bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Protective Effect of Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor on Endometrium and Ovary in a Rat Model of Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Pala Halil Gursoy , Pala Emel Ebru , Artunc Ulkumen Burcu , Aktug Huseyin , Yavasoglu Altug , Korkmaz Huseyin Anil , Erbas Oytun
Published: July 2014

Aims: To evaluate the effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) on the endometrium and ovaries in an experimental diabetes mellitus (DM) rat model. Methods: A total of 18 female Sprague-Dawley albino mature rats (8 weeks, 200-220 g) were used in this study. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of streptozocin randomly in 12 rats. No drug was administered to the remainder of the rats (control group, group 1, n = 6). The other 12 rats were randomly divided into 2 groups; 1 ml/kg i.p. saline was given as vehicle to group 2 (diabetic nontreated control group, n = 6) and 100 µg/kg/day of i.p. G-CSF was given to group 3 (G-CSF-treated group, n = 6) for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, blood samples were collected and hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy was performed for histopathological examination. Results: The mean endometrial gland degeneration and stromal fibrosis scores were significantly higher in group 2 compared with groups 1 and 3. Ovarian follicle degeneration, stromal degeneration and stromal fibrosis scores were significantly higher in group 2 compared with groups 1 and 3. Plasma TGF-β and malondialdehyde levels were significantly lower in groups 1 and 3 compared with group 2. Antimüllerian hormone levels were significantly lower in group 2 compared with groups 1 and 3. Conclusion: Glucose toxicity occurred severely in the ovaries and endometrium of the DM rats. After G-CSF treatment, ovarian and endometrial injury and fibrosis scores decreased significantly. The effects of G-CSF in rat models give hope to improved treatment of human DM complications such as premature ovarian failure and endometrial dysfunction.
Changes and Interactions of Flourishing, Mindfulness, Sense of Coherence, and Quality of Life in Patients of a Mind-Body Medicine Outpatient Clinic
Authors: Gimpel Christine , von Scheidt Christel , Jose Gerald , Sonntag Ulrike , Stefano George B. , Michalsen Andreas , Esch Tobias
Published: July 2014

Background: Stress-related, behavioral or chronic diseases require a holistic therapeutic approach. Mind-body medicine (MBM) uses the interaction between mind, body, behavior, and the environment to affect physical and psychological health and function. This integrative strategy can be applied in clinical settings, e.g., in an outpatient clinic, to improve well-being as well as clinical outcomes. We hypothesized an improvement of flourishing, mindfulness, sense of coherence, and quality of life through a comprehensive MBM program. In addition, we hypothesized correlations between the measures themselves as well as between the measures influenced by the intervention. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal cohort study in an outpatient clinic setting (n = 48 patients, with various diagnoses). A questionnaire battery, consisting of SF-12, Flourishing Scale (FS, FS-D), Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI), and Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC9), was used and applied in a pre-to-post format over a period of 18 weeks. The intervention was a 12-week MBM group program, with 1 session of 7 h per week. Results: The pre-post comparison of the measures showed significant improvements in psychological health, flourishing, mindfulness, and coherence. We were able to verify correlations between the measures themselves, apart from physical health. Coherence correlated with psychological health, influenced by the intervention. Further analyses showed associations between coherence, mindfulness, and flourishing. Conclusions: The MBM program improved measures of psychological health and decreased the level of suffering from chronic disease. MBM led to an improvement of disease coping and appraisal of individual ailments, thereby enhancing quality of life. Personal flourishing, coherence, and mindfulness seem to interact with each other.
Physiological Correlates of Neurobehavioral Disinhibition that Relate to Drug Use and Risky Sexual Behavior in Adolescents with Prenatal Substance Exposure
Authors: Conradt Elisabeth , Lagasse Linda L. , Shankaran Seetha , Bada Henrietta , Bauer Charles R. , Whitaker Toni M. , Hammond Jane A. , Lester Barry M.
Published: July 2014

Physiological correlates of behavioral and emotional problems, substance use onset and initiation of risky sexual behavior have not been studied in adolescents with prenatal drug exposure. We studied the concordance between baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) at age 3 and baseline cortisol levels at age 11. We hypothesized that children who showed concordance between RSA and cortisol would have lower neurobehavioral disinhibition scores which would in turn predict age of substance use onset and first sexual intercourse. The sample included 860 children aged 16 years participating in the Maternal Lifestyle Study, a multisite longitudinal study of children with prenatal exposure to cocaine and other substances. Structural equation modeling was used to test pathways between prenatal substance exposure, early adversity, baseline RSA, baseline cortisol, neurobehavioral disinhibition, drug use, and sexual behavior outcomes. Concordance was studied by examining separate male and female models in which there were statistically significant interactions between baseline RSA and cortisol. Prenatal substance exposure was operationalized as the number of substances to which the child was exposed. An adversity score was computed based on caregiver postnatal substance use, depression and psychological distress, number of caregiver changes, socioeconomic and poverty status, quality of the home environment, and child history of protective service involvement, abuse and neglect. RSA and cortisol were measured during a baseline period prior to the beginning of a task. Neurobehavioral disinhibition, based on composite scores of behavioral dysregulation and executive dysfunction, substance use and sexual behavior were derived from questionnaires and cognitive tests administered to the child. Findings were sex specific. In females, those with discordance between RSA and cortisol (high RSA and low cortisol or low RSA and high cortisol) had the most executive dysfunction which, in turn, predicted earlier initiation of alcohol by age 16. Among boys, there also existed a significant baseline RSA by baseline cortisol interaction. Boys with low baseline RSA and high baseline cortisol had the highest levels of behavioral dysregulation. This increase in behavioral dysregulation was in turn related to initiation of alcohol use by age 16 and lower age of first sexual intercourse. We found sex-specific pathways to the initiation of alcohol use and risky sexual behavior through the combined activity of parasympathetic and neuroendocrine functioning. The study of multiple physiological systems may suggest new pathways to the study of age of onset of substance use and engagement in risky sexual behavior in adolescents.
Analysis of Metabolic Syndrome Components in >15 000 African Americans Identifies Pleiotropic Variants
Authors: Carty Cara L. , Bhattacharjee Samsiddhi , Haessler Jeff , Cheng Iona , Hindorff Lucia A. , Aroda Vanita , Carlson Christopher S. , Hsu Chun-Nan , Wilkens Lynne , Liu Simin , Selvin Elizabeth , Jackson Rebecca , North Kari E. , Peters Ulrike , Pankow James S. , Chatterjee Nilanjan , Kooperberg Charles
Published: July 2014

Background—

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to the clustering of cardiometabolic risk factors, including dyslipidemia, central adiposity, hypertension, and hyperglycemia, in individuals. Identification of pleiotropic genetic factors associated with MetS traits may shed light on key pathways or mediators underlying MetS.

Methods and Results—

Using the Metabochip array in 15 148 African Americans from the Population Architecture using Genomics and Epidemiology (PAGE) study, we identify susceptibility loci and investigate pleiotropy among genetic variants using a subset-based meta-analysis method, ASsociation-analysis-based-on-subSETs (ASSET). Unlike conventional models that lack power when associations for MetS components are null or have opposite effects, Association-analysis-based-on-subsets uses 1-sided tests to detect positive and negative associations for components separately and combines tests accounting for correlations among components. With Association-analysis-based-on-subsets, we identify 27 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 1 glucose and 4 lipids loci (
TCF7L2
,
LPL
,
APOA5
,
CETP
, and
APOC1/APOE/TOMM40
) significantly associated with MetS components overall, all
P
<2.5e−7, the Bonferroni adjusted
P
value. Three loci replicate in a Hispanic population, n=5172. A novel African American-specific variant, rs12721054/
APOC1
, and rs10096633/
LPL
are associated with ≥3 MetS components. We find additional evidence of pleiotropy for
APOE
,
TOMM40
,
TCF7L2
, and
CETP
variants, many with opposing effects (eg, the same rs7901695/
TCF7L2
allele is associated with increased odds of high glucose and decreased odds of central adiposity).

Conclusions—

We highlight a method to increase power in large-scale genomic association analyses and report a novel variant associated with all MetS components in African Americans. We also identify pleiotropic associations that may be clinically useful in patient risk profiling and for informing translational research of potential gene targets and medications.
Sestrin2 Decreases Renal Oxidative Stress, Lowers Blood Pressure, and Mediates Dopamine D
2
Receptor–Induced Inhibition of Reactive Oxygen Species Production
Authors: Yang Yu , Cuevas Santiago , Yang Sufei , Villar Van Anthony , Escano Crisanto , Asico Laureano , Yu Peiying , Jiang Xiaoliang , Weinman Edward J. , Armando Ines , Jose Pedro A.
Published: July 2014

The dopamine D
2
receptor (D
2
R) decreases renal reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and regulates blood pressure, in part, via positive regulation of paraoxonase 2. Sestrin2, a highly conserved antioxidant protein, regulates intracellular ROS level by regenerating hyperoxidized peroxiredoxins. We hypothesized that sestrin2 may be involved in preventing excessive renal ROS production and thus contribute to the maintenance of normal blood pressure. Moreover, the D
2
R may decrease ROS production, in part, through the regulation of sestrin2. Renal sestrin2 expression was lower (−62±13%) in D
2
R
−/−
than in D
2
R
+/+
mice. Silencing D
2
R in human renal proximal tubule cells decreased sestrin2 expression (−53±3%) and increased hyperoxidized peroxiredoxins (2.9-fold). Stimulation of D
2
R in renal proximal tubule cells increased sestrin2 expression (1.6-fold), decreased hyperoxidized peroxiredoxins (−61±3%), and reduced ROS production (−31±4%). Silencing sestrin2 in renal proximal tubule cells increased hyperoxidized peroxiredoxins (2.1-fold) and ROS production (1.3-fold). Silencing sestrin2 also abolished D
2
R-induced decrease in peroxiredoxin hyperoxidation and partially prevented the inhibitory effect of D
2
R stimulation on ROS production. Silencing paraoxonase 2 increased sestrin2 ubiquitinylation (2.8-fold), decreased sestrin2 expression (−30±3%), and increased ROS production (1.3-fold), peroxiredoxin hyperoxidation (2.9-fold), and lipid peroxidation (2.3-fold), and blocked the increase in sestrin2 that occurs with D
2
R stimulation. In vivo renal selective silencing of sestrin2 by the renal subcapsular infusion of sestrin2 small interfering RNA (3 μg/day; 7 days) in mice increased renal oxidative stress (1.3-fold) and blood pressure. These results suggest that the D
2
R, via paraoxonase 2 and sestrin2, keeps normal renal redox balance, which contributes to the maintenance of normal blood pressure.
Pulse Pressure Relation to Aortic and Left Ventricular Structure in the Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility (AGES)-Reykjavik Study
Authors: Torjesen Alyssa A. , Sigurðsson Sigurður , Westenberg Jos J.M. , Gotal John D. , Bell Vanessa , Aspelund Thor , Launer Lenore J. , de Roos Albert , Gudnason Vilmundur , Harris Tamara B. , Mitchell Gary F.
Published: July 2014

High pulse pressure, a major cardiovascular risk factor, has been attributed to medial elastic fiber degeneration and aortic dilation, which transfers hemodynamic load to stiffer collagen. However, recent studies suggest higher pulse pressure is instead associated with smaller aortic diameter. Thus, we sought to elucidate relations of pulse pressure with aortic stiffness and aortic and cardiac dimensions. We used magnetic resonance imaging to examine relationships of pulse pressure with lumen area and wall stiffness and thickness in the thoracic aorta and left ventricular structure in 526 participants (72–94 years of age, 295 women) in the community-based Age, Gene/Environment Susceptibility-Reykjavik Study. In a multivariable model that adjusted for age, sex, height, weight, and standard vascular risk factors, central pulse pressure had a negative relationship with aortic lumen area (all effects expressed as mm Hg/SD; B=−8.1±1.2;
P
<0.001) and positive relationships with left ventricular end-diastolic volume (B=3.8±1.0;
P
<0.001), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (B=3.6±1.0;
P
<0.001), and aortic wall area (B=3.0±1.2;
P
=0.015). Higher pulse pressure in older people is associated with smaller aortic lumen area and greater aortic wall stiffness and thickness and left ventricular volume. Relationships of larger ventricular volume and smaller aortic lumen with higher pulse pressure suggest mismatch in hemodynamic load accommodation by the heart and aorta in older people.
Regulatory T Cells Prevent Angiotensin II–Induced Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm in Apolipoprotein E Knockout Mice
Authors: Meng Xiao , Yang Jianmin , Zhang Kai , An Guipeng , Kong Jing , Jiang Fan , Zhang Yun , Zhang Cheng
Published: July 2014

To test the hypothesis that adoptive transfer of regulatory T cells (Tregs) may dose-dependently inhibit the formation of angiotensin II–induced abdominal aortic aneurysm in apolipoprotein E knockout mice, we established an animal model of abdominal aortic aneurysm by angiotensin II infusion in apolipoprotein E knockout mice. Then mice received different treatment with PBS, low-dose Tregs, high-dose Tregs, or CD25-depleting PC61 antibody. Histopathologic analysis showed that the incidence of abdominal aortic aneurysm was 80%, 76%, 27%, and 71% in the PBS, low-dose Tregs, high-dose Tregs, and PC61 groups, respectively. Tregs treatment markedly decreased macrophage and CD4
+
T-cell infiltration and preserved the medial smooth muscle cells. Furthermore, Tregs decreased the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and MMP-9, increased the expression of anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β, and suppressed apoptosis and oxidative stress. In vitro, Tregs inhibited the response of human aortic smooth muscle cells to angiotensin II and reduced the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, MMP-2 and MMP-9, possibly by inhibiting the activation of nuclear factor-κB and extracellular signal-regulate kinase 1/2. In addition, Tregs downregulated macrophage type 1–related genes and upregulated macrophage type 2–related genes. However, Tregs-mediated effects were largely reversed by disrupting cell–cell contact or using neutralizing antibodies against interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor-β. Adoptive transfer of Tregs dose-dependently prevents angiotensin II–induced abdominal aortic aneurysm in apolipoprotein E knockout mice. The mechanisms may involve declined proinflammatory cytokine expression and MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels and enhanced anti-inflammatory cytokine expression, which is mediated by direct cell–cell contact and soluble mediators.
Boundary Objects and Global Consensus: Scalar Narratives of Marine Conservation in the Convention on Biological Diversity
Authors: Gray Noella J. , Gruby Rebecca L. , Campbell Lisa M.
Published: July 2014

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) continues to promote marine protected areas (MPAs) as a preferred tool for marine biodiversity conservation, in spite of concerns over their effectiveness and equity. However, explanations for this consensus on the utility of MPAs focus primarily on their measurability and ignore the ways in which they are conceptualized through ongoing governance processes. Drawing on the results of collaborative event ethnography at the Tenth Conference of the Parties to the CBD, this paper adopts the concepts of boundary objects and scalar narratives to analyze the ways in which consensus on MPAs is produced, in spite of conflicting understandings of MPA forms and functions. Both a local narrative of participatory MPAs and a global narrative of science driven high seas conservation articulate a regional scale as ideal for MPA governance, although with different priorities. Ultimately, consensus at the CBD is enabled only by accommodating competing visions of MPAs.
Collaborative Event Ethnography: Between Structural Power and Empirical Nuance?
Authors: Büscher Bram
Published: July 2014

This forum reviews and comments on other papers in this special issue on CEE. While CEE is a promising and innovative methodology, it would be strengthened by thinking through and taking into account two important points: first, how CEE can help to understand structural power, particularly as it relates to the intersection between neoliberal capitalism and the environment; and second, how authors could “translate” nuanced CEE findings into a politics that confronts the structural power of neoliberal capitalism.
Understanding Midlatitude Jet Variability and Change Using Rossby Wave Chromatography: Wave–Mean Flow Interaction
Authors: Lorenz David J.
Published: July 2014

Rossby wave chromatography (RWC) is implemented in a linearized barotropic model as a tool to understand the interaction between the midlatitude jet and the eddy momentum fluxes (uυ) in an idealized GCM. Given the background zonal-mean flow and the space–time structure of the baroclinic wave activity source, RWC calculates the space–time structure of the upper-tropospheric uυ. RWC allows a clean separation of the effects of phase speed changes and index of refraction changes (i.e., changes in background flow) on uυ.

It is found that uυ reinforces imposed zonal-mean zonal wind (u) anomalies that are collocated with the centers of action of the first empirical orthogonal function (EOF1) of the GCM. Critical-level dynamics are essential for the positive feedback when u is equatorward of the mean jet, and “reflecting level” dynamics are essential for the positive feedback when u is poleward of the jet. The eddy momentum flux caused by changes in the phase speeds of the wave sources, on the other hand, are associated with a negative feedback. When the imposed u is out of phase with EOF1, the eddies tend to shift the imposed u poleward (equatorward) for anomalies that are equatorward (poleward) of the poleward center of action of EOF1. Critical (reflecting)-level dynamics is most important for the poleward shift in the subtropics (midlatitudes). Because there are no baroclinic feedbacks in these experiments, these results suggest that barotropic feedbacks alone can account for the structure of the u variability in the midlatitudes.
A Bayesian Approach for Uncertainty Quantification of Extreme Precipitation Projections Including Climate Model Interdependency and Nonstationary Bias
Authors: Sunyer Maria Antonia , Madsen Henrik , Rosbjerg Dan , Arnbjerg-Nielsen Karsten
Published: July 2014

Climate change impact studies are subject to numerous uncertainties and assumptions. One of the main sources of uncertainty arises from the interpretation of climate model projections. Probabilistic procedures based on multimodel ensembles have been suggested in the literature to quantify this source of uncertainty. However, the interpretation of multimodel ensembles remains challenging. Several assumptions are often required in the uncertainty quantification of climate model projections. For example, most methods often assume that the climate models are independent and/or that changes in climate model biases are negligible. This study develops a Bayesian framework that accounts for model dependencies and changes in model biases and compares it to estimates calculated based on a frequentist approach. The Bayesian framework is used to investigate the effects of the two assumptions on the uncertainty quantification of extreme precipitation projections over Denmark. An ensemble of regional climate models from the Ensemble-Based Predictions of Climate Changes and their Impacts (ENSEMBLES) project is used for this purpose.

The results confirm that the climate models cannot be considered independent and show that the bias depends on the value of precipitation. This has an influence on the results of the uncertainty quantification. Both the mean and spread of the change in extreme precipitation depends on both assumptions. If the models are assumed independent and the bias constant, the results will be overconfident and may be treated as more precise than they really are. This study highlights the importance of investigating the underlying assumptions in climate change impact studies, as these may have serious consequences for the design of climate change adaptation strategies.
Modeling the Impacts of Future Climate Change on Irrigation over China: Sensitivity to Adjusted Projections
Authors: Leng Guoyong , Tang Qiuhong
Published: July 2014

Because of the limitations of coarse-resolution general circulation models (GCMs), delta change (DC) methods are generally used to derive scenarios of future climate as inputs into impact models. In this paper, the impact of future climate change on irrigation was investigated over China using the Community Land Model, version 4 (CLM4), which was calibrated against observed irrigation water demand (IWD) at the provincial level. The results show large differences in projected changes of IWD variability, extremes, timing, and regional responses between the DC and bias-corrected (BC) methods. For example, 95th-percentile IWD increased by 62% in the BC method compared to only a 28% increase in the DC method. In addition, a shift of seasonal IWD peaks (averaged over the country) to one month later in the year was projected when using the BC method, whereas no evident changes were predicted when using the DC method. Furthermore, low-percentile runoff has larger impacts in the BC method compared with proportional changes in the DC method, indicating that hydrological droughts seem to be exacerbated by increased climate variability. The discrepancies between the two methods were potentially due to the inability of the DC method to capture the changes in precipitation variability. Therefore, the authors highlight the potential effects of climate variability and the sensitivity to the choice of particular strategy-adjusting climate projection in assessing climate change impacts on irrigation. Some caveats, however, should be placed around interpretation of simulated percentage changes for all of China since a large model bias was found in southern China.
Community Context of Crime
Authors: Wo James C.
Published: July 2014

Although theories posit that some types of local institutions will have a crime-producing influence in neighborhoods while others will have the opposite effect, the empirical evidence is far from conclusive. Previous studies are typically limited to analyzing cross-sectional data and one type of institution. Using longitudinal data of the number of employees of various institutions within census tracts across nine U.S. cities, the present study examines the longitudinal impact of four types of institutions on violent and property crime. Negative binomial regression models suggest that alcohol outlets and banking establishments increase criminal opportunities, whereas “third places” like coffee shops and cafes induce efficacious neighborhood control and social action. Civic and social organizations have no statistical relationship with crime.
Female Literacy, Fertility Decline and Life Expectancy in Kerala, India: An Analysis from Census of India 2011
Authors: Susuman A Sathiya , Lougue Siaka , Battala Madhusudana
Published: July 2014

The recent female literacy and fertility levels in Kerala state are examined using the 2011 census data. Arriaga’s approach for estimation of age-specific fertility rates is undertaken to show the particularities of Kerala state and the best practices which made this state an example for other states in India as well as other places in the world, particularly developing countries. Women’s empowerment gets as much credit as physical facilities and family planning programs; this empowerment level of women is also related to their level of education.
Sartorial memories of a colonial past and a diasporic present in Kamala Markandaya’s The Nowhere Man
Authors: Pereira-Ares Noemí
Published: July 2014

The fictions of the South Asian diaspora in Britain have recurrently dramatized many of the sartorial confrontations, negotiations, and creative exchanges resulting from the interaction between Britons and South Asians on British soil. Some of them have also looked back to “clothing matters” (Tarlo, 1996) in colonial India, thus establishing a dialogue between the sartorial past and present of the protagonists. This is arguably nowhere more evident than in Kamala Markandaya’s The Nowhere Man (1972), a novel where the politics and poetics of dress in colonial India recur and haunt the sartorial present of the diasporic subject. Drawing on anthropological and sociological studies on dress, this article aims at reading the clothing subtext that Markandaya weaved into the fabric of this novel. The contribution argues that in The Nowhere Man the motif of clothing is used to connect the characters’ diasporic present in Britain with their previous past in colonial India, showing how their diasporic experience is affected and haunted by the memories of a colonial past. History, argues Paul Ricoeur in Memory, History, Forgetting (2006), is often constructed out of archived memories, and in The Nowhere Man Srinivas’ memories allow us to visit and revisit the historical archive of the sartorial relations between Indians and Britons over more than thirty years and across two different loci, India and Britain.
Armed conflicts, 1946–2013
Authors: Themnér Lotta , Wallensteen Peter
Published: July 2014

In 2013, the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) recorded 33 armed conflicts with a minimum of 25 battle-related deaths, up by one from 2012. Seven of these were recorded as wars, that is conflicts leading to 1,000 or more battle-related deaths in a calendar year. There have been 144 armed conflicts (47 wars) since 1989 and 254 armed conflicts (114 wars) since 1946. For the past ten years the amount of active armed conflict has fluctuated between 31 and 37. Six peace agreements were signed during the year 2013, two more than in the previous year. For the first time, this article also provides data on trends in battle-related deaths since 1989. These data do not show a clear time-trend. However, there is a particular difficulty in mapping the conflict in Syria, for which no credible battle-related deaths in 2013 can yet be reported.
A structural model of student well-being
Authors: Mokgele Kelebogile RF , Rothmann Sebastiaan
Published: July 2014

The aim of this study was to test a structural model of study demands and resources, student burnout, engagement, health, and satisfaction with life. A cross-sectional survey was used with first-year students in higher education institutions in South Africa ( N = 936). The Study Demands and Resources Questionnaire, Oldenburg Burnout Inventory, Health Questionnaire, and Satisfaction with Life Scale were administered. The results showed that study demands and a lack of study resources (including the intrinsic nature of study tasks, relationships with lecturers, and social support of peers) were positively associated with burnout. The availability of study resources was positively associated with psychological well-being and engagement. Burnout predicted psychological unwell-being symptoms, while engagement predicted satisfaction with life. Burnout partially mediated the relationship between a lack of study resources and psychological unwell-being, while engagement partially mediated the relationship between the availability of study resources and satisfaction with life.
Pragmatist Tools for Public Administration
Authors: Dieleman Susan
Published: July 2014

In this article, I aim to resuscitate discussions about the value of pragmatism for public administration by identifying some pragmatist tools that can transform the structures and processes of the administrative state. First, public administrators, having adopted a pragmatist fallibilism, will be able to make decisions and act in the absence of certainty. Second, the pragmatist emphasis on participatory inquiry makes possible a more democratic administrative state. Third, pragmatism helps define a new role for experts and expertise that can be used to realize the goals of democratic administration.
Thinking About Entrepreneurial Decision Making
Authors: Shepherd Dean A. , Williams Trenton A. , Patzelt Holger
Published: July 2014

Judgment and decision-making research has a long tradition in management and represents a substantial stream of research in entrepreneurship. Despite numerous reviews of this topic in the organizational behavior, psychology, and marketing fields, this is the first review in the field of entrepreneurship. This absence of a review of entrepreneurial decision making is surprising given the extreme decision-making context faced by many entrepreneurs—such as high uncertainty, time pressure, emotionally charged, and consequential extremes—and the large number of studies in the literature (e.g., 602 articles in our initial screen and 156 articles in a refined search). In this review, we (1) inductively categorize the articles into decision-making topics arranged along the primary activities associated with entrepreneurship—opportunity assessment decisions, entrepreneurial entry decisions, decisions about exploiting opportunities, entrepreneurial exit decisions, heuristics and biases in the decision-making context, characteristics of the entrepreneurial decision maker, and environment as decision context; (2) analyze each context using a general decision-making framework; (3) review and integrate studies within and across decision-making activities; and (4) offer a comprehensive agenda for future research. We believe (hope) that this proposed review, integration, and research agenda will make a valuable contribution to management scholars interested in decision making and/or entrepreneurship.
Immigrant Diversity and Economic Performance in Cities
Authors: Kemeny Thomas
Published: July 2014

This article reviews a growing literature investigating how “immigrant” diversity relates to urban economic performance. As distinct from the labor-supply focus of much of the economics of immigration, this article reviews work that examines how growing heterogeneity in the composition of the workforce may beneficially or harmfully affect the production of goods, services, and ideas, especially in regional economies. Taking stock of existing research, the article argues that the low-hanging fruit in this field has now been picked and lays out a set of open issues that need to be taken up in future studies in order to fulfill the promise of this work.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Authors: Carley Sanya , Hyman Martin
Published: July 2014

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act injected approximately US$840 billion into the U.S. economy for job creation, technological advancement, and infrastructure development. This study examines energy-related Recovery Act program implementation. The Recovery Act provided many immediate benefits to the economy, environment, and energy sector, but implementation was hindered by several conditions. This study offers selected case studies and a set of lessons learned for state officials.
Research Partnerships at the State Level
Authors: Gooden Susan T. , Graham Farrah S. , Martin Kasey J.
Published: July 2014

This article examines the factors that influence academic–practitioner research partnerships at the state level. The state longitudinal data system (SLDS) offers the capacity to link client-level data across multiple state agencies, providing an unparalleled opportunity to facilitate data informed decision making across PreK–20 educational and workforce agencies. Analysis of sixty-nine qualitative interviews with agency administrators and university researchers in four SLDS states (Maryland, Texas, Virginia, and Washington) suggests that understanding organizational culture, combined with formal and informal factors, influences the quality and likely long-term sustainability of these efforts. Fostering effective partnerships is fundamental to advancing public-sector, data-driven decision making.
Axel Honneth and the neo-Idealist turn in critical theory
Authors: Thompson Michael J.
Published: July 2014

I provide a critique of Axel Honneth’s theory of recognition by calling into question the extent to which recognitive relations are immune to the effects of social and economic power and their ability to shape consciousness and moral cognition. I maintain that as a theory of socialization, Honneth’s theory is inadequate to deal with the strong structural-functional forces that hold administrative-capitalist societies together. This has the effect of constituting subjectivity in particular ways, and this problem of the constitution of the personality and consciousness of individuals vitiates the descriptive and normative claims of the theory of recognition. I end by considering an alternative way to view recognition and its role in promoting a form of critical subjectivity.
Domain definition and search techniques in meta-analyses of L2 research (Or why 18 meta-analyses of feedback have different results)
Authors: Plonsky Luke , Brown Dan
Published: July 2014

Applied linguists have turned increasingly in recent years to meta-analysis as the preferred means of synthesizing quantitative research. The first step in the meta-analytic process involves defining a domain of interest. Despite its apparent simplicity, this step involves a great deal of subjectivity on the part of the meta-analyst. This article problematizes the importance of clearly defining and operationalizing meta-analytic domains. Toward that end, we present a critical review of one particular domain, corrective feedback, which has been subject to 18 unique meta-analyses. Specifically, we examine the unique approach each study has taken in defining their domain of interest. In order to demonstrate the critical role of this stage in the meta-analytic process, we also examine variability in summary effects as a function of the unique subdomains in the sample. Because different techniques used to identify candidate studies carry assumptions about the type of research that falls within the domain of interest (e.g. published vs. unpublished), we also include a brief review of search techniques employed in a set of 81 meta-analyses of second language research. Building on the work of In’nami and Koizumi (2010) and Oswald and Plonsky (2010), the results for this phase of the analysis show that L2 meta-analysts generally rely on a stable but very limited set of search strategies, none of which is likely to yield unpublished studies. Based on our findings related both to domain definition and search techniques employed by L2 researchers, we make specific recommendations for future meta-analytic practice in the field.
Multi-level governance and peripheral places: The North-East of England
Authors: Elcock Howard
Published: July 2014

Stein Rokkan’s analysis of centres and peripheries is applied to the case of North-East England, the country’s most peripheral region. The North-East’s ability to represent its needs and wishes to the central government and the European Union has been hampered by the instability of its local and regional institutions, which have been repeatedly changed at the behest of successive sovereign central governments and became increasingly matters of political contention after 1979. This demonstrates that Rokkan’s analysis of peripheries as ‘distant, different and dependent’ is fully confirmed by this case study.
Magnetic resonance imaging characteristics of invasive breast cancer in women aged less than 35 years
Authors: Kim Jin You , Lee Suck Hong , Lee Ji Won , Kim Suk , Choo Ki Seok
Published: July 2014

Background

With regard to clinicopathological findings and disease prognosis, breast cancer in young women is different from that in older women. However, few studies have investigated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of young age-onset breast cancer.

Purpose

To retrospectively evaluate and compare the MR images and clinicopathological characteristics of invasive breast cancer in young women (aged <35 years) with those of breast cancers in older premenopausal women (35–45 years).

Material and Methods

A total of 270 invasive breast cancers in 266 premenopausal women aged 45 years and younger who underwent preoperative breast MRI and curative surgery were identified between 2009 and 2013. The subjects were divided into a young group (<35 years, n = 56) and an older group (35–45 years, n = 214). MRI features and clinicopathological data were compared between the two groups.

Results

The young group had more positive axillary lymph nodes, higher histologic grade, negative estrogen receptor (ER), negative progesterone receptor (PR), and higher p53 and Ki-67 expression compared to the older group. Using MRI, the young group was more likely to display a round/oval or lobular mass shape, a smooth mass margin, and a high signal intensity on T2-weighted images when compared to the older group. In multivariate analysis, positive axillary nodal status (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 4.070; P = 0.002), higher expression of p53 (adjusted OR, 2.902; P = 0.038), lobular mass shape (adjusted OR, 4.979; P = 0.028), and smooth mass margin (adjusted OR, 5.123; P = 0.048) were independently associated with the young group.

Conclusion

MR morphologic features, including lobular mass shape and smooth mass margin, were independently associated with breast cancer in young women, in addition to positive axillary nodal status and higher p53 expression status.
Closed-form expressions of mode I apparent notch fracture toughness for key-hole notches
Authors: Torabi A R
Published: July 2014

Two closed-form expressions were developed in this research to estimate the mode I apparent notch fracture toughness of brittle materials weakened by key-hole notches based on the well-established brittle fracture criteria, namely, the point stress and the mean stress. The theoretical models were verified using the experimental results reported in open literature dealing with tensile fracture in rectangular isostatic graphite plates containing central key-hole notches of various notch tip radii. A very good agreement was found to exist between the predictions of both the models and the experimental results. The results showed that while the accuracy of each model was different for various notch tip radii, total accuracies of the two models were almost equal (both about 93%) demonstrating their effectiveness. Using such expressions, it is expected that one can simply estimate the load-carrying capacity of brittle and quasi-brittle components weakened by key-hole notches under mode I loading.
Municipal solid waste management in rural areas and small counties: An economic analysis using contingent valuation to estimate willingness to pay for Yunnan, China
Authors: Wang Hua , He Jie , Kim Yoonhee , Kamata Takuya
Published: July 2014

Municipal solid waste management (SWM) is a major challenge for local governments in rural China. One key issue is the low priority assigned by the local government which is faced with limited financing capacity. We conducted an economic analysis in Eryuan, a poor county in Yunnan, China, where the willingness- to- pay (WTP) for an improved solid waste collection and disposal service was valuated and compared with project cost. Similar to most previous studies in developing countries, this study found that the mean WTP is approximately 1% of the household income. The economic internal rate of return of the project is about 5%, which signifies the estimated social benefit to be already higher than the project cost. Moreover, we believe our estimation of social benefit to be a conservative one since our study only focuses on the local people who will be directly served by the project; wider positive externality of the project, such as CO2 emission reduction and groundwater pollution alleviation, etc., whose impact most probably surpass the frontier of Eryuan county, are not considered explicitly in our survey. The analysis also reveals that the poorest households are not only willing to pay more than the rich households in terms of percentage income but are also willing to pay no less than the rich in terms of absolute value in locations where solid waste services are unavailable. This result reveals the fact that the poorest households have stronger demands for public SWM services, whereas the rich may have the ability to employ private solutions.
Quantitative performance targets by using balanced scorecard system: Application to waste management and public administration
Authors: Mendes Paula , Nunes Luis Miguel , Ribau Teixeira Margarida
Published: July 2014

This article demonstrates how decision-makers can be guided in the process of defining performance target values in the balanced scorecard system. We apply a method based on sensitivity analysis with Monte Carlo simulation to the municipal solid waste management system in Loulé Municipality (Portugal). The method includes two steps: sensitivity analysis of performance indicators to identify those performance indicators with the highest impact on the balanced scorecard model outcomes; and sensitivity analysis of the target values for the previously identified performance indicators. Sensitivity analysis shows that four strategic objectives (IPP1: Comply with the national waste strategy; IPP4: Reduce nonrenewable resources and greenhouse gases; IPP5: Optimize the life-cycle of waste; and FP1: Meet and optimize the budget) alone contribute 99.7% of the variability in overall balanced scorecard value. Thus, these strategic objectives had a much stronger impact on the estimated balanced scorecard outcome than did others, with the IPP1 and the IPP4 accounting for over 55% and 22% of the variance in overall balanced scorecard value, respectively. The remaining performance indicators contribute only marginally. In addition, a change in the value of a single indicator’s target value made the overall balanced scorecard value change by as much as 18%. This may lead to involuntarily biased decisions by organizations regarding performance target-setting, if not prevented with the help of methods such as that proposed and applied in this study.
Evaluating smoldering behavior of fire-blocking barrier fabrics
Authors: Nazaré Shonali , Pitts William M , Matko Szabolcs , Davis Rick D
Published: July 2014

This study reports on the smoldering propensity of commercially available barrier fabrics in a small-scale mock-up configuration. Most barrier fabrics are smolder resistant when tested alone over a standard flexible polyurethane foam. However, when covered with a smolder-prone cover fabric, most barrier fabrics failed the smoldering ignition test described in the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s proposed standard 16 CFR Part 1634. The results of this study suggest that the smolder-prone cover fabrics, when placed on top of a number of barrier fabrics, are capable of releasing sufficient heat to initiate the char oxidation smoldering process of some of the barrier fabrics and subsequently transmit the heat to the underlying flexible polyurethane foam. A smoldering index for barrier fabrics was derived from the measured char volume fraction of the flexible polyurethane foam by varying the barrier fabric component in the flexible polyurethane foam/barrier fabric/cover fabric mock-up systems, while holding the other two components constant. The smoldering index for self-extinguishing barrier fabrics was 0. Barrier fabrics with smoldering index of 1 or more resulted in sustained smoldering in the flexible polyurethane foam. The smoldering propensity of barrier fabrics and the amount of heat transmitted to the flexible polyurethane foam varied depending on the barrier fabric structure, fiber content, air permeability, and bulk density. Flame-retardant treatments and use of char-forming fibers showed a greater tendency for barrier fabric smolder in the presence of the smolder-prone cover fabric. Barrier fabrics with char-forming fiber blends had greater smoldering propensity as compared to barrier fabrics with low charring fiber blends. The lower the smoldering propensity of the barrier fabric, the less likely was the development of sustained smoldering in the flexible polyurethane foam.
Psychosocial Profile of Mexican American Youths Who Play Aggressive Video Games
Authors: Leiner Marie , Peinado Jesus , Villanos Maria Theresa , Alvarado Luis A. , Singh Namrata , Dwivedi Alok
Published: July 2014

The effects of video games on youths have been subject to debate. Some researchers have linked video games to behavioral and emotional problems, while others have found no adverse effects. The behavioral and emotional problems experienced by some gamers may be linked to certain types of video games. We hypothesized that Mexican American youths with lower socioeconomic status and who play “aggressive” video games have more emotional and behavioral problems than those who do not play such games. We examined a total of 579 youths using the Child Behavior Checklist and analyzing the games played within the last 6 months. Youths who played aggressive video games had higher scores and more emotional and behavioral problems compared with those who did not play aggressive video games.
The Land Use Energy Connection
Authors: Kaza Nikhil , Curtis Marie Patane
Published: July 2014

To date, most planners have focused on the relationship between urban form and energy consumption. They argue that compact housing and urban patterns reduce both household and transportation energy use and should be promoted to combat a variety of ills, including import dependency and climate change. However, planners also have a strong role to play in energy production, particularly with the increasing adoption of renewable forms of energy. Planners will play an integral part in harmonizing local land use regulations and policies that will either promote or hinder the adoption of these technologies. In this article, we review industry and government reports, regulations, professional standards, news articles, and peer-reviewed literature in disparate fields. We identify pertinent environmental and land use planning issues of different types of centralized, distributed, conventional, and renewable energy generation, the implications and externalities of their fuel extraction, transportation, transmission and distribution, siting of generation facilities as well as the disposal of the waste. While the literature is voluminous, these issues have received scant attention in the planning literature. We make the case that land use and environmental planners should have a strong interest in energy.