bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting Reactive Oxygen Species in Cancer via Chinese Herbal Medicine
Authors: Qian Qiaohong , Chen Wanqing , Cao Yajuan , Cao Qi , Cui Yajing , Li Yan , Wu Jianchun
Published: September 2019

Recently, reactive oxygen species (ROS), a class of highly bioactive molecules, have been extensively studied in cancers. Cancer cells typically exhibit higher levels of basal ROS than normal cells, primarily due to their increased metabolism, oncogene activation, and mitochondrial dysfunction. This moderate increase in ROS levels facilitates cancer initiation, development, and progression; however, excessive ROS concentrations can lead to various types of cell death. Therefore, therapeutic strategies that either increase intracellular ROS to toxic levels or, conversely, decrease the levels of ROS may be effective in treating cancers via ROS regulation. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) is a major type of natural medicine and has greatly contributed to human health. CHMs have been increasingly used for adjuvant clinical treatment of tumors. Although their mechanism of action is unclear, CHMs can execute a variety of anticancer effects by regulating intracellular ROS. In this review, we summarize the dual roles of ROS in cancers, present a comprehensive analysis of and update the role of CHM—especially its active compounds and ingredients—in the prevention and treatment of cancers via ROS regulation and emphasize precautions and strategies for the use of CHM in future research and clinical trials.
Kras/ADAM17-Dependent Jag1-ICD Reverse Signaling Sustains Colorectal Cancer Progression and Chemoresistance
Authors: Pelullo Maria , Nardozza Francesca , Zema Sabrina , Quaranta Roberta , Nicoletti Carmine , Besharat Zein Mersini , Felli Maria Pia , Cerbelli Bruna , d'Amati Giulia , Palermo Rocco , Capalbo Carlo , Talora Claudio , Di Marcotullio Lucia , Giannini Giuseppe , Checquolo Saula , Screpanti Isabella , Bellavia Diana
Published: September 2019

Colorectal cancer is characterized by well-known genetic defects and approximately 50% of cases harbor oncogenic Ras mutations. Increased expression of Notch ligand Jagged1 occurs in several human malignancies, including colorectal cancer, and correlates with cancer progression, poor prognosis, and recurrence. Herein, we demonstrated that Jagged1 was constitutively processed in colorectal cancer tumors with mutant Kras, which ultimately triggered intrinsic reverse signaling via its nuclear-targeted intracellular domain Jag1-ICD. This process occurred when Kras/Erk/ADAM17 signaling was switched on, demonstrating that Jagged1 is a novel target of the Kras signaling pathway. Notably, Jag1-ICD promoted tumor growth and epithelial–mesenchymal transition, enhancing colorectal cancer progression and chemoresistance both in vitro and in vivo. These data highlight a novel role for Jagged1 in colorectal cancer tumor biology that may go beyond its effect on canonical Notch activation and suggest that Jag1-ICD may behave as an oncogenic driver that is able to sustain tumor pathogenesis and to confer chemoresistance through a noncanonical mechanism.

Significance:

These findings present a novel role of the transcriptionally active Jag1-ICD fragment to confer and mediate some of the activity of oncogenic KRAS.
Efficacy and Safety of Rovalpituzumab Tesirine in Third-Line and Beyond Patients with DLL3-Expressing, Relapsed/Refractory Small-Cell Lung Cancer: Results From the Phase II TRINITY Study
Authors: Morgensztern Daniel , Besse Benjamin , Greillier Laurent , Santana-Davila Rafael , Ready Neal , Hann Christine L. , Glisson Bonnie S. , Farago Anna F. , Dowlati Afshin , Rudin Charles M. , Le Moulec Sylvestre , Lally Satwant , Yalamanchili Sreeni , Wolf Jürgen , Govindan Ramaswamy , Carbone David P.
Published: September 2019

Purpose:

Although extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is highly responsive to first-line therapy, virtually all patients develop resistance with short survival. Rovalpituzumab tesirine (Rova-T) is an antibody–drug conjugate targeting delta-like 3 protein (DLL3). This open-label, single-arm, phase II study (TRINITY) assessed safety and efficacy of Rova-T in patients with DLL3-expressing SCLC in the third-line and beyond (3L+) setting.

Patients and Methods:

Patients with DLL3-expressing SCLC (determined by mouse antibody immunohistochemistry [IHC] assay), and ≥2 prior regimens, received 0.3 mg/kg Rova-T once every 6 weeks for two cycles. During study, a rabbit antibody IHC assay was developed and used for the final analysis, with DLL3-positive and DLL3-high defined as ≥25% and ≥75% of tumor cells positive for DLL3, respectively. The primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) and overall survival (OS).

Results:

Among 339 patients enrolled, 261 (77%) had two prior lines of therapy and 78 (23%) had ≥3. DLL3-high and DLL3-positive tumors by rabbit IHC were seen in 238 (70%) and 287 (85%) patients, respectively. The remaining 52 (15%) were DLL3-negative only by rabbit IHC or had missing results. ORR was 12.4%, 14.3%, and 13.2% in all, DLL3-high, and DLL3-positive patients, respectively. Median OS was 5.6 months in all patients and 5.7 months in DLL3-high patients. The most common adverse events (AE) were fatigue, photosensitivity reaction, and pleural effusion. Grade 3–5 AEs were seen in 213 (63%) patients.

Conclusions:

Rova-T is the first targeted agent in SCLC to use DLL3, a novel biomarker. However, results demonstrate modest clinical activity in 3L+ SCLC, with associated toxicities.
Associations of IGF-1 and Adrenal Androgens with Cognition in Childhood
Authors: Mäntyselkä Aino , Haapala Eero A. , Lindi Virpi , Häkkinen Merja R. , Auriola Seppo , Jääskeläinen Jarmo , Lakka Timo A.
Published: September 2019

Background: Little is known about the association between adrenarche and cognition in general populations of children. We therefore studied the associations of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione (A4), testosterone, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), and adrenarche with cognition among prepubertal children. Methods: These cross-sectional analyses are based on baseline data of the Physical Activity and Nutrition in Children Study. A total of 387 children (183 girls, 204 boys) were included in the analyses. Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices (CPM) score was used to assess nonverbal reasoning. Serum adrenal androgens and IGF-1 concentrations were measured and clinical signs of androgen action were evaluated. Results: Higher IGF-1 among boys (β = 0.149, p =0.033) was related to a better Raven’s CPM score after adjustment for age and parental education. Adrenal androgens in girls or boys or IGF-1 in girls were not associated with the score. There were no differences in Raven’s CPM score between children with biochemical adrenarche (DHEAS ≥1.08 µmol/L; ≥40 µg/dL) or with clinical signs of androgen action and children without them. Conclusion: The results suggest that higher serum IGF-1 among boys is related to better cognition in prepubertal children. We could not provide evidence for the associations of adrenal maturation with cognition in prepubertal children.
Distintos usos da monumentalidade por Augusto
Authors: Bueno Giovanni Pando
Published: September 2019

Este artigo se propõe a fazer uma análise comparativa entre dois distintos edifícios erguidos por Augusto, primeiro princeps de Roma, ao longo de sua vida política. O primeiro deles é seu mausoléu, cuja construção fora ordenada próxima ao ano de 31 a.C., enquanto o segundo corresponde ao templo dedico à paz augustana, conhecido como Ara Pacis Augustae, finalizado em 9 a.C.. Apesar possuírem funções muito distintas, estes dois edifícios se localizavam próximos – ambos no Campo de Marte –, além de serem tomados como obras oficiais, no momento em que foram encomendados pelo que viria a se tornar a família imperial e tiveram a aprovação senatorial – o que os torna passíveis de comparação. A partir de uma abordagem topográfica, que flerta com as recentes teorias da imagem, consideraremos a visualidade como portadora de uma agência social específica, promovendo a iconografia presente nesses prédios (juntamente com o próprio edifício em sua totalidade, tomado aqui como uma imagem em si) a agentes forjadores de dois projetos políticos diferentes: o primeiro mais ligado à crise republicana e o segundo ao Principado. Na chave da análise iconográfica, veremos como as diferenças entre essas duas concepções de monumentalidade puderam corroborar para a transformação política guiada por Augusto na virada do milênio.
Os essencialismos de gênero pelo viés da ironia
Authors: Moreira Thaís Batista Rosa
Published: September 2019

O começo do século XX, permeado por diversos movimentos políticos no contexto brasileiro, bem como internacional, foi um momento chave para a articulação das pautas feministas de emancipação e reivindicação de direitos. No Brasil, a questão ganhou evidência principalmente após a proposta de emenda constitucional favorável ao sufrágio em 1917, além da criação da Federação Brasileira pelo Progresso Feminino em 1922. Ações como essas despertaram diversos posicionamentos contrários na opinião pública, que se utilizou de diferentes linguagens para deslegitimar as demandas feministas. A proposta desse artigo é analisar manejos de ideias essencialistas de gênero para defender posicionamentos antifeministas e antissufragistas em publicações especificamente veiculadas entre 1919 e 1931 em revistas ilustradas humorísticas de grande tiragem na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Dentre caricaturas e anedotas, algumas edições das revistas O Malho e Careta trouxeram o tema do emancipação feminina e do sufrágio de forma satírica ao público leitor. Propomos a hipótese de que esse setor da imprensa, em especial, teve papel de destaque como porta-voz das críticas ao movimento sufragista-feminista. Para isso, traçamos uma reflexão sobre como operaram os discursos humorísticos e seus propósitos como linguagem para criticar as(os) militantes dos direitos políticos para mulheres no período em questão.
Validation of the Tricuspid Annular Plane Systolic Excursion/Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure Ratio for the Assessment of Right Ventricular-Arterial Coupling in Severe Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Tello Khodr , Wan Jun , Dalmer Antonia , Vanderpool Rebecca , Ghofrani Hossein A. , Naeije Robert , Roller Fritz , Mohajerani Emad , Seeger Werner , Herberg Ulrike , Sommer Natascha , Gall Henning , Richter Manuel J.
Published: September 2019

Background:

The ratios of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE)/echocardiographically measured systolic pulmonary artery pressure (PASP), fractional area change/invasively measured mean pulmonary artery pressure, right ventricular (RV) area change/end-systolic area, TAPSE/pulmonary artery acceleration time, and stroke volume/end-systolic area have been proposed as surrogates of RV-arterial coupling. The relationship of these surrogates with the gold standard measure of RV-arterial coupling (invasive pressure-volume loop-derived end-systolic/arterial elastance [Ees/Ea] ratio) and RV diastolic stiffness (end-diastolic elastance) in pulmonary hypertension remains incompletely understood. We evaluated the relationship of these surrogates with invasive pressure-volume loop-derived Ees/Ea and end-diastolic elastance in pulmonary hypertension.

Methods:

We performed right heart echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging 1 day before invasive measurement of pulmonary hemodynamics and single-beat RV pressure-volume loops in 52 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension or chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. The relationships of the proposed surrogates with Ees/Ea and end-diastolic elastance were evaluated by Spearman correlation, multivariate logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic analyses. Associations with prognosis were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results:

TAPSE/PASP, fractional area change/mean pulmonary artery pressure, RV area change/end-systolic area, and stroke volume/end-systolic area but not TAPSE/pulmonary artery acceleration time were correlated with Ees/Ea and end-diastolic elastance. Of the surrogates, only TAPSE/PASP emerged as an independent predictor of Ees/Ea (multivariate odds ratio: 18.6; 95% CI, 0.8–96.1;
P
=0.08). In receiver operating characteristic analysis, a TAPSE/PASP cutoff of 0.31 mm/mm Hg (sensitivity: 87.5% and specificity: 75.9%) discriminated RV-arterial uncoupling (Ees/Ea <0.805). Patients with TAPSE/PASP <0.31 mm/mm Hg had a significantly worse prognosis than those with higher TAPSE/PASP.

Conclusions:

Echocardiographically determined TAPSE/PASP is a straightforward noninvasive measure of RV-arterial coupling and is affected by RV diastolic stiffness in severe pulmonary hypertension.

Clinical Trial Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT03403868.
Structural Transformation around the World: Patterns and Drivers
Authors: Sen Kunal
Published: September 2019

The conventional view of structural transformation is informed by three stylized facts of economic development: (i) all economies exhibit declining employment in agriculture, (ii) all economies exhibit a hump-shaped share of employment in industry, and (iii) all economies exhibit an increasing share of employment in services. In this paper, I show that this presumed path of structural transformation may no longer be the route to economic development in low-income economies. Classifying economies as either structurally developed, structurally developing, or structurally underdeveloped, I observe a different path of structural transformation in structurally underdeveloped economies in which workers are moving directly from agriculture to nonbusiness services, which as a sector does not have the same productivity gains as manufacturing. I also show that the mainstream approach is unable to explain the patterns of structural transformation observed in low-income developing economies. This suggests the need to rethink the theoretical premises behind much of the mainstream approach to structural transformation and to identify alternate causal mechanisms to explain the different types of structural transformation underway in the developing world.
Providing a Safe Working Environment: Do Firm Ownership and Exporting Status Matter?
Authors: Liaqat Zara
Published: September 2019

This paper hypothesizes that there exists a relationship between the exporting and ownership characteristics of firms and the incidence of accidents at work, using a detailed dataset of manufacturing firms in Viet Nam. There appears to be a positive and highly significant effect of both exporting and foreign ownership on the frequency of accidents. The results obtained are robust across various specifications as well as alternative measures of exporting status and the severity of accidents. The study highlights a greater need for the implementation of labor standards in countries that are becoming increasingly reliant on globalization as a source of economic growth.
Selective Citizenship: How the Court of Justice Linked Security of Residence to Integration
Authors: Ryan Bernard
Published: September 2019

This article examines the case-law of the Court of Justice concerning security of residence for EU citizens and family members under Directive 2004/38. The relevant provisions of the Directive confer a right of permanent residence, and enhanced protection against expulsion, upon longer-term residents. It is argued that, in interpreting these provisions from 2006 onwards, the Court of Justice adopted a discourse which conceived of the rights as dependent on an individual’s social integration. The initial effect of the Court’s ‘turn’ to integration was benign, as it supported the retrospective extension of permanent residence, and ensured the efficacy of enhanced protection against expulsion. Later, however, the Court would treat integration as a precondition, in ways which would limit the rights of long-term residents who were not economically active or self-sufficient, or who had been sentenced to periods of imprisonment. That Court’s integration discourse was presumably influenced by developments in policy concerning third-country nationals at the state level which had linked immigration status to integration tests. The result was a selective approach to security of residence, which tended to deny protection to persons whose presence was unlikely to be favoured by Member States.
The Concept of ‘Investment’ in the Digital Economy: The Case of Social Media Companies
Authors: Horváth Enikő , Klinkmüller Severin
Published: September 2019

The digitalization of commercial and private relations has seen the rise of companies – among the most valuable corporations in the global economy – that have operations in nearly every country in the world, while maintaining an almost exclusively digital (online) presence there. Using the example of social media companies, like Facebook and Twitter, this article argues that the component parts of companies’ digital operations, whether viewed as distinct assets or as an economic unit, may qualify as an “investment” in the countries where such companies offer their services, even though digital operations do not conform to conventional understandings of investment activity for purposes of international investment law.
Four new species of the fern genus Hymenasplenium (Aspleniaceae) from Africa and Asia

Authors: XU KE-WANG , CHEN CHENG-WEI , KAMAU PERIS , LIAO WEN-BO , ZHANG LI-BING
Published: September 2019

Four new species of Hymenasplenium (Aspleniaceae) from Africa and Asia are here described based on both morphological and molecular evidence. These four new species include H. guineense and H. kenyense from mainland Africa and H. sabahense and H. wusugongii from Asia. These new species have been erroneously treated as H. unilaterale by earlier pteridologists. The information on their distributions, habitats, and major distinguishing characters of these new species are provided.
Echinostelium microsporum (Echinosteliaceae, Myxomycetes), a new epiphytic corticolous species from Russia

Authors: VLASENKO ANASTASIA V. , FILIPPOVA NINA V. , VLASENKO VYACHESLAV A.
Published: September 2019

A new species, Echinostelium microsporum, is described and illustrated herein. Samples of this species were collected in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area—Yugra, Russia. It clearly differs from the previously known species in form and structure of columella, number of capillitial threads, their development and branching, and size of spores. Columella of E. microsporum is sponge-like and with deep dark-brown indentations. Its capillitium always extend from three areas at the side of the columella. Capillitial threads are long and always numbering 3, dichotomous and branching into two parts at the ends. Spore-like body is absent. Spores are small, warted and with walls of uniform thickness. We present here a scanning electron micrograph study of E. microsporum and an updated identification key for species of the genus Echinostelium worldwide, which currently includes 16 taxa. A holotype specimen of E. microsporum is deposited in M.G. Popov Herbarium (NSK). It is the second new species for the genus discovered in Russia, with type locality in Siberia, Northern Asia.
The first Philippine species of Marcepania (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ
Published: September 2019

The genus Marcepania is a sole member of the tribe Marcepaniini, known to occur in SE Asia. The five hitherto described species inhabit the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. The first species discovered in the Philippines, Marcepania princesa sp. n. is described here, based on a male specimen found on the island of Palawan. It is most similar to its geographically closest relative, M. elongata of northern Borneo.
Redescription and new records of Polymorphus trochus (Van Cleave, 1945) (Polymorphida: Polymorphidae), in Mexico
Authors: CABALLERO-VIÑAS CARMEN , SÁNCHEZ-NAVA PETRA , SALGADO-MALDONADO GUILLERMO
Published: September 2019

Polymorphus trochus Van Cleave, 1945, is an acanthocephalan with limited distribution to the Americas and a common parasite of birds of the Rallidae family (Kinsella et al. 1973, McDonald 1988 and Amin 1992), mainly of the American coot Fulica americana Gmelin, 1789; however, despite existing records of this species, the knowledge and descriptions of its morphological characteristics are not sufficient. Therefore, the identification of this species can be confusing, particularly because it depends on the form of the proboscis of the female. Van Cleave (1945) provided a description and illustrations of this species based on 14 females and 2 males specimens collected in the intestine of F. americana from Lake Buckeye in Ohio, Lake Oneida in New York, and the Illinois River in Illinois; however, this description does not mention many traits that are taxonomically important. Years later, Nickol (1966, thesis not published) provided a description of P. trochus based on 36 mature specimens (14 females and 22 male) from Louisiana, but the author illustrated only the proboscis and included a schematic of the female. He described the shape and size of the proboscis in both sexes, provided measurements of the apical, middle and basal hooks of the proboscis armor, and measurements of the eggs. However, he did not mention the exact distribution of the hooks and spines of the trunk, the measurement of a complete row of hooks nor the shape of all the sexual organs, especially the female ones, which are important taxonomic characteristics in the polymorphids.
A Two-Cool-Season Wind Profiler–Based Analysis of Westward-Directed Gap Flow through the Columbia River Gorge
Authors: Neiman Paul J. , Gottas Daniel J. , White Allen B.
Published: September 2019

This observational study of westward-directed gap flows through the Columbia River Gorge uses three radar wind profilers during two winter seasons between October 2015 and April 2017, with a focus on the gap-exit region at Troutdale, Oregon. Of the 92 gap-flow events identified at Troutdale, the mean duration was 38.5 h, the mean gap-jet speed was 12 m s−1, and the mean gap-flow depth was 570 m MSL. The mean gap-jet height and gap-flow depth were situated below the top of the inner gorge, while a maximum depth of 1087 m MSL was contained within the gorge’s outer-wall rim. The mean gap-flow depth was deepest in the cold-air source region east of the gorge and decreased westward to the coast. Strong gap-flow events were longer lived, deeper, and capped by stronger vertical shear than their weak counterparts, and strong (weak) events were forced primarily by a cold-interior anticyclone (offshore cyclone). Deep gap-flow events were longer lived, stronger, and had weaker capping vertical shear than shallow events, and represented a combination of gap-flow and synoptic forcing. Composite temporal analysis shows that gap-flow strength (depth) was maximized midevent (early event), freezing rain was most prevalent during the second half of the event, and accumulated precipitation was greatest late-event. Gap-flow events tended to begin (end) during the evening (morning) hours and were most persistent in January. Surface wind gusts and snow occurrences around Portland, Oregon, were associated primarily with the deepest gap flows, whereas freezing rain occurred predominantly during shallow gap flows.
Simulated Evolution and Severe Wind Production by the 25–26 June 2015 Nocturnal MCS from PECAN
Authors: Parker Matthew D. , Borchardt Brett S. , Miller Rachel L. , Ziegler Conrad L.
Published: September 2019

The 25–26 June 2015 nocturnal mesoscale convective system (MCS) from the Plains Elevated Convection at Night (PECAN) field project produced severe winds within an environment that might customarily be associated with elevated convection. This work incorporates both a full-physics real-world simulation and an idealized single-sounding simulation to explore the MCS’s evolution. Initially, the simulated convective systems were elevated, being maintained by wavelike disturbances and lacking surface cold pools. As the systems matured, surface outflows began to appear, particularly where heavy precipitation was occurring, with air in the surface cold pools originating from up to 4–5 km AGL. Via this progression, the MCSs exhibited a degree of self-organization (i.e., structures that are dependent upon an MCS’s particular history). The cold pools eventually became 1.5–3.5 km deep, by which point passive tracers revealed that the convection was at least partly surface based. Soon after becoming surface based, both simulations produced severe surface winds, the strongest of which were associated with embedded low-level mesovortices and their attendant outflow surges and bowing segments. The origin of the simulated mesovortices was likely the downward tilting of system-generated horizontal vorticity (from baroclinity, but also possibly friction) within the simulated MCSs’ outflow, as has been argued in a number of previous studies. Taken altogether, it appears that severe nocturnal MCSs may often resemble their cold pool-driven, surface-based afternoon counterparts.
Making What Government Does Apparent to Citizens: Policy Feedback Effects, Their Limitations, and How They Might Be Facilitated
Authors: Mettler Suzanne
Published: September 2019

Public policies sometimes generate “policy feedback effects,” reshaping public opinion and political participation among beneficiaries or the public generally, often with the effects of generating supportive constituencies that help to sustain the program. Yet such effects do not always occur; in fact, despite that Americans use more social policies than ever, antipathy to government runs high—evidence of a seeming “government-citizen disconnect.” Policy design and delivery matters for policy feedback, as policies that make government’s role more visible may make more of an impression on beneficiaries; yet political polarization and distrust in government can interfere with such effects. In addition, those who are most aware of the government’s role in social provision often participate least in politics, and vice versa. This article considers strategies that public officials and other civic and political leaders can use to facilitate policy feedback effects.
Asymmetric Partisan Polarization, Labor Policy, and Cross-State Political Power-Building
Authors: Hertel-Fernandez Alexander
Published: September 2019

As the Republican Party has moved to the Right, conservative politicians have become more comfortable viewing policy as a means of demobilizing their political adversaries. In this article, I show how conservative activists within the Republican Party have leveraged cutbacks to union rights to weaken their political opponents. This case study thus reveals the role of policy feedback strategies in asymmetric partisan polarization. It also illustrates lessons about the conditions under which policy feedback can durably shift the distribution of power in America’s fragmented polity. These insights underscore how the success of policy feedback effects depends not just on the initial passage of policies in one city or state, but on the ability of political actors to organize in multiple venues simultaneously. In particular, they highlight the importance of organizing at the cross-state level given the substantial political authority of states.
Building Climate Policy in the States
Authors: Trachtman Samuel
Published: September 2019

Large-scale carbon emissions reductions in the United States likely require national-level policy, but political and institutional constraints restrict the scope of policy that can be enacted in Washington. State governments, on the other hand, have demonstrated a remarkable willingness to enact climate policies, despite the global nature of the problem. Although it is limited in directly reducing carbon emissions, state policy has the potential to make the terrain of U.S. climate politics more fertile for future policy. I discuss mechanisms by which climate policies enacted at the state level can influence climate politics across the states and at the national level. Finally, I make policy and political strategy recommendations that take these multilevel policy feedback dynamics into account.
Medicaid and the Policy Feedback Foundations for Universal Healthcare
Authors: Michener Jamila
Published: September 2019

Public policies are products of politics, but they also feed back into the political system by shaping the actions and attitudes of members of the polity. To date, scholarly examinations of feedback processes have been mostly concerned with understanding the relationship between public policy and democracy; relatively little attention has been paid to connecting policy feedback to the practical questions that animate politics. This article examines policy feedback as it applies to efforts aimed at achieving universal health coverage in the United States—a widely held policy goal shared by a majority of American voters across partisan lines. I argue that in the contemporary political context, Medicaid—a pillar of the American healthcare system and the primary mechanism for insuring low-income and disabled citizens—can produce negative feedbacks that demobilize political action, destabilize advocacy groups, and deter coalition building. Together, these feedbacks undermine future possibilities for universal healthcare. After detailing these democratic dilemmas, I outline strategies for proactively addressing them.
Antitrust Enforcement as Federal Policy to Reduce Regional Economic Disparities
Authors: Manduca Robert
Published: September 2019

Regions of the United States have seen their incomes diverge dramatically over the last four decades. This article makes the empirical and political case for treating regional economic disparities as a national phenomenon best resolved through federal policy, rather than exclusively as a matter of local responsibility. It then considers reinvigorated antitrust enforcement as an example of a federal policy that would strengthen local economies while benefiting from policy feedback effects.
Feedback Effects and the Criminal Justice Bureaucracy: Officer Attitudes and the Future of Correctional Reform
Authors: Lerman Amy E. , Harney Jessie
Published: September 2019

Although political scientists have documented the effects of incarceration on those serving time in prison and jail, there has been much less discussion about feedback effects on the attitudes of those who work in correctional institutions. This is a considerable oversight, given the enormous growth of the correctional workforce and its importance in the implementation of crime policy. In this article, we present original survey data from a large sample of California correctional officers. Our analyses suggest that characteristics of the institutions where correctional officers work—the levels of violence to which they are exposed, the proportion of inmates involved in high-quality rehabilitation programs, as well as the quality of management—help to shape officers’ attitudes toward rehabilitation. These dynamics have important implications for how public policies can create political constituencies among criminal justice officers. The attitudes of these officers should therefore be a concern for scholars, advocates, and practitioners who are interested in political strategies for long-term, meaningful reform to the correctional system.
Medicare Expansion as a Path as well as a Destination: Achieving Universal Insurance through a New Politics of Medicare
Authors: Hacker Jacob S.
Published: September 2019

Growing interest in “Medicare for All” has revived hopes for universal health insurance. Yet serious disagreements remain over how to expand Medicare and how far to move toward a universal Medicare system. In this article, I consider these disagreements in light of what we know about “policy feedback”—the ways in which policies, once enacted, reshape public opinion, governing institutions, and political organizations. Rather than focusing on the “political feasibility” of proposals for Medicare expansion, I focus on their “policy sustainability”: whether proposals, once enacted, can be established in place, entrenched over time, and expanded and improved as circumstances change. Achieving these “three E’s,” I argue, requires a flexible approach that builds on the current system (and hence falls short of Medicare for All) but also contains a universal coverage guarantee and other provisions designed to create strong feedback effects conducive to the expansion of Medicare over time.
De-Policing America’s Youth: Disrupting Criminal Justice Policy Feedbacks That Distort Power and Derail Prospects
Authors: Weaver Vesla M. , Geller Amanda
Published: September 2019

The standard account of policy feedback holds that social policy can be self-reinforcing: policies provide resources that promote economic security and well-being, and they also encourage beneficiaries to engage with government. Criminal justice policies have typically had the opposite effect: they embolden those with interests in a punitive policy agenda, while disempowering those most affected by the policies. This is of particular concern for children and adolescents in race-class subjugated communities (RCS), whose first encounters with government beyond public schooling often come through police contact and carry adverse social and political consequences at a critical developmental stage. In this article, we reimagine youth engagement with the state, arguing for substantial reductions in police surveillance of young people and for the promotion of youth attachment to civic life. We call for an investment in institutions, both state-based and community-based, that reinforce political inclusion and civic belonging.
Innovations in Social Science Methodologies: An Overview
Authors: Druckman Daniel , Donohue William
Published: September 2019

In this article, we discuss the historical development of various methodological approaches used by social scientists. The well-known divide between the positivist and constructivist traditions is alive and well in the variety of recent methodologies including those discussed in these issues. More recent developments include nonlinear approaches intended to deal with the complexity of the world as it presents itself. The advent of new technologies has expanded the reach of quantitative methods while also increasing the efficiency of data collections and analyses performed by qualitative researchers. Another trend is toward making research findings more relevant to the communities being researched. Innovation is the key theme of each article that is summarized in this essay. The developments captured by the authors presage a brave new world of continuing innovation in social science methodologies.
Innovations in Ethnographic Methods
Authors: Seligmann Linda J. , Estes Brian P.
Published: September 2019

This article reviews innovations in ethnographic methods that have developed over the past 25 years, specifically the emergence of multisited and short-term fieldwork, digital ethnography, various kinds of participatory and collaborative ethnography, and the use of interviews. Ethnographic methods, once primarily employed by anthropologists, have now been embraced by many other social science practitioners. The article discusses the strengths and weaknesses of how these methods are being implemented and applied; the ethical challenges their use raises; and the kinds of novel modes of interpretation, analysis, and representations of research findings they are producing.
Preanalytical potassium EDTA sample contamination: open versus closed phlebotomy systems
Authors: Asif Usama , Whitehead Simon J , Ford Clare , Gama Rousseau
Published: September 2019

Background

Potassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (K-EDTA) contamination of serum samples is a common cause of spurious electrolyte results, which may adversely affect patient care. The source of K-EDTA sample contamination is unknown since it is not caused by reverse order of draw. Other possible mechanisms are either direct transfer of blood from K-EDTA containing tubes to other tubes or syringe needle/top contamination when delivering blood into EDTA sample tubes before other sample tubes, but these have not been studied in clinical practice. We report on a quality improvement programme aimed at identifying the source of K-EDTA-contaminated samples.

Methods

We routinely measure EDTA in all serum samples with a potassium ⩾6.0 mmol/L. We identified individuals responsible for K-EDTA-contaminated samples (EDTA >0.15 mmol/L) and in close-to-real-time discussed their phlebotomy methods for the collection of these samples.

Results

Over four months, we investigated 96 EDTA-contaminated samples. Of these, we identified and interviewed 64 (67%) individuals responsible for contaminated samples; 52 (81%) doctors, 9 (14%) phlebotomists and 3 (5%) nurses. Fifty-two individuals recalled taking the sample and the phlebotomy method used. All used open phlebotomy methods.

Conclusions

We report, for the first time, that K-EDTA sample contamination almost always, if not exclusively, occurs following open phlebotomy methods. Phlebotomy training and guidelines should, therefore, encourage use of closed systems as well as include and emphasize the importance of ‘order of blood sample tube fill’ when using open phlebotomy methods.
Gendered Pathways Into Co-Offending Among a Sample of Adult Burglary and Robbery Offenders
Authors: McNeeley Susan
Published: September 2019

This study examines whether gender is related to co-offending. It also tests whether turning points throughout the life course influence co-offending in adulthood and whether these pathways into co-offending are gendered. The study utilizes a sample of 484 burglary and robbery offenses committed by 400 offenders incarcerated in Minnesota state prisons. Neither the presence of co-offenders nor the number of co-offenders varied by gender. However, women were more likely than men to act as accomplices and co-offend with romantic partners or family members. In addition, there was limited evidence that homelessness, abuse and victimization, substance abuse, and mental health problems were related to co-offending, and that these relationships varied by gender.
Machine Learning in Gifted Education: A Demonstration Using Neural Networks
Authors: Hodges Jaret , Mohan Soumya
Published: September 2019

Machine learning algorithms are used in language processing, automated driving, and for prediction. Though the theory of machine learning has existed since the 1950s, it was not until the advent of advanced computing that their potential has begun to be realized. Gifted education is a field where machine learning has yet to be utilized, even though one of the underlying problems of gifted education is classification, which is an area where learning algorithms have become exceptionally accurate. We provide a brief overview of machine learning with a focus on neural networks and supervised learning, followed by a demonstration using simulated data and neural networks for classification issues with a practical explanation of the mechanics of the neural network and associated R code. Implications for gifted education are then discussed. Finally, the limitations of supervised learning are discussed. Code used in this article can be found at https://osf.io/4pa3b/
Global Identity and Preference for Environmentally Friendly Products: The Role of Personal Responsibility
Authors: Ng Sharon , Basu Shankha
Published: September 2019

This research tests the idea that a salient global identity positively affects people’s willingness to pay for environmentally friendly products. Results from a large-scale multi-nation survey ( N = 75,934) as well as two studies ( N = 322) conducted in Singapore supported this prediction. We found that participants with a more (vs. less) dominant global identity indicated greater support for environmentally friendly products and exhibited increased pro-environmental behavior. We further show that the effect is driven by a stronger feeling of personal responsibility toward the environment among individuals who possess a dominant global identity. Findings from this research suggest that the formation of stronger global identity, a psychological consequence of increasing globalization, can have an important impact on people’s pro-environmental behavior.
Perceived Discrimination, Ethnic Identity, and Mental Distress Among Asian International Students in Korea
Authors: Suh Han Na , Flores Lisa Y. , Wang Kenneth T.
Published: September 2019

This study explored the associations between perceived discrimination, ethnic identity, and mental distress among 118 Asian international college students in Korea. Perceived discrimination and ethnic identity were included as critical factors in international students’ adaptation to living in Korea, and their associations with self-report measures of depression and anxiety were explored using canonical correlation and latent profile analysis. Based on studies identifying two types of discrimination, we explored how each discrimination type relates to mental distress. Results indicated (a) students’ perceptions of personal rejection (i.e., demeaning and overt acts of discrimination) were significantly associated with depression and anxiety, and this association was stronger than that of perceived unfair treatment, and depression and anxiety (b) students’ exploration of ethnic identity had a positive relationship with anxiety. These results suggest the need to provide additional supports for international students engaged in the exploration process. The current results also suggest that Asian international students’ adaptation experiences in Korea may differ from those international students in other countries as reported in the literature. More attention and study with international students is needed to seek possible common parameters of adaptation in diverse cultural contexts of host countries.
Impact of Group Cohesion Among Drinking Groups at Nightclubs on Risk From Alcohol and Other Drug Use
Authors: Byrnes Hilary F. , Miller Brenda A. , Bourdeau Beth , Johnson Mark B.
Published: September 2019

Although protective strategies are implemented within drinking groups, alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use may increase when protective strategies are in place. Being in a cohesive group could lead to a false sense of security, leading to more risk taking. This study examines whether club patrons perceiving greater group cohesion implement fewer protective strategies and use more AOD. The sample includes 815 club patrons (44.2% female; M age = 27.7, SD = 6.0 years) arriving in 324 groups, from seven clubs hosting electronic music dance events, across 30 evenings. Anonymous surveys, biological measures of alcohol (entry and exit) and drugs (exit only), were used. Results show that group cohesion relates to fewer strategies to keep themselves and their group safe and fewer actions responding to group AOD problems. Group cohesion was unrelated to AOD use. Findings suggest that prevention strategies should incorporate influences of group cohesion in engaging patrons in group safety strategies at clubs.
Testing a Theoretical Model of Perceived Audience Legitimacy: The Neglected Linkage in the Dialogic Model of Police–community Relations
Authors: Nix Justin , Pickett Justin T. , Wolfe Scott E.
Published: September 2019

Objectives:

Democratic policing involves an ongoing dialogue between officers and citizens about what it means to wield legitimate authority. Most of the criminological literature on police legitimacy has focused on citizens’ perceptions of this dialogue—that is, audience legitimacy. Consequently, we know little about how officers perceive their legitimacy in the eyes of the public and the antecedents of such perceptions. Pulling together separate strands of literature pertaining to citizen demeanor, hostile media perceptions, and danger perception theory, we propose and test a theoretical model of perceived audience legitimacy.

Method:

We conducted two separate studies: the first a survey of 546 officers working at a southern U.S. agency and the second a survey of a national probability sample of 665 executives and high-ranking officers.

Results:

Local violent crime rates, but not minority group size or growth, are associated with lower perceived audience legitimacy. Additionally, recent experiences with citizen disrespect and global perceptions of citizen animus are both inversely associated with perceived audience legitimacy. The perceived hostility of local, but not national, media coverage is also associated with lower perceived audience legitimacy.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest a need for additional research that explores whether the antecedents of audience legitimacy indirectly affect police behaviors, like the use of force.
Refinements in the Organism as a Whole Rationale for Brain Death
Authors: Bernat James L.
Published: September 2019

Death can be defined as the permanent cessation of the organism as a whole. Although the organism as a whole is a century-old concept, it remains better intuited than analyzed. Recent concepts in theoretical biology including hierarchies of organization, emergent functions, and mereology have informed the idea that the organism as a whole is the organism’s critical emergent functions. Because the brain conducts the critical emergent functions including conscious awareness and control of respiration and circulation, the cessation of brain functions is death of the organism. A newer concept, the brain as a whole, may offer a superior criterion of death to the whole-brain criterion, because it more closely matches accepted clinical brain death tests and confirms the cessation of the organism’s emergent functions. Although the concepts of organism as a whole and brain as a whole remain vague and in need of rigorous biophilosophical analysis, their future precision will be restricted by the categorical limitations intrinsic to theoretical biological models.
Does It Matter How We Die? Ethical and Legal Issues Raised by Combining Euthanasia and Organ Transplantation
Authors: Somerville Margaret
Published: September 2019

If, in jurisdictions with legalized euthanasia, obtaining organs for transplant from euthanized people is allowed, must their organs be taken only after death or should euthanasia be allowed to be performed by removal of vital organs? Asked another way, if “Donation after Death” is practiced, why not “Death by Donation?” The article addresses two questions. First, “What issues does connecting euthanasia and organ donation raise?” They include dealing with uncertainty regarding the definition of death, defining what constitutes conscientiously objecting healthcare professionals' involvement in euthanasia, and whether connecting euthanasia and transplantation makes conflicts of interest for healthcare professionals unavoidable. Additional issues raised by death by donation include breach of the “dead-donor rule”; what would constitute informed consent to it; and what impact its acceptance would have on important foundational societal values, especially respect for human dignity and human life. The second question is “Why might some people who agree with euthanasia and even organ donation after death by euthanasia find death by donation ethically unacceptable?” Considerations again include its harmful impact on upholding respect for human dignity and human life and that the “wisdom of repugnance” could be informing these people's reaction. It is concluded that in order to avoid serious breaches of ethics, organ transplantation and euthanasia should not be linked in any way.