bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Teaching basic spreadsheet skills with peer tutoring
Authors: Lantushenko Viktoriya , Lipton Amy F. , Erkis Todd 
Published: May 2018

Purpose
Knowledge of spreadsheet tools like Microsoft Excel is a valuable skill to have in today’s job market. The preliminary assessment of a group of business school students shows that most of them struggle to perform simple tasks in a spreadsheet. The purpose of this paper is to propose using student tutors to teach these skills.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors identify students proficient in Excel as tutors and organize one-on-one peer tutoring lessons. The authors compare the Excel competency level of students prior to and after the tutoring sessions.

Findings
The results suggest that most students with minimal Excel skills significantly improve their competency level after tutoring.

Originality/value
The proposed hands-on approach appears to be effective in helping students acquire basic Excel capabilities.
Stopping the Train of Thought: A Pilot Study Using an Ecological Momentary Intervention with Twice‐Daily Exposure to Natural versus Urban Scenes to Lower Stress and Rumination
Authors: Beute Femke , de Kort Yvonne A.W. 
Published: May 2018

BackgroundStress, and specifically perseverative cognition, is considered to have considerable detrimental effects on mental and physical health. Interventions that can offer temporary stress relief could, therefore, bring considerable health benefits. Previous research has pointed to stress‐reducing effects of exposure to nature after acute stressors, but has not yet investigated effects in the realm of everyday life. The present pilot study explores whether an ecological momentary intervention using exposure to natural images could be effective in lowering stress and improve mood.MethodsFifteen participants (12 females) scoring above threshold on stress, depression, or anxiety completed two study periods of 6 days. They watched an urban (control) or natural slideshow twice daily. Using Ecological Momentary Assessment, effects on mood, and stress‐related complaints were measured in everyday life.ResultsCompliance to the study protocol was high, especially in the first week, with slightly more videos watched in the morning than in the evening. We found indications of improvements in mood, self‐reported worrying (but not stress levels), and heart rate.ConclusionsThe results suggest that twice‐daily exposure to restorative visual content could be a viable Ecological Momentary Intervention, with the potential to reduce self‐reported worry, lower autonomic activity, and increase positive affect.
Does Quebec’s subsidized child care policy give boys and girls an equal start?
Authors: Kottelenberg Michael J. , Lehrer Steven F. 
Published: May 2018

AbstractAlthough an increasing body of research promotes the development of universal early education and care programs, little is known about the extent to which these programs affect gender gaps in academic achievement and other developmental outcomes. Analyzing the introduction of universal highly‐subsidized child care in Quebec, we first demonstrate that there are no statistically significant gender differences in the average effect of access to universal child care on child outcomes. However, we find substantial heterogeneity in policy impacts on the variance of developmental and behavioural scores across genders. Additionally, our analysis reveals significant evidence of differential parenting practices by gender in response to the introduction of the policy. The analysis is suggestive that the availability of subsidized child care changed home environments disproportionately and may be responsible for the growing gender gaps in behavioural outcomes observed after child care is subsidized.RésuméEst‐ce que la politique de garderies subventionnées du Québec donne aux garçons et aux filles un avantage de départ égal? Même si un corpus de recherches croissant promeut le développement de programmes universels de garderies et d’éducation préscolaire, on connaît peu de choses sur la nature de l’impact de ces programmes sur les écarts dans la réussite académique et dans les résultats comportementaux entre genres. Analysant l’introduction du programme universel fortement subventionné de garderies au Québec, on montre qu’il n’y a pas de différences statistiquement significatives entre genres dans l’effet moyen de l’accès au programme universel d’éducation préscolaire sur les résultats pour l’enfant. Cependant, on découvre une hétérogénéité substantielle entre genres dans les impacts de la politique sur la variance des scores pour ce qui est du développement et du comportement. De plus, l’analyse révèle des résultats significatifs en termes de pratiques parentales différenciées entre genres en réponse à l’introduction de la politique. L’analyse suggère que la disponibilité de l’éducation préscolaire subventionnée modifie de façon disproportionnée l’environnement à la maison, et peut être responsable pour l’écart croissant entre genres dans les résultats comportementaux observés après l’introduction de l’éducation préscolaire subventionnée.
Renal complications of lipodystrophy: A closer look at the natural history of kidney disease
Authors: Akinci Baris , Unlu Sadiye Mehtat , Celik Ali , Simsir Ilgin Yildirim , Sen Sait , Nur Banu , Keskin Fatma Ela , Ozgen Saydam Basak , Kutbay Ozdemir Nilufer , Sarer Yurekli Banu , Ergur Bekir Ugur , Sonmez Melda , Atik Tahir , Arslan Atakan , Demir Tevfik , Altay Canan , Tunc Ulku Aybuke , Arkan Tugba , Gen Ramazan , Eren Erdal , Akinci Gulcin , Yilmaz Aslihan Arasli , Bilen Habib , Ozen Samim , Celtik Aygul , Savas Erdeve Senay , Cetinkaya Semra , Onay Huseyin , Sarioglu Sulen , Oral Elif Arioglu 
Published: May 2018

SummaryObjectivesLipodystrophy syndromes are a group of heterogeneous disorders characterized by adipose tissue loss. Proteinuria is a remarkable finding in previous reports.Study designIn this multicentre study, prospective follow‐up data were collected from 103 subjects with non‐HIV‐associated lipodystrophy registered in the Turkish Lipodystrophy Study Group database to study renal complications in treatment naïve patients with lipodystrophy.MethodsMain outcome measures included ascertainment of chronic kidney disease (CKD) by studying the level of proteinuria and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Kidney volume was measured. Percutaneous renal biopsies were performed in 9 patients.ResultsSeventeen of 37 patients with generalized and 29 of 66 patients with partial lipodystrophy had CKD characterized by proteinuria, of those 12 progressed to renal failure subsequently. The onset of renal complications was significantly earlier in patients with generalized lipodystrophy. Patients with CKD were older and more insulin resistant and had worse metabolic control. Increased kidney volume was associated with poor metabolic control and suppressed leptin levels. Renal biopsies revealed thickening of glomerular basal membranes, mesangial matrix abnormalities, podocyte injury, focal segmental sclerosis, ischaemic changes and tubular abnormalities at various levels. Lipid vacuoles were visualized in electron microscopy images.ConclusionsCKD is conspicuously frequent in patients with lipodystrophy which has an early onset. Renal involvement appears multifactorial. While poorly controlled diabetes caused by severe insulin resistance may drive the disease in some cases, inherent underlying genetic defects may also lead to cell autonomous mechanisms contributory to the pathogenesis of kidney disease.
Independent decision making of adolescents regarding food choice
Authors: McKeown Amy , Nelson Roy 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe adolescence period is the stage in the life cycle in which individuals begin to develop independent decision making related to their social environment including their dietary intake. The period is fundamental in the development of longer term eating habits that may be reflected in adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the decision‐making process of adolescents and their dietary behaviour in the achievement of a balanced diet and to determine the underlying factors that may affect these choices. To meet this aim, a three phase data collection was utilized. In phase 1, a baseline questionnaire (n = 239) measured factors affecting dietary behaviour and the barriers in the achievement of a balanced diet. Phase two employed and measured respondents’ (n = 235) independent decision making by rating nineteen menu choices which reflected all options of dietary guidelines. This was analyzed through conjoint analysis. In phase three a subsample (n = 55) from the first two phases completed a food map which determined underlying reasons for food decisions and choice behaviour. Results revealed that when adolescents are given free choice they tend to follow an unbalanced diet with some diets raising concerns for their current and future health. Fifty‐seven percent of respondents displayed serious concerns in their dietary choice of which 18% were identified as requiring immediate intervention. The most noticeable factors affecting dietary choice were the desire to eat foods high in fat and carbohydrates and low in fruit and vegetable consumption. Food‐mapping indicated prior knowledge and attitudes had no effect on the choices made but that that behaviour of parents in the preparation of meals at home and peers in the selection of snack choices had the most influence on the unbalanced diet.
End‐stage renal disease, dialysis, kidney transplantation and their impact on CD4+ T‐cell differentiation
Authors: Schaier Matthias , Leick Angele , Uhlmann Lorenz , Kälble Florian , Morath Christian , Eckstein Volker , Ho Anthony , Mueller‐Tidow Carsten , Meuer Stefan , Mahnke Karsten , Sommerer Claudia , Zeier Martin , Steinborn Andrea 
Published: May 2018

SummaryPremature aging of both CD4+ regulatory T (Treg) and CD4+ responder‐T (Tresp) cells in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) is expected to affect the success of later kidney transplantation. Both T‐cell populations are released from the thymus as inducible T‐cell co‐stimulator‐positive (ICOS+) and ICOS− recent thymic emigrant (RTE) Treg/Tresp cells, which differ primarily in their proliferative capacities. In this study, we analysed the effect of ESRD and subsequent renal replacement therapies on the differentiation of ICOS+ and ICOS− RTE Treg/Tresp cells into ICOS+ CD31− or ICOS− CD31− memory Treg/Tresp cells and examined whether diverging pathways affected the suppressive activity of ICOS+ and ICOS− Treg cells in co‐culture with autologous Tresp cells. Compared with healthy controls, we found an increased differentiation of ICOS+ RTE Treg/Tresp cells and ICOS− RTE Treg cells through CD31+ memory Treg/Tresp cells into CD31− memory Treg/Tresp cells in ESRD and dialysis patients. In contrast, ICOS− RTE Tresp cells showed an increased differentiation via ICOS− mature naive (MN) Tresp cells into CD31− memory Tresp cells. Thereby, the ratio of ICOS+ Treg/ICOS+ Tresp cells was not changed, whereas that of ICOS− Treg/ICOS− Tresp cells was significantly increased. This differentiation preserved the suppressive activity of both Treg populations in ESRD and partly in dialysis patients. After transplantation, the increased differentiation of ICOS+ and ICOS− RTE Tresp cells proceeded, whereas that of ICOS+ RTE Treg cells ceased and that of ICOS− RTE Treg cells switched to an increased differentiation via ICOS− MN Treg cells. Consequently, the ratios of ICOS+ Treg/ICOS+ Tresp cells and of ICOS− Treg/ICOS− Tresp cells decreased significantly, reducing the suppressive activity of Treg cells markedly. Our data reveal that an increased tolerance‐inducing differentiation of ICOS+ and ICOS− Treg cells preserves the functional activity of Treg cells in ESRD patients, but this cannot be maintained during long‐term renal replacement therapy.
Time‐Varying Capital Requirements and Disclosure Rules: Effects on Capitalization and Lending Decisions
Authors: IMBIEROWICZ BJÖRN , KRAGH JONAS , RANGVID JESPER 
Published: May 2018

AbstractWe investigate how banks’ capital and lending decisions respond to changes in bank‐specific capital and disclosure requirements. We find that an increase in the bank‐specific regulatory capital requirement results in a higher bank capital ratio, brought about via less asset risk. A decrease in the requirement implies more lending to firms but also less Tier 1 capital and higher bank leverage. We do not observe differences between confidential and public disclosure of capital requirements. Our results empirically illustrate a tradeoff between bank resilience and a fostering of the economy through more bank lending using banks’ capital requirement as policy instrument.
Influence of CNTs decomposition during reactive friction‐stir processing of an Al–Mg alloy on the correlation between microstructural characteristics and microtextural components
Authors: KHODABAKHSHI F. , NOSKO M. , GERLICH A.P. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryMultipass friction‐stir processing was employed to uniformly disperse multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MW‐CNTs) within an Al–Mg alloy metal matrix. Decomposition of MW‐CNTs occurs in situ as a result of solid‐state chemical reactions, forming fullerene (C60) and aluminium carbide (Al4C3) phases during reactive high temperature severe plastic processing. The effects of this decomposition on the microstructural features, dynamic restoration mechanisms and crystallographic microtextural developments are studied for the first time by using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The formation of an equiaxed grain structure with an average size of ∼1.5 μm occurs within the stirred zone (SZ) under the influence of inclusions which hinder grain boundary migration via Zener‐Smith pinning mechanisms during the discontinuous dynamic recrystallisation (DDRX). Formation of two strong Cubic and Brass microtextural components in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and thermomechanical affected zone (TMAZ) was noted as compared to the completely random and Cube components found in the base and SZ regions, respectively. The microstructural modification led to hardening and tensile strength improvement for the processed nanocomposite by ∼55% and 110%, respectively with respect to the annealed Al–Mg base alloy.
The global regulator of pathogenesis PnCon7 positively regulates Tox3 effector gene expression through direct interaction in the wheat pathogen Parastagonospora nodorum
Authors: Lin Shao‐Yu , Chooi Yit‐Heng , Solomon Peter S. 
Published: May 2018

SummaryTo investigate effector gene regulation in the wheat pathogenic fungus Parastagonospora nodorum, the promoter and expression of Tox3 was characterised through a series of complementary approaches. Promoter deletion and DNase I footprinting experiments identified a 25 bp region in the Tox3 promoter as being required for transcription. Subsequent yeast one‐hybrid analysis using the DNA sequence as bait identified that interacting partner as the C2H2 zinc finger transcription factor PnCon7, a putative master regulator of pathogenesis. Silencing of PnCon7 resulted in the down‐regulation of Tox3 demonstrating that the transcription factor has a positive regulatory role on gene expression. Analysis of Tox3 expression in the PnCon7 silenced strains revealed a strong correlation with PnCon7 transcript levels, supportive of a direct regulatory role. Subsequent pathogenicity assays using PnCon7‐silenced isolates revealed that the transcription factor was required for Tox3‐mediated disease. The expression of two other necrotrophic effectors (ToxA and Tox1) was also affected but in a non‐dose dependent manner suggesting that the regulatory role of PnCon7 on these genes was indirect. Collectively, these data have advanced our fundamental understanding of the Con7 master regulator of pathogenesis by demonstrating its positive regulatory role on the Tox3 effector in P. nodorum through direct interaction.
Pathoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex in chorea‐acanthocytosis and Huntington's disease
Authors: Liu J. , Heinsen H. , Grinberg L. T. , Alho E. , Amaro E. , Pasqualucci C. A. , Rüb U. , Seidel K. , den Dunnen W. , Arzberger T. , Schmitz C. , Kiessling M. C. , Bader B. , Danek A. 
Published: May 2018

AimsQuantitative estimation of cortical neurone loss in cases with chorea‐acanthocytosis (ChAc) and its impact on laminar composition.MethodsWe used unbiased stereological tools to estimate the degree of cortical pathology in serial gallocyanin‐stained brain sections through the complete hemispheres of three subjects with genetically verified ChAc and a range of disease durations. We compared these results with our previous data of five Huntington's disease (HD) and five control cases. Pathoarchitectonic changes were exemplarily documented in TE1 of a 61‐year‐old female HD‐, a 60‐year‐old female control case, and ChAc3.ResultsMacroscopically, the cortical volume of our ChAc cases (ChAc1–3) remained close to normal. However, the average number of neurones was reduced by 46% in ChAc and by 33% in HD (P = 0.03 for ChAc & HD vs. controls; P = 0.64 for ChAc vs. HD). Terminal HD cases featured selective laminar neurone loss with pallor of layers III, V and VIa, a high density of small, pale, closely packed radial fibres in deep cortical layers VI and V, shrinkage, and chromophilia of subcortical white matter. In ChAc, pronounced diffuse astrogliosis blurred the laminar borders, thus masking the complete and partial loss of pyramidal cells in layer IIIc and of neurones in layers III, V and VI.ConclusionChAc is a neurodegenerative disease with distinct cortical neurodegeneration. The hypertrophy of the peripheral neuropil space of minicolumns with coarse vertical striation was characteristic of ChAc. The role of astroglia in the pathogenesis of this disorder remains to be elucidated.
A regulatory loop connecting WNT signaling and telomere capping: possible therapeutic implications for dyskeratosis congenita
Authors: Fernandez Rafael Jesus , Johnson F. Brad 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe consequences of telomere dysfunction are most apparent in rare inherited syndromes caused by genetic deficiencies in factors that normally maintain telomeres. The principal disease is known as dyskeratosis congenita (DC), but other syndromes with similar underlying genetic defects share some clinical aspects with this disease. Currently, there are no curative therapies for these diseases of telomere dysfunction. Here, we review recent findings demonstrating that dysfunctional (i.e., uncapped) telomeres can downregulate the WNT pathway, and that restoration of WNT signaling helps to recap telomeres by increasing expression of shelterins, proteins that naturally bind and protect telomeres. We discuss how these findings are different from previous observations connecting WNT and telomere biology, and discuss potential links between WNT and clinical manifestations of the DC spectrum of diseases. Finally, we argue for exploring the use of WNT agonists, specifically lithium, as a possible therapeutic approach for patients with DC.
Potential, constraints and applications of in vitro methods in improving grain legumes
Authors: Pratap Aditya , Prajapati Umashanker , Singh Chandra Mohan , Gupta Sanjeev , Rathore Meenal , Malviya Nupur , Tomar Rakhi , Gupta Ajeet Kumar , Tripathi Swapnila , Singh Narendra Pratap 
Published: May 2018

AbstractGrain legumes, the important constituents of sustainability‐based cropping systems and energy‐limited vegetarian diets have long been the subject of scientific research. Tremendous technological strides were made in the so‐called orphan crops, in terms of both varietal improvement and generation of basic information. Despite recalcitrancy and high genotype dependency, in vitro culture techniques such as organogenesis, in vitro mutagenesis, embryo rescue and in vitro gene transfer have been deployed for improvement of several grain legumes and these played an important role in introgression of desirable genes from related and distant species and creation of additional genetic variability. Stable and reproducible regeneration protocols resulted in the development of genetically modified chickpea, pigeon pea, cowpea, mungbean, etc., while embryo rescue was deployed successfully for recovery of interspecific recombinants, a few of them exploited for the development of commercial cultivars. Nevertheless, doubled haploidy witnessed limited success and protoplast regeneration and in vitro mutagenesis remained of academic interest. The present review focuses on the progress, achievements, constraints and perspectives of using in vitro technology in grain legume improvement.
atmospheric dust studies on Barbados1
Authors: Prospero J. M. 
Published: May 2018

The concentration of dust in the trade winds passing over Barbados has been measured continuously since August 1965; the average dust load for the 25 month period ending in August 1967 is 2.5 μgm m−3. There is a marked seasonal periodicity in the transport with the average dust concentrations for the summer months being approximately an order of magnitude larger than those for the winter months. In addition, very sharp fluctuations in dust concentrations are observed on a day-to-day basis. There is considerable evidence that the dust originates in Africa and that the composition of the dust and the quantities transported are dependent on the meteorological conditions over Africa and the tropical North Atlantic Ocean.
The future programs for atmospheric dust studies on Barbados will be directed towards the utilization of dust as a tracer for a variety of meteorological processes; a number of the more important of these investigations are discussed.
Comparison and Correction of High-Mountain Precipitation Data Based on Glacio-Hydrological Modeling in the Tarim River Headwaters (High Asia)
Authors: Wortmann Michel , Bolch Tobias , Menz Christoph , Tong Jiang , Krysanova Valentina 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Mountain precipitation is often strongly underestimated as observations are scarce, biased toward lower-lying locations and prone to wind-induced undercatch, while topographical heterogeneity is large. This presents serious challenges to hydrological modeling for water resource management and climate change impact assessments in mountainous regions of the world, where a large population depends on water supply from the mountains. The headwaters of the Tarim River, covering four remote and highly glacierized Asian mountain ranges, are vital water suppliers to large agricultural communities along the Taklamakan Desert, northwest China. Assessments of future changes to these water towers have been hampered because of the large precipitation uncertainties. In this study, six existing precipitation datasets (observation-based reanalysis datasets, satellite observation datasets, and the output of high-resolution regional climate models) were compared over five headwaters of the Tarim River. The dataset incorporating the highest observation density (APHRODITE) is then corrected by calibrating the glacio-hydrological model Soil and Water Integrated Model–Glacier Dynamics (SWIM-G) to observed discharge, glacier hypsometry, and modeled glacier mass balance. Results show that this form of inverse modeling is able to inform the precipitation correction in such data-scarce conditions. Substantial disagreement of annual mean precipitation between the analyzed datasets, with coefficients of variation in catchment mean precipitation of 68% on average, was found. The model-based precipitation estimates are on average 1.5–4.3 times higher than the APHRODITE data, but fall between satellite-based and regional climate model results.