bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein Arginine Methyltransferase PRMT1 Is Essential for Palatogenesis
Authors: Gou Y. , Li J. , Jackson-Weaver O. , Wu J. , Zhang T. , Gupta R. , Cho I. , Ho T.V. , Chen Y. , Li M. , Richard S. , Wang J. , Chai Y. , Xu J.
Published: July 2018

Cleft palate is among the most common birth defects. Currently, only 30% of cases have identified genetic causes, whereas the etiology of the majority remains to be discovered. We identified a new regulator of palate development, protein arginine methyltransferase 1 (PRMT1), and demonstrated that disruption of PRMT1 function in neural crest cells caused complete cleft palate and craniofacial malformations. PRMT1 is the most highly expressed of the protein arginine methyltransferases, enzymes responsible for methylation of arginine motifs on histone and nonhistone proteins. PRMT1 regulates signal transduction and transcriptional activity that affect multiple signal pathways crucial in craniofacial development, such as the BMP, TGFβ, and WNT pathways. We demonstrated that Wnt1-Cre;Prmt1 fl/fl mice displayed a decrease in palatal mesenchymal cell proliferation and failure of palatal shelves to reach the midline. Further analysis in signal pathways revealed that loss of Prmt1 in mutant mice decreased BMP signaling activation and reduced the deposition of H4R3me2a mark. Collectively, our study demonstrates that Prmt1 is crucial in palate development. Our study may facilitate the development of a better strategy to interrupt the formation of cleft palate through manipulation of PRMT1 activity.
A Cross-Modal Working Memory Binding Span Deficit in Reading Disability
Authors: Toffalini Enrico , Marsura Mara , Garcia Ricardo Basso , Cornoldi Cesare
Published: July 2018

Successful reading demands the ability to combine visual-phonological information into a single representation and is associated with an efficient short-term memory. Reading disability may consequently involve an impaired working memory binding of visual and phonological information. The present study proposes two span tasks for assessing visual-phonological working memory binding. The tasks involved memorizing cross-modal associations between nonsense figures and nonwords, and they were administered, with other working memory measures, to children with and without a reading disability. The tasks required recognizing which figure was associated with a given nonword and recalling which nonword was associated with a given figure. Children with a reading disability had a similar significant deficit in both cross-modal binding tasks when compared with the control children, and the difference remained significant even after controlling for other verbal and nonverbal working memory measures. The cross-modal binding tasks described here seem to capture a core aspect of working memory associated with reading and may be a useful procedure for assessing reading disabilities.
Intuitive and Instrumental Grief: A Study of the Reliability and Validity of the Grief Pattern Inventory
Authors: Gamino Louis A. , Sewell Kenneth W. , Prosser-Dodds Lisa , Hogan Nancy S.
Published: July 2018

A convenience sample of 209 participants completed the Grief Pattern Inventory (GPI) together with the Hogan Grief Reaction Checklist (HGRC), the Integration of Stressful Life Events Scale (ISLES), and the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Alpha coefficients of the GPI’s intuitive and instrumental subscales were improved by eliminating low-performing items and empirically reassigning items from the GPI dissonant subscale. The two modified scales showed a near zero intercorrelation indicating they were independent constructs in this sample, a conclusion further verified by factor analysis. Both styles correlated with distress measures from the HGRC and correlated negatively with adaptation indicators from the ISLES, though the findings were stronger for intuitive grievers. MBTI findings revealed that intuitive grievers endorsed significantly more “feeling” in how processing occurs while grievers who preferred sensing/thinking functions more often identified with the instrumental grief pattern. Implications of these findings for scholars and clinicians are discussed.
Discrimination of fabric frictional sounds based on Haar features
Authors: Tao Chen , Duan Yafeng , Hong Xinghua
Published: July 2018

In allusion to the challenging issue of identifying fabric materials by frictional sounds, this study endeavors to prove the possibility of classifying fabric friction sounds into their material categories using discriminators built upon the Haar features. A total of 32 pieces of fabric falling into four material categories including cotton, wool, silk, and flax are put through a specialized apparatus to collect frictional sound signals. The Haar features on every scale and position of the acquired signal are extracted to establish a feature space. For each point in the feature space, a discriminator is built to approve all positive samples of a certain category and deny as many negative samples as possible. To relieve the heavy burden produced by the huge number of discriminators, progressive selection is performed on the discriminators to form a queue in which a discriminator is liable to fix some errors of the former. The outcome is a much-reduced version of the unordered discriminators with the same discriminability. The improved Haar feature is also investigated and is found to be capable of reducing the size of the discrimination queue, thus further improving the efficiency of the mechanism. It is also revealed that additional samples involved can help achieve a perfect accuracy. The discrimination mechanism advanced by this effort can provide a basis for identifying fabric materials by frictional sounds.
Communicative Predictors of Older Adults’ Successful Aging, Mental Health, and Alcohol Use
Authors: Bernhold Quinten S. , Gasiorek Jessica , Giles Howard
Published: July 2018

We examined how older adults’ communication about age-related topics is related to aging efficacy, successful aging, and well-being. Guided by the communicative ecology model of successful aging, three profiles of “environmental chatter”—that is, patterns of accommodation and overaccommodation older adults received from relational partners—were identified: positive, mixed-positive, and negative. Four profiles of individuals’ own age-related communication were identified, including a new profile: gloomy agers. Chatter profile membership and own age-related communication profile membership indirectly predicted successful aging, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and perceptions of unhealthy alcohol consumption via aging efficacy, but not self-reported alcoholic drinks consumed. Communication by both older adults and their relational partners may be consequential to experiences of successful aging and well-being.
Present-day geothermal regime of the Uliastai Depression, Erlian Basin, North China
Authors: Xu Wei , Huang Shaopeng , Zhang Jiong , Yu Ruyang , Zuo Yinhui , Zhou Yongshui , Chang Junhe
Published: July 2018

In this study, we calculated the present-day terrestrial heat flow of the Uliastai Depression in Erlian Basin by using systematical steady-state temperature data obtained from four deep boreholes and 89 thermal conductivity measurements from 22 boreholes. Then, we calculated the lithospheric thermal structure, thermal lithospheric thickness, and lithospheric thermo-rheological structure by combining crustal structure, thermal conductivity, heat production, and rheological parameter data. Research from the Depression shows that the present-day terrestrial heat flow ( qs) is 86.3 ± 2.3 mW/m2, higher than the average of 60.4 ± 12.3 mW/m2 of the continental area of China. Mantle heat flow ( qm) in the Depression ranges from 33.7 to 39.3 mW/m2, qm/ qs ranges from 40 to 44%, show that the crust plays the dominant position in the terrestrial heat flow. The thermal thickness of the lithosphere is about 74–88 km and characterized by a “strong crust–weak mantle” rheological characteristic. The total lithospheric strength is 1.5 × 1012 N/m under wet mantle conditions. Present-day geothermal regime indicates that the Uliastai Depression has a high thermal background, the activity of the deep-seated lithosphere is relatively intense. This result differs significantly from the earlier understanding that the area belongs to a cold basin. However, a hot basin should be better consistent with the evidences from lithochemistry and geophysical observations. The results also show the melts/fluids in the study area may be related to the subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The study of the geothermal regime in the Uliastai Depression provides new geothermal evidence for the volcanic activity in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and has significant implications for the geodynamic characteristics.
Cognitive Reflection and the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election
Authors: Pennycook Gordon , Rand David G.
Published: July 2018

We present a large exploratory study ( N = 15,001) investigating the relationship between cognitive reflection and political affiliation, ideology, and voting in the 2016 Presidential Election. We find that Trump voters are less reflective than Clinton voters or third-party voters. However, much (although not all) of this difference was driven by Democrats who chose Trump. Among Republicans, conversely, Clinton and Trump voters were similar, whereas third-party voters were more reflective. Furthermore, although Democrats/liberals were somewhat more reflective than Republicans/conservatives overall, political moderates and nonvoters were least reflective, whereas libertarians were most reflective. Thus, beyond the previously theorized correlation between analytic thinking and liberalism, these data suggest three additional consequences of reflectiveness (or lack thereof) for political cognition: (a) facilitating political apathy versus engagement, (b) supporting the adoption of orthodoxy versus heterodoxy, and (c) drawing individuals toward candidates who share their cognitive style and toward policy proposals that are intuitively compelling.
A global analysis of how losing an election affects voter satisfaction with democracy
Authors: Farrer Benjamin , Zingher Joshua N
Published: July 2018

In this article, we argue that a deeper understanding of citizen satisfaction with democratic elections requires a global perspective. Regional research found that a gap in satisfaction with democracy emerges after an election, between those who supported winning parties and those that did not, and also, crucially, that this gap can be reduced under proportional electoral institutions. In this article we argue instead that these theories of the winner–loser gap actually apply to only a narrow set of countries. We use a comprehensive global dataset to show that the predictions of this theory about the effects of proportional institutions are accurate for Western Europe, but not outside it. Beyond a small cluster of established democracies in Western Europe, the electoral environment is characterized by more fundamental uncertainty. This uncertainty alters the incentives created by proportional institutions. We conclude that the winner–loser gap and ‘losers’ consent’ are concepts that vary systematically around the world. We discuss the implications of this for democratic stability.
Aortic valve replacement with essential thrombocythemia
Authors: Yuzaki Mitsuru , Honda Kentaro , Kaneko Masahiro , Nakai Takeo , Kunimoto Hideki , Nishimura Yoshiharu
Published: July 2018

Cardiac surgery in patients with essential thrombocythemia carries the risks of both thrombotic events and a bleeding tendency. We report the case of a 75-year-old man with essential thrombocythemia who underwent successful surgical aortic valve replacement after his platelet count was controlled with plateletpheresis 3 times before surgery.
Simultaneous system design and path planning: A sampling-based algorithm
Authors: Molloy Kevin , Denarie Laurent , Vaisset Marc , Siméon Thierry , Cortés Juan
Published: July 2018

This paper addresses the simultaneous design and path-planning problem, in which features associated to the bodies of a mobile system must be selected to find the best design that optimizes its motion between two given configurations. Solving individual path-planning problems for all possible designs and selecting the best result would be straightforward only for very simple cases. We propose a more efficient approach that combines discrete (design) and continuous (path) optimization in a single stage. It builds on an extension of a sampling-based algorithm, which simultaneously explores the configuration-space costmap of all possible designs, aiming to find the best path-design pair. The algorithm filters out unsuitable designs during the path search, which breaks down the combinatorial explosion. Illustrative results are presented for relatively simple (academic) robotic examples, showing that even in these simple cases, the computational cost can be reduced by two orders of magnitude with respect to the naïve approach. A preliminary application to challenging problems in computational biology related to protein design is also discussed.
Acidic stress induces protective autophagy in SGC7901 cells
Authors: Sheng Jie , Sun Li-Bin , Zhao Shu-Fen , Qi Wei-Wei , Lv Jing , Zhang Zhong-Guang , Ding Ai-Ping , Qiu Wen-Sheng
Published: July 2018

Objective

To investigate the effect of acidity on gastric cancer SGC7901 cells in terms of autophagy and provide a new strategy for therapeutically targeting gastric cancer autophagy in an acidic environment.

Methods

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to examine the effect of an acidic environment on autophagosome formation. Light chain 3 (LC3) and p62 levels in SGC7901 cells exposed to acidic conditions were measured using Western blot analysis. To explore changes in autophagy flux, the cells were treated with an inhibitor of autophagy bafilomycin A1. The CCK-8 assay was performed to determine if inhibiting acid-induced autophagy affected cell proliferation.

Results

Increased autophagosome formation was observed by TEM. Punctate LC3 structures were observed in cells cultured under acidic conditions, whereas untreated cells exhibited diffuse and weak staining for punctate LC3 structures. Cytoplasmic LC3-I translocated to the autophagic membrane (LC3-II) levels increased under acidic conditions, whereas p62 levels decreased. The bafilomycin A1-induced inhibition of autophagy caused by the acidic environment inhibited cell proliferation.

Conclusion

The acidic environment upregulates autophagy in SGC7901 cells. In long-term culture, a stable and high level of autophagy is maintained in an acidic environment, which has a protective effect on cells.
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery for unresectable stage IVB Serous endometrial cancer
Authors: Bogani Giorgio , Ditto Antonino , Leone Roberti Maggiore Umberto , Scaffa Cono , Mosca Lavinia , Chiappa Valentina , Martinelli Fabio , Lorusso Domenica , Raspagliesi Francesco
Published: July 2018

Objective:

To test the safety and effectiveness of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery in unresectable stage IVB serous endometrial cancer.

Methods:

Data of consecutive stage IVB serous endometrial cancer are reviewed. Patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus interval debulking surgery were propensity matched with patients undergoing primary surgery followed by adjuvant treatment.

Results:

Thirty-four patients were diagnosed with a stage IVB endometrial cancer. Fifteen (44.1%) patients had neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery; while 19 (55.8%) patients had primary cytoreduction. Among this latter group, 15 (78.9%) patients were selected, using a propensity-matched algorithm. Results of propensity-matching baseline characteristics of patients included were similar between groups. Patients having neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus interval debulking surgery had shorter length of hospital stay (4 [1.40] vs 6 [2.5] days; p=0.011) compared with patients in the control group. Moreover, patients in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group experienced a trend toward shorter operative time (127 [62] vs 177.6 [84.5] minutes; p=0.072) and lower transfusion rate than patients in the control group (6.6% vs 33.3%; p=0.067). Cytoreduction rate was similar between groups (p=0.962). No difference in postoperative morbidity was recorded. Median disease-free survival was 12.0 vs 15.3 months in the experimental vs control group (p=0.663; log-rank test). Median overall survival was 16.7 vs 18.0 months in the experimental vs control group (p=0.349; log-rank test).

Conclusions:

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy might be a valuable treatment modality for patients with unresectable stage IVB serous endometrial cancer. Innovative treatments are warranted in this cluster of patients.
Future orientation and foreign entry mode choice in the internationalization of professional service firms
Authors: Suseno Yuliani , Pinnington Ashly H
Published: July 2018

The purpose of this study is to examine the future orientation dimension of national culture on the choice of foreign entry mode in the context of the internationalization of Australian law firms. Our findings indicate short-term orientation for the firms’ choice of entry mode to international markets, with top-tier firms preferring joint venture arrangements, while both mid-tier law firms and boutique law firms prefer ‘fly-in, fly-out’ methods of internationalization. Our study provides guidance for scholars and managers seeking to examine and reflect on firm internationalization, particularly the future orientation dimension and market entry strategies.
The role of frugal innovation and collaborative ecosystems
Authors: Sharmelly Rifat , Ray Pradeep Kanta
Published: July 2018

This article examines the product innovation management strategy of a developed economy multinational corporation case in India. Drawing on institutional theory, the analysis indicates that product innovation for emerging markets is essentially built on the frugal innovation capabilities of a firm. The findings show that through frugal engineering, bricolage, and modularity, it is possible to implement frugal innovation that creates value with less resource and at low costs. Further, the analysis shows how developing a collaborative ecosystem along with a deep embeddedness in the local economy facilitates frugal innovation. The article has important implications for theory and management practice.
Economic benefits of treating medication-overuse headache – results from the multicenter COMOESTAS project
Authors: Jellestad Pernille Linde , Carlsen Louise Ninett , Westergaard Maria Lurenda , Munksgaard Signe Bruun , Bendtsen Lars , Lainez Miguel , Fadic Ricardo , Katsarava Zaza , Goicochea Maria Teresa , Spadafora Santiago , Jensen Rigmor Højland , Nappi Giuseppe , Tassorelli Cristina ,   the COMOESTAS Consortium
Published: July 2018

Background

Medication-overuse headache is a costly disease for individuals and society.

Objective

To estimate the impact of medication-overuse headache treatment on direct and indirect headache-related health care costs.

Methods

This prospective longitudinal study was part of the COMOESTAS project (COntinuous MOnitoring of Medication Overuse Headache in Europe and Latin America: development and STAndardization of an Alert and decision support System). Patients with medication-overuse headache were included from four European and two Latin American headache centers. Costs of acute medication, costs of health care services, and measurements of productivity were calculated at baseline and at 6-month follow-up Treatment consisted of overused drug withdrawal with optional preventive medication.

Results

A total of 475 patients (71%) completed treatment and were followed up for 6 months. Direct health care costs were on average reduced significantly by 52% ( p < 0.001) for the total study population. Significant reductions were seen in both number of consumed tablets (−71%, p < 0.001) and number of visits to physicians (−43%, p < 0.001). Fifty percent of patients reduced their number of consumed tablets ≥ 80%. Headache-related productivity loss, calculated either as absence from work or ≥ 50% reduction of productivity during the workday, were reduced by 21% and 34%, respectively ( p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Standardized treatment of medication-overuse headache in six countries significantly reduced direct health care costs and increased productivity. This emphasizes the importance of increasing awareness of the value of treating medication-overuse headache.

Trial registration

The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (no. NCT02435056)
Graft-Recipient Anteroposterior Mismatch Does Not Affect the Midterm Clinical Outcomes of Osteochondral Allograft Transplantation of the Femoral Condyle
Authors: Wang Dean , Coxe Francesca R. , Balazs George C. , Chang Brenda , Jones Kristofer J. , Rodeo Scott A. , Williams Riley J.
Published: July 2018

Background:

For the treatment of femoral condyle cartilage defects with osteochondral allograft transplantation (OCA), many surgeons have relaxed their graft-recipient size-matching criteria given the limited allograft supply. However, since the anteroposterior (AP) length is typically correlated with the radius of curvature for a given condyle, a large mismatch in graft-recipient AP length can indicate a corresponding mismatch in the radius of curvature, leading to articular incongruity after implantation.

Purpose:

To evaluate the association between femoral condyle graft–recipient AP mismatch and clinical outcomes of OCA.

Study Design:

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A retrospective review was conducted of patients treated with OCA for femoral condyle chondral defects from 2000 to 2015. Graft characteristics, including AP and mediolateral dimensions, were gathered from vendor-specific allograft offering documents. Patient condyle dimensions were measured on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Reoperations and patient responses to validated outcome measures were reviewed. Failure was defined by any partial removal/revision of the allograft or conversion to knee arthroplasty. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to examine the association of AP mismatch with OCA failure while adjusting for patient age and number of previous ipsilateral knee surgical procedures.

Results:

A total of 69 knees from 69 patients (mean age, 35.7 years; 71% male) met the inclusion criteria. Mean duration of follow-up was 4 years (range, 2-16 years). The mean absolute graft-recipient AP mismatch was 6.7 mm (range, 0-20 mm; P < .01). At final follow-up, 19 knees had failed. There was no significant difference in the mean absolute AP mismatch between failures (8.1 mm) and nonfailures (6.2 mm; P = .17). Multivariate logistic regression revealed that AP mismatch was not associated with graft failure ( P = .14). At final follow-up, significant improvements were noted in the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, International Knee Documentation Committee subjective form, and Knee Outcome Survey–Activities of Daily Living ( P < .01 for all). Magnitude of AP mismatch was not associated with postoperative outcome scores or achievement of minimal clinically significant differences in outcome scores.

Conclusion:

Magnitude of graft-recipient AP mismatch was not associated with midterm OCA failure rates or patient-reported outcome scores, suggesting that AP length mismatch within the limits measured here is not a contraindication for graft acceptance.
Leadership Development as a Driver of Equity and Inclusion
Authors: Alvarez Sally M. , Alvarez Jose F.
Published: July 2018

Cases presented in this volume highlight the need for innovative leadership development if young worker/activists are to prepare for leadership roles in established institutions that are facing radical economic and workforce changes. Focusing on one successful program in New York, the authors discuss the theoretical underpinnings, development, and outcomes of a multiunion, multisector program, noting its impact on the regional labor movement and analyzing key factors accounting for the program’s successful development of innovative-minded young leaders. The authors examine its usefulness in building inclusion and solidarity across dimensions of difference, including age, race, gender, ethnicity, sector, ableness, education level, industry, and more.
Lumbar Cerebrospinal Fluid Evolution in Childhood Tuberculous Meningitis
Authors: Grobbelaar Madelein , van Toorn Ronald , Solomons Regan
Published: July 2018

As early diagnosis of childhood tuberculous meningitis cannot rely on mycobacterial confirmation, clinical, cerebrospinal fluid and neuroimaging features are essential. We aimed to describe the evolution of serially analyzed lumbar cerebrospinal fluid parameters. We performed a retrospective observational study including children <13 years with suspected tuberculous meningitis at Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. Cerebrospinal fluid parameters at admission and weeks 1, 2, and 3 were analyzed. Of 318 children with suspected tuberculous meningitis, 53 (17%) had “definite” tuberculous meningitis and 265 (83%) “probable” tuberculous meningitis. Longitudinal clustering revealed 3 distinct profiles, with 1 group atypically demonstrating initial increase in lymphocyte count, neutrophil count, and protein concentration. The decreasing cerebrospinal fluid glucose trend remained uniform among all groups. A gradual decline in cerebrospinal fluid lymphocyte, neutrophil and protein count, and rise in cerebrospinal fluid glucose concentration is expected; however, normal variability exists.
Public opinion polls and covert colonialism in British Hong Kong
Authors: Mok Florence
Published: July 2018

This article examines colonial statecraft and state–society relations in a pivotal period for Hong Kong. Using historical methods and archival evidence, it overcomes the limitations in existing research, which is often theoretically driven and reliant on published sources. The article reveals that the Hong Kong masses were made structurally invisible by the Movement of Opinion Direction (MOOD), a polling exercise introduced by the reformist colonial state. The public were unaware that their views were disseminated to policymakers and that they affected policy formulation: this was covert colonialism. The article investigates confidential MOOD reports generated by the Home Affairs Department from 1975 to 1980, demonstrating why and how the colonial administration constructed public opinion. By disclosing what these secret files reveal about changing public attitudes towards the colonial government, the United Kingdom and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the article also provides new insights into public receptions of the state’s reforms and potential threats to the colonial regime in the 1970s.
Deformation of nozzle, needle, and control plunger of solenoid fuel injector under high injection pressure
Authors: Wu Dong-wei , Sun Bai-gang , Xu Dan
Published: July 2018

Future diesel engines require the use of solenoid fuel injection system with the ultra-high pressure of more than 2000 bars. The nozzle, needle, and control plunger of the solenoid injector deform under high pressure. This deformation affects the movement characteristics of the needle, thereby influencing the precise control of fuel injection. A test rig is set up to investigate the structural deformation and influencing factors of the solenoid injector under high pressure. The structural deformation of nozzle, needle, and control plunger under different pressures can be obtained by measuring the displacement of the upper end of the control plunger in the axial direction. The experimental longitudinal deformation of nozzle, needle, and control plunger of the solenoid injector, which was selected for the study, reaches 0.109 mm under the pressure of 1600 bars. This value is close to 40% of the maximum needle lift, which is 0.3 mm. Thus, the deformation can no longer be ignored. In view of the solenoid injector deformation under high injection pressure, a three-dimensional calculation model is established. The calculated results are compared with the experimental data. The calculation total longitudinal deformation of nozzle, needle, control plunger, and contact surface reaches 0.238 mm under the pressure of 2500 bars. The structure deformation of solenoid injector with different materials or geometric parameters is calculated under the pressure of 100–2500 bars. The deformation with new materials is 0.198 mm and the deformation with new geometric parameters is 0.0333 mm under the pressure of 2500 bar. These calculations show that the use of shorter control plungers, shorter needles, and larger wall thickness nozzles can effectively reduce injector deformation under high pressure. The results of the study can provide guidance on injector design, which can work with high injection pressure and much accurate injection.
A new survival model with surviving fraction: An application to colorectal cancer data
Authors: Barriga Gladys DC , Cancho Vicente G , Garibay Daniel V , Cordeiro Gauss M , Ortega Edwin MM
Published: July 2018

We propose a new survival model for lifetime data in the presence of surviving fraction and obtain some of its properties. Its genesis is based on extensions of the promotion time cure model, where an extra parameter controls the heterogeneity or dependence of an unobserved number of lifetimes. We construct a regression model to evaluate the effects of covariates in the cured fraction. We discuss inference aspects for the proposed model in a classical approach, where some maximum likelihood tools are explored. Further, an expectation maximization algorithm is developed to calculate the maximum likelihood estimates of the model parameters. We also perform an empirical study of the likelihood ratio test in order to compare the promotion time cure and the proposed models. We illustrate the usefulness of the new model by means of a colorectal cancer data set.
Enhanced Neurogenesis and Collaterogenesis by Sodium Danshensu Treatment After Focal Cerebral Ischemia in Mice
Authors: Wei Zheng Zachory , Chen Dongdong , Liu Li-Ping , Gu Xiaohuan , Zhong Weiwei , Zhang Yong-Bo , Wang Yongjun , Yu Shan Ping , Wei Ling
Published: July 2018

Ischemic stroke remains a serious threat to human life. There are limited effective therapies for the treatment of stroke. We have previously demonstrated that angiogenesis and neurogenesis in the brain play an important role in functional recovery following ischemic stroke. Recent studies indicate that increased arteriogenesis and collateral circulation are determining factors for restoring reperfusion and outcomes of stroke patients. Danshensu, the Salvia miltiorrhiza root extract, is used in treatments of various human ischemic events in traditional Chinese medicine. Its therapeutic mechanism, however, is not well clarified. Due to its proposed effect on angiogenesis and arteriogenesis, we hypothesized that danshensu could benefit stroke recovery through stimulating neurogenesis and collaterogenesis in the post-ischemia brain. Focal ischemic stroke targeting the right sensorimotor cortex was induced in wild-type C57BL6 mice and transgenic mice expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) to label smooth muscle cells of brain arteries. Sodium danshensu (SDS, 700 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) 10 min after stroke and once daily until animals were sacrificed. To label proliferating cells, 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU; 50 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered, starting on day 3 after ischemia and continued once daily until sacrifice. At 14 days after stroke, SDS significantly increased the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in the peri-infarct region. SDS-treated animals showed increased number of doublecortin (DCX)-positive cells. Greater numbers of proliferating endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells were detected in SDS-treated mice 21 days after stroke in comparison with vehicle controls. The number of newly formed neurons labeled by NeuN and BrdU antibodies increased in SDS-treated mice 28 days after stroke. SDS significantly increased the newly formed arteries and the diameter of collateral arteries, leading to enhanced local cerebral blood flow recovery after stroke. These results suggest that systemic sodium danshensu treatment shows significant regenerative effects in the post-ischemic brain, which may benefit long-term functional recovery from ischemic stroke.
Obviously without foundation: Discretion and the identification of clearly abusive asylum applicants
Authors: Magalhães Bruno
Published: July 2018

This article looks at how asylum examiners in Brazil account for their ability to identify asylum applications they see as clearly abusive. The argument highlights a proclivity in examiners’ talk to shift discursive registers, from law and evidence to psychological and social bias, when talking about identifications they agree and do not agree with. This way of talking, it is argued, allows examiners to treat the refusal of clearly abusive claims as self-explanatory, while also acknowledging discretion as an inescapable feature of asylum decision-making. By relying on this ambiguous style of speaking truth, which portrays the outcome of claims as both dependent on and free of discretion, Brazilian examiners accrue authority to their views. Decisions to deny clearly abusive claims are rendered reasonable, in spite of barely being accounted for. What is worse, register-shifting kills the drive to ask what makes these denials so obvious by making the very question sound absurd.
“I Don’t Like Being That Hyperaware of My Body”: Women Survivors of Sexual Violence and Their Experience of Exercise
Authors: Smith-Marek Erika N. , Baptist Joyce , Lasley Chandra , Cless Jessica D.
Published: July 2018

The experience of exercise among women survivors of sexual violence is a multifaceted phenomenon. In effort to inform treatment interventions, we used a phenomenological approach to describe the lived experience of exercise among women survivors of sexual violence. Data analysis from a focus group discussion and individual interviews with eight women survivors receiving services at a rape crisis center (RCC) revealed four themes: exercising (and not exercising) fosters safety, exercising is risky, past trauma restricts exercise choices, and exercising is beneficial. Findings indicate that survivors’ experience of exercise is related to their connections with self and their social environment. Survivors’ choices related to exercise were impacted by their stage of recovery. A variety of social-contextual factors appeared to support or impede motivation to exercise and it was not disinterest in exercise or low confidence in the ability to exercise, but restricted exercise options perceived as safe that influenced exercise motivation.
Spontaneous hematoma of the thigh associated with antiproteinase-3 antibody in a patient with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma treated with nivolumab
Authors: Keung Yi-Kong , Hu Eddie H.
Published: July 2018

We report an unusual case of spontaneous intramuscular hematoma associated with antiproteinase 3 antibody in a patient with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma receiving nivolumab and the medical literature is reviewed.
Parental Stress and Parental Self-Efficacy as Mediators of the Association Between Children’s ADHD and Marital Satisfaction
Authors: Ben-Naim Shiri , Gill Noam , Laslo-Roth Roni , Einav Michal
Published: July 2018

Parents of children with ADHD often experience low marital satisfaction, since the child’s increased susceptibility to maladjustment can affect family dynamics as a whole. Objectives: To explore this association by examining parental stress and parental self-efficacy as two possible mediators. Method: Totally, 182 Israeli parents of children in the first to ninth grades (63 parents of children with ADHD and 119 without) completed parental self-efficacy, marital satisfaction, and parental stress questionnaires. Results: As expected, parents of children with ADHD reported higher parental stress, and lower self-efficacy and marital satisfaction than non-ADHD parents. The association between ADHD parents and marital satisfaction was fully explained by parental stress and self-efficacy, suggesting that personal characteristics and situation appraisal are tapped when facing strain and hardship. Conclusion: These findings provide a window of hope for an otherwise deterministic view of the ADHD-marital dissolution relationship and propose individual and familial interventions that may minimize these damaging effects.
An Assessment of Evaluation Instruction Related to the Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis Competencies in Health Education–Related Professional Preparation Programs
Authors: Thackeray Rosemary , Neiger Brad L. , Willey Victoria A.
Published: July 2018

Background. Conducting evaluation and research is one of the seven areas of responsibility for health education specialists. However, there is little evidence to suggest that professional preparation programs use the competencies as identified by the 2015 Health Education Specialist Practice Analysis (HESPA) as a basis for instruction. Aims. To determine the degree to which departments with undergraduate health education–related professional preparation programs provide instruction in the HESPA 2015 Model evaluation competencies. Method. This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, nonexperimental study design. Data were collected using an online survey from programs that prepare students to sit for the CHES exam. Results. Faculty provide instruction about all evaluation subcompetencies regardless of entry- or advanced-level designation. Developing an evaluation plan, monitoring implementation, and selecting, adapting, and creating instruments to collect data represent the competencies taught most frequently. On average, two to three class periods are spent on each competency. Discussion. Advanced-level competencies, more commonly associated with graduate-level training and degrees, are commonly taught at the undergraduate level. This may be due to a lack of awareness of changes to the designation of competencies and subcompetencies as entry- or advanced-level in the HESPA 2015 Model framework, a lack of awareness or appreciation for the framework in general, competing values in the selection of curriculum content, or lack of professional consensus related to terms and definitions. Conclusion. Faculty should consider emphasizing entry-level competencies and subcompetencies consistent with process and formative evaluation. The health education profession should also standardize evaluation and research terms and definitions.
Primary optic neuropathy in Behçet’s syndrome
Authors: Yang Qinglin , Sun Lin , Wang Qian , Wang Jiawei , Meng Chao , Chang Qinglin , Shi Xuehui , Cui Shilei , Liu Lei , Lai Chuntao
Published: July 2018

Background:

Primary optic neuropathy in Behçet’s syndrome (PONBS) is limited to a few case reports.

Objective:

To investigate the clinical features, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes, and visual prognosis of PONBS.

Methods:

Sixty-one patients who presented with first onset of optic neuritis and fulfilled the International Criteria for Behçet’s Disease (ICBD) were evaluated.

Results:

The female-to-male ratio was 1.7:1. No patient had other central nervous system (CNS) disease. In 67 eyes with optic nerve abnormalities on MRI scan, perineural enhancement around the orbital optic nerve (46 eyes, 68.7%) was significantly more frequent than was increased signal in the optic nerve itself (31 eyes, 46.3%; p = 0.000), typically with sunflower-like appearance on coronal view (33 eyes, 71.7%). Two patients (3.6%) relapsed during follow-up (median 12 months). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis estimated the cumulative risk of severe visual loss (⩽0.1) at 24 months was 14.7% in females versus 62.5% in males (hazard ratio (HR), 0.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.05–0.54).

Conclusion:

PONBS frequently presents with isolated optic neuropathy in females. The sunflower-like sign might be a distinctive MRI feature. Short-term recurrence is very rare. Males have a higher cumulative risk of severe visual loss.
A Postgenomic Body
Authors: Meloni Maurizio
Published: July 2018

This article sets the stage for a genealogy of the postgenomic body. It starts with the current transformative views of epigenetics and microbiomics to offer a more pluralistic history in which the ethical problem of how to live with a permeable body – that is plasticity as a form of life – is pervasive in traditions pre-dating and coexisting with modern biomedicine (particularly humoralism in its several ramifications). To challenge universalizing narratives, I draw on genealogical method to illuminate the unequal distribution of plasticity across gender and ethnic groups. Finally, after analysing postgenomics as a different thought-style to genomics, I outline some of its implications for notions of plasticity. I argue that postgenomic plasticity is neither a modernistic plasticity of instrumental control of the body nor a postmodernist celebration of endless potentialities. It is instead closer to an alter-modernistic view that disrupts clear boundaries between openness and determination, individual and community.
Manufacture and prefabrication practice on a test model of a novel six-bar tetrahedral cylindrical lattice shell
Authors: Miao Feng , Dong Shi-Lin , Liang Hao-Qing , Wang Xin-Tao , Zhu Xie-Lian , Ding Chao
Published: July 2018

A six-bar tetrahedral unit of a rhombic projection plane is a basic geometric invariable body with a simple configuration. A six-bar tetrahedral cylindrical lattice shell can be assembled by rhombic projection plane six-bar tetrahedral units with identical geometry sizes, which is conducive to standardized design, industrial production, and prefabricated construction. The popularization and application requirements of green architecture industry can also be met using such a shell. A model test of a six-bar tetrahedral cylindrical lattice shell was developed to simulate the practical application of the prefabricated structural system. A new type of joint for the prefabricated structure was proposed that is easy to assemble and is lightweight. A tridimensional fine-tuning bed jig was developed to ensure the manufacturing precision of the pre-made six-bar tetrahedral units. Stacking and transport of the units were practiced. The assembly process from units to the integral shell was conducted in an experimental hall; the result testified the advantages of easy stack, convenient transport, and highly efficient fabrication. The structural assembly errors of the shell were measured, and the measurement results verified the installation accuracy of the test model. This practical study lays the foundation for further engineering applications of six-bar tetrahedral cylindrical lattice shells.
Egalitarian Australia? Associations between family wealth and outcomes in young adulthood
Authors: Chesters Jenny
Published: July 2018

Despite a widely held belief that Australia is an egalitarian society where social origin is less important than in many other advanced economies, previous research shows that there is an enduring association between socioeconomic status, as measured by parental education, and child’s educational attainment. Less attention has been paid to the effects of another indicator of socioeconomic status, namely family wealth, on educational attainment. In this article, I examine associations between parental wealth and educational attainment, occupational prestige and wealth in young adulthood using data from the Housing, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) project collected in 2002 and 2014. The results show that high levels of family wealth are associated with higher levels of educational attainment, occupational prestige and individual wealth in young adulthood.
Facial expressions in comics: an empirical consideration of McCloud’s proposal
Authors: Stamenković Dušan , Tasić Miloš , Forceville Charles
Published: July 2018

In Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels (2006), Scott McCloud proposes that the use of specific drawing techniques will enable viewers to reliably deduce different degrees of intensity of the six basic emotions from facial expressions in comics. Furthermore, he suggests that an accomplished comics artist can combine the components of facial expressions conveying the basic emotions to produce complex expressions, many of which are supposedly distinct and recognizable enough to be named. This article presents an empirical investigation and assessment of the validity of these claims, based on the results obtained from three questionnaires. Each of the questionnaires deals with one of the aspects of McCloud’s proposal: face expression intensity, labelling and compositionality. The data show that the tasks at hand were much more difficult than would have been expected on the basis of McCloud’s proposal, with the intensity matching task being the most successful of the three.
Physico-mechanical and erosive wear analysis of polyester fibre-based nonwoven fabric-reinforced polymer composites
Authors: Tejyan Sachin , Singh Tej , Patnaik Amar , Fekete Gusztáv , Gangil Brijesh
Published: July 2018

The research work aims to study the physico-mechanical and erosive wear behaviour of polyester fibre-based needle-punched nonwoven fabric mat reinforced epoxy composites. Therefore, the epoxy composites with varying proportion of polyester fibre-based needle-punched nonwoven fabric mat were fabricated and characterized for their physical, mechanical and erosive wear properties. The experimental results indicated that the increase of fibre content enhanced the physical and mechanical properties of the composites. To optimize and improve the erosive wear performance of fabricated composites, the Taguchi method was implemented. For this, L27 orthogonal array was constructed to examine the influence of the five control factors including impingement angle, impact velocity, stand-off distance, fibre content and erodent size. The experimental schedule was carried out in an air jet erosion test rig. The results indicate that the impact velocity emerges as the most significant control factor affecting the erosive wear of fabricated composites. Finally, the possible erosive wear mechanisms were studied by examining the composites eroded surfaces with scanning electron microscopy.
A novel PU/PVA-co-PE composite nanofiber membrane for water filtration
Authors: Li Mufang , Wu Yongzhi , Zhong Weibing , Zhao Qinghua , Guo Qihao , Liu Ke , Liu Qiongzhen , Wang Yuedan , Lu Zhentan , Wang Dong
Published: July 2018

Filter membranes with high efficiency and low energy consumption are gaining more attention owing to the increase in water pollution. To enhance the filtration performance, a novel spindle polyurethane (PU) / poly(vinyl alcoholco-ethylene) (PVA-co-PE) composite nanofiber membrane was prepared. It is the first time that the spindle composite nanofibers and nanofiber membranes are prepared based on the PU/PVA-co-PE/CAB (cellulose acetate butyrate) immiscible polymer blends. The effects of PU concentration on the morphology, size distribution, and hydrophilicity of PU/PVA-co-PE nanofiber membranes were analyzed. The pure PVA-co-PE nanofiber membrane and PU/PVA-co-PE composite nanofiber membranes were used to filtrate the nanoparticle suspension with scarlet pigments (50–300 nm). Due to the smaller pore size, looser structure, and larger porosity, the rejection rate and flux of spindle PU/PVA-co-PE composite nanofiber membranes are both higher than that of pure PVA-co-PE nanofiber membrane. When the basic weight of nanofiber layer is 6 g/m2, the rejection rate of all the PU/PVA-co-PE membranes are above 99%. This study provided a novel, facile, and high-throughput method to prepare spindle nanofiber membranes and indicated the advantage of spindle PU/PVA-co-PE composite nanofiber membranes in the application of water filtration.