bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subclinical Compromise in Cardiac Strain Relates to Lower Cognitive Performances in Older Adults
Authors: Kresge Hailey A. , Khan Omair A. , Wagener Madison A. , Liu Dandan , Terry James G. , Nair Sangeeta , Cambronero Francis E. , Gifford Katherine A. , Osborn Katie E. , Hohman Timothy J. , Pechman Kimberly R. , Bell Susan P. , Wang Thomas J. , Carr John Jeffrey , Jefferson Angela L.
Published: February 2018

Background

Global longitudinal strain (
GLS
), reflecting total shortening of the myocardium during the cardiac cycle, has emerged as a more precise myocardial function measure than left ventricular ejection fraction (
LVEF
). Longitudinal strain may be selectively affected in subclinical heart disease, even in the presence of normal
LVEF
. This study examines subclinical cardiac dysfunction, assessed by
GLS
and
LVEF
, and cognition among older adults.

Methods and Results

Vanderbilt Memory and Aging Project participants who were free of clinical dementia, stroke, and heart failure (n=318, 73±7 years, 58% male) completed neuropsychological assessment and cardiac magnetic resonance to quantify
GLS
and
LVEF
. Linear regression models related
GLS
and
LVEF
to neuropsychological performances, adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, Framingham Stroke Risk Profile, cognitive diagnosis, and

APOE

*ε4 status. Models were repeated with a cardiac×cognitive diagnosis interaction term. Compromised
GLS
(reflected by higher values) related to worse naming (β=−0.07,
P
=0.04), visuospatial immediate recall (β=−0.83,
P
=0.03), visuospatial delayed recall (β=−0.22,
P
=0.03), and verbal delayed recall (β=−0.11,
P
=0.007).
LVEF
did not relate to worse performance on any measure (
P
>0.18). No diagnostic interactions were observed.

Conclusions

Our study results are among the first to suggest that compromised
GLS
relates to worse episodic memory and language performance among older adults who are free of clinical dementia, stroke, and heart failure. Subclinical cardiac dysfunction may correlate with cognitive health in late life, even when
LVEF
remains normal. The results add to growing evidence that
GLS
may be a more sensitive and preferred method for quantifying subclinical changes in cardiac function.
Professional Standards, Clinical Guidelines and Medical Liability: A Chance for Significant Improvement in Determining the Standard of Care?
Authors: Panagiotou Athanasios
Published: February 2018

Despite the proposals to jettison fault/negligence as the fundamental criterion of imputation of medical liability, it remains at the core of most legal systems. At European level, the rise of cross-border healthcare has brought the issue of redress for medical malpractice and the need to enhance quality of care through the adoption of quality and safety standards to the fore. Furthermore, the necessity of best available external evidence to inform approaches to individual patient care is gradually acknowledged. In addition, clinical guidelines become an increasingly familiar part of clinical practice. Hence, the debate on their usefulness in medical malpractice cases has attracted significant scholarly attention. Despite their superficial attractiveness, clinical guidelines present core problems, which currently make them unsuitable as a determinant of the standard of care. The article concludes that, unless these issues are resolved, the usefulness of clinical guidelines in medical liability will be debatable.
A Defense of Presentist Externalism
Authors: de Sá Pereira Roberto Horácio
Published: February 2018

This article presents a defense of “presentist externalism,” that is, the claim that memory contents are fixed by the environment and by the time at which a recollection takes place rather than by those at which the original mental state occurred. Its case is an instance of an argument to the best explanation. The author argues, firstly, that “presentist externalism” is the only version of content externalism that can stand up to both Boghossian’s memory and fallacy arguments. In slow switching cases, inferences containing memory thoughts as premises are unsound or unsafe, but valid. The author contends, secondly, that the externalist must recognize the existence ofwide mismemoriesbesides wide forgetting and that only the presentist externalist can account for their existence. The author maintains, finally, that if the validity of an inference requires that all its premises and conclusion be evaluated in the same context, that in which the inference is made, then it is the present context that fixes the content and the concepts of memory rather than the past.
New Directions for Transcendental Claims
Authors: Giladi Paul
Published: February 2018

This article aims to provide an account of the relationship between transcendental claims and the project of using transcendental argumentation that differs from the mainstream literature. In much of the literature, such claims are said to have as their primary value the overcoming of various sceptical positions. The author argues that, whilst transcendental arguments may be narrowly characterised as anti-sceptical, transcendental claims do not have to be used in only this way, and in fact can be useful in several areas of philosophy outside the issue of scepticism, and so can be used by transcendental arguments more broadly conceived. The author offers four examples of transcendental claims that are not used in narrow, anti-sceptical transcendental arguments. The author argues that these broader arguments use transcendental claims but not in an anti-sceptical way. From this, the author concludes that given the well-known difficulties transcendental arguments in this narrow sense seem to have had in defeating scepticism, distinguishing narrow transcendental arguments clearly from transcendental claims as such in this manner can provide a way for the latter to still serve an important role in philosophy, by showing how such claims can be used more broadly, regardless of any doubts one may have about the anti-sceptical value of such claims.
A Multiscale Asymptotic Theory of Extratropical Wave–Mean Flow Interaction
Authors: Boljka Lina , Shepherd Theodore G.
Published: February 2018

Multiscale asymptotic methods are used to derive wave activity equations for planetary- and synoptic-scale eddies and their interactions with a zonal mean flow. The eddies are assumed to be of small amplitude, and the synoptic-scale zonal and meridional length scales are taken to be equal. Under these assumptions, the zonal-mean and planetary-scale dynamics are planetary geostrophic (i.e., dominated by vortex stretching), and the interaction between planetary- and synoptic-scale eddies occurs only through the zonal mean flow or through diabatic processes. Planetary-scale heat fluxes are shown to enter the angular momentum budget through meridional mass redistribution. After averaging over synoptic length and time scales, momentum fluxes disappear from the synoptic-scale wave activity equation while synoptic-scale heat fluxes disappear from the baroclinicity equation, leaving planetary-scale heat fluxes as the only adiabatic term coupling the baroclinic and barotropic components of the zonal mean flow. In the special case of weak planetary waves, the decoupling between the baroclinic and barotropic parts of the flow is complete with momentum fluxes driving the barotropic zonal mean flow, heat fluxes driving the wave activity, and diabatic processes driving baroclinicity. These results help explain the apparent decoupling between the baroclinic and barotropic components of flow variability recently identified in observations and may provide a means of better understanding the link between thermodynamic and dynamic aspects of climate variability and change.
The Logic of Polarizing Populism: State Crises and Polarization in South America
Authors: Handlin Samuel
Published: February 2018

What explains high party polarization in younger developing democracies? This article examines and explains variation during South America’s recent left turn period, making two key claims. Extremely polarized politics in countries such as Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela emerged through a mechanism termed polarizing populism, in which political outsiders leveraged popular anti-systemic appeals to underwrite otherwise risky and highly controversial policy programs. The occurrence (or not) of polarizing populism in South America, in turn, can be explained by the conjunction of state crises before the left turn period (which provided fuel for outsider politics) and the strength of the extant infrastructure of left-wing political mobilization each country possessed as the post–Cold War era began, which shaped incentives for outsiders to build ideologically narrow or broad elite coalitions. These propositions are tested through a broad analysis of eight South American countries and a more detailed case study of Venezuela.
Diabetes Activates Periodontal Ligament Fibroblasts via NF-κB In Vivo
Authors: Zheng J. , Chen S. , Albiero M.L. , Vieira G.H.A. , Wang J. , Feng J.Q. , Graves D.T.
Published: February 2018

Diabetes mellitus increases periodontitis and pathogenicity of the oral microbiome. To further understand mechanisms through which diabetes affects periodontitis, we examined its impact on periodontal ligament fibroblasts in vivo and in vitro. Periodontitis was induced by inoculation of Porphyromonas gingivalis and Fusobacterium nucleatum in normoglycemic and diabetic mice. Diabetes, induced by multiple low-dose injections of streptozotocin increased osteoclast numbers and recruitment of neutrophils to the periodontal ligament, which could be accounted for by increased CXC motif chemokine 2 (CXCL2) and receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL) expression by these cells. Diabetes also stimulated a significant increase in nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) expression and activation in periodontal ligament (PDL) fibroblasts. Surprisingly, we found that PDL fibroblasts express a 2.3-kb regulatory unit of Col1α1 (collagen type 1, alpha 1) promoter typical of osteoblasts. Diabetes-enhanced CXCL2 and RANKL expression in PDL fibroblasts was rescued in transgenic mice with lineage-specific NF-κB inhibition controlled by this regulatory element. In vitro, high glucose increased NF-κB transcriptional activity, NF-κB nuclear localization, and RANKL expression in PDL fibroblasts, which was reduced by NF-κB inhibition. Thus, diabetes induces changes in PDL fibroblast gene expression that can enhance neutrophil recruitment and bone resorption, which may be explained by high glucose–induced NF-κB activation. Furthermore, PDL fibroblasts express a regulatory element in vivo that is typical of committed osteoblasts.
Perineural Invasion in Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Schmitd L.B. , Scanlon C.S. , D’Silva N.J.
Published: February 2018

Perineural invasion (PNI) is a mechanism of tumor dissemination that can provide a challenge to tumor eradication and that is correlated with poor survival. Squamous cell carcinoma, the most common type of head and neck cancer, has a high prevalence of PNI. This review provides an overview of clinical studies on the outcomes and factors associated with PNI in head and neck cancer and on findings on cancer-nerve crosstalk.
Calprotectin and the Initiation and Progression of Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Argyris P.P. , Slama Z.M. , Ross K.F. , Khammanivong A. , Herzberg M.C.
Published: February 2018

Calprotectin (S100A8/A9), a heterodimeric complex of calcium-binding proteins S100A8 and S100A9, is encoded by genes mapping to the chromosomal locus 1q21.3 of the epidermal differentiation complex. Whereas extracellular calprotectin shows proinflammatory and antimicrobial properties by signaling through RAGE and TLR4, intracytoplasmic S100A8/A9 appears to be important for cellular development, maintenance, and survival. S100A8/A9 is constitutively expressed in myeloid cells and the stratified mucosal epithelia lining the oropharyngeal and genitourinary mucosae. While upregulated in adenocarcinomas and other cancers, calprotectin mRNA and protein levels decline in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). S100A8/A9 is also lost during head and neck preneoplasia (dysplasia). Calprotectin decrease does not correlate with the clinical stage (TNM) of HNSCC. When expressed in carcinoma cells, S100A8/A9 downregulates matrix metalloproteinase 2 expression and inhibits invasion and migration in vitro. S100A8/A9 regulates cell cycle progression and decelerates cancer cell proliferation by arresting at the G2/M checkpoint in a protein phosphatase 2α–dependent manner. In HNSCC, S100A8 and S100A9 coregulate with gene networks controlling cellular development and differentiation, cell-to-cell signaling, and cell morphology, while S100A8/A9 appears to downregulate expression of invasion- and tumorigenesis-associated genes. Indeed, tumor formation capacity is attenuated in S100A8/A9-expressing carcinoma cells in vivo. Hence, intracellular calprotectin appears to function as a tumor suppressor in head and neck carcinogenesis. When compared with S100A8/A9-low HNSCC based on analysis of TCGA, S100A8/A9-high HNSCC shows significant upregulation of apoptosis-related genes, including multiple caspases. Accordingly, S100A8/A9 facilitates DNA damage responses in HNSCC, promotes apoptotic cell death, and confers sensitivity to cisplatin and X-radiation in vitro. In the tumor milieu, loss of S100A8/A9 strongly associates with poor squamous differentiation and higher tumor grading, EGFR upregulation, increased DNA methylation, and, finally, poorer overall survival for patients with HNSCC. Hence, intracellular calprotectin shows a multifaceted protective role against the development of HNSCC.
Transforming Patient Compliance Research in an Era of Biomedicalization
Authors: Spencer Karen Lutfey
Published: February 2018

The term patient noncompliance emerged in the 1970s as a tool for analyzing why people do not follow medical directives. Despite its early popularity, the term has languished in sociology while flourishing in biomedical arenas. It seems flaccid in a contemporary healthcare context as it overestimates physician authority and is tone-deaf to biomedicalization. I draw from sociological and anthropological traditions, as well as qualitative interviews with terminally ill patients ( N = 26) and their caregivers ( N = 16), to consider facets of a biomedicalized health experience and implications for an updated vision of compliance. First, pathways to care have proliferated under biomedicalization. With increased pathways comes increased need for understanding how treatment plans are socially constituted and assessed. Finally, increased complexity demands a more diverse vocabulary for understanding health related decisions. This paper is a call to sociologists to take the lead in transforming and updating this consequential concept.
Mechanism-based Explanations versus Autonomy in the Social Sciences
Authors: Gundersen Ståle
Published: February 2018

Mechanism-based explanations are widely discussed in contemporary social science. A virtue of mechanism-based explanations is that they can tell us how social and psychological factors are related to each other and in addition provide explanatory depth. I will argue against an argument which contends that to describe underlying mechanisms at the individual level do not contribute to improve macro-explanations at the social level. However, the critics of the mechanism approach are right that under certain conditions there can be successful explanations without mentioning underlying mechanisms. Although the mechanism approach is a reductive strategy, it does not entail that the social sciences will lose their descriptively and explanatory autonomy. The debate about reductionism and explanation often take place at an abstract philosophical level, but it is argued that to what extent the mechanism approach will influence the autonomy of the social sciences is an empirical problem and cannot be decided a priori.
Variation of Care Time Between Nursing Units in Classification-Based Nurse-to-Resident Ratios: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Brühl Albert , Planer Katarina , Hagel Anja
Published: February 2018

A validity test was conducted to determine how care level–based nurse-to-resident ratios compare with actual daily care times per resident in Germany. Stability across different long-term care facilities was tested. Care level–based nurse-to-resident ratios were compared with the standard minimum nurse-to-resident ratios. Levels of care are determined by classification authorities in long-term care insurance programs and are used to distribute resources. Care levels are a powerful tool for classifying authorities in long-term care insurance. We used observer-based measurement of assignable direct and indirect care time in 68 nursing units for 2028 residents across 2 working days. Organizational data were collected at the end of the quarter in which the observation was made. Data were collected from January to March, 2012. We used a null multilevel model with random intercepts and multilevel models with fixed and random slopes to analyze data at both the organization and resident levels. A total of 14% of the variance in total care time per day was explained by membership in nursing units. The impact of care levels on care time differed significantly between nursing units. Forty percent of residents at the lowest care level received less than the standard minimum registered nursing time per day. For facilities that have been significantly disadvantaged in the current staffing system, a higher minimum standard will function more effectively than a complex classification system without scientific controls.
Self-Congruity, Social Value, and the Use of Virtual Social Networks by Generation Y Travelers
Authors: Luna-Cortés Gonzalo , López-Bonilla Jesús Manuel , López-Bonilla Luis Miguel
Published: February 2018

This study presents a literature review and an empirical research to analyze the connection between self-congruity, perceived social value, and use of social media by Generation Y tourists. To contrast the hypotheses of the study, a quantitative research was carried out among young Spanish travelers. As a result, 444 valid surveys were collected during February of 2016. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to estimate the connection between the constructs. The results show that self-congruity leads to perceived social value and the use of virtual social networks. In addition, perceived social value leads to satisfaction, and satisfaction leads to revisit intention and positive WOM. Finally, positive WOM intention influences the intensity of the use of virtual social networks by Generation Y travelers. As a part of the conclusions, the article presents the managerial implications of these relationships.
The Threat of Terrorism and Tourist Choice Behavior
Authors: Walters Gabrielle , Wallin Ann , Hartley Nicole
Published: February 2018

The threat of terrorism is increasingly relevant to tourism on a global scale, and no destination can claim exemption. Tourism managers need to be aware of the impact that past, current, and future terrorism events have on tourist behavior. The aim of this research is to further our understanding as to how terrorism advisory information impacts tourists’ preferences for, and trade-offs between, specific aspects of their travel. The research uses a discrete choice experiment (DCE) embedded within a classic between-subjects experimental design. US-based respondents (n = 424) completed the experiment. A random parameter logit (RPL) model is calculated to understand how tourists’ preference structures change as the threat of terrorism intensifies taking into account travel knowledge, sensation seeking, and demographic factors. Results suggest that tourist’s travel choices in relation to accommodation, independent versus group travel, cancellation policy, and price vary significantly as the threat of terrorism increases.
A systematic review of the South African work on the well-being of young people (2000–2016)
Authors: Govender Kaymarlin , Bhana Arvin , McMurray Kerryn , Kelly Jane , Theron Linda , Meyer-Weitz Anna , Ward Catherine L , Tomlinson Mark
Published: February 2018

Burgeoning research on the well-being of young people in recent years has made it difficult to identify conceptual gaps in the literature. We conducted a review of South African research in this area to better understand the use and measurement of the construct, as well as factors associated with it. The search of multiple databases identified 28 studies published in academic journals between 2000 and 2016. Within this period, studies that referred to well-being and its related subjective components varied significantly in terms of how they defined and operationalised these constructs, resulting in a fragmented body of work. The review highlights the need for a coherent research agenda in this area given the centrality of well-being research in promoting optimal outcomes in young people. Recommendations for strengthening South African research in this area are provided.
To Be Immortal, Do Good or Evil
Authors: Gray Kurt , Anderson Stephen , Doyle Cameron M. , Hester Neil , Schmitt Peter , Vonasch Andrew J. , Allison Scott T. , Jackson Joshua C.
Published: February 2018

Many people believe in immortality, but who is perceived to live on and how exactly do they live on? Seven studies reveal that good- and evil-doers are perceived to possess more immortality—albeit different kinds. Good-doers have “transcendent” immortality, with their souls persisting beyond space and time; evil-doers have “trapped” immortality, with their souls persisting on Earth, bound to a physical location. Studies 1 to 4 reveal bidirectional links between perceptions of morality and type of immortality. Studies 5 to 7 reveal how these links explain paranormal perceptions. People generally tie paranormal events to evil spirits (Study 5), but this depends upon location: Evil spirits are perceived to haunt houses and dense forests, whereas good spirits are perceived in expansive locations such as mountaintops (Study 6). However, even good spirits may be seen as trapped on Earth given extenuating circumstances (Study 7). Materials include a scale for measuring trapped and transcendent immorality.
Ethnography: Bridging the Qualitative-Quantitative Divide
Authors: Krase Jerome
Published: February 2018

This analytic autoethnographic and autobiographical essay addresses several interrelated questions regarding the use of ethnographic and otherwise ‘qualitative’ research methods in the study of contemporary urban society. The testy relationship between qualitative and quantitative research has historical as well as logico-deductive roots that continue to haunt the social sciences. As to hermeneutics, the debate parallels my academic career journey from Indiana University to Brooklyn College by way of New York University during which I learned that the normative practices of the social and not so social sciences come in a myriad of different competing, and occasionally conflicting, pre- and proscriptions. My intention in this essay is not to construct a fine, or even a crude, philosophical discourse but to argue for more attention to be paid to what social scientists do best as opposed to the labels they apply to each other and their trades. As the positivist founders of sociology would agree, social science is not exempt from the laws of social science. At the conclusion, an example will be given of the kind of knowledge accessible only through direct observation and best conveyed by thick description.
Latino Millennials—The New Diverse Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Blancero Donna Maria , Mouriño-Ruiz Edwin , Padilla Amado M.
Published: February 2018

There are a variety of trends that are enabling and forcing organizational change. A crucial trend that has implications for a changing and growing demographic workforce includes Millennials and in particular Latinos/Hispanics as the world and particularly the U.S. workplace continues to have an increased aging workforce. Yet, while Latinos are members of the largest and also the fastest growing minority group in the United States, they are disproportionately underrepresented in more highly compensated professional and leadership roles across corporate America. The majority of existing career development and acculturation literature in the United States has focused narrowly on Anglo-oriented acculturation as a linear process. Unfortunately, as society has evolved so has the form of prejudices and biases. This is supported by the fact that well more than 50% of Hispanics experience discrimination through a variety of means including micro-aggressions. We believe that developing and maintaining an overlapping and compatible bicultural identity might not be enough and that we need to rethink what acculturation and biculturalism means for millennials and broaden our thinking to include cosmopolitanism as more encompassing of the millennials and their place in the world. We believe this article begins the dialogue for more research into this growing part of the U.S. workforce along with practical implications and applications.
Using Social Media to Explore the Consequences of Domestic Violence on Mental Health
Authors: Liu Mingming , Xue Jia , Zhao Nan , Wang Xuefei , Jiao Dongdong , Zhu Tingshao
Published: February 2018

A great deal of research has focused on the negative consequences of domestic violence (DV) on mental health. However, current studies cannot provide direct and reliable evidence on the impacts of DV on mental health in a short term as it is not feasible to measure mental health shortly before and after an unpredictable event like DV. This study aims to explore the short-term outcomes of DV on individuals’ mental health. We collected a sample of 232 victims (77% female) and 232 nonvictims (gender and location matched with 232 victims) on Sina Weibo. In both the victim and nonvictim groups, we measured their mental health status during the 4 weeks before the first DV incident and during the 4 weeks after the DV incident. We used our proposed Online Ecological Recognition (OER) system, which is based on several predictive models to identify individuals’ mental health statuses. Mental health statuses were measured based on individuals’ Weibo profiles and messages, which included “Depression,” “Suicide Probability,” and “Satisfaction With Life.” The results showed that mental health in the victim group was impacted by DV while individuals in the nonvictim group were not. Furthermore, the victim group demonstrated an increase in depression symptoms, higher suicide risks, and decreased life satisfaction after their DV experience. In addition, the effect of DV on individuals’ mental health could appear in the conditions of child abuse, intimate partner violence, and exposure to DV. These findings inform that DV significantly impacts individuals’ mental health over the short term, as in 4 weeks. Our proposed new data collection and analyses approach, OER, has implications for employing “big data” from social networks to identify individuals’ mental health.
Robust H∞ control design of an electromagnetic actuated active suspension considering the structure non-linearity
Authors: Chen Xinbo , Wu Lixin , Yin Jun , Li Jianqin , Luo Jie
Published: February 2018

Electromagnetic actuated active suspension (EAAS) benefits energy harvesting while providing active control. However, the inertia of the actuator introduces an equivalent mass coupled with the sprung and unsprung mass. In addition, the specific structure of the suspension features structure non-linearity, which results in the perturbation of the equivalent mass of the actuator, the variation of the transmission ratio of the actuator output torque to the actuator force at the wheel side and an extra force to be compensated with. A dynamic model of active control considering the equivalent mass and the structure non-linearity is proposed. Based on a gearbox type EAAS, respective non-linearity is studied. For multi-objective optimization, a robust controller is designed with proper weighting functions. A virtual prototype of the EAAS is built and simulated with a bump/pothole and random excitation road profiles. Results show that neglecting the structure non-linearity effects influences the accuracy of active control. The investigation of this paper provides a fundamental methodology for the control design of actual applications of EAASs.
Urinary bisphenol A concentrations in relation to asthma in a sample of Egyptian children
Authors: Youssef MM , El-Din EMS , AbuShady MM , El-Baroudy NR , Abd el hamid TA , Armaneus AF , El Refay AS , Hussein J , Medhat D , Latif YA
Published: February 2018

Background:

Bronchial asthma is one of the top disabling diseases in pediatrics. Limited research has been studied the association of the widely used plastic monomer bisphenol A (BPA) with childhood asthma.

Objective:

To compare the levels of urinary BPA in asthmatic and control children and to investigate the implication of BPA among other risk factors for the development of asthma.

Subjects and methods:

This case–control study included 97 children (45 asthmatic and 52 healthy controls) aged 3–8 years. Asthmatic children were diagnosed according to Global initiative for asthma (GINA) guidelines. Sociodemographic factors were assessed and urinary levels of BPA were determined in spot urine samples using high-performance liquid chromatography. The contribution of BPA among predictors for developing asthma was studied in asthmatic children.

Results:

Median total urinary BPA levels were significantly higher in asthmatic children than in control group (1.56 ng/mL in asthmatic children compared to 0.790 ng/mL in control group, p = 0.001). Children who had total urinary BPA levels >1.3 ng/mL were more likely to be asthmatic (odds ratio: 2.84, 95% confidence interval 1.22–6.59, p = 0.015). Multiple logistic regression analysis for predictors of asthma showed the importance of higher levels of BPA (>1.3 ng/mL) as a more significant predictor than passive smoking ( p = 0.006 for BPA categories vs. p = 0.049 for passive smoking).

Conclusion:

Association of higher levels of urinary BPA with the diagnosis of asthma in children may indicate the potential risk of BPA exposure in the precipitation of bronchial asthma. Further clinical and biochemical research are needed to clarify the proper mechanism explaining this association.
Robust functional near infrared spectroscopy denoising using multiple wavelet shrinkage based on a hemodynamic response model
Authors: Lee Gihyoun , Lee Seung Hyun , Jin Sang Hyeon , An Jinung
Published: February 2018

Functional near infrared spectroscopy can measure hemodynamic signals, and the results are similar to functional magnetic resonance imaging of blood-oxygen-level-dependent signals. Thus, functional near infrared spectroscopy can be employed to investigate brain activity by measuring the absorption of near infrared light through an intact skull. Recently, a general linear model, which is a standard method for functional magnetic resonance imaging, was applied to functional near infrared spectroscopy imaging analysis. However, the general linear model fails when functional near infrared spectroscopy signals retain noise, such as that caused by the subject's movement during measurement. Although wavelet-based denoising and hemodynamic response function smoothing are popular denoising methods for functional near infrared spectroscopy signals, these methods do not exhibit impressive performances for very noisy environments and a specific class of noise. Thus, this paper proposes a new denoising algorithm that uses multiple wavelet shrinkage and a multiple threshold function based on a hemodynamic response model. Through the experiments, the performance of the proposed algorithm is verified using graphic results and objective indexes, and it is compared with existing denoising algorithms.
Global Commodity and Oil Price Movements, Macroeconomic Performance and Challenges for an Emerging Economy: The Indian Experience
Authors: Rao D. Tripati , Goyal Saurabh
Published: February 2018

Commodity and oil price fluctuations have significant bearing on domestic macroeconomic performance and macroeconomic policymaking of an emerging economy. The article explores the impact of non-energy commodity and oil price fluctuations on output, inflation and real exchange rate (RER) in India; and commodity and oil constituting sizeable imports. The empirical analysis carried out through vector error correction model (VECM) for the post-liberalization period 1991–2014 clearly points out that commodity and oil price shocks have a significant impact on the variation in output and prices accounting for RER adjustment and the role of a developed financial market (private credit). The RER adjusts to commodity and oil price shocks, accounting for foreign exchange reserves and financial markets (private credit). The impulse response functions indicate that one standard deviation shock in commodity and oil price persists for three to eight quarters over domestic prices and output. While these results point to lessening of commodity and oil imports through a series of medium and long-term structural-cum-policy reform measures, in the immediate, they also lend a role of intervention by monetary authority (central bank) in pursuit of inflation targeting. Conjointly, pursuance of countercyclical fiscal policy to stabilize domestic output and prices in short run are called for.
Do Corporate Investors Affect Entrepreneurs’ IP Portfolio? Entrepreneurial Finance and Intellectual Property in New Firms
Authors: Uzuegbunam Ikenna , Ofem Brandon , Nambisan Satish
Published: February 2018

This study investigates the impact of corporate venture capital (CVC) funding on new firms’ subsequent intellectual property (IP) outcomes (i.e., patents, copyrights, and trademarks). The central premise is that CVC funding will encourage the development of technology-centric IP outcomes while dissuading the development of market-centric IP outcomes. Specifically, CVC investments entail a trade-off, which will increase post-funding patent/copyright output while decreasing post-funding trademark output in new firms. Findings from an analysis of a multi-industry sample of U.S. new firms provide broad support for this study thesis and suggest that the impact of CVC funding is contingent on entrepreneurs’ industry-specific experience.
Parental Self-Efficacy: A Concept Analysis Related to Teen Parenting and Implications for School Nurses
Authors: Sims Debra C. , Skarbek Anita J.
Published: February 2018

Levels of parental self-efficacy are correlated with both positive and negative care delivery and developmental outcomes for parents and their infants. School nurses are in a unique position to facilitate parenting self-efficacy in teen parents. Using the concept analysis framework of Walker and Avant, parental self-efficacy is analyzed and elucidated to distinguish the concept’s defining attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. The operational definition of parental self-efficacy arising from this concept review is an individual’s belief that he or she is capable of integrating and executing the knowledge and skills necessary to parent their infant. Model, borderline, related, and contrary cases are presented, along with implications for school nursing practice. School nurses are ideally situated to assist teen parents with parental self-efficacy realization tasks.
What Is Bad From the Gander Is Bad From the Goose: Development and Validation of the Women’s Objectification of Women Scale
Authors: Parent Mike C. , Garos Sheila , Branscome Emily , Piper Margaret
Published: February 2018

Existing measures of experiences of sexualization and objectification of women focus on behaviors that men do toward women. However, women may also contribute to the objectification of other women. The aim of the present study was to develop the Women’s Objectification of Women Scale (WOWS). Through a series of four studies using samples of college women and samples obtained through MTurk, we (a) established that existing measures of objectification focus on behaviors that men perform, (b) gathered qualitative data on women’s experiences of objectification by women, (c) developed models of the WOWS using classical test theory methods and item response theory, and (d) subjected the WOWS to confirmatory factor analysis and validity testing. The WOWS is a psychometrically sound, brief assessment of women’s experiences of objectification by other women and may help further research on women’s interpersonal experiences as they pertain to body image concerns, mental health, and well-being.
How is children’s weight status assessed for early identification of overweight and obesity? – Narrative review of programs for weight status assessment
Authors: Davidson Kamila , Vidgen Helen , Denney-Wilson Elizabeth , Daniels Lynne
Published: February 2018

Assessment of a child’s weight status is the first step in the management of childhood overweight and obesity. We reviewed routine assessment programs to inform early and routine identification of childhood overweight and obesity to address this global health issue. Twelve electronic databases were searched (Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, PsycEXTRA, CINAHL, Primary Search, MEDLINE, ERIC, Academic Search Elite) for universal programs for weight status assessment of children aged 4–12 in Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development – countries, which included more than one assessment and parents receiving feedback. Of 1638 papers found via database searches, and 18 additional records identified through other sources, 26 were included. Reference to five countries’ programs for weight status assessment was found in the results: Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States. All of these programs were implemented in a school setting. Lack of services, stakeholder collaboration, parental awareness and engagement and government funding need to be improved for this health check to be undertaken as a part of an ongoing program. This review is about the implementation of similar programs. Early identification of risk for overweight and obesity allows families that require help to connect with available health services.
Dependence analysis on the seismic demands of typical components of a concrete continuous girder bridge with the copula technique
Authors: Song Shuai , Liu Jing , Qian Yongjiu , Zhang Fang , Wu Gang
Published: February 2018

The seismic reliability of a bridge system is significantly affected by the dependence among typical bridge components. This study demonstrates the process of using a copula technique to describe the nonlinear dependence among component seismic demands isolated from their marginal probability distributions. A suite of 100 bridge-ground motion samples were developed with the Latin hypercube sampling approach and bin approach. Based on the incremental dynamic analysis, the tail dependence among component seismic demands at different intensity levels was analyzed with the best-fitting copula function selected by the minimum distance method. In the longitudinal direction, the dependence increased first and then decreased with the ground motion intensity, while the dependence slightly decreased in the transverse direction. At low-intensity levels, the upper tail dependence among components was strong in both directions. At high-intensity levels, the upper and lower tail dependences were weak in the longitudinal direction, while the upper and lower tail dependences were strong in the transverse direction. Compared to the linear correlation coefficient, the copula technique provides an efficient way to describe the tail dependence among component seismic demands and can be used extensively in the seismic reliability analysis of the bridge system.
In-plane anisotropy of selective laser-melted stainless steel: The importance of the rotation angle increment and the limitation window
Authors: Hitzler Leonhard , Hirsch Johann , Tomas Josef , Merkel Markus , Hall Wayne , Öchsner Andreas
Published: February 2018

The thorough description of the influence of the process conduct in powder-bed-based additive manufacturing on the mechanical properties of the fabricated components represents an ongoing challenge. A recent investigation highlighted that a minor safety feature, such as limiting the range of possible laser beam movements, to avoid interactions between the irradiation and emerging smoke and weld splashes, can cause a noteworthy alteration of the mechanical properties. In this study, the tensile characteristics of selective laser-melted stainless steel (1.4404, 316L) fabricated with two different process conducts were investigated, both of which yielded similar relative densities and surface hardness values. It was found that, besides these two characteristics, the tensile strength (yield and ultimate tensile strength) remained stable, whereas the linear elastic properties, as well as the breaking elongation, exhibited great fluctuations. The Young's modulus in the build-plane ranged from 151 to 208 GPa, and the breaking elongation ranged, respectively, from 33% to 43%. Furthermore, it has been found that this anisotropy is an adjustable characteristic and can be modified via two parameters, the rotation angle increment of the irradiation pathways between successive layers and their total admissible range, also referred to as the limitation window.
The effect of dynamic correlated colour temperature changes on alertness and performance
Authors: Ye M , Zheng SQ , Wang ML , Luo M Ronnier
Published: February 2018

Light can have acute effects on human performance, including task performance, alertness and circadian phase shift. Most studies have investigated these effects using static light. This study investigates the effects of dynamic light with different cycle times and different ranges of correlated colour temperature on human alertness and task performance. Ten participants took part in the experiment using six conditions of dynamic light with each observing session lasting 4.5 hours. An electroencephelogram, measurements of critical flicker frequency, performance on various cognitive tasks and alertness and sleepiness questionnaires were used to evaluate the human responses. The results showed that participants appeared more alert and performed better under lighting of higher correlated colour temperature range but different correlated colour temperature cycle times had little effect.
Extra, Extra, (Don't) Roll-off about It! Newspaper Endorsements for Ballot Measures
Authors: Fahey Kevin , Weissert Carol S. , Uttermark Matthew J.
Published: February 2018

Voters often have difficulty making choices on the myriad state constitutional amendments they vote on each year. Without partisan cues, they turn to other sources for these low-salience, high complexity measures. One such source is newspaper endorsements. In this article, we look at newspaper endorsements of ballot measures in Florida over 20 years both on “no” votes and roll-off. We argue that endorsements' effect on “no” votes and roll-off differs in ways not previously appreciated. Newspaper endorsements have a positive impact on no votes, as expected from the information theory of voter participation. Endorsements have little impact on roll-off, which we posit is because roll-off voters are not likely to seek information from newspapers. Thus, newspaper endorsements serve to persuade, but not entice, voters to vote for ballot measures.
Association of TLR-9 polymorphisms with the development of gastroduodenal ulcer: A hospital-based study in a Chinese cohort
Authors: Xu Fang , Mai Cai-ling , Zhu Qian
Published: February 2018

Helicobacter pylori infections have been one of the major factors associated with gastroduodenal ulcer. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) of human recognize mycobacterium-induced immune response and protect subjects from disease pathogenesis. Variants in TLR genes are believed to influence immune responses to H. pylori and clinical severity. TLR-9 polymorphisms have been associated with susceptibility to gastroduodenal ulcer in different populations. In this study, we investigate the role of common TLR-9 variants in susceptibility/resistance to the development of gastroduodenal ulcer in a Chinese cohort. The present hospital-based case–control study enrolled 580 patients with abdominal discomfort, and based on endoscopic investigation, the patients were categorized into (1) gastric ulcer (n = 154), (2) duodenal ulcer (n = 70), (3) gastric and duodenal ulcers (n = 25), (4) gastritis (n = 195), and (5) healthy stomach (n = 136). A total of 520 healthy controls from similar geographical areas were enrolled as controls. TLR-9 (C-1237T, C-1486T, and G+2848A) polymorphisms were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). Plasma levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6, and IL-1β in both healthy controls and patients were quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Furthermore, messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in biopsy tissues were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The prevalence of TLR-9+2848 heterozygotes (CT) was significantly higher in gastroduodenal ulcer patients compared to healthy controls. Sub-categorization of patients revealed higher prevalence of heterozygotes of TLR-9 C+2848T and C-1486T polymorphisms in patients with gastric ulcer (GU), duodenal ulcer (DU), and those with both gastric and duodenal ulcers (GDU) when compared to controls. Patients displayed higher plasma cytokine levels than healthy controls. TLR-9 polymorphisms (C+2848T and C-1486T) correlated with altered cytokine expression in biopsy tissues and their plasma levels. In conclusion, TLR-9 (C+2848T and C-1486T) polymorphisms are associated with gastroduodenal ulcer and correlated with altered cytokine levels.
Measurement properties of the Dutch Unité Rhumatologique des Affections de la Main and its ability to measure change due to Dupuytren’s disease progression compared with the Michigan Hand outcomes Questionnaire
Authors: Broekstra Dieuwke C. , van den Heuvel Edwin R. , Lanting Rosanne , Werker Paul M. N.
Published: February 2018

Data of a prospective longitudinal cohort study including 233 Dupuytren’s patients was used to determine: (1) whether the Unité Rhumatologique des Affections de la Main scale and Michigan Hand outcomes Questionnaire can detect change in hand function due to Dupuytren’s disease progression and to compare their abilities; (2) the concurrent validity, reliability, responsiveness and interpretability of the Dutch Unité Rhumatologique des Affections de la Main. The Unité Rhumatologique des Affections de la Main and Michigan Hand outcomes Questionnaire had comparable measurement properties, and were both able to distinguish participants with disease progression from those without progression (resp. U = 1252.5, p = 0.008, and U = 1086.0, p < 0.001), but only at a group level. Individual cases of progression could not be detected using these outcome measures, as indicated by the fact that the smallest detectable change was larger than the minimal important change, and area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) values of 0.75 for Michigan Hand outcomes Questionnaire and 0.67 for Unité Rhumatologique des Affections de la Main.

Level of evidence: II