bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of expanding the look‐back period to all available data in the assessment of covariates
Authors: Nakasian Sonja S. , Rassen Jeremy A. , Franklin Jessica M.
Published: April 2017

Background

A fixed baseline period has been a common covariate assessment approach in pharmacoepidemiological studies from claims but may lead to high levels of covariate misclassification. Simulation studies have recommended expanding the look‐back approach to all available data (AAD) for binary indicators of diagnoses, procedures, and medications, but there have been few real data analyses using this approach.

Objective

The objective of the study is to explore the impact on treatment effect estimates and covariate prevalence of expanding the look‐back period within five validated studies in the Aetion system, a rapid cycle analytics platform.

Methods

We reran the five studies and assessed covariates using (i) a fixed window approach (usually 180 days before treatment initiation), (ii) AAD prior to treatment initiation, and (iii) AAD with a categorized by recency approach, where the most recent occurrence of a covariate was labeled as recent (occurring within the fixed window) or past (before the start of the fixed window). For each covariate assessment approach, we adjusted for covariates via propensity score matching.

Results

All studies had at least one covariate that had an increase in prevalence of 15% or higher from the fixed window to the AAD approach. However, there was little change in treatment effect estimates resulting from differing covariate assessment approaches. For example, in a study of acute coronary syndrome in high‐intensity versus low‐intensity statin users, the estimated hazard ratio from the fixed window approach was 1.11 (95% confidence interval 0.98, 1.25) versus 1.21 (1.07, 1.37) when using AAD and 1.19 (1.05, 1.35) using categorized by recency.

Conclusion

Expanding the baseline period to AAD improved covariate sensitivity by capturing data that would otherwise be missed yet did not meaningfully change the overall treatment effect estimates compared with the fixed window approach. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluation of the shape memory behavior of a poly(cyclooctene) based nanocomposite device
Authors: Dorigato A. , Pegoretti A.
Published: April 2017

The objective of the present work is to investigate the electro‐activated shape memory behavior of a polycyclooctene (PCO) based nanocomposite device. At this aim, carbon black (CB) and exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) were melt compounded with a PCO matrix crosslinked with a dicumylperoxide content of 2 wt% and a total filler amount of 4 wt%. Electrical resistivity measurements on bulk materials evidenced a noticeable decrease of the electrical resistivity upon CB addition, while no synergistic effects were detected mixing CB and xGnP. Nanocomposite with a CB amount of 4 wt% revealed also a noticeable heating capability through Joule effect for voltage levels higher than 100 V. The subsequent characterization of an electro active shape memory device based on this composition demonstrated how it is possible to prepare a shape memory nanocomposite material able to completely recover its original shape after 100 s with a voltage of 90 V. The retention of the shape memory behavior after several (50) programming cycles was also demonstrated. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:430–437, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
The neurobiology of social deficits in female patients with borderline personality disorder: The importance of oxytocin
Authors: Bomann Anne Cathrine , Jørgensen Martin Balslev , Bo Sune , Nielsen Marianne , Gede Lene Bjerring , Elfving Betina , Simonsen Erik
Published: April 2017

Background

Social deficits and emotional dysregulation have been suggested as explanations for the relational difficulties experienced by patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD). The neuropeptide oxytocin (OXT) is a possible neurobiological underpinning of these adversities, and this study examines possible correlations between BPD symptomatology and serum OXT.

Methods

Thirty‐eight female participants (BPD group n = 18, matched control group n = 20) with a mean age of 29.5 years (standard deviation 9.2) were assessed for personality disorders, general psychopathology, childhood trauma and perceived stress. OXT was measured in serum samples.

Results

We found no significant difference between patient and control group in terms of OXT levels. However, post hoc analysis showed a relationship in the patient group between civil status and OXT (p < 0.05), indicating higher levels of OXT for patients in a romantic relationship.

Discussion

The idea of OXT as a pro‐social love hormone is perhaps too simplistic, and factors like attachment style, exposure to trauma and psychiatric disorders must be considered in order to understand its diverse functions.

Conclusions

Contrary to our expectations, we did not find lower serum OXT levels in the BPD group. However, BPD patients in a romantic relationship had higher levels of serum OXT than single BPD patients. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Links between critical proteins drive the controllability of protein interaction networks
Authors: Wuchty Stefan , Boltz Toni , Küçük‐McGinty Hande
Published: April 2017

Focusing on the interactomes of Homo sapiens, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Escherichia coli, we investigated interactions between controlling proteins. In particular, we determined critical, intermittent, and redundant proteins based on their tendency to participate in minimum dominating sets. Independently of the organisms considered, we found that interactions that involved critical nodes had the most prominent effects on the topology of their corresponding networks. Furthermore, we observed that phosphorylation and regulatory events were considerably enriched when the corresponding transcription factors and kinases were critical proteins, while such interactions were depleted when they were redundant proteins. Moreover, interactions involving critical proteins were enriched with essential genes, disease genes, and drug targets, suggesting that such characteristics may be key for the detection of novel drug targets as well as assess their efficacy.
Informalisation in Low‐wage Labour Markets: a Case Study of the UK Food Industry
Authors: Scott Sam
Published: April 2017

Informalisation is a process that involves the lowering of the floor for pay and working conditions, sometimes legally and sometimes illegally, and it may occur in both formal and informal labour market settings. This paper examines what informalisation looks like in practice in the UK context. Drawing on the experiences of 62 low‐wage migrant workers, employed in the UK food industry, the paper identifies five facets of ‘informalisation’, namely, job insecurity, work intensification, worker expendability, worker subordination, and employment intermediation. The identification of these five facets of informalisation is important in its own right. In addition, the UK case study also serves to emphasise the fact that the degradation of work is not something that is simply confined to the margins but is evident in the mainstream (beyond irregular workers and beyond the informal economy). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of growth temperature on the synthesis of carbon nanotube arrays and amorphous carbon for thermal applications
Authors: Pham Quang N. , Larkin LeighAnn S. , Lisboa Carina C. , Saltonstall Christopher B. , Qiu Lin , Schuler Jennifer D. , Rupert Timothy J. , Norris Pamela M.
Published: April 2017

Though carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays have tremendous potential due to their attractive mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties, the growth kinetics of CNTs are still not fully understood. Thus, we report on the effect of synthesis parameters, such as growth temperature, on the resulting arrays. In this work, CNT arrays were synthesized using catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) with furnace temperatures varying from 680 to 900 °C. Microscopy was used to investigate the effect of growth temperature on the structural properties, such as tube diameter, array length, and the amount of amorphous carbon produced at the top of the canopy as a growth by‐product. Additionally, Raman spectroscopy was used to elucidate the effect growth temperature has on the resulting purity of the CNTs. It was then revealed that crystalline inhomogeneity exists along the length of the tubes with respect to crystallinity. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) further determines the degree of tube crystallinity as well as the thickness of amorphous carbon coating around the nanotubes. Through both microscopy and spectroscopy, we found two distinct temperature regimes within the range of 680–900 °C. Below 800 °C, the growth of tube length and diameter remained relatively stagnant followed by a rapid growth rate above 800 °C with the highest tube crystallinity obtained within the regime of 800–840 °C. This indicates the presence of an important transitional temperature for CNT CCVD growth. Additionally, growth temperature was determined to play an important role in the amount of the resulting amorphous carbon by‐product.
Amorphous Molybdenum Sulfide/Carbon Nanotubes Hybrid Nanospheres Prepared by Ultrasonic Spray Pyrolysis for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Ye Zhifeng , Yang Jia , Li Bo , Shi Lei , Ji Hengxing , Song Li , Xu Hangxun
Published: April 2017

Developing cost‐effective electrocatalysts with high activity and stability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) plays an important role in modern hydrogen economy. Amorphous molybdenum sulfide (MoSx) has recently emerged as one of the most promising alternatives to Pt‐based catalysts in HER, especially in acidic electrolytes. Here this study reports a simple ultrasonic spray pyrolysis method to synthesize hybrid HER catalysts composed of MoSx firmly attached on entangled carbon nanotube nanospheres (MoSx/CNTs). This synthetic process is fast, continuous, highly durable, and amenable to high‐volume production with high yields and exceptional quality. The MoSx/CNTs hybrid catalyst prepared at 300 °C exhibits a low overpotential of 168 mV at the current density of 10 mA cm−2 with a small Tafel slope of 36 mV dec−1. Electrochemical measurements and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses reveal that the CNT network not only promotes the charge transfer in corresponding HER process but also enhances the stability of the active sites in MoSx. This work demonstrates that ultrasonic spray pyrolysis is a reliable and versatile approach for synthesizing amorphous MoSx‐based HER catalysts.
What Is the Specificity of Classical Mathematics?
Authors: Priest Graham ,   Philosophy Documentation Center
Published: April 2017

This paper addresses the question of what is distinctive about classical mathematics. The answer given is that it depends on a certain notion of conditionality, which is best understood as telling us something about the structure of themathematics in question, and not something about the logical particle ‘if’.
Magnetic resonance relaxation induced by superparamagnetic particles used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging: a theoretical review
Authors: Vuong Quoc Lam , Gillis Pierre , Roch Alain , Gossuin Yves
Published: April 2017

Superparamagnetic nanoparticles are used as contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging and allow, for example, the detection of tumors or the tracking of stem cells in vivo. By producing magnetic inhomogeneities, they influence the nuclear magnetic relaxation times, which results in a darkening, on the image, of the region containing these particles. A great number of studies have been devoted to their magnetic properties, to their synthesis and to their influence on nuclear magnetic relaxation. The theoretical and fundamental understanding of the behavior of these particles is a necessary step in predicting their efficiency as contrast agents, or to be able to experimentally obtain some of their properties from a nuclear magnetic resonance measurement. Many relaxation models have been published, and choosing one of them is not always easy, many parameters and conditions have to be taken into account. Relaxation induced by superparamagnetic particles is generally attributed to an outersphere relaxation mechanism. Each model can only be used under specific conditions (motional averaging regime, static regime, high magnetic field, etc.) or for a particular sequence (Carr‐Purcell‐Meiboom‐Gill, spin echo, free‐induction decay, nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion profile, etc.). The parameters included in the equations must be carefully interpreted. In some more complex conditions, simulations are necessary to be able to predict the relaxation rates. A good agreement is usually observed between the theoretical predictions and the experimental results, although some data still cannot be fully understood, such as the dependence of the transverse relaxation on the magnetic field. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2017, 9:e1468. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1468

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Diagnostic Nanodevices

Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging
First Application of Newly Developed FT‐NIR Spectroscopic Methodology to Predict Authenticity of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Retail Products in the USA
Authors: Mossoba Magdi M. , Azizian Hormoz , Fardin‐Kia Ali Reza , Karunathilaka Sanjeewa R. , Kramer John K. G.
Published: April 2017

Economically motivated adulteration (EMA) of extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) has been a worldwide problem and a concern for government regulators for a long time. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is mandated to protect the US public against intentional adulteration of foods and has jurisdiction over deceptive label declarations. To detect EMA of olive oil and address food safety vulnerabilities, we used a previously developed rapid screening methodology to authenticate EVOO. For the first time, a recently developed FT‐NIR spectroscopic methodology in conjunction with partial least squares analysis was applied to commercial products labeled EVOO purchased in College Park, MD, USA to rapidly predict whether they are authentic, potentially mixed with refined olive oil (RO) or other vegetable oil(s), or are of lower quality. Of the 88 commercial products labeled EVOO that were assessed according to published specified ranges, 33 (37.5%) satisfied the three published FT‐NIR requirements identified for authentic EVOO products which included the purity test. This test was based on limits established for the contents of three potential adulterants, oils high in linoleic acid (OH‐LNA), oils high in oleic acid (OH‐OLA), palm olein (PO), and/or RO. The remaining 55 samples (62.5%) did not meet one or more of the criteria established for authentic EVOO. The breakdown of the 55 products was EVOO potentially mixed with OH‐LNA (25.5%), OH‐OLA (10.9%), PO (5.4%), RO (25.5%), or a combination of any of these four (32.7%). If assessments had been based strictly on whether the fatty acid composition was within the established ranges set by the International Olive Council (IOC), less than 10% would have been identified as non‐EVOO. These findings are significant not only because they were consistent with previously published data based on the results of two sensory panels that were accredited by IOC but more importantly each measurement/analysis was accomplished in less than 5 min.
Back to School: Racial and Gender Differences in Adults’ Participation in Formal Schooling, 1978–2013
Authors: Denice Patrick
Published: April 2017

Trends and gaps in educational attainment by race and gender have received much attention in recent years, but reports of these trends have generally focused on traditional-age college students. Little is known about whether and how enrollment in formal schooling among older adults (between 29 and 61 years old) has changed over time. In this article, I draw on Current Population Survey data from 1978 to 2013 to provide the most comprehensive analysis of trends in adults’ formal school enrollment by demographic group to date. Results indicate that adult black women in particular have seen relatively high growth rates in their enrollment. Black women were 85 % more likely to enroll in 2011 and 46 % more likely in 2013 than they were in 1978. Their growing advantage relative to other racial-gender groups owes largely to their increasing educational attainment rates overall, given the relationship between prior schooling and enrollment later in life. Taken together, this article’s findings suggest that adult enrollment is at once equalizing and disequalizing. On the one hand, it has the potential to narrow the gaps between those with some college experience and those with a four-year degree. On the other hand, patterns of adults’ participation in formal education are widening educational gaps between those with and without traditional-age college experience.
Learning at large conferences: from the ‘sage on the stage’ to contemporary models of learning
Authors: Torre Dario , Manca Annalisa , Durning Steven , Janczukowicz Janusz , Taylor David , Cleland Jennifer
Published: April 2017

Aim To explore and evaluate the affordances of a flipped classroom model applied to a research paper session within the professional development opportunity of a large conference setting.

Method Authors were invited to present their research papers in a flipped classroom presentation format at two large, multi-national conferences. Before the session, authors and moderators met online to clarify features of the session, and preparation of the material. The research material was then posted online before the conference, to allow access by meeting attendees. During the sessions, moderators encouraged the audience to actively participate. An evaluation form was collected from the audience at the end of each session.

Results Participants found the session valuable, and appreciated the opportunity to engage in a meaningful dialogue with colleagues. However, the majority of the audience did not access the materials in advance. Lack of time, or technology-related issues were mentioned as potential challenges to such format.

Conclusion In the context of a large conference, a ‘flipped session’ format can facilitate active learning and a participatory culture of inquiry. However, to change the nature of how individuals learn collaboratively at large conferences means a change in the culture of continuous professional learning.
Study of intra–inter species protein–protein interactions for potential drug targets identification and subsequent drug design for Escherichia coli O104:H4 C277-11
Authors: Mondal Shakhinur Islam , Mahmud Zabed , Elahi Montasir , Akter Arzuba , Jewel Nurnabi Azad , Muzahidul Islam Md. , Ferdous Sabiha , Kikuchi Taisei
Published: April 2017

Protein–protein interaction (PPI) and host–pathogen interactions (HPI) proteomic analysis has been successfully practiced for potential drug target identification in pathogenic infections. In this research, we attempted to identify new drug target based on PPI and HPI computation approaches and subsequently design new drug against devastating enterohemorrhagicEscherichia coliO104:H4 C277-11 (Broad), which causes life-threatening food borne disease outbreak in Germany and other countries in Europe in 2011. Our systematic in silico analysis on PPI and HPI ofE. coliO104:H4 was able to identify bacteriald-galactose-binding periplasmic and UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase as attractive candidates for new drug targets. Furthermore, computational three-dimensional structure modeling and subsequent molecular docking finally proposed [3-(5-Amino-7-Hydroxy-[1,2,3]Triazolo[4,5-d]Pyrimidin-2-Yl)-N-(3,5-Dichlorobenzyl)-Benzamide)] and (6-amino-2-[(1-naphthylmethyl)amino]-3,7-dihydro-8H-imidazo[4,5-g]quinazolin-8-one) as promising candidate drugs for further evaluation and development forE. coliO104:H4 mediated diseases. Identification of new drug target would be of great utility for humanity as the demand for designing new drugs to fight infections is increasing due to the developing resistance and side effects of current treatments. This research provided the basis for computer aided drug design which might be useful for new drug target identification and subsequent drug design for other infectious organisms.
Factors associated with response after deep transcranial magnetic stimulation in a real-world clinical setting: Results from the first 40 cases of treatment-resistant depression
Authors: Feffer K. , Lapidus K.A.B. , Braw Y. , Bloch Y. , Kron S. , Netzer R. , Nitzan U.
Published: April 2017

Background:

Deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS) has been sanctioned by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treatment-resistant depression. In a retrospective cohort study, we evaluated response and effectiveness of dTMS in real-world practice, as an add-on treatment for resistant depression.

Methods:

Forty adult outpatients suffering from depression, all taking psychiatric medications, underwent 20 dTMS treatments over a 4–6 week period. At baseline (T0), visit 10 (T1), and visit 20 (T2), the Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scale was administered, and the Clinical Global Impression Improvement (CGI-I) scale was completed at T1 and T2; the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-21) was administrated at T0 and T2 only. The patients also completed the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms–Self-Report (QIDS-SR) at T0, T1, and T2.

Results:

Depressive symptoms (HDRS-21 total score) decreased significantly following treatment. The HDRS total score decreased from an average of 21.22 (± 6.09) at T0, to 13.95 (± 7.24) at T2. Correspondingly, at T2, 32.5% were responders to the treatment and 20% were in remission, based on the HDRS-21. Treatment was well tolerated, with a discontinuation rate of 7.5%. While depressive symptoms at baseline did not predict remission/response at T2, higher HDRS scores at T0 were associated with a larger decrease in depressive symptoms during the study.

Conclusions:

Significant antidepressant effects were seen following 20 dTMS treatments, given as augmentation to ongoing medications in treatment-resistant depression. The findings suggest that among patients with TRD, the severity of the depressive episode (and not necessarily the number of failed antidepressant medication trials) is associated with a positive therapeutic effect of dTMS. Hence, the initial severity of the depressive episode may guide clinicians in referring patients for dTMS.
An ASEAN Framework for Cross-Border Cooperation in Financial Consumer Dispute Resolution
Authors: CHEN Vivien , GODWIN Andrew , RAMSAY Ian
Published: April 2017

The increasing integration of regional markets in Southeast Asia has led to the need for a regional framework for financial consumer protection. Access to affordable redress mechanisms is essential for consumer confidence in ASEAN’s burgeoning regional financial markets. Drawing on established channels of regional cooperation among ASEAN Member States, this article proposes a framework based on international best practices and existing financial consumer dispute resolution mechanisms in ASEAN 5 countries. It explores the need for cross-border cooperation to facilitate the effective resolution of financial consumer disputes arising from cross-border transactions. Key proposals include requiring ASEAN CIS passport operators to submit to the jurisdiction of host country financial consumer alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. The ASEAN Committee on Consumer Protection, with its contact points in each Member State and website on available consumer redress mechanisms across ASEAN, provides a platform for the strengthening of cross-border cooperation and facilitating financial consumer access to affordable redress in cross-border transactions.
The Responsibilities and Role of Business in Relation to Society: Back to Basics?
Authors: Hsieh Nien-hê
Published: April 2017

In this address, I outline a “back to basics” approach to specifying the responsibilities and role of business in relation to society. Three “basics” comprise the approach. The first is arguing that basic principles of ordinary morality, such as a duty not to harm, provide an adequate basis for specifying the responsibilities of business managers. The second is framing the role of business in society by looking to the values realized by the basic building blocks of contemporary economic activity, i.e., markets and firms. The third is making explicit the basic institutions that structure the background against which business operates. The aim is to develop a plausible framework for managerial decision making that respects the fact of value pluralism in a global economy and that fosters meaningful criticism of current business practices while remaining sufficiently grounded in contemporary circumstances so as to be relevant for managers.
Judicial Review and American Conservatism
Authors: Rubin Robert Daniel
Published: April 2017

The Christian Right of the 1980s forged its political identity largely in response to what it perceived as liberal 'judicial activism'. Robert Daniel Rubin tells this story as it played out in Mobile, Alabama. There, a community conflict pitted a group of conservative evangelicals, a sympathetic federal judge, and a handful of conservative intellectuals against a religious agnostic opposed to prayer in schools, and a school system accused of promoting a religion called 'secular humanism'. The twists in the Mobile conflict speak to the changes and continuities that marked the relationship of 1980s' religious conservatism to democracy, the courts, and the Constitution. By alternately focusing its gaze on the local conflict and related events in Washington, DC, this book weaves a captivating narrative. Historians, political scientists, and constitutional lawyers will find, in Rubin's study, a challenging new perspective on the history of the Christian Right in the United States.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training of High-Risk Teens in the Community of Watts, South Los Angeles, 2013–2014
Authors: Ossey Shamika , Sylvers Sharon , Oksuzyan Sona , Smith Lisa V , Frye Douglas , Family Leila , Scott Jannah , King Jan B
Published: April 2017

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept was initially developed for adult members of the community to help prepare for disasters and minimize damage when disasters occur. CERTs also served as a tool for building community capacity and self-sufficiency by supporting a diverse group of people working together in dealing with challenges affecting their communities. The novel approach to CERTs described here sought to involve high-risk youth from low-socioeconomic status communities in CERTs and first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to help them build ties with communities, stay off the streets, and become leaders in the community. It also helped to provide different perspectives on life, while building more resilient communities better prepared to minimize damage when a disaster strikes. After the successful launch of the first high-risk teen CERT cohort in Watts (27 CERT-trained and 14 first aid/CPR-trained), the project was expanded to other community groups and organizations. Seven additional cohorts underwent CERT and first aid/CPR training in 2013 through 2014. This initiative increased CERT visibility within South Los Angeles. New partnerships were developed between governmental, nongovernmental, and community-based organizations and groups. This model can be used to expand CERT programs to other communities and organizations by involving high-risk teens or other high-risk groups in CERT training. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:605–609)
School-Based Disaster Recovery: Promotion of Children’s Mental Health Over the Long Haul
Authors: Peacock-Chambers Elizabeth , del Canto Pilar , Ahlers Douglas , Valdivia Peralta Mario , Palfrey Judith
Published: April 2017

The February 2010 earthquake and tsunamis destroyed 80% of the coastal town of Dichato, Chile, displacing over 400 families for nearly 4 years. The coalition Recupera Chile (RC) participated in the town’s integrated recovery process from January 2011 to the present with a focus on children’s mental health. The multidisciplinary RC coalition emphasized community-led post-disaster recovery, economic capacity rebuilding, and community health promotion (www.recuperachile.org). RC’s child health team fostered partnerships between the local elementary school, health clinic, Universidad de Concepcion, and Boston Children’s Hospital. The team responded to priorities identified by the town with a three-pronged approach of (1) case management, (2) resource development, and (3) monitoring and evaluation. This work resulted in the development of a model school-based program: La Escuela Basada en Realidad, which encompassed (1) health and mental health, (2) language and literacy, and (3) love of the sea. Post-disaster programs targeting mental health require a multi-year approach that extends beyond the completion of the physical reconstruction. Recovery is an organic process that cannot be prescripted and depends on solutions that emerge from the community. Finally, partnerships between schools and universities can foster resiliency and sustainability of programs for children and families. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:633–636)
Analysis of Multidrug-Resistant Organism Susceptibility to Chlorhexidine Under Usual Clinical Care
Authors: Musuuza Jackson S. , Sethi Ajay K. , Roberts Tonya J. , Safdar Nasia
Published: April 2017

Increasing use of daily chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing can potentially lead to selection for organisms with reduced susceptibility to CHG, limiting the utility of CHG. We examined reduced susceptibility to CHG of fluoroquinolone-resistant gram-negative bacilli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus. No evidence suggested reduced susceptibility to CHG.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:729–731
Identifying Opportunities to Improve Guideline-Concordant Antibiotic Prescribing in Veterans with Acute Respiratory Infections or Cystitis
Authors: Meyer Hayley E. , Lund Brian C. , Heintz Brett H. , Alexander Bruce , Egge Jason A. , Livorsi Daniel J.
Published: April 2017

We investigated the frequency and determinants of guideline-discordant antibiotic prescribing in outpatients with respiratory infections or cystitis. Antibiotic prescribing was guideline discordant in 60% of patients. The most common reason for discordance was prescribing an antibiotic when not indicated. In a multivariate analysis, physicians in training had the highest likelihood of guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:724–728
Modifiable Risk Factors for the Spread of Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase-Producing Enterobacteriaceae Among Long-Term Acute-Care Hospital Patients
Authors: Okamoto Koh , Lin Michael Y. , Haverkate Manon , Lolans Karen , Moore Nicholas M. , Weiner Shayna , Lyles Rosie D. , Blom Donald , Rhee Yoona , Kemble Sarah , Fogg Louis , Hines David W. , Weinstein Robert A. , Hayden Mary K.
Published: April 2017

OBJECTIVE

To identify modifiable risk factors for acquisition ofKlebsiella pneumoniaecarbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (KPC) colonization among long-term acute-care hospital (LTACH) patients.

DESIGN

Multicenter, matched case-control study.

SETTING

Four LTACHs in Chicago, Illinois.

PARTICIPANTS

Each case patient included in this study had a KPC-negative rectal surveillance culture on admission followed by a KPC-positive surveillance culture later in the hospital stay. Each matched control patient had a KPC-negative rectal surveillance culture on admission and no KPC isolated during the hospital stay.

RESULTS

From June 2012 to June 2013, 2,575 patients were admitted to 4 LTACHs; 217 of 2,144 KPC-negative patients (10.1%) acquired KPC. In total, 100 of these patients were selected at random and matched to 100 controls by LTACH facility, admission date, and censored length of stay. Acquisitions occurred a median of 16.5 days after admission. On multivariate analysis, we found that exposure to higher colonization pressure (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.01–1.04;P=.002), exposure to a carbapenem (OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.06–4.77;P=.04), and higher Charlson comorbidity index (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.01–1.29;P=.04) were independent risk factors for KPC acquisition; the odds of KPC acquisition increased by 2% for each 1% increase in colonization pressure.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher colonization pressure, exposure to carbapenems, and a higher Charlson comorbidity index independently increased the odds of KPC acquisition among LTACH patients. Reducing colonization pressure (through separation of KPC-positive patients from KPC-negative patients using strict cohorts or private rooms) and reducing carbapenem exposure may prevent KPC cross transmission in this high-risk patient population.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2017;38:670–677
Preemergence Control of Nine Invasive Weeds with Aminocyclopyrachlor, Aminopyralid, and Indaziflam
Authors: Sebastian Derek J. , Nissen Scott J. , Sebastian James R. , Meiman Paul J. , Beck K. George
Published: April 2017

There are an estimated 400 million hectares of non-cropland in the United States primarily designated as rangeland and pastureland, and there are more than 300 invasive weeds found on these sites, causing an estimated annual loss of $5 billion. Among the most invasive and problematic weeds are Dalmatian toadflax, diffuse knapweed, downy brome, and musk thistle. Currently, herbicides are the most common management strategy for broadleaf weeds and invasive winter annual grasses. Indaziflam, a new herbicide for invasive plant management in non-crop areas, is a cellulose-biosynthesis inhibitor capable of providing residual invasive winter annual grass control up to 3 yr after treatment (YAT). A field experiment was conducted to determine whether residual Dalmatian toadflax and downy brome control by aminocyclopyrachlor, imazapic, and picloram could be extended by tank mixing these herbicides with indaziflam. Indaziflam tank mixed with aminocyclopyrachlor, imazapic, and picloram provided increased Dalmatian toadflax (84% to 91%) and downy brome (89% to 94%) control 4 YAT, compared with treatments excluding indaziflam. Treatments without indaziflam controlled 50% to 68% of Dalmatian toadflax and <25% downy brome 4 YAT. Based on these results, a greenhouse dose–response experiment was conducted with aminocyclopyrachlor, aminopyralid, and indaziflam to compare preemergence control of nine common non-crop weeds. Averaged across species, aminocyclopyrachlor and aminopyralid GR50values (herbicide concentration resulting in 50% reduction in plant biomass) were 29 and 52 times higher compared with indaziflam, respectively. These data suggest that indaziflam could be used for residual control of non-crop weeds as a tank-mix partner with other foliar-applied broadleaf herbicides.
WHOSE WORLD, WHICH LAW?
Authors: Hays Richard B.
Published: April 2017

This essay was presented as the 2015 McDonald Distinguished Scholar Lecture at the Center for the Study of Law and Religion, Emory University.
The Importance of Stability in the Midst of Change: The Benefits of Consistent Values to Strategic Implementation
Authors: Moss Simon A. , Butar Butar Ivan , Hartel Charmine E. J. , Hirst Giles , Craner Michael
Published: April 2017

Many hurdles, such as inadequate resources, impede the execution of strategies in organizations. These problems could partly be ascribed to the tendency of individuals to feel, in the midst of change, their identity could shift dramatically. Their activities now, therefore, may not seem meaningful to their future. In this state, people become more concerned about their immediate needs, withholding the effort needed to affect future change. Leaders who promote stable, consistent values over time might redress this concern. To assess this possibility, 208 senior managers completed a questionnaire that assesses consistency of values over time, a sense of meaning at work, hurdles that impede the execution of strategy, and firm performance. Consistent with the hypotheses, consistent values over time were positively associated with firm performance, and these relationships were mediated by meaning at work and hurdles that impede strategy. A qualitative study showed that managers utilize many approaches to foster this consistency of values. Specifically, they communicate their strategic plan regularly, redress misalignments between values and practice, encourage the participation of all departments equally, and seek the active support of senior management-all intended to show how perturbations in the organization align to an overarching, enduring vision.
Citizens United: A Theoretical Evaluation
Authors: Prato Carlo , Wolton Stephane
Published: April 2017

The 2010 US Supreme Court’s decision on Citizens United v. Federal Electoral Commission lifted restrictions on the funding by unions and corporations of groups engaging in independent political advertising (outside spending). Many have criticized the majority opinion’s premise that outside spending cannot corrupt or distort the electoral process. Fewer have examined the implications of this decision under the Court’s assumptions. Using a game-theoretic model of electoral competition, we show that informative outside spending by a group whose policy preferences are partially aligned with the electorate may reduce voter welfare. This negative effect is more likely when policy information is highly valuable for the electorate or congruence between the group and voters is high. We further show that the regulatory environment produced by the Court’s decision is always suboptimal: the electorate would be better off if either groups were allowed to coordinated with candidates or if outside spending was banned altogether.
Digital futures and analogue pasts? Citizenship and ethnicity in techno-utopian Kenya
Authors: Poggiali Lisa
Published: April 2017

In this article, I explore how digital technologies in Kenya emerged as a site through which questions of citizenship were posed – if not resolved – at a moment of national crisis. I draw attention, specifically, to the ways in which developers, bloggers and state actors mobilized techno-utopian narratives about Kenya's ‘Silicon Savannah’ to advocate for what I call ‘digital citizenship’, an ethical blueprint for how best to belong to the nation. While social scientists writing about ICT in Africa have focused primarily on Africans’ novel uses of objects such as mobile phones, I contribute to this conversation by interrogating how digital technologies have been mobilized as an idiom to both challenge and perpetuate social cleavages of ethnicity and class. ‘Digital citizenship’, I suggest, compels us to revisit debates about (post)colonial history, ideologies that undergird digitality, and the formation of local, national and transnational scales of belonging.
Reconfiguring migration: an introduction
Authors: Thorsen Dorte
Published: April 2017

Mobility patterns in Africa are changing. They never were fixed, but they have been embedded for centuries in the policy regimes regulating local, regional and global economies. However, currently, the intersection of global politics of securitization and African everyday politics governed by inequality, disenchantment, survival and aspiration has accelerated changes. This themed section is concerned with the social effects of these changes as Africans struggle to attain their goals, whether they are migrants or not.
Why aspiring migrants trust migration brokers: the moral economy of departure in Anglophone Cameroon
Authors: Alpes Maybritt Jill
Published: April 2017

In the face of restrictive migration policies, migration brokers in emigration countries sell services that are meant to facilitate departure projects. Not all aspiring migrants who give money to migration brokers are able to travel. This article asks how aspiring migrants in Anglophone Cameroon understand and deal with the potential for deceit by migration brokers. The analysis is based on sixteen months of fieldwork conducted between 2007 and 2013, predominantly in the town of Buea. By studying the social effects of European migration management through the lens of norms and values in a place of departure, the article argues that migration brokers cannot be understood exclusively as actors who are instrumental for the realization of migration trajectories. In a context where European migration management frustrates aspirations for global citizenship, migration brokers are also dealers in hopes for global belonging. Relations of trust between brokers and aspiring migrants are articulated through local terms such as ‘dokimen’, ‘feymen’ and ‘big men’. The article's two case studies examine relations between migration brokers and aspiring migrants within a broad social framework that includes family dynamics, as well as with a temporal perspective that stretches beyond the initial moment of failed departure.
From sickness to history: evil spirits, memory and responsibility in an Ethiopian market village
Authors: Boylston Tom
Published: April 2017

This article discusses contemporary anxieties aboutbudaspirit attacks around a marketplace in Amhara region, Ethiopia. It asks how we get from the immediate experience of abudaattack – an emotionally intense scene of sickness, fear and uncertainty – to a reflexive situation in whichbudabecomes a vehicle for discussing and understanding deep historic concerns about market exchange. I make two main arguments: first, that apparent connections between spiritual attack and the spread of capitalism in fact reflect a deeper-lying opposition, on the part of landed elites, between moral hospitality and immoral exchange. Second, I show how this historical consciousness develops from processes of verification and questioning through which immediate experiences of sickness and fear become interpretable asbudaattacks associated with particular human agents and historical relationships. It is only by following this local epistemological work that we can understand how spirits become identifiable as historical agents within a web of other social relations.
Number of attacks by Trichogramma dendrolimi (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) affects the successful parasitism of Ostrinia furnacalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) eggs
Authors: Huang J. , Hua H.-Q. , Wang L.-Y. , Zhang F. , Li Y.-X
Published: April 2017

In laboratories, the parasitism rate of Ostrinia furnacalis (Güenée) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) eggs by Trichogramma dendrolimi Matsumura (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) is low; however, efforts to control O. furnacalis with T. dendrolimi in the field have been successful. In this study, the effects of the number of attacks by T. dendrolimi against O. furnacalis eggs and diet of O. furnacalis larva on wasp development were investigated. The results indicated that more attacks increased significantly not only the successful parasitism rate of O. furnacalis eggs by T. dendrolimi, but also the percentage of host eggs that failed to develop into either O. furnacalis larvae or T. dendrolimi. Both the size and female proportion of T. dendrolimi offspring decreased as the number of attacks increased. The number of T. dendrolimi eggs laid in per host egg increased significantly as the ratio of wasps to host eggs increased from 1:5 to 3:5. Host diet also significantly affected the developmental time of immaturity and the emergence rate of adults of T. dendrolimi. These results illustrate how inundative releases of T. dendrolimi can successfully control O. furnacalis despite the fact that pest parasitism by the subsequent wasp generation decreases sharply in the field. The suitability of O. furnacalis eggs to T. dendrolimi and the superparasitism effects on offspring of T. dendrolimi are discussed.
Journal Publishing and Marketing in an Age of Digital Media, Open Access and Impact Factors
Authors: Marland Alex
Published: April 2017

Worldwide, the publishing industry has been compelled to change with digital media technology, and some traditional academic journals are struggling to adapt. This article examines the marketing and publicity actions available to theCanadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politiqueand similar flagship journals in an environment characterized by open access (OA) and impact factor (IF) metrics. It reviews the opportunities and threats presented by a movement towards publishing in ungated forums and pressure in the academic community to prioritize bibliometrics. It then looks at the experience, characteristics and comparative position of theJournal/Revuebefore reporting on perceptions and recommendations drawn from depth interviews with journal editors, presidents of the Canadian Political Science Association, and a university librarian, which are supplemented by suggestions from editorial board members. It concludes with proposals to address these circumstances head on, many of which are generalizable to other journals wrestling with marketing and publishing in the digital age.
Canada and/in the World
Authors: Dolata Petra
Published: April 2017

Canada and/in the World is a broad topic that has produced a wide range of diverse publications in the twenty-first century, not only in political science but also in history and other neighbouring disciplines. What they all share is an interest in investigating how Canada, either as a state, a polity, a society, a culture or an idea, intersects with and is part of the international. Yet, along this spectrum we find literature spanning from problem-solving to critical—to use Robert Cox's distinction (1986)—as well as from heavily empirical and policy relevant to theoretically informed. Some works aim to explain, some to facilitate understanding and others to challenge and deconstruct. Thus, while there might be a traditional core of positivist writing centring on liberal internationalism and to a lesser extent (neo)realism, which some claim can be condensed into a list of “the ten most important books on Canadian foreign policy” (Kirton, 2009), there are also strong critical voices that challenge core assumptions about how we conceptualize and examine Canada and/in the world.
Research Openness in Canadian Political Science: Toward an Inclusive and Differentiated Discussion
Authors: Johnson Genevieve Fuji , Pickup Mark , de Rooij Eline A. , Léger Rémi
Published: April 2017

In this paper, we initiate a discussion within the Canadian political science community about research openness and its implications for our discipline. This discussion is important because the Tri-Agency has recently released guidelines on data management and because a number of political science journals, from several subfields, have signed the Journal Editors’ Transparency Statement requiring data access and research transparency (DA-RT). As norms regarding research openness develop, an increasing number and range of journals and funding agencies may begin to implement DA-RT-type requirements. If Canadian political scientists wish to continue to participate in the global political science community, we must take careful note of and be proactive participants in the ongoing developments concerning research openness.
The Evolution of Methodological Techniques in theCanadian Journal of Political Science
Authors: Héroux-Legault Maxime
Published: April 2017

The article makes three contributions to our knowledge of the Canadian political science literature. First, it offers a historical survey of the methodologies and techniques used in the discipline. Second, the findings of this paper constitute a reference for future work interested in commenting the methods and techniques used inCJPSand provide scholars with data they can use to better situate their work within the broader literature. Finally, the paper answers three questions that permeate discussions of the Canadian political science literature. It investigates whether the proportion of qualitative works has declined over time, whether Canadian scholarship is more qualitative than quantitative today and whether there are important differences in the methodologies and techniques used in Canada and in the United States. The article concludes with a discussion of the future of political science methodology based on the findings.