bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
COQ8A and MED25 Mutations in a Child with Intellectual Disability, Microcephaly, Seizures, and Spastic Ataxia: Synergistic Effect of Digenic Variants
Authors: Nair Pratibha , Lama Maher , El-Hayek Stephany , Abou Sleymane Gretta , Stora Samantha , Obeid Marc , Al-Ali Mahmoud T. , Delague Valérie , Mégarbané André
Published: November 2018

We report on a girl, born to first-cousin Lebanese parents, with severe intellectual disability, congenital hip luxation, cardiac malformation, short stature, facial dysmorphic features including microcephaly, sparse hair, bilateral epicanthal folds, ataxia, seizures, and elevated lactate and pyruvate levels in serum. Whole exome sequencing was carried out on the patient's DNA. Potentially causal homozygous variants in the MED25 (p.Ile173Thr) and COQ8A (p.Arg512Trp) genes were found. The potential pathogenicity of these variants, and the possibility that the 2 variants could synergistically act to produce the phenotype reported, is discussed.
In the Realm of Psychoneuroimmunology: The Role of Celecoxib as an Add-On Treatment for Bipolar Mania
Authors: Al-Alawi Mohammed , Al Sinawi Hamed , Rashid Roshe
Published: November 2018

Bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) is a chronic debilitating psychiatric illness seriously affecting the quality of patients’ life. The available treatment is effective in about half of those suffering from the illness. The neurobiological basis of the disorder is not fully unraveled. With such lacunae, attempts have been made to decipher the underlying neuroimmunological process of the illness as is the case with other mental disorders. As a result, some inflammatory processes have been implicated in the etiology of BPAD, as described in this communication. Subsequently, the role of anti-inflammatory agents such as celecoxib was investigated by treating different phases of BPAD. Given the promising outcomes of several trials and reviews, celecoxib has gained momentum and has been recommended as an adjunctive treatment by some guidelines for treating resistant BPAD cases. This brief communication highlights some of the caveats in the randomized trials using celecoxib as an add-on treatment in bipolar mania specifically, which need to be addressed in future work.
Methodological Issues in Climate Law
Authors: Zahar Alexander
Published: November 2018

This article is the fifth in a series of papers on the International Law Association’s assertion that the principle of prevention (i.e. the obligation of states in international law to prevent transboundary harm, also known as the no-harm rule) properly belongs to the corpus of international climate change law.1 I have been the only participant in the debate so far to refute the ila’s position. Here, I respond to the fourth article in the series, by Benoit Mayer. While Mayer has produced a lucid and helpful argument, he commits several errors in the process of defending and elaborating the ila thesis. I address them under this essay’s broad title because they are essentially errors of method.
International eia Law and Geoengineering: Do Emerging Technologies Require Special Rules?
Authors: Craik Neil
Published: November 2018

This article explores the adequacy of the international rules on environmental impact assessment to contribute to geoengineering governance, with a focus on three fundamental challenges. First, the near-universal trigger for eia is the likelihood of significant environmental impact, which may prove to be insufficiently precautionary in light of current risk preferences surrounding geoengineering. Second, the scope of eia has traditionally focused narrowly on the assessment of direct physical impacts; however, many of the concerns that geoengineering research raises relate to environmental and social risks associated with downstream technological implications. A third and related challenge is the consultation requirements under eia laws, which focus on affected states and affected members of the public. Because many geoengineering activities are anticipated to impact the global commons, there is no clear institutional mechanism for implementing notification and consultation. Additionally, the broader sets of concerns that geoengineering raises are spatially unbounded, again making the identification of consultation partners uncertain. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the challenges and limitations of the rules of eia for geoengineering.
Climate Engineering: Early Reflections on a Complex Conversation
Authors: Moore Nigel , Benmazhar Hajar , Brent Kerryn , Du Haomiao , Iese Viliamu , Kone Salif , Luwesi Cush Ngonzo , Scott Vivian , Smith Jordan , Talberg Anita , Thompson Michael , Zhuo Zhihong
Published: November 2018

This is a background account and formal statement prepared by participants in the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies’ Climate Engineering Summer Course, held between 2 and 17 August 2014 in Potsdam, Germany.
Mitigation Commitments Under the Paris Agreement and the Way Forward
Authors: Mace M. J.
Published: November 2018

To deliver the ‘durable’ outcome called for by the Durban mandate, the Paris Agreement was always going to demand a credible level of mitigation ambition, given what science indicates is needed to stave off the worst impacts of climate change, as well as credible tools for delivering this required effort. Against the backdrop of the mitigation efforts adopted in Paris, this paper considers: (1) the direction and pace of future travel set by the Paris Agreement; (2) the necessary reductions implied by the new 1.5°C limit; (3) what the first set of ndcs under the Agreement is likely to deliver for the atmosphere; and (4) the tools available to ramp up mitigation ambition under the Agreement.
The Role of Non-State Actors in Reviewing Ambition, Implementation, and Compliance under the Paris Agreement
Authors: van Asselt Harro
Published: November 2018

Non-state actors will play a unique and crucial role in the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Although much of the focus in the lead-up to Paris was on the mitigation commitments and actions of non-state actors, this essay focuses on another valuable contribution they can make: to hold the parties to their obligations under the Paris Agreement. I argue that, while the formal avenues for non-state-actor participation in review processes—encompassing the review of implementation, compliance, and effectiveness—remain limited, there are several other ways in which non-state actors can be, and already have been, influential.1
Cracking the American Climate Negotiators’ Hidden Code: United States Law and the Paris Agreement
Authors: Wirth David A.
Published: November 2018

The United States’ position in, and conduct of, the negotiations leading to the Paris Agreement, as with almost all international diplomacy leading to reciprocal international undertakings conducted by that country, reflected not only internal politics, but also the constraints of domestic law. The United States is not unique in this respect, but it is unusual in the extent to and manner in which its municipal law constrains the creation of international commitments. This article disaggregates us international and domestic climate policy as it developed prior to the Paris negotiations and analyses how those dynamics played out on the multilateral stage, influencing the shape of the Paris Outcome, even to the name of the instrument. Among the subjects analysed are (1) the extent of the Executive’s powers in foreign relations on climate and related issues; (2) the strengths and limitations of existing federal legislation as domestic legal authority for an international agreement on limiting emissions of climate-disrupting gases; (3) domestic implementation of the us indc; (4) executive agreements as vehicles for undertaking internationally legally binding commitments on climate; and (5) the role of the courts.1
Better Greenhouse Gas Emissions Accounting for Biofuels: A Key to Biofuels Sustainability
Authors: Yue Taotao , Peeters Marjan
Published: November 2018

Biofuels are promoted by governments as a replacement for fossil fuels in the transport sector. However, according to current scientific evidence, their use does not necessarily significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This article examines issues related to the regulation of biofuels’ life-cycle ghg emissions. It finds that a regulatory gap exists at the international level, whilst regulation at the domestic level faces limits or is insufficient to fill this gap. It remains to be seen whether, taking into account the scientific complexities, coherent international rules for biofuels will be adopted. Until then, a polycentric regulatory approach on the use of biofuels, which addresses the sustainability problem at multiple scales, thereby enabling experimentation and cross-influence among different levels of standard-setting, will remain in place across the world. The current approach entails a potentially beneficial learning process on how to properly regulate biofuels. However, there is a risk that national regulators will promote biofuels without knowing or accounting exactly for the extent to which they contribute to greenhouse gas reductions.
Climate Change Mitigation in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Authors: Mayer Benoit
Published: November 2018

Hong Kong enjoys a high degree of autonomy as a Special Administrative Region of China. Unlike China itself, Hong Kong is not a party to international climate change agreements. While China has declared that the Paris Agreement and other climate change agreements apply to Hong Kong, the implementation measures for Mainland China in fact do not apply to Hong Kong. Its unique position under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle has frequently led to Hong Kong being left out of international cooperation on climate change mitigation. Nevertheless, as this article recounts, the government of Hong Kong has shown increasing interest in promoting climate change mitigation—or at least in being seen to do so. In January 2017, Hong Kong adopted the ‘Climate Action Plan 2030+’, which is, in essence, a regionally determined contribution to mitigation.
1
Designing Regulation for China’s Emission-Trading Pilot Programs Through Trial and Error: An Effective Approach?
Authors: Zhang Hao , Xu Ping
Published: November 2018

This article examines whether ‘trial and error’ is an effective approach to the design of regulations for China’s emission-trading pilot programs. These pilots are designed and operated at local levels for the purpose of testing regulatory design and implementation, with the hope that a national scheme will be built on these experiences. Through an examination of China’s involvement in the Clean Development Mechanism, design and operating principles for emission trading, and China’s regulatory and institutional framework for emission reductions, this article argues that the trial-and-error approach helps the regulatory design of local pilot programs to be adaptive to local circumstances. Such circumstances include local laws, institutional capacities, and developmental priorities. But trial and error also has shortcomings, namely in its capacity to mediate the competing demands of environmental sustainability, commercial viability, financial integrity, and political legitimacy. This article contains lessons for the construction of China’s national emission-trading scheme.
Universal Human Rights? Breaking the Institutional Barriers Facing Climate-Vulnerable Small-Island Developing States
Authors: Venn Alice
Published: November 2018

There is a need to overcome the dichotomy in international responses
to climate change between, on the one hand, a recognition of the significant
threat posed by climate impacts for the continued enjoyment of fundamental
rights, and, on the other, the lack of provision made for strengthening the
legal protections available to climate-vulnerable states. The question of access
to human-rights mechanisms currently looms large as a limitation on legal action
within, or by, Small-Island Developing States. This article, drawing on
empirical research conducted in Vanuatu and Fiji, examines the entrenched
institutional barriers to engagement with the core international human rights
treaties in the South Pacific. A number of steps are proposed to guide action by
the international community, through funding strategies, integrated
vulnerability assessments, and targeted in-country capacity building, in order
to enable more effective engagement with rights mechanisms and offer greater
recourse to justice.
Accountability or Accounting? Elaboration of the Paris Agreement’s Implementation and Compliance Committee at cop 23
Authors: Campbell-Duruflé Christopher
Published: November 2018

This article provides an analysis of progress regarding the modalities and procedures for the Paris Agreement’s Implementation and Compliance Committee up to cop 23. I use the perspective of legal accountability to address three points of long-lasting divergence between parties: whether the Committee will be tasked to require parties to justify their performance by making specific reference to applicable legal standards; the contentious question of mandating the Committee to assess the progress of parties on the achievement of their ndc targets; and the involved party’s degree of control over the measures adopted. I conclude that a richer approach to accountability calls for granting a substantive role to practices of legal justification, assessment, and consequences within the modalities for the Committee in all three cases. Subject to political acceptance, such a mandate has the potential to foster parties’ sense of trust, reciprocity, and legal obligation toward one another.
1
Does self-interest skew state reporting of greenhouse gas emissions? A preliminary analysis based on the first verified emissions estimates under the Kyoto Protocol
Authors: Zahar Alexander
Published: November 2018

The paper considers the changes to the base-year GHG-emission inventories of Annex I parties to the Kyoto Protocol (herein referred to, simply, as Annex B parties) made in the course of the review of those inventories by expert review teams. I ask whether, in the reporting practices of these states, any general tendency is observable of states misreporting (at an advantage to themselves) their emissions prior to the expert review. I conclude that the information to date raises many questions but provides few concrete answers; nevertheless, the issue points to an important area of study within the larger field of environmental governance.
Bargaining over the climate: Lessons from intellectual property negotiations
Authors: Drahos Peter
Published: November 2018

Does the evolution of the intellectual property regime hold any lessons for the climate change regime? The paper argues that the architecture of the intellectual property regime recognizes the complexity of free-riding behaviour and divides the problem amongst a number of treaties. The integration of intellectual property trade standards into the trade regime provides plaintiff states with a way to inflict both political and economic costs on free riders. Perhaps the most important lesson relates to the way in which a highly coordinated international business network was able to shift intellectual property into the multilateral trade regime and obtain standards most countries at the time did not really want because they were net intellectual property importers.
Too little, too soon? An assessment of Australian carbon capture and storage legislation against the new standards set for the Clean Development Mechanism
Authors: Thorpe Amelia
Published: November 2018

At the 2011 UN climate summit in Durban, agreement was reached on rules for the inclusion of carbon capture and storage as part of the Clean Development Mechanism. Advocates of the technology have hailed this as a major milestone, and it is widely predicted that the industry will now grow considerably. Australia, with significant geological formations and enabling legislation already in place at both federal and state levels, is likely to be one of the countries pioneering this growth. The CDM decision, being the first internationally agreed set of rules for CCS, provides an important benchmark against which to assess Australian legislation. In this context, the article reviews the legal frameworks for CCS in Australia. Interestingly, Australia’s CCS laws would not satisfy the standards set for host-country legal frameworks under the CDM. However, Australia does offer some lessons that may be useful for the regulation of CCS in other jurisdictions.
A new species of Polyamia DeLong (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Deltocephalini) representing the first record of the genus from South America
Authors: DUAN YANI , DIETRICH CHRISTOPHER H.
Published: November 2018

Polyamia (Polyamia) choromorica sp. n., representing the first record of the genus Polyamia DeLong from South America, is described and illustrated. Previously described species of Polyamia DeLong appear to be restricted to North America. Color illustrations of Polyamia (Copolyamia) caperata (Ball), Polyamia (Copolyamia) similaris DeLong & Davidson and Polyamia (Polyamia) weedi Van Duzee are also provided for comparison. A species checklist and distribution summary for the genus is provided. Notes on other South American species of Deltocephalini with supernumerary forewing crossveins are also provided.
Aquilargilla gen. nov., a new genus of Sterrhinae from China with description of two new species (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
Authors: CUI LE , JIANG NAN
Published: November 2018

A new genus Aquilargilla gen. nov., and two new species Aquilargilla ceratophora sp. nov., Aquilargilla basifixa sp. nov. are described from China. Illustrations of adults and genitalia are presented. The new genus is assigned to Scopulini on the basis of the morphological evidence. Comparisons of Aquilargilla with closely related genera are also provided.
Meteorological Drivers and Large-Scale Climate Forcing of West Antarctic Surface Melt
Authors: Scott Ryan C. , Nicolas Julien P. , Bromwich David H. , Norris Joel R. , Lubin Dan
Published: November 2018

Understanding the drivers of surface melting in West Antarctica is crucial for understanding future ice loss and global sea level rise. This study identifies atmospheric drivers of surface melt on West Antarctic ice shelves and ice sheet margins and relationships with tropical Pacific and high-latitude climate forcing using multidecadal reanalysis and satellite datasets. Physical drivers of ice melt are diagnosed by comparing satellite-observed melt patterns to anomalies of reanalysis near-surface air temperature, winds, and satellite-derived cloud cover, radiative fluxes, and sea ice concentration based on an Antarctic summer synoptic climatology spanning 1979–2017. Summer warming in West Antarctica is favored by Amundsen Sea (AS) blocking activity and a negative phase of the southern annular mode (SAM), which both correlate with El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean. Extensive melt events on the Ross–Amundsen sector of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) are linked to persistent, intense AS blocking anticyclones, which force intrusions of marine air over the ice sheet. Surface melting is primarily driven by enhanced downwelling longwave radiation from clouds and a warm, moist atmosphere and by turbulent mixing of sensible heat to the surface by föhn winds. Since the late 1990s, concurrent with ocean-driven WAIS mass loss, summer surface melt occurrence has increased from the Amundsen Sea Embayment to the eastern Ross Ice Shelf. We link this change to increasing anticyclonic advection of marine air into West Antarctica, amplified by increasing air–sea fluxes associated with declining sea ice concentration in the coastal Ross–Amundsen Seas.
Beyond Voluntary Return: A critical ethnographic study of refugees who departed Israel ‘voluntarily’
Authors: Fennig Maya
Published: November 2018

Against a global backdrop of anti-refugee discourse, governments are increasingly paying refugees to repatriate. This critical ethnographic study explores the lived experiences of refugees who participated in Israel’s Voluntary Return program. The data were derived from in-depth interviews with refugees who had departed Israel. Participants highlighted the various exile-related stressors that led them to choose to leave and reflected on the ambiguity inherent in the term ‘voluntary’. Post-departure, participants continued to experience significant psychological distress. In light of popular perceptions that repatriation is an optimal solution to refugees’ displacement, the implications of these findings for interventions and policies are considered.
Reducing Violence Risk? Some Positive Recidivism Outcomes for Canadian Treated High-Risk Offenders
Authors: Higgs Tamsin , Cortoni Franca , Nunes Kevin
Published: November 2018

In pursuit of “what works” in violent offending behavior programs, there remain insufficient evaluations of program outcomes. Three hundred forty-five offenders from the Canadian Violence Prevention Program (VPP) were compared after an average 3-year follow-up with 338 non-VPP participants. Outcomes measured were new convictions for violent, sexual, or general offenses. Intent-to-treat design was used. Subsequently, participants who completed or did not complete the program were compared with the non-VPP group. Further analyses considered Indigenous and non-Indigenous subgroups. Overall, lower recidivism rates were associated with VPP completion, both in the complete sample and ethnic subgroups. However, the main finding of significantly lower likelihood of violent recidivism was found only for the Indigenous offenders, while significantly lower likelihood of general (nonviolent) recidivism was specific to non-Indigenous offenders. Results are interpreted cautiously in relation to program effectiveness given the quasi-experimental design and the important implications of outcome studies for correctional services.
De- and Recoupling and Public Regulation
Authors: de Bree Martin , Stoopendaal Annemiek
Published: November 2018

The concept of decoupling refers to the gap between the formal and the actual world in organizations in which a policy is formally introduced but not actually implemented and effective. Although the phenomenon of decoupling in organizations has been studied widely since the late 1970s, little is known about the reverse process of recoupling. Little is also known about the abilities of public regulators to discover decoupling in regulated organizations and to promote the recoupling that is necessary to diminish the gap between the formal and the actual world.

In an experimental project of the Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate, we ethnographically followed how this public regulator changed the focus from prescriptive regulation based on quality and safety indicators to the supervision of the management system of a regulated organization. We call this type of regulation system-based regulation.

We found that, by using system-based regulation, a regulator can identify several forms of decoupling that have not been recognized in earlier research. Interestingly, we found indications that, by applying SBR and thus recognizing decoupling, a process of recoupling was supported. With SBR the government can reclaim its influence on the meta level while maintaining the level of freedom of management at the organizational level. Instead of aiming for more or stricter regulation, the government could shift its role to meta-regulation, meaning that the public regulator redefines its role as an assessor and stimulator of the quality of governance in terms of self-regulation. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Acute Histopathologic Findings Related to Needle Puncture Trauma during Subcutaneous Injection in the Sprague-Dawley Rat Model
Authors: Ramot Yuval , Kannan Kamala , Reddy Sathish , Krishnappa H. , Dillberger John E. , Nyska Abraham
Published: November 2018

It is important to detect injection site reactions during the nonclinical phases of drug development. However, differentiating between normal changes following needle trauma and changes due to the toxicity of injected drugs can be challenging. Therefore, we used the Sprague-Dawley rat model to evaluate the pathological findings expected following a single subcutaneous injection of normal saline. Rats were subcutaneously administered with normal saline, and the injection sites were examined microscopically. Inflammation was evident in most of the injection sites, mostly in minimal severity. Parakeratosis/epithelial crust was also seen in several sites, and necrosis was observed in a minority of the cases. These findings indicate that needle puncture trauma can present with some degree of inflammation and necrosis. Although limited to a specific time point and strain, this study shows that inflammation following subcutaneous injection can be attributed in part to the needle trauma and not necessarily to the drug itself.
The Emergence of Microphysiological Systems (Organs-on-chips) as Paradigm-changing Tools for Toxicologic Pathology
Authors: Rudmann Daniel G.
Published: November 2018

Microphysiological systems (MPS), commonly known as organs-on-chips, are a rapidly advancing technology that promises to impact many areas of medical and toxicological pathology. In this minireview, the history of MPS and its potential utility in safety assessment are described with the toxicologic pathologist in mind. Several MPS development focus areas are defined, and recent progress in the area is highlighted. MPS will likely become an important tool for the toxicologic pathologist as part of our role in the safety assessment process within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and cosmetic and agrichemical industries.
A Comparison of Spontaneous Tumors in Tg.rasH2 Mice in 26-week Carcinogenicity Studies Conducted at a Single Test Facility during 2004 to 2012 and 2013 to 2018
Authors: Paranjpe Madhav G. , Belich Jessica L. , Mann Peter C. , McKeon Marie E. , Elbekai Reem H. , Brown Caren M. , Patrick Daniel J.
Published: November 2018

This article presents the historical control data of spontaneous tumors in Tg.rasH2 published in 2013 (2004–2012) and compares and contrasts it to more recent data collected from 2013 to 2018, reporting differences in the average percentage incidences or incidence ranges as well as the incidence of new tumors. In 2013, we published a comprehensive review of spontaneous tumors in Tg.rasH2 mice used in 26-week carcinogenicity studies, which included data from control dose groups from 26 studies and a total of 710 mice per sex. The total database, now including the more recent data, has nearly doubled the number of animals, completing to date a total of 52 studies in males and 51 studies in females for a total of 1,615 male mice and 1,560 female mice, respectively. In this article, we compare the data collected from 2004 to 2012 against the data collected from 2013 to 2018 and the overall tumor incidence change.
Research prioritisation exercises related to the care of children and young people with life-limiting conditions, their parents and all those who care for them: A systematic scoping review
Authors: Booth Alison , Maddison Jane , Wright Kath , Fraser Lorna , Beresford Bryony
Published: November 2018

Background:

In planning high-quality research in any aspect of care for children and young people with life-limiting conditions, it is important to prioritise resources in the most appropriate areas.

Aim:

To map research priorities identified from existing research prioritisation exercises relevant to infants, children and young people with life-limiting conditions, in order to inform future research.

Design:

We undertook a systematic scoping review to identify existing research prioritisation exercises; the protocol is publicly available on the project website.

Data sources:

The bibliographic databases ASSIA, CINAHL, MEDLINE/MEDLINE In Process and Embase were searched from 2000. Relevant reference lists and websites were hand searched. Included were any consultations aimed at identifying research for the benefit of neonates, infants, children and/or young people (birth to age 25 years) with life-limiting, life-threatening or life-shortening conditions; their family, parents, carers; and/or the professional staff caring for them.

Results:

A total of 24 research prioritisation exercises met the inclusion criteria, from which 279 research questions or priority areas for health research were identified. The priorities were iteratively mapped onto an evolving framework, informed by World Health Organization classifications. This resulted in identification of 16 topic areas, 55 sub-topics and 12 sub-sub-topics.

Conclusion:

There are numerous similar and overlapping research prioritisation exercises related to children and young people with life-limiting conditions. By mapping existing research priorities in the context in which they were set, we highlight areas to focus research efforts on. Further priority setting is not required at this time unless devoted to ascertaining families’ perspectives.
The combination of levomepromazine (methotrimeprazine) and rotigotine enables the safe and effective management of refractory nausea and vomiting in a patient with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Hindmarsh Jonathan , Hindmarsh Sharlene , Lee Mark , Telford Richard
Published: November 2018

Background:

This case report describes a patient with known idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, being managed with transdermal rotigotine, whose refractory nausea and vomiting was successfully controlled with subcutaneous levomepromazine. No drug-induced extrapyramidal side effects emerged.

Case presentation:

A patient was found to have a locally advanced serous carcinoma, causing secondary bowel obstruction. Furthermore, due to compromised oral access, the patient’s oral antiparkinsonian medications for motor control were converted to transdermal rotigotine. Unfortunately, the patient’s nausea and vomiting was refractory to a number of recommended antiemetic options.

Case management:

Low dose levomepromazine was administered on a, ‘when required’ basis, via subcutaneous injection.

Case outcome:

After the first dose of levomepromazine, the patient’s nausea and vomiting completely subsided and no extrapyramidal side effects were observed. This was confirmed by daily assessments, revealing no worsening of the motor symptoms associated with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.

Conclusions:

The pharmacology of rotigotine and levomepromazine appear complementary and may allow for the simultaneous use of both drugs, with favourable outcomes. This case report highlights that rotigotine may afford protection against antipsychotic induced extrapyramidal side effects, while preserving antiemetic effects. Such combinations may have a role in the end-of-life management of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease.
Perspectives of people with dementia and carers on advance care planning and end-of-life care: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies
Authors: Sellars Marcus , Chung Olivia , Nolte Linda , Tong Allison , Pond Dimity , Fetherstonhaugh Deirdre , McInerney Fran , Sinclair Craig , Detering Karen M
Published: November 2018

Background:

Advance care planning aims to ensure that care received during serious and chronic illness is consistent with the person’s values, preferences and goals. However, less than 40% of people with dementia undertake advance care planning internationally.

Aim:

This study aims to describe the perspectives of people with dementia and their carers on advance care planning and end-of-life care.

Design:

Systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.

Data sources:

Electronic databases were searched from inception to July 2018.

Results:

From 84 studies involving 389 people with dementia and 1864 carers, five themes were identified: avoiding dehumanising treatment and care (remaining connected, delaying institutionalisation, rejecting the burdens of futile treatment); confronting emotionally difficult conversations (signifying death, unpreparedness to face impending cognitive decline, locked into a pathway); navigating existential tensions (accepting inevitable incapacity and death, fear of being responsible for cause of death, alleviating decisional responsibility); defining personal autonomy (struggling with unknown preferences, depending on carer advocacy, justifying treatments for health deteriorations); and lacking confidence in healthcare settings (distrusting clinicians’ mastery and knowledge, making uninformed choices, deprived of hospice access and support at end of life).

Conclusion:

People with dementia and their carers felt uncertain in making treatment decisions in the context of advance care planning and end-of-life care. Advance care planning strategies that attend to people’s uncertainty in decision-making may help to empower people with dementia and carers and strengthen person-centred care in this context.
Predictors and trajectory of performance status in patients with advanced cancer: A secondary data analysis of the international European Palliative Care Cancer Symptom study
Authors: Boland Jason W , Allgar Victoria , Boland Elaine G , Kaasa Stein , Hjermstad Marianne J , Johnson Miriam J.
Published: November 2018

Background:

Performance status, a predictor of cancer survival, and ability to maintain independent living deteriorate in advanced disease. Understanding predictors of performance status trajectory could help identify those at risk of functional deterioration, target support for independent living and reduce service costs. The relationship between symptoms, analgesics and performance status is poorly delineated.

Aim:

The aim of this study is to determine whether demographics, analgesics, disease characteristics, quality-of-life domains and C-reactive protein predict the trajectory of Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) in patients with advanced cancer.

Design:

The study design is the secondary data analysis of the international prospective, longitudinal European Palliative Care Cancer Symptom study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01362816). A multivariable regression model was built for KPS area under the curve per day (AUC).

Setting and participants:

This included adults with advanced, incurable cancer receiving palliative care, without severe cognitive impairment and who were not imminently dying ( n = 1739).

Results:

The mean daily KPS AUC ( n = 1052) was 41.1 (standard deviation = 14.1). Opioids ( p < 0.001), co-analgesics ( p = 0.023), poorer physical functioning ( p < 0.001) and appetite loss ( p = 0.009) at baseline were explanatory factors for lower KPS AUC. A subgroup analysis of participants with C-reactive protein data ( n = 240) showed that only C-reactive protein ( p = 0.040) and physical function ( p < 0.001) were associated with lower KPS AUC.

Conclusion:

This study is novel in determining explanatory factors for subsequent functional trajectories in an international dataset and identifying systemic inflammation as a candidate therapeutic target to improve functional performance. The effect of interventions targeting physical function, appetite and inflammation, such as those used for cachexia management, on maintaining functional status in patients with advanced cancer needs to be investigated.
The endogenous opioid system modulates defensive behavior evoked by Crotalus durissus terrificus: Panicolytic-like effect of intracollicular non-selective opioid receptors blockade
Authors: Calvo Fabrício , Lobão-Soares Bruno , de Freitas Renato Leonardo , Paschoalin-Maurin Tatiana , dos Anjos-Garcia Tayllon , Medeiros Priscila , da Silva Juliana Almeida , Lovick Thelma Anderson , Coimbra Norberto Cysne
Published: November 2018

Background:

There is a controversy regarding the key role played by opioid peptide neurotransmission in the modulation of panic-attack-related responses.

Aims:

Using a prey versus rattlesnakes paradigm, the present work investigated the involvement of the endogenous opioid peptide-mediated system of the inferior colliculus in the modulation of panic attack-related responses.

Methods:

Wistar rats were pretreated with intracollicular administration of either physiological saline or naloxone at different concentrations and confronted with rattlesnakes ( Crotalus durissus terrificus). The prey versus rattlesnake confrontations were performed in a polygonal arena for snakes. The defensive behaviors displayed by prey (defensive attention, defensive immobility, escape response, flat back approach and startle) were recorded twice: firstly, over a period of 15 min the presence of the predator and a re-exposure was performed 24 h after the confrontation, when animals were exposed to the experimental enclosure without the rattlesnake.

Results:

The intramesencephalic non-specific blockade of opioid receptors with microinjections of naloxone at higher doses decreased both anxiety- (defensive attention and flat back approach) and panic attack-like (defensive immobility and escape) behaviors, evoked in the presence of rattlesnakes and increased non-defensive responses. During the exposure to the experimental context, there was a decrease in duration of defensive attention.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest a panicolytic-like effect of endogenous opioid receptors antagonism in the inferior colliculus on innate (panic attack) and conditioned (anticipatory anxiety) fear in rats threatened by rattlesnakes.
Performance Management Regimes in Practice: Examining the Local Agencies Implementing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Authors: Sandfort Jodi , Ong Sook Jin , McKay Catherine
Published: November 2018

Performance management regimes significantly influence public management practice and policy implementation. Yet, within public administration scholarship, there is insufficient attention to how regimes are reified through policy implementation or how they influence management decisions and outcomes. In this analysis, we considered the robustness of policy regime theory to deepen our understanding of performance management. We examine an empirical setting where two competing performance regimes seek to shape local program delivery in social welfare. We use this case to expand regime theory by highlighting the significant role of local managers in interpreting conflicting regime signals. Their interpretation directly shapes operational practices. The analysis highlights that further theorizing about policy regimes should consider various levels within implementation system, particularly the significance of managerial authority.
Flatulence, Filth, and Urban Form: Do Primes for Hygiene Influence Perceptions of Urban Density?
Authors: Hooper Michael
Published: November 2018

This paper examines whether hygiene priming influences urban density perceptions. Research shows many perceptions are influenced by priming, an implicit memory effect wherein exposure to one stimulus affects response to another. This paper examines whether urban density perceptions are similarly malleable, particularly with respect to hygiene primes. The results, which may have considerable planning implications, suggest they are not. If density perceptions could be primed, this could open up an array of subconscious-oriented interventions to modify them. In contrast, if density perceptions are relatively stable, as this research suggests, it may mean efforts to modify density patterns will meet resistance.
What changed public opinion on the same-sex marriage issue? New implications of attribute measures and attribute priming in media agenda setting
Authors: Chen Victoria Y. , Pain Paromita
Published: November 2018

This study explores the attribute agenda-setting effects and attribute priming effects of news coverage on the issue of same-sex marriage. The affective attribute salience of news coverage on the same-sex marriage issue is stronger when related to public opinion than the substantive attribute salience of the news coverage. News coverage on the issue is strongly associated with audience attitudes about controversial issues. Last, on controversial issues, news media have long-term, rather than short-term, effects on public opinion.
A Comparison of Violence Victimization and Polyvictimization Experiences Among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Adolescents and Young Adults
Authors: Schwab-Reese Laura M. , Currie Dustin , Mishra Aura A. , Peek-Asa Corinne
Published: November 2018

Despite recent civil rights advances for sexual minority communities in the United States, disparities in violence victimization have increased in recent years. Polyvictimization, the experience of multiple types of violence, is common in the United States and may result in mental and physical health consequences above and beyond single-type victimization. However, disparities in polyvictimization among sexual minority young people remain understudied. The purpose of this article was to determine whether there were disparities in monovictimization and polyvictimization among sexual minority young people compared with their heterosexual peers. Data for this article were from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, a nationally representative cohort study started in 1994. Participants reported their experiences with eight types of violence across child abuse, criminal assault, intimate partner violence (IPV), and sexual assault domains. We categorized individuals with no violence victimization as nonvictims, individuals with one form of victimization as monovictims, and individuals with multiple types of victimization as polyvictims. We then compared experiences of each type of victimization and overall monovictimization and polyvictimization by sexual orientation ( n = 9,828). Among females, the proportions of individuals experiencing victimization by sexual orientation were significantly different for all forms of violence. Among males, criminal assault, IPV resulting in injury, and nonphysically and physically forced sexual assault differed by sexual orientation. Compared with 100% heterosexual peers, individuals who were mostly heterosexual had significantly increased odds of monovictimization and polyvictimization compared with no victimization. Bisexual individuals had significantly increased odds of polyvictimiztion, and mostly/100% homosexual individuals had significantly increased odds of monovictimization. Multiple victimization experiences may be a pathway to lifetime health disparities, so our findings may explain many of the health disparities experienced in sexual minority communities. It will be critical to develop and evaluate intervention and prevention programs to eliminate these disparities.
Fear and citizen coordination against dictatorship
Authors: Aldama Abraham , Vásquez-Cortés Mateo , Young Lauren Elyssa
Published: November 2018

Despite numerous studies showing that emotions influence political decision making, there is scant literature giving a formal treatment to this phenomenon. This paper formalizes insights about how fear influences participation in risky collective action such as citizen revolt against an autocratic regime. To do so we build a global game and analyze the effects that fear may have on participation through increasing pessimism about the regime’s strength, increasing pessimism about the participation of others in the revolution, and increasing risk aversion. The impact of the first two effects of fear is a clear reduction in the probability that people will mobilize. However, an increase in risk aversion may in some circumstances increase the probability with which citizens will mobilize. These results may help explain the unpredictable reactions of citizens to fear appeals, including the threat of repressive violence.
Partial eigenvalue assignment in linear time-invariant systems using state-derivative feedback and a left eigenvectors parametrization
Authors: Araújo José Mário
Published: November 2018

In this brief, a novel parametrized state-derivative feedback is given to achieve the well-known partial eigenvalue assignment in linear time-invariant systems. In particular, the parametrized matrix for linear feedback is shown to depend only on the measured (known) left eigenvectors and its corresponding eigenvalues that must be reassigned. The solution is proven to have no spillover, an appreciable feature for the cases in which most of the eigenstructure is unmeasured (unknown). Two numerical examples are given to see that the obtained formulas are valid for partial eigenvalue assignment using only measured information of the eigenstructure.
Comparison of public mother–baby psychiatric units in Australia: similarities, strengths and recommendations
Authors: Galbally M , Sved-Williams A , Kristianopulos D , Mercuri K , Brown P , Buist A
Published: November 2018

Background:

Mother–baby units are innovative and important models of care that allow inpatient treatment of postpartum maternal mental disorders whilst preserving and promoting the attachment relationship with their young infants.

Objectives:

To report data across five public mother–baby units in Australia in order to explore similarities and distinguishing features of each model.

Method:

Each unit also provided 12 months of data on key characteristics of their unit.

Results:

Despite the geographic differences, the diagnostic profiling, length of stay, and child protection involvement were similar across the units.

Conclusions:

Acute care for perinatal mental illness offered in public mother–baby units in Australia shows consistency across units, raising concerns for where such treatment is unavailable.
How Biosocial Research Can Improve Interventions for Antisocial Behavior
Authors: Glenn Andrea L. , McCauley Katie E.
Published: November 2018

Biological factors have been found to influence the development of antisocial behavior. These factors also affect how individuals respond to the environment, including how individuals respond to interventions designed to reduce antisocial behavior. Interventions for youth with antisocial behavior may have the greatest impact if they are targeted toward youth who need it the most (e.g., those who are mostly likely to persist in their behavior problems) as well as youth who may benefit the most from the program. This article discusses potential benefits of a biosocial approach to interventions, as well as the potential ethical concerns that arise.
The Effect of Absent Biological Father on Female Biological Maturity: Results From a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents
Authors: TenEyck Michael F. , El Sayed Sarah A. , Barnes J. C.
Published: November 2018

Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper’s sociobiological theory suggests that early family context influences an individual’s developmental trajectory in adolescence. A key hypothesis derived from the developmental model is that females growing up in a home without a father will have an earlier onset of puberty and may reach pubertal maturity sooner than their peers who grow up in homes with a father present. The current study uses a nationally representative sample of American youth (Add Health) to examine the association between having an absent biological father and female biological maturity, controlling for additional theoretically informed covariates. The current study contributes to the literature by utilizing a lifetime measure of absent biological father and a biological maturity scale (measured in adolescence) that taps into multiple aspects of pubertal development. Results from multivariate regression analysis revealed no significant association between absent biological father and female biological development. This finding suggests that, contrary to the sociobiological model, having an absent biological father in childhood is not predictive of advanced pubertal development among female adolescents.