Minnesota State University, Mankato

BACKGROUND: Aspirin is a well-established therapy for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular events. However, its role in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease is unclear, especially in older persons, who have an increased risk. METHODS: From 2010 through 2014, we enrolled community-dwelling men and women in Australia and the United States who were 70 years of age or older (or ≥65 years of age among blacks and Hispanics in the United States) and did not have cardiovascular disease, dementia, or disability. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg of enteric-coated aspirin or placebo. The primary end point was a composite of death, dementia, or persistent physical disability; results for this end point are reported in another article in the Journal. Secondary end points included major hemorrhage and cardiovascular disease (defined as fatal coronary heart disease, nonfatal myocardial infarction, fatal or nonfatal stroke, or hospitalization for heart failure). RESULTS: Of the 19,114 persons who were enrolled in the trial, 9525 were assigned to receive aspirin and 9589 to receive placebo. After a median of 4.7 years of follow-up, the rate of cardiovascular disease was 10.7 events per 1000 person-years in the aspirin group and 11.3 events per 1000 person-years in the placebo group (hazard ratio, 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 1.08). The rate of major hemorrhage was 8.6 events per 1000 person-years and 6.2 events per 1000 person-years, respectively (hazard ratio, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.18 to 1.62; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The use of low-dose aspirin as a primary prevention strategy in older adults resulted in a significantly higher risk of major hemorrhage and did not result in a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease than placebo. (Funded by the National Institute on Aging and others; ASPREE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01038583 .).

The Stardust spacecraft collected thousands of particles from comet 81P/Wild 2 and returned them to Earth for laboratory study. The preliminary examination of these samples shows that the nonvolatile portion of the comet is an unequilibrated assortment of materials that have both presolar and solar system origin. The comet contains an abundance of silicate grains that are much larger than predictions of interstellar grain models, and many of these are high-temperature minerals that appear to have formed in the inner regions of the solar nebula. Their presence in a comet proves that the formation of the solar system included mixing on the grandest scales.

ABSTRACT In order to attract and retain students, universities must identify and meet student expectations. This article examines which aspects of a student's educational experience are more important in influencing student satisfaction. The findings show that “student centered-ness,” “campus climate,” and “instructional effectiveness,” have a strong impact on how satisfied a student is with his/her overall educational experience. The results also suggest that recruitment strategies may require emphasizing different aspects of a student's educational experience than retentio strategies.

This article offers an overview and assessment of the utility of new social movement theories for analyzing contemporary forms of collective action. The article beings with a brief overview of the origins of new social movement theory and a description of some of the general tenets of this approach. Next, I consider the contributions of four major theorists (Castells, Touraine, Habermas, and Melucci) to this paradigm. The heart of the article provides a critical discussion of the central debates that have emerged within this paradigm. I then propose a typological distinction between “political” and “cultural” versions of new social movement theory. In the conclusion, I assess new social movement theory as a whole and situate the paradigm with reference to other paradigms for the study of social movements.

The Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) on the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) has triggered on 1637 cosmic gamma-ray bursts between 1991 April 19 and 1996 August 29. These events constitute the Fourth BATSE burst catalog. The current version (4Br) has been revised from the version first circulated on CD-ROM in September 1997 (4B) to include improved locations for a subset of bursts that have been reprocssed using additional data. A significant difference from previous BATSE catalogs is the inclusion of bursts from periods when the trigger energy range differed from the nominal 50-300 keV. We present tables of the burst occurrence times, locations, peak fluxes, fluences, and durations. In general, results from previous BATSE catalogs are confirmed here with greater statistical significance.

We tested the job demands--job control model of stress with a group of 136 registered nurses. Significant interactions between subjective and objective measures of work load and a measure of perceived control predicting physiological and attitudinal outcomes indicated support for the model. In addition, objectively assessed job demands were significantly associated with blood pressure and cortisol levels. The model also predicted elevations in physiological responses after individuals left work, suggesting that potentially health-impairing reactions to jobs that have high demands and low controllability might carry over to home settings and thus pose a high risk of long-term health impairment. The results have implications for the role of personal control in occupational stress generally and for nurse-management practices specifically.

Hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotopic compositions are heterogeneous among comet 81P/Wild 2 particle fragments; however, extreme isotopic anomalies are rare, indicating that the comet is not a pristine aggregate of presolar materials. Nonterrestrial nitrogen and neon isotope ratios suggest that indigenous organic matter and highly volatile materials were successfully collected. Except for a single (17)O-enriched circumstellar stardust grain, silicate and oxide minerals have oxygen isotopic compositions consistent with solar system origin. One refractory grain is (16)O-enriched, like refractory inclusions in meteorites, suggesting that Wild 2 contains material formed at high temperature in the inner solar system and transported to the Kuiper belt before comet accretion.

Interactions among species determine local-scale diversity, but local interactions are thought to have minor effects at larger scales. However, quantitative comparisons of the importance of biotic interactions relative to other drivers are rarely made at larger scales. Using a data set spanning 78 sites and five continents, we assessed the relative importance of biotic interactions and climate in determining plant diversity in alpine ecosystems dominated by nurse-plant cushion species. Climate variables related with water balance showed the highest correlation with richness at the global scale. Strikingly, although the effect of cushion species on diversity was lower than that of climate, its contribution was still substantial. In particular, cushion species enhanced species richness more in systems with inherently impoverished local diversity. Nurse species appear to act as a 'safety net' sustaining diversity under harsh conditions, demonstrating that climate and species interactions should be integrated when predicting future biodiversity effects of climate change.

This paper examines the environmental kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for China in the presence of globalization. We have applied Bayer and Hanck combined cointegration test as well as the auto regressive distributed lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to cointegration by accommodating structural breaks in the series. The causal relationship among the variables is investigated by applying the vector error correction method (VECM) causality framework. The study covers the period of 1970–2012. The results confirm the presence of cointegration among the variables. Furthermore, the EKC hypothesis is valid in China both in short and long runs. Coal consumption increases carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions significantly. The overall index and sub-indices of globalization indicate that globalization in China is decreasing CO 2 emissions. The causality results reveal that economic growth causes CO 2 emissions confirming the existence of the EKC hypothesis. The feedback effect exists between coal consumption and CO 2 emissions. CO 2 emissions Granger causes globalization (social, economic and political).

We investigated the individual and contextual influences shaping the environmental ethical decision intentions of a sample of managers in the U.S. metal-finishing industry in this study. Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior and Jones's (1991) moral intensity construct grounded our theoretical framework. Findings revealed that the magnitude of consequences, a dimension of moral intensity, moderated the relation- ships between each of five antecedents-attitudes, subjective norms, and three perceived behavioral control factors (self-efficacy, financial cost, and ethical climate)- and managers' environmental ethical decision intentions. We then developed implications for theory and practice in environmental ethical decision making.

We investigated the individual and contextual influences shaping the environmental ethical decision intentions of a sample of managers in the U.S. metal-finishing industry in this study.Ajzen's (1991) theory of planned behavior and Jones's (1991) moral intensity construct grounded our theoretical framework.Findings revealed that the magnitude of consequences, a dimension of moral intensity, moderated the relationships between each of five antecedents-attitudes, subjective norms, and three perceived behavioral control factors (self-efficacy, financial cost, and ethical climate)and managers' environmental ethical decision intentions.We then developed implications for theory and practice in environmental ethical decision making.When addressing the management of organizations in the natural environment, it is misleading to say that environmental problems and risks are becoming an issue of relevance for business organizations.Indeed, researchers have documented that such a well-known historical figure as Benjamin Franklin sought in 1739 to stop local businesses from polluting a small creek that ran through Philadelphia (Neuzil & Kovarik, 1996).Today it is recognized by some that "there are few significant man-made environmental problems (or woman-

Internet-of-Vehicles (IoV) connects vehicles, sensors, pedestrians, mobile devices, and the Internet with advanced communication and networking technologies, which can enhance road safety, improve road traffic management, and support immerse user experience. However, the increasing number of vehicles and other IoV devices, high vehicle mobility, and diverse service requirements render the operation and management of IoV intractable. Software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) technologies offer potential solutions to achieve flexible and automated network management, global network optimization, and efficient network resource orchestration with cost-effectiveness and are envisioned as a key enabler to future IoV. In this article, we provide an overview of SDN/NFV-enabled IoV, in which SDN/NFV technologies are leveraged to enhance the performance of IoV and enable diverse IoV scenarios and applications. In particular, the IoV and SDN/NFV technologies are first introduced. Then, the state-of-the-art research works are surveyed comprehensively, which is categorized into topics according to the role that the SDN/NFV technologies play in IoV, i.e., enhancing the performance of data communication, computing, and caching, respectively. Some open research issues are discussed for future directions.

Resource mobilization theory became the dominant paradigm for studying social movements in the 1970s because it was better able to account for the 1960s cycle of protest than previous theories of collective behavior. After almost two decades of theoretical development, the resource mobilization framework is now under increasing challenge. Drawing on research on women's movements in the United States, this article identifies ten issues which collectively pose a major theoretical challenge to the dominance of resource mobilization theory and which may initiate a paradigm shift to a new framework for the study of social movements.

Oaks (Quercus, Fagaceae) are the dominant tree genus of North America in species number and biomass, and Mexico is a global center of oak diversity. Understanding the origins of oak diversity is key to understanding biodiversity of northern temperate forests. A phylogenetic study of biogeography, niche evolution and diversification patterns in Quercus was performed using 300 samples, 146 species. Next-generation sequencing data were generated using the restriction-site associated DNA (RAD-seq) method. A time-calibrated maximum likelihood phylogeny was inferred and analyzed with bioclimatic, soils, and leaf habit data to reconstruct the biogeographic and evolutionary history of the American oaks. Our highly resolved phylogeny demonstrates sympatric parallel diversification in climatic niche, leaf habit, and diversification rates. The two major American oak clades arose in what is now the boreal zone and radiated, in parallel, from eastern North America into Mexico and Central America. Oaks adapted rapidly to niche transitions. The Mexican oaks are particularly numerous, not because Mexico is a center of origin, but because of high rates of lineage diversification associated with high rates of evolution along moisture gradients and between the evergreen and deciduous leaf habits. Sympatric parallel diversification in the oaks has shaped the diversity of North American forests.

Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory is a popular but controversial theory of employee satisfaction. The theory was at the center of a long debate that focused on conceptual and methodological problems with the theory. Now, more than 30 years after the debate and despite multiple claims that Herzberg's theory is dead, emerging research from the field of positive psychology is surprisingly consistent with basic tenets of the motivation-hygiene theory. It may be time to resurrect Herzberg's theory. This article includes a summary of the motivation-hygiene theory, a clarification of long-standing misinterpretations of the theory, and an examination of the fit between Herzberg's theory and contemporary research on happiness, intrinsic motivation, and materialism. The benefits of returning to Herzberg's model are discussed.

Feminist standpoint theory suggests that, although powerful discourses attempt to define women on the “margins” of society, women's cultural positions provide them with heightened understandings of the contradictions between their experiences and the ways the dominant group defines them. Thus, while many Americans believe hijab—also called a “veil” or “headscarf”—functions to oppress women, veiled women probably possess alternative understandings. In this study, 13 veiled American Muslim women share their experiences, and under the lens of standpoint theory, the participants’ definition of hijab emerges. Specifically, the women inscribe hijab with meanings shaped by their unique cultural standpoints. Hijab functions to define Muslim identity, perform a behavior check, resist sexual objectification, afford more respect, preserve intimate relationships, and provide freedom.

A comparative-historical study of welfare states in the former communist region of East Central Europe. Inglot analyzes almost one hundred years of expansion of social insurance programs across different political regimes. He places these programs in a larger political and socioeconomic context, which includes the most recent developments since the advent of democracy. Based on this research, he argues that despite apparent similarities the welfare states of East Central Europe, Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic and Slovakia since 1993), Poland, and Hungary have pursued distinct historical paths of development and change. He examines the highly unusual evolution of these welfare states in detail, tracing alternating periods of growth and retrenchment/reform, which he links to political and economic crises under communist rule. Inglot uses this comparative analysis of welfare systems to examine the continued influence of history over the politics and policies of the social safety nets in Eastern Europe.

This longitudinal study among Registered Nurses has four purposes: (1) to investigate whether emotional, quantitative and physical demands, and family-work conflict have a negative impact on nurses' perceived effort; (2) to investigate whether quality of leadership, developmental opportunities, and social support from supervisors and colleagues have a positive impact on meaning of work; (3) to investigate whether burnout from the combined impact of perceived effort and meaning of work mediates the relationship with occupational turnover intention; and (4) whether the relationships in our overall hypothesized framework are moderated by age (nurses categorized under 40 years versus ≥ 40 years old). In line with our expectations, emotional, quantitative, and physical demands, plus family-work conflict appeared to increase levels of perceived effort. Quality of leadership, developmental opportunities, and social support from supervisors and colleagues increased the meaning of work levels. In addition, increased perceived stress resulted in higher burnout levels, while increased meaning of work resulted in decreased burnout levels. Finally, higher burnout levels appeared to lead to a higher occupational turnover intention. Obviously, a nursing workforce that is in good physical and psychological condition is only conceivable when health care managers protect the employability of their nursing staff, and when there is a dual responsibility for a sustainable workforce. Additionally, thorough attention for the character of job demands and job resources according to nurses' age category is necessary in creating meaningful management interventions.

Enhancing hope in people with a first recurrence of cancer Researchers and clinicians have identified the need for well-defined intervention studies to test the efficacy of interventions designed to strengthen hope. This quasi-experimental study sought to determine if a specific nursing intervention program designed to enhance hope would positively influence levels of hope and quality-of-life (QOL) in a convenience sample of 115 people with a first recurrence of cancer who were randomly assigned to one of three groups: treatment group (hope), attention control group (informational), or control group (usual treatment). The Herth Hope Index (HHI) and the Cancer Rehabilitation and Evaluation Systems, Short Form (CARES-SF) were administered prior to intervention, immediately after intervention and at 3, 6, and 9-month intervals. Treatment and control groups differed significantly with regard to level of hope (P=0.02) and QOL (P=0.03). Both the level of hope and QOL were significantly increased (P=0.03) immediately after intervention and across time (3, 6 and 9 months). This study was a preliminary attempt to design, implement, and evaluate a theory-driven hope intervention program. Knowledge about the effectiveness of specific interventions designed to enhance hope is vital if nurses are to significantly influence hope in those whom are in their care.

Trauma is well recognized to result in the immediate and sustained release of stress-related neurochemicals such as the catecholamine norepinephrine. Past work has shown that in addition to their ability to function as neurotransmitters, catecholamines can also directly stimulate the growth of a number of pathogenic bacteria. The development of trauma-associated sepsis has often been linked to the ability of otherwise normal commensal bacteria to invade and penetrate the gut mucosal barrier. Therefore, the aim of our study was to examine whether catecholamines could also stimulate the growth of commensal Escherichia coli strains of the type present in the intestinal tract at the time of a traumatic event. Herein we report that the growth of a range of non-pathogenic isolates of E. coli of human and environmental origin was significantly increased in the presence of catecholamines. A primary mechanism by which catecholamines increase bacterial growth was shown to be iron removal from lactoferrin and transferrin and subsequent acquisition by bacteria. The 3,4-dihydroxybenzoyl (catechol) structure of the catecholamines was further demonstrated to be critical to iron acquisition. The synthetic catecholamine inotropes dobutamine and isoprenaline, as well as norepinephrine metabolites that retained the catechol structure were also active, whereas norepinephrine metabolites in which the catechol moiety had been modified were not. A role for catecholamine-mediated bacterial iron supply in the pathophysiology of gut-derived sepsis due to trauma is proposed.