bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pretreatment microRNA Expression Impacting on Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Predicts Intrinsic Radiosensitivity in Head and Neck Cancer Cell Lines and Patients
Authors: de Jong Monique C. , ten Hoeve Jelle J. , Grénman Reidar , Wessels Lodewyk F. , Kerkhoven Ron , te Riele Hein , van den Brekel Michiel W.M. , Verheij Marcel , Begg Adrian C.
Published: August 2015

Purpose: Predominant causes of head and neck cancer recurrence after radiotherapy are rapid repopulation, hypoxia, fraction of cancer stem cells, and intrinsic radioresistance. Currently, intrinsic radioresistance can only be assessed by ex vivo colony assays. Besides being time-consuming, colony assays do not identify causes of intrinsic resistance. We aimed to identify a biomarker for intrinsic radioresistance to be used before start of treatment and to reveal biologic processes that could be targeted to overcome intrinsic resistance.

Experimental Design: We analyzed both microRNA and mRNA expression in a large panel of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) cell lines. Expression was measured on both irradiated and unirradiated samples. Results were validated using modified cell lines and a series of patients with laryngeal cancer.

Results: miRs, mRNAs, and gene sets that correlated with resistance could be identified from expression data of unirradiated cells. The presence of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and low expression of miRs involved in the inhibition of EMT were important radioresistance determinants. This finding was validated in two independent cell line pairs, in which the induction of EMT reduced radiosensitivity. Moreover, low expression of the most important miR (miR-203) was shown to correlate with local disease recurrence after radiotherapy in a series of patients with laryngeal cancer.

Conclusions: These findings indicate that EMT and low expression of EMT-inhibiting miRs, especially miR-203, measured in pretreatment material, causes intrinsic radioresistance of HNSCC, which could enable identification and treatment modification of radioresistant tumors. Clin Cancer Res; 21(24); 5630–8. ©2015 AACR.
Gene Knockdown by EpCAM Aptamer–siRNA Chimeras Suppresses Epithelial Breast Cancers and Their Tumor-Initiating Cells
Authors: Gilboa-Geffen Adi , Hamar Peter , Le Minh T.N. , Wheeler Lee Adam , Trifonova Radiana , Petrocca Fabio , Wittrup Anders , Lieberman Judy
Published: August 2015

Effective therapeutic strategies for in vivo siRNA delivery to knockdown genes in cells outside the liver are needed to harness RNA interference for treating cancer. EpCAM is a tumor-associated antigen highly expressed on common epithelial cancers and their tumor-initiating cells (TIC, also known as cancer stem cells). Here, we show that aptamer–siRNA chimeras (AsiC, an EpCAM aptamer linked to an siRNA sense strand and annealed to the siRNA antisense strand) are selectively taken up and knock down gene expression in EpCAM+ cancer cells in vitro and in human cancer biopsy tissues. PLK1 EpCAM-AsiCs inhibit colony and mammosphere formation (in vitro TIC assays) and tumor initiation by EpCAM+ luminal and basal-A triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell lines, but not EpCAM− mesenchymal basal-B TNBCs, in nude mice. Subcutaneously administered EpCAM-AsiCs concentrate in EpCAM+ Her2+ and TNBC tumors and suppress their growth. Thus, EpCAM-AsiCs provide an attractive approach for treating epithelial cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(10); 2279–91. ©2015 AACR.
Adequacy of Fine-Needle Aspiration Cytology for Breast Lesions: The SurePath® Liquid-Based Technique versus Conventional Smears
Authors: Eleutério Jr. José , Aragão Alessa , Cavalcante Diane Isabelle Magno
Published: August 2015

Objective: We aimed to assess the cytological findings from fine-needle aspiration (FNA) of breast lesions with conventional smear (CS) and SurePath® (SP) cytology. Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study of women who underwent FNA from January 2012 to June 2013 for breast lesions with benign ultrasonography impressions in Fortaleza, Brazil. Two groups were formed. The first was composed of 102 samples subjected to CS and the second of 65 samples subjected to SP. The number of smears, the cellularity and the diagnostic hypotheses were compared. Fisher's exact tests with 95% confidence intervals were applied. Results: The women ranged in age from 22 to 75 years. SP cytology indicated greater cellularity than CS for the cystic lesions (p < 0.05). In the CS group, 72.5% of the samples required 3-4 slides, but in the SP group, only 9.2% required a second slide. The cellularity of the cystic samples was significantly greater with the SP method (p < 0.01). Conclusion: In FNA cytology of the breast, SP is a tool that is comparable to CS, but with the added benefits of better cellularity results for cystic lesions and requiring fewer slides for analysis.
Effect of an Experimental Paste with Hydroxyapatite Nanoparticles and Fluoride on Dental Demineralisation and Remineralisation in situ
Authors: Souza Beatriz M. , Comar Livia P. , Vertuan Mariele , Fernandes Neto Constantino , Buzalaf Marília Afonso Rabelo , Magalhães Ana Carolina
Published: August 2015

This study evaluated the effect of an experimental paste containing hydroxyapatite in nanoparticles (nano-HA)/fluoride on dental de-remineralisation in situ. Thirteen subjects took part in this crossover/randomised/double-blind study performed in 4 phases (14 days each). Four sound and 4 pre-demineralised specimens were worn intraorally at each phase corresponding to the following treatments: Nanop Plus (10% HA, 0.2% NaF, nano-HA/fluoride), MI Paste Plus (casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate, 0.2% NaF), F (0.2% NaF) and placebo. Two-hundred and forty enamel and 240 dentine specimens were selected by using surface microhardness; half of them were subjected to pre-demineralisation and the other half remained sound. Sound specimens were further exposed to severe cariogenic challenge (20% sucrose in biofilm) in situ, while pre-demineralised specimens were not. All specimens were exposed to fluoride dentifrice slurry 2 × 1 min/day. Thereafter, the treatments were done for 4 min. The de-remineralisation was quantified by transversal microradiography. The data were statistically analysed by repeated-measures ANOVA/Tukey's tests (p < 0.05). Generally, no huge differences were found among the treatments. However, Nanop Plus was the only treatment able to significantly reduce dentine demineralisation (ΔZ, integrated mineral loss) and to improve enamel remineralisation (ΔΔZ, integrated mineral uptake) compared to placebo. No treatments were able to reduce enamel demineralisation, while for dentine remineralisation all treatments were similarly effective in improving ΔΔZ compared to placebo. Nanop Plus seems to have a positive influence on dental de-remineralisation, which should be further confirmed.
Rule of Nahwiyah Variations in Arabiyah Bayna Yadaik Book and its Contribution on Arabiyah Asasiyah Subject
Authors: Abdurrahman Maman
Published: August 2015

This research is motivated by the need of an innovative teaching module and as a way to facilitate students to understand Nahwu. This research’s purpose is to describe about Nahwu subject as presented in the First Arabiyah bayna Yadaik Book Volume 2 and its contribution to Arabiyah Asasiyah subjects in Arabic Education Department, Faculty of language and literature education, UPI. This research used a qualitative approach of Content Analysis with sources data from the First Arabiyah Bayna Yadaik Book Volume 2 and Arabiyah Asasiyah Syllabus which used to being learnt in Department of Arabic Language, Faculty of language and literature education, UPI in 2014/2015 academic year. The results are obtained by discovering of nahwu subjects with simple presented, such as tarkib isnadi, tarkib idhafi, tarkib washfi, tarkib ‘athfi, jumlah ismiyah, and jumlah fi’liyah with full exercises, it is going to contribute Arabiyah Asasiyah subject that contains simple and easy to understand material about Nahwu subjects
Anti-Inflammatory Treatment With Colchicine in Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Deftereos Spyridon , Giannopoulos Georgios , Angelidis Christos , Alexopoulos Nikolaos , Filippatos Gerasimos , Papoutsidakis Nikolaos , Sianos George , Goudevenos John , Alexopoulos Dimitrios , Pyrgakis Vlasios , Cleman Michael W. , Manolis Antonis S. , Tousoulis Dimitrios , Lekakis John
Published: August 2015

Background—

Inflammatory processes have been identified as key mediators of the deleterious effects of ischemia/reperfusion in ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. Colchicine is a substance with potent anti-inflammatory properties, suitable for safe use in patients with cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a short course of colchicine treatment could lead to reduced infarct size.

Methods and Results—

Patients presenting with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction ≤12 hours from pain onset (treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention) were randomly assigned to colchicine or placebo for 5 days. The primary outcome parameter was the area under the curve of creatine kinase-myocardial brain fraction concentration. A subset of patients underwent cardiac MRI with late gadolinium enhancement 6 to 9 days after the index ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction. One hundred fifty-one patients were included (60 in the MRI substudy). The area under the creatine kinase-myocardial brain fraction curve was 3144 (interquartile range [IQR], 1754–6940) ng·h
–1
·mL
–1
in the colchicine group in comparison with 6184 (IQR, 4456–6980) ng·h
–1
·mL
–1
in controls (
P
<0.001). Indexed MRI-late gadolinium enhancement–defined infarct size was 18.3 (IQR, 7.6–29.9) mL/1.73 m
2
in the colchicine group versus 23.2 (18.5–33.4) mL/1.73 m
2
in controls (
P
=0.019). The relative infarct size (as a proportion to left ventricular myocardial volume) was 13.0 (IQR, 8.0–25.3) % and 19.8 (IQR, 13.7–29.8) %, respectively (
P
=0.034).

Conclusions—

These results suggest a potential benefit of colchicine in ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction, but further clinical trials are necessary to draw secure conclusions, especially considering the fact that the present study was not powered to assess clinical end points.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01936285.
Duty of the Insured to Disclose Risks in Terrestrial Insurance Contracts in Jordan, Uae and France: An Analytical Study Upheld by Recent Decisions of Courts of Cassation
Authors: Farah Ahmad Qasim
Published: August 2015

Good faith is the fundamental principle upon which insurance contracts are based that requires the party seeking insurance to disclose all potential risks about which the insurer must be aware, whether before conclusion or during coverage of the contract. In cases of misrepresentation or concealment, the insurer may terminate the contract or request a proportionate remedy. Analysis of the positions adopted by the Jordanian and Emirati legislatures, compared to that of the French, shows that the French legislature provides certain solutions to problems that both other legislatures seem to have ignored. Furthermore, decisions issued by Courts of Cassation in the three countries are indeed instrumental in understanding the boundaries of the policy owner’s obligation to disclose certain information. Using a legal comparative and judicial approach, we aim to shed light on the nature of this obligation and then determine the resulting consequences when an insured party succeeds or fails to carry out its obligations.
Guarantees in Early Islamic Financial System
Authors: Ab Rahman Suhaimi
Published: August 2015

Guarantees are considered to be the most common form of credit security used for lending transactions in modern banking. In Islam, guarantees are not peculiar since this practice has been known since the time of Prophet Muḥammad (saw). However, to date, no literature has discussed this concept or its historical development in detail. This article is an attempt to fill this gap through a discussion on this issue with special reference to the practice of the Prophet, his Companions and Followers. Reference has also been made to the Holy Qur’ān and prophetic Sunnah, as well as to books on tafsīr (exegesis), classical manuals, journal articles and legal historical bibliographies. This article concludes that financial guarantees were recognized as important in the development of the nation and that they were based upon good ethical values as well as the principle of taʿāwun (cooperation).
Additions, Combinations, and Synonyms for the Bolivian Moss Flora

Authors: Churchill Steven P. , C. Alfredo Fuentes
Published: August 2015

Fifty-five mosses are newly recorded for Bolivia. Additional collection data are given for twelve mosses considered little known or rare in the country. Six new synonyms are recognized, five from Bolivia, one from Brazil: Hookeria scabripes Müll. Hal. [Callicostella scabripes (Müll. Hal.) Broth.] = Callicostella pallida (Hornsch.) Ångstr.; Leucobryum fragile Herzog = Leucobryum subobtusifolium (Broth.) B.H. Allen; Macromitrium pinnulatum Herzog = Macromitrium microstomum (Hook. & Grev.) Schwägr.; Schlotheimia vesiculata Herzog [Macromitrium vesiculatum (Herzog) Herzog] = Macromitrium stellulatum (Hornsch.) Brid.; Cyclodictyon breve Herzog = Cyclodictyon albicans (Hedw.) Kuntze; and from Brazil: Callicostella paludicola Broth. = Callicostella merkelii (Hornsch.) A. Jaeger. Three new combinations are proposed: Entosthodon subaloma (Herzog) S.P. Churchill (Goniobryum subaloma Herzog), Syntrichia xerophila (Herzog) S.P. Churchill (Tortula xerophila Herzog), Thamniopsis lepidopiloides (Herzog) S.P. Churchill (Hookeriopsis lepidopiloides Herzog).
Bryophytes from Jalapão, state of Tocantins, northern Brazil.
Authors: Câmara Paulo Eduardo , Leite Rafael Do Nascimento
Published: August 2015

Although occupying almost half the area of Brazil, the northern region of the country remains poorly known bryologically. In an attempt to help remedy this problem, a collecting trip was made to Jalapão Desert, located in the state of Tocantins. A total of 22 taxa were found, 21 are new occurrences to the state and three are new to the northern region of Brazil. Bryum caespiticium Hedw. is listed for the second time from Brazil. A list of the taxa with references of descriptions and illustrations are provided.
Further distribution of Gertrudielle validinervis (Herz.) Broth. in the Neotropics

Authors: Suárez Guillermo M. , Schiavone Maria M.
Published: August 2015

Gertrudiella validinervis (Herz ) Broth  is additionally recorded for the dry forests in northwestern Argentina  Complete distribution in the Neotropics, including northwestern Argentina, are shown on the maps.
Inherent Bounds on Forecast Accuracy due to Observation Uncertainty Caused by Temporal Sampling
Authors: Mittermaier Marion P. , Stephenson David B.
Published: August 2015

Synoptic observations are often treated as error-free representations of the true state of the real world. For example, when observations are used to verify numerical weather prediction (NWP) forecasts, forecast–observation differences (the total error) are often entirely attributed to forecast inaccuracy. Such simplification is no longer justifiable for short-lead forecasts made with increasingly accurate higher-resolution models. For example, at least 25% of t + 6 h individual Met Office site-specific (postprocessed) temperature forecasts now typically have total errors of less than 0.2 K, which are comparable to typical instrument measurement errors of around 0.1 K. In addition to instrument errors, uncertainty is introduced by measurements not being taken concurrently with the forecasts. For example, synoptic temperature observations in the United Kingdom are typically taken 10 min before the hour, whereas forecasts are generally extracted as instantaneous values on the hour. This study develops a simple yet robust statistical modeling procedure for assessing how serially correlated subhourly variations limit the forecast accuracy that can be achieved. The methodology is demonstrated by application to synoptic temperature observations sampled every minute at several locations around the United Kingdom. Results show that subhourly variations lead to sizeable forecast errors of 0.16–0.44 K for observations taken 10 min before the forecast issue time. The magnitude of this error depends on spatial location and the annual cycle, with the greater errors occurring in the warmer seasons and at inland sites. This important source of uncertainty consists of a bias due to the diurnal cycle, plus irreducible uncertainty due to unpredictable subhourly variations that fundamentally limit forecast accuracy.
Contextualized Language and Transferential Aspects of Context
Authors: Movahedi Siamak
Published: August 2015

The analytic process, in which the patient’s and the analyst’s internal characters struggle to create a script through the analysand’s mouth and the analyst’s pen, resembles Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author (1921): different characters come together on the analytic stage to rehearse the analyst’s role as coauthor of a play that depicts the ongoing analytic saga. To compose the text for the interplay of characters, the author must search for contexts that may confer meaning upon the words and actions of characters. This involves a search for a mise en scène (stage) that will assign mise en sens (meaning) to the actors’ role-specific dialogue. Yet mise en scène, in the theatrical sense, is a set of iconic signs set with its own décor, props, and costumes. In contrast, the psychoanalytic scene is a symbolic stage for the play of words—words that may contain unconscious codes for switching into particular language games. A clinical case report describes a struggle with the contextual analysis of an aspect of a treatment that involved reported episodes of verbal indiscretions “taken out of context” with unwanted consequences.
Agoraphobia and Melancholia
Authors: Yates Sheena
Published: August 2015

Milrod (2007) identifies persistent emptiness in agoraphobic patients whose symptoms of anxiety and avoidance have remitted. To this important identification, a number of critical considerations may be raised regarding the meanings of emptiness in the psychoanalytic clinic. Milrod’s admonishment to distinguish between an emptiness that indicates a deficit in the structure and stability of self-representation, and an emptiness that is strictly defensive, is a case in point. While much of the literature supports an interpretation of emptiness as a defense against overwhelming rage, these patients’ assertions and experiences of emptiness can be better explained by the presence of traumatic, unmourned losses. Several explanations are offered as to why agoraphobic patients, in particular, defend unconsciously against mourning.
Political Parties, Clientelism, and Bureaucratic Reform
Authors: Cruz Cesi , Keefer Philip
Published: August 2015

The challenge of public administration reform is well known: Politicians often have little interest in the efficient implementation of government policy. Using new data from 439 World Bank public sector reform loans in 109 countries, we demonstrate that such reforms are significantly less likely to succeed in the presence of non-programmatic political parties. Earlier research uses evidence from a small group of countries to conclude that clientelist politicians resist reforms that restrict their patronage powers. We support this conclusion with new evidence from many countries, allowing us to rule out alternative explanations, including the effect of electoral and political institutions. We also examine reforms that have not been the subject of prior research: those that make public sector financial management more transparent. Here, we identify a second mechanism through which non-programmatic parties undermine public sector reform: Clientelist politicians have weaker incentives to exercise oversight of policy implementation by the executive branch.
Historical Legacies of Interethnic Competition
Authors: Charnysh Volha
Published: August 2015

How do historical legacies shape contemporary political outcomes? The article proposes a novel attitudinal mechanism through which distant interethnic competition can influence political preferences in the present. It theorizes that historically conditioned predispositions at the local level can moderate the effects of national-level framing of a policy issue. Using Poland as a test case, I show that subnational variation in support for EU accession was influenced by populist claims about the increase in Jewish influence in the postaccession period. Anti-Semitic cues resonated with voters in areas with historically large Jewish populations and a contentious interethnic past, where latent anti-Semitism persisted throughout the communist period. To provide evidence for this argument, the article draws on rich historical and contemporary data at the county, town, and individual level of analysis and utilizes novel research methods.
Pressure and sintering temperature influence on the interface reaction of SiCp/410L stainless steel composites
Authors: Carvalho O , Madeira S , Buciumeanu M , Soares D , Silva FS , Miranda G
Published: August 2015

This study is concerned with the reactivity between SiC particles and 410L stainless steel alloy. An interval of sintering temperatures (900, 1000, 1100, and 1180℃) was scoped in order to study the temperature influence on the interface reaction under different compaction pressures (400, 800, and 1200 MPa). SiCp/410L SS composites were produced by powder metallurgy. Interface area fraction (%) results and microstructural characterization showed that the interface reaction is strongly dependent on temperature. At 900℃ no reaction SiCp/410L SS was found. At 1000℃ SiCp reacts with 410L SS matrix and with increasing temperature the extent of reaction becomes higher. However, at 1180℃ SiCp dissolves completely leading to specimen deformation. The higher interface area fraction was obtained at a sintering temperature of 1100℃ and a compaction pressure of 1200 MPa. This study presents an advantageous and original combination of materials and process that allows combining compaction pressure and sintering temperature in order to control the interface.
Hungry? Food Insecurity, Social Stigma and Embarrassment in the UK
Authors: Purdam Kingsley , Garratt Elisabeth A , Esmail Aneez
Published: August 2015

In the context of the economic recession and welfare reform in the UK there have been ongoing political debates regarding food insecurity. Food has an important role in defining people’s identities, yet the rapid growth in the number of food banks and food donation points in supermarkets and schools suggests a normalisation of food aid. Moreover, an estimated three million individuals are thought to be at risk of malnutrition in the UK. We examine: the discourse of food aid and the demonisation of those living in poverty, the scale of malnutrition, and the experiences of food bank users by drawing on survey data and case studies. Substantial numbers of people were constrained in their food choices, whilst food bank users had concerns about the social stigma of food aid. It is questionable whether the present policy approach is economically and politically efficient given the impact on people’s health and well-being.
Effects of pore structure on sound absorption of kapok-based fiber nonwoven fabrics at low frequency
Authors: Liu Xueting , Yan Xiong , Zhang Huiping
Published: August 2015

The theoretical relationship between the viscous loss of sound wave and fiber structure parameter (fiber density) and pore structure parameters (pore diameter and porosity) of fibrous absorbing materials has been derived in this paper. Sound absorption of kapok-based fiber nonwoven fabrics with a different pore diameter, porosity or back cavity have been measured by using the impedance tube method. The effects of pore diameter, porosity and air gap on sound absorption at low frequency of kapok-based fiber nonwoven fabrics, caused by the viscous loss of sound waves, have been studied. It is shown that smaller pore diameter or greater porosity yields better sound absorption at low frequency for kapok-based fiber nonwoven fabrics. In addition, the combination of the kapok-based fiber nonwoven fabrics and the back cavity can improve the sound absorption at low frequency of nonwoven fabrics. The sound absorption at low frequency further increased as the back cavity depth increased.
We are the very model of a moderate Muslim state: The Amman Messages and Jordan’s foreign policy
Authors: Gutkowski Stacey
Published: August 2015

Despite its significance to one of the most problematic discursive binaries of the ‘War on Terror’, moderation has been a largely taken for granted theoretical and empirical category in the discipline of International Relations. To prompt further conversation, this article examines ‘Islamic moderation’ as part of Middle Eastern states’ nation branding in the decade and half since 9/11, using Jordan as a case study. I argue that while Jordan’s official and state-endorsed civil society efforts to promote ‘moderate Islam’ and interfaith dialogue stem in part from authentic interest in promoting dialogue and peace, the Jordanian Hashemite regime has also used the Amman Messages to deepen political trust with the United States, attempting to instrumentalize the moral authority of religion as a form of state productive power. It has done so by playing on a myth of religious moderation which has resonated in both the Middle East and the West since 9/11.
Ideology, Vote Choice, and Bureaucracy Across Time: A Longitudinal Test of the Bureau Voting Model in the United States
Authors: Bednarczuk Michael
Published: August 2015

How applicable is the bureau voting model to the United States? Although the literature suggests that government employees are more liberal and vote more Democratic, these findings have recently become inconsistent stateside. In addition, there are strong counterarguments to the premises of the bureau voting model. It is hypothesized that bureaucrats are neither more likely to support Democrats nor more liberal. Using data from the American National Election Studies covering a 30-year period, probit and generalized ordered logit models support these new hypotheses. These results suggest that the bureau voting model may need to be refined for the United States.
Drawing the U-Shaped Line
Authors: Chung Chris P. C.
Published: August 2015

This article examines the genesis, usage, and meaning of the People’s Republic of China’s and the Republic of China’s U-shaped line claim in the South China Sea territorial dispute from 1946 to 1974. The Republic of China (ROC) officially created the line in 1947, which the People’s Republic of China (PRC) then adopted in 1949. Although the PRC claims sovereignty over all of the disputed islands and features, it remains silent on what specific waters the line claims. Based on ROC national archival files on the line, which remain virtually unused by scholars on the dispute, this article argues that the line was an “islands attribution” boundary until at least 1974. It claimed only the islands, features, and any adjacent waters consistent with contemporary conceptions of international maritime law. The article concludes with the present-day significance of this history and suggestions for future avenues of scholarship.
Identifying variables in relation to health-related quality of life among community-dwelling older women: Knowledgebase for health-promoting activities
Authors: Boman Erika , Häggblom Anette , Lundman Berit , Nygren Björn , Santamäki Fischer Regina
Published: August 2015

The aim of the present study was to explore health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associated variables among all community-dwelling older women (≥65 years) ( n = 2724) on Åland, a Finnish self-governing island community. A total of 1023 women participated (mean age 72.9 ± 6.8 years). Absence of depression, absence of diagnosed disease(s), having the opportunity to engage in meaningful leisure activities, and never or seldom feeling lonely explained, together with socio-economic control variables (i.e. age, education and economic situation), 34.4% of the variation in physical health. Absence of depression, strong inner strength, and never or seldom feeling lonely explained, together with socio-economic control variables, 27.7% of the variation in mental health. HRQoL was rated as relatively good, although special attention should be paid to women aged 80+years. To promote HRQoL, interventions aimed at preventing, detecting and treating depression should be prioritised. In addition, interventions aimed at reducing feelings of loneliness are also recommended in order to enhance overall HRQoL.
Fanon’s Lacan and the Traumatogenic Child: Psychoanalytic Reflections on the Dynamics of Colonialism and Racism
Authors: Burman Erica
Published: August 2015

This paper revisits Fanon’s relationship with psychoanalysis, specifically Lacanian psychoanalysis, via a close reading of his rhetorics of childhood – primarily as mobilized by the ‘Look, a Negro!’ scenario from Black Skin, White Masks, the traumatogenic scene which installs the black man’s sense of alienation from his own body and his inferiority. While this scene has been much discussed, the role accorded the child in this has attracted little attention. This paper focuses on the role and positioning of the child to reconsider Fanon’s ideas, in relation to his contribution to the social constitution of subjectivity, arguing that reading Fanon alongside both his citations of Lacan and some aspects of Lacanian theory opens up further interpretive possibilities in teasing out tensions in Fanon’s writing around models of subjectivity. Finally, it is argued that it is where Fanon retains an indeterminacy surrounding the child that he is most politically fruitful.
Anthropocene Formations: Environmental Security, Geopolitics and Disaster
Authors: Dalby Simon
Published: August 2015

The discussion of the Anthropocene makes it clear that contemporary social thought can no longer take nature, or an external ‘environment’, for granted in political discussion. Humanity is remaking its own context very rapidly, not only in the processes of urbanization but also in the larger context of global biophysical transformations that provide various forms of insecurity. Disasters such as the Fukushima nuclear meltdowns and potentially disastrous plans to geoengineer the climate in coming decades highlight that the human environment is being remade in the Anthropocene. Humanity is now a geological actor, not just a biological one, and that insight, captured in the term Anthropocene, changes understandings of both security and environment in social thought, requiring a focus on production of environments rather than their protection. Disasters help clarify this key point and its significance for considering geosocial formations.
A rabbit model of antegrade selective cerebral perfusion with cardioplegic arrest
Authors: Zou L , Liu J , Zhang H , Wu S , Long C , Ji B , Yu Z , Tang Y , Meng L , Wu A
Published: August 2015

Objective:

Due to the weak ascending aorta, it is extremely challenging to establish an anterograde selective cerebral perfusion (ASCP) model in rabbits, especially when cardioplegic arrest is required. Herein, the aim of this study was to establish a rabbit ASCP model with cardiac arrest being easily performed and being similar to the clinical scenario.

Materials and methods:

Twenty-two adult New Zealand white rabbits were selected for ASCP model establishment and another 22 rabbits were utilized for blood donation. The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit consisted of a roller pump, a membrane oxygenator, a heat-cooler system and a blood reservoir, which were connected by silicone tubing. The total priming volume of the circuit was 70 ml. Cannulations on the right and left subclavian arteries were used for arterial inflow and cardioplegia perfusion, respectively. Venous drainage was conducted through the right atrial appendage. ASCP was initiated by clamping the innominate artery; the flow rate was maintained 10 ml/kg/minute and sustained for 60 minutes. After 120 minutes of reperfusion, the rabbits were sacrificed. The mean arterial pressure, heart rate, electrocardiogram and urine output were monitored. Arterial blood samples were analyzed at the following time points: after anesthesia, immediately after CPB, after aorta cross-clamping and cardioplegia perfusion, 5 min after the re-opening of the aorta and at CPB termination.

Results:

ASCP modeling was performed successfully on 18 rabbits and 4 rabbits unsuccessfully. Vital signs and blood gas indictors changed in an acceptable range throughout the experiments. One rabbit had ventricular fibrillation after re-opening of the ascending aorta. Obvious hemodilution occurred after the perfusion of cardioplegia, but the hematocrit improved after CPB termination.

Conclusion:

By using cannulation of the subclavian artery rather than the aorta and with a low priming volume, we established a modified rabbit model of ASCP with cardioplegic arrest. The model has excellent repeatability and operability, which is similar to the clinic process and is suitable for the study of cerebral, cardiac and renal protection.
Music and compliance: Can good music make us do bad things?
Authors: Ziv Naomi
Published: August 2015

Music is commonly used in various contexts as a means to manipulate people. Two studies examined the effect of positive background music on compliance with a request to harm a third person. In Study 1 participants were asked by a male researcher, in the context of obligatory experiment participation, to call another participant and tell her she could not take part in the study. In Study 2, participants on a voluntary basis were asked by a female researcher to call another student and tell her she would not receive promised course material. In both cases, no justifiable reason for the request was given, other than the researcher “didn’t feel like it.” Compliance rates were higher in both studies when pleasant, familiar music was played than with no music. No effects of mood were found. Results and implications are discussed in terms of the power of music to influence behavior.
Five-Year Changes in Gait Biomechanics After Concomitant High Tibial Osteotomy and ACL Reconstruction in Patients With Medial Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Marriott Kendal , Birmingham Trevor B. , Kean Crystal O. , Hui Catherine , Jenkyn Thomas R. , Giffin J. Robert
Published: August 2015

Background:

Concomitant high tibial osteotomy (HTO) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is a combined surgical procedure intended to improve kinematics and kinetics in the unstable ACL-deficient knee with varus malalignment and medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Purpose:

To investigate 5-year changes in gait biomechanics as well as radiographic and patient-reported outcomes bilaterally after unilateral, concomitant medial opening wedge HTO and ACL reconstruction.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 33 patients (mean ± SD age, 40 ± 9 years) with varus malalignment (mean mechanical axis angle, −5.9° ± 2.9°), medial compartment knee OA, and ACL deficiency completed 3-dimensional gait analysis preoperatively and 2 and 5 years postoperatively. Primary outcomes were the peak external knee adduction (first peak) and flexion moments. Secondary outcomes were the peak external knee extension and transverse plane moments, peak knee angles in all 3 planes, radiographic static knee alignment measures (mechanical axis angle and posterior tibial slope), and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS).

Results:

There was a substantial decrease in the knee adduction moment in the surgical limb (%BW × H, −1.49; 95% CI, −1.75 to −1.22) and a slight increase in the nonsurgical limb (%BW × H, 0.16; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.30) from preoperatively to 5 years postoperatively. There was also a decrease in the knee flexion moment for both the surgical (%BW × H, −0.67; 95% CI, −1.19 to −0.15) and nonsurgical limbs (%BW × H, –1.06; 95% CI, –1.49 to −0.64). Secondary outcomes suggested that substantial improvements were maintained at 5 years, although smaller declines were observed in several measures and in both limbs from 2 to 5 years.

Conclusion:

Changes in the peak external moments about the knee in all 3 planes during walking were observed 5 years after concomitant medial opening wedge HTO and ACL reconstruction. These findings are consistent with an intended, sustained shift in the mediolateral distribution of knee loads.

Clinical Relevance:

These findings suggest that concomitant HTO and ACL reconstruction results in substantial changes in gait biomechanics. Future clinical research comparing treatment strategies is both warranted and required for this relatively uncommon but seemingly biomechanically efficacious procedure.
Exertional Heat Illnesses and Environmental Conditions During High School Football Practices
Authors: Tripp Brady L. , Eberman Lindsey E. , Smith Michael Seth
Published: August 2015

Background:

Guidelines for preventing exertional heat illnesses (EHIs) during extreme heat stress should be specific to regional environments, age, and sport and should be based on evidence of reducing the risk. Each year in the United States, over 1 million high school football players practice in the August heat; however, no published data describe the incidence of EHIs in these athletes.

Purpose:

To describe the environmental conditions and incidence of EHIs during high school football practices over a 3-month period.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

For a 3-month period (August-October), athletic trainers at 12 high schools in North Central Florida recorded the practice time and length, environmental conditions (wet-bulb globe temperature), and incidences of EHIs in varsity football athletes.

Results:

Athletes suffered 57 total EHIs during 29,759 athlete-exposures (AEs) for the 3-month data collection period (rate = 1.92/1000 AEs). August accounted for the majority of all EHIs, with 82.5% (47/57) and the highest rate (4.35/1000 AEs). Of total heat illnesses, heat cramps accounted for 70.2% (40/57), heat exhaustion 22.8% (13/57), and heat syncope 7.0% (4/57). The odds ratio indicated that athletes in August practices that lasted longer than the recommended 3 hours were 9.84 times more likely to suffer a heat illness than those in practices lasting ≤3 hours.

Conclusion:

The highest rate of EHIs was during August. Practices in August that exceeded the recommended 3 hours were associated with a greater risk of heat illnesses. The overall rate of EHIs was lower for the high school football athletes observed in the study compared with that reported for collegiate football athletes in the region. The low rates of EHIs recorded suggest that the prevention guidelines employed by sports medicine teams are appropriate for the region and population.

Clinical Relevance:

Team physicians and athletic trainers should employ evidence-based, region- and population-specific EHI prevention guidelines. Sports medicine teams, coaches, and athletes should be aware of the increased risk of EHIs during August practices and the risk of prolonged practices during August.
The Interrater and Intrarater Agreement of a Modified Neer Classification System and Associated Treatment Choice for Lateral Clavicle Fractures
Authors: Cho Chul-Hyun , Oh Joo Han , Jung Gu-Hee , Moon Gi-Hyuk , Rhyou In Hyeok , Yoon Jong Pil , Lee Ho Min
Published: August 2015

Background:

As there is substantial variation in the classification and diagnosis of lateral clavicle fractures, proper management can be challenging. Although the Neer classification system modified by Craig has been widely used, no study has assessed its validity through inter- and intrarater agreement.

Purpose:

To determine the inter- and intrarater agreement of the modified Neer classification system and associated treatment choice for lateral clavicle fractures and to assess whether 3-dimensional computed tomography (3D CT) improves the level of agreement.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Nine experienced shoulder specialists and 9 orthopaedic fellows evaluated 52 patients with lateral clavicle fractures, completing fracture typing according to the modified Neer classification system and selecting a treatment choice for each case. Web-based assessment was performed using plain radiographs only, followed by the addition of 3D CT images 2 weeks later. This procedure was repeated 4 weeks later. Fleiss κ values were calculated to estimate the inter- and intrarater agreement.

Results:

Based on plain radiographs only, the inter- and intrarater agreement of the modified Neer classification system was regarded as fair (κ = 0.344) and moderate (κ = 0.496), respectively; the inter- and intrarater agreement of treatment choice was both regarded as moderate (κ = 0.465 and 0.555, respectively). Based on the plain radiographs and 3D CT images, the inter- and intrarater agreement of the classification system was regarded as fair (κ = 0.317) and moderate (κ = 0.508), respectively; the inter- and intrarater agreement of treatment choice was regarded as moderate (κ = 0.463) and substantial (κ = 0.623), respectively. There were no significant differences in the level of agreement between the plain radiographs only and plain radiographs plus 3D CT images for any κ values (all P > .05).

Conclusion:

The level of interrater agreement of the modified Neer classification system for lateral clavicle fractures was fair. Additional 3D CT did not improve the overall level of interrater or intrarater agreement of the modified Neer classification system or associated treatment choice. To eliminate a common source of disagreement among surgeons, a new classification system to focus on unclassifiable fracture types is needed.
Length Changes of the Anterolateral Ligament During Passive Knee Motion
Authors: Zens Martin , Niemeyer Philipp , Ruhhammer Johannes , Bernstein Anke , Woias Peter , Mayr Herrmann O. , Südkamp Norbert P. , Feucht Matthias J.
Published: August 2015

Background:

Persistent rotatory instability after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction may be a result of unaddressed insufficiency of the anterolateral structures. Recent publications about the anatomy of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) have led to a renewed interest in lateral extra-articular procedures, and several authors have proposed ALL reconstruction to supplement intra-articular ACL reconstruction. However, only limited knowledge about the biomechanical characteristics of the ALL exists.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to analyze length changes of the ALL during passive knee motion. The study hypothesis was that the ALL lengthens with knee flexion and internal tibial rotation.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

The ALL of 6 cadaveric knees was dissected. Specimens were mounted in a specifically designed test rig that allowed unconstrained passive flexion/extension movement between 0° and 90° as well as external/internal tibial rotation of 25° at various flexion angles. Highly elastic, capacitive polydimethylsiloxane strain gauges were attached to the insertion sites of the ALL. Length changes were recorded continuously at flexion angles between 0° and 90° and during internal/external tibial rotation at 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°. All measurements were calculated as the relative length change (%) of the ALL compared with 0° of flexion and neutral rotation.

Results:

The mean relative length of the ALL significantly increased with increasing knee flexion ( P < .001), with an estimated mean length change of +0.15% per degree. Both internal and external tibial rotation were independent determinants for length change; internal rotation significantly increased the length of the ALL ( P < .001), whereas external rotation significantly decreased its length ( P < .001). The mean length change with internal rotation increased with knee flexion, with a significantly greater length change at 90° compared with 0° ( P = .048), 15° ( P = .033), and 30° ( P = .015). The maximum mean length change was +33.77% ± 9.62%, which was observed at 25° of internal rotation and 90° of flexion.

Conclusion:

The ALL is a nonisometric structure that tensions with knee flexion and internal tibial rotation. Length changes with internal rotation were greater at higher flexion angles, with the greatest length change of the ALL observed at 90° of flexion.

Clinical Relevance:

The ALL can be considered a stabilizer against internal tibial rotation, especially at deep flexion angles. With regard to ALL reconstruction procedures, tensioning and fixation of the graft should be performed near 90° of flexion because graft tensioning near extension may cause excessive ligament strain with increasing knee flexion.
Comparative biochemical analysis after steam pretreatment of lignocellulosic agricultural waste biomass from Williams Cavendish banana plant (Triploid Musa AAA group)
Authors: Kamdem Irénée , Jacquet Nicolas , Tiappi Florian Mathias , Hiligsmann Serge , Vanderghem Caroline , Richel Aurore , Jacques Philippe , Thonart Philippe
Published: August 2015

The accessibility of fermentable substrates to enzymes is a limiting factor for the efficient bioconversion of agricultural wastes in the context of sustainable development. This paper presents the results of a biochemical analysis performed on six combined morphological parts of Williams Cavendish Lignocellulosic Biomass (WCLB) after steam cracking (SC) and steam explosion (SE) pretreatments. Solid (S) and liquid (L) fractions (Fs) obtained from SC pretreatment performed at 180°C (SLFSC180) and 210°C (SLFSC210) generated, after diluted acid hydrolysis, the highest proportions of neutral sugar (NS) contents, specifically 52.82 ± 3.51 and 49.78 ± 1.39 %w/w WCLB dry matter (DM), respectively. The highest proportions of glucose were found in SFSC210 (53.56 ± 1.33 %w/w DM) and SFSC180 (44.47 ± 0.00 %w/w DM), while the lowest was found in unpretreated WCLB (22.70 ± 0.71 %w/w DM). Total NS content assessed in each LF immediately after SC and SE pretreatments was less than 2 %w/w of the LF DM, thus revealing minor acid autohydrolysis consequently leading to minor NS production during the steam pretreatment. WCLB subjected to SC at 210°C (SC210) generated up to 2.7-fold bioaccessible glucan and xylan. SC and SE pretreatments showed potential for the deconstruction of WCLB (delignification, depolymerization, decrystallization and deacetylation), enhancing its enzymatic hydrolysis. The concentrations of enzymatic inhibitors, such as 2-furfuraldehyde and 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural from LFSC210, were the highest (41 and 21 µg ml−1, respectively). This study shows that steam pretreatments in general and SC210 in particular are required for efficient bioconversion of WCLB. Yet, biotransformation through biochemical processes (e.g., anaerobic digestion) must be performed to assess the efficiency of these pretreatments.
Kinetic and isotherm study of Sudan black B removal
Authors: Ghaedi Mehrorang , Moazzen Hamid Reza , Purkait Mihir Kumar
Published: August 2015

In this research, the removal of Sudan black B (SBB) by cadmium hydroxide nanowires loaded on activated carbon is described. After optimizing the variables involved, Langmuir, Freundlich, Tempkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich models were applied to fit the experimental data. The adsorbent correlation coefficient and error analysis indicated the applicability of Langmuir model for the interpretation of equilibrium data. Different kinetic models were applied to analyze the time evolution of removal data. It was found that low quantity of adsorbent (<0.03 g) is capable of removal of large amount of SBB in reasonably short time (<40 min). The adsorption process was found to be described by both pseudo–second-order kinetics and interparticle diffusion mechanism. The effects of variables such as pH, amount of adsorbent, and contact time on batch adsorption process were investigated and optimized.