bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using ROS as a Second Messenger, NADPH Oxidase 2 Mediates Macrophage Senescence via Interaction with NF‐κB during Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection
Authors: Li Hui , Luo Yi-Feng , Wang Yong-Sheng , Yang Qing , Xiao Yong-Long , Cai Hou-Rong , Xie Can-Mao
Published: June 2018

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is one of the most prevalent pathogens that cause nosocomial infection in critical patients. However, the mechanisms underlying macrophage growth status and functional changes during PA infection are yet unknown. In the present study, NADPH oxidase, gp91phox (NOX2) mediated macrophage to senescence in a PAO1 colony‐dependent manner. gp91phox might regulate the senescence process through mutual interaction with the NF‐κB pathway. During infection, the overexpression or downregulation of gp91phox in macrophage could affect the nuclear activity of NF‐κB p65, while the downregulation of NF‐κB p65 led to a suppressed expression of gp91phox. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) served as the second messenger between both molecules as the ROS inhibitor, N‐acetylcysteine (NAC), could partially restore these changes. Consequently, the level of ROS and inflammatory cytokines, including IL‐6 and TNFα, elevated during PAO1 infection, and their production altered as a result of the genetic manipulation of gp91phox and NF‐κB p65, as well as NAC treatment. Also, the senescent phenotypes, SA‐β‐gal staining and p16ink4a, changed after genetic manipulation with gp91phox and NF‐κB p65 and NAC treatment. The capacity of phagocytosis in macrophages was decreased during senescence. In conclusion, PA directs the macrophage towards senescence, and senescent macrophages exhibit a decreased ability of phagocytosis. This process of senescence was regulated by the interactions between NADPH oxidase gp91phox and NF‐κB p65 via ROS as a second messenger.
Successful Renal Transplantation between Identical Twins with Very Brief Immunosuppression
Authors: Yakubu Idris , Haririan Abdolreza , Bartlett Stephen , Sparkes Tracy
Published: June 2018

Renal transplantation between monozygous identical twins provides an opportunity to utilize minimal immunosuppression to maintain stable allograft function, thereby alleviating the toxicities of immunosuppressive therapy. Despite monozygosity, there is a possibility of discordant protein presentation in identical twins that could trigger alloimmune response and lead to graft injury. Therefore, the optimal immunosuppression regimen in this patient population is unknown, and the safety of immunosuppression withdrawal remains controversial. Herein, we describe two patients who underwent successful renal transplantation from monozygotic identical twin donors. Monozygosity was determined using short tandem repeat (STR) analysis. All immunosuppression was successfully discontinued at 2 days and 3 weeks, respectively, after transplantation. Both patients are alive with functioning renal grafts at 1 year and 5 years after transplant, respectively. These two cases suggest that immunosuppression can be withdrawn safely and rapidly in select monozygous identical twin renal transplant recipients.
Elderly Stroke Rehabilitation: Overcoming the Complications and Its Associated Challenges
Authors: Lui Siew Kwaon , Nguyen Minh Ha
Published: June 2018

There have been many advances in management of cerebrovascular diseases. However, stroke is still one of the leading causes of disabilities and mortality worldwide with significant socioeconomic burden. This review summarizes the consequences of stroke in the elderly, predictors of stroke rehabilitation outcomes, role of rehabilitation in neuronal recovery, importance of stroke rehabilitation units, and types of rehabilitation resources and services available in Singapore. We also present the challenges faced by the elderly stroke survivors in the local setting and propose strategies to overcome the barriers to rehabilitation in this aging population.
IFNγ-induced Chemokines Are Required for CXCR3-mediated T-Cell Recruitment and Antitumor Efficacy of Anti-HER2/CD3 Bispecific Antibody
Authors: Li Ji , Ybarra Ryan , Mak Judy , Herault Aurelie , De Almeida Patricia , Arrazate Alfonso , Ziai James , Totpal Klara , Junttila Melissa R. , Walsh Kevin B. , Junttila Teemu T.
Published: June 2018

Purpose:

The response to cancer immune therapy is dependent on endogenous tumor-reactive T cells. To bypass this requirement, CD3-bispecific antibodies have been developed to induce a polyclonal T-cell response against the tumor. Anti-HER2/CD3 T-cell–dependent bispecific (TDB) antibody is highly efficacious in the treatment of HER2-overexpressing tumors in mice. Efficacy and immunologic effects of anti-HER2/CD3 TDB were investigated in mammary tumor model with very few T cells prior treatment. We further describe the mechanism for TDB-induced T-cell recruitment to tumors.

Experimental Design:

The immunologic effects and the mechanism of CD3-bispecific antibody-induced T-cell recruitment into spontaneous HER2-overexpressing mammary tumors was studied using human HER2 transgenic, immunocompetent mouse models.

Results:

Anti-HER2/CD3 TDB treatment induced an inflammatory response in tumors converting them from poorly infiltrated to an inflamed, T-cell abundant, phenotype. Multiple mechanisms accounted for the TDB-induced increase in T cells within tumors. TDB treatment induced CD8+ T-cell proliferation. T cells were also actively recruited post-TDB treatment by IFNγ-dependent T-cell chemokines mediated via CXCR3. This active T-cell recruitment by TDB-induced chemokine signaling was the dominant mechanism and necessary for the therapeutic activity of anti-HER2/CD3 TDB.

Conclusions:

In summary, we demonstrate that the activity of anti-HER2/CD3 TDB was not dependent on high-level baseline T-cell infiltration. Our results suggest that anti-HER2/CD3 TDB may be efficacious in patients and indications that respond poorly to checkpoint inhibitors. An active T-cell recruitment mediated by TDB-induced chemokine signaling was the major mechanism for T-cell recruitment.
Quantitative Criteria to Screen for Cannabis Use Disorder
Authors: Casajuana Cristina , López-Pelayo Hugo , Miquel Laia , Balcells-Oliveró María Mercedes , Colom Joan , Gual Antoni
Published: June 2018

Introduction: The Standard Joint Unit (1 SJU = 7 mg of 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol) simplifies the exploration of risky patterns of cannabis use. This study proposes a preliminary quantitative cutoff criterion to screen for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Methodology: Socio-demographical data and information on cannabis quantities, frequency of use, and risk for CUD (measured with the Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST) of cannabis users recruited in Barcelona (from February 2015 to June 2016) were collected. CAST scores were categorized into low, moderate, and high risk for CUD, based on the SJU consumed and frequency. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis related daily SJU with CUD. Results: Participants (n = 473) were on average 29 years old (SD = 10), men (77.1%), and single (74.6%). With an average of 4 joints per smoking day, 82.5% consumed cannabis almost every day. Risk for CUD (9.40% low, 23.72% moderate, 66.88% high) increased significantly with more frequency and quantities consumed. The ROC analyses suggest 1.2 SJU per day as a cutoff criterion to screen for at least moderate risk for CUD (sensitivity 69.4%, specificity 63.6%). Conclusion: Frequency and quantity should be considered when exploring cannabis risks. A 1 SJU per day is proposed as a preliminary quantitative-based criterion to screen users with at least a moderate risk for CUD.
MicroRNA-142 Inhibits Proliferation and Promotes Apoptosis in Airway Smooth Muscle Cells During Airway Remodeling in Asthmatic Rats via the Inhibition of TGF-β -Dependent EGFR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Jing , Wang Hu-Shan , Su Zhen-Bo
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation resulting from airway hyper-responsiveness to diverse stimuli. In this study, we investigated whether microRNA-142 (miR-142) expression affects proliferation and apoptosis in airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs) during airway remodeling in asthmatic rats. Methods: Thirty six Wistar rats were randomly classified into a control group and an model group. miR-142 mimics and inhibitors were constructed, and ASMCs were transfected using liposomes according to the following groups: blank, negative control (NC), miR-142 mimics, miR-142 inhibitors, si-TGF-β and miR-142 inhibitors + si-TGF-β. We verified that miR-142 targets TGF-β using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. The expression levels of miR-142, TGF-β, EGFR and apoptosis signaling pathway-related genes were determined using RT-qPCR and western blotting. Changes in cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and apoptosis were analyzed using MTT assays and flow cytometry. Results: Rats with asthma had higher expression levels of EGFR and Akt and lower miR-142 levels. miR-142 was negatively correlated with TGF-β expression. In ASMCs, the expression of TGF-β, EGFR, Akt, phosphorylated-Akt (p-Akt), Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl and the rate of early apoptosis were decreased while expression of Bax and p21 and the proliferation rate were elevated with the upregulation of miR-142. The opposite results were observed with the downregulation of miR-142. Finally, the proliferative rate was decreased while the apoptosis rate was increased and expression levels of EGFR, Akt, p-Akt, Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl were reduced while Bax and p21 were elevated in the ASMCs transfected with miR-142 inhibitors and si-TGF-β. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that miR-142 inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis in ASMCs during airway remodeling in asthmatic rats by inhibiting TGF-β expression via a mechanism involving the EGFR signaling pathway.
18F-FDOPA PET/CT Uptake Parameters Correlate with Catecholamine Secretion in Human Pheochromocytomas
Authors: Moog Sophie , Houy Sébastien , Chevalier Elodie , Ory Stéphane , Weryha Georges , Rame Marion , Klein Marc , Brunaud Laurent , Gasman Stéphane , Cuny Thomas
Published: June 2018

Background: 18F-FDOPA positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is a sensitive nuclear imaging technology for the diagnosis of pheochromocytomas (PHEO). However, its utility in determining predictive factors for the secretion of catecholamines remains poorly studied. Methods: Thirty-nine histologically confirmed PHEO were included in this retrospective single-center study. Patients underwent 18F-FDOPA PET/CT before surgery, with an evaluation of several uptake parameters (standardized uptake values [SUVmax and SUVmean] and the metabolic burden [MB] calculated as follows: MB = SUVmean × tumor volume) and measurement of plasma and/or urinary metanephrine (MN), normetanephrine (NM), and chromogranin A. Thirty-five patients were screened for germline mutations in the RET, SDHx, and VHL genes. Once resected, primary cultures of 5 PHEO were used for real-time measurement of catecholamine release by carbon fiber amperometry. Results: The MB of the PHEO positively correlated with 24-h urinary excretion of NM (r = 0.64, p < 0.0001), MN (r = 0.49, p = 0.002), combined MN and NM (r = 0.75, p < 0.0001), and eventually plasma free levels of NM (r = 0.55, p = 0.006). In the mutated patients (3 SDHD, 2 SDHB, 3 NF1, 1 VHL, and 3 RET), a similar correlation was observed between MB and 24-h urinary combined MN and NM (r = 0.86, p = 0.0012). For the first time, we demonstrate a positive correlation between the PHEO-to-liver SUVmax ratio and the mean number of secretory granule fusion events of the corresponding PHEO cells revealed by amperometric spikes (p = 0.01). Conclusion: While the 18F-FDOPA PET/CT MB of PHEO strongly correlates with the concentration of MN, amperometric recordings suggest that 18F-FDOPA uptake could be enhanced by overactivity of catecholamine exocytosis.
Incidence of Hospitalization for Heart Failure and Case-Fatality Among 3.25 Million People With and Without Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: McAllister David A. , Read Stephanie H. , Kerssens Jan , Livingstone Shona , McGurnaghan Stuart , Jhund Pardeep , Petrie John , Sattar Naveed , Fischbacher Colin , Kristensen Soren Lund , McMurray John , Colhoun Helen M. , Wild Sarah H.
Published: June 2018

Background:

Recent clinical trials of new glucose-lowering treatments have drawn attention to the importance of hospitalization for heart failure as a complication of diabetes mellitus. However, the epidemiology is not well described, particularly for type 1 diabetes mellitus. We examined the incidence and case-fatality of heart failure hospitalizations in the entire population aged ≥30 years resident in Scotland during 2004 to 2013.

Methods:

Date and type of diabetes mellitus diagnosis were linked to heart failure hospitalizations and deaths using the national Scottish registers. Incidence rates and case-fatality were estimated in regression models (quasi-Poisson and logistic regression respectively). All estimates are adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and calendar-year.

Results:

Over the 10-year period of the study, among 3.25 million people there were 91, 429, 22 959, and 1313 incident heart failure events among those without diabetes mellitus, with type 2, and type 1 diabetes mellitus, respectively. The crude incidence rates of heart failure hospitalization were therefore 2.4, 12.4, and 5.6 per 1000 person-years for these 3 groups. Heart failure hospitalization incidence was higher in people with diabetes mellitus, regardless of type, than in people without. Relative differences were smallest for older men, in whom the difference was nonetheless large (men aged 80, rate ratio 1.78; 95% CI, 1.45–2.19). Rates declined similarly, by 0.2% per calendar-year, in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus and without diabetes mellitus. Rates fell faster, however, in those with type 1 diabetes mellitus (2.2% per calendar-year, rate ratio for type 1/calendar-year interaction 0.978; 95% CI, 0.959–0.998).

Thirty-day case-fatality was similar among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus and without diabetes mellitus, but was higher in type 1 diabetes mellitus for men (odds ratio, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95–0.96) and women (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97–0.98). Case-fatality declined over time for all groups (3.3% per calendar-year, odds ratio per calendar-year 0.967; 95% CI, 0.961–0.973).

Conclusions:

Despite falling incidence, particularly in type 1 diabetes mellitus, heart failure remains ≈2-fold higher than in people without diabetes mellitus, with higher case-fatality in those with type 1 diabetes mellitus. These findings support the view that heart failure is an under-recognized and important complication in diabetes mellitus, particularly for type 1 disease.
Sex‐Specific Associations Between Alcohol Consumption and Incidence of Hypertension: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Cohort Studies
Authors: Roerecke Michael , Tobe Sheldon W. , Kaczorowski Janusz , Bacon Simon L. , Vafaei Afshin , Hasan Omer S. M. , Krishnan Rohin J. , Raifu Amidu O. , Rehm Jürgen
Published: June 2018

Background

Although it is well established that heavy alcohol consumption increases the risk of hypertension, the risk associated with low levels of alcohol intake in men and women is unclear.

Methods and Results

We searched Medline and Embase for original cohort studies on the association between average alcohol consumption and incidence of hypertension in people without hypertension. Random‐effects meta‐analyses and metaregressions were conducted. Data from 20 articles with 361 254 participants (125 907 men and 235 347 women) and 90 160 incident cases of hypertension (32 426 men and 57 734 women) were included. In people drinking 1 to 2 drinks/day (12 g of pure ethanol per drink), incidence of hypertension differed between men and women (relative risk
women vs men
=0.79; 95% confidence interval, 0.67–0.93). In men, the risk for hypertension in comparison with abstainers was relative risk=1.19 (1.07–1.31; I
2
=59%), 1.51 (1.30–1.76), and 1.74 (1.35–2.24) for consumption of 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and 5 or more standard drinks per day, respectively. In women, there was no increased risk for 1 to 2 drinks/day (relative risk=0.94; 0.88–1.01; I
2
=73%), and an increased risk for consumption beyond this level (relative risk=1.42; 1.22–1.66).

Conclusions

Any alcohol consumption was associated with an increase in the risk for hypertension in men. In women, there was no risk increase for consumption of 1 to 2 drinks/day and an increased risk for higher consumption levels. We did not find evidence for a protective effect of alcohol consumption in women, contrary to earlier meta‐analyses.
Lens of Liminality: A Reflection on Faith Sharing in Young Adult Retreat Ministry
Authors: Nagy Timothy
Published: June 2018

This article presents a reflection on a Catholic retreat for young adults, focusing on participation in faith sharing. After describing the retreat, the author incorporates the thought of Victor Turner, primarily his concept ofcommunitas, to explain why a retreat can be a setting which prompts the sharing of such deep testimonies of faith. The cultural forms of symbols, rituals, sacred space, silence, and solitude converge to form acommunitasconducive to faith sharing. To conclude, the author offers that using this lens of liminality can help to shape retreats for young adults across the ecumenical spectrum.
The Organisation of the Anthropocene
Authors: Viñuales Jorge E.
Published: June 2018

This essay introduces the legal dimensions of the Anthropocene, i.e. the currently advocated new geological epoch in which humans are the defining force. It explores in this context two basic propositions. First, law as a technology of social organisation has been neglected in the otherwise highly technology-focused accounts by natural and social scientists of the drivers of the Anthropocene. Secondly, in those rare instances where law has been discussed, there is a tendency to assume that the role of law is to tackle the negative externalities of transactions (e.g. their environmental or social implications) rather than the core of the underlying transactions, i.e. the organization of production and consumption processes. Such focus on externalities fails to unveil the role of law in prompting, sustaining and potentially managing the processes that have led to the Anthropocene. After a brief introduction to the Anthropocene narrative and the possible role of law in it, it focuses on three main questions: the disconnection between natural and human history, the profound inequalities within the human variable driving the Anthropocene, and the technological transition required to reach a sustainable societal organisation.
The rediscovery of Schaefer’s Spine-jawed Snake (Xenophidion schaeferi Günther & Manthey, 1995) (Serpentes, Xenophidiidae) from Peninsular Malaysia with notes on its variation and the first record of the genus from Sumatra, Indonesia
Authors: QUAH EVAN S.H. , GRISMER L. LEE , JETTEN THOM , WOOD PERRY L. Jr. , MIRALLES AURÉLIEN , SAH SHAHRUL ANUAR MOHD , GUEK KURT H.P. , BRADY MATTHEW L.
Published: June 2018

The family Xenophidiidae is an extremely rare and little-known family of snakes that contains only two species, Xenophidion acanthognathus Günther & Manthey and X. schaeferi Günther & Manthey that are each known only from their holotypes. We report on the rediscovery of X. schaeferi from two new locations in southern Peninsular Malaysia. The new specimens differ markedly from the holotype of X. schaeferi in colour pattern and are more akin to the patterning of X. acanthognathus from Borneo. However, molecular analyses of one of the new specimens reveal that it only differs from the holotype of X. schaeferi by a minimum sequence divergence of 0.27%. An expanded description of the species based on these specimens is provided and phenotypic variation within the species is discussed. We also report the first record of the genus Xenophidion from West Sumatra, Indonesia. These sensational discoveries continue to underscore the fact that southern Peninsular Malaysia and upland areas of Southeast Asia in general still harbour unrealized herpetological diversity and are still in need of field research-based taxonomic studies.
Phylogeography, genetic structure and wing pattern variation of Erebia pronoe (Esper, 1780) (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) in Europe
Authors: PAUČULOVÁ LENKA , DZURINKA MAROŠ , ŠEMELÁKOVÁ MARTINA , CSANÁDY ALEXANDER , PANIGAJ ĽUBOMÍR
Published: June 2018

The distribution of genetic diversity within Erebia pronoe (Esper, 1780) populations in relation to biogeographic ranges is essential for understanding the processes of evolution, speciation and phylogeography in this species. A certain degree of genetic variability was expected because of the species’ linkage solely to calcareous soils. These ideas were focused on the water ringlet E. pronoe, a European endemic montane butterfly distributed over a narrow area of mountains, with its occurrence dependent on nutrient plants. Therefore, the origin, occurrence, phylogeography and variability are described in defined mountain localities in Europe in the light of glaciation events that occurred during the Quaternary (Pleistocene) period. The species’ phylogeography is based on a combination of two mitochondrial genes (COI, CR) and morphology (wing morphometry). The study comprised samples from the Western Carpathians, Pyrenees, Alps, South-Eastern Carpathians (Romania) and Southern Limestone Alps (Slovenia). Moreover, the species’ remarkable phylogeographic structure was observed, including four morphologic lineages and divergent genetic lineages. These lineages cover the Carpathian Mountains as well as the Western European mountains (Spanish populations) with no apparent gene flow between most regions, even across distances of only hundreds of kilometres.
Notioperilitus gen. nov., a new braconid genus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Euphorinae) from Australia, parasitoid of adult Morabinae (Orthoptera: Eumastacidae), with remarks on the generic placement of two Afrotropical euphorine species
Authors: BELOKOBYLSKIJ SERGEY A.
Published: June 2018

The new Euphorinae genus, Notioperilitus Belokobylskij, gen. nov., with type species Perilitus morabinarum Blackith, 1967, from Australia, a parasitoid of adult Orthoptera in the subfamily Morabinae, is described and illustrated. Its taxonomic position and biological peculiarities are discussed. Additionally, modern generic positions (in Centistoides van Achterberg 1992, and Marshiella Shaw 1985 respectively) are proposed for two Malagasy species described by Granger (1949), Centistes ophthalmicus Granger, 1949 and Microctonus madecassus Granger, 1949, which are illustrated. A lectotype of Microctonus madecassus Granger is designated.
Inline Spectroscopy: From Concept to Function
Authors: Tschudi Jon , O'Farrell Marion , Hestnes Bakke Kari Anne
Published: June 2018

The field of applied spectroscopy is strongly dominated by publications presenting proof-of-concepts, lab set-ups, and demonstrations. In contrast, the corresponding number of commercial successes of inline spectroscopy is surprisingly lower. This article discusses inline spectroscopy from an instrumentation perspective. It is the authors' firm belief that the success of inline spectroscopy lies in the understanding of how the design and implementation of the optical instrumentation affects the data quality, and how this in turn will limit or enhance the performance of the prediction model. This article emphasizes the need for a strong, multidisciplinary design team, whose design process is rooted in first principles, to bridge the technology “valley of death” and convert research in applied spectroscopy into commercially successful solutions.
Children’s perceptions of the importance and value of reading
Authors: Merga Margaret Kristin , Mat Roni Saiyidi
Published: June 2018

Fostering children’s engagement in regular recreational reading beyond independent skill acquisition is beneficial to promote continued literacy engagement. Regular recreational reading is associated with both literacy skill acquisition and maintenance across the life span. Children’s perceptions of the importance and value of reading can influence their motivation to read. However, it is not currently known if children continue to perceive the value of reading beyond the period of independent reading skill acquisition. Findings from a sample of 997 older elementary children indicate that some children may not recognise the value of reading beyond independent reading skill acquisition. This is particularly significant, as children who valued the practice of reading read with greater frequency. In addition, children’s subjective task valuing of reading was revealed through the scope of benefits they associated with engagement in the practice, which influenced their conceptualisation of its value. These findings have implications for future educational reading interventions, as fostering greater valuing of regular reading may enhance children’s reading engagement, with valuing of reading found to be an important component of children’s reading motivation.
The Power of Words: State Reactions to Protest Announcements
Authors: Vüllers Johannes , Schwarz Elisa
Published: June 2018

Organizations often announce their protest activities prior to their implementation to mobilize awareness, recruit supporters, and receive media attention. We are interested in the effectiveness of protest announcements—that is, under what conditions governments make concessions to avoid having an announced protest take place. Governments assess the costs and benefits of providing concessions by taking into account the level of credible threat of the announced protest and the costs related to concessions. We test these assumptions with a unique data set on protest announcements and concessions in Nepal (2007-2010). Using cross-sectional regressions, we demonstrate that protest announcements by unions, announcements with highly threatening tactics and announcements with minimal demands will bring about concessions from the government. We contribute to the growing literature on different protest tactics by providing systematic empirical evidence, for the first time, on the effectiveness of mere protest announcements.
A Review of Los Angeles Unified Data Following the OCR Compliance Investigation
Authors: Robert Catherine , Okilwa Nathern S. A.
Published: June 2018

In 2011, the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) conducted a compliance review of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) to examine the district’s provision of resources and opportunities to schools with predominantly African American students as compared with schools with predominantly White students. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which LAUSD has responded to OCR findings. Research questions include the following: (a) How do LAUSD majority White and majority African American elementary schools compare on performance indicator variables? (b) What are the differences in teacher quality variables between majority African American and majority White schools? (c) How successful has the OCR review been to date in accomplishing the outcomes advocated for by the OCR? Findings indicate that majority African American schools continue to have significantly lower teacher and student attendance, student performance, and percentage of students identified as gifted and talented (GT). African American students also continue to experience higher rates of disciplinary incidents as compared with White students.
Development of a Coprecepting Model for a Preceptor-in-Training Program for New Practitioners
Authors: McCleary Emily J. , Thompson Bastin Melissa L. , Bissell Brittany D. , Cook Aaron M. , Pierce Catherine A. , Flannery Alexander H.
Published: June 2018

Background: Preceptor development is a focus of pharmacy residency programs across the country. Graduation from residency into the role of preceptor can be a challenge, as it is one of many transitions junior practitioners make in their early careers. Literature in recent years has brought attention to the need to establish preceptor development programs that adequately allow newer preceptors to develop their skills in experiential education, for both pharmacy residents and students. Furthermore, many preceptor development programs as implemented are often didactic in nature, and include readings, webinars, and other passive learning regarding the art of precepting. Objective: Given the need to develop a preceptor development program in our service line that met the needs of preceptors-in-training and full preceptors, we offer a description of our preceptor development program in the intensive care unit. Methods: We focused on active development of preceptor skills for multiple layers of resident and student learners. In addition, this model incorporated instructing, modeling, coaching, and facilitating, as the relationship between full preceptor and preceptor-in-training evolved. It also offered the opportunity for real-time feedback and discussion on precepting performance. Conclusions: We describe our coprecepting model as an opportunity that succeeded for us in helping to transition our preceptors-in-training to full preceptors. It met the needs of our department, staff, and patients, and we believe it has the potential to be valuable as a tool extrapolated to the preceptor development programs of other institutions.
A MATLAB-based biomedical signal de-noising applied to digital signal processing course for third-year students
Authors: Luo Guo
Published: June 2018

Signal de-noising is one of the major topics of engineering application covered in an undergraduate-level digital signal processing course. Generally speaking, it involves a number of tedious concepts that have intrinsic physical meaning, which is difficult for students to understand . In this paper, an educational method using diaphragmatic electromyographic (EMGdi) as the de-noising object, which runs on the MATLAB software, has been developed for the convenience of learning and understanding for three-years students in digital signal processing course. This method transforms the analog filter to a digital filter by applying bilinear transformation equations, which allows the students explore the various characteristics of digital filter, such as low pass filter, high pass filter, band pass filter and band stop filter. That means Laplace equation transformed by inductance, capacitance and resistance will be replaced by the z equation, which is used for deriving sequence of difference equations. In the case studies, the clinical EMGdi is used to show the features of the developed method. Furthermore, classroom experience in the Nanfang College of Sun Yat-sen University has shown that the developed method helps in consolidating a better understanding of signal de-noising processing in digital signal processing course.
A new method for repairing aircraft structures containing aluminum alloy 2024-T3 using a combination of composite patch and bolt clamping
Authors: Maleki HN , Chakherlou TN
Published: June 2018

Aircraft repair is gaining importance for extending the service life of aging aircraft and also for improving its structural integrity. In this paper, a new repair method of aircraft structures is presented, and the performance of this method in mixed mode fracture has been evaluated and compared with other two repair methods by conducting experimental and numerical investigations. To do so, four batches of specimens were prepared and each of them subjected to five level of mixed mode loading using a modified version of Arcan fixture. Further, finite element simulations were utilized to find stress intensity factors to explain the experimental test results. The experimental results indicate that the hybrid repair method is the most effective method in terms of increasing fracture load and it was observed a significant increase in the tensile strength of the repaired parts by all three methods compared to the simple cracked samples. Repaired samples with the hybrid method, composite patch and bolt clamping exhibited up to 49%, 44%, and 24% increase in tensile strength under pure tensile mode respectively. However, in pure shear mode, the fracture strength increased to 28%, 18%, and 9% by the hybrid method, bolt clamping and composite patch respectively.
Racial-ethnic Disparities in Inflammation: Evidence of Weathering in Childhood?
Authors: Schmeer Kammi K. , Tarrence Jacob
Published: June 2018

Building on the weathering hypothesis, we advance health disparities research by assessing racial-ethnic differences in low-grade inflammation, a marker of chronic stress exposure, in young children. Using nationally representative data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (N = 6,652) and logistic regression, we find an increased risk of low-grade inflammation among Hispanic and African American children compared to white children. The risk of inflammation appears to be stronger for Hispanic and African American children with foreign-born parents compared to children of the same race-ethnicity with U.S.-born parents. Low parental education and elevated child body mass index work as partial mediators of these associations. Our findings suggest the need to understand the psychosocial challenges faced by Hispanic and African American children, particularly, those with foreign-born parents, if we are to make further progress in reducing health disparities.
Voice of America News as Voluminous Reading Material for Mid-frequency Vocabulary Learning
Authors: Hsu Wenhua
Published: June 2018

Schmitt and Schmitt (2014) labelled the first 4,000 to 9,000 word families as mid-frequency vocabulary and highlighted its essential nature based on Nation’s (2006) estimate that knowledge of the first 9,000 word families would provide 98% coverage of various texts. To attain this goal, this study first measured the vocabulary level of Voice of America (VOA) news for its potential as voluminous reading material for mid-frequency vocabulary learning. Then it investigated how much VOA news input is needed to encounter most of the first 9,000 word families enough times for learning to occur. To get different sized corpora, every 500,000 words of VOA news were incrementally added to examine mid-frequency words. Results show that VOA news reached the sixth 1,000-word-family level at 98% text coverage. Corpus sizes of 0.5 to 6 million words provided an average of 12+ repetitions for most of the words from the fourth to ninth 1,000-word-family levels. The figures may serve as a reference for English extensive reading practitioners and learners who are concerned with mid-frequency vocabulary learning.
Negotiating the Politics of Antiracist Leadership: The Challenges of Leading Under the Predominance of Whiteness
Authors: Welton Anjalé , Diem Sarah , Carpenter Bradley W.
Published: June 2018

School leaders will undoubtedly confront complex racial politics in their school communities, and therefore need a leadership orientation and practice that more explicitly focuses on antiracism than those shaped by general frameworks associated with equity and social justice. This is particularly important for leaders and leadership programs nested within an urban context where a majority of students in schools are of color and the majority of teachers and leaders are White. As such, the articles presented in this special issue highlight the complexities and possibilities associated with antiracist leadership and antiracist leadership preparation. Furthermore, even leaders who are antiracist in their ideologies and practice can be challenged by stakeholders seeking to uphold whiteness and maintain the racial status quo. The ideology of whiteness works to protect White-centric power structures and perpetuate racial inequities, and so school leaders must have a strong antiracist resolve to undo the inequitable influence of whiteness. Therefore, the articles in this special issue also highlight the work of scholars who use an antiracist epistemology to destabilize the political reality of whiteness in leadership and leadership preparation. Finally, this special issue concludes with a commentary from a practitioner’s personal experiences doing antiracist work, as well as a book review that reflects the topics addressed in this special issue.
The Circular Conversation Around Racism and the Actions Necessary for Racial Change
Authors: Fuller-Hamilton Asia
Published: June 2018

In an ever-changing, racially-charged society, topics of race and racism are frequently being broached in schools. However, reaching the desired racial change after engagement in these discussions on race and racism requires concerted intention on the part of educators and stakeholders. While there is no specific formula in moving toward more racially just environments in our schools, educational leaders must acknowledge barriers, such as institutionalized racism, neutrality, and colorblindness, which serve as veils of oppression, in order to keep discourse on race and racism from becoming circular in nature
The Tourist Gaze: Domestic versus International Tourists
Authors: Stone Lesego S. , Nyaupane Gyan P.
Published: June 2018

This article investigates domestic and international tourists’ “gaze” using tourism imagery. Domestic and international tourists’ preferences are critically examined using the concept of the “tourist gaze” and “local gaze.” Through qualitative, in-depth photo-elicitation interviews (PEIs) guided by 16 photographs covering various tourist attractions in Botswana, results indicate dissimilar tourist gazes between international and domestic tourists. Culture, livelihoods, and crowded spaces, with a variety of activities, influence domestic tourists’ gaze, whereas privacy, tranquility, and quietness influence the international tourists’ gaze. The tourist gaze thus can be seen as a culturally contingent concept that is not universal. Despite the differences, results indicate the continued promotion of an international tourist’s gaze. Results help explain low visitation by domestic tourists to protected areas in Botswana and Africa. In view of the study’s results, theoretical and policy implications are also discussed.
Risk Marker or Risk Mechanism? The Effect of Family, Household, and Parental Imprisonment on Children and Adults’ Social Support and Mental Health
Authors: Besemer Kirsten L. , van de Weijer Steve G. A. , Dennison Susan M.
Published: June 2018

There is robust evidence of associations between parental imprisonment (PI) and a variety of harms to children, but the consequences of other forms of family imprisonment are largely unknown. Using Household, Income, and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA), a nationally representative Australian data set, this article looked at the direct effects of PI, household member imprisonment (HI), or close family member imprisonment (CFI) on the social support and mental health of nonincarcerated adults and young people. Recent PI, HI, or CFI had no association with social support. Recent CFI did increase men’s risk of poor mental health, but not women’s or young people’s. We consider the implications of these findings in the context of strong negative effects of paternal imprisonment on mothers in the United States.
Review on modification strategies of polyethylene/polypropylene immiscible thermoplastic polymer blends for enhancing their mechanical behavior
Authors: Graziano Antimo , Jaffer Shaffiq , Sain Mohini
Published: June 2018

Blends of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) have always been the subject of intense reasearch for encouraging polymer waste recycling while producing new materials for specific applications in a sustainable way. However, being thermodynamically immiscible, these polyolefins form a binary system usually exhibiting lower performances compared with those of the homopolymers. Many studies have been carried out to better understand the PE/PP blend compatibilization for developing a high-performance and cost-effective product. Both nonreactive and reactive compatibilization promote the brittle to ductile transition for a PE/PP blend. However, the final product usually does not meet the requirements for high demanding commercial applications. Therefore, further PE/PP modification with a reinforcing filler, being either synthetic or natural, proved to be a good method for manufacturing high-performance reinforcend polymer blend composites, with superior and tailored properties. This review summarizes the recent progress in compatibilization techniques applied for enhancing the interfacial adhesion between PE and PP. Moreover, future perspectives on better understanding the influence of themodynamics on PE/PP synergy are discussed to introduce more effective compatibilization strategies, which will allow this blend to be used for innovative industrial applications.
Reforming the State and Constructing Commercial Opera in Sichuan, 1902–1920s: An Entangled History of Performing Arts and Administrative Reforms
Authors: Chabrowski Igor Iwo
Published: June 2018

This article analyzes the thorough reformulation of opera in Sichuan in the first two decades of the twentieth century. It argues that theater developed in Sichuan during the eighteenth century as a part of the social and religious life of market towns and cities and that it was indivisibly connected with the political and administrative structure of the country. As such, it was fragmented along musical, dialectic, and geographic lines. The introduction of the New Policies in 1905, which most affected the largest urban centers such as Chengdu and Chongqing, was the main cause of organizational reconstruction of theatrical performances. They changed both opera’s place in social life and the way it was produced and staged. Within the new legal framework, opera was placed under the Company Law and therefore moved from the sphere of festivity to that of business, while playhouses’ prosperity was bound with the police departments that taxed and protected them. The mutual dependence of law enforcement and entertainment persisted during the early Republic and was revived in the 1930s, making theaters among the most stable and important institutions of early twentieth-century Sichuan cities. The Sichuan opera we know now is a product of this historical process. The study of the institutional development of opera shows the aims, scope, and limitations of the political reforms that reshaped China in the late Qing and Republican periods.
Observer-based H∞ finite-time control for switched linear systems with interval time-delay
Authors: Göksu Gökhan , Başer Ulviye
Published: June 2018

In this work, interval time-delay switched systems having completely unstable and mixed stable matrices of the state vector are considered. An observer-based controller is designed for finite-time boundedness and H∞-control of these systems. New sufficient conditions on the existence of a desired observer are developed and new average dwell-time bounds are introduced separately in case of unstable and mixed stable subsystems. An algorithm is presented for the calculation of unknown constants in the average dwell-time bounds which depend on nonlinear matrices in terms of the cone complementarity linearization method. Finally, numerical examples are given for the effectiveness and validity of the proposed solutions.
Best Practices for Testing the Predictive Validity of Ideal Partner Preference-Matching
Authors: Eastwick Paul W. , Finkel Eli J. , Simpson Jeffry A.
Published: June 2018

Many psychological hypotheses require testing whether the similarity between two variables predicts important outcomes. For example, the ideal standards model posits that the match between (A) a participant’s ideal partner preferences, and (B) the traits of a current/potential partner, predicts (C) evaluative outcomes (e.g., the decision to date someone, relationship satisfaction, breakup); tests of the predictive validity of ideal-matching require A × B → C analytic strategies. However, recent articles have incorrectly suggested that documenting a positive samplewide correlation between a participant’s ideals and a current partner’s traits (an A-B correlation) implies that participants pursued, selected, or desired partners with traits that matched their ideals. There are at least six alternative explanations for the emergence of a samplewide A-B correlation; A-B correlations do not provide evidence that ideals guide the selection/evaluation of specific partners. We review appropriately rigorous A × B → C tests that can aid scholars in identifying the circumstances in which ideal-matching exhibits predictive validity.
Toot Your Own Horn? Leader Narcissism and the Effectiveness of Employee Self-Promotion
Authors: Den Hartog Deanne N. , De Hoogh Annebel H. B. , Belschak Frank D.
Published: June 2018

Self-promotion is a form of impression management aiming to present to others a positive image of oneself by emphasizing one’s strengths, contributions, or accomplishments. In the workplace, self-promotion is often targeted at leaders, with employees trying to show a positive image and impress their leader. Self-promotion does not always impress observers though, and we propose that leaders high on narcissism are more likely to be impressed by employee self-promotion than those low on narcissism for two reasons. First, narcissists endorse and engage in self-promotion themselves, and the similarity-attraction principle suggests that people more easily develop affective regard for and show more positive behavior towards those who are more like them, resulting in having a better relationship with them. Second, because narcissists are instrumental and exploitative, they are particularly sensitive to self-promotors’ message that they are an important and influential group member who potentially forms a useful asset to the leader. In turn, we expect high leader-member exchange (LMX) and perceived importance to be positively related to leader evaluations of employee performance. We tested this model twice, once using two scenario experiments and once in a multisource field study among 311 leader-follower dyads. Overall, the results suggest that, as expected, the relationship between self-promotion and both perceived LMX and perceived importance of the employee depends on leader narcissism.