bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Aortic Bulge: A Possible Predictive Sign of Impending Aortoenteric Fistula
Authors: Kennedy Patrick , Monteiro Sandra , Yip Gordon , Gastaldo Fernando 
Published: March 2019

Purpose The purpose of this study is to introduce the aortic bulge sign, a finding observed retrospectively on computed tomography prior to the acute presentation of aortoenteric fistula, and to determine its interobserver reliability. Methods Following research ethics board approval, all cases of aortoenteric fistula at our institution occurring from 2011–2015 were identified retrospectively. All previous computed tomography images of patients who eventually developed aortoenteric fistula were reviewed by a single observer for the presence of a potentially predictive finding of fistulization, the aortic bulge sign. These previous images were then combined with age and sex matched controls into a case bank. Eight radiology residents and staff were instructed in observing the aortic bulge sign. These observers then reviewed the case bank in a blinded analysis to determine the interobserver reliability of this finding. Results Fourteen cases of aortoenteric were identified. The average patient age was 70.71 years with a male-to-female ratio of 11:3. Eleven patients had previous computed tomography images available for review. With blinded analysis by multiple observers, the aortic bulge sign was identified with greater than 80% agreement in six of 11 cases (66.67%). Fleiss' kappa was calculated at k = 0.60 (95% confidence interval 0.50–0.69), corresponding to moderate-to-substantial interobserver agreement. Conclusions The aortic bulge sign has been retrospectively identified as a promising computed tomography finding of eventual aortoenteric fistula prior to acute presentation. Further study is required to determine the diagnostic value of this sign.
Factors Associated with Having a Will, Power of Attorney, and Advanced Healthcare Directive in Patients Presenting to a Rural and Remote Memory Clinic
Authors: Lee Sydney , Kirk Andrew , Kirk Emily A. , Karunanayake Chandima , O’Connell Megan E. , Morgan Debra 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACT:Background: A Will, Power of Attorney, and Advanced Healthcare Directive are critical to guide decision-making in patients with dementia. We identified characteristics that are associated with the existence of these documents in patients who presented to a rural and remote memory clinic (RRMC). Methods: Ninety-five consecutive patients were included in this study. Patients and caregivers completed questionnaires on initial presentation to the RRMC and patients were asked if they had legal documents. Patients also completed neuropsychological testing. Statistical analysis (t-test and χ2 test) was performed to identify significant variables. Results: Seventy (73.7%) patients had a Will, 62 (65.3%) had a Power of Attorney, and 21 (22.1%) had an Advanced Healthcare Directive. Having a Will was associated with good quality of life (p = 0.001), living alone or with a spouse or partner only (p = 0.034), poor verbal fluency (p = 0.055), and European ethnicity (p = 0.028). Factors associated with having a Power of Attorney included good quality of life (p = 0.031), living alone or with a spouse or partner only (p = 0.053), and poor verbal fluency (p = 0.015). Old age (p = 0.015), poor verbal fluency (p = 0.023), and greater severity of cognitive and functional impairment (p = 0.023) were associated with having an Advanced Healthcare Directive. Conclusions: Our results indicate that poor quality of life, good performance on verbal fluency, Indigenous ethnicity, and living with others are associated with a lower likelihood of legal documents in patients with dementia. These factors can help physicians identify patients at risk of leaving their legal affairs unattended to. Physicians should discuss the creation of legal documents early on in patients with signs of dementia.
Effect of Head Rotation on Jugular Vein Patency Under General Anesthesia
Authors: Burbridge Mark A. , Min Jung Gi , Jaffe Richard A. 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACT:Head rotation causes compression and occlusion of the ipsilateral internal jugular (IJ) vein. This can result in raised intracranial pressure and increased bleeding if the patient is having or has recently had surgery. The amount of head rotation in adults resulting in occlusion of the ipsilateral IJ vein is unknown however. We measured the amount of head turn that produced occlusion of the ipsilateral IJ vein in 25 patients having surgery under general anesthesia. On average, 80% of IJ veins occlude at a mean of 55.6° on the left and 53.3° on the right.
The Sensitivity of Spatial Regression Models to Network Misspecification
Authors: Juhl Sebastian 
Published: March 2019

Spatial econometric models become increasingly popular in various subfields of political science. However, the necessity to specify the underlying network of dependencies, denoted by $\boldsymbol{W}$, prior to estimation is a prevalent source of criticism since the true dependence structure is rarely known and theories mostly provide insufficient guidance. The present study investigates the effects of thisnetwork uncertaintywhich is a special case of model uncertainty that arises from uncertainty about the correct specification of $\boldsymbol{W}$. It advocates Bayesian model averaging (BMA) as a superior approach to this problem, located at the intersection of theory and empirics. Conducting Monte Carlo experiments, I demonstrate that, while the effect estimates are robust toward a misspecification in the functional form of $\boldsymbol{W}$, uncertainty in the neighborhood definition can bias the effect estimates derived from spatial autoregressive models. In contrast to alternative techniques, BMA directly addresses network uncertainty, correctly identifies the true network structure in the set of feasible alternatives, and provides unbiased effect estimates. Two replication studies from different subfields of the discipline illustrate the benefits of this approach for applied research.
Bridging Spatial and Saliency Theory: Party Size and Issue Selection in Campaigns
Authors: Basu Chitralekha 
Published: March 2019

AbstractI propose a unified explanation for parties' joint policy and emphasis decisions which bridges saliency theory and spatial analyses of party campaigns. Party platforms are anchored by the policy preferences of activists, core supporters and target voters, leading parties to disproportionately emphasize issues where their policies are popular with all key constituencies. However, which voters a party targets relates to its historical electoral performance (“party size”). Traditionally successful (“major”) parties emphasize issues where the policies preferred by activists and core supporters are generally popular, but smaller (“minor”) parties emphasize issues where their preferred policies may be unpopular but are distinctive. Using recent European data and various empirical strategies, I show that this account has significant explanatory power beyond existing party typologies and theories of issue selection.
An assessment of grazing management options for Mediterranean grasslands using Noy-Meir's model of system dynamics parameterized from a long-term field trial
Authors: Seligman N. G. , Ungar E. D. , Perevolotsky A. , Henkin Z. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractNoy-Meir's simple but insightful model of grazing-system dynamics was used to draw broader inferences from empirical data generated by a 17-year field trial with beef cattle grazing a Mediterranean grassland in northern Israel. After calibration of its parameters against the field results, the model predictions were tested against an independent set of data obtained from the study site; they were within acceptable deviations from the inherently noisy field data. The calibrated model was used to analyse the effects of changes to two key grazing-management factors – stocking density and early-season grazing deferment – on biomass dynamics and forage consumption. The simulated results were used to calculate forage deficits and supplementary feed requirements for optimum herd performance during the growth (‘green’) season and throughout the year. The results revealed a critical stocking density of 0.7 Animal Units (AU)/ha, above which early-season deferment reduced the amount of supplementary feed required to maintain the optimum production of the herd. Optimum stocking is higher when the grassland is used mainly in the highly nutritious green season. Responses of the strongly seasonal Mediterranean grassland to the interaction between stocking density and early-season grazing deferment were expressed by a calibrated model, in terms that determine the efficiency of forage supplementation of the herd during the green season and throughout the year.
What's wrong with Tooley's argument from evil?
Authors: MILLER CALUM 
Published: March 2019

AbstractMichael Tooley has recently advanced a novel formulation of the problem of evil. The argument primarily intends to address sceptical theist responses to the problem of evil by giving a theoretical argument that prima facie evils are probably ultima facie evils. He thus argues from a single prima facie evil to the conclusion that God probably does not exist, before extending his argument to encompass many prima facie evils using Carnapian inductive logic. In this article I respond to Tooley's two arguments. I improve the first by clearing up some ambiguities, before noting a variety of problems. In particular, the fatal problem is that, contra Tooley, the occurrence of some event is in fact evidence that such an event is not in fact impermissible for God to allow. I then challenge Tooley's extension using Carnapian induction, offering a parody which suggests that Carnapian induction of this variety leads to manifestly absurd results.
Patient characteristics and incidence of childhood hospitalisation due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the United States of America 2001–2014
Authors: Sakai-Bizmark Rie , Webber Eliza J. , Marr Emily H. , Mena Laurie A. , Chang Ruey-Kang R. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThis study investigated patient characteristics in paediatric hospitalisations for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. We used Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which is the largest all-payer inpatient database in the United States, yielding nationally representative estimates, from 2001 to 2014. ICD-9-CM diagnostic codes identified hospitalisations for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and <18 years. Outcomes included yearly rate of hospitalisation, death, admission via emergency department, and need for surgery. Predictors of interest were age groups (<1, 1–9, and ⩾10 y/o), sex, and race/ethnicity. Logistic regression modelled associations, adjusted by patient- and hospital-level variables. With 2302 weighted hospitalisations, hospitalisation rates were 0.22 per 100,000 children/year, with higher rates for <1 y/o (0.42) and ⩾10 y/o (0.31). Male-to-female ratios were more prominent in the oldest age group; 2.7:1 in ⩾10 y/o versus less than 1.7:1 for <10 y/o. In-hospital mortality was 1.5%, with highest mortality rates among the <1 y/o (6.3%). Children ⩾10 y/o had 5.59 times higher risk of admission from the emergency department than 1–9 y/o age group. Both ⩾10 and <1 y/o age groups had lower risk of surgical intervention compared to the 1–9 y/o group with odds ratio 0.56 and 0.26, respectively. Black children had higher risk of admission from the emergency department than White children with odds ratio 2.78. A relation between age group and sex was observed, with sex-based differences in prevalence and treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy becoming more pronounced with age. Further studies are needed to clarify mechanisms behind age and racial disparity in hospitalisation, especially admission source.
Teaching Women/Gender and Politics: Current Trends and Challenges
Authors: Han Lori Cox , Heldman Caroline 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACTThe study of women and US politics, as well as the role that gender plays in the broader political context, represents a significant contribution to the discipline of political science. Undergraduate courses on women/gender and politics continue to evolve as more innovative pedagogical approaches emerge. We considered the current trends and challenges related to teaching an undergraduate women/gender and politics course within political science. Through a survey of instructors, we assessed contemporary pedagogical approaches that reflect common learning outcomes, instructional resources that are available to undergraduate instructors, and challenges that instructors face in both offering and teaching this course. We found that institutions generally consider women/gender and politics courses to be tertiary parts of the curriculum and that a majority of faculty who teach these courses face pushback from students in ways that dismiss the importance of studying gender as a variable in political science.
Making Interpretivism Visible: Reflections after a Decade of the Methods Café
Authors: Funk Kevin 
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACTMore than a decade after the observation that an “interpretive turn” was percolating through political science, there are clear indications of growth in the perceived legitimacy of interpretive scholarship. Both accompanying and contributing to interpretivism’s ascent has been the regular staging of Methods Cafés at various conferences in and beyond the discipline. First held at the 2005 meeting of the Western Political Science Association, the Methods Café subsequently landed at the 2006 conference of the American Political Science Association. The Methods Café has become an institutionalized feature of these and other conferences. This reflection looks at the past, present, and future of these events, as well as the key role they have played in making interpretivism visible in the discipline. In particular, I highlight their function as non-hierarchical intellectual spaces that promote teaching, learning, and interpretivist community building. Further, I offer friendly but not uncritical commentary on the successes and limitations of the Methods Café.
A comparison of the Health Star Rating and nutrient profiles of branded and generic food products in Sydney supermarkets, Australia
Authors: Kim Dong Hun , Liu Wing Gi Amanda , Rangan Anna , Gemming Luke 
Published: March 2019

AbstractObjectiveTo compare the Health Star Rating (HSR) and the nutritional profile of branded and generic packaged foods in Australia.DesignIn-store audits of packaged food products capturing data on HSR and nutritional content to analyse differences between branded and generic foods across ten food categories.SettingThe audit was conducted in four major supermarket chains across various locations within metropolitan Sydney regions, Australia.ResultsA total of 6269 products were analysed with 57 % of generic products and 28 % of branded products displaying an HSR. The median HSR of branded products was significantly greater than for generic products overall (4·0 v. 3·5, P<0·005) and in six out of ten food categories (P<0·005). However, when branded products could be matched to their generic counterparts for paired comparisons (n 146), no statistical difference was observed in all ten food categories. Branded products that chose to display an HSR had significantly lower saturated fat and Na, but higher fibre contents than branded products not displaying an HSR.ConclusionsOur data show no difference in the HSR or nutrient profiles of similar branded and generic products that display HSR. Branded products appear to exploit the voluntary nature of the HSR scheme, preferentially displaying an HSR on healthier products compared with their generic counterparts.
Direct marketing channel choices among US farmers: evidence from the Local Food Marketing Practices Survey
Authors: Plakias Zoë T. , Demko Iryna , Katchova Ani L. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractDue to strong interest in local foods by US consumers, farmers are now marketing not only to traditional wholesale outlets but also via short supply chains to consumers, grocers, restaurants, schools and other local intermediaries. Our research questions are: (1) what farm and farmer characteristics predict farmers’ participation in various direct marketing channels, and (2) what farm and farmer characteristics predict farmers’ choice of a particular combination of direct marketing channels? This work is important because prior research suggests that while total direct sales via short supply chains continue to grow, direct-to-consumer sales (e.g. via farmers’ markets and Community Support Agriculture, or CSAs) are plateauing. Our work highlights key relationships and implies potential barriers and opportunities for farmers in this maturing local foods landscape. To answer our research questions empirically, we employ the 2015 Local Food Marketing Practices Survey, collected by USDA in 2016, and binomial and multinomial logit regressions. Our research yields a number of useful results. For example, we find evidence suggesting the existence of product-specific barriers to participation in certain channels; livestock producers are less likely than other farmers to sell directly to retailers, whereas vegetable farmers are less likely to sell to intermediaries. We also find that beginning farmers are more likely to sell directly to retailers, but less likely to sell to intermediaries than more established farmers, suggesting potential barriers and opportunities for entry into this channel for less experienced farmers. These insights suggest potential areas of attention for policymakers and other decisionmakers, as well as areas for future study.
A low-phase noise D-band signal source based on 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS and 0.15 µm AlGaN/GaN HEMT technologies
Authors: Do Thanh Ngoc Thi , Bao Mingquan , He Zhongxia Simon , Hassona Ahmed , Kuylenstierna Dan , Zirath Herbert 
Published: March 2019

AbstractThis paper reports on a record-low-phase noise D-band signal source with 5 dBm output power, and 1.3 GHz tuning range. The source is based on the unconventional combination of a fundamental frequency 23 GHz oscillator in 150 nm AlGaN/GaN HEMT technology followed by a 130 nm SiGe BiCMOS MMIC including a sixtupler and an amplifier. The amplifier operates in compression mode as power-limiting amplifier, to equalize the source output power so that it is nearly independent of the oscillator's gate and drain bias voltages used for tuning the frequency of the source. The choice of using a GaN HEMT oscillator is motivated by the need for a low oscillator noise floor, which recently has been demonstrated as a bottle-neck for data rates in wideband millimeter-wave communication systems. The phase noise performance of this signal source is −128 dBc/Hz at 10 MHz-offset. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this result is the lowest reported phase noise of D-band signal source.
Development of a model to predict soybean yield loss from dicamba exposure
Authors: Foster Matthew R. , Griffin James L. , Copes Josh T. , Blouin David C. 
Published: March 2019

AbstractAlthough dicamba-resistant crops can provide an effective weed management option, risk of dicamba off-site movement to sensitive crops is a concern. Previous research with indeterminate soybean identified 14 injury criteria associated with dicamba applied at V3/V4 or R1/R2 at 0.6 to 280 g ae ha−1. Injury criteria rated on a 0 to 5 scale (none to severe), along with percent visible injury and plant height reduction, and canopy height collected 7 and 15 d after treatment (DAT) were analyzed using multiple regression with a forward-selection procedure to develop yield prediction models. Variables included in the 15 DAT models (in order of selection) for V3/V4 were lower stem base lesions/cracking, plant height reduction, terminal leaf epinasty, leaf petiole droop, leaf petiole base swelling, and stem epinasty, whereas for R1/R2 variables were lower stem base lesions/cracking, terminal leaf chlorosis, leaf petiole base swelling, stem epinasty, terminal leaf necrosis, and terminal leaf cupping. To validate the models, experiments including the same dicamba rates and application timings used in previous research were conducted at two locations. For the variables specific to each model, data collected for the dicamba rates were used to predict yield. For the V3/V4 15 DAT model, predicted yield reduction (compared with the nontreated control for dicamba at 0.6 to 4.4 g ha−1) underestimated or overestimated observed yield reduction by an average of 1 and 3 percentage points. For 8.8 g ha−1, predicted yield reduction overestimated observed yield reduction by 8 points and for 17.5 g ha−1 by 20 points. For the R1/R2 15 DAT model, predicted yield reduction for 0.6 to 4.4 g ha−1 overestimated observed yield reduction by an average of 3 to 5 percentage points. For dicamba at 8.8 g ha−1, predicted yield reduction underestimated observed yield reduction by 8 points and for 17.5 g ha−1 overestimated by 6 points.
Attachment Orientations and Adult Alcohol Use Among Those With Childhood Adversities
Authors: Ennis Edel , Trearty Kelly 
Published: March 2019

Abstract. Adverse psychological consequences have been associated with both alcohol abstinence and alcohol disorders. The current study considers those who have experienced childhood adversities and examines whether secure attachment orientation represents a protective factor against an increased likelihood of either abstinence/rare alcohol consumption or alcohol disorder diagnosis. Data were used from the National Comorbidity Survey-Revised (NCS-R) ( N = 5,692), a random sample representative of the American population. Adult personal alcohol use was considered in terms of abstinence/rare alcohol use, regular alcohol use, and alcohol disorder diagnosis. Analyses focused on those who had experienced childhood adversities ( N = 2,182) and assessed attachment orientation as a predictor of alcohol use. Within those who had experienced childhood adversities, in comparison with securely attached individuals, both anxiously attached individuals and avoidant attached individuals had a significantly increased likelihood of being in the alcohol disorder diagnosis group as opposed to the regular alcohol consumption group. Avoidant individuals also had a significantly increased likelihood of being in the abstinence/rare alcohol use group. Results are discussed in terms of subgroups (vulnerable individuals and families) that may benefit from supportive interventions, and what format these interventions might take.
Plume‐Induced Breakup of a Subducting Plate: Microcontinent Formation Without Cessation of the Subduction Process
Authors: Koptev Alexander , Beniest Anouk , Gerya Taras , Ehlers Todd A. , Jolivet Laurent , Leroy Sylvie 
Published: March 2019

AbstractSeparation of microcontinents is explained by a ridge jump toward the passive margin as a possible consequence of plume‐induced rheological weakening, ultimately leading to breakup followed by accretion of the oceanic crust along a new spreading center. In contrast to such a purely extensional case, the separation of continental microblocks from the main body of the African plate during its continuous northward motion and subduction under Eurasia is still poorly understood. Our numerical experiments show the thermal and buoyancy effects of mantle plume impingement on the bottom of the continental part of a subducting plate are sufficient to induce separation of an isolated microcontinental block from the main subducting continent, even during induced plate motion necessary for uninterrupted oceanic and continental subduction. Subsequent continental accretion occurs by decoupling upper‐crustal nappes from the newly formed subducting microcontinent, which is in agreement with the Late Cretaceous‐Eocene evolution of the eastern Mediterranean.