bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Collaborative matrix factorization mechanism for group recommendation in big data-based library systems
Authors: Liu Yezheng , Yang Lu , Sun Jianshan , Jiang Yuanchun , Wang Jinkun
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Academic groups are designed specifically for researchers. A group recommendation procedure is essential to support scholars’ research-based social activities. However, group recommendation methods are rarely applied in online libraries and they often suffer from scalability problem in big data context. The purpose of this paper is to facilitate academic group activities in big data-based library systems by recommending satisfying articles for academic groups.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose a collaborative matrix factorization (CoMF) mechanism and implement paralleled CoMF under Hadoop framework. Its rationale is collaboratively decomposing researcher-article interaction matrix and group-article interaction matrix. Furthermore, three extended models of CoMF are proposed.

Findings

Empirical studies on CiteULike data set demonstrate that CoMF and three variants outperform baseline algorithms in terms of accuracy and robustness. The scalability evaluation of paralleled CoMF shows its potential value in scholarly big data environment.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed methods fill the gap of group-article recommendation in online libraries domain. The proposed methods have enriched the group recommendation methods by considering the interaction effects between groups and members. The proposed methods are the first attempt to implement group recommendation methods in big data contexts.

Practical implications

The proposed methods can improve group activity effectiveness and information shareability in academic groups, which are beneficial to membership retention and enhance the service quality of online library systems. Furthermore, the proposed methods are applicable to big data contexts and make library system services more efficient.

Social implications

The proposed methods have potential value to improve scientific collaboration and research innovation.

Originality/value

The proposed CoMF method is a novel group recommendation method based on the collaboratively decomposition of researcher-article matrix and group-article matrix. The process indirectly reflects the interaction between groups and members, which accords with actual library environments and provides an interpretable recommendation result.
Comparing the determinants of non-MOOC and MOOC continuance intention in Taiwan
Authors: Chen Chia-Chen , Lee Chun-Hsiung , Hsiao Kuo-Lun
Published: February 2018

Purpose

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) differ from non-MOOC e-learning platforms mainly in terms of degree of openness, with MOOCs designed to maximize learner access and interaction. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new research model to explore intention to continue to use MOOCs from the perspectives of openness and interactivity, based on related theories and dimensions from previous research.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the MOOC platform, two online survey questionnaires were developed and e-mailed to the all of the university students in Taichung, Taiwan. The first one and second one are the same except the construct openness. The first one was delivered in late 2015 while the second one was delivered in the middle 2016. After the authors eliminated incomplete responses and duplicates, 995 and 854 usable responses from platform users remained, respectively, and were used to test the relationships in the model.

Findings

The model can account for more than 75 percent of the variance in continuance intention. The research results affirm prior findings that satisfaction has a strong direct influence on intention. Among the three interaction factors, human-message interaction on the platform has the strongest effect on satisfaction. This study found that the effects of interactions and motivation on MOOC and non-MOOC platforms were consistent and similar. Moreover, perceived openness was found to influence usage intention but its effects were relative low.

Originality/value

The model demonstrated good explanatory power for continued intention in the context of MOOCs. This study provides a better understanding of the relationships among interactions, motivations, perceived openness, and continuance intention.
Non-linear fracture analysis of multilayered two-dimensional graded beams
Authors: Rizov Victor
Published: February 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an analytical study of the delamination fracture behaviour of a multilayered two-dimensional functionally graded cantilever beam configuration. A delamination crack is located arbitrary along the height of the beam cross-section. The layers have different thicknesses and material properties. Perfect adhesion is assumed between layers. The material is functionally graded in both thickness and width directions in each layer. Besides, the material of the beam exhibits non-linear-elastic behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The delamination fracture behaviour is analysed in terms of the strain energy release rate. The J-integral approach is applied in order to verify the analysis of the strain energy release rate developed in the present paper.

Findings

The influence of material properties, the crack location along the height of the beam cross-section and the non-linear behaviour of the material on the delamination fracture is examined.

Originality/value

A non-linear delamination fracture analysis of multilayered two-dimensional non-symmetric functionally graded beam configuration is developed.
Case of atopic dermatitis concurrent with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, whose serum thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine level remained undetectable
Authors: Ozawa Maki , Sasahara Yoji , Aiba Setsuya
Published: February 2018

We report a 9‐year‐old Japanese female patient with atopic dermatitis associated with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. She demonstrated high serum immunoglobulin (Ig)E and IgE specific to several environmental allergens, but extremely low serum thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine (TARC) levels regardless of the disease progression. This case suggests platelets as the main source of serum TARC.
Rapid effects of elevated stress hormones on male courtship signals suggest a major role for the acute stress response in intra‐ and intersexual selection
Authors: Leary Christopher J. , Crocker‐Buta Sarah
Published: February 2018

Short‐term elevations in circulating stress hormones (glucocorticoids) often mediate reduced investment in reproductive behaviour in favour of self‐maintenance and survival, but the significance of these effects in sexual selection and communication remain largely unexplored.

Here we examine the acute stress response in the context of intra‐ and intersexual selection in the green treefrogHyla cinerea. Males of this species produce agonistic acoustic signals that stimulate elevations in the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) in rival males, suggesting a central role forCORTin male–male competition. We hypothesized that elevatedCORTlevels in losers of vocal contests mediate an increase in the energy allocated towards self‐maintenance and survival that compromises investment in courtship signalling, resulting in reduced attractiveness to females.

Consistent with this hypothesis, we show thatCORTadministration to calling males, simulatingCORTproduction in vocal contest losers, caused a rapid reduction in the duration of advertisement calls and vocal effort. ElevatedCORTalso increased the propensity to produce aggressive calls during simulated territorial intrusions that was followed by an increased probability of non‐calling “satellite” mating behaviour. This suite ofCORTeffects on vocal behaviour are known to decrease attractiveness to females and were not related to a decrease in androgen level or differences in body condition inCORT‐ vs. saline‐injected males.

Our results suggest thatCORTproduction during intraspecific vocal contests compromises male attractiveness. Male vocalizations may therefore reliably indicate recent contest outcomes and/or the stress status of males, implicatingCORTas a mediator of honest signalling. We propose that the effects of agonistic acoustic signals onCORTproduction in this species are maintained byCORT‐mediated life‐history trade‐offs; decreased conspicuous signalling in high stress‐responsive males potentially increases survival by reducing the likelihood of escalated contests with dominant males and detection by predators. Adoption of alternative non‐calling satellite mating tactics may contribute to maintaining individual variation in stress responsiveness by increasing the chances that competitively inferior males acquire mates.

Aplain language summaryis available for this article.
Negative effects of litter richness on root decomposition in the presence of detritivores
Authors: Li Yinong , Chen Xi , Veen G. F. (Ciska) , Eisenhauer Nico , Liang Yu , Zhou Xiaomei , Zhang Naili , Ma Keping
Published: February 2018

Decomposition is a vital process underlying many ecosystem functions. Although a growing number of studies have tested how litter richness affects the decomposition of above‐ground plant organs, knowledge remains limited about the decomposition of root mixtures. Here, we used a field experiment in a subtropical forest to investigate how species richness in root litter mixtures (air‐dried fresh fine roots) affects the decomposition of root litter material.

On the basis of the concept of resource complementarity, we hypothesized that root litter would decompose faster as the richness of the root litter mixture increased. In addition, we expected the presence of detritivores would modify the effect of root richness on mass loss, because detritivores might experience bottom‐up effects from specific plant species and might affect microbial decomposer communities.

We found that the richness level of root litter mixtures did not affect mass loss in the absence of detritivores. In the presence of detritivores, all root litter types decomposed faster. Notably, the positive effect of detritivores was stronger at low root litter richness than at high root litter richness, particularly during the early stages of decomposition (the first two sampling points) when litter mass loss was roughly double at low root litter richness compared to that at high root litter richness. The composition of the root fungal community measured at the last sampling point did not differ significantly across root richness levels, and was not affected by the presence of detritivores.

Synthesis. Our findings demonstrate that detritivores modify the relationship between root litter diversity and root litter decomposition in subtropical forest ecosystems. This highlights an importance of cascade effects between different trophic organisms on ecosystem functioning.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Crop rotation and agri‐environment schemes determine bumblebee communities via flower resources
Authors: Marja Riho , Viik Eneli , Mänd Marika , Phillips James , Klein Alexandra‐Maria , Batáry Péter
Published: February 2018

In many parts of the world, farmland pollinators decreased significantly during the last half of the 20th century mainly due to land‐use changes and agricultural intensification.

We studied the effect of different typical crop rotations and agri‐environment schemes (AES) on bumblebee diversity in Estonia. We compared species abundances between four crop rotation types (cereal rollover [no change from 1 year to the next], cereal to mass‐flowering crops [hereafter MFC], MFC rollover and MFC to cereal fields) where all counts were conducted in the second year and in three farming types (conventional farming, organic farming and environmentally friendly management).

We surveyed bumblebees and flower cover along 401 field margins in five consecutive years and recorded 20 species and more than 6,000 individuals. Abundances of long‐tongued and threatened bumblebee species were higher at the field margins of cereal rollover fields than for the other three crop rotation types. In addition, cereal rollover field margins had higher abundances of medium colony species, generalists and forest‐scrub species than MFC rollover and MFC to cereal or cereal to MFC field margins. Bumblebee species richness was higher at the field margins of both AES types than those of conventional farming. However, in general, the strongest driver of bumblebee presence was flower cover.

Higher bumblebee abundances in cereal rollover field margins were probably owing to a concentration effect there and/or a dilution effect into MFC fields. Both AES schemes supported increasing flower cover in field margins and thereby diversity of bumblebees, indicating positive AES impacts upon wild pollinators.

Synthesis and applications. Crop rotation and agri‐environment schemes determine bumblebee richness and abundance via the availability of flower resources, but crop rotation constrains bumblebees differently based on their traits. Therefore, future agri‐environmental policy should account for these management options. Crop rotation could be a simple, but efficient solution to increase the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes.
Estimating national population sizes: Methodological challenges and applications illustrated in the common nightingale, a declining songbird in the UK
Authors: Hewson Chris M. , Miller Mark , Johnston Alison , Conway Greg J. , Saunders Richard , Marchant John H. , Fuller Robert J.
Published: February 2018

Estimation of national population size can be important for setting conservation priorities, but its methodology has received little critical attention. Sites for highly aggregated species are often prioritised if they contain 1% of national or biogeographic populations, but the utility of this approach for other species is unclear.

To make recommendations for study design, we present methods used to estimate the UK population size of the common nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos. We assess the sensitivity of the population estimate to the analytical method used and identify sites of national importance for this territorial songbird.

Survey effort was directed by prior knowledge of the species distribution and the survey design maximised detectability by focussing on the period of greatest song output. We used three different statistical methods to account for detectability, estimating that 55%–65% of the national population was detected during surveys.

Birds in areas not known to contain the species accounted for 13%–23% of the population estimate. Methods to account for these individuals contributed the greatest uncertainty to the results, due to the difficulty of surveying a very large sample of random sites and consequent need to stratify the sample.

The 12 derived estimates ranged between 5,094 and 5,938 territorial males, with the confidence limits ranging from 4,764 to 6,534. Site delimitation, using clustering based on nearest‐neighbour distances, identified one site clearly of national importance and several others potentially nationally important, depending on the population threshold and clustering distance used.

Synthesis and applications. National population estimation is difficult and requires that species‐specific variability in detectability, and individuals present outside surveyed areas are accurately accounted for through survey design and statistical analysis. Accounting for these sources of error will not always be possible and will hamper efforts to assess true population size and consequently to determine whether sites, however defined, exceed critical thresholds of importance. Resources may be better invested in other activities, for example, in generating population trends based on relative indices. The latter are generally easier to produce, potentially more robust and arguably more suitable for many conservation applications.
Degradation of L‐Ascorbic Acid in the Amorphous Solid State
Authors: Sanchez Juan O. , Ismail Yahya , Christina Belinda , Mauer Lisa J.
Published: February 2018

Ascorbic acid degradation in amorphous solid dispersions was compared to its degradation in the crystalline state. Physical blends and lyophiles of ascorbic acid and polymers (pectins and polyvinylpyrrolidone [PVP]) were prepared initially at 50:50 (w/w), with further studies using the polymer that best inhibited ascorbic acid crystallization in the lyophiles in 14 vitamin : PVP ratios. Samples were stored in controlled environments (25 to 60 °C, 0% to 23% RH) for 1 mo and analyzed periodically to track the physical appearance, change in moisture content, physical state (powder x‐ray diffraction and polarized light microscopy), and vitamin loss (high performance liquid chromatography) over time. The glass transition temperatures of select samples were determined using differential scanning calorimetry, and moisture sorption profiles were generated. Ascorbic acid in the amorphous form, even in the glassy amorphous state, was more labile than in the crystalline form in some formulations at the highest storage temperature. Lyophiles stored at 25 and 40 °C and those in which ascorbic acid had crystallized at 60 °C (≥70% ascorbic acid : PVP) had no significant difference in vitamin loss (P > 0.05) relative to physical blend controls, and the length of storage had little effect. At 60 °C, amorphous ascorbic acid lyophiles (≤60% ascorbic acid : PVP) lost significantly more vitamin (P < 0.05) relative to physical blend controls after 1 wk, and vitamin loss significantly increased over time. In these lyophiles, vitamin degradation also significantly increased (P < 0.05) at lower proportions of ascorbic acid, a scenario likely encountered in foods wherein vitamins are naturally present or added at low concentrations and production practices may promote amorphization of the vitamin.

Practical Application

Vitamin C is one of the most unstable vitamins in foods. This study documents that amorphous ascorbic acid is less stable than crystalline ascorbic acid in some environments (for example, higher temperatures within 1 wk), especially when the vitamin is present at low concentrations in a product. These findings increase the understanding of how material science properties influence the stability of vitamin C.
Morphologically ‘invisible’ proinsulin – secreting adenoma detected by Ga‐68 Exendin‐4 (GLP‐1 Receptor) positron emission tomography/CT
Authors: Werner Christoph , Lupp Amelie , Drescher Robert , Freesmeyer Martin , Mireskandari Masoud , Stoykow Christian , Bauschke Astrid , Müller Ulrich A
Published: February 2018

This case report of a young man suffering from recurring hypoglycaemia illustrates a rare condition of a neuroendocrine tumour, predominantly secreting proinsulin and invisible to conventional imaging approaches. Only a GLP‐1 receptor PET/CT using Exendin‐4 visualized the pancreatic lesion and enabled curative therapy, confirming the diagnostic value of this tracer for detection of neuroendocrine tumours. As only few publications on this topic are available, an overview of the available data is also given. The known cut‐off value of 60% for proinsulin level indicating malignancy is critically discussed.
Utility of 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose‐positron emission tomography in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant gynaecological tumours
Authors: Takagi Hiroaki , Sakamoto Jinichi , Osaka Yasuhiro , Shibata Takeo , Fujita Satoko , Sasagawa Toshiyuki
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) involving 18F‐fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is widely used for systemic cancer and recurrence diagnosis. However, the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant gynaecological tumours according to FDG accumulation is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the intensity of FDG uptake/metabolic activity for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant gynaecological tumours.

Methods

This study included seven patients with physiological phenomena, 34 with benign tumours, 13 with borderline malignant tumours and 119 with malignant tumours who underwent 18F‐FDG PET/CT. We assessed the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and determined its utility in the diagnosis of benign and malignant tumours using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

Among the 63 patients with ovarian tumours, the mean SUVmax of 22 patients with benign ovarian tumours was 2.48 and the mean SUVmax of 41 patients with malignant ovarian tumours was 10.98 (P < 0.001). In the ROC curve analysis, the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.977, with a 95% confidence interval of 0.947–1.000. With a cut‐off value of 3.97 for the optimal SUVmax, the sensitivity and specificity were 95.1% and 86.4%, respectively. In addition, the AUC was 0.911 (95% CI: 0.768–1.000) for the assessment of uterine myomas and sarcomas. With a cut‐off value of 10.62 for the optimal SUVmax, the sensitivity and specificity were 91.7% and 86.7% respectively.

Conclusions

The SUVmax value helps differentiate benign and malignant ovarian tumours, as well as uterine myomas and uterine sarcomas.
Polygenic Risk Score Prediction of Alcohol Dependence Symptoms Across Population‐Based and Clinically Ascertained Samples
Authors: Savage Jeanne E. , Salvatore Jessica E. , Aliev Fazil , Edwards Alexis C. , Hickman Matthew , Kendler Kenneth S. , Macleod John , Latvala Antti , Loukola Anu , Kaprio Jaakko , Rose Richard J. , Chan Grace , Hesselbrock Victor , Webb Bradley T. , Adkins Amy , Bigdeli Tim B. , Riley Brien P. , Dick Danielle M.
Published: February 2018

Background

Despite consistent evidence of the heritability of alcohol use disorders (AUDs), few specific genes with an etiological role have been identified. It is likely that AUDs are highly polygenic; however, the etiological pathways and genetic variants involved may differ between populations. The aim of this study was thus to evaluate whether aggregate genetic risk for AUDs differed between clinically ascertained and population‐based epidemiological samples.

Methods

Four independent samples were obtained: 2 from unselected birth cohorts (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children [ALSPAC], N = 4,304; FinnTwin12 [FT12], N = 1,135) and 2 from families densely affected with AUDs, identified from treatment‐seeking patients (Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism, N = 2,097; Irish Affected Sib Pair Study of Alcohol Dependence, N = 706). AUD symptoms were assessed with clinical interviews, and participants of European ancestry were genotyped. Genomewide association was conducted separately in each sample, and the resulting association weights were used to create polygenic risk scores in each of the other samples (12 total discovery–validation pairs), and from meta‐analyses within sample type. We then tested how well these aggregate genetic scores predicted AUD outcomes within and across sample types.

Results

Polygenic scores derived from 1 population‐based sample (ALSPAC) significantly predicted AUD symptoms in another population‐based sample (FT12), but not in either clinically ascertained sample. Trend‐level associations (uncorrected p < 0.05) were found for polygenic score predictions within sample types but no or negative predictions across sample types. Polygenic scores accounted for 0 to 1% of the variance in AUD symptoms.

Conclusions

Though preliminary, these results provide suggestive evidence of differences in the genetic etiology of AUDs based on sample characteristics such as treatment‐seeking status, which may index other important clinical or demographic factors that moderate genetic influences. Although the variance accounted for by genomewide polygenic scores remains low, future studies could improve gene identification efforts by amassing very large samples, or reducing genetic heterogeneity by informing analyses with other phenotypic information such as sample characteristics. Multiple complementary approaches may be needed to make progress in gene identification for this complex disorder.
Urothelial tumors with villous morphology: Histomorphology and role of immunohistochemistry in diagnosis
Authors: Mitra Suvradeep , Chatterjee Debajyoti , Das Ashim , Gupta Kirti , Radotra Bishan D. , Mandal Arup K.
Published: February 2018

Villous adenoma and urothelial carcinoma with villoglandular differentiation (UCVGD) are rare urothelial tumours showing villous morphology, the former being a preneoplastic entity and the latter being a malignant one. The detailed immunohistochemistry of these entities is previously not described in the literature. Moreover, a limited biopsy sample of UCVGD or a villous adenoma with or without adenocarcinoma may be difficult to distinguish on the basis of the histomorphology alone. An immunohistochemical panel comprising of GATA3, p63, β‐catenin, CK7 and CK20 was performed on five cases of UCVGD and three cases of villous adenoma with the aim of studying the expression of the proteins thereby aiding in the diagnosis of these entities in a limited surgical pathology specimen. The mean age of UCVGD was 66.8 years and all the patients were male. All the cases of UCVGD were associated with high grade papillary urothelial carcinoma with lamina propria invasion. The immunohistochemical panel showed strong nuclear GATA3 expression in the urothelial component of UCVGD. Interestingly, the high grade and the low grade villoglandular components of UCVGD also expressed GATA3 (nuclear) with a progressive loss of expression from the high grade to the low grade component. The villous adenomas showed negativity or aberrant cytoplasmic positivity for GATA3. The β‐catenin showed a gradual loss of membranous expression from villous adenoma to low grade and high grade villoglandular components of UCVGD with a patchy membranous expression in the urothelial component of the UCVGD. p63 showed strong nuclear positivity in the urothelial component and uniform negativity in the villous adenoma and villoglandular component of UCVGD irrespective of its grade, thereby distinguishing the villoglandular component from the urothelial component. The urothelial component of UCVGD showed strong membranous CK7 expression and was higher than the CK20 expression in the urothelial component. In contrast, CK20 expression was higher in villous adenoma as compared to CK7. There was no difference in the expression of CK7 and CK20 in the villoglandular components and low grade and high grade villoglandular areas. The above‐mentioned immunohistochemical pattern may help to distinguish the UCVGD from the villous adenoma.
Do Family Firms’ Specific Governance Mechanisms Moderate the Cost of Debt?
Authors: Duréndez Antonio , Madrid‐Guijarro Antonia , Hernández‐Cánovas Ginés
Published: February 2018

This study considers whether the specific governance mechanisms of Spanish family firms decrease their debt cost. We explore the idea of reducing debt costs through specific governance mechanisms of family firms, such as the business succession plan, the family council, as well as other traditional mechanisms like the board of directors. Because most corporate governance research has focused on larger firms, more research on smaller privately held family firms is necessary. For this empirical research, we used a sample of 281 small and medium‐sized family firms. The results show that the implementation of a business succession plan not only serves to solve family conflicts and to plan the business succession but also moderates the cost of financing. Our results confirm that credit institutions receive a positive signal when family firms implement business succession plans as governance mechanisms, reducing both family opportunism and asymmetries of information, influencing risk analysts in their decision‐making processes.
Investigation of the effect of Equivac® HeV Hendra virus vaccination on Thoroughbred racing performance
Authors: Schemann K , Annand EJ , Reid PA , Lenz MF , Thomson PC , Dhand NK
Published: February 2018

Objective

To evaluate the effect of Equivac® HeV Hendra virus vaccine on Thoroughbred racing performance.

Design

Retrospective pre‐post intervention study.

Methods

Thoroughbreds with at least one start at one of six major south‐eastern Queensland race tracks between 1 July 2012 and 31 December 2016 and with starts in the 3‐month periods before and after Hendra virus vaccinations were identified. Piecewise linear mixed models compared the trends in ‘Timeform rating’ and ‘margin to winner’ before and after initial Hendra virus vaccination. Generalised linear mixed models similarly compared the odds of ‘winning’, ‘placing’ (1st–3rd) and ‘winning any prize money’. Timeform rating trends were also compared before and after the second and subsequent vaccinations.

Results

Analysis of data from 4208 race starts by 755 horses revealed no significant difference in performance in the 3 months before versus 3 months after initial Hendra vaccination for Timeform rating (P = 0.32), ‘Margin to winner’ (P = 0.45), prize money won (P = 0.25), wins (P = 0.64) or placings (P = 0.77). Further analysis for Timeform rating for 7844 race starts by 928 horses failed to identify any significant change in Timeform rating trends before versus after the second and subsequent vaccinations (P = 0.16) or any evidence of a cumulative effect for the number of vaccines received (P = 0.22).

Conclusion

No evidence of an effect of Hendra virus vaccination on racing performance was found. The findings allow owners, trainers, industry regulators and animal health authorities to make informed decisions about vaccination.
Lobbying and the responsible firm: Agenda‐setting for a freshly conceptualized field
Authors: Anastasiadis Stephanos , Moon Jeremy , Humphreys Michael
Published: February 2018

“Responsible lobbying” is an increasingly salient topic within business and management. We make a contribution to the literature on “responsible lobbying” in three ways. First, we provide novel definitions and, thereby, make a clear distinction between lobbying and corporate political activity. We then define responsible lobbying with respect to its content, process, organization, and environment, resulting in a typology of responsible lobbying, a conceptual model that informs the rest of the paper. Second, the paper provides a thematic overview of the current literature underpinning lobbying and the responsible firm, and the underlying paradigms informing this literature. Third, the paper makes specific suggestions for a future research agenda, ending with a consideration of methodological implications of such research.
Emotional preferences and goals and emotion dysregulation in children with Asperger's syndrome and typically developing children
Authors: López‐Pérez Belén , Ambrona Tamara , Gummerum Michaela
Published: February 2018

Objectives

Emotion goals lie at the heart of emotion regulation, as people have to first decide what emotions they want to feel before engaging in emotion regulation. Given that children with Asperger's syndrome (AS) are characterized by exhibiting difficulties in emotion regulation, studying whether they display similar or different emotion goals compared to typically developing (TD) children may provide insightful information.

Methods

Thirty AS and 30 TD children (10–12 years) reported about their general (i.e., how they want to feel in general) and contextualized (i.e., how they want to feel when confronting vs. collaborating with someone) emotion goals, and about their difficulties in emotion regulation through questionnaires.

Results

Results showed that both groups did not differ in their general emotional goals and in their contextualized emotion goals for happiness for collaboration and anger for confrontation. AS children only differed from TD children in a higher preference for sadness for collaboration and happiness for confrontation. These emotion goals predicted their difficulties to engage in goal‐directed behaviour.

Conclusions

The obtained results support the need to further study emotion goals as an aspect of emotion dysregulation, namely the difficulties to engage in goal‐directed behaviour when experiencing different emotions.

Practitioner points

AS and TD children did not differ in their general emotion goals.

AS and TD children did not vary in their preferences for happiness for collaboration and anger for confrontation.

AS children only differed in a higher preference for sadness for collaboration and happiness for confrontation.

Understanding emotion goals might help practitioners to develop better interventions.
Factors that influence behavioral intention to use mobile‐based assessment: A STEM teachers’ perspective
Authors: Nikou Stavros A. , Economides Anastasios A.
Published: February 2018

Teachers' role can be catalytic in the introduction of innovative digital tools in order to create new learning and assessment opportunities. This study explores science technology engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers' intention to use mobile‐based assessments in the teaching practice. The study proposes the teachers' acceptance mobile‐based assessment (TAMBA) model which extends the technology acceptance model by introducing individual, social, institutional and instructional design factors. An appropriate questionnaire was developed and answered by 161 STEM teachers from 32 European countries. Their responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The proposed TAMBA model explains about 50% of the variance in teachers' intention to adopt mobile‐based assessment. Perceived Ease of Use was found to be the most important determinant in teachers' intention to use mobile‐based assessment. Facilitating Conditions and Output Quality were the most influential external variables in the model. The study findings revealed that focusing on mobile assessment quality design as well as on institutional support are important factors for STEM teachers in order to accept mobile‐based assessments in schools.
Pharmacological behaviour support for adults with intellectual disabilities: Frequency and predictors in a national cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Mac Giolla Phadraig C. , Griffiths C. , McCallion P. , McCarron M. , Donnelly‐Swift E. , Nunn J.
Published: February 2018

Objective

To report frequency and predictors of reported pharmacological behaviour support use among older adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) accessing dental care in Ireland.

Methods

Data from a nationally representative cross‐sectional survey of adults with ID over 40 years of age allowed identification of the reported frequency of pharmacological behaviour support use. Predictors of pharmacological support were identified using multiple logistic regression.

Results

Most older adults with ID did not report the use of any pharmacological support to receive dental care: only 0.9% reported use of inhalation sedation; 2.4% intravenous (IV) sedation; 8.6% general anaesthesia (GA); and 16.0% oral sedation. Participants reporting challenging behaviour (OR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.3‐2.9), significant difficulty speaking (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.8‐4.8) and obvious oral problems (OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.6‐4.1) had greater odds of reporting pharmacological, that is, GA or conscious sedation (CS), rather than nonpharmacological supports for dental care, compared to those who were not.

Conclusions

People with ID report a diverse range of support use, with many using GA or CS, particularly oral sedation, for dental treatment. This highlights a need for training and governance for dentists who provide this care. Patients who present with challenging behaviour, oral problems and, interestingly, difficulty with expressive communication are more likely to report use of pharmacological supports. The above has implications for dental service design and delivery for this population.
Death‐specific rate due to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Iran
Authors: Varmaghani Mehdi , Kebriaeezadeh Abbas , Sharifi Farshad , Sheidaei Ali , Rashidian Arash , Moradi‐Lakeh Maziar , Naghshin Roozbeh , Moin Mostafa , Mehdipour Parinaz , Heidari Elham , Gohari Kimiya , Rezaei Nazila , Haghshenas Rosa , Kompani Farzad , Farzadfar Farshad
Published: February 2018

Background and objective

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) could be considered as a major health problem in industrialized and developing countries. This study was designed to analyze the trends of mortality from asthma and COPD at national and subnational levels in Iran based on National Death Registry, from 2001 to 2015.

Materials and methods

We used Death Registration System (DRS) as the basic source of data. Death Registration System data were available from 1995 to 2010 in Iran's Ministry of Health. Although, Tehran and Isfahan, 2 most populated cities in Iran, had independent death registry systems in their cemeteries, by combining their data we achieved more comprehensive and representative data on death among Iranian people. We addressed incompleteness and misclassification of death registry system using demographic and statistical methods. We also employed spatio‐temporal and Gaussian process regression to extrapolate and interpolate mortality rates for the missing data.

Results

Age‐standardized asthma mortality rate was 7.2 (5.6‐9.2) in females and 8.8 (6.9‐11.1) in males at the national level in 2015. Age‐standardized COPD mortality rates in females and males, respectively, were 8.46 (6.6‐10.9) and 12.38 (9.8‐15.6) during the studied years. A reduction in age‐standardized asthma mortality was observed during the period of study. In addition, the trend of COPD mortality was increasing.

Conclusions

It seems that mortality rate attributable to COPD has risen during the past 15 years in Iran. It could have increased because of increased exposure of people to related risk factors such as air pollution which is a common problem in larger cities and border provinces.
Elevations of metabolic risk factors 20 years or more before diagnosis of type 2 diabetes: Experience from the AMORIS study
Authors: Malmström Håkan , Walldius Göran , Carlsson Sofia , Grill Valdemar , Jungner Ingmar , Gudbjörnsdottir Soffia , Kosiborod Mikhail , Hammar Niklas
Published: February 2018

Aims

To describe trajectories for metabolic risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D) up to 25 years prior to diagnosis and to estimate the absolute 20‐year risk for T2D based on a simple set of commonly measured key risk factors.

Methods

From the Swedish AMORIS cohort we included 296 428 individuals with data on fasting glucose obtained in health examinations during 1985–1996 (baseline period). All participants were followed until 2012 for development of incident T2D. The 20‐year T2D risk based on age, sex, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose and triglycerides was estimated. Trajectories for biomedical risk factors of T2D starting from >20 years before diagnosis and including fasting glucose, triglycerides and BMI were evaluated according to yearly means for cases and controls.

Results

We identified 28 244 new T2D cases during the study period, with an average 20‐year risk of 8.1%. This risk was substantially increased in overweight and obese participants and those with elevated fasting glucose and triglyceride levels, in both men and women. T2D cases had higher mean BMI and fasting glucose and triglyceride levels compared with controls >20 years before diagnosis and the difference in fasting glucose levels increased over time.

Conclusions

Development of T2D is associated with subtle elevations in glucose and lipid levels >20 years before diagnosis. This suggests that diabetogenic processes tied to chronic insulin resistance operate for decades prior to the development of T2D. A simple risk classification can help in early identification of individuals who are at increased risk.
Bicuspid aortic valve morphology and its impact on aortic diameters—A systematic review with meta‐analysis and meta‐regression
Authors: Miśkowiec Dawid , Lipiec Piotr , Szymczyk Ewa , Wejner‐Mik Paulina , Michalski Błażej , Kupczyńska Karolina , Wierzbowska‐Drabik Karina , Kasprzak Jarosław D.
Published: February 2018

Aim

To evaluate the impact of the 2 most common bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) morphology patterns [right‐left (RL) vs right‐noncoronary (RN) cusp fusion] on the aortic diameters and the impact of gender, aortic stenosis (AS), aortic regurgitation (AR), and age on the observed effects.

Methods

The PubMed databases was searched up to December 31, 2016 to identify studies investigating the morphology of BAV and aortic diameters. Inclusion criteria were as follows: the data on diameter of sinuses of Valsalva (SVD) and/or ascending aorta (AAD) and BAV morphology. The additional characteristics [gender, AS and AR (% of patients with moderate or severe AS/AR) and mean age] were collected to perform a meta‐regression analysis.

Results

A total of 12 studies with 2192 patients with indexed AAD, 15 studies with 3104 patients with nonindexed AAD and 8 studies with 1271 patients with indexed SVD, and 16 studies with 3454 patients with nonindexed SVD were included. There was no difference between RL and RN group in indexed/nonindexed AAD—mean difference (MD): 0.06 mm/m2 (95% CI: −0.65 to 0.77 mm/m2, P = .87) and −0.06 mm (95% CI: 1.10–0.97 mm, P = .91). Differently, the RL BAV was associated with larger indexed/nonindexed SVD than RN phenotype—MD: 1.66 mm/m2 (95% CI: 0.83–2.49 mm/m2, P < .001) and 2.03 mm (95% CI: 0.97–3.09 mm, P < .001). Age, gender, AS, and AR had no influence on observed differences.

Conclusions

RL BAV phenotype is associated with larger SVD than RN BAV, and the observed differences are independent from aortic valve dysfunction degree, age, and gender.
Evaluation of fetal heart geometry during pregnancy by three‐dimensional ultrasound using the STIC rendering mode
Authors: Bezerra Marilim Souza , Tedesco Giselle Darahem , Barros Fernanda Silveira Bello , Rolo Liliam Cristine , Nardozza Luciano Marcondes Machado , Pares David Baptista Silva , Martins Wellington P. , Araujo Júnior Edward
Published: February 2018

Objective

To determine fetal heart geometry during pregnancy using three‐dimensional (3D) ultrasound and the spatiotemporal image correlation (STIC) rendering mode.

Methods

This prospective, cross‐sectional study evaluated 250 normal singleton pregnancies from 20 to 33 weeks and 6 days of gestation. STIC rendering was used to calculate the eight angles of the fetal heart: apex, base, mitral valve, tricuspid valve, left ventricle, right ventricle, left atrium, and right atrium angles. The concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was used for intra‐ and inter‐observer tests.

Results

The average ± SD maternal age was 31.7 ± 4.9 years, and the average gestational age was 26.3 ± 4.2 weeks. There was little variation in fetal heart angles using STIC rendering according to the gestational age, with determination coefficient (R2) values of 0.01 for the apex and mitral valve angles and <0.01 for the base, tricuspid valve, left ventricle, right ventricle, left atrium, and right atrium angles. Moderate/good intra‐ and inter‐observer concordance was observed for the measurement of fetal heart angles using STIC rendering, and the obtained CCC varied from 0.74 to 0.93.

Conclusion

The fetal heart geometry did not present significant variations during pregnancy using 3D ultrasound and the STIC rendering mode.
Coexisting bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves diagnosed by 3D transthoracic echocardiography
Authors: Posada‐Martínez Edith Liliana , Arias‐Godinez José Antonio , Romero‐Cárdenas Ángel , Ruiz Esparza‐Dueñas María Eugenia , Fritche‐Salazar Juan Francisco , Rodríguez‐Zanella Hugo , Ivey‐Miranda Juan Betuel
Published: February 2018

Coexisting bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves is an extremely rare condition, and there have been few published cases. Diagnosis of bicuspid aortic valve is straightforward with 2D echocardiography; however, analysis of the morphology of the pulmonary valve is challenging. In this study, we report on a case of a 32‐year‐old man with bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves diagnosed by 2D and 3D transthoracic echocardiography. The enlarged pulmonary artery without any obvious etiology led us to suspect a pulmonary valve anomaly; thus, we comprehensively evaluated it with 2D and 3D echocardiography, which confirmed the diagnosis of bicuspid pulmonary valve.
The ‘light touch’ of the Black Death in the Southern Netherlands: an urban trick?
Authors: Roosen Joris , Curtis Daniel R.
Published: February 2018

Although the fanciful notion that the Black Death bypassed the Low Countries has long been rejected, nevertheless a persistent view remains that the Low Countries experienced only a ‘light touch’ of the plague when placed in a broader European perspective, and recovered quickly and fully. However, in this article an array of dispersed sources for the Southern Netherlands together with a new mortmain accounts database for Hainaut show that the Black Death was severe, perhaps no less severe than other parts of western Europe; that serious plagues continued throughout the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries; and that the Black Death and recurring plagues spread over vast territories—including the countryside. The previous conception of a ‘light touch’ of plague in the Low Countries was created by the overprivileging of particular urban sources, and a failure to account for the rapid replenishment of cities via inward migration, which obscured demographic decimation. We suggest that the population of the Low Countries may not have recovered faster than other parts of western Europe but instead experienced a greater degree of post‐plague rural–urban migration.
Pre‐analytical stability of coagulation parameters in plasma stored at room temperature
Authors: Linskens E. A. , Devreese K. M. J.
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Haemostasis testing is influenced by many pre‐analytical variables, such as storage time and temperature, which can affect the stability of coagulation factors and influence the results of coagulation assays. We investigated the stability of haemostasis tests after storage of aliquoted plasma at RT, including the variability of measurement principle and reagent used for determination.

Methods

Blood samples from 20 healthy volunteers were obtained, processed to PPP and aliquoted. Aliquots were stored at RT for 0 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 12 hours, 24 hours and 48 hours. PT, aPTT, fibrinogen, D‐Dimers and coagulation factors (FII, FV, FVII, FX, FVIII, FIX, FXI, FXII) were determined by STA‐R Max® and ACL‐TOP®. VWF:Ag and vWF:RCo were determined by AcuStar®. Clinically relevant changes, compared to the initial measurement, were denoted as a percentage change of > 10% according to the 99% CI.

Results

For both analysers, a clinically relevant change of > 10% was observed for FV after 2 hours, FVIII after 4 hours and for aPTT, FII, FVII, FX and FXII after 48 hours of storage at RT. Statistically significant, but no clinically relevant differences were observed after 48‐hours storage for PT, fibrinogen and FIX. D‐Dimers, FXI, vWF:Ag and vWF:RCo were found stable up to 48 hours at RT.

Conclusion

Overall, compared to the limits given by the current CLSI guidelines, for most coagulation parameters investigated in this study a longer storage period could be accepted. Time intervals for FVIII and FV dosage were shorter than recommended by the CLSI guidelines. For PT determination, our findings were consistent.
Outsider ethnic minorities and wage determination in China
Authors: MACDONALD Andrew W. , HASMATH Reza
Published: February 2018

While some studies on urban ethnic minorities in China indicate that they earn lower wages relative to the Han majority, others show little evidence of this gap. To understand this contradiction, the authors propose that the primary issue is a failure to fully disaggregate ethnic minority groups’ labour market experiences. Leveraging a large data set looking at China's ethnic minorities, findings suggest that “outsider minorities”, such as Tibetans and Turkic groups, suffer a significant wage penalty when controlling for covariates, while minorities in aggregate do not. These findings are robust across various specifications and have notable theoretical and policy implications.