bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of the Chinese version General Causality Orientation Scale‐Clinical Population and causality orientations assessing in major depressions
Authors: Lei Wei , Liu Kezhi , Li Nian , Liang Xuemei , Xiang Bo , Huang Chaohua , Zhang Jin , Zheng Xiaojiao , Chen Jing
Published: December 2018

Introduction

This study examined the psychometric properties of the Chinese version General Causality Orientation Scale‐Clinical Population (GCOS‐CP) and assessed the causality orientations in patients with major depression disorders (MDDs).

Method

The psychometric properties of the Chinese GCOS‐CP were tested in an adults group (study 1). And then, the Chinese GCOS‐CP was given to individuals with and without MDD (study 2).

Results

The Chinese GCOS‐CP provided good reliability and validity. MDD showed lower autonomy but higher impersonal orientations relative to healthy controls.

Discussion

The GCOS‐CP is suitable for the assessment of motivation in patients with mental disorders in Chinese setting.
Greater Eurasia and Russian Foreign Policy Priorities
Authors: Bordachev Timofei
Published: December 2018

The strategic concept of the Greater Eurasian Partnership has been the greatest achievement of Russia in its prioritization of foreign policy and in building effective multilateral institutions in this macroregion. This concept, as well as the previously developed strategy of pairing the Chinese One Belt One Road Initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union, is based on the academic and political belief that multilateral institutions, which introduce mutually binding norms for their members, are the essential element of international regulation on both global and regional levels. For Russia, the idea of the Greater Eurasian Partnership is also a part of its national strategy and policy of the accelerated development of the Russian Far East and Siberia – both natural and necessary parts of Asian and Eurasian space. So far, Eurasia has primarily been a geostrategic and philosophical concept, whereas the new strategy of Russia aims to revalue Eurasia in terms of rational cooperation.
Russian‐Chinese Security Cooperation in Asia
Authors: Kashin Vasily , Lukin Alexander
Published: December 2018

The authors argue that Russian‐Chinese rapprochement is a fundamental feature of the current changing system of international relations. The two countries are effectively enabling each other to conduct independent foreign policies often in direct opposition to the West. There is a degree of complimentarity between the two sides with Russia having comparative advantage in the military, intelligence, and diplomatic fields and China being an economic superpower. The region of Central Asia has in reality become the cradle of the two countries' cooperation which is now affecting a wide range of international issues. The Korean peninsula is another important area of coordination between Moscow and Beijing in the Asia‐Pacific. Russia and China have also been working on increasing interoperability of their military forces in the region since mid‐2000s. Technically they have already done much in preparing the ground for a military alliance. However, politically they do not appear to be ready for that yet.
Missed Opportunities: Could a U.S.‐Russian Dialogue on Asia Pacific Have Prevented the New Cold War?
Authors: Suslov Dmitry
Published: December 2018

A U.S.‐Russian dialogue on the Asia Pacific could have become a vital pillar of cooperation and helped sustain the bilateral relations through their deterioration in 2011 and especially since 2014. This is due to the importance of the Asia Pacific to both Russia and the United States, the lower incidence of serious contradictions between them in this region compared to Europe and the Post‐Soviet space, as well as the existence of common interests. However, this opportunity was missed as the Asia Pacific became instead another theater of U.S.‐Russian new systemic confrontation. Nonetheless, the two sides might still benefit if they succeed in separating their relations in the Asia Pacific from the general bilateral confrontation. Russia can create a favorable environment to continue the role of independent power center, help reduce polarization in the region, and prevent unnecessary tensions between the United States and its Asian allies and partners.
Prospects for Normalization on the Korean Peninsula: A View from Moscow
Authors: Denisov Valery , Pyatachkova Anastasia
Published: December 2018

After what seemed like a hopeless impasse in the nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula, signs appeared that Pyongyang and Washington had changed their stances and were ready to seek a way out. The DPRK, the U.S., and South Korea announced a shift away from direct confrontation towards a search for compromise. When the Trump administration increased pressure on the DPRK, Russian policy on the Korean Peninsula drew attention, with some experts saying that Russia will act as a spoiler. For now, Russia remains one of the key actors and is able to play a constructive role. This article uses historical data to provide a complex analysis of the different players’ positions. U.S., Japan, and South Korea conduct a well‐coordinated process, with Washington drawing its allies into the negotiation process. Russia and China joined sanctions; however, they consider unilateral sanctions excessive and argue that only constructive dialogue can ensure progress on Korean affairs.
Reenergizing the Russia‐ASEAN Relationship: The Eurasian Opportunity
Authors: Kanaev Evgeny , Korolev Alexander
Published: December 2018

While Russia’s policy in Southeast Asia (SEA) encounters serious deficiencies, in 2016, plans to raise the Russia‐ASEAN relationship to the level of strategic partnership were announced at the top level. The puzzle is how cooperation between Russia and ASEAN in Eurasia can lay the foundation for their strategic partnership. The article gives insights into Russia’s policy in SEA through the prism of ASEAN prospective plans, traces the increase in bilateral cooperation in Eurasia, and assesses the potential of the ASEAN‐SCO‐EAEU format and its implications for Russia’s policy in SEA. The authors argue that the Russia‐ASEAN strategic partnership will be premised upon their cooperation in Greater Eurasia, which will give a strong impetus to Russia’s policy in SEA. The article identifies the reasons behind premising the planned Russia‐ASEAN strategic partnership on Greater Eurasia’s foundation, the obstacles the parties will have to overcome, and the impact of this cooperation upon Russia‐ASEAN connectivity.
The Eurasian Economic Union and the Integration Process in the Asia Pacific
Authors: Likhacheva Anastasia
Published: December 2018

Since 2015, the Eurasian Economic Commission has become a key agent of Russian external trade policy and the policy of connecting with China’s Silk Road Economic Belt initiative. It has been responsible for all of Russia’s current free trade negotiations, and in the future may encompass wider frames of international economic cooperation. However, because of its short track record, the Eurasian Economic Commission is not very well studied in Russia or abroad. This article analyzes the current international exchanges between the Commission and Asian countries, and attempts to study other formats of cooperation with Asian actors where the Commission can be involved in the future according to its mandate. Our study reveals that bilateral exchanges remain dominant between the EAEU and Asian partners, and a switch to multilateral tracks like EAEU‐ASEAN or EAEU‐RCEP can occur only in the medium‐term future. Both the analysis of open negotiations and of the Commission’s organizational resources prove this hypothesis.
Russia and India in the Indo‐Pacific
Authors: Lunev Sergey , Shavlay Ellina
Published: December 2018

The new world system endowed the biggest semi‐peripheral countries, most notably India, with a special role. Along with China, India appears to be transforming into a specific subsystem of international relations where both Asian giants can become competitors to the United States in the struggle for leadership. In this sense, history is repeating itself, with rivals appearing at the periphery. The international community still does not recognize India’s status as a global power. Its realpolitik is still poor and the country follows a balancing strategy dating from the bipolar era. However, the Indo‐Pacific region is a key direction of Indian foreign policy and it is deepening engagement with East Asia, thus making it easier to analyze the national interests of the country, its limits and opportunities, and the state of cooperation or contradiction with such global actors as the United States and China. The Asia‐Pacific is also a vital region for Russia’s national interests, but Moscow’s political and economic presence is thus far more declarative than real. India is a natural and objective ally of the Russian Federation. However, the joint activities of India and Russia in the Indo‐Pacific will be limited, primarily due to their different approaches toward relations with China.
The Duffy antigen receptor for chemokines, ACKR1,– ‘Jeanne DARC’ of benign neutropenia
Authors: Rappoport Naama , Simon Amos J. , Amariglio Ninette , Rechavi Gideon
Published: December 2018

Benign neutropenia, observed in different ethnic groups, is the most common form of neutropenia worldwide. A specific single nucleotide polymorphism, rs2814778, located at the promoter of the ACKR1 (previously termed DARC) gene, which disrupts a binding site for the GATA1 erythroid transcription factor, resulting in a ACKR1‐null phenotype, was found to serve as a predictor of low white blood cell and neutrophil counts in African‐Americans and Yemenite Jews. Individuals with benign neutropenia due to the ACKR1‐null allele have been found to have an increased susceptibility to human immunodeficiency virus infection and, on the other hand, a protective effect against malaria. The associated protective effect may explain the spread of the ACKR1‐null allele by natural selection. The reviewed relationships between ACKR1 polymorphism and various pathological states may have important clinical implications to individuals with and without benign neutropenia. Potential mechanisms for ACKR1 (previously termed DARC) modulation during neutrophil recruitment to inflammation, and chemokine bioavailability in the circulation and in local tissue are reviewed and discussed.
Health‐related quality of life in children with chronic immune thrombocytopenia treated with eltrombopag in the PETIT study
Authors: Grainger John D. , Blanchette Victor S. , Grotzinger Kelly M. , Roy Anuja , Bussel James B.
Published: December 2018

The PETIT (Eltrombopag in Pediatric Patients with Thrombocytopenia from Chronic ITP) trial showed that in children aged 1–17 years with chronic or persistent immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), eltrombopag improved platelet counts, decreased clinically significant bleeding and reduced rescue medication need. We report the health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) results from the PETIT study using the Kids’ ITP Tools (KIT). A limitation was that PETIT was not powered for the HRQoL analysis. Eltrombopag did not impact children's HRQoL assessed by the KIT. Although median KIT scores in children treated with eltrombopag with platelet responses were numerically higher compared with non‐responders in some age groups, the interquartile ranges overlapped.
Evidence for a young adult face bias in accuracy and consensus of age estimates
Authors: Short Lindsey A. , Mondloch Catherine J. , deJong Julia , Chan Harmonie
Published: December 2018

Adults' face processing may be specialized for the dimensions of young adult faces. For example, young and older adults exhibit increased accuracy in normality judgments and greater agreement in attractiveness ratings for young versus older adult faces. The present study was designed to examine whether there is a similar young adult face bias in facial age estimates. In Experiment 1, we created a face age continuum by morphing an averaged young adult face with an averaged older adult face in 5% increments, for a total of 21 faces ranging from 0 to 100% old. Young and older adults estimated facial age for three stimulus age categories [young (morphs 0–30%), middle‐aged (morphs 35–65%), and older adult (morphs 70–100%)]. Both age groups showed the least differentiation in age estimates for young adult faces, despite showing greater consensus across participants in estimates for young faces. In Experiment 2, young and older adults made age estimates for individual young and older adult identities. Both age groups were more accurate and showed greater consensus in age estimates for young faces. Collectively, these results provide evidence for a bias in processing young adult faces beyond that which is often observed in recognition and normality/attractiveness judgment tasks.
FIFA/IOC‐Sanctioned Development and the Imminence of Erotic Space
Authors: DE LISIO AMANDA , SODRÉ JOÃO GABRIEL R.
Published: December 2018

Based on ethnographic research conducted since April 2014, this paper will examine the intersection between mega‐event security apparatuses, event‐led urbanism, and local geographies of desire. We argue that urban sanitisation strategies (particularly those derived from a constellation of foreign interests) threaten local geographies of desire but remain dependent upon erotic space and subjectivities in (trans)national exchange and everyday economic salvation. The erasure of sexual diversity is a case with which to examine the impact of FIFA/IOC‐sanctioned urban renewal, and the manner in which local bodies (particularly those deemed sexually ‘deviant’) are repeatedly forced to circumvent these globally determined processes of development.
Can We Blame it on Rio?
Authors: GAFFNEY CHRISTOPHER
Published: December 2018

The Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games were the last major sporting event in a decade‐long cycle in the Brazilian metropolis. In the years leading up to the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the city's urban planning agenda was captured by the exogenous demands of hosting the quadrennial spectacular. This capture has exacerbated four tendencies that will pertain in Rio de Janeiro for the foreseeable future: consolidation of consumer sovereignty, restructuring of urban circulations, financialisation of urban territories, and securitisation of exception.
A method to test the significance of differences between centrographic measures of dispersion
Authors: López‐Castro Marco Antonio , Thériault Marius , Vandersmissen Marie‐Hélène
Published: December 2018

Centrographic measures of spatial dispersion, such as the standard distance, provide a numerical value to summarize the radial scattering of a set of points around their centre of gravity or centroid. This paper develops a procedure to test for the statistical significance of differences in dispersion between two sets of phenomena intertwined in space. The significance test is implemented using a resampling randomization procedure based on the pooled locations from both sets to estimate the sampling distribution of their differences. Repeated thousands of times, that yields empirical frequency thresholds of the sampling distributions to assess the statistical significance of the observed differences. Case studies based on residential locations of lone‐parent families and retired couples in the Quebec City Metropolitan Area illustrate the procedure. This paper shows how randomization procedures can be used to adapt classical tests to assess the statistical significance of differences between indices of spatial dispersion.
BRAF‐positive multifocal and unifocal papillary thyroid cancer show different messenger RNA expressions
Authors: Pak Kyoungjune , Suh Sunghwan , Goh Tae Sik , Kim Seong‐Jang , Oh Sae‐Ock , Seok Ju Won , Kim In Joo , Kim Yun Hak
Published: December 2018

Objective

Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant endocrine tumour, and its incidence has continuously increased worldwide over the past three decades. We focused on the association of multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) with messenger RNA (mRNA) expression to characterize how molecular and histopathologic features relate to multifocality.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Patients

The primary and processed data were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas. A total of 490 patients were included in this study.

Methods

The statistical significance of differences in sex, age, histology, LN metastasis and recurrence were analysed using chi‐squared test. To identify differentially expressed genes between BRAF (+) multifocal and unifocal PTCs and between BRAF (−) multifocal and unifocal PTCs, we used the Significance Analysis of Microarray. Over‐representation analysis is conducted using CPDB.

Results

A total of 237 patients had BRAF (+) PTCs, whereas 253 had BRAF (−) PTCs. There were 110 patients with multifocal PTCs and 127 with unifocal PTCs in the BRAF (+) group and 116 patients with multifocal PTCs and 137 with unifocal PTCs in the BRAF (−) group. In BRAF (+) group, multifocal PTCs had increased expression of 158 mRNAs as compared to that in unifocal PTCs. Ten mRNAs were involved in Wnt‐related pathways, and seven mRNAs were included in pluripotency‐related pathways.

Conclusion

Multifocal PTCs have higher expression of mRNAs in Wnt‐ and pluripotency‐related pathways when BRAF mutation is present. This might be the mechanism that accounts for the difference between multifocal and unifocal PTCs.
Nonfamilial kinship carers—Who are they and what support do they need to nurture children?
Authors: Kiraly Meredith
Published: December 2018

There is a growing body of literature about kinship care in the Western world; however, much of it focuses on grandparent care. A lesser known aspect of kinship care is the care of children by nonrelatives known to the child or their family. What little research exists about this group suggests that such placements are less stable than familial kinship care. This article reports a research study in Victoria, Australia, that explored nonfamilial kinship care through analysis of administrative data, interviews with young people and carers, and focus groups with kinship care support workers. It emerged that current administrative databases are not yet able to reliably identify the carer relationship, and thus the extent of such care arrangements cannot accurately be determined. Interviews and focus groups revealed that nonfamilial kinship care is diverse and qualitatively different from familial kinship care, bearing some similarities to foster care yet managed very differently. It is suggested that policymakers need to pay more attention to conceptualizing nonfamilial kinship care within kinship care policy frameworks and that greater attention is needed to the individual support needs of children in such placements and their carers.
On inflammation‐immunological balance theory—A critical apprehension of disease concepts around implants: Mucositis and marginal bone loss may represent normal conditions and not necessarily a state of disease
Authors: Albrektsson Tomas , Jemt Torsten , Mölne Johan , Tengvall Pentti , Wennerberg Ann
Published: December 2018

Background

Oral implants have displayed clinical survival results at the 95%‐99% level for over 10 years of follow up. Nevertheless, some clinical researchers see implant disease as a most common phenomenon. Oral implants are regarded to display disease in the form of mucositis or peri‐implantitis. One purpose of the present article is to investigate whether a state of disease is necessarily occurring when implants display soft tissue inflammation or partially lose their bony attachment. Another purpose of this article is to analyze the mode of defense for implants that are placed in a bacteria rich environment and to analyze when an obtained steady state between tissue and the foreign materials is disturbed.

Materials and Methods

The present article is authored as a narrative review contribution.

Results

Evidence is presented that further documents the fact that implants are but foreign bodies that elicit a foreign body response when placed in bone tissue. The foreign body response is characterized by a bony demarcation of implants in combination with a chronic inflammation in soft tissues. Oral implants survive in the bacteria‐rich environments where they are placed due to a dual defense system in form of chronic inflammation coupled to immunological cellular actions. Clear evidence is presented that questions the automatic diagnostics of an oral implant disease based on the finding of so called mucositis that in many instances represents but a normal tissue response to foreign body implants instead of disease. Furthermore, neither is marginal bone loss around implants necessarily indicative of a disease; the challenge to the implant represented by bone resorption may be successfully counteracted by local defense mechanisms and a new tissue‐implant steady state may evolve. Similar reactions including chronic inflammation occur in the interface of orthopedic implants that display similarly good long‐term results as do oral implants, if mainly evaluated based on revision surgery in orthopedic cases. The most common mode of failure of orthopedic implants is aseptic loosening which has been found coupled to a reactivation of the inflammatory‐ immune system.

Conclusions

Implants survive in the body due to balanced defense reactions in form of chronic inflammation and activation of the innate immune system. Ten year results of oral and hip /knee implants are hence in the 90+ percentage region. Clinical problems may occur with bone resorption that in most cases is successfully counterbalanced by the defense/healing systems. However, in certain instances implant failure will ensue characterized by bacterial attacks and/or by reactivation of the immune system that now will act to remove the foreign bodies from the tissues.
Q&A
Authors: Myers Cheryl , Lee Kevin
Published: December 2018

The co‐founder and chief creative officer of digital marketing agency Smart Panda Labs talks about design innovation in the digital age.

Visa's vice president and head of design has led design teams at Samsung, Whirlpool, Paypal, eBay, and GE Healthcare.
Quadricuspid aortic valve: Case series and review of literature
Authors: Suraci Nicholas , Horvath Sofia A. , Urina Daniela , Rosen Gerald , Santana Orlando
Published: December 2018

A quadricuspid aortic valve is an uncommon valve lesion. Its physical manifestations vary, and it may be associated with other cardiac lesions. Echocardiography is the imaging modality of choice, with computerized tomography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging being utilized as adjunctive imaging modalities in certain cases. Herein, we present a case series of three patients with this valvular lesion treated at our institution, as well as a contemporary review of the literature.
Usefulness of carotid ultrasonography in the assessment of coronary artery disease extension in patients undergoing exercise echocardiography
Authors: Franco‐Gutiérrez Raúl , Pérez‐Pérez Alberto José , Franco‐Gutiérrez Virginia , Testa‐Fernández Ana María , López‐López Andrea , Pérez‐Férnandez Ruth , López‐Reboiro Manuel Lorenzo , Regueiro‐Abel Margarita , Crespo‐Leiro María Generosa , González‐Juanatey Carlos
Published: December 2018

Objectives

To evaluate whether carotid disease is associated with coronary artery disease (CAD) extension in patients undergoing treadmill exercise stress echocardiography (EE).

Methods

We retrospectively studied 156 patients without previous vascular disease who underwent EE, carotid ultrasonography, and coronary angiography between 2002 and 2013. Low‐, intermediate‐, and high‐risk EE were defined as negative, localized ischemia, and multivessel/extensive ischemia EE respectively; carotid disease according to Mannheim and American Society of Echocardiography Consensus and CAD extension from zero to three vessel disease as stenosis ≥50% by visual assessment.

Results

Of the 156 patients, 67 (42.9%), 43 (27.6%), 22 (14.1%), and 24 (15.4%) had zero, one, two, and three vessel disease respectively. Age (P = 0.047), male sex (P = 0.010), diabetes mellitus (P = 0.039), smoking habit (P = 0.015), fasting plasma glucose (P = 0.021), European Systematic COronary Risk Evaluation (P = 0.003), pretest CAD probability (P = 0.003), high‐risk EE (P < 0.001), and carotid plaque presence (CP) (P < 0.001) were associated in univariate analysis with more extensive CAD. Predictors of CAD extension in multivariate analysis were high‐risk EE (odds ratio [OR] 2.42, P < 0.001), CP presence (OR 1.75, P = 0.004), and pretest CAD probability >65% (OR 1.49, P = 0.023). CP was also associated with multivessel CAD in the 53 patients with low‐ or intermediate‐risk EE (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

CP is associated with CAD extension in patients with ischemic heart disease suspicion undergoing EE. Patients with CP could benefit from a more aggressive therapeutic strategy regarding patients without carotid disease and similar risk EE, especially in intermediate‐ and/or low‐risk test where guidelines recommend initially optimal medical treatment.
Multi‐scale oviposition site selection in two mosquito species
Authors: Alcalay Yehonatan , Tsurim Ido , Ovadia Ofer
Published: December 2018

1. In organisms characterised by complex life cycles, habitat selection often occurs at multiple spatial scales. For instance, female mosquitoes searching for an appropriate aquatic habitat to oviposit their eggs should also consider the characteristics of the terrestrial landscape in which it is embedded.

2. In this study, a field experiment was conducted to test for multi‐scale oviposition site selection in two mosquito species. Artificial pools were placed in two adjacent landscapes, olive plantations and a citrus orchard, mainly differing in their blooming periods and nectar availability. Pools were organised in three pairs: predatory caged fish were present in both pools, in one pool, or in none.

3. Early during the season, most of the egg rafts were laid by Culiseta longiareolata females in pools located within the blooming citrus orchard. When blooming shifted to the olive plantation, C. longiareolata become opportunistic. Culex pipiens females appeared later on during the season, when egg rafts of C. longiareolata were scarce, and they exhibited a higher selectivity to the olive plantation, although its blooming ended. In addition, the selectivity of C. pipiens to fish‐free pools was stronger than that of C. longiareolata.

4. Culex pipiens was more selective, possibly due to its high dispersal ability, which can lower movement cost and enhance the ability to gather environmental information. A trade‐off among gonotrophic cycles, combined with a shorter breeding season and limited recognition ability of the predatory fish may have reduced C. longiareolata selectivity. These differential oviposition patterns can strongly affect the population and community dynamics of both species.
Inhibitory effects of fruit berry extracts on Streptococcus mutans biofilms
Authors: Philip Nebu , Bandara H. M. H. N. , Leishman Shaneen J. , Walsh Laurence J.
Published: December 2018

Dark‐colored fruit berries are a rich source of polyphenols that could provide innovative bioactive molecules as natural weapons against dental caries. High‐quality extracts of cranberry, blueberry, and strawberry, and a combination of the three berry extracts (Orophenol), were used to treat 24‐h‐old Streptococcus mutans biofilms. The grown biofilms were treated with the berry extracts at concentrations ranging from 62.5 to 500 μg ml−1. Treated biofilms were assessed for metabolic activity, acidogenicity, biovolumes, structural organization, and bacterial viability. The biofilms treated with the cranberry and Orophenol extracts exhibited the most significant reductions in metabolic activity, acid production, and bacterial/exopolysaccharide (EPS) biovolumes, while their structural architecture appeared less compact than the control‐treated biofilms. The blueberry extract produced significant reductions in metabolic activity and acidogenicity only at the highest concentration tested, without significantly affecting bacterial/EPS biovolumes or biofilm architecture. Strawberry extracts had no significant effects on S. mutans biofilms. None of the berry extracts were bactericidal for S. mutans. The results indicate that cranberry extract was the most effective extract in disrupting S. mutans virulence properties without significantly affecting bacterial viability. This suggests a potential ecological role for cranberry phenols as non‐bactericidal agents capable of modulating pathogenicity of cariogenic biofilms.
Opportunities for female choice in the bed bug Cimex lectularius
Authors: Gershman Susan N. , Harrison Scott A. , Jones Susan C.
Published: December 2018

Bed bugs are cited as exemplars of sexual conflict because mating can only occur via traumatic insemination. However, past antagonistic coevolution between the sexes does not necessarily preclude current female choice. Here, we investigate opportunities for precopulatory female choice in bed bugs. We examined whether females seek out mating opportunities when they gain the most benefit: when females are virgin and/or have recently fed. But, we found that female mating and feeding status had little effect on female attraction to males and male odor. To determine whether females approach male harborages (home crevices) to seek matings in nature, we investigated where matings occurred among unfamiliar pairs of bed bugs. We found that, despite female attraction to male odor, matings were most likely to take place in the female's harborage rather than the male's harborage. We also examined the effect of feeding on male and female ability to mate. Whereas previous research reported that engorgement impaired female ability to refuse matings, we found that male feeding status had a larger effect on the success of mating encounters than female feeding status. Fed males had poor mating success, suggesting that males may be faced with a trade‐off between mating and feeding.
Sustainability assessment of Iranian petrochemical companies in stock exchange: A data envelopment analysis‐based approach
Authors: Fallah Mohammad , Hosseinzadeh Lotfi Farhad
Published: December 2018

The assessment of efficiency is always of particular importance according to different indicators from different perspectives. There are various techniques for evaluating petrochemical companies, among which the data envelopment analysis technique is one of the best techniques that can be used to calculate the relative efficiency of a set of decision‐making units with network structures. In the present paper, seven petrochemical companies listed in the Iranian stock exchange were analysed. These companies were evaluated in terms of financial performance and sustainable development, and their relative efficiency was calculated during 2015–2016. According to the obtained results, only Marun Petrochemical Co. was found to be efficient in all areas and years. The results also showed that four companies were efficient in financial terms over the period under study. In the general conclusion regarding the companies' performance, Marun was ranked first, Jam was ranked second, and Zagros was ranked third.
Foliar pH, an emerging plant functional trait: Biogeography and variability across northern China
Authors: Liu Sining , Yan Zhengbing , Chen Yahan , Zhang Meixia , Chen Jiao , Han Wenxuan
Published: December 2018

Aims

Plant pH is a functional trait deserving more attention than the current few studies at local scales, given its roles in nutrient cycling and physiological processes. How plant pH varies and is regulated at large scales remain unclear. Here we explore the biogeography of foliar pH and the potential drivers.

Location

East–west transect of northern China with increasing aridity westward.

Time period

2016–2017.

Major taxa

Spermatophytes.

Methods

We analysed foliar pH of plants from 22 sites across northern China, and investigated its spatial pattern and relationships with climate, soil, and plant functional type (PFT).

Results

Foliar pH was generally acidic (5.33 ± .04) in northern China, showing distinct geographical variability: foliar pH decreased significantly westward at an average rate of 0.25 units per 10° longitude. Climate, soil and PFT explained 11, 17 and 59% of the variance in foliar pH, respectively. Foliar pH decreased (about 0.16) with mean annual precipitation (per 100 mm), soil stress coefficient (per 10%) and aridity index (per 0.14), but increased with mean annual temperature (per 2 °C). Across PFTs, herbs exhibited higher foliar pH than woody plants (6.0 vs. 4.9); gymnosperms relative to angiosperms had lower foliar pH (3.7 vs. 5.6); and monocotyledons showed higher foliar pH compared with dicotyledons (6.0 vs. 5.5).

Main conclusions

This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the evident pattern of foliar pH over a large spatial scale. Foliar pH is higher in warm‐arid northwestern relative to cold‐humid northeastern China and in later‐ than earlier‐evolved plants. Similar to leaf mineral elements, foliar‐pH biogeography is shaped by the joint effects of climate, soil and PFT; PFT and moisture are the most influential factors. Our findings provide a new impetus for understanding functional biogeography, and lay the groundwork for research on the linkage of foliar pH to ecological functions and macroevolutionary implications.
Let the right one in: A Bourdieusian analysis of gender inequality in universities’ senior management
Authors: Gander Michelle
Published: December 2018

This article examines the lack of gender diversity in senior management positions in professional staff in universities. These results are analysed via a Bourdieusian analysis of economic, social, cultural and symbolic capital. Through a purposeful sample of senior professional staff working in universities in three countries: Australia, Canada and the UK, six career‐enhancing strategies needed for career success were determined. The article critiques the resource‐based view of career capital and argues that capitals accumulation for career success can be understood by considering the concepts of symbolic violence and habitus as a way of understanding intra‐cohort differences. It proposes that by considering both the subjective and objective cultural constructs via habitus, and by acknowledging the importance of symbolic capital and symbolic violence towards women, this may be one way of increasing female representation in senior management.
The missing and needed male nurse: Discursive hybridization in professional nursing texts
Authors: Cottingham Marci D.
Published: December 2018

The role of men in nursing has been of ongoing interest to gender and work scholars who examine the processes that maintain or challenge occupational gender segregation. Drawing on professional nursing texts, the current study moves beyond individual men to investigate organizational practices within nursing that discursively construct the male nurse. Using the rhetoric of ‘equality’ and ‘diversity’, texts frame men in nursing as a missing and needed antidote to projected worker shortages and a homogenous workforce. Taking a critical lens to these arguments, analysis of professional discourse reveals an appropriated disenfranchisement that masks men's gendered privilege. Professional leaders frame men in nursing as equivalent to women in traditionally male occupations with little attention to the ways in which US men, particularly white and heterosexual men, are advantaged currently and historically. The findings trace a process of discursive hybridization through which organizational leaders appropriate rhetoric from historically disenfranchised groups to benefit predominantly white, middle‐class men.
The Use of Pitch Accent in Word–Object Association by Monolingual Japanese Infants
Authors: Mugitani Ryoko , Kobayashi Tessei , Hayashi Akiko , Fais Laurel
Published: December 2018

This study investigated the lexical use of Japanese pitch accent in Japanese‐learning infants. A word–object association task revealed that 18‐month‐old infants succeeded in learning the associations between two nonsense objects paired with two nonsense words minimally distinguished by pitch pattern (Experiment 1). In contrast, 14‐month‐old infants failed (Experiment 2). Eighteen‐month‐old infants succeeded even for sounds that contained only the prosodic information (Experiment 3). However, a subsequent experiment revealed that 14‐month‐old infants succeeded in an easier single word–object task using pitch contrast (Experiment 4). These findings indicate that pitch pattern information is robustly available to 18‐month‐old Japanese monolingual infants in a minimal pair word‐learning situation, but only partially accessible in the same context for 14‐month‐old infants.
Local structural changes due to the electric field‐induced migration of oxygen vacancies at Fe‐doped SrTiO3 interfaces
Authors: Ascienzo David , Kurt Onur , Greenbaum Steve , Bayer Thorsten J. M. , Russell Maier , Wang Jianjun , Randall Clive A. , Ren Yuhang
Published: December 2018

We report on our study of dc voltage‐induced structural changes at reduced and oxidized Fe‐doped SrTiO3 (Fe:STO) electrode interfaces using second harmonic generation (SHG) together with photoluminescence (PL) method. We show that oxygen vacancy defects play a critical role in determining the local electrical and structural properties of interfacial depletion regions at Schottky junctions. The SHG results show that the dc electric field causes oxygen ions and vacancies to displace toward the anode and cathode in the low field regime, respectively. This process forms electrostrictive distortions within local interfacial depletion regions which are described by Fe:Ti‐O bond stretching and bending. Differences in the EFISHG responses from the oxidized and reduced crystal interfaces are explained according to local oxygen vacancy concentrations and dynamics and their effects on the Schottky barrier heights and depletion region widths at each interface. These results are further supported by our PL measurements. Oxygen ion migration toward the Fe:STO surface leads to enhanced fluorescence intensities from in‐gap acceptor states. We demonstrate that SHG and PL measurements are well‐suited for understanding and resolving the underlying causes of dielectric breakdown processes and device failure brought on by dc electric field and ionic defect migrations in perovskite‐type electroceramics.
Computational modeling of grain boundary electrostatic effect in polycrystalline SrTiO3 thin film
Authors: Cao Ye , Wang Jianjun , Chen Long‐Qing
Published: December 2018

Understanding the leakage current caused by charge transport and local accumulation in dielectric oxides is critical for predicting and extending the lifetime of dielectric‐based electronic devices. The internal interfaces such as grain boundaries (GBs) inside a dielectric induce local strain and charge segregation and thus further influence the charge transport behavior. In this work, we employ computational modeling based on the Schottky barrier model and nonlinear Nernst‐Planck transport equation is used to study the oxygen vacancy transport and leakage current evolution in a SrTiO3 thin film under a DC bias with planar electrodes. It is found that in polycrystalline SrTiO3, the GB‐bounded donors create an electric potential barrier and a local depletion region near the GBs, impeding the oxygen vacancy transport and suppressing the leakage current increase compared to a single crystal SrTiO3 thin film. The effects of temperature, the magnitude of an applied field, the number density of GBs, the GB‐bounded donor concentration, and the depletion layer width on the leakage current evolution are systematically investigated. The simulation results are compared with the analytical solutions, as well as with existing theoretical and experimental reports. This work thus helps shed light to the grain‐structure dependent electrostatic behaviors in dielectric thin films under different intrinsic and extrinsic conditions.
Low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound attenuates cardiac inflammation of CVB3‐induced viral myocarditis via regulation of caveolin‐1 and MAPK pathways
Authors: Zheng Cheng , Wu Sen‐Min , Lian Hao , Lin Yuan‐Zheng , Zhuang Rong , Thapa Saroj , Chen Quan‐Zhi , Chen Yi‐Fan , Lin Jia‐Feng
Published: December 2018

The aggressive immunological activity elicited by acute viral myocarditis contributes to a large amount of cardiomyocytes loss and poor prognosis of patients in clinic. Low‐intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), which is an effective treatment modality for osteoarthropathy, has been recently illustrated regulating the overactive inflammatory response in various diseases. Here, we aimed to investigate whether LIPUS could attenuate coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) infection‐induced injury by coordinating the inflammatory response. Male BALB/c mice were inoculated intraperitoneally with CVB3 to establish the model of acute viral myocarditis. LIPUS treatment was given on Day 1, Day 1, 3 and Day 1, 3, 5 post‐inoculation, respectively. All mice were followed up for 14 days. Day 1, 3, 5 LIPUS treatment significantly improved the survival rate, attenuated the ventricular dysfunction and ameliorated the cardiac histopathological injury of CVB3‐infected mice. Western blotting analysis showed Day 1, 3, 5 LIPUS treatment decreased pro‐inflammatory cytokines, increased the activation of caveolin‐1 and suppressed p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signallings in heart tissue. RAW264.7 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to simulate the augmented inflammatory response in vivo. LIPUS treatment on RAW264.7 inhibited the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, activated caveolin‐1 and suppressed p38 MAPK and ERK signallings. Transfecting RAW264.7 with caveolin‐1 siRNA blunted the suppression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and MAPK signallings by LIPUS treatment. Taken together, we demonstrated for the first time that LIPUS treatment attenuated the aggressive inflammatory response during acute viral myocarditis. The underlying mechanism may be activating caveolin‐1 and suppressing MAPK signallings.
Transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes and pathways associated with mitoxantrone treatment prostate cancer
Authors: Li Sanqiang , Li Ruifang , Ma Yu , Zhang Cong , Huang Tao , Zhu Sha
Published: December 2018

The global physiological function of specifically expressed genes of mitoxantrone (MTX)‐resistant prostate cancer (PCa) is unclear. In this study, gene expression pattern from microarray data was investigated for identifying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in MTX‐resistant PCa xenografts. Human PCa cell lines DU145 and PC3 were cultured in vitro and xenografted into severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice, treated with MTX intragastrically, three times a week until all mice relapsed. Gene expression profiles of the xenografts from castrated mice were performed with Affymetrix human whole genomic oligonucleotide microarray. The Cytoscape software was used to investigate the relationship between proteins and the signalling transduction network. A total of 355 overlapping genes were differentially expressed in MTX‐resistant DU145R and PC3R xenografts. Of these, 16 genes were selected to be validated by quantitative real‐time PCR (qRT‐PCR) in these xenografts, and further tested in a set of formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded and optimal cutting temperature (OCT) clinical tumour samples. Functional and pathway enrichment analyses revealed that these DEGs were closely related to cellular activity, androgen synthesis, DNA damage and repair, also involved in the ERK/MAPK, PI3K/serine‐threonine protein kinase, also known as protein kinase B, PKB (AKT) and apoptosis signalling pathways. This exploratory analysis provides information about potential candidate genes and may bring new insights into the molecular cascade involvement in MTX‐resistant PCa.
LncRNA NR2F2‐AS1 promotes tumourigenesis through modulating BMI1 expression by targeting miR‐320b in non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Zhang Shijie , Zhang Xiaoyun , Sun Qianqian , Zhuang Chunbo , Li Guanlin , Sun Li , Wang Huaqi
Published: December 2018

Recently, long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are attracting wide attention in the field of cancer research because of its important role in cancer diagnosis and prognosis. But studies on the biological effects and relevant mechanisms of lncRNAs in non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain few and need to be enriched. Our study discussed the expression and biological effects of LncRNA NR2F2‐AS1, and further explored its possible molecular mechanisms. As a result, elevated expression of NR2F2‐AS1 was detected in NSCLC tissues and cells and was remarkably associated with the tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage and the status of lymphatic metastasis of patients. Down‐regulated NR2F2‐AS1 contributed to the promotion of cell apoptosis and the inhibition of cell proliferation and invasion in A549 and SPC‐A‐1 cells in vivo and vitro. Through bioinformatics analysis, NR2F2‐AS1 functions as a ceRNA directly binding to miR‐320b, BMI1 was a direct target of miR‐320b. Combined with the following cellular experiments, the data showed that NR2F2‐AS1 may influence the NSCLC cell proliferation, invasion and apoptosis through regulating miR‐320b targeting BMI1.
Targeting nucleolin to obstruct vasculature feeding with an intelligent DNA nanorobot
Authors: Li Hua , Liu Jin , Gu Hongzhou
Published: December 2018

A prototype of DNA nanorobot with the ability to transport molecular payloads was designed to target cancer cells in tissue culture. Moreover, a further step was taken to succeed in the first in vivo application of the DNA nanorobot for cancer therapy. The robot was constructed using aptamer and DNA origami to fold a 90‐nm tubular device to carry the blood coagulation protease thrombin inside, shielded from circulating platelets and plasma fibrinogen. The recognition and binding of the aptamer to its tumour‐specific target molecule triggered the robot unfolding to expose thrombin to the blood, which in turn activated coagulation at the local tumour site, resulting in tumour necrosis and inhibition of tumour growth. Since all solid‐tumour feeding vessels are virtually the same, this strategy could be effective against many types of malignant diseases.
Salivary S100 proteins screen periodontitis among Korean adults
Authors: Karna Sandeep , Shin Yoo Jin , Kim Sungtae , Kim Hyun‐Duck
Published: December 2018

Aim

This study aims to evaluate the association of salivary S100A8 and A9 proteins with periodontitis and its screening ability for periodontitis cross‐sectionally.

Material and Methods

We selected 326 participants from the Yangpyeong Cohort: 218 participants with periodontitis and 108 participants without periodontitis. Stage II‐IV periodontitis according to the modification of new international classification of periodontitis was considered as periodontitis. S100A8 and A9 were assayed using enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kit. Age, sex, education, smoking, drinking, exercise, and metabolic syndrome were factored as confounders. Analyses of covariance and logistic regression analysis were applied to evaluate the association of S100A8 and A9 with periodontitis. Receiver operating characteristic curve was applied for screening ability.

Results

Those with periodontitis compared to those without periodontitis showed higher adjusted amount of S100A8 (3694 versus 6757 ng/ml, p < 0.001), but less adjusted amount of S100A9 (1341 versus 1030 ng/ml, p = 0.015). The screening ability of S100A8 and A9 on periodontitis was c‐statistics of 0.69 (p < 0.001) for both S100A8 and A9, 0.67 for S100A8 and 0.63 (p < 0.001) for S100A9.

Conclusions

Overall, salivary S100A8 and S100A9 could be practical markers for periodontitis. Its screening ability for periodontitis could be beneficial in clinics and at home.