrow time window to receive maximum treatment benefit from advanced stroke therapies, including recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and mechanical thrombectomy. The convergence of emergency medical services, telemedicine, and mobile technology, including transportable computed tomography scanners, has presented a unique opportunity to advance patient stroke care in the prehospital field by shortening time to hyperacute stroke treatment with a mobile stroke unit (MSU). Summary: In this review, we provide a look at the evolution of the MSU into its current status as well as future directions. Our summary statement includes historical and implementation information, economic cost, and published clinical outcome and time metrics, including the utilization rate of thrombolysis. Key Messages: Initially hypothesized in 2003, the first MSUs were launched in Germany and adopted worldwide in acute, prehospital stroke management. These specialized ambulances have made the diagnosis and treatment of many neurological emergencies, in addition to ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, possible at the emergency site. Providing treatment as early as possible, including within the prehospital phase of stroke management, improves patient outcomes. As MSUs continue to collect data and improve their methods, shortened time metrics are expected, resulting in more patients who will benefit from faster treatment of their acute neurological emergencies in the prehospital field.
Spatial Assessment of the Association between Long-Term Exposure to Environmental Factors and the Occurrence of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Catalonia, Spain: A Population-Based Nested Case-Control Study
Authors: Povedano Mònica , Saez Marc , Martínez-Matos Juan-Antonio , Barceló Maria Antònia
Published: May 2018

Background: It is believed that an interaction between genetic and non-genetic factors may be involved in the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). With the exception of exposure to agricultural chemicals like pesticides, evidence of an association between environmental risk factors and ALS is inconsistent. Our objective here was to investigate the association between long-term exposure to environmental factors and the occurrence of ALS in Catalonia, Spain, and to provide evidence that spatial clusters of ALS related to these environmental factors exist. Methods: We carried out a nested case-control study constructed from a retrospective population-based cohort, covering the entire region. Environmental variables were the explanatory variables of interest. We controlled for both observed and unobserved confounders. Results: We have found some spatial clusters of ALS. The results from the multivariate model suggest that these clusters could be related to some of the environmental variables, in particular agricultural chemicals. In addition, in high-risk clusters, besides corresponding to agricultural areas, key road infrastructures with a high density of traffic are also located. Conclusion: Our results indicate that some environmental factors, in particular those associated with exposure to pesticides and air pollutants as a result of urban traffic, could be associated with the occurrence of ALS.
Bile Cast Nephropathy: The Unknown Dangers of Online Shopping
Authors: Fisler Andrea , Breidthardt Tobias , Schmidlin Nadine , Hopfer Helmut , Dickenmann Michael , König Katrin , Hirt-Minkowski Patricia
Published: May 2018

Renal dysfunction in the setting of cholestatic liver disease is multifactorial but most often due to decreased kidney perfusion from intravascular volume depletion, acute tubular injury/necrosis, and hepatorenal syndrome. Drug-induced hepatotoxicity may be associated with a cholestatic injury pattern. We report a case of a 56-year-old man with a diagnosis of bile cast nephropathy, as a complication of drug-induced severe hyperbilirubinemia due to the abuse of intramuscular anabolic steroids bought on the internet to increase muscular mass for bodybuilding training. Kidney biopsy showed the histological pattern of diffuse potentially reversible tubular damage with intratubular bile casts obstructing the renal tubules. The patient developed acute kidney injury and needed dialysis treatment for 4 weeks until renal function recovered. The severity of the kidney injury and the requirement of hemodialysis observed in our patient are unique and have not been previously described. As full recovery of renal function is suspected with decreasing bilirubin levels, early recognition and treatment of the underlying disease is essential.
Notch2 and Proteomic Signatures in Mouse Neointimal Lesion Formation
Authors: Peterson Sarah M. , Turner Jacqueline E. , Harrington Anne , Davis-Knowlton Jessica , Lindner Volkhard , Gridley Thomas , Vary Calvin P.H. , Liaw Lucy
Published: May 2018

Objective—

Vascular remodeling is associated with complex molecular changes, including increased Notch2, which promotes quiescence in human smooth muscle cells. We used unbiased protein profiling to understand molecular signatures related to neointimal lesion formation in the presence or absence of Notch2 and to test the hypothesis that loss of Notch2 would increase neointimal lesion formation because of a hyperproliferative injury response.

Approach and Results—

Murine carotid arteries isolated at 6 or 14 days after ligation injury were analyzed by mass spectrometry using a data-independent acquisition strategy in comparison to uninjured or sham injured arteries. We used a tamoxifen-inducible, cell-specific Cre recombinase strain to delete the
Notch2
gene in smooth muscle cells. Vessel morphometric analysis and immunohistochemical staining were used to characterize lesion formation, assess vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation, and validate proteomic findings. Loss of Notch2 in smooth muscle cells leads to protein profile changes in the vessel wall during remodeling but does not alter overall lesion morphology or cell proliferation. Loss of smooth muscle Notch2 also decreases the expression of enhancer of rudimentary homolog, plectin, and annexin A2 in vascular remodeling.

Conclusions—

We identified unique protein signatures that represent temporal changes in the vessel wall during neointimal lesion formation in the presence and absence of Notch2. Overall lesion formation was not affected with loss of smooth muscle Notch2, suggesting compensatory pathways. We also validated the regulation of known injury- or Notch-related targets identified in other vascular contexts, providing additional insight into conserved pathways involved in vascular remodeling.
Sex Differences at the Time of Myectomy in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Nijenkamp Louise L.A.M. , Bollen Ilse A.E. , van Velzen Hannah G. , Regan Jessica A. , van Slegtenhorst Marjon , Niessen Hans W.M. , Schinkel Arend F.L. , Krüger Martina , Poggesi Corrado , Ho Carolyn Y. , Kuster Diederik W.D. , Michels Michelle , van der Velden Jolanda
Published: May 2018

Background:

One of the first clinically detectable alterations in heart function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a decline in diastolic function. Diastolic dysfunction is caused by changes in intrinsic properties of cardiomyocytes or an increase in fibrosis. We investigated whether clinical and cellular parameters of diastolic function are different between male and female patients with HCM at the time of myectomy.

Methods and Results:

Cardiac tissue from the interventricular septum of patients with HCM (27 women and 44 men) was obtained during myectomy preceded by echocardiography. At myectomy, female patients were 7 years older than male patients and showed more advanced diastolic dysfunction than men evident from significantly higher values for E/e′ ratio, left ventricular filling pattern, tricuspid regurgitation velocity, and left atrial diameter indexed for body surface. Whereas most male patients (56%) showed mild (grade I) diastolic dysfunction, 50% of female patients showed grade III diastolic dysfunction. Passive tension in HCM cardiomyocytes was comparable with controls, and myofilament calcium sensitivity was higher in HCM compared with controls, but no sex differences were observed in myofilament function. In female patients with HCM, titin was more compliant, and more fibrosis was present compared with men. Differences between female and male patients with HCM remained significant after correction for age.

Conclusions:

Female patients with HCM are older at the time of myectomy and show greater impairment of diastolic function. Furthermore, left ventricular and left atrial remodeling is increased in women when corrected for body surface area. At a cellular level, HCM women showed increased compliant titin and a larger degree of interstitial fibrosis.
Beclin-1-Dependent Autophagy Protects the Heart During Sepsis
Authors: Sun Yuxiao , Yao Xiao , Zhang Qing-Jun , Zhu Min , Liu Zhi-Ping , Ci Bo , Xie Yang , Carlson Deborah , Rothermel Beverly A. , Sun Yuxiang , Levine Beth , Hill Joseph A. , Wolf Steven E. , Minei Joseph P. , Zang Qun S.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Cardiac dysfunction is a major component of sepsis-induced multiorgan failure in critical care units. Changes in cardiac autophagy and its role during sepsis pathogenesis have not been clearly defined. Targeted autophagy-based therapeutic approaches for sepsis are not yet developed.

Methods:

Beclin-1-dependent autophagy in the heart during sepsis and the potential therapeutic benefit of targeting this pathway were investigated in a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis.

Results:

LPS induced a dose-dependent increase in autophagy at low doses, followed by a decline that was in conjunction with mammalian target of rapamycin activation at high doses. Cardiac-specific overexpression of Beclin-1 promoted autophagy, suppressed mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, improved cardiac function, and alleviated inflammation and fibrosis after LPS challenge. Haplosufficiency for
beclin 1
resulted in opposite effects. Beclin-1 also protected mitochondria, reduced the release of mitochondrial danger-associated molecular patterns, and promoted mitophagy via PTEN-induced putative kinase 1-Parkin but not adaptor proteins in response to LPS. Injection of a cell-permeable Tat-Beclin-1 peptide to activate autophagy improved cardiac function, attenuated inflammation, and rescued the phenotypes caused by
beclin 1
deficiency in LPS-challenged mice.

Conclusions:

These results suggest that Beclin-1 protects the heart during sepsis and that the targeted induction of Beclin-1 signaling may have important therapeutic potential.
Clinical Outcome of Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation
Authors: Antoine Clemence , Benfari Giovanni , Michelena Hector I. , Maalouf Joseph F. , Nkomo Vuyisile T. , Thapa Prabin , Enriquez-Sarano Maurice
Published: May 2018

Background:

Echocardiographic quantitation of degenerative mitral regurgitation (DMR) is recommended whenever possible in clinical guidelines but is criticized and its scalability to routine clinical practice doubted. We hypothesized that echocardiographic DMR quantitation, performed in routine clinical practice by multiple practitioners, predicts independently long-term survival and thus is essential to DMR management.

Methods:

We included patients diagnosed with isolated mitral valve prolapse from 2003 to 2011 and any degree of mitral regurgitation quantified by any physician/sonographer in routine clinical practice. Clinical/echocardiographic data acquired at diagnosis were retrieved electronically. The end point was mortality under medical treatment analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method and proportional hazard models.

Results:

The cohort included 3914 patients (55% male) mean age (±standard deviation) 62±17 years with left ventricular ejection fraction 63±8% and median after routinely-measured effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA) [interquartile range], 19 [0–40] mm
2
. During follow-up (6.7±3.1 years), 696 patients died under medical management, and 1263 underwent mitral surgery. In multivariate analysis, routinely-measured EROA was associated with mortality (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.13–1.24;
P
<0.0001 per 10 mm
2
) independently of left ventricular ejection fraction and end-systolic diameter, symptoms, and age/comorbidities. The association between routinely-measured EROA and mortality persisted with competitive risk modeling (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.15; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.20;
P
<0.0001 per 10 mm
2
), or in patients without guideline-based class I/II surgical triggers (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.10–1.28;
P
<0.0001 per 10 mm
2
) and in all subgroups examined (all
P
<0.01). Spline curve analysis showed that, compared with general population mortality, excess mortality appears for moderate DMR (EROA ≥20 mm
2
), becomes notable at EROA ≥30 mm
2
, and steadily increases with higher EROA levels (eg, higher EROA levels beyond the 40 mm
2
threshold).

Conclusions:

Echocardiographic DMR quantitation is scalable to routine practice and is independently associated with clinical outcome. Routinely-measured EROA is strongly associated with long-term survival under medical treatment. Excess mortality versus the general population appears in the moderate DMR range and steadily increases with higher EROA. Hence, individual EROA values should be integrated into therapeutic considerations, in addition to categorical DMR grading.
Anthropology and Hebrew Bible Studies: Modes of Interchange and Interpretation
Authors: Goldberg Harvey E.
Published: May 2018

Interaction between anthropology and biblical scholarship began because of perceived similarities between “simpler” societies and the practices and ideas seen in the Bible. After some disengagement in the first half of the twentieth century, new cross-disciplinary possibilities were envisioned as the structuralist approach emerged in anthropology. Ritual and mythology were major topics that received attention and structuralist methods were partially adopted by some biblical scholars. Anthropological research itself extended to complex societies and also affected historical studies, yielding models of inquiry that engaged a range of disciplines. Among the issues explored in this essay are ritual and notions of purity in the Bible, and the place of literacy in Israelite society and culture. These discussions are followed by three examples of structuralist-inspired analysis that partially take into account historical and literacy-based facets of the Bible.
A review of the Arcuphantes species with the genitalia of arcuatulus-type Araneae, Linyphiidae)
Authors: JIN MIAO , MA SHUANGCHUN , TU LIHONG
Published: May 2018

This is the second study addressing the Nearctic Arcuphantes species. Re-examination of Arcuphantes deposited in the American Museum of Natural History shows that four species have the genitalia of arcuatulus-type, including three new species: Arcuphantes arcuatulus (Roewer, 1942), A. cruciatus n. sp., A. denticulatus n. sp. and A. semiorbiculatus n. sp. Genital characters of arcuatulus-type are reviewed and compared with those of fragilis-type based on SEM images and microscopic pictures. Descriptions of the new species and a redescription of the known species are provided.
Seven new species of the Stenus cirrus group (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae) from Sichuan, Southwest China
Authors: TANG LIANG , LIU SHENG-NAN , DONG XIN-YU
Published: May 2018

Seven new species of the Stenus cirrus group collected from Sichuan, Southwest China are described: S. cariniventris Tang, Liu & Dong, sp. n., S. jiangrixini Tang, Liu & Dong, sp. n., S. lineatus Tang, Liu & Dong, sp. n., S. emeishanus Tang, Liu & Dong, sp. n., S. jiudingshanus Tang, Liu & Dong, sp. n., S. xichangensis Tang, Liu & Dong, sp. n., S. brevilineatus Tang, Liu & Dong, sp. n. The diagnostic characters of the new species are illustrated, and a key to species of the group from Sichuan Province is provided.
Biogeophysical Forcing of Land-Use Changes on Local Temperatures across Different Climate Regimes in China
Authors: Huang L. , Zhai J. , Sun C. Y. , Liu J. Y. , Ning J. , Zhao G.S.
Published: May 2018

Land-use changes (LUCs) strongly influence regional climates through both the biogeochemical and biogeophysical processes. However, many studies have ignored the biogeophysical processes, which in some cases can offset the biogeochemical impacts. We integrated the field observations, satellite-retrieved data, and a conceptual land surface energy balance model to provide new evidence to fill our knowledge gap concerning how regional warming or cooling is affected by the three main types of LUCs (afforestation, cropland expansion, and urbanization) in different climate zones of China. According to our analyses, similar LUCs presented varied, even reverse, biogeophysical forcing on local temperatures across different climate regimes. Afforestation in arid and semiarid regions has caused increased net radiation that has typically outweighed increased latent evapotranspiration, thus warming has been the net biogeophysical effect. However, it has resulted in cooling in subtropical zones because the increase in net radiation has been exceeded by the increase in latent evapotranspiration. Cropland expansion has decreased the net radiation more than latent evapotranspiration, which has resulted in biogeophysical cooling in arid and semiarid regions. Conversely, it has caused warming in subtropical zones as a result of increases in net radiation and decreases in latent evapotranspiration. In all climatic regions, the net biogeophysical effects of urbanization have generally resulted in more or less warming because urbanization has led to smaller net radiation decreases than latent evapotranspiration. This study reinforces the need to adjust land-use policies to consider biogeophysical effects across different climate regimes and to adapt to and mitigate climate change.
Coral Reef Drag Coefficients—Surface Gravity Wave Enhancement
Authors: Lentz S. J. , Churchill J. H. , Davis K. A.
Published: May 2018

A primary challenge in modeling flow over shallow coral reefs is accurately characterizing the bottom drag. Previous studies over continental shelves and sandy beaches suggest surface gravity waves should enhance the drag on the circulation over coral reefs. The influence of surface gravity waves on drag over four platform reefs in the Red Sea is examined using observations from 6-month deployments of current and pressure sensors burst sampling at 1 Hz for 4–5 min. Depth-average current fluctuations U′ within each burst are dominated by wave orbital velocities uw that account for 80%–90% of the burst variance and have a magnitude of order 10 cm s−1, similar to the lower-frequency depth-average current Uavg. Previous studies have shown that the cross-reef bottom stress balances the pressure gradient over these reefs. A bottom stress estimate that neglects the waves (ρCdaUavg|Uavg|, where ρ is water density and Cda is a drag coefficient) balances the observed pressure gradient when uw is smaller than Uavg but underestimates the pressure gradient when uw is larger than Uavg (by a factor of 3–5 when uw = 2Uavg), indicating the neglected waves enhance the bottom stress. In contrast, a bottom stress estimate that includes the waves [ρCda(Uavg + U′)|Uavg + U′|)] balances the observed pressure gradient independent of the relative size of uw and Uavg, indicating that this estimate accounts for the wave enhancement of the bottom stress. A parameterization proposed by Wright and Thompson provides a reasonable estimate of the total bottom stress (including the waves) given the burst-averaged current and the wave orbital velocity.
Terrain-Trapped Airflows and Orographic Rainfall along the Coast of Northern California. Part II: Horizontal and Vertical Structures Observed by a Scanning Doppler Radar
Authors: Valenzuela Raul A. , Kingsmill David E.
Published: May 2018

This study documents the mean properties and variability of kinematic and precipitation structures associated with orographic precipitation along the coast of Northern California in the context of terrain-trapped airflows (TTAs). TTAs are defined as relatively narrow air masses that consistently flow in close proximity and approximately parallel to an orographic barrier. Seven land-falling winter storms are examined with observations from a scanning X-band Doppler radar deployed on the coast at Fort Ross, California. Additional information is provided by a 915-MHz wind-profiling radar, surface meteorology, a GPS receiver, and balloon soundings. The composite kinematic structure during TTA conditions exhibits a significant horizontal gradient of wind direction from the coast to approximately 50 km offshore and a low-level jet (LLJ) that surmounts a weaker airflow offshore corresponding to the TTA, with a zone of enhanced precipitation evident between ~5 and 25 km offshore and oriented nearly parallel to the coastline. Conversely, the composite kinematic structure during NO-TTA conditions exhibits a smaller offshore horizontal gradient of wind direction and precipitation structures are generally enhanced within km of the coastline. Interstorm variability analysis reveals significant variations in kinematic structures during both TTA and NO-TTA conditions, whereas significant variations in precipitation structures are only evident during TTA conditions. The interstorm analysis also illustrates more clearly how LLJ vertical structures evident during NO-TTA conditions exhibit ascent along the coast and over the coastal mountains, which is in contrast to TTA conditions where the ascent occurs offshore and over the TTA.
The Multiple-Vortex Structure of the El Reno, Oklahoma, Tornado on 31 May 2013
Authors: Bluestein Howard B. , Thiem Kyle J. , Snyder Jeffrey C. , Houser Jana B.
Published: May 2018

This study documents the formation and evolution of secondary vortices associated within a large, violent tornado in Oklahoma based on data from a close-range, mobile, polarimetric, rapid-scan, X-band Doppler radar. Secondary vortices were tracked relative to the parent circulation using data collected every 2 s. It was found that most long-lived vortices (those that could be tracked for ≥15 s) formed within the radius of maximum wind (RMW), mainly in the left-rear quadrant (with respect to parent tornado motion), passing around the center of the parent tornado and dissipating closer to the center in the right-forward and left-forward quadrants. Some secondary vortices persisted for at least 1 min. When a Burgers–Rott vortex is fit to the Doppler radar data, and the vortex is assumed to be axisymmetric, the secondary vortices propagated slowly against the mean azimuthal flow; if the vortex is not assumed to be axisymmetric as a result of a strong rear-flank gust front on one side of it, then the secondary vortices moved along approximately with the wind.
Engaging Employees as Social Innovators
Authors: Mirvis Philip , Googins Bradley
Published: May 2018

This article explores a variety of ways employees are being engaged as social innovators in their companies or as co-creators in partnerships with other businesses, NGOs, and/or government agencies. They are engaged as intrapreneurs in company innovations contests, in partnerships with external social entrepreneurs, and in pro bono global service programs, and as members of innovation teams in organization-wide innovations. The study compares and contrasts four employee engagement platforms and assesses their impact on participating employees, companies, and communities from these efforts.
Doing Time and the Unemployment Line: The Impact of Incarceration on Ex-Inmates’ Employment Outcomes
Authors: Emmert Amanda D.
Published: May 2018

This study measures the influence multiple incarcerations and age at first incarceration have on the lengths of time ex-inmates are not employed and the amount of time ex-inmates spend looking for employment. Fixed-effects analyses of longitudinal data from the Rochester Youth Development Study (RYDS) finds a relationship between incarceration at younger ages and longer non-employment experiences, but no association between incarcerations between 23 and 32 years old and non-employment lengths. Meanwhile, these individuals who experience incarceration younger spend equivalent time looking for employment as their never-incarcerated peers, despite having nonequivalent periods without employment.
Response to Intervention and Child Find: A Legally Problematic Intersection?
Authors: Zirkel Perry A.
Published: May 2018

This article provides a systematic and impartial analysis of the law, including hearing and review officer as well as judicial decisions, specific to the intersection of response to intervention (RTI) and school districts’ ongoing affirmative obligation of child find. The results reveal that this intersection has not been the subject of particularly frequent adjudication and that the majority of the rulings have been in favor of school districts. At a more nuanced level, however, the analysis suggests that the outcomes of such litigation depend on various factors, including the effective implementation of RTI with overriding attention to the two defining dimensions of child find—reasonable suspicion of eligibility and reasonable period for evaluation. Finally, the applicable legislation, regulations, and case law thus far is relatively limited in the scope and specificity of its prescriptive requirements, leaving ample latitude for prudent professional discretion.
Contextualising Chinese Migration to Africa
Authors: Sullivan Jonathan , Cheng Jing
Published: May 2018

Who are ‘the Chinese’ in Africa? Why are they there? As China’s engagement with African countries intensifies, and the size of the Chinese population in Africa increases, these questions have elicited substantial attention. Many attempts to provide answers, especially in the media and popular publications, are problematically based on uninformed stereotypes and undifferentiated notions of ‘the Chinese’, by implication a homogeneous group lacking contextualisation. Seeking to address such characterisations, this paper uses the digital communications of present and prospective Chinese migrants to provide a more nuanced picture of the motivations, preoccupations and migration experiences of private entrepreneurs and state-owned enterprise workers.
Birth, death, and re-birth: The trope of eternal rejuvenation in Isidore Diala’s The Lure of Ash
Authors: Abba Abba A.
Published: May 2018

Human dread of death is as old as humanity. Across cultures, this dread seems to be inaugurated by the belief that death constitutes the site of final becoming. Isidore Diala’s The Lure of Ash makes a fascinating incursion into the strange interrelationship of life, death, and rebirth, and reveals that, beyond its conception as the final destination of all flesh and the abyss to which all human strivings must return, death proves to be the only phenomenon that could truly satisfy the soul’s implacable yearning for eternal rejuvenation. The critics of Diala’s poetry seem not to have examined this cyclic kinesis, which is rooted in African cosmologies. This article, seeking to cover this gap, contends that despite the attention which The Lure of Ash draws to humanity’s eternal dread of death, there is a revelation that death is not a completely mournful experience robbed of the possibility of hope. Examining the notion of birth–death–rebirth cyclic movement in “The Hues of Ash”, which forms the first phase of the collection, the paper argues that Diala’s poetry seeks to represent death as both a terrible experience and a glorious becoming. Juxtaposing existentialist ideation with the belief in the afterlife and reincarnation in Igbo cosmology, the paper affirms that death is that point where life begins, and surmises that it is the nebulous interstices of life, death, and transcendence that hold Diala’s poetic project together.
Between social capital and formal governance in farmer cooperatives: Evidence from China
Authors: Liang Qiao , Lu Haiyang , Deng Wendong
Published: May 2018

Although social capital has been regarded as valuable for organizations, some scholars have noticed that the effect of social capital on economic performance is nonlinear and depends on formal governance. This article examines the role of social capital and the interaction of social capital and formal governance in influencing the economic performance of farmer cooperatives. An empirical exploratory study is conducted based on a data set of 147 farmer cooperatives in China, and an ordinary least squares regression model is used to estimate the results. The results show that the stock of social capital can enhance the economic performance of farmer cooperatives and that social capital has a larger impact when there is stronger formal governance with regard to income distribution. Social capital and formal governance are therefore complementary. An improvement in some aspects of formal governance is favorable to the outcome of social capital. Cooperative practitioners need to consider the creation of both social capital and formal governance.
Reliability Generalization as a Seal of Quality of Substantive Meta-Analyses: The Case of the VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) and Their Relationships to Life Satisfaction
Authors: Bruna Mercedes Ovejero , Brabete Andreea C. , Izquierdo Jesús M. Alvarado
Published: May 2018

Reliable test scores are essential to interpret the results obtained in statistical analyses correctly. In this study, we used the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) as an example of a widely applied assessment instrument to analyze its metric quality in what is known as reliability generalization (RG). In addition, we conducted a meta-analysis of the correlations between character strengths and life satisfaction to examine the potential relationship between the reliability of test scores and the intensity of these correlations. The overall variability of alpha coefficients supports the argument that reliability is sample dependent. Indeed, there were statistically significant mean reliability differences for scores across the 24 scales, with the highest level of reliability observed for Creativity and the lowest for scores on Self-regulation. Significant moderators such as the standard deviation of the scores and the sample type contribute to understand the high variability observed in the reliability estimation. The second meta-analysis showed that Zest, Hope, Gratitude, Curiosity, and Love were the character strengths that were highly related to life satisfaction, while Modesty and Prudence were less related to life satisfaction. Furthermore, the high heterogeneity between samples might be an indicator of the relationship between the variability of reliability of character strengths' scores and the intensity of their correlations with life satisfaction. Those character strengths with high-potential RG are related or unrelated to life satisfaction, whereas character strengths with less-potential RG showed unstable correlation patterns. The results of both studies point out the role of the relationship between the reliability of test scores and substantive studies, such as Pearson's correlations meta-analysis.
Methodology for quantitative assessment of combat casualty care
Authors: Xynidis Michael A. , Goldiez Brian F. , Norfleet Jack E. , Rothstein Nina
Published: May 2018

Evaluating proficiency in simulation-based combat casualty training includes the assessment of hands-on training with mannequins through instructor observation. The evaluation process is error-prone due to high student–instructor ratios as well as the subjective nature of the evaluation process. Other logistical inconsistencies, such as the short amount of time to observe individual student performance, can lessen training effectiveness as well. The simulation-based methodology described in this article addresses these challenges by way of quantitative assessment of training effectiveness in combat casualty training. The methodology discusses adaptation of Lempel–Ziv (LZ) complexity indexing to quantify psychomotor activity that is otherwise only subjectively estimated by an instructor. LZ indexing has been successfully used to assess proficiency in related studies of simulation-based training conducted by Bann et al. at the Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine in London, and more recently by Watson at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This type of analysis has been applied to using simulation as a tool to assess not only mastery of a task, but as a method to assess whether a particular simulator and training approach actually works.

Data have been gathered from nearly 100 military combat medic trainees at Joint Base Lewis McChord Medical Simulation Training Center. Participant hand-acceleration data from an emergency surgical cricothyrotomy reveals a statistically significant difference in ability between expertise levels. The higher the LZ scores and self-reported expertise level, the better the participant performed. The results show that when presented with demographic and video performance-based data, it is possible to gauge experience by applying LZ scoring to motion data. The methodology provides an objective measure that complements the subjective component of simulation-based cricothyrotomy training assessments. Further study is needed to determine whether this methodology would provide similar assessment advantages in other medical training in which speed and accuracy would be significant factors in determining procedural expertise.
Culturalizing religion in Western Europe: Patterns and puzzles
Authors: Joppke Christian
Published: May 2018

The relationship between culture and religion in Western Europe is marked by opposite, if not contradictory trends. One is the rise of ‘pure’ religion, abstracted from ethnicity and culture, which is registered particularly among immigrant minorities. This article focuses on an opposite trend of ‘culturalizing’ religion, which has occurred on the part of majority society. A prominent actor driving this trend is the high courts, which try to square the circle of living up to liberal state neutrality and acknowledging a privileged position for majority religion in society. However, the privileging of Christianity in Europe is light and largely symbolic, as I show in a contrast with the substantive privileging of Islam in Muslim-majority societies. If applied to immigrant Islam, culturalization still has exclusive implications, as it removes the respective practices from the ambit of religious liberty protections.
‘That’s how Muslims are required to view the world’: Race, culture and belief in non-Muslims’ descriptions of Islam and science
Authors: Jones Stephen H. , Catto Rebecca , Kaden Tom , Elsdon-Baker Fern
Published: May 2018

Islam’s positioning in relation to Western ideals of individuality, freedom, women’s rights and democracy has been an abiding theme of sociological analysis and cultural criticism, especially since September 11 2001. Less attention has been paid, however, to another concept that has been central to the image of Western modernity: science. This article analyses comments about Islam gathered over the course of 117 interviews and 13 focus groups with non-Muslim members of the public and scientists in the UK and Canada on the theme of the relationship between science and religion. The article shows how participants’ accounts of Islam and science contrasted starkly with their accounts of other religious traditions, with a notable minority of predominantly non-religious interviewees describing Islam as uniquely, and uniformly, hostile to science and rational thought. It highlights how such descriptions of Islam were used to justify the cultural othering of Muslims in the West and anxieties about educational segregation, demographic ‘colonization’ and Islamist extremism. Using these data, the article argues for: (1) wider recognition of how popular understandings of science remain bound up with conceptions of Western cultural superiority; and (2) greater attentiveness to how prejudices concerning Islamic beliefs help make respectable the idea that Muslims pose a threat to the West.
Can heterogeneous compression textile design reshape skin pressures? A fundamental study
Authors: Liu Rong , Lao Terence T , Little Trevor J , Wu Xinbo , Ke Xiao
Published: May 2018

Textile-based compression interventions (e.g. compression stockings and bandages), as an essential “source of pressure”, have impacted the effectiveness of pressure dosage delivery. The homogeneous structures of traditional compression shells generate highly uneven pressure distributions around leg geometrics in a passive mode, resulting in side effects and uncomfortable wearing perception. With this in mind, new heterogeneous compression sleeves with hybrid elastic properties were fabricated utilizing advanced three-dimensional seamless knitting technology and a unique laid-in structural design. PicoPress pressure assessment revealed in vivo that the developed heterogeneous compression shells with appropriate configurations for the lower limbs demonstrated the capability to proactively reshape skin pressures around leg cross-sections via calibrated proportions of segments with hybrid elastic moduli. The reduced anterior peak focal pressures and increased pressures at muscle-dominated posterior calves together provided a promising measure to enhance pressure function and user compliance in practice. The results will contribute to the development of a new generation of heterogeneous compression stockings with “bi-axial” pressure profiles for improved compression performance in extensive applications.
A thematic content analysis of suicide notes from South Africa
Authors: Lazarides Athena , Wassenaar Douglas R , Sekhesa Thabo
Published: May 2018

Suicide remains a serious public health problem nationally and globally. Rates of completed suicide in South Africa are reported to be 13.25 per 100,000. Data are needed to assist in the understanding of suicide and to inform evidence-based prevention efforts. This article presents the first known thematic analysis of suicide notes from South Africa. A sample of 24 suicide notes was collected from three independent sites located in Johannesburg and Durban. Thematic analysis yielded 12 themes that showed marked similarity to themes reported in comparable international studies. Two themes – ‘Expressions of love and gratitude’ and ‘Concern for those left behind’ – were found to be unique in relation to the international literature. It is recommended that further research on suicide notes be conducted in South Africa, using a standard coding scheme.
Incorporating Online and In-person Book Clubs into Sociology Courses
Authors: Wyant Amanda , Bowen Sarah
Published: May 2018

Previous research has examined the use of nontraditional readings, particularly fiction, as a tool for teaching sociological concepts. Few studies have specifically looked at nonfiction monographs and ethnographies. This paper extends prior research by exploring how in-person and online book clubs using nonfiction texts can be used as a tool to engage and introduce students to sociological ideas. Book clubs were implemented in eight different sections across three courses. The structure and format of the book clubs varied considerably. We identify best practices for incorporating book clubs into sociology courses. Drawing on data from instructor-designed surveys, institutional course evaluations, and course exams, we also examine how book clubs influence student attitudes and learning outcomes. We conclude that book clubs can be adapted to fit a variety of courses and across different types of institutions.
Psychometric Properties of the MAYSI-2 Among Latino Adolescent Offenders
Authors: Zannella Lesley , Eno Louden Jennifer , Kennealy Patrick , Kang Tamara
Published: May 2018

The Massachusetts Youth Screening Inventory-Second Version (MAYSI-2) has been widely adopted by juvenile justice agencies to identify adolescents in the juvenile justice system who have a mental disorder. Despite this, evidence of the ability of the MAYSI-2 to generalize across different ethnic groups is limited. Because Latinos are overrepresented in the juvenile justice system, we examined the psychometric properties of each subscale in a sample of 472 Latino juvenile offenders using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and simple linear regressions. The CFA models suggest adequate fit for Latino youth, and the correlations and regressions show strong convergent validity with the K-SADS-PL for a number of MAYSI-2 subscales, lending support to the generalizability of the MAYSI-2 to Latino adolescents. These results may be particularly beneficial for juvenile justice system administrators who render mental health treatment recommendations for youth offenders of different ethnicities.
Quality characteristics prediction of complex mechatronics system based on symbolic dynamics and gray model
Authors: Zhang Jie , Mi Jinhua , Cheng Yuhua , Chen Kai , Cheng Jun
Published: May 2018

This paper provides a symbolic quality characteristics prediction method of complex mechatronics system based on gray model. The time series data that are collected from the design, manufacture and service process are transformed to corresponding symbolic sequence data by using the symbolic modeling analysis method. The Shannon entropy that represents the variation of symbolic quality characteristics can then be calculated, and the histogram and main modes of symbolic sequences are obtained. A preliminary prediction of system quality characteristics is conducted based on the gotten main modes. By using the fitting capability of gray theory for the trend of data sequences, the GM(1,1) model is employed for the prediction modeling of symbolic quality sequences in this paper, and the prediction of corresponding quality characteristics of whole complex mechatronics system are implemented. Furthermore, the correlation of multiple quality characteristics is analyzed by relative entropy and gray correlation analysis method. The key quality fluctuation prediction of electric control and drive system of heavy machine tool by this method has shown that the presented method has high computational efficiency and large practical value.
Improved resistance matrix approach for readout of the two-dimensional resistive sensor array
Authors: Wu Jian-Feng , He Shang-Shang , Wang Feng , Wang Yu , Zhao Xin-Gang , Wang Qi
Published: May 2018

In the readout circuits of the two-dimensional (2-D) resistive sensor arrays, various auxiliary electrical components were used to reduce their crosstalk errors but resulted in increased circuit complexity. Readout circuits with low-complexity structures were necessary for wearable electronic applications. With only several resistors and a microcontroller, readout circuit based on resistance matrix approach (RMA) achieved low complexity but suffered from small resistance range and large measurement error caused by the output ports’ internal resistances of the microcontroller. For suppressing those negative effects, we firstly proposed an improved resistance matrix approach (IRMA) by additionally sampling the voltages on all driving row electrodes in the RMA. Then the effects of the output ports’ internal resistances and the analog-to-digital converter’s accuracy for the RMA and the IRMA were simulated respectively with NI Multisim 12. Moreover, a prototype readout circuit based on the IRMA was designed and tested in actual experiments. The experimental results demonstrated that the IRMA, though it required more sampling channels and more computations, could be used in those applications needing low complexity, small measurement error and wide resistance range.