bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of apelin and relaxin plasma levels in masked hypertension and white coat hypertension
Authors: Sanidas Elias , Tsakalis Kostas , Papadopoulos Dimitrios P. , Zerva Kanella , Velliou Maria , Perrea Despoina , Mantzourani Marina , Iliopoulos Dimitrios , Barbetseas John 
Published: December 2018

Masked hypertension (HTN) and white coat hypertension represent two reverse forms of clinical HTN with questionable prognostic significance. Recent evidence supports that low apelin and relaxin plasma levels contribute to vascular damage accelerating atherogenesis and predisposing to HTN and cardiovascular (CV) events. The aim of this study was to compare apelin and relaxin plasma levels between patients with masked hypertension (MH) and those with white coat HTN (WCH). Overall, 130 patients not receiving antihypertensive therapy were studied. All patients underwent 24‐hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) and office BP measurements. Plasma apelin and relaxin levels were measured by ELISA method. According to BP recordings, 24 subjects had MH (group A) and 32 had WCH (group B). Apelin (200 ± 111 pg/mL vs 305 ± 127 pg/mL, P < 0.01) and relaxin (35.2 ± 6.7 pg/mL vs 46.8 ± 23.6 pg/mL, P < 0.01) plasma levels were significantly lower in patients with MH compared to those with WCH, respectively. In conclusion, our findings showed that patients with MH had significantly lower apelin and relaxin levels compared to those with WCH. This observation implies an additional prognostic role for adipokines supporting the concept that MH is closer to essential HTN whereas WCH is a more benign condition.
Aminothiazoles inhibit osteoclastogenesis and PGE2 production in LPS‐stimulated co‐cultures of periodontal ligament and RAW 264.7 cells, and RANKL‐mediated osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption in PBMCs
Authors: Kats Anna , Gerasimcik Natalija , Näreoja Tuomas , Nederberg Jonas , Grenlöv Simon , Lagnöhed Ekaterina , Desai Suchita , Andersson Göran , Yucel‐Lindberg Tülay 
Published: December 2018

AbstractInflammatory mediator prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) contributes to bone resorption in several inflammatory conditions including periodontitis. The terminal enzyme, microsomal prostaglandin E synthase‐1 (mPGES‐1) regulating PGE2 synthesis is a promising therapeutic target to reduce inflammatory bone loss. The aim of this study was to investigate effects of mPGES‐1 inhibitors, aminothiazoles TH‐848 and TH‐644, on PGE2 production and osteoclastogenesis in co‐cultures of periodontal ligament (PDL) and osteoclast progenitor cells RAW 264.7, stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and bone resorption in RANKL‐mediated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). PDL and RAW 264.7 cells were cultured separately or co‐cultured and treated with LPS alone or in combination with aminothiazoles. Multinucleated cells stained positively for tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) were scored as osteoclast‐like cells. Levels of PGE2, osteoprotegerin (OPG) and interleukin‐6, as well as mRNA expression of mPGES‐1, OPG and RANKL were analysed in PDL cells. PBMCs were treated with RANKL alone or in combination with aminothiazoles. TRAP‐positive multinucleated cells were analysed and bone resorption was measured by the CTX‐I assay. Aminothiazoles reduced LPS‐stimulated osteoclast‐like cell formation both in co‐cultures and in RAW 264.7 cells. Additionally, aminothiazoles inhibited PGE2 production in LPS‐stimulated cultures, but did not affect LPS‐induced mPGES‐1, OPG or RANKL mRNA expression in PDL cells. In PBMCs, inhibitors decreased both osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption. In conclusion, aminothiazoles reduced the formation of osteoclast‐like cells and decreased the production of PGE2 in co‐cultures as well as single‐cell cultures. Furthermore, these compounds inhibited RANKL‐induced bone resorption and differentiation of PBMCs, suggesting these inhibitors for future treatment of inflammatory bone loss such as periodontitis.
Deciphering the SUMO code in the kidney
Authors: Yang Zhen , Zhang Yuming , Sun Shiren 
Published: December 2018

AbstractSUMOylation of proteins is an important regulatory element in modulating protein function and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous human diseases such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, brain injuries, diabetes, and familial dilated cardiomyopathy. Growing evidence has pointed to a significant role of SUMO in kidney diseases such as DN, RCC, nephritis, AKI, hypertonic stress and nephrolithiasis. Recently, emerging studies in podocytes demonstrated that SUMO might have a protective role against podocyte apoptosis. However, the SUMO code responsible for beneficial outcome in the kidney remains to be decrypted. Our recent experiments have revealed that the expression of both SUMO and SUMOylated proteins is appreciably elevated in hypoxia‐induced tubular epithelial cells (TECs) as well as in the unilateral ureteric obstruction (UUO) mouse model, suggesting a role of SUMO in TECs injury and renal fibrosis. In this review, we attempt to decipher the SUMO code in the development of kidney diseases by summarizing the defined function of SUMO and looking forward to the potential role of SUMO in kidney diseases, especially in the pathology of renal fibrosis and CKD, with the goal of developing strategies that maximize correct interpretation in clinical therapy and prognosis.
A Comparison of Constraint Programming and Mixed‐Integer Programming for Automated Test‐Form Generation
Authors: Li Jie , van der Linden Wim J. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe final step of the typical process of developing educational and psychological tests is to place the selected test items in a formatted form. The step involves the grouping and ordering of the items to meet a variety of formatting constraints. As this activity tends to be time‐intensive, the use of mixed‐integer programming (MIP) has been proposed to automate it. The goal of this article is to show how constraint programming (CP) can be used as an alternative to automate test‐form generation problems with a large variety of formatting constraints, and how it compares with MIP‐based form generation as for its models, solutions, and running times. Two empirical examples are presented: (i) automated generation of a computerized fixed‐form; and (ii) automated generation of shadow tests for multistage testing. Both examples show that CP works well with feasible solutions and running times likely to be better than that for MIP‐based applications.
A New Person‐Fit Statistic for the Lognormal Model for Response Times
Authors: Sinharay Sandip 
Published: December 2018

AbstractResponse‐time models are of increasing interest in educational and psychological testing. This article focuses on the lognormal model for response times, which is one of the most popular response‐time models, and suggests a simple person‐fit statistic for the model. The distribution of the statistic under the null hypothesis of no misfit is proved to be a χ2 distribution. A simulation study and a real data example demonstrate the usefulness of the suggested statistic.
Gathering and Evaluating Validity Evidence: The Generalized Assessment Alignment Tool
Authors: Cizek Gregory J. , Kosh Audra E. , Toutkoushian Emily K. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAlignment is an essential piece of validity evidence for both educational (K‐12) and credentialing (licensure and certification) assessments. In this article, a comprehensive review of commonly used contemporary alignment procedures is provided; some key weaknesses in current alignment approaches are identified; principles for evaluating alignment methods are distilled; and a new approach to investigating alignment is proposed and illustrated. The article concludes with suggestions for alignment research and practice.
Using Hierarchical Logistic Regression to Study DIF and DIF Variance in Multilevel Data
Authors: Shear Benjamin R. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractWhen contextual features of test‐taking environments differentially affect item responding for different test takers and these features vary across test administrations, they may cause differential item functioning (DIF) that varies across test administrations. Because many common DIF detection methods ignore potential DIF variance, this article proposes the use of random coefficient hierarchical logistic regression (RC‐HLR) models to test for both uniform DIF and DIF variance simultaneously. A simulation study and real data analysis are used to demonstrate and evaluate the proposed RC‐HLR model. Results show the RC‐HLR model can detect uniform DIF and DIF variance more accurately than standard logistic regression DIF models in terms of bias and Type I error rates.
A New Facets Model for Rater's Centrality/Extremity Response Style
Authors: Jin Kuan‐Yu , Wang Wen‐Chung 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe Rasch facets model was developed to account for facet data, such as student essays graded by raters, but it accounts for only one kind of rater effect (severity). In practice, raters may exhibit various tendencies such as using middle or extreme scores in their ratings, which is referred to as the rater centrality/extremity response style. To achieve better measurement quality in rater data, it is desirable to simultaneously consider both rater severity and rater centrality/extremity. A new facets model is thus developed by adding to the Rasch facets model a weight parameter for the item thresholds for each rater. The parameters of the new facets model can be estimated with the JAGS freeware. An empirical example is provided to illustrate the implications and applications of the new model. Two simulation studies were conducted. The first simulation was to evaluate the parameter recovery of the new facets model and the consequences of ignoring the effects of rater centrality/extremity on parameter estimation. The second simulation was to illustrate how rater severity affects the relationship between rater centrality and the standard deviation of raw rating scores.
Evaluation of a New Method for Providing Full Review Opportunities in Computerized Adaptive Testing—Computerized Adaptive Testing With Salt
Authors: Cui Zhongmin , Liu Chunyan , He Yong , Chen Hanwei 
Published: December 2018

AbstractAllowing item review in computerized adaptive testing (CAT) is getting more attention in the educational measurement field as more and more testing programs adopt CAT. The research literature has shown that allowing item review in an educational test could result in more accurate estimates of examinees’ abilities. The practice of item review in CAT, however, is hindered by the potential danger of test‐manipulation strategies. To provide review opportunities to examinees while minimizing the effect of test‐manipulation strategies, researchers have proposed different algorithms to implement CAT with restricted revision options. In this article, we propose and evaluate a new method that implements CAT without any restriction on item review. In particular, we evaluate the new method in terms of the accuracy on ability estimates and the robustness against test‐manipulation strategies. This study shows that the newly proposed method is promising in a win‐win situation: examinees have full freedom to review and change answers, and the impacts of test‐manipulation strategies are undermined.
On‐the‐Fly Constraint‐Controlled Assembly Methods for Multistage Adaptive Testing for Cognitive Diagnosis
Authors: Liu Shuchang , Cai Yan , Tu Dongbo 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThis study applied the mode of on‐the‐fly assembled multistage adaptive testing to cognitive diagnosis (CD‐OMST). Several and several module assembly methods for CD‐OMST were proposed and compared in terms of measurement precision, test security, and constrain management. The module assembly methods in the study included the maximum priority index method (MPI), the revised maximum priority index (RMPI), the weighted deviation model (WDM), and the two revised Monte Carlo methods (R1‐MC, R2‐MC). Simulation results showed that on the whole the CD‐OMST performs well in that it not only has acceptable attribute pattern correct classification rates but also satisfies both statistical and nonstatistical constraints; the RMPI method was generally better than the MPI method, the R2‐MC method was generally better than the R1‐MC method, and the two revised Monte Carlo methods performed best in terms of test security and constraint management, whereas the RMPI and WDM methods worked best in terms of measurement precision. The study is not only expected to provide information about how to combine MST and CD using an on‐the‐fly method and how do these assembled methods in CD‐OMST perform relative to each other but also offer guidance for practitioners to assemble modules in CD‐OMST with both statistical and nonstatistical constraints.
Measures of Agreement to Assess Attribute‐Level Classification Accuracy and Consistency for Cognitive Diagnostic Assessments
Authors: Johnson Matthew S. , Sinharay Sandip 
Published: December 2018

AbstractOne of the proposed uses of cognitive diagnostic assessments is to classify the examinees as either masters or nonmasters on each of a number of skills being assessed. As with any test, it is important to report the quality of these binary classifications with measures of their reliability. Cui et al. and Wang et al. have suggested reliability measures that can be calculated from the model parameters of cognitive diagnosis models; these previously suggested indices are measures of agreement between either the estimated and true mastery classifications, or between the estimated classifications from parallel assessments. This article discusses the limitations of these existing methods and suggests the use of other measures of agreement. A simulation study demonstrates that the proposed measures are related to factors that would be expected to be associated with reliability; for example, reliability increases with variability in the population and with item discrimination, whereas the previously suggested measures do not show the same pattern. A real data example is also included.
When Does Race Matter in Juvenile Court Outcomes? A Test of the “Type of Offense” Hypothesis
Authors: Guevara Lori , Shekarkhar Zahra , Fuller Kenethia 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe current study examined the influence of race on juvenile court outcomes across various offense types. This study builds on previous research in the field by utilizing the symbolic threat perspective as a foundation for understanding differences in juvenile disposition. It is hypothesized that the influence of race varies across offense types (misdemeanors and felonies) for the pre‐detention and disposition outcomes. Data from a sample of juvenile court referrals from two Midwestern juvenile courts were utilized and partitioned by race. Results were mixed and not always in the hypothesized direction. However, the results indicated that race did have an influence on both pre and post adjudication juvenile court outcomes, an effect which varied by type of offense and race. This study illustrates the importance of examining juvenile court outcomes from a multi‐stage approach that includes legal and extra‐legal factors.
Neighborhood Disproportion in Juvenile Justice Contact
Authors: Sharlein Jeffrey , Engstrom Malitta 
Published: December 2018

AbstractYouth from disadvantaged neighborhoods have been found to have greater rates of justice system involvement than other youth, as well as differential treatment at multiple points in the justice system process. This neighborhood disproportion stems from different rates of lawbreaking and system bias and has important implications for long‐term negative outcomes associated with juvenile justice contact. Clarity in the state of knowledge on this topic is essential to guide researchers and policymakers in addressing this critical issue. Toward these ends, we review the literature on neighborhood disproportion in juvenile justice contact, suggest directions for continued inquiry, and discuss policy implications.
Understanding How School Climate Affects Overall Mood in Residential Care: Perspectives of Adolescent Girls in Foster Care and Juvenile Justice Systems
Authors: Somers Cheryl L. , Day Angelique G. , Niewiadomski Jenna , Sutter Casey , Baroni Beverly A. , Hong Jun Sung 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThe aim of the study is to understand the perceptions of court‐involved adolescent girls in residential treatment (40% delinquency, 60% foster care/child abuse and neglect) on school climate and factors that affect their mood in school. Participants included 27 adolescent females in residential care for both types of court involvement in a large urban area in a Midwestern state. Age of the participants ranged from 12 to 18. Four major themes from the three focus groups that were conducted included relationships and interactions with peers, interactions with staff and teachers and their perceptions about these interactions, the demands of the learning environment, and sensitivity to being touched. Practice implications are discussed.
Reality Tour: Adult Attendees’ Perceptions about a Community Based Drug Prevention Program
Authors: Sturges Judith E. , Garlick James Tyler 
Published: December 2018

AbstractIn 2003, the Reality Tour was established by CANDLE, Inc., which is a non‐profit organization with an aim to prevent substance abuse in Butler, Pennsylvania. Demand grew for the replication of the Tour to be presented in other locations. In 2014, the Latrobe and Derry Area Reality Tour was established. The Tour is a community‐based drug prevention presentation designed to engage both parents and children in an interactive event with the intention of educating them about the consequences of drug use. Data for this study were collected from Adult Exit Surveys between September, 2014 and May, 2016. A total of 226 surveys were reviewed. Findings suggest that the Tour has provided important drug prevention information to the attendees, and it has created a venue for parents and children to increase their discussions about drug abuse. In addition, the Tour has assisted in community awareness about the consequences of drug abuse.
Exploring the Use of an Emancipation Checklist for Older Youth (18‐21) Exiting Foster Care
Authors: Summers Alicia , Shdaimah Corey , Knoche Victoria A. 
Published: December 2018

AbstractThis paper examines the efforts of a court to improve outcomes for older youth who are exiting foster care by implementing an Emancipation Checklist (EC) to guide discussion around 12 stability indicators thought to improve youth transition to adulthood (e.g., education, employment). Over 90% of youth had medical insurance, all personal documents, a permanent connection, and could identify their core values. Less than half were employed or engaged in educational or vocational training. Youth who exited when they were older and who attended more of their court hearings had more stability indicators. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Dielectric, thermal, and rheological properties of inulin/water binary solutions in the selected concentration
Authors: Ahmed Jasim , Thomas Linu , Khashawi Rawan 
Published: December 2018

AbstractInulin—a prebiotic has many applications in the food and pharmaceutical industries for texture modification and replacement of fat/sugar. In this study, thermal, rheological, and dielectric properties of inulin solutions were studied in a wide range of concentrations (5–50% w/v). Inulin is readily dissolved in water in low concentrations (< 20%), and exhibited Newtonian flow behavior, and the dielectric spectra were close to the pure water. The dielectric constant, ε′ of concentrated inulin (40–50%) showed frequency independency (500–1,150 MHz) whereas the loss factor, ε″ increased with frequency. Oscillatory rheology of concentrated inulin solutions at selected temperatures showed solid‐like behavior (G′ > G″), and the mechanical rigidity increased exponentially with the concentration. During thermal scanning of inulin concentrates (30–50%), two glass‐like transitions were detected (−74.98 to −72.28 °C;−24.25 to −23.45 °C), which were independent of the concentration. The obtained information will be useful for product development and structural characterization of inulin‐incorporated food products.Practical applicationsIncorporation of soluble fiber like inulin into food products has proven health effect. Knowledge of flow behavior and glass transition temperatures of inulin at selected concentrations will provide a better understanding of food formulation, transport, and storage. Dielectric properties of inulin solutions would help to employ microwave/radiofrequency heating of formulated foods. The information presented in the present work should be useful to the food and pharmaceutical industries for early prediction of food quality and process engineering.
Seasonal variation ofSargassum ilicifolium(Phaeophyceae) growth on equatorial coral reefs
Authors: Low Jeffrey K. Y. , Fong Jenny , Todd Peter A. , Chou Loke Ming , Bauman Andrew G. 
Published: December 2018

Temporal and spatial variations inSargassum ilicifoliumthallus density and length were investigated on equatorial coral reefs in Singapore from November 2011 to October 2012. Thalli density varied little throughout the year, however, we found strong seasonal patterns in thallus length and identified temperature as the significant driver.Sargassum ilicifoliumreached maximum length in December (110.39 ± 2.37 cm) during periods of cooler water temperatures, and minimum length in May (9.88 ± 0.48 cm) during periods of warmer water temperatures. Significant spatial variation was also observed for both thallus density and length ofS. ilicifoliumamong reefs. Within reefs, densities ofS. ilicifoliumwere higher on reef flats (20.40 ± 0.40 individuals · 0.25 m−2) compared to upper reef slopes (5.66 ± 0.23 individuals · 0.25 m−2). Our findings highlight that marked seasonality in the growth of canopy‐forming macroalgae can occur within equatorial reef systems where temperature ranges are restricted (<3°C).