bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability Assessment Methodology for Massive Manufacturing Using Multi‐Function Equipment
Authors: López-Campos M. , Kristjanpoller F. , Viveros P. , Pascual R.
Published: February 2018

Experience reveals that reliability varies depending on the characteristics of operation. The manufacturing process based on multifunction equipment gives a usual case of variation in operating conditions. This work presents a methodology for the reliability analysis of multifunction processes, using the RCM approach, and a modification of the Universal Generating Function (UGF) under a massive manufacturing context. The result is a characterization of reliability, for each piece of equipment and for the production system. The methodology is applied in a workshop of a textile industry, where there is prior evidence that the failure behavior varies according to the type of function executed by multifunction machines.
Topical Osmoprotectant for the Management of Postrefractive Surgery-Induced Dry Eye Symptoms: A Randomised Controlled Double-Blind Trial
Authors: Hazarbassanov R. M. , Queiroz-Hazarbassanov N. G. T. , Barros J. N. , Gomes J. A. P.
Published: February 2018

Background. Dry eye disease (DED) is one of the most common complications following refractive surgery.Purpose. Evaluate the efficacy of an osmoprotective eye drop (Optive®) for the management of induced DED in refractive surgery patients.Design. Double-masked randomised controlled trial.Methods. Twenty-two refractive surgery patients oriented to apply FreshTears (FT;n=13) or Optive (Op;n=9), topically, QID, for 3 months. Eye exams were performed before surgery (T0) and 1-month (T1) and 3-month (T3) follow-up and consisted of tear film osmolarity, Schirmer 1 test, tear film breakup time (TBUT), fluorescein staining, and ocular surface disease index (OSDI) and patient symptoms questionnaires.Main Outcome Measures. Pain and osmolarity.Results. Pain increased significantly for FT at T3 (p<0.05). A reduction in osmolarity was observed at T1 and T3 for Op group (p<0.01) and at T3 for FT group (p<0.05). TBUT showed a decrease between T0 and T1 for FT (p<0.05). Schirmer 1 values increased significantly for Op in T1.Conclusions. Op was superior to FT in regard to pain, osmolarity, TBUT, and Schirmer 1. Osmoprotectant solutes, such as L-carnitine, could attenuate inflammation and secondary DED. Osmoprotective lubricants can be effectively applied for the prevention of refractive surgery-related dry eye symptoms and signs.
A Review of Predictive Software for the Design of Community Microgrids
Authors: Rahimian Mina , Iulo Lisa D. , Duarte Jose M. Pinto
Published: February 2018

This paper discusses adding a spatial dimension to the design of community microgrid projects in the interest of expanding the existing discourse related to energy performance optimization measures. A multidimensional vision for designing community microgrids with higher energy performance is considered, leveraging urban form (superstructure) to understand how it impacts the performance of the system’s distributed energy resources and loads (infrastructure). This vision engages the design sector in the technical conversation of developing community microgrids, leading to energy efficient designs of microgrid-connected communities well before their construction. A new generation of computational modeling and simulation tools that address this interaction are required. In order to position the research, this paper presents a survey of existing software packages, belonging to two distinct categories of modeling, simulation, and evaluation of community microgrids: the energy infrastructure modeling and the urban superstructure energy modeling. Results of this software survey identify a lack in software tools and simulation packages that simultaneously address the necessary interaction between the superstructure and infrastructure of community microgrids, given the importance of its study. Conclusions represent how a proposed experimental software prototype may fill an existing gap in current related software packages.
Towards a Dual Lateral Flow Nanobiosensor for Simultaneous Detection of Virus Genotype-Specific PCR Products
Authors: Toubanaki Dimitra K. , Karagouni Evdokia
Published: February 2018

Nervous necrosis virus (nodavirus) has been responsible for mass mortalities in aquaculture industry worldwide, with great economic and environmental impact. A rapid low-cost test to identify nodavirus genotype could have important benefits for vaccine and diagnostic applications in small- and medium-scale laboratories in both academia and fish farming industry. A dual lateral flow biosensor for simultaneous detection of the most prevalent nodavirus genotypes (RGNNV and SJNNV) was developed and optimized. The dual biosensor consisted of two antibody-based test zones, indicative of each genotype, and a control zone. The positive signals were visualized by gold nanoparticles functionalized with anti-biotin antibody, and the detection was completed within 20 min. Optimization studies included antibody type and amount determination for test zone construction, gold nanoparticle conjugate type selection for high signal generation, and detection assay parameter determination. Following optimization, the biosensor was evaluated with healthy and RGNNV-nodavirus-infected fish samples. The proposed assay’s cost was estimated to be less than 3 €, including the required reagents and biosensor. This work presents important steps towards making a dual lateral flow biosensor for nodavirus genotyping; further evaluation with clinical samples is needed before the test is appropriate for diagnostic kit development.
What Can Happen When Postpartum Anxiety Progresses to Psychosis? A Case Study
Authors: Pirec Vesna
Published: February 2018

This case report describes a primipara without documented psychiatric history prior to complicated delivery. Onset of severe insomnia and anxiety was right after childbirth but not treated. Obsessive thinking pattern became more prominent. The patient became depressed and sought psychiatric help four months after delivery. Insomnia was then treated pharmacologically. Anxiety and depression persisted, suicidal ideation emerged, and the patient became confused, indecisive, overwhelmed, and delusional regarding her child’s health. Medications for depression and anxiety were started six months postpartum yet were ineffective. The patient’s obsessions gradually became fully psychotic and she committed an altruistic infanticide eight months postpartum. Psychiatric hospitalization occurred, followed by a long course of mental, physical, legal, and social rehabilitation. She was minimally responsive to psychopharmacological treatment, which appeared to be partly related to her hormonal dysregulation. Several months into the treatment she gradually started improving and returned to baseline two years later. The Illinois court found the patient not guilty to murder by reason of Insanity.
Effect of Thermal Treatments on Quality and Aroma of Watermelon Juice
Authors: Wang Yubin , Li Wu , Ma Yue , Zhao Xiaoyan , Zhang Chao
Published: February 2018

The effect of thermal treatments on the quality and aroma of watermelon juice was evaluated. Watermelon juice was pasteurized via ultrahigh temperature (UHT, pasteurized at 135°C for 2 s), low temperature long time (LTLT, pasteurized at 60°C for 30 min), and high temperature short time (HTST, pasteurized at 100°C for 5 min), respectively. UHT and LTLT reduced the total flora count and maintained the color of the pasteurized juice, while the HTST led to a significant color difference. A total of 27, 21, 22, and 21 volatiles were identified in the unpasteurized juice, UHT, LTLT, and HTST, respectively. The typical watermelon aroma, including (3Z)-3-nonen-1-ol, (E)-2-nonen-1-ol, 1-nonanal, (2E)-2-nonenal, and (E,Z)-2,6-nonadienal, was abundant in the LTLT. Consequently, the aroma of the LTLT was similar to that of unpasteurized juice. Moreover, the shelf life of the LTLT reached 101 and 14 days at 4 and 25°C, respectively. Hence, the LTLT was the best way to maintain the quality and aroma of watermelon juice.
Truncated Glioma-Associated Oncogene Homolog 1 (tGLI1) Mediates Mesenchymal Glioblastoma via Transcriptional Activation of CD44
Authors: Rimkus Tadas K. , Carpenter Richard L. , Sirkisoon Sherona , Zhu Dongqin , Pasche Boris C. , Chan Michael D. , Lesser Glenn J. , Tatter Stephen B. , Watabe Kounosuke , Debinski Waldemar , Lo Hui-Wen
Published: February 2018

The molecular pathways driving mesenchymal glioblastoma (GBM) are still not well understood. We report here that truncated glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (tGLI1) is a tumor-specific transcription factor that facilitates GBM growth, is enriched in the mesenchymal subtype of GBM and glioma stem cells (GSC), and promotes mesenchymal GSC by upregulating transcription of CD44. In an orthotopic GBM xenograft mouse model, tGLI1-overexpressing tumors grew more aggressively with increased proliferation and angiogenesis compared with control and GLI1-overexpressing xenografts. tGLI1 was highly expressed in GBM clinical specimens but undetectable in normal brains, whereas GLI1 was expressed in both tissues. A tGLI1 activation signature (tGAS) correlated with glioma grade, tumor angiogenesis, and poor overall survival, and GBMs with high tGAS were enriched with mesenchymal GBM/GSC gene signatures. Neurospheres contained increased levels of tGLI1, but not GLI1, compared with the monolayer culture; mesenchymal GSC expressed more tGLI1 than proneural GSC. Ectopic tGLI1 expression enhanced the ability of mesenchymal GSC to yield neurospheres in vitro and to form tumors in mouse brains. Selective tGLI1 knockdown reduced neurosphere formation of GBM cells. tGLI1 bound to and transactivated the promoter of the CD44 gene, a marker and mediator for mesenchymal GSC, leading to its expression. Collectively, these findings advance our understanding of GBM biology by establishing tGLI1 as a novel transcriptional activator of CD44 and a novel mediator of mesenchymal GBM and GSC.

Significance: These findings highlight the role of a tumor-specific gain-of-function transcription factor tGLI1 in mesenchymal glioma stem cell maintenance and mesenchymal GBM growth. Cancer Res; 78(10); 2589–600. ©2018 AACR.
Phase Ib Study of Glasdegib, a Hedgehog Pathway Inhibitor, in Combination with Standard Chemotherapy in Patients with AML or High-Risk MDS
Authors: Savona Michael R. , Pollyea Daniel A. , Stock Wendy , Oehler Vivian G. , Schroeder Mark A. , Lancet Jeffrey , McCloskey James , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Ma Weidong Wendy , Shaik M. Naveed , Laird A. Douglas , Zeremski Mirjana , O'Connell Ashleigh , Chan Geoffrey , Cortes Jorge E.
Published: February 2018

Purpose: This open-label, multicenter, dose-finding, phase Ib study (NCT01546038) evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and clinical activity of the novel Hedgehog pathway Smoothened inhibitor glasdegib (PF-04449913) in patients (N = 52) with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

Experimental Design: Glasdegib 100 or 200 mg was administered orally, once daily in 28-day cycles, in combination with low-dose cytarabine (arm A) or decitabine (arm B) to newly diagnosed patients considered not suitable for standard induction chemotherapy, and in combination with cytarabine/daunorubicin (arm C) to fit patients. The study followed a standard 3+3 dose-escalation design. The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). Ten additional patients were enrolled in expansion cohorts of arms A (n = 23) and C (n = 22) to confirm the recommended phase II dose (RP2D).

Results: No DLTs were observed in arms A and B; 1 DLT (grade 4 neuropathy) occurred in arm C. The most common treatment-related nonhematologic adverse events were mostly grades 1 and 2 in all arms. Muscle spasms, dysgeusia, and alopecia were generally mild. Overall, 16 patients (31%) achieved a complete remission (CR)/CR with incomplete blood count recovery. Note that 100 mg daily was selected as the RP2D for glasdegib in combination with standard chemotherapies in the absence of an estimated MTD in this setting.

Conclusions: Treatment with glasdegib in combination with standard chemotherapy was generally well-tolerated and consistent with prior findings, warranting further evaluation of glasdegib-based combinations in patients with AML or high-risk MDS. Clin Cancer Res; 24(10); 2294–303. ©2018 AACR.
Molecular Lymph Node Status for Prognostic Stratification of Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy with Extended Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection
Authors: Heck Matthias M. , Retz Margitta , Bandur Miriam , Souchay Marc , Vitzthum Elisabeth , Weirich Gregor , Schuster Tibor , Autenrieth Michael , Kübler Hubert , Maurer Tobias , Thalgott Mark , Herkommer Kathleen , Gschwend Jürgen E. , Nawroth Roman
Published: February 2018

Purpose: Molecular lymph node (LN) analysis using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) detects LN metastases with higher sensitivity than histopathology. However, the prognostic role of molecular LN status in prostate cancer patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) and extended pelvic LN dissection (ePLND) is unclear. To investigate the association of molecular compared with histopathologic LN status with biochemical recurrence.

Experimental Design: Patients with intermediate and high-risk prostate cancer were prospectively enrolled and underwent RP with ePLND, including the obturator, internal, external, and the common iliac region. LNs ≥3 mm were bisected and examined by standard histopathology and qPCR for Kallikrein3 (KLK3) expression. Biochemical recurrence was defined by confirmed postoperative PSA > 0.2 ng/mL.

Results: In 111 patients, 2,411 of 3,173 removed LNs were examined by both methods. Histopathology detected 68 LN metastases in 28 (25%) patients. Molecular analysis confirmed elevated KLK3 expression in 65 histopathologic LN metastases of all 28 pN1 patients (pN1/molN1) and additionally reclassified 224 histopathologic negative LNs and 32 (29%) pN0 patients as LN-positive (pN0/molN1).

At a median follow-up of 48 months, 52 (47%) patients developed biochemical recurrence. Median biochemical recurrence-free survival was 9 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.0–20.1] in pN1/molN1 patients, 24 months (95% CI, 1.7–46.3) in pN0/molN1 patients and was not reached in pN0/molN0 patients (P < 0.001). On multivariable Cox regression analysis, molecular LN status [HR 4.1 (95% CI, 1.9–8.8), P < 0.001] but not histopathologic LN status [HR 1.5 (95% CI, 0.8–3.0), P = 0.198] was confirmed as independent predictor of biochemical recurrence.

Conclusions: Molecular LN analysis identified pN0 patients with a high risk of biochemical recurrence and provided superior prognostic information in comparison with histopathology alone. Clin Cancer Res; 24(10); 2342–9. ©2018 AACR.
A Trend in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Data from a Population-Based Study
Authors: Kim Shin Hye , Kim Su-Jong , Im Hwibin , Kim Tae-Hun , Song Jae-Jun , Chae Sung-Won
Published: February 2018

This is the first study reporting on the incidence and clinical aspects of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in South Korea. Using Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service data from 2011 to 2015, the monthly incidence of unilateral SSNHL and incidence according to patients’ sex, age, and month of diagnosis were investigated. The monthly incidence of unilateral SSNHL increased over the 5-year study period, with a mean annual incidence of 17.76 cases/ 100,000 of the population. The incidence increased with age, with most patients presenting in their 60s. There was a slight female preponderance, with a male-to-female ratio of 1: 1.35. Most new patients were diagnosed in October, and the fewest in January. In conclusion, this large-scale study indicates that unilateral SSNHL has a higher incidence among the elderly, women, and in autumn (i.e., along with colder weather).
Treatment of Chronic Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura with Homeopathic Dilutions of Patient Blood
Authors: Frei Heiner
Published: February 2018

Background: Conventional or homeopathic treatment of chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is often difficult. The use of homeopathic dilutions of patient blood (HPB) for immunomodulation has been described, which inspired us to try the method in an ITP case. Case Report: A 2-year-old girl with chronic ITP was treated with homeopathic dilutions of her own capillary blood, given orally over 5 months. Immediately after treatment onset there was a rapid normalization of the thrombocyte counts. Within 6 weeks, they rose from 15,000/µl to 254,000/µl. After treatment stop, they decreased to 155,000/µl, increased again spontaneously to 270,000/µl and remained within normal range for over 3 years. Conclusions: Oral administration of homeopathic dilutions of capillary patient blood may possibly be an effective treatment in chronic ITP. If our results can be reproduced, this will revolutionize the treatment of ITP.
Feasibility and Usefulness of a Joystick-Guided Robotic Scope Holder (Soloassist) in Laparoscopic Surgery
Authors: Ohmura Yasushi , Nakagawa Mari , Suzuki Hiromitsu , Kotani Kazutoshi , Teramoto Atsushi
Published: February 2018

Introduction: The Soloassist® system is a joystick-guided robotic scope holder. We evaluated the efficacy of Soloassist in laparoscopic surgery. Methods: We investigated operative time, blood loss, set-up time, length of hospital stay, and the number of participating surgeons in laparoscopic cholecystectomy cases before and after the introduction of Soloassist. Furthermore, we evaluated these factors in each group of 20 elective and emergency cholecystectomy cases by single surgeon after matching their background. To evaluate the performance level of operating Soloassist, we divided the operative field into three areas. Then we counted the frequency of energy device activation in initially 10 cases by a single surgical resident and observed its change. Results: The number of participating surgeons was significantly less and postoperative hospital days were fewer in the Soloassist group. There was no significant difference between set-up time and blood loss both in elective and emergency cases. The total number of energy device activations and that in the dangerous area decreased in accordance with the experience. Conclusion: Considering our results and previous reports, the combination use of an ideal active scope holder and a commercially available 3D scope is currently considered the best approach in laparoscopic surgery. In the near future, development of active scope holders might play an important role in laparoscopic surgery.
Serum FGF21 Is Associated with Future Cardiovascular Events in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Shen Yun , Zhang Xueli , Xu Yiting , Xiong Qin , Lu Zhigang , Ma Xiaojing , Bao Yuqian , Jia Weiping
Published: February 2018

Objectives: To investigate whether serum fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels can be used to predict the future development of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs). Methods: This study included 253 patients who received subsequent follow-up, and complete data were collected for 234 patients. Independent predictors of MACEs were identified by using the Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis. The prognostic value of FGF21 levels for MACEs was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Results: Of 229 patients finally enrolled in the analysis, 27/60 without coronary artery disease (CAD) at baseline experienced a MACE, and 132/169 patients with CAD at baseline experienced a MACE. Among patients with CAD at baseline, serum FGF21 levels were significantly higher in patients with MACEs (p < 0.05) than in patients without MACEs. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed patients with a higher serum FGF21 had a significantly lower event-free survival (p = 0.001) than those with a lower level. Further Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis, including the traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease, showed that serum FGF21 was an independent predictor of MACE occurrence. Conclusions: In patients with CAD at baseline, an elevated serum FGF21 level was associated with the development of a MACE in the future.
P38/TRHr-Dependent Regulation of TPO in Thyroid Cells Contributes to the Hypothyroidism of Triclosan-Treated Rats
Authors: Zhang Pei , Yang Min , Zeng Li , Liu Changjiang
Published: February 2018

Background/Aims: Triclosan, as an antimicrobial agent and a potential endocrine disruptor, has been used extensively in diverse products, resulting in widespread human exposure. In recent years, studies suggest that triclosan could disturb thyroid functions and decline thyroid hormones (THs). Methods: To verify our hypothesis that the MAPK pathway may function significantly in triclosan-induced hypothyroidism, Sprague-Dawley rats were gavaged with triclosan for 31 consecutive days; Nthy-ori 3-1 cells were treated with triclosan in the presence/absence of NAC, inhibitors (SB203580 and SB202474), or TRHr siRNA. Tissues and/or cells were analyzed by several techniques including transmission electron microscopy, confocal laser scanning microscopy, gene silencing, western blot, and real-time PCR. Results: Triclosan led to histopathologic changes in the thyroid and decreases in triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). Triclosan stimulated ROS production and oxidative stress occurrence, thereby activating the p38 pathway in vivo and in vitro. Thyrotropin releasing hormone receptor (TRHr) was induced when the p38 pathway was activated, and was suppressed when that pathway was inhibited. Moreover, thyroid peroxidase (TPO) was restrained and modulated by the p38/TRHr pathway after triclosan treatment. Furthermore, deiodinase 3 (D3) and hepatic enzymes (Ugt2b1, CYP1a1, CYP1a2, CYP2b1, CYP3a1, and Sult1e1) were also induced by triclosan. Conclusion: Taken together, p38/TRHr-dependent regulation of TPO in thyroid cells contributes to the hypothyroidism of triclosan-treated rats.
Functional SNP in the 3’UTR of PON1 is Associated with the Risk of Calcific Aortic Valve Stenosis via MiR-616
Authors: Wang Zhengjun , Chen Shiqiao , Zhu Mei , Zhang Wenlong , Zhang Haizhou , Li Hongxin , Zou Chengwei
Published: February 2018

Background/Aims: Previous studies have examined the associations between the single nucleotide polymorphism in the Paraoxonase 1 (PON1) gene and development of calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS). The association between functional SNP in 3’UTR of PON1 and the risk of CAVS, however, is unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of SNP in the regulation of PON1 expression via miR-616, as well as the association of SNP with the risk of CAVS. Methods: Two hundred and sixteen patients with CAVS and 243 CAVS-free participants were recruited in this study.They all obtained transthoracic echocardiogram and the ejection fraction (EF) and aortic valve area were recorded and analyzed. The PON1 expression were measured by western blot, Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction were used to examine the transcriptional activity of miR-616 and PON1. Differences between CVAS patients and controls in terms of genotype frequency distribution and the estimates of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium were evaluated using chi-square tests. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine the association between the independent effect of rs3735590 SNP and the interaction between genotype, PON1 activity, and other covariates on lipids and CAVS risk. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 17.0.1 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). A p value of < 0 .05 was considered significant for all analyses. Results: This study confirmed that PON1 is a validated target gene of miR-616 in liver cells. The relative quantification representing the expression of PON1 mRNA and the serum level of PON1 protein was decreased in the TT genotype. Moreover, the expression of PON1 had a negative regulatory relationship with the expression of miR-616(r=-0.3959, P<0.05) in human tissues. The patients with CT OR TT genotype at loci rs3735590 had a lower risk of CAVS than patients with the CC genotype. Conclusions: Our results suggest that functional SNP in the 3’UTR of PON1 regulates the expression of PON1 via miR-616, and such SNP is associated with the risk of CAVS in human.
АВТОМАТИЗАЦІЯ ПРОЦЕСУ ДІАГНОСТУВАННЯ СПАДКОВИХ МЕТАБОЛІЧНИХ ЗАХВОРЮВАНЬ ІЗ ВИКОРИСТАННЯМ ІНФОРМАЦІЙНО-АНАЛІТИЧНОЇ СИСТЕМИ РАННЬОЇ ДІАГНОСТИКИ
Authors: Stetsiuk V. Z. , Lisovychenko O. I. , Maliei A. V. , Finogenov O. D. , Olhovich N. V. , Pichkur N. O.
Published: February 2018

The article deals with the possibility of automated application of protocols for early diagnosis in patients with hereditary metabolic diseases. An improvement in diseases diagnosing algorithm with regard to the computing speed is proposed. A method for assisting the doctor of orphan disease department of the NCSH «OKHMADYT» in the process of diagnosing is described.The article describes tools and methods used in the software package.
A Degree Above? The Value-Added Estimates and Evaluation Ratings of Teachers with a Graduate Degree
Authors: Bastian Kevin C.
Published: February 2018

In the present study I use teacher value added and evaluation rating data from North Carolina public schools to estimate the signaling and human capital effects of graduate degrees. These analyses consider the effects of graduate degrees, overall, and the effects of graduate degrees inside and outside teachers’ area(s) of teaching. Signaling analyses show that those with a graduate degree in their area of teaching have comparable value-added estimates and receive higher evaluation ratings than teachers with undergraduate degrees only. Human capital analyses indicate that in-area graduate degrees benefit teacher value added in several comparisons and predict higher evaluation ratings on the Leadership standard. Signaling and human capital effects for out-of-area graduate degrees are generally negative or insignificant. Taken together, these results present a more comprehensive and nuanced view of the effectiveness of teachers with graduate degrees. Future analyses should assess additional outcome measures and continue focusing on the alignment between the graduate degree content and the teaching assignment.
Florence as “Paradise Lost”
Authors: Crum Roger J.
Published: February 2018

The city of Florence has been a place of artistic pilgrimage for centuries. This essay discusses late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century British and American interest in Florence and, specifically, two of its masterpieces in Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise and Botticelli’s Birth of Venus as indicative of a melancholic perspective on the Florentine Renaissance as a “Paradise Lost.” The city was ambivalently idealized as an “Earthly Paradise.”
Translating Dante
Authors: Docherty Linda J.
Published: February 2018

Isabella Stewart Gardner’s museum (Fenway Court) owes its distinctive character to the influence of Dante Alighieri. Gardner’s interest in the Italian poet originated in a context of late nineteenth-century Boston’s enthusiasm for his writing and her personal quest for a meaningful life’s work. As a student of Charles Eliot Norton, a member of the Cambridge Dante Society, and a collector of rare editions of The Divine Comedy, Gardner became apprised of issues surrounding literary translation. When she began to study visual images inspired by Dante’s poetry and to acquire European masterpieces, she was poised to conceive a variation on this practice. As a visual translation of Paradiso, Fenway Court was not an illustration of a classic text but rather a conversion of a spiritual idea of love and beauty from one art form to another. In creating a museum for public education and enjoyment, Gardner exemplified Dante’s moral concept of free will and evoked his poetic vision of heavenly beauty.
Male cowbirds vary the attractiveness of courtship songs with changes in the social context
Authors: Gersick Andrew S. , White David J.
Published: February 2018

Courtship-signalling theory often incorporates the assumption that males must consistently produce the highest-intensity displays they can achieve, thereby indicating their underlying quality to females. Contest-signalling theory, in contrast, assumes that flexible signal performance is routine. The two frameworks thereby suggest conflicting predictions about male flexibility when the same signal operates in both intrasexual and intersexual communication. Sexual competition often occurs within complex social environments where male displays can be received by potential mates, rivals, or both at once. In brown-headed cowbirds’ breeding flocks, for example, multiple males sometimes vie directly for a single female’s attention; at other times males have opportunities to sing to females without interference. We tested whether cowbirds vary the intensity of their signalling across contexts like these. We recorded songs from males courting females both with and without a male competitor in sight. We then played those recordings to solitary, naïve females in sound attenuation chambers, and also to a naïve aviary-housed flock. The songs males had produced when they could see their competitors were more attractive, eliciting more copulatory postures from naïve females and more approaches from birds in the flock. Results suggest high-intensity displays function within a larger, flexible signalling strategy in this species, and the varying audience composition that accompanies social complexity may demand flexible signalling even in classic display behaviours such as birdsong.
Characterisation of the effects on proteases of Heterodera glycines and Meloidogyne incognita second-stage juveniles by inhibitors obtained from cysts of H. glycines
Authors: Masler Edward P.
Published: February 2018

The protease inhibitor component ofHeterodera glycinescyst contents was explored using a battery of peptide substrates andH. glycinesandMeloidogyne incognitasecond-stage juveniles as enzyme sources. Protease inhibitors were prepared by heat-denaturingH. glycinescyst-egg extract (hHglCE), which was used in all inhibition exploration. Eight substrates targeting four endoprotease groups (aspartic, cysteine, metallo- and serine proteases) revealed that protease inhibition by hHglCE varied significantly betweenH. glycinesandM. incognitawith seven of the eight substrates. Only cysteine protease activity was inhibited equally betweenH. glycinesandM. incognita. Aspartic protease activity was inhibited more strongly inH. glycinesand serine protease activity was inhibited more strongly inM. incognita. Digestion of five matrix metalloprotease (MMP) substrates was inhibited more strongly inH. glycines(two substrates) andM. incognita(three substrates). These variations were particularly intriguing given the potential association of MMP proteases with developing embryos. Inhibition of digestion of nematode FMRFamide-like peptides (FLPs) showed less variation between nematode species than the targeted substrates, but inhibition did vary significantly across substrates within each species. Digestion of FLP-6 was the least affected by hHglCE but was inhibited significantly more inM. incognitathan inH. glycines. Residue differences between two FLP-14 sequences significantly affected inhibition of FLP-14 digestion in bothH. glycinesandM. incognita. RP-HPLC fractionation of hHglCE clearly demonstrated the presence of high (Fr No.5) and low (Fr No.14) polarity inhibitor components. Potency of inhibition ofM. incognitaserine protease activity, based upon IC50values (1.68 and 2.78 hHglCEeq reaction−1for Fr No.5 and Fr No.14, respectively), was reduced significantly from unfractionated hHglCE (IC50 = 0.61), suggesting inhibitor dilution, loss of component synergy, or both, due to fractionation.
Treaty Monitoring and Compliance in the Field of Transnational Criminal Law
Authors: Rose Cecily
Published: February 2018

Most transnational criminal law treaties do not benefit from any sort of monitoring mechanism that would allow states parties or other actors to assess their domestic implementation and enforcement. There are a few exceptions, as treaties and other instruments concerning drug control, corruption, and money laundering are indeed accompanied by monitoring mechanisms. But the general pattern across the field of transnational criminal law is clear. This article explores some possible explanations for why transnational criminal law treaties generally lack monitoring mechanisms, and it also highlights the significance of this absence from a compliance perspective. The article advocates not for the creation of more treaty monitoring bodies in the field of transnational criminal law, but instead seeks to explain their relative absence and its significance for the field. The argument, therefore, is not that monitoring bodies are necessarily desirable and ought to exist in greater numbers in this field, but rather that the absence of these bodies obscures information about compliance and impedes research about what these treaties are actually accomplishing. The current state of treaty monitoring in the field of transnational criminal law is significant because of the extent of what we do not know about the effects of these instruments.
A new species of the calcareous sponge genus Leuclathrina (Calcarea: Calcinea: Clathrinida) from the Maldives
Authors: VOIGT OLIVER , RUTHENSTEINER BERNHARD , LEIVA LAURA , FRADUSCO BENEDETTA , WÖRHEIDE GERT
Published: February 2018

The diversity and phylogenetic relationships of calcareous sponges are still not completely understood. Recent integrative approaches combined analyses of DNA and morphological observations. Such studies resulted in severe taxonomic revisions within the subclass Calcinea and provided the foundation for a phylogenetically meaningful classification. However, several genera are missing from DNA phylogenies and their relationship to other Calcinea remain uncertain. One of these genera is Leuclathrina (family Leucaltidae). We here describe a new species from the Maldives, Leuclathrina translucida sp. nov., which is only the second species of the genus. Like the type species Leuclathrina asconoides, the new species has a leuconoid aquiferous system and lacks a specialized choanoskeleton. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial 28S ribosomal RNA gene revealed that L. translucida sp. nov. is most closely related to a clade containing the exclusively asconoid genera Ascandra, Levinella and Soleneiscus, and to a clade of the likewise asconoid genus Ernstia. No close relationship exists to other members of the polyphyletic family Leucaltidae, or to any other leuconoid Calcinea. Our results suggest that the leuconoid aquiferous system of Leuclathrina evolved independently from that of other calcineans and that the family assignment of the genus has to be reconsidered. Because the latter requires a more comprehensive family level revision among many genera of Calcinea, we propose to formally retain the genus in Leucaltidae for the time being.
A new species of Philocheras (Decapoda: Caridea: Crangonidae) from Western Australia, with a key to all species of this genus worldwide
Authors: HAN QINGXI , KEESING JOHN K.
Published: February 2018

One new species and three new distribution records for the family Crangonidae (Crustacea: Decapoda) are reported from Western Australia. A new species, Philocheras gardenensis sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from the Western Australia. The new species closely resembles Philocheras fasciatus (Risso, 1816), but can be distinguished easily by the absence of lobe-like folds on either side of the middle line of the carapace, the presence of a lateral carina extending from the branchiostegal spine, the longer middorsal carina and distolateral tooth of the antennal scale. A key for the genus Philocheras is provided, including currently, a total of 58 species and subspecies reported worldwide. Range extensions of three Crangonid shrimps are reported within Australia, and they are Philocheras obliquus (Fulton & Grant, 1902), Pontocaris arafurae (Bruce, 1988) and Vercoia gibbosa Baker, 1904.
Identification and morphology of an apataniid caddisfly larva from the Levant: Apatania cypria Tjeder 1952
Authors: WARINGER JOHANN , MALICKY HANS
Published: February 2018

This paper describes the previously unknown larva of Apatania cypria Tjeder 1952. Species association was enabled by the fact that both larval and adult specimens were collected at the same location and that A. cypria is the only apataniid species known from this island (Malicky 2005). Information on the morphology of the larva is given, and the most important diagnostic features are discussed, including those distinguishing it from the closely similar A. subtilis Martynov 1909 and A. theischingerorum Malicky 1981. In the context of the Apataniidae key of Waringer et al. (2015), the three species can be separated by gill arrangement, the number of setae on the metanotal lateral sclerite, and by their distribution patterns: A. cypria is a Levantine species of Cyprus and Lebanon, whereas A. subtilis is restricted to the Caucasus area and A. theischingerorum is a large-scale endemic of the Iberian peninsula.
NGOs’ Advocacy in the 2015 Refugee Crisis: A Study of Agenda Building in the Digital Age
Authors: Yang Aimei , Saffer Adam
Published: February 2018

In the 2015 European refugee crisis, nonprofit and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) offered help and actively advocated for millions of refugees. The current study aims to understand what communication strategies are most effective for NGOs to influence media coverage and the public’s social media conversations about refugees. We found that agenda building on traditional media and in social media conversations require different strategies. Specifically, although providing information subsidies could powerfully influence traditional media coverage, its effect waned in the context of social media conversations. In contrast, NGOs’ hyperlink network positions emerged as the one of the influential factors for NGOs’ prominence in social media conversations. Moreover, stakeholder-initiated engagement could influence agenda building both in traditional media coverage and social media conversations. Finally, organizational resources and characteristics are important factors as well. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Explaining reforms: post-New Public Management myths or political realities? Social housing delivery in England and France
Authors: Laffin Martin
Published: February 2018

This article examines the assumption that recent reforms in social and public services can be understood as a transition from New Public Management to post-New Public Management. English and French social housing delivery are selected as two cases in which to test out this assumption, for ostensibly these delivery structures share significant cross-national, post-NPM similarities – a movement towards a more ‘enabling’ or steering role for central government, the creation of coordinating agencies, ‘decentralization’ initiatives, the extensive use of public–private arrangements to finance social housing and the involvement of a wide range of extra- and semi-governmental organizations. However, further investigation reveals that these reforms of delivery structures have not been predominantly driven by an unfolding post-NPM managerial or governance logic as the thesis assumes. Rather the reforms have been driven by the partisan electoral and ideological goals of central government policymakers within the context of institutional legacies and entrenched social values.

Points for practitioners

New Public Management and post-New Public Management have become the conventional wisdom on administrative reforms particularly in a comparative context. This article argues that these ideas reflect an impoverished understanding of public administration given that they assume that change occurs predominantly through the unfolding of managerial and/or governance logics. These logics exclude the critical role of the political parties and other socio-political factors, such as urban unrest, in driving change. This Anglo-French analysis of social housing delivery demonstrates the significance of these political factors in how policymakers define social problems, re-design and implement social housing service delivery systems.
Current Guidance for Fluoride Intake: Is It Appropriate?
Authors: Mejàre I.
Published: February 2018

The purpose of this report is to examine critically the appropriateness of the current guidance for fluoride intake in the population (0.05–0.07 mg F/kg bodyweight/d), consider whether changes to the current guidance are desirable, and suggest further research that will strengthen the evidence base for future decisions on guidance/advice in this area. The benefits and the risks of using fluoride particularly concern preschool children because it is at this age that excessive fluoride intake may result in dental fluorosis. Data from mostly cross-sectional studies show a wide variation in exposure and a considerable variation in the amount of fluoride ingested. Fluorosis, mostly mild, is commonly observed. For considering changes in current guidance, there is a need for more knowledge on the relationship between exposure to fluoride at an early age and the development of fluorosis. For that, prospective epidemiological studies with sufficiently large and representative samples of children are required. It is also important to study children in communities both with and without water fluoridation and to include populations where salt or milk fluoridation is used. There is also a need for professional agreement on acceptable levels of mild and moderate/severe fluorosis and a more comprehensive knowledge on the appreciation of mild fluorosis among the public.
Disappearing dissent? Repression and state consolidation in Mexico
Authors: Osorio Javier , Schubiger Livia I , Weintraub Michael
Published: February 2018

Does violent repression strengthen the state? In this article we explore the legacies of repression by the Mexican government on subsequent patterns of state consolidation. We investigate how a particular form of state repression, forced disappearances of alleged leftist dissidents during the ‘Dirty War’, had path-dependent consequences for different dimensions of state capacity nearly 50 years later. To do so, we rely on data gathered from suppressed Mexican human rights reports of forced disappearances which, to our knowledge, have not been analyzed by social scientists before. Controlling for a rich set of pre-disappearances covariates we find that forced disappearances are positively correlated with contemporary measures of fiscal, territorial, and bureaucratic capacity. However, historical forced disappearances do not help the state to provide security, to consolidate its monopoly over the use of force, or to provide welfare-related public goods in the long run. Moreover, disappearances are negatively correlated with various measures of trust in the government. Forced disappearances committed by the state appear to have long-term yet heterogeneous effects on state consolidation.
Flourishing-at-Work: The Role of Positive Organizational Practices
Authors: Redelinghuys Kleinjan , Rothmann Sebastiaan , Botha Elrie
Published: February 2018

The first aim of the study was to investigate the effects of flourishing at work (as measured by the Flourishing-at-Work Scale—Short Form) on intention to leave, performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. The second aim was to determine the prevalence of workplace flourishing and to examine differences in the perceived flourishing levels of teachers based on the positive practices they experience in their organization. A sample of 258 secondary school educators in the Gauteng province of South Africa was used in the cross-sectional design. The Flourishing-at-Work Scale—Short Form, Turnover Intention Scale, In-Role Behavior Scale, Organizational Citizenship Behavior Scale, and the Positive Practices Questionnaire were administered. The results showed acceptable psychometric properties for the short scale which measures flourishing. Workplace flourishing negatively predicted intention to leave, while positively predicting in-role performance and organizational citizenship behavior. A total of 44.19% of the population flourished, while 49.22% were moderately mentally healthy and 6.59% languished. Positive organizational practices were associated with flourishing at work.
Antifungal activity of cotton fabrics finished modified silica-silver- carbon-based hybrid nanoparticles
Authors: Katerine Igal , Romina A Arreche , Jorge E Sambeth , Natalia Bellotti , José R Vega-Baudrit , Carlos Redondo-Gómez , Patricia G Vázquez
Published: February 2018

In this work, the one-pot sol-gel synthesis of novel siliceous matrixes doped with carbon from spent batteries is reported. The obtained solids with silver nitrate were characterized by their antifungal activity against Aspergillus sp., Cladosporium sp. and Chaetomium globosum, three well-known cellulolytic microorganisms responsible for the deterioration of cotton fabric. In this research it was possible to develop a methodology for the impregnation of cotton fabrics (brin type) and to evaluate the antifungal efficacy. Cotton fabric containing the highest amount of carbon showed the highest antifungal activity against C. globosum and Aspergillus sp. This may be because as the amount of carbon in the silica increases, there is an increase in the surface area that facilitates an effective distribution of the active phase to act, inhibiting the fungal growth.
The intersection of disability and in-work poverty in an advanced industrial nation: The lived experience of multiple disadvantage in a post-financial crisis UK
Authors: Richards James , Sang Kate
Published: February 2018

The 2007–2008 financial crisis has affected the prospects for workers in a range of ways. In-work poverty represents just one, yet key feature of how prospects for workers have changed in recent times. In-work poverty disproportionately impacts on marginalised groups, such as the disabled. Current research reveals little about how disability and poverty intersect in the context of employment. To address this oversight, life history interviews were conducted with disabled people in in-work poverty. The findings were analysed using the social model of disability and the lens of intersectionality. The results highlight how government policies, employer practices and household finances impact on disabled workers’ lived experience of in-work poverty. The findings suggest that governments and employers can do more to reduce barriers to escaping in-work poverty for disabled workers.
An EM-Based Method for Q-Matrix Validation
Authors: Wang Wenyi , Song Lihong , Ding Shuliang , Meng Yaru , Cao Canxi , Jie Yongjing
Published: February 2018

With the purpose to assist the subject matter experts in specifying their Q-matrices, the authors used expectation–maximization (EM)–based algorithm to investigate three alternative Q-matrix validation methods, namely, the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE), the marginal maximum likelihood estimation (MMLE), and the intersection and difference (ID) method. Their efficiency was compared, respectively, with that of the sequential EM-based δ method and its extension (ς2), the γ method, and the nonparametric method in terms of correct recovery rate, true negative rate, and true positive rate under the deterministic-inputs, noisy “and” gate (DINA) model and the reduced reparameterized unified model (rRUM). Simulation results showed that for the rRUM, the MLE performed better for low-quality tests, whereas the MMLE worked better for high-quality tests. For the DINA model, the ID method tended to produce better quality Q-matrix estimates than other methods for large sample sizes (i.e., 500 or 1,000). In addition, the Q-matrix was more precisely estimated under the discrete uniform distribution than under the multivariate normal threshold model for all the above methods. On average, the ς2 and ID method with higher true negative rates are better for correcting misspecified Q-entries, whereas the MLE with higher true positive rates is better for retaining the correct Q-entries. Experiment results on real data set confirmed the effectiveness of the MLE.