bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association Between Early Life Growth and Blood Pressure Trajectories in Black South African Children
Authors: Kagura Juliana , Adair Linda S. , Munthali Richard J. , Pettifor John M. , Norris Shane A.
Published: September 2016

Early growth is associated with blood pressure measured on one occasion, but whether early life growth patterns are associated with longitudinal blood pressure trajectories is under-researched. Therefore, we sought to examine the association between early growth and blood pressure trajectories from childhood to adulthood. Blood pressure was measured on 7 occasions between ages 5 and 18 years in the Birth to Twenty cohort study, and conditional variables for growth in infancy and mid-childhood were computed from anthropometric measures (n=1937, 52% girls). We used a group-based trajectory modeling approach to identify distinct height-adjusted blood pressure trajectories and then tested their association with growth between birth and mid-childhood adjusting for several covariates. Three trajectory groups were identified for systolic and diastolic blood pressure: lower, middle, and upper in boys and girls, separately. In boys, predictors of the middle or upper systolic blood pressure trajectories versus the lower trajectory were in birth weight (odds ratio 0.75 [95% confidence interval 0.58–0.96] per SD) and relative weight gain in infancy (4.11 [1.25–13.51] per SD). In girls, greater relative weight gain and linear growth in both infancy and mid-childhood were consistently associated with an almost 2-fold higher likelihood of being in the upper versus lower systolic blood pressure trajectory. The associations for the diastolic blood pressure trajectories were inconsistent. These findings emphasize the importance of identifying children at risk of progression to high blood pressure. Accelerated growth in infancy and mid-childhood may be a key target for early life intervention in prevention of elevated blood pressure progression.
Role of Early Repolarization Pattern in Increasing Risk of Death
Authors: Cheng Yun‐Jiu , Lin Xiao‐Xiong , Ji Cheng‐Cheng , Chen Xu‐Miao , Liu Li‐Juan , Tang Kai , Wu Su‐Hua
Published: September 2016

Background

An early repolarization pattern (
ERP
) has been hypothesized to be arrhythmogenic in experimental studies, but the prognostic significance of the
ERP
in the general population is controversial. We performed a meta‐analysis to examine the link between
ERP
and the risk of sudden cardiac arrest (
SCA
), cardiac death, and death from any cause.

Methods and Results

We performed a literature search using
MEDLINE
(January 1, 1966 to July 31, 2015) and
EMBASE
(January 1, 1980 to July 31, 2015) with no restrictions. Studies that reported relative risk (
RR
) estimates with 95% confidence intervals (
CI
s) for the associations of interest were included. Sixteen studies involving 334 524 subjects were identified. Compared with those without
ERP
, subjects with
ERP
experienced significantly increased risk for developing
SCA
(
RR
2.18; 95%
CI
1.29–3.68), cardiac death (
RR
1.48; 95%
CI
1.06–2.07), and death from any cause (
RR
1.21; 95%
CI
1.02–1.42), respectively. The increased risk was present predominantly in Asians and whites but not in African Americans.
ERP
with J‐point elevation in inferior leads, notching configuration, and horizontal or descending
ST
segment connote higher risk.
ERP
was associated with an absolute risk increase of 139.6 (95%
CI
130.3–149.3) additional
SCA
s per 100 000 person‐years and responsible for 7.3% (95%
CI
1.9–15.2) of
SCA
in the general population.

Conclusions

ERP
is associated with significant increased risk for
SCA
, cardiac death, and death from any cause. Future studies should focus on understanding the exact mechanisms for the arrhythmia risk and developing reliable tools for risk stratification.
Effect of Late Gadolinium Enhancement on the Recovery of Left Ventricular Systolic Function After Pulmonary Vein Isolation
Authors: Addison Daniel , Farhad Hoshang , Shah Ravi V. , Mayrhofer Thomas , Abbasi Siddique A. , John Roy M. , Michaud Gregory F. , Jerosch‐Herold Michael , Hoffmann Udo , Stevenson William G. , Kwong Raymond Y. , Neilan Tomas G.
Published: September 2016

Background

The factors that predict recovery of left ventricular (
LV
) systolic dysfunction among patients with atrial fibrillation (
AF
) are not completely understood. Late gadolinium enhancement (
LGE
) of the
LV
has been reported among patients with
AF
, and we aimed to test whether the presence
LGE
was associated with subsequent recovery of
LV
systolic function among patients with
AF
and
LV
dysfunction.

Methods and Results

From a registry of 720 consecutive patients undergoing a cardiac magnetic resonance study prior to pulmonary vein isolation (
PVI
), patients with
LV
systolic dysfunction (ejection fraction [
EF
] <50%) were identified. The primary outcome was recovery of
LVEF
defined as an
EF
>50%; a secondary outcome was a combined outcome of subsequent heart failure (
HF
), admission, and death. Of 720 patients, 172 (24%) had an
LVEF
of <50% prior to
PVI
. The mean
LVEF
pre‐
PVI
was 41±6% (median 43%, range 20% to 49%). Forty‐three patients (25%) had
LGE
(25 [58%] ischemic), and the extent of
LGE
was 7.5±4% (2% to 19%). During follow‐up (mean 42 months), 91 patients (53%) had recovery of
LVEF
, 68 (40%) had early recurrence of
AF
, 65 (38%) had late
AF
, 18 (5%) were admitted for
HF
, and 23 died (13%). Factors associated with nonrecovery of
LVEF
were older age, history of myocardial infarction, early
AF
recurrence, late
AF
recurrence, and
LGE
. In a multivariable model, the presence of
LGE
and any recurrence of
AF
had the strongest association with persistence of
LV
dysfunction. Additionally, all patients without recurrence of
AF
and
LGE
had normalization of
LVEF
, and recovery of
LVEF
was associated with reduced
HF
admissions and death.

Conclusions

In patients with
AF
and
LV
dysfunction undergoing
PVI
, the absence of
LGE
and
AF
recurrence are predictors of
LVEF
recovery and
LVEF
recovery in
AF
with associated reduction in subsequent death and heart failure.
Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Regulates Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Myocardial Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Hurt Carl M. , Lu Yao , M. Stary Creed , Piplani Honit , Small Bryce A. , Urban Travis J. , Qvit Nir , Gross Garrett J. , Mochly‐Rosen Daria , Gross Eric R.
Published: September 2016

Background

The transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (
TRPV
1) mediates cellular responses to pain, heat, or noxious stimuli by calcium influx; however, the cellular localization and function of
TRPV
1 in the cardiomyocyte is largely unknown. We studied whether myocardial injury is regulated by
TRPV
1 and whether we could mitigate reperfusion injury by limiting the calcineurin interaction with
TRPV
1.

Methods and Results

In primary cardiomyocytes, confocal and electron microscopy demonstrates that
TRPV
1 is localized to the mitochondria. Capsaicin, the specific
TRPV
1 agonist, dose‐dependently reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and was blocked by the
TRPV
1 antagonist capsazepine or the calcineurin inhibitor cyclosporine. Using in silico analysis, we discovered an interaction site for
TRPV
1 with calcineurin. We synthesized a peptide, V1‐cal, to inhibit the interaction between
TRPV
1 and calcineurin. In an in vivo rat myocardial infarction model, V1‐cal given just prior to reperfusion substantially mitigated myocardial infarct size compared with vehicle, capsaicin, or cyclosporine (24±3% versus 61±2%, 45±1%, and 49±2%, respectively; n=6 per group;
P
<0.01 versus all groups). Infarct size reduction by V1‐cal was also not seen in
TRPV
1 knockout rats.

Conclusions

TRPV
1 is localized at the mitochondria in cardiomyocytes and regulates mitochondrial membrane potential through an interaction with calcineurin. We developed a novel therapeutic, V1‐cal, that substantially reduces reperfusion injury by inhibiting the interaction of calcineurin with
TRPV
1. These data suggest that
TRPV
1 is an end‐effector of cardioprotection and that modulating the
TRPV
1 protein interaction with calcineurin limits reperfusion injury.
Cholera, Health for All, Nation-Building, and Racial Degeneration in Nineteenth-Century Romania
Authors: Cotoi Calin
Published: September 2016

The emergence of social modernity in the Romanian principalities can be traced to the founding of quarantinist outposts against the last waves of plague and the first waves of cholera. The crisis of this sanitary arrangement opened the way for a series of failed but productive projects of modernization. The collective political body was imagined and created through the nationalization of the medical profession and the attempts to create a sanitary social body. The failure to connect urban and rural bodies inside a democratic all-embracing network opened up spaces for discourses questioning the identity of the collective body. Was there a “Romanian element”? What did that mean and was it degenerating? Demographic anti-Semitism and the first attempts to think of socioeconomic and sanitary failures in terms of racial degeneracy emerged from the fissures of the national sanitary system. Bacteriology was able to partially absorb these critiques and propose a larger interventionist project in the space opened by the old-style sanitary police.
Nepenthes parvula (Nepenthaceae), a new species from Cape York, Queensland, Australia
Authors: WILSON GARY W. , VENTER STEPHANUS
Published: September 2016

A new species, Nepenthes parvula (Nepenthaceae), is described from Cape York Peninsula, Queensland, Australia. The species is regarded as new based on the overall small stature, small mature pitchers and the old leaves with pitchers that are retained, distinct fine-scale morphological characteristics, and discrete habitat occupied.
Reconsideration of the genera Merogomphus Martin, 1904, and Anisogomphus Selys, 1857, including erection of a new genus, with a new species and discussion of additional specimens from Cambodia
Authors: KOSTERIN OLEG E.
Published: September 2016

In the current sense, Merogomphus Martin, 1904, is an artificial genus. It includes two unrelated groups of species: those with lyrate cerci with or without an outer spine and those with simple cerci, plus two species with large and broad epiproct branches placed in Merogomphus obviously in error. At the same time a number of species similar and obviously related to the former group were described from China in the genus Anisogomphus Selys, 1857. To resolve this taxonomic tangle, the genus Merogomphus is restricted to include only species with lyrate cerci: M pavici (Martin, 1904) (the type species), M. longistigmus (Fraser, 1922), M. vandykei (Needham, 1930), M. femoralis (Laidlaw, 1931), M. vespertinus (Chao, 1999) and M. torpens (Needham, 1930). A new genus Euthygomphus (type species: Leptogomphus martini Fraser, 1922) is erected to contain species with simple cerci and moderately divergent epiproct branches, formerly attributed to either Merogomphus or Anisogomphus: Euthygomphus parvus (Krüger, 1899) comb. nov., E. martini (Fraser, 1922) comb. nov., E. koxingai Chao, 1954 comb. nov., E. chaoi Liu 1991 comb. nov., E. jinggangshanus Liu, 1991 comb. nov., E. yunnanensis Zhou et Wu, 1992 comb. nov. Euthygomphus schorri  Kosterin, 2016, sp. nov. is described (type locality: Cambodia, Mondulkiri Province, 3.5–3.8 km ESE of Sen Monorom, holotype in RMNH), A new synonymy Merogomphus chaoi Yang & Davies, 1993 = Anisogomphus pinratani Hämäläinen, 1991, and a new combination Anisogomphus tamdaoensis (Karube, 2001) comb. nov. are proposed. The published records of ‘Merogomphus parvus’ from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Vietnam are reidentified as E. yunnanensis, and new records and illustrations of this species from Cambodia are provided.
Notes on west Palaearctic species of the genus Trigonurus Mulsant, 1847 (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Trigonurinae)
Authors: HLAVÁČ PETER , KOCIAN MATÚŠ
Published: September 2016

The subfamily Trigonurinae Reiche, 1866 is a monogeneric subfamily of the large family Staphylinidae with an Holarctic distribution. The genus was the subject of a revision (Blackwelder, 1941). Seven species are known from northern America (Blackwelder, 1941; Herman, 2001), two species from the western Palaearctic and two, recently described species from China (Schülke & Smetana, 2015; Kishimoto, 2000; Schülke, 2006).
Impact of Removing Covariance Localization in an Ensemble Kalman Filter: Experiments with 10 240 Members Using an Intermediate AGCM
Authors: Kondo Keiichi , Miyoshi Takemasa
Published: September 2016

The ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) with high-dimensional geophysical systems usually employs up to 100 ensemble members and requires covariance localization to reduce the sampling error in the forecast error covariance between distant locations. The authors’ previous work pioneered implementation of an EnKF with a large ensemble of up to 10 240 members, but this method required application of a relatively broad covariance localization to avoid memory overflow. This study modified the EnKF code to save memory and enabled for the first time the removal of completely covariance localization with an intermediate AGCM. Using the large sample size, this study aims to investigate the analysis and forecast accuracy, as well as the impact of covariance localization when the sampling error is small. A series of 60-day data assimilation cycle experiments with different localization scales are performed under the perfect model scenario to investigate the pure impact of covariance localization. The results show that the analysis and 7-day forecasts are much improved by removing covariance localization and that the long-range covariance between distant locations plays a key role. The eigenvectors of the background error covariance matrix based on the 10 240 ensemble members are explicitly computed and reveal long-range structures.
Improved Gridded Wind Speed Forecasts by Statistical Postprocessing of Numerical Models with Block Regression
Authors: Zamo Michaël , Bel Liliane , Mestre Olivier , Stein Joël
Published: September 2016

Numerical weather forecast errors are routinely corrected through statistical postprocessing by several national weather services. These statistical postprocessing methods build a regression function called model output statistics (MOS) between observations and forecasts that is based on an archive of past forecasts and associated observations. Because of limited spatial coverage of most near-surface parameter measurements, MOS have been historically produced only at meteorological station locations. Nevertheless, forecasters and forecast users increasingly ask for improved gridded forecasts. The present work aims at building improved hourly wind speed forecasts over the grid of a numerical weather prediction model. First, a new observational analysis, which performs better in terms of statistical scores than those operationally used at Météo-France, is described as gridded pseudo-observations. This analysis, which is obtained by using an interpolation strategy that was selected among other alternative strategies after an intercomparison study conducted internally at Météo-France, is very parsimonious since it requires only two additive components, and it requires little computational resources. Then, several scalar regression methods are built and compared, using the new analysis as the observation. The most efficient MOS is based on random forests trained on blocks of nearby grid points. This method greatly improves forecasts compared with raw output of numerical weather prediction models. Furthermore, building each random forest on blocks and limiting those forests to shallow trees does not impair performance compared with unpruned and pointwise random forests. This alleviates the storage burden of the objects and speeds up operations.
Prediction of the Ultraviolet–Visible Absorption Spectra of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (Dibenzo and Naphtho) Derivatives of Fluoranthene
Authors: Oña-Ruales Jorge O. , Ruiz-Morales Yosadara
Published: September 2016

The annellation theory method has been used to predict the locations of maximum absorbance (LMA) of the ultraviolet–visible (UV-Vis) spectral bands in the group of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) C24H14 (dibenzo and naphtho) derivatives of fluoranthene (DBNFl). In this group of 21 PAHs, ten PAHs present a sextet migration pattern with four or more benzenoid rings that is potentially related to a high molecular reactivity and high mutagenic conduct. This is the first time that the locations of maximum absorbance in the UV-Vis spectra of naphth[1,2- a]aceanthrylene, dibenz[ a,l]aceanthrylene, indeno[1,2,3- de]naphthacene, naphtho[1,2- j]fluoranthene, naphth[2,1- e]acephenanthrylene, naphth[2,1- a]aceanthrylene, dibenz[ a,j]aceanthrylene, naphth[1,2- e]acephenanthrylene, and naphtho[2,1- j]fluoranthene have been predicted. Also, this represents the first report about the application of the annellation theory for the calculation of the locations of maximum absorbance in the UV-Vis spectra of PAHs with five-membered rings. Furthermore, this study constitutes the premier investigation beyond the pure benzenoid classical approach toward the establishment of a generalized annellation theory that will encompass not only homocyclic benzenoid and non-benzenoid PAHs, but also heterocyclic compounds.
The Eastern Catholic Diaspora in Contemporary Europe: Context and Challenges
Authors: Gibbons Robin
Published: September 2016

Research indicates Christianity is now a truly ‘global’ religion growing in Asia, the Global South and Africa, with seismic shifts to its structures in the historical heartlands in the Middle East. Contemporary European religion is in a state of flux, some see this as the death of Christian hegemony with a more pluralistic and ‘secular’ society. Others fear the consequences of growing fundamentalism within other religious groups but there are also positive grounds for hope. Catholicism remains the largest of the European Christian denominations. The future picture is interesting due to the growth in diaspora Middle Eastern church communities, particularly Eastern Catholics. Often ignored, these 22 churches in communion with Rome have a number of theological and ecclesial insights to offer religious debate, cultural and ecumenical relationships between Christian churches, other religions and wider society. The Eastern Catholic churches deserve to be better known as their history and situation enables them to speak from a very different perspective; they are in communion with Rome yet distinctly ‘eastern’ in tradition, they have survived as a minority religious group and adapted to different cultures, and numerically small, they are churches that have the potential to build theological and ecclesial bridges across the religious divide.
The Armenian Catholic Church in the Middle East – Modern History, Ecclesiology and Future Challenges
Authors: Whooley John
Published: September 2016

Although a small minority of Armenians accepted the decisions of the Council of Chalcedon (451), and continued to do so, it was not until 1742 that a separate Armenian Catholic hierarchy was established, centred in Lebanon. The Second Vatican Council and developments in Ecumenism brought the role of all the Eastern Catholic Churches under scrutiny. The tension that sometimes existed not only with the Orthodox but also with Latin-rite Catholics and even among themselves was acknowledged as counter-productive to Christian witness in the Middle East. Although there were sizable communities in the Diaspora, it was only after the demise of the Soviet Union that large numbers of Armenian Catholics began to emerge from obscurity, perhaps creating a dilemma for the Patriarchate as to its future. Other concerns also preoccupy the Patriarchate: the nature of its jurisdiction, discomfort in its relations with the Holy See, crisis in vocations and the continuing haemorrhaging of communities in the Middle East, the vast territories involved in caring for the faithful in the Diaspora, the language of the Liturgy, the threat of absorption into majority cultures and that ancient forms of worship and tradition may not survive under pressure, even in the Diaspora.
Does Purpose Matter? The Stability of Personality Assessments in Organization Development and Talent Management Applications Over Time
Authors: Church Allan H. , Fleck Christina R. , Foster Garett C. , Levine Rebecca C. , Lopez Felix J. , Rotolo Christopher T.
Published: September 2016

Personality assessment has a long history of application in the workplace. While the field of organization development has historically focused on developmental aspects of personality tools, other disciplines such as industrial-organizational psychology have emphasized its psychometric properties. The importance of data-driven insights for talent management (e.g., the identification of high potentials, succession planning, coaching), however, is placing increasing pressure on all types of applied behavioral scientists to better understand the stability of personality tools for decision-making purposes. The current study presents research conducted with 207 senior leaders in a global consumer products organization on the use of personality assessment data over time and across two different conditions: development only and development to decision making. Results using three different tools (based on the Hogan Assessment Suite) indicate that core personality and personality derailers are generally not affected by the purpose of the assessment, though derailers do tend to moderate over time. The manifestation of values, motives, and preferences were found to change across administrations. Implications for organizational development and talent management applications are discussed.
Recycling of carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite wastes from the aerospace industry
Authors: Li Hui , Englund Karl
Published: September 2016

Post-industrial trimmings and off-cuts of carbon fiber/polyether ether ketone composite were successfully recycled into new composite products. The original composites were thermally characterized by dynamic thermomechanical analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis. Melt-bonding and thermoset adhesives were used to bond the carbon fiber/polyether ether ketone. Performance of the bond was evaluated through double lap-shear tests. The carbon fiber/polyether ether ketone scraps were mechanically refined to a variety of elemental sizes, subsequently subjected to high-temperature hot pressing to form panel composites. The influences of element size and processing temperature were evaluated through mechanical testing.
Meta-Analysis of Criterion Validity for Curriculum-Based Measurement in Written Language
Authors: Romig John Elwood , Therrien William J. , Lloyd John W.
Published: September 2016

We used meta-analysis to examine the criterion validity of four scoring procedures used in curriculum-based measurement of written language. A total of 22 articles representing 21 studies ( N = 21) met the inclusion criteria. Results indicated that two scoring procedures, correct word sequences and correct minus incorrect sequences, have acceptable criterion validity with commercially developed and state- or locally developed criterion assessments. Results indicated trends for scoring procedures at each grade level. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.
Phrase Lengths and the Perceived Informativeness of Prosodic Cues in Turkish
Authors: Dinçtopal Deniz Nazik , Fodor Janet Dean
Published: September 2016

It is known from previous studies that in many cases (though not all) the prosodic properties of a spoken utterance reflect aspects of its syntactic structure, and also that in many cases (though not all) listeners can benefit from these prosodic cues. A novel contribution to this literature is the Rational Speaker Hypothesis (RSH), proposed by Clifton, Carlson and Frazier. The RSH maintains that listeners are sensitive to possible reasons for why a speaker might introduce a prosodic break: “listeners treat a prosodic boundary as more informative about the syntax when it flanks short constituents than when it flanks longer constituents,” because in the latter case the speaker might have been motivated solely by consideration of optimal phrase lengths. This would effectively reduce the cue value of an appropriately placed prosodic boundary. We present additional evidence for the RSH from Turkish, a language typologically different from English. In addition, our study shows for the first time that the RSH also applies to a prosodic break which conflicts with the syntactic structure, reducing its perceived cue strength if it might have been motivated by length considerations. In this case, the RSH effect is beneficial. Finally, the Turkish data show that prosody-based explanations for parsing preferences such as the RSH do not take the place of traditional syntax-sensitive parsing strategies such as Late Closure. The two sources of guidance co-exist; both are used when available.
Quenching tank: Accidental drowning in hot quenching oil
Authors: Mugadlimath Anand B , Sane Mandar Ramchandra , Zine Kailash U , Hiremath Rekha M
Published: September 2016

We describe an unusual case of drowning in fluid other than water in an industrial setting. A 26-year-old man was working in an industry which performs surface treatment of mechanical steel parts with quenching oil. He fell into the quenching oil (which was hot due to immersion of red hot metal parts), and as he was working alone in the particular section, there was a fatal outcome. A medico-legal autopsy was performed. The causes of death were found to be multiple, with the association of drowning, extensive superficial burns and asphyxia due to laryngeal oedema. To our knowledge, it is the first report of drowning in hot quenching oil, and only nine previous observations of drowning in industrial environments have been reported in the international literature. Even though rare, these kinds of accidental deaths can be prevented in dangerous industries with proper precautions and strict adherence to standard operating procedures.
Parenting in the Shadow of Ferguson: Racial Socialization Practices in Context
Authors: Threlfall Jennifer M.
Published: September 2016

Black parents have long faced the task of explaining the meaning of race to their children and preparing them for racist experiences. This qualitative study examines racial socialization practices in the context of a specific racialized event: the shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. Data were gathered from 18 Black parents and adolescents living in the St. Louis region in the weeks immediately following the event. Four types of practices were identified: Parents taught their children about the racial context from which the events emerged; they taught their sons strategies to avoid danger and that their lives are valued; they emphasized dissimilarity between their children and those engaging in violent protest; and they encouraged their children to overcome discrimination through individual achievement.
Longitudinal Associations Between Maternal Solicitation, Perceived Maternal Acceptance, Adolescent Self-Disclosure, and Adolescent Externalizing Behaviors
Authors: Garthe Rachel C. , Sullivan Terri N. , Kliewer Wendy
Published: September 2016

The current study examined prospective associations between maternal solicitation and acceptance, adolescent self-disclosure, and adolescent externalizing behaviors. Participants included 357 urban adolescents (46% male; 92% African American) and their maternal caregivers. Participants provided data annually (three waves across 2-year time frame). Results of a three-wave longitudinal path model demonstrated that adolescent self-disclosure was related to higher rates of maternal solicitation and lower frequencies of externalizing behaviors. Maternal solicitation was associated with higher rates of maternal acceptance. Maternal acceptance was positively associated with adolescent self-disclosure and indirectly associated with lower frequencies of adolescent externalizing behaviors via higher levels of adolescent self-disclosure. Associations did not differ by sex or age. Understanding factors that contribute to adolescent self-disclosure and maternal acceptance are important, as they appear to have protective influences on externalizing behaviors.
An Organizational Structure of Indie Rock Musicians as Displayed by Facebook Usage
Authors: Carradini Stephen
Published: September 2016

Indie rock musicians are a group of extra-institutional individuals who play an often-vibrant role in urban economic development. The organizational structure that guides their professional activities has yet to be investigated. Interviews with 18 indie rock musicians provided a way to investigate organizational structure. They reported a build structure featuring the principles of audience development, slow growth, and unevenness. The constraints of the musician’s professional situation require long-term promotion of aesthetic products to a slowly growing audience in a saturated market that produces unevenness through power imbalances. This slow-growing structure contrasts with organizational structures that provide immediate benefits.
A New Picture of Protest
Authors: Beyerlein Kraig , Barwis Peter , Crubaugh Bryant , Carnesecca Cole
Published: September 2016

The National Study of Protest Events (NSPE) employed hypernetwork sampling to generate the first-ever nationally representative sample of protest events. Nearly complete information about various event characteristics was collected from participants in 1,037 unique protests across the United States in 2010 to 2011. The first part of this article reviews extant methodologies in protest-event research and discusses how the NSPE overcomes their recognized limitations. Next, we detail how the NSPE was conducted and present descriptive statistics for a number of important event characteristics. The hypernetwork sample is then compared to newspaper reports of protests. As expected, we find many differences in the types of events these sources capture. At the same time, the overall number and magnitude of the differences are likely to be surprising. By contrast, little variation is observed in how protesters and journalists described features of the same events. NSPE data have many potential applications in the field of contentious politics and social movements, and several possibilities for future research are outlined.
Richard Kirwan and the Royal Irish Academy: Provincial metropolitanism and the crisis of the 1790s
Authors: Golinski Jan
Published: September 2016

The Irish chemist Richard Kirwan (1733–1812) is remembered among historians for his resourceful defense of the phlogiston theory of combustion, but his pursuit of the sciences of the environment has been little studied. This paper considers his work in Ireland in the 1790s, especially on mineralogy and meteorology, and situates it against the backdrop of elite projects for national improvement and armed insurrection against British rule. Kirwan is viewed as having the outlook of a metropolitan intellectual, which he struggled to reconcile with the circumstances of Irish provinciality and an emergent – sometimes militant – nationalism.
Markets and Manpower
Authors: Cohn Lindsay P. , Toronto Nathan W.
Published: September 2016

Economic studies of military manpower systems emphasize the advantages of voluntarism under all but the most total threats, but this explains neither the persistence of institutionalized conscription in many states nor the timing of shifts from such conscription systems to volunteer militaries. Traditional explanations focus on external threat levels, but this has also proven unsatisfying. We theorize that threat variables establish the state’s baseline need for manpower, but structural economic variables determine whether the necessary manpower can be more efficiently obtained by conscription or voluntarism. Using a new data set of 99 countries over 40 years, we find that states with British origins are less likely and those experiencing greater external threat are more likely to employ conscripts. Most importantly, states with more highly regulated labor markets are more likely to employ conscripts, which suggests that, controlling for a number of relevant factors, labor markets matter in military manpower decisions.
Phase Angle and Impedance Ratio: Reference Cut‐Points From the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2004 From Bioimpedance Spectroscopy Data
Authors: Kuchnia Adam J. , Teigen Levi M. , Cole Abigail J. , Mulasi Urvashi , Gonzalez M. Cristina , Heymsfield Steven B. , Vock David M. , Earthman Carrie P.
Published: September 2016

Background: Raw bioimpedance parameters (eg, 50‐kHz phase angle [PA] and 200‐kHz/5‐kHz impedance ratio [IR]) have been investigated as predictors of nutrition status and/or clinical outcomes. However, their validity as prognostic measures depends on the availability of appropriate reference data. Using a large and ethnically diverse data set, we aimed to determine if ethnicity influences these measures and provide expanded bioimpedance reference data for the U.S. population. Methods: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is an ongoing compilation of studies conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention designed to monitor nutrition status of the U.S. population. The NHANES data sets analyzed were from the years 1999–2000, 2001–2002, and 2003–2004. Results: Multivariate analysis showed that PA and IR differed by body mass index (BMI), age, sex, and ethnicity (n = 6237; R2 = 41.2%, P < .0001). Suggested reference cut‐points for PA stratified by age decade, ethnicity, and sex are provided. Conclusion: Ethnicity is an important variable that should be accounted for when determining population reference values for PA and IR. We have provided sex‐, ethnicity‐, and age decade–specific reference values from PA for use by future studies in U.S. populations. Interdevice differences are likely to be important contributors to variability across published population‐specific reference data and, where possible, should be evaluated in future research. Ultimately, further validation with physiologically relevant reference measures (eg, dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry) is necessary to determine if PA/IR are appropriate bedside tools for the assessment of nutrition status in a clinical population.
Computer Games and Organization Studies
Authors: Vesa Mikko , Hamari Juho , Harviainen J. Tuomas , Warmelink Harald
Published: September 2016

Computer games and organizations are becoming increasingly interwoven in the 21st century. Sophisticated computer games connected by networks are turning into spaces for organizing. Therefore, it may not be surprising that conventional organizations are now scrounging these games for novel ways to enhance efficiency. The result is the formation of game/organization hybrids; uneasy recontextualizations of partly incompatible ideas, values and practices. We begin this essay by elucidating what it is socially that makes something a game by exploring the notion’s anthropological foundations. We then introduce two examples of actual game/organization hybrids; raiding in computer games and gamification in formal organizations. We conclude by discussing the implications of such hybridization and suggest venues for how organization and management scholars can benefit from studying computer games and theories of play.
Whistle While You Work? Disney Animation, Organizational Readiness and Gendered Subjugation
Authors: Griffin Martyn , Harding Nancy , Learmonth Mark
Published: September 2016

This paper introduces the concept of ‘organizational readiness’: socio-cultural expectations about working selves that prepare young people (albeit indirectly and in complex and multi-faceted ways) for their future life in organizations. This concept emerges from an analysis of Disney animations and how they constitute expectations about working life that may influence children through their representations of work and gendered workplace roles. The paper’s exploration of Disney’s earlier animations suggests they circulated norms of gender that girls should be weak and avoid work. In contrast, its contemporary productions circulate gender norms that suggest girls should be strong and engage in paid work. In this reading, the continued circulation of earlier alongside contemporary animations may convey to young viewers a paradox: girls must and must not work; they must be both weak and strong. We thus offer new insights into the puzzle of the continued relegation of women to the sidelines in organizations; more optimistically, we also point to ways in which future generations of employees may forge ways of constituting forms of gendered selves as yet hardly imaginable.
The WWC Attrition Standard
Authors: Deke John , Chiang Hanley
Published: September 2016

Background:

To limit the influence of attrition bias in assessments of intervention effectiveness, several federal evidence reviews have established a standard for acceptable levels of sample attrition in randomized controlled trials. These evidence reviews include the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC), the Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness Review, and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Evidence Review. We believe the WWC attrition standard may constitute the first use of model-based, empirically supported bounds on attrition bias in the context of a federally sponsored systematic evidence review. Meeting the WWC attrition standard (or one of the attrition standards based on the WWC standard) is now an important consideration for researchers conducting studies that could potentially be reviewed by the WWC (or other evidence reviews).

Objectives:

The purpose of this article is to explain the WWC attrition model, how that model is used to establish attrition bounds, and to assess the sensitivity of attrition bounds to key parameter values.

Research Design:

Results are based on equations derived in the article and values generated by applying those equations to a range of parameter values.

Results:

The authors find that the attrition boundaries are more sensitive to the maximum level of bias that an evidence review is willing to tolerate than to other parameters in the attrition model.

Conclusions:

The authors conclude that the most productive refinements to existing attrition standards may be with respect to the definition of “maximum tolerable bias.”
‘It’s not all just about the dying’. Kaumātua Māori attitudes towards physician aid-in dying: A narrative enquiry
Authors: Malpas Phillipa J , Anderson Anneka , Jacobs Pio , Jacobs Takawai , Luinstra Danielle , Paul Dolly , Rauwhero Jim , Wade Julie , Wharemate David
Published: September 2016

Aim:

To explore kaumātua attitudes towards physician aid-in dying, to gain a clear understanding of how such attitudes may influence and shape their expectations of medical care at the end of life and to assist health professionals in Aotearoa/New Zealand to address the healthcare needs of older Māori near the end of life.

Design:

A kaupapa Māori consistent approach was undertaken. A systematic narrative technique was employed for the qualitative data analysis. Data were triangulated through independent data coding by three researchers (two of whom identified as Māori researchers), to ensure a robust and consistent method of analysis as well as adhering to a kaupapa Māori research approach.

Setting/participants:

Recruitment of participants was through kaumātua of Te Kupenga Hauora Māori (Māori leadership within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences), University of Auckland and local Auckland marae. Focus group or individual interviews (as per their preference) were undertaken with 20 Kaumātua from the Auckland region.

Results:

Five closely interrelated themes were identified from kaumātua narratives regarding physician aid-in dying. These were (1) attitudes and understandings of physician aid-in dying, (2) influence of power, (3) significance of kawa, (4) whānau relationships and the (5) significance of wairua.

Conclusion:

The study demonstrated that for these kaumātua, medical practices that hasten death such as physician aid-in dying are ‘not all just about the dying’. Tikanga and kawa are important processes and concepts to understand during death and dying, and whānau are central to such processes being respected by those involved in the dying process. These factors are so closely intertwined that they cannot be considered in separation of each other.
Intranasal administration of vitamin D attenuates blood–brain barrier disruption through endogenous upregulation of osteopontin and activation of CD44/P-gp glycosylation signaling after subarachnoid hemorrhage in rats
Authors: Enkhjargal Budbazar , McBride Devin W , Manaenko Anatol , Reis Cesar , Sakai Yasushi , Tang Jiping , Zhang John H
Published: September 2016

In this study, we investigated the role of vitamin D3 (VitD3) on endogenous osteopontin (OPN), a neuroprotective glycoprotein, after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The endovascular perforation SAH model in Sprague-Dawley rats was used to study the effect of intranasal VitD3 (30 ng/kg) before (Pre-SAH + VitD3) and after (Post-SAH + VitD3) subarachnoid hemorrhage. Vitamin D3 (30, 60, 120 ng/kg/day) increased more than one fold endogenous OPN expression in astrocytes and endothelial cells of rat brain. Vitamin D3 significantly decreased brain edema and Evans blue extravasation. In addition, neurobehavioral scores were significantly higher in Pre-SAH + VitD3, but partly higher in Post-SAH + VitD3, group compared with SAH group. These protective effects of vitamin D3 were completely attenuated by intracerebroventricular injection of transcription inhibitor Actinomycin D and significantly inhibited by small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) for vitamin D receptor and OPN in Pre-SAH + VitD3 rats. OPN expression was significantly higher in Pre-SAH + VitD3 rats, specifically A and C, but not B, isomers were upregulated in the astrocytes, leading to CD44 splicing, and P-gp glycosylation in brain endothelial cells. The results show that intranasal vitamin D3 attenuates blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption through endogenous upregulation of OPN and subsequent CD44 and P-gp glycosylation signals in brain endothelial cells. Furthermore, this study identifies a novel strategy for the cost-effective management of subarachnoid hemorrhage.
Hyperglycemia is associated with more severe cytotoxic injury after stroke
Authors: Bevers Matthew B , Vaishnav Neil H , Pham Ly , Battey Thomas WK , Kimberly W Taylor
Published: September 2016

Hyperglycemia is a common complication after ischemic stroke, but its link to worse outcome is not well understood. We hypothesized that hyperglycemia may reflect an impaired metabolic response that is associated with worse cytotoxic brain injury. We performed retrospective analysis of magnetic resonance imaging from a cohort of acute ischemic stroke patients prospectively collected from 2006 to 2010 with baseline demographic and laboratory data as well as three-month outcomes. The severity of cytotoxic injury was quantified in vivo using apparent diffusion coefficient imaging by measuring the signal intensity within the stroke relative to the normal signal intensity of the contralateral hemisphere. Both hyperglycemia and lower apparent diffusion coefficient signal were associated with worse outcome after ischemic stroke (OR 0.239, p = 0.017; OR 1.11, p < 0.0001, respectively). Hyperglycemia was also associated with lower apparent diffusion coefficient (r = −0.32, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, apparent diffusion coefficient but not hyperglycemia was associated with outcome, suggesting that cytotoxicity may mediate the effect of hyperglycemia. For interventions designed to target hyperglycemia in acute ischemic stroke, a concomitant effect on the evolution of apparent diffusion coefficient may provide insight into whether hyperglycemia leads to or reflects worse cytotoxic injury.
Force-Amplifying N-robot Transport System (Force-ANTS) for cooperative planar manipulation without communication
Authors: Wang Zijian , Schwager Mac
Published: September 2016

We propose the concept of a Force-Amplifying N-robot Transport System (Force-ANTS) to coordinate the manipulation forces from a group of robots in order to transport a heavy object in a planar environment. Our approach requires no explicit communication among robots. Instead, we prove that robots can use local measurements of the object’s motion at their attachment points as implicit information for force coordination. A leader (either a robot or human) can guide the whole group towards the destination by applying a relatively small force, whose effect is amplified by the follower robots as they align their forces with the leader’s. Two Force-ANTS implementations are introduced and analyzed, accounting for two different classes of object dynamics: small objects where kinetic friction dominates, and large objects where inertia and viscous friction dominate. Our approach can be used as a modular system for transporting heavy objects of various sizes in many real-life applications. Simulations with up to 1000 robots and experiments using four custom-built robots are conducted to validate our approach. We also conduct human–robot cooperation experiments where the human force is amplified by three follower robots.
Sex Offending and Situational Motivation
Authors: Farmer Mark , McAlinden Anne-Marie , Maruna Shadd
Published: September 2016

Sex offending is typically understood from a pathology perspective with the origin of the behavior thought to be within the offending individual. Such a perspective may not be beneficial for those seeking to desist from sexual offending and reintegrate into mainstream society. A thematic analysis of 32 self-narratives of men convicted of sexual offences against children suggests that such individuals typically explain their pasts utilizing a script consistent with routine activity theory, emphasizing the role of circumstantial changes in both the onset of and desistance from sexual offending. It is argued that the self-framing of serious offending in this way might be understood as a form of “shame management,” a protective cognition that enables desistance by shielding individuals from internalizing stigma for past violence.
Occupational experience of caregiving during driving disruption following an acquired brain injury
Authors: Liang Phyllis , Fleming Jennifer , Gustafsson Louise , Liddle Jacki
Published: September 2016

Introduction

Caregiving associated with driving disruption following an acquired brain injury is challenging and impacts on family members’ daily lives. However, little is known about the activities and meaning behind the occupation of a family member providing care during driving disruption.

Method

A prospective longitudinal design with a phenomenological approach was used as part of a larger study exploring family members’ needs and experiences. Forty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 family members over a 6-month period. Interviews were analysed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results

The occupational experiences related to caregiving during driving disruption emerged as a key finding. The meaning and activities comprising the caregiving occupation during driving disruption are captured in three themes: (1) More than just driving; (2) The invisible and undervalued care and (3) Being a therapist at home. Family members highlighted the challenges of managing broader and multiple responsibilities.

Conclusion

The lived experiences, perceived meaning and activities involved in the caregiver occupation during driving disruption extend beyond just transport provision. Family members require support for occupational engagement and satisfaction at this key time. Rehabilitation and support for the person after an acquired brain injury may also improve the occupational experiences of family members.