bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Stratospheric Wave Reflection on North American Cold Spells
Authors: Matthias Vivien , Kretschmer Marlene
Published: February 2020

Understanding and predicting midlatitude cold spells is of scientific and public interest, given often associated severe impacts. However, large-scale atmospheric dynamics related to these events are not fully understood. The winter of 2017/18 was characterized by several cold spells affecting large parts of North America and Eurasia. Here, the role of stratosphere–troposphere coupling for the occurrence of cold spells in this winter is investigated using different wave propagation diagnostics. While the European cold spell in late February 2018 was influenced by a major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) associated with wave absorption, the cold spells over North America at the end of December 2017 and early February 2018 were related to downward reflected waves over the North Pacific. Previously proposed wave reflection indices, however, either miss these reflection events or are not able to distinguish them from the major SSW related to wave absorption. To overcome this, a novel simple index based on eddy heat flux is proposed here, capturing regional wave reflection over the North Pacific. Reflection events detected with this index are shown to be followed by North Pacific blocking and negative temperature anomalies over North America. An improved understanding of the contribution of wave reflection for cold spells is crucial to better predict such events in the future.
Moving beyond “Best Practice”: Experiences in Police Reform and a Call for Evidence to Reduce Officer-Involved Shootings
Authors: Engel Robin S. , McManus Hannah D. , Isaza Gabrielle T.
Published: February 2020

In post-Ferguson America, police departments are being challenged to implement evidence-based changes in policies and training to reduce fatal police-citizen encounters. Of the litany of recommendations believed to reduce police shootings, five have garnered widespread support: body-worn cameras, de-escalation training, implicit bias training, early intervention systems, and civilian oversight. These highly endorsed interventions, however, are not supported by a strong body of empirical evidence that demonstrates their effectiveness. Guided by the available research on evidence-based policing and informed by the firsthand experience of one of the authors in implementing departmental reforms that followed the fatal shooting of a civilian by an officer, this article highlights promising reform strategies and opportunities to build the evidence base for effective use-of-force reforms. We call upon police executives to engage in evidence-based policing by scientifically testing interventions, and we call on academics to engage in rapid research responses for critical issues in policing.
The Role of Individual Officer Characteristics in Police Shootings
Authors: Ridgeway Greg
Published: February 2020

Assessing whether individual characteristics of police officers such as age, race, and prior performance influence police behavior has been a long-standing topic of social science research. The effect of officer characteristics on their risk of shooting people is confounded by police assignments and by the environmental factors associated with those assignments. This article provides a method to separate out the influence of individual officer characteristics from environmental factors. Using data from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the Major Cities’ Chiefs Association (MCCA), the analysis finds that police officers who join the NYPD later in their careers have a lower shooting risk: for each additional year of their recruitment age, the odds of being shooters declines by 10 percent. Both officer race and prior problem behavior (e.g., losing a firearm, crashing a department vehicle) predict up to three times greater odds of shooting, yet officers who made numerous misdemeanor arrests were four times less likely to shoot.
Evidence-Based Policing and Fatal Police Shootings: Promise, Problems, and Prospects
Authors: Sherman Lawrence W.
Published: February 2020

The promise of evidence-based policing is to reduce harm with better research for targeting, testing, and tracking police actions. The problems of using evidence-based policing to reduce harm are found in the emotional dimensions of ethics and risk. These problems are most pronounced with fatal police shootings, where the risks of injury to American police are often framed as a zero-sum choice in relation to the ethics of taking citizens’ lives. Yet evidence-based policing offers good prospects for reframing the debate over fatal police shootings, in ways that could reduce harm to both police and citizens. This volume offers substantial new evidence for initiatives at all levels of U.S. government that could help to save lives in police encounters with citizens. Putting that evidence to work remains the major challenge facing the American police.
Preventing Avoidable Deaths in Police Encounters with Citizens: Immediate Priorities
Authors: Sherman Lawrence W.
Published: February 2020

The global problem of fatal encounters between police and citizens is a massive challenge for both public health and public safety. This volume focuses on a wide range of ideas and evidence about what might be done to save lives in police-citizen encounters, at least in the United States. I focus on three ideas that could make the most difference, most quickly. Each of the ideas is supported by both substantial research evidence and a feasibility assessment of which ideas might be adopted. Three ideas that can transcend political gridlock, appeal to both supporters and critics of the American police, and appeal to police officers themselves are presented: (1) empowering police to take away legally possessed guns from manifestly dangerous people, (2) supporting police in emergency first aid and medical treatment of anyone who is injured by gunfire, and (3) developing implementation strategies based on research on the interactional tactics associated with fatalities and their prevention.
Communicating Brands in Television Advertising
Authors: Bruce Norris I. , Becker Maren , Reinartz Werner
Published: February 2020

Many studies have quantified the effects of TV ad spending or gross rating points on brand sales. Yet this effect is likely moderated by the different types of brand-related messages or cues (e.g., logo, brand attributes) embedded in the ads and by the ways (e.g., explicitly or implicitly) these cues are conveyed to TV audiences. The authors thus measure 17 cues often used within ads to build brand awareness (or salience) and brand image and investigate their influence on ad effectiveness. Technically, the study builds a dynamic model to quantify the effects of advertising on sales; builds a robust and interpretable (i.e., nonparametric and sparse) factor model that integrates correlated, left-censored branding cues; and then models the effects of advertising as a function of the factors identified by these cues. An analysis of 177 campaigns aired by 62 brands finds that salience cues (e.g., logo) and benefit and attribute messages moderate ad effectiveness. It also finds that explicit cues are more effective than implicit ones; nonetheless, the primary drivers of ad effectiveness are visual salience cues: the duration and frequency with which the logo and the duration with which the product are displayed. The study can thus suggest ways brand and ad agency managers can improve the effects of creative ad content on sales.
Sex estimation from the femur using discriminant function analysis in a Central Indian population
Authors: Chatterjee Preetika M , Krishan Kewal , Singh RK , Kanchan Tanuj
Published: February 2020

Sexual dimorphism is one of the major factors responsible for apparent variations in human skeletal anatomy. Establishing the biological profile of the deceased is essential for personal identification in forensic and archaeological casework. To develop a reliable biological profile, sex allocation is an integral step required to determine age, race/ancestry and stature, given observable differences in aging and growth patterns and variations in morphological traits relating to ancestry. Sex estimation from long bones by visual examination is very difficult. However, metric observations are more objective and effective. This osteometric analysis focused on sex estimation from the femur using discriminant function analysis. Fourteen measurements were taken directly on 175 dry femora (117 males and 58 females), aged 20–60 years, from the Chhattisgarh region of Central India. Student’s t-test was applied to assess significant sex and size differences. Direct and stepwise discriminant function analyses were applied to derive discriminant function models for sex estimation. The three parameters that were selected for the discriminant function analysis included: transverse head diameter, bi-trochanteric distance and maximum shaft diameter. Males were more accurately classified than females. An overall accuracy of 80.6% was reported with direct discriminant function analysis and 76% with stepwise discriminant function analysis upon cross-validation. The transverse head diameter emerged to be the best predictor of sex. This study provides a database and standards for sex estimation from skeletal remains of an unknown nature based on discriminant function equations. This is one of the few studies conducted in India on dry bones, and we anticipate that it will guide forensic specialists in the identification of unknown skeletons from this region.
“Operator syndrome”: A unique constellation of medical and behavioral health-care needs of military special operation forces
Authors: Frueh B Christopher , Madan Alok , Fowler J Christopher , Stomberg Sasha , Bradshaw Major , Kelly Karen , Weinstein Benjamin , Luttrell Morgan , Danner Summer G , Beidel Deborah C
Published: February 2020

Objective

U.S. military special operation forces represent the most elite units of the U.S. Armed Forces. Their selection is highly competitive, and over the course of their service careers, they experience intensive operational training and combat deployment cycles. Yet, little is known about the health-care needs of this unique population.

Method

Professional consultations with over 50 special operation forces operators (and many spouses or girlfriends) over the past 6 years created a naturalistic, observational base of knowledge that allowed our team to identify a unique pattern of interrelated medical and behavioral health-care needs.

Results

We identified a consistent pattern of health-care difficulties within the special operation forces community that we and other special operation forces health-care providers have termed “Operator Syndrome.” This includes interrelated health and functional impairments including traumatic brain injury effects; endocrine dysfunction; sleep disturbance; obstructive sleep apnea; chronic joint/back pain, orthopedic problems, and headaches; substance abuse; depression and suicide; anger; worry, rumination, and stress reactivity; marital, family, and community dysfunction; problems with sexual health and intimacy; being “on guard” or hypervigilant; memory, concentration, and cognitive impairments; vestibular and vision impairments; challenges of the transition from military to civilian life; and common existential issues.

Conclusions

“Operator Syndrome” may be understood as the natural consequences of an extraordinarily high allostatic load; the accumulation of physiological, neural, and neuroendocrine responses resulting from the prolonged chronic stress; and physical demands of a career with the military special forces. Clinical research and comprehensive, intensive immersion programs are needed to meet the unique needs of this community.
Improvement in Psychological Condition of Patients With Persistent Moderate–Severe Allergic Rhinitis by Drug Therapy Combined With Psychological Intervention
Authors: Wang Li-Xin , Yang Zhi-Chao , Kang Zhao-Peng , Di Ling-Ling , Tan Yan , Peng Xian-Bing , Liu Jie
Published: February 2020

Objective:

To investigate the effect of drug treatment combined with psychological intervention on mental disorders in patients with persistent moderate–severe allergic rhinitis.

Methods:

Sixty patients with persistent moderate–severe allergic rhinitis who met the criteria were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group and experimental group. The control group was only given medication, whereas the experimental group was given psychological intervention on the basis of the same medication. Cognitive behavioral therapy was used for psychological intervention. After 12 weeks of treatment, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) were used to evaluate the changes in anxiety, depression, and quality of life before and after treatment.

Results:

The SAS and SDS scores of the control group after treatment were lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant. Similarly, the SAS and SDS scores of the experimental group after treatment were lower than those before treatment with statistically significant difference. In addition, after treatment, the SAS and SDS scores of the experimental group were statistically lower than those of the control group. The results of RQLQ showed that the scores of each dimension in the control group after treatment were lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant. Similar results were found in the experimental group. After treatment with these 2 different schemes, the RQLQ scores of sleep, nonnasal/eye symptoms, and emotion in the experimental group were statistically lower than those in the control group.

Conclusion:

Drug therapy or drug therapy combined with psychological intervention can alleviate anxiety and depression of patients with persistent moderate–severe allergic rhinitis and improve their quality of life. Moreover, based on the effect of improving mental disorder and quality of life of patients, drug therapy combined with psychological intervention is better than drug treatment alone.
Politicizing the Body in the Anti-Mining Protest in Greece
Authors: Fotaki Marianna , Daskalaki Maria
Published: February 2020

Although organization and management scholars are beginning to research opposition and dissent emerging in response to the global financial crisis, there are few accounts or feminist analyses of social movements and women’s mobilizations as an important part of these movements. We address this gap by considering a case of women activists opposing extractivist mining in Chalkidiki, Greece, to demonstrate their crucial role in initiating and organizing resistance within their communities. Drawing theoretical inspiration from social reproduction theory and the literature on embodied protest as a form of political action, we argue that women use diverse means to promote the politics of visibility, erasing public and private distinctions as they defend their communities’ right to live in unpolluted environments. By way of contribution, we enhance understanding of the role of affective embodiment as a foundation for activist feminist practices; develop a theory of the protesting body altering spatial relations as a means to oppose the neoliberal assault on life and environment; and suggest how this might prefigure new political practices in the context of social movements. We identify the implications of this theorization and call for academics’ deeper sustained engagement in activism.
Realizing an Anticipation: Anticipated Support and Received Support from Children in China
Authors: Weng Yulei , Li Dan
Published: February 2020

It seems that elderly parents in China receive less support from their adult children than before. This study contributes to the existing literature by examining whether anticipated support from children can be realized in the future. Results from the 2013 and 2015 CHARLS find that although not all elderly parents can receive their anticipated support, the anticipation has a positive effect on their psychological well-being in terms of life satisfaction. Moreover, elderly parents who are co-resident with their children, receiving monetary support from children, and frequently meeting their non-co-resident children are more likely to realize their anticipation.
Understanding Health Risk Comprehension: The Role of Math Anxiety, Subjective Numeracy, and Objective Numeracy
Authors: Rolison Jonathan J. , Morsanyi Kinga , Peters Ellen
Published: February 2020

Background. Numeracy skills are important for medical decision making as lower numeracy is associated with misinterpreting statistical health risks. Math anxiety, characterized by negative emotions about numerical tasks, and lower subjective numeracy (i.e., self-assessments of numerical competence) are also associated with poor risk comprehension. Objective. To explore independent and mediated associations of math anxiety, numerical ability, and subjective numeracy with risk comprehension and to ascertain whether their associations are specific to the health domain. Methods. Objective numeracy was measured with a 14-item test. Math anxiety and subjective numeracy were assessed with self-report scales. Risk comprehension was measured with a 12-item test. In experiment 1, risk comprehension items were limited to scenarios in the health domain. In experiment 2, participants were randomly assigned to receive numerically equivalent risk comprehension items in either a health or nonhealth domain. Results. Linear regression analyses revealed that individuals with higher objective numeracy were more likely to respond correctly to the risk comprehension items, as were individuals with higher subjective numeracy. Higher math anxiety was associated with a lower likelihood of correct responding when controlling for objective numeracy but not when controlling for subjective numeracy. Mediation analyses indicated that math anxiety may undermine risk comprehension in 3 ways, including through 1) objective numeracy, 2) subjective numeracy, and 3) objective and subjective numeracy in serial, with subjective numeracy mediating the association between objective numeracy and risk comprehension. Findings did not differ by domain. Conclusions. Math anxiety, objective numeracy, and subjective numeracy are associated with risk comprehension through unique pathways. Education initiatives for improving health risk comprehension may be most effective if jointly aimed at tackling numerical ability as well as negative emotions and self-evaluations related to numeracy.
Utility of T2 mapping in the staging of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: efficiency of region of interest selection methods
Authors: Chen Wen , Hu Hao , Chen Huan-Huan , Su Guo-Yi , Yang Tao , Xu Xiao-Quan , Wu Fei-Yun
Published: February 2020

Background

Discriminating the stage of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is crucial for the treatment strategy and prognosis prediction. Utility of conventional magnetic resonance imaging in the disease staging is limited.

Purpose

To investigate the performance of T2 mapping based on different region of interest (ROI) selection methods in the staging of TAO.

Material and Methods

Thirty-two patients with TAO were retrospectively enrolled. Two radiologists independently measured the T2 relaxation time (T2RT) of extraocular muscles using two different ROIs (hotspot [ROIHS]: T2RT-hot; single-slice [ROISS]: T2RT-mean, T2RT-max, T2RT-min). Independent-samples t test, Wilcoxon signed rank test, Spearman correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analyses, multiple ROC comparisons, and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) were used for statistical analyses.

Results

No significant difference was found in the measuring time between ROIHS and ROISS methods ( P = 0.066). T2RT-mean demonstrated the highest ICC for measurement, followed by T2RT-max and T2RT-min, and T2RT-hot showed the poorest reproducibility. Active TAOs showed significantly higher values for all the T2RTs than inactive mimics (all P < 0.001). Significant positive correlations were found between T2RTs and CAS (all P < 0.005). T2RT-hot and T2RT-max showed significantly higher areas under the curve than that of T2RT-mean ( P = 0.013 and 0.024, respectively), while the difference between T2RT-hot and T2RT-max was not significant ( P = 0.970).

Conclusion

The T2RTs derived from both ROI selection methods could be useful for the staging of TAO. The results of measuring time, reproducibility, and diagnostic performance suggest that T2RT-max would be the optimal indicator for staging.
Hidden in Plain Sight: Coloniality, Capitalism and Race/ism as Far as the Eye Can See
Authors: Rutazibwa Olivia U.
Published: February 2020

This review essay is a generative reading of four monographs and one special issue to rethink the discipline of International Relations (IR) and its syllabus anticolonially. At the centre of White Innocence by Gloria Wekker, In the Wake: On Blackness and Being, by Christina Sharpe, The Colonial Lives of Property by Brenna Bhandar, Beyond Coloniality by Aaron Kamugisha and the New Political Economy special issue titled Raced Markets edited by Robbie Shilliam and Lisa Tilley are issues of race and racism, neoliberalism and capital and (the afterlives of) colonisation and slavery. This essay deploys a narrative approach of the autobiographical example to write the themes and arguments of the works onto the international everyday, i.c. a period of five months (April-September 2019) and the five places (Toronto, Stellenbosch, (New) England, Ghana and Puerto Rico) in which these works were read. First, the themes of racism, capitalism and coloniality – to varying degrees disavowed and erased in both IR as a discipline and public opinion – appear as persistent, pervasive yet adapting across time, space and situatedness. Second, both the autobiographical examples and the works point at the equally omnipresent cracks in the system and invite reflection on anticolonial alternatives (of solidarity). In conclusion, the essay explores how these works could inform reconceptualisation of the IR syllabus, towards a discipline that engages with the world rather than itself, against the colonial status quo.
The Enthymemes of Supporting President Trump: Explaining the Association Between Structural Location, Supporting the President, and Agreeing With Online Extremism
Authors: Hawdon James , Costello Matthew , Bernatzky Colin , Restifo Salvatore J.
Published: February 2020

Does hateful rhetoric appeal to supporters of President Trump? Prior studies link sexism, racism, Islamophobia, anti-immigrant sentiment, and intolerant forms of Christianity to supporting or voting for President Trump. We extend this literature by examining whether individuals who approve of President Trump’s job performance are more accepting of the hateful rhetoric and imagery they encounter online. We do so using online survey data ( N = 465) of youth and young adults collected in December 2017. Building on previous theoretical explanations of participating in online hate that utilize routine activity theory and social learning–social structure theory, we argue that support for President Trump is a result of the “politics of status,” and support for the President thus represents an enthymeme. Our key finding is that agreement with online hate material is indeed positively associated with support for the President. Additionally, we find that one’s differential location in the social structure, online and off-line social bonds, and attitudes toward norm violations are associated with agreement with online extremist content.
The myth of ‘evidence-based policymaking’ in a decentred state
Authors: Cairney Paul
Published: February 2020

I describe a policy theory story in which a decentred state results from choice and necessity. Governments often choose not to centralise policymaking but they would not succeed if they tried. Many policy scholars take this story for granted, but it is often ignored in other academic disciplines and wider political debate. Instead, commentators call for more centralisation to deliver more accountable, ‘rational,’ and ‘evidence-based’ policymaking. Such contradictory arguments, about the feasibility and value of government centralisation, raise an ever-present dilemma for governments to accept or challenge decentring. They also accentuate a modern dilemma about how to seek ‘evidence-based policymaking’ in a decentred state. I identify three ideal-type ways in which governments can address both dilemmas consistently. I then identify their ad hoc use by UK and Scottish governments. Although each government has a reputation for more or less centralist approaches, both face similar dilemmas and address them in similar ways. Their choices reflect their need to appear to be in control while dealing with the fact that they are not.
Alexander Frese and the establishment of psychiatry in the Russian Empire
Authors: Mitrofanov Ruslan
Published: February 2020

Previous historiography has already paid particular attention to well-known ‘metropolitan’ biographies of I. Balinsky, V. Bekhterev and others, as well as their role in the establishment of a scientific approach in the treatment of mental illnesses in the Russian Empire. Little attention has been paid to ‘provincial’ physicians and the importance of their scientific activity in bridging the gap between the Russian and European institutions of psychiatry. The primary aim of this article is to show how Alexander Frese’s ‘mobile’ and ‘imperial’ career influenced the emergence of the transnational origins of Russian psychiatry. It describes his travels to foreign psychiatric hospitals, and his subsequent critical assessment of them. I argue that his ideas, which had been formulated during these trips, determined the design of emerging psychiatric institutions (district hospitals) in the Russian Empire.
Late Glacial and Holocene paleoecology and paleoenvironmental changes in the northern Carpathians foreland: The Żarska Cave (southern Poland) case study
Authors: Wilczyński Jarosław , Krajcarz Maciej T , Moskal-del Hoyo Magdalena , Alexandrowicz Witold Paweł , Miękina Barbara , Pereswiet-Soltan Andrea , Wertz Krzysztof , Lipecki Grzegorz , Marciszak Adrian , Lõugas Lembi , Gradziński Michał , Szczepanek Anita , Zastawny Albert , Wojenka Michał
Published: February 2020

The study of past environments, their ecology, and detailed changes through time has become an important task of environmental science. Records of paleoenvironment usually vary between regions owing to different influences of local climate, vegetation, relief, and depositional processes. Therefore, studying local sequences thoroughly allows paleoenvironmental and paleoecological reconstructions for particular regions, but it also provides important data that complement the global record. The Żarska Cave is an exceptional site, which owing to its thick and undisturbed Holocene sediments with very rich paleobotanical and paleozoological materials has become the most complete example of the uppermost Upper Pleistocene and Holocene cave deposits in the Polish uplands. The aim of our study was to understand paleoenvironmental changes in southern Poland, from the late Glacial to the late Holocene, which has been targeted by use of a detailed geological analysis accompanied by analysis of a wide range of paleobotanical, paleozoological, and archeological assemblages. All the results obtained have permitted characterization of the paleoenvironmental changes occurring in the area of the Polish Jura during the last >15 ka years. A particularly well-represented sequence covers the Allerød interstadial, which revealed the presence of forests with associated shade-loving mollusks and rodents. The beginning of the Holocene was clearly identified with an increase of shaded forest habitats, which developed in a still relatively cold climate with continental features, and with the first appearance of mesophilous deciduous trees. During the middle Holocene, unusual evidence for maple forests is documented, which developed before the formation of beech forests, typical for the late Holocene. The obtained sequence has great significance not only for the Polish Jura region, but also has wider implications for southern Poland and the vast area of the northern Carpathian foreland.
Atmospheric circulation and the differentiation of precipitation sources during the Holocene inferred from five stalagmite records from Demänová Cave System (Central Europe)
Authors: Hercman Helena , Gąsiorowski Michał , Pawlak Jacek , Błaszczyk Marcin , Gradziński Michał , Matoušková Šárka , Zawidzki Paweł , Bella Pavel
Published: February 2020

Five stalagmites from the Demänová Cave System (DCS, Western Carpathians, Slovakia), spanning the period from 13,000 to 500 a BP, were analyzed for their oxygen and carbon stable isotopic composition of the calcite. The isotopic data obtained from several stalagmites located in one cave system allow us to separate the changes of regional/global importance from the local changes. Oxygen isotope ratios point to dynamic changes in the environment at the onset of the Holocene. Despite the local differences, carbon isotope data express the gradual and steady development of vegetation on the surface above the cave from the beginning of the Holocene until 6,000 a BP. The oxygen isotope values in the DCS stalagmites are higher than that derived from the Rayleigh distillation model until approximately 9,000 a BP, suggesting (1) an increase in the isotopic gradient to the east of Europe, probably caused by a different seasonality in precipitation amount or (2) different sources of meteoric water, transported from the Mediterranean and Black Sea region, in Central and Eastern Europe compared to the Western, circum-Atlantic part of the continent. The younger part of the DCS records falls in the range described by the model and points to the increasing role of the westerlies in the determination of the climatic conditions of Central Europe during middle- and late-Holocene.
Reading work as a diversity practice: A differentiated approach to reading promotion in academic libraries in North America
Authors: Dali Keren , McNiff Lindsay
Published: February 2020

This article positions the practice of working with readers in academic libraries as a diversity practice and examines this practice through the lens of the Diversity by Design concept. We use Diversity by Design to propose and explicate a differentiated approach to reading promotion on campus, drawing attention to the broader and multiple meanings of diversity in the context of reading engagements. We look at the differentiated nature of readerships on campuses as an expression of inherent diversity in North American institutions of higher education and, by extension, academic libraries. We also make specific recommendations on how to give reading practices in academic libraries a boost and a new direction, befitting the diverse and eclectic nature of contemporary North American universities.
Participation and Commitment to Change on Middle Managers in Indonesia: The Role of Perceived Organizational Support as Mediator
Authors: Purwaningrum Evi Kurniasari , Suhariadi Fendy , Fajrianthi
Published: February 2020

Commitment to change on middle managers was assumed to be an important factor that supported the success of the implementation of the organizational change plan. Based on the social exchange theory, commitment to change on middle managers could develop with a reciprocal relation between the organization and the middle managers. This research aimed to test the participation of middle managers on the commitment to organizational change with perceived organizational support as the mediator. Participation in the period of change was an exchangeable resource, while perceived organizational support was an indicator of the quality of the relationship between the middle managers and the organization. Research data were obtained from 227 middle managers on one of the government organizations in Indonesia which was in a period of change. Research results showed that perceived organizational support could have the role as a partial mediator between participation in period of change with commitment to change. Perceived organizational support and participation in period of change would increase the affective and normative commitment to change, while decreasing the continuous commitment to change. This research result could contribute practically and theoretically in the understanding and discussion regarding the role of middle managers in organizational change.
Awareness and Attitudes Toward Advance Care Planning Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in China: A Mixed-Methods Study
Authors: Zhu Tingting , Zhang Jing , Shi Yan , Yi Jingna , Zhang Qiushi , Zhao Yanli , Gao Qiaoqiao , Wang Zichen , Li Jiayin , Liu Xuebing , Liu Dongling
Published: February 2020

Context:

Quality of palliative care and death in mainland China is at a low level of the rest of the world, the public is lacked of proper understanding of the relevant information is one of the important reasons. There has been a shift in policy of palliative care in municipalities recently in mainland China.

Objectives:

To measure the advance care planning-related knowledge and attitudes of Chinese community-dwelling older adults, in the hope of presenting a specific implementation of the strategy.

Methods:

We conducted a mixed-method sequential explanatory study, composed of a quantitative survey followed by qualitative interviews. The first quantitative phase included 523 community elderly individuals, who completed a validated questionnaire. After statistical analysis, a semistructured qualitative interview has been developed and conducted with 16 of them in order to help explain findings obtained in the first phase.

Results:

The study was conducted with 523 community-dwelling older adults. The cognition level of advance care planning (ACP) was low, and attitude toward ACP was active. Living alone or living with a spouse (and children), have a religion, poor health condition, and life-sustaining treatment-related experience can affect how they behave with ACP. However, lack of trust in ACP, lack of life education and relevant legislation or policies, and Chinese traditional culture and emotion may impede their take-up.

Conclusions:

This study indicated that the awareness and participation of ACP of community-dwelling older adults in mainland China are not enough. The influence of national conditions and culture should be fully considered during the process of ACP development.
Sarcoid-Like Granulomatosis in a Patient With Breast Cancer Mimicking Refractory Metastatic Disease
Authors: Mostyka Maria , Jessurun Jose , Matrai Cathleen
Published: February 2020

Sarcoid-like granulomatosis is a known but rare adverse reaction to immune checkpoint inhibitors and chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced solid tumors. We present a case of a 29-year-old female with a pathologically confirmed poorly differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with presumed metastases to the lungs, hilar lymph nodes, liver, and spleen. Despite appropriate chemotherapy, the patient developed pulmonary lesions that were interpreted on imaging studies as progression of malignancy. Autopsy revealed disseminated sarcoid-like granulomatosis with multiple noncaseating granulomata with associated fibrosis in the lungs, liver, and spleen. No residual invasive carcinoma or metastatic disease was identified. This case illustrates the difficulty in differentiating this nonneoplastic process from progressive disease in the clinical setting.
Carvedilol Diminishes Cardiac Remodeling Induced by High-Fructose/High-Fat Diet in Mice via Enhancing Cardiac β-Arrestin2 Signaling
Authors: Ibrahim Wael S. , Ibrahim Islam A. A. E.-H. , Mahmoud Mona F. , Mahmoud Amr A. A.
Published: February 2020

Background:

Insulin resistance (IR) is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular complications. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a dietary model of IR in mice on cardiac remodeling, cardiac β-arrestin2 signaling, and the protective effects of carvedilol as a β-arrestin–biased agonist.

Methods and Results:

Insulin resistance was induced by feeding mice high-fructose/high-fat diet (HFrHFD) for 16 weeks. Carvedilol was adiministered for 4 weeks starting at week 13. At the end of the experiment, body weight, heart weight, left and right ventricular thickness, visceral fat weight, fasting blood glucose (FBG), serum insulin, IR index, and serum endothelin-1 were measured. In addition, cardiac tissue samples were histopathologically examined. Also, cardiac levels of cardiotrophin-1, β-arrestin2, phosphatidylinositol 4,5 bisphosphate (PIP2), diacylglycerol (DAG), and phosphoserine 473 Akt (pS473 Akt) were measured. Results showed significant increases in the FBG, serum insulin, IR index, serum endothelin-1, cardiac DAG, cardiac fibrosis, and degenerated cardiac myofibrils in HFrHFD-fed mice associated with a significant reduction in cardiac levels of cardiotrophin-1, β-arrestin2, PIP2, and pS473 Akt. On the other hand, carvedilol significantly reduced the heart weight, FBG, serum insulin, IR index, serum endothelin-1, cardiac DAG, left ventricular thickness, right ventricular fibrosis, and degeneration of cardiac myofibrils. In addition, carvedilol significantly increased cardiac levels of cardiotrophin-1, β-arrestin2, PIP2, and pS473 Akt.

Conclusion:

Carvedilol enhances cardiac β-arrestin2 signaling and reduces cardiac remodeling in HFrHFD-fed mice.
Changes in Self-Reported Depressive Symptoms Among Adults in the United States From 2005 to 2016
Authors: Kauffman Kelley , Horvat Davey Christine , Dolata Jacqueline , Figueroa Maria , Gunzler Douglas , Huml Anne , Pencak Julie , Sajatovic Martha , Sehgal Ashwini R.
Published: February 2020

BACKGROUND: This study examined interview data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2016. AIM: To determine national trends in self-reported depressive symptoms. METHOD: Depressive symptoms were assessed using self-reported data on the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), with a total score ≥10 and an individual item score of 2 or 3, indicating greater severity. RESULTS: A total of 31,191 individuals contributed PHQ-9 data from 2005 to 2016. The absolute proportion of individuals with total PHQ-9 score ≥10 increased from 6.2% to 8.1%. After adjustment for participant demographic characteristics and comorbid conditions, the odds ratio for high PHQ-9 score at the end versus the beginning of the study interval was 1.27 (95% confidence interval [CI: 1.07, 1.50]). Anhedonia, guilt/worthlessness, appetite, and hypoactivity/hyperactivity had the largest increases in individual item risk after adjusting for demographic and comorbid characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: There were sizeable increases in the prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms in the United States over an 11-year period. Further work is needed to understand the reasons for and implications of this increase. However, the results suggest greater efforts should be made by health care providers to screen for depressive symptoms that may warrant further assessment, treatment, or referral to mental health services as needed.
From B-Boys to Broadway: Activism and Directed Change in Hip-hop
Authors: Bliss Courtney
Published: February 2020

In this article, I examine how the dominant paradigm of development led to the Bronx being in a state of ruin, the development of hip-hop culture as a self-empowerment tool, and how that tool is used to direct change in blighted urban areas around the US through rap at all levels—from street corners to the Broadway stage. I use a combination of theories from development communication, ethnomusicology and popular culture to perform my analysis and conclude that hip-hop culture empowers individuals and communities to make change in their neighbourhoods. I also conclude that Lin-Manuel Miranda, coming from that culture, has gone on to bring this empowerment and directed change to Broadway to make fundamental changes there that have an impact that reach far from the hallowed halls of the Great White Way.
Autoimmune encephalitis management: MS centers and beyond
Authors: McKeon Andrew , Zekeridou Anastasia
Published: February 2020

Traditionally, multiple sclerosis (MS) specialists have been the go-to providers for managing certain treatable non-demyelinating inflammatory or autoimmune central nervous system (CNS) disorders. The advent of increased incidence (mostly due to improved recognition) prompts the question: who should be managing autoimmune encephalitis? These patients are generally first encountered in the hospital, as well as general neurology and subspecialty clinics, such as epilepsy. Autoimmune neurology is a specialty which gives focus to evaluation and treatment of patients with autoimmune encephalitis, among other disorders, and trains neurologists accordingly. Some of those experts are dual trained in both MS and non-MS inflammatory/autoimmune CNS disorders. Many other autoimmune specialists are trained in non-MS care, such as hospital neurology, movement disorders, and epilepsy. General and other subspecialty providers increasingly find the need to be versed in management of autoimmune encephalitis.
Airbnb and taxation: Developing a seasonal tax system
Authors: Dalir Sara , Mahamadaminov Abror , Olya Hossein GT
Published: February 2020

This study applies tax planning theory to develop a seasonal tax strategy as an alternative to a fixed tax rate for shared lodging platforms such as Airbnb, to increase hosts’ revenue and to address seasonality in tourism. The annual revenue of the various types of accommodation is used to calculate a seasonality index by the moving average method, which is incorporated as a corrected coefficient in a seasonal tax formula. The sample includes data from 1258 active Airbnb listings in Boston, Massachusetts. Using a mean comparison test, this study reveals that the application of a seasonal tax strategy significantly increases the revenue of Airbnb hosts compared to a fixed tax rate system. Drawing on the flexibility tenet of tax planning theory, policymakers can use the proposed seasonal tax strategy as an instrument to revisit the taxation system for sharing economy businesses based on changes to the socio-economic, environmental and political conditions. Implications for all stakeholders are discussed.
The role of emotion regulation and core autism symptoms in the experience of anxiety in autism
Authors: Conner Caitlin M , White Susan W , Scahill Lawrence , Mazefsky Carla A
Published: February 2020

Youth with autism spectrum disorder are at elevated risk for impaired emotion regulation and clinically impairing anxiety. A prior developmental framework posited that impaired emotion regulation leads to co-occurring psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, with outcome determined in part by autism spectrum disorder–specific moderating factors. Using measures developed and validated in autism spectrum disorder, this study evaluated (1) the association between emotion regulation and anxiety in a large, community-based sample of youth with autism spectrum disorder and a wide range of intellectual and verbal abilities and (2) whether greater core autism spectrum disorder symptoms strengthened the association between impaired emotion regulation and anxiety. Parents of 1107 children with a community diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (881 boys; age 6–17 years) participated in an online survey assessing their child’s emotion regulation, anxiety, and autism spectrum disorder symptoms. Emotion regulation impairment significantly predicted whether participants had elevated levels of anxiety, after controlling for demographic variables and autism spectrum disorder symptoms; however, there was no interaction of emotion regulation and autism spectrum disorder symptoms. This study is the first to support the anxiety–emotion regulation association with measures developed and validated specifically for autism spectrum disorder, in a large sample with co-occurring intellectual disability and minimally verbal youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Lay abstract

Many children with autism spectrum disorder have problems with managing their emotions (emotion regulation) and anxiety. In this study, over 1000 parents completed an online survey which showed that emotion regulation and anxiety are closely linked. Although emotion regulation and anxiety are inter-connected, the results also show that autism symptoms play an important role in anxiety in autism spectrum disorder. Emotion regulation problems may be an important target for the treatment of anxiety in autism.
What’s the talk in Brussels? Leveraging daily news coverage to measure issue attention in the European Union
Authors: Ovádek Michal , Lampach Nicolas , Dyevre Arthur
Published: February 2020

Research on issue attention in the European Union has focused on the prominence of EU integration in domestic politics and media and, at EU level, on the salience of individual issues and legislative files, often in relation to lobbying. Existing EU-level measures of issue saliency, though, are limited in scope and periodicity and tend to reflect the policy priorities of a single institutional actor rather than that of the broader EU elite sphere. We present an alternative measure of issue attention leveraging the quasi-institutional nature of the Agence Europe daily bulletin which provides comprehensive but independent news coverage of EU affairs. We use text-mining techniques, including dynamic topic modelling, in combination with manual classification to map issue prevalence between 1979 and 2018. In addition to reporting validation results, we illustrate how our measure relates to other indicators of EU agenda formation and explain how researchers can make use of our new dataset.
Detection of the stroboscopic effect by young adults varying in sensitivity
Authors: Veitch JA , Martinsons C
Published: February 2020

The advent of LED lighting has renewed concern about the possible visual, neurobiological, and performance and cognition effects of cyclic variations in lighting system luminous flux (temporal light modulation). The stroboscopic visibility measure (SVM) characterises the temporal light modulation signal to predict the visibility of the stroboscopic effect, one of the visual perception effects of temporal light modulation. A SVM of 1 means that the average person would detect the phenomenon 50% of the time. There is little published data describing the population sensitivity to the stroboscopic effect in relation to the SVM, and none focusing on people subject to visual stress. This experiment, conducted in parallel in Canada and France, examined stroboscopic detection for horizontal and vertical moving targets when viewed under commercially available lamps varying in SVM conditions (SVM: ∼0; ∼0.4; ∼0.9; ∼1.4; ∼3.0). As expected, stroboscopic detection scores increased with increasing SVM. For the horizontal task, average scores were lower than the expected 4/8 at ∼0.90, but increased non-linearly with higher SVMs. Stroboscopic detection scores did not differ between people low and high in pattern glare sensitivity, but people in the high-pattern glare sensitivity group reported greater annoyance in the SVM ∼1.4 and ∼3.0 conditions.