bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electoral geography: From mapping votes to representing power
Authors: Forest Benjamin 
Published: November 2017

AbstractIn some ways, electoral geography has never been more popular. From the detailed, online maps of the Brexit vote to discussions of the electoral college versus the popular vote in the 2016 Trump–Clinton U.S. presidential contest, the relationships among geography, voting, and political power have seldom been more visible. The popularity of electoral geography in social and news media, however, does not necessarily reflect its presence in scholarly discussions, and indeed, in some ways, the former has replaced the latter. Digital technology and the burgeoning availability of electronic data mean that it is easier than ever to create maps of votes, often in near real time. Yet the academic field of electoral geography encompasses more than just mapping votes, including the study of election campaigns, political parties, electoral systems, and gerrymandering. The 3 major approaches are the geography of voting (mapping and visualizing votes), geographic influences on voting (the effect of place on political preferences and behavior), and the geography of representation (the analysis of electoral systems). Indeed, the structure of the electoral system, including gerrymandering, is often the key to understanding how political and racial/ethnic minorities can (or cannot) wield power and influence. This article examines each approach after a brief review of the historical origins of the subfield.
Factors predicting quality of work life among nurses in tertiary‐level hospitals, Bangladesh
Authors: Akter N. , Akkadechanunt T. , Chontawan R. , Klunklin A. 
Published: November 2017

AimThis study examined the level of quality of work life and predictability of years of education, monthly income, years of experience, job stress, organizational commitment and work environment on quality of work life among nurses in tertiary‐level hospitals in the People's Republic of Bangladesh.BackgroundThere is an acute shortage of nurses worldwide including Bangladesh. Quality of work life is important for quality of patient care and nurse retention. Nurses in Bangladesh are fighting to provide quality care for emerging health problems for the achievement of sustainable development goals.MethodsWe collected data from 288 randomly selected registered nurses, from six tertiary‐level hospitals. All nurses were requested to fill questionnaire consisted of Demographic Data Sheet, Quality of Nursing Work Life Survey, Expanded Nursing Stress Scale, Questionnaire of Organizational Commitment and Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics and multiple regression.ResultsThe quality of work life as perceived by nurses in Bangladesh was at moderate level. Monthly income was found as the best predictor followed by work environment, organizational commitment and job stress.DiscussionA higher monthly income helps nurses to fulfil their personal needs; positive work environment helps to provide quality care to the patients.LimitationQuality of work life and predictors measured by self‐report only may not reflect the original picture of the quality of work life among nurses.Conclusion and policy implicationsFindings provide information for nursing and health policymakers to develop policies to improve quality of work life among nurses that can contribute to quality of nursing care. This includes the working environment, commitment to the organization and measures to reduce job stress.
Similarity and entropy measures for hesitant fuzzy sets
Authors: Hu Junhua , Yang Yan , Zhang Xiaolong , Chen Xiaohong 
Published: November 2017

AbstractHesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs) are beneficial tools for expressing the hesitancy of decision makers (DMs) to access alternatives in daily life, thereby enabling the membership of an element to a set that is represented by several possible values. This study proposes an interval bound footprint (IBF), which describes the fluctuation range of the values of hesitant fuzzy elements (HFEs) arranged in order. In addition, a few similarity and entropy measures for HFSs are deduced. First, the interval bound footprint, upper bound footprint, and lower bound footprint for HFEs are defined and their corresponding properties are discussed. Subsequently, several similarity and entropy measures for HFSs are presented based on IBF. Lastly, a hesitant fuzzy multi‐criteria decision‐making method based on the proposed similarity and entropy measures is introduced. We use a numerical example to discuss the differences among the proposed similarity measures and the applicable environment based on the risk preferences of the different DMs.
The importance of ethical aspects when implementing eHealth services in healthcare: A discussion paper
Authors: Skär Lisa , Söderberg Siv 
Published: November 2017

AbstractAimThe aim of this paper was to discuss the importance of ethical aspects when implementing eHealth services in health care.BackgroundChallenges in healthcare today include a growing older population and, as a consequence, an increased need for healthcare services. One possible solution is the use of eHealth services.DesignDiscussion paper.Data sourcesResearch literature published from 2000–2017 in CINAHL, PubMed and Scopus.Implications for nursingImplementing eHealth services in health care involves ethical challenges where different technologies can solve different problems in different ways. eHealth services should therefore be developed and implemented based on the patient's specific needs and conditions for use and in accordance with the healthcare professionals' presumption to provide high‐quality care.ConclusionTo preserve patients' integrity, dignity and autonomy, healthcare professionals must include ethical aspects when implementing and using eHealth services in health care. Healthcare professionals have to take responsibility for the eHealth services introduced, explaining why and how they are implemented based on a person‐centred approach. More knowledge is needed about ethical aspects when implementing eHealth services to improve the quality of care.
Instruments to assess patient comfort during hospitalization: A psychometric review
Authors: Lorente Sonia , Losilla Josep‐Maria , Vives Jaume 
Published: November 2017

AbstractAimTo analyse the psychometric properties and the utility of instruments used to measure patient comfort, physical, social, psychospiritual and/or environmental, during hospitalization.BackgroundThere are no systematic reviews nor psychometric reviews of instruments used to measure comfort, which is considered an indicator of quality in health care associated with quicker discharges, increased patient satisfaction and better cost–benefit ratios for the institution.DesignPsychometric review.Data sourcesMEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, ProQuest Thesis&Dissertations, Google.Review methodsWe limited our search to studies published between 1990‐2015. The psychometric analysis was performed using the COnsensus‐based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN), along with the Quality Criteria for Measurement Properties. The utility of the instruments was assessed according to their cost‐efficiency, acceptability and educational impact. Protocol registration in PROSPERO, CRD42016036290.ResultsInstruments reviewed showed moderate methodological quality and their utility was poorly reported. Thus, we cannot recommend any questionnaire without reservations, but the Comfort Scale, the General Comfort Questionnaire and their adaptations in adults and older patients, the Psychosocial Comfort Scale and the Incomfort des Patients de Reanimation are the most recommendable instruments to measure comfort.ConclusionsThe methodology of the studies should be more rigorous and authors should adequately report the utility of instruments. This review provides a strategy to select the most suitable instrument to assess patient comfort according to their psychometric properties and utility, which is crucial for nurses, clinicians, researchers and institutions.
Risk factors for psychological and psychosomatic symptoms among children with malignancies
Authors: Maeda Kenichi , Hasegawa Daisuke , Urayama Kevin Y , Tsujimoto Shinichi , Azami Yuriko , Ozawa Miwa , Manabe Atsushi 
Published: November 2017

AimWith increasing survival rates in paediatric malignancies, the quality‐of‐life of children during hospitalisation should be given more attention. We aimed to identify factors associated with psychological and psychosomatic symptoms (PPS) that required medication among children hospitalised for treatment of malignancies.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed data of 190 patients aged 2–18 years old. They were diagnosed with malignant diseases and admitted for treatment at St. Luke's International Hospital between 2003 and 2013. Patients were considered as having PPS if they were prescribed psychotropic agents during hospitalisation.ResultsOf the 190 patients, 56 (30%) were prescribed psychotropic agents for PPS. Types of PPS included insomnia in 21 (38%), anxiety in 11 (20%), and others conditions (psychogenetic nausea, agitation, delirium, depression). The most prescribed psychotropic agents were etizolam for 34 cases (61%), followed by diazepam and risperidone. The multivariable analyses confirmed statistically significant independent associations for haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (odds ratio (OR), 5.21; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.77–15.35), older age (12–18 years vs. 2–5 years, OR, 3.74; 95% CI, 1.04–10.00), and opioid use (OR, 7.15; 95% CI, 2.36–21.69).ConclusionsOlder age at admission, undergoing HSCT, and those given opioids were found to be risk factors for PPS among children with malignancies. Appropriate preventive measures against PPS may be warranted for patients with these risk factors.
Differentiation between cystic biliary atresia and choledochal cyst: A retrospective analysis
Authors: Tang Jue , Zhang Dan , Liu Wei , Zeng Ji‐Xiao , Yu Jia‐Kang , Gao Yi 
Published: November 2017

AimCystic biliary atresia (CBA) can be easily misdiagnosed as choledochal cyst (CC). Some patients have already progressed to severe liver fibrosis and missed the optimal surgical time, when the differential diagnosis is made. We aim to determine the differentiation between CBA and CC, and to validate the value of aspartate aminotransferase‐to‐platelet ratio index (APRI) in the assessment of liver fibrosis and prediction of post‐operative outcome for infants with biliary cystic malformations (BCMs).MethodsClinical data of children (categorised into CBA and CC groups) with BCMs were analysed retrospectively. Biochemical indicators together with B‐ultrasound examinations and the degree of liver fibrosis were analysed, and those with statistical difference between the two groups were selected for diagnostic receiver operating characteristic curve analysis.ResultsThe parameter that showed the highest accuracy with a significant diagnostic performance for differentiating CBA from CC was cyst size. Liver assessment at operation was categorised into mild fibrosis and moderate‐to‐severe fibrosis. The APRI values were much lower in the mild fibrosis groups than in the moderate‐to‐severe fibrosis group (0.4 ± 0.2 vs. 1.4 ± 0.8, P < 0.001). A cut‐off value of 0.96 (area under the curve 0.92, P < 0.001) showed a sensitivity of 81.3% and a specificity of 100% for moderate‐to‐severe fibrosis. Lower APRI value was correlated with short‐term post‐operative bilirubin clearance.ConclusionThere is still certain difficulty in the early identification of CBA and CC clinically. Liver fibrosis could occur as early as infantile period in both CBA and CC. In infants with BCMs, APRI can be used as a non‐invasive method to detect liver fibrosis in early stages.
Minimally invasive technique for coxofemoral luxation stabilisation using transarticular toggle system: a cadaveric study
Authors: Segal U. , Shani J. , Joseph R. 
Published: November 2017

ObjectiveTo present a novel, semi‐closed, surgical technique for coxofemoral luxation stabilisation using a transarticular toggle rod.Study DesignCadaveric study.Materials and MethodsCraniodorsal luxation was generated by transecting the ligamentum teres in 12 coxofemoral joints and was then reduced using a closed technique. Anteversion and inclination angles were measured using fluoroscopic projections. An arthroscope was inserted through a bone tunnel drilled from the third trochanter through the femoral neck. Following retraction of the arthroscope, a hole was drilled through the acetabular fossa via the femoral bone tunnel. A standard Arthrex® TightRope toggle button was pushed through the femoral bone tunnel into the acetabular fossa hole and tied over the oval metallic button above the third trochanter site. The exit point of the drill hole over the femoral head and that in the acetabular fossa were evaluated by surgical exposure of the coxofemoral articular surfaces.ResultsThe TightRope entrance point into the acetabular fossa was accurate in all joints, with a mean distance from the acetabular fossa centre of 0·06 ±0·1 mm. The measured distance of the TightRope exit point from the femoral head to the fovea capitis was 2·04 ±1·7 mm. Femoral head cartilage damage was detected in nine of 12 joints.Conclusion and Clinical RelevanceClosed reduction and stabilisation of coxofemoral luxations can be achieved using this minimally invasive technique. Refinements to the technique may be needed for its application in clinical cases due to relative high incidence of femoral head cartilage damage.
Expression of tomato prosystemin gene in Arabidopsis reveals systemic translocation of its mRNA and confers necrotrophic fungal resistance
Authors: Zhang Haiyan , Yu Pengli , Zhao Jiuhai , Jiang Hongling , Wang Haiyang , Zhu Yingfang , Botella Miguel A. , Šamaj Jozef , Li Chuanyou , Lin Jinxing 
Published: November 2017

Summary

Systemin (SYS), an octadecapeptide hormone processed from a 200‐amino‐acid precursor (prosystemin, PS), plays a central role in the systemic activation of defense genes in tomato in response to herbivore and pathogen attacks. However, whether PS mRNA is transferable and its role in systemic defense responses remain unknown.

We created the transgenic tomato PS gene tagged with the green fluorescent protein (PS‐GFP) using a shoot‐ or root‐specific promoter, and the constitutive 35S promoter in Arabidopsis. Subcellular localization of PS‐/SYS‐GFP was observed using confocal laser scanning microscopy and gene transcripts were determined using quantitative real‐time PCR.

In Arabidopsis, PS protein can be processed and SYS is secreted. Shoot‐/root‐specific expression of PS‐GFP in Arabidopsis, and grafting experiments, revealed that the PS mRNA moves in a bi‐directional manner. We also found that ectopic expression of PS improves Arabidopsis resistance to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea, consistent with substantial upregulation of the transcript levels of specific pathogen‐responsive genes.

Our results provide novel insights into the multifaceted mechanism of SYS signaling transport and its potential application in genetic engineering for increasing pathogen resistance across diverse plant families.
Designing Public Participation: Managing Problem Settings and Social Equity
Authors: Clark Jill K. 
Published: November 2017

AbstractResearchers suggest that inequity and disparities in public participation in the policy‐making process will go hand in hand unless public managers and community leaders are attentive to these concerns when they are designing participation opportunities. Previous research has considered how the design of participatory opportunities can address inequity, but it has provided few insights into what is behind design choices. This article provides a theoretical framework that links public managers' and community leaders' perspectives on their own political efficacy and sources of their efficacy, yielding four types of “designers.” The research hypothesizes that these types have different narratives of social equity in participation that affect their design choices. Data from more than 100 public managers and community leaders provide preliminary support for these relationships. Findings suggest that inequitable public participation will persist unless designers consider what is behind their choices, focusing first on understanding the problem setting, or their narrative of equity in public participation.
The effects of off‐farm work on fertilizer and pesticide expenditures in China
Authors: Ma Wanglin , Abdulai Awudu , Ma Chunbo 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis study examines the effects of participation in off‐farm work on farm expenditures on fertilizer and pesticide, using farm household survey data from China. Simple mean value comparisons reveal no statistically significant differences in fertilizer and pesticide expenditures between off‐farm work participants and nonparticipants. However, econometric estimation with a treatment effects model shows a negative selection bias. After controlling for this bias, the empirical results show that participation in off‐farm work exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on fertilizer and pesticide expenditures. Our findings generally suggest that the income effect of off‐farm work stimulates agricultural production by increasing investments in productivity‐enhancing inputs.
Markups and Concentration in South African Manufacturing Sectors: An Analysis with Administrative Data
Authors: Fedderke Johannes , Obikili Nonso , Viegi Nicola 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis paper uses newly available firm‐level tax data to evaluate the market structure in South African manufacturing sectors in the period 2010‐2012. To describe the market structure, we compute markups for South African manufacturing firms and concentration indexes for 4‐digit manufacturing sectors. We find both significant markups and significant concentration across most sectors. We compare computed markups and concentration with early estimates in South Africa and with other international benchmark countries. We then examine the market structure based on the concentration, firms size and entry and exit dynamics to rule out some potential explanations for relatively high markups. We find that the relationships are not monotonic and point to the importance of specific barriers to entry in explaining the relationship between these three characteristics.
Unemployment in Africa: A Fractional Integration Approach
Authors: Caporale Guglielmo Maria , Gil‐Alana Luis Alberiko 
Published: November 2017

AbstractThis paper estimates long‐memory models to analyse the stochastic behaviour of unemployment in eleven African countries (Botswana, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia) from the 1960s until 2010. The empirical results provide very strong evidence of lack of mean reversion in all series under examination. This suggests that hysteresis models are the most relevant for the African experience (not surprisingly, given the rigidities in their labour markets). Therefore in such countries shocks hitting the unemployment series will have permanent effects, and policy makers should take appropriate action to reverse the effects of negative shocks.
Composite Estimation for Single‐Index Models with Responses Subject to Detection Limits
Authors: Tang Yanlin , Wang Huixia Judy , Liang Hua 
Published: November 2017

AbstractWe propose a semiparametric estimator for single‐index models with censored responses due to detection limits. In the presence of left censoring, the mean function cannot be identified without any parametric distributional assumptions, but the quantile function is still identifiable at upper quantile levels. To avoid parametric distributional assumption, we propose to fit censored quantile regression and combine information across quantile levels to estimate the unknown smooth link function and the index parameter. Under some regularity conditions, we show that the estimated link function achieves the non‐parametric optimal convergence rate, and the estimated index parameter is asymptotically normal. The simulation study shows that the proposed estimator is competitive with the omniscient least squares estimator based on the latent uncensored responses for data with normal errors but much more efficient for heavy‐tailed data under light and moderate censoring. The practical value of the proposed method is demonstrated through the analysis of a human immunodeficiency virus antibody data set.
Does noncontact low‐frequency ultrasound therapy contribute to wound healing at the molecular level?
Authors: Wiegand Cornelia , Bittenger Kyle , Galiano Robert D. , Driver Vickie R. , Gibbons Gary W. 
Published: November 2017

ABSTRACTNoncontact low‐frequency ultrasound (NLFU) is used to treat various types of chronic wounds including venous, diabetic, and pressure ulcers. The objective for this substudy of the IN BALANCE RCT VLU trial was to characterize and compare the NLFU treatment group and patients receiving standard of care (SOC) with respect to the effect of the assigned study treatment on content/quantity of inflammatory cytokines and fibrinogen as well as bacteria. Higher mean wound area reduction was observed in the NLFU treatment group (67.0%) compared to the SOC group (41.6%, p < 0.05). Hypertension, diabetes type II, coronary artery disease, and anemia were identified as the most common comorbidities of the Chronic venous leg ulcer (CVLU) patients included in the study. Pseudomonas, Corynebacterium, and unclassified Enterobacteriaceae were dominant in the highest number of samples. Anaerococcus, Peptoniphilus, and Finegoldia, had the highest median proportion in the samples overall. Peptoniphilus abundance decreased more in the NLFU treatment group relative to SOC; similar trends were observed for Anaerococcus and Finegoldia. Progression of mediators like TNF‐alpha, IL‐1beta, IL‐6, IL‐8, and IL‐10 as well as PF4, TGF‐beta, and fibrinogen was monitored and trends for several of the mediators were identified. Fibrinogen amounts were significantly reduced over time in the NLFU treatment group (p < 0.05). IL‐8 levels declined in wound fluid from NLFU responders as well as SOC responders. Bacterial load (total bacterial abundance) determined local parameters of ulcer inflammation. If a bioburden of ≥ 10E5 was found compared to < 10E5, levels of IL‐1beta, IL‐8, and TNF‐alpha were significantly higher. In conclusion, NLFU treatment is an effective adjuvant tool for CVLU therapy. This study demonstrates that it improves wound healing by equally inhibiting abundant levels of pro‐inflammatory cytokines as well as by reducing the overall bacterial burden.