bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implanted Muscle-Derived Stem Cells Ameliorate Erectile Dysfunction in a Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes, but Their Repair Capacity Is Impaired by Their Prior Exposure to the Diabetic Milieu
Authors: Kovanecz Istvan , Vernet Dolores , Masouminia Maryam , Gelfand Robert , Loni Leila , Aboagye James , Tsao James , Rajfer Jacob , Gonzalez-Cadavid Nestor F.
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) and other SCs implanted into the penile corpora cavernosa ameliorate erectile dysfunction in type 1 diabetic rat models by replenishing lost corporal smooth muscle cells (SMCs) and decreasing fibrosis. However, there are no conclusive data from models of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity.

Aim

To determine whether MDSCs from obese Zucker (OZ) rats with T2D at an early stage of diabetes (early diabetic SCs isolated and cultured in low-glucose medium [ED-SCs]) counteract corporal veno-occlusive dysfunction and corporal SMC loss or lipo-fibrosis when implanted in OZ rats at a late stage of diabetes and whether MDSCs from these OZ rats with late diabetes (late diabetic SCs isolated and cultured in high-glucose medium [LD-SC]) differ from ED-SCs in gene transcriptional phenotype and repair capacity.

Methods

ED-SCs and LD-SCs were compared by DNA microarray assays, and ED-SCs were incubated in vitro under high-glucose conditions (ED-HG-SC). These three MDSC types were injected into the corpora cavernosa of OZ rats with late diabetes (OZ/ED, OZ/LD, and OZ/ED-HG rats, respectively). Untreated OZ and non-diabetic lean Zucker rats functioned as controls. Two months later, rats were subjected to cavernosometry and the penile shaft and corporal tissues were subjected to histopathology and DNA microarray assays.

Main Outcome Measures

In vivo erectile dysfunction assessment by Dynamic Infusion Cavernosometry followed by histopathology marker analysis of the penile tissues.

Results

Implanted ED-SCs and ED-HG-SCs improved corporal veno-occlusive dysfunction, counteracted corporal decreases in the ratio of SMCs to collagen and fat infiltration in rats with long-term T2D, and upregulated neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide. LD-SCs acquired an inflammatory, pro-fibrotic, oxidative, and dyslipidemic transcriptional phenotype and failed to repair the corporal tissue.

Conclusion

MDSCs from pre-diabetic rats injected into the corpora cavernosa of rats with long-term T2D improve corporal veno-occlusive dysfunction and the underlying histopathology. In contrast, MDSCs from rats with long-term uncontrolled T2D are imprinted by the hyperglycemic and dyslipidemic milieu with a noxious phenotype associated with an impaired tissue repair capacity. SCs affected by diabetes could lack tissue repair efficacy as autografts and should be reprogrammed in vitro or substituted by SCs from allogenic non-diabetic sources.
Quality of Life of Transgender Women From China and Associated Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Yang Xiaoshi , Zhao Lina , Wang Lie , Hao Chun , Gu Yuan , Song Wei , Zhao Qun , Wang Xiaoli
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Transgender women are exposed to stressful situations such as gender transition and transition-related discrimination because of their limited acceptance by the general population and inadequate government-supplied resources, which can compromise their quality of life (QOL). However, there is a paucity of research on the QOL of transgender women from China.

Aims

To assess the QOL of transgender women from China and explore its associated factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was performed by convenience sampling in Shenyang, China from January 2014 to July 2014. This sample consisted of 209 transgender women. The women were interviewed face-to-face to assess their QOL and related factors using the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey, the Adult Dispositional (Trait) Hope Scale, and the EGO Resilience Scale.

Main Outcome Measures

Response scores were calculated based on a questionnaire design. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to explore factors associated with QOL.

Results

Transgender women who used hormone therapy reported significantly lower levels of the physical component summary (PCS) and the mental component summary (MCS) compared with those who did not (P < .05). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that of the 23 independent variables, 8 were significantly associated with the PCS and 9 were significantly associated with the MCS. The PCS was significantly and negatively associated with age and being chased or insulted by law enforcement officials. The PCS was positively associated with not using hormone therapy, having no casual partners, less discrimination from friends, knowledge of HIV prevention, hope, and resilience. Educational level and being chased or insulted by law enforcement officials were negatively associated with the MCS, whereas not using hormone therapy, having no regular partners or casual partners, less discrimination from friends, less social discrimination, knowledge of HIV prevention, and hope were positively associated with the MCS.

Conclusion

Chinese transgender women reported high levels of physical QOL but low levels of mental QOL. Their mental QOL was more pronounced than their physical QOL. Transition status and sexual partnership played the most important roles in physical and mental health. Furthermore, mental QOL was best predicted by assessing positive capabilities, such as levels of hope. Future interventions should focus on recognizing transition status and identifying risky sexual partnerships, especially for the casual partners involved in these partnerships. In addition, positive capabilities are needed to ameliorate the negative impact of transition on QOL in Chinese transgender women.
Erectile and Ejaculatory Function Preserved with Convective Water Vapor Energy Treatment of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: McVary Kevin T. , Gange Steven N. , Gittelman Marc C. , Goldberg Kenneth A. , Patel Kalpesh , Shore Neal D. , Levin Richard M. , Rousseau Michael , Beahrs J. Randolf , Kaminetsky Jed , Cowan Barrett E. , Cantrill Christopher H. , Mynderse Lance A. , Ulchaker James C. , Larson Thayne R. , Dixon Christopher M. , Roehrborn Claus G.
Published: April 2016

Introduction

Most surgical treatments for male lower urinary tract symptoms and benign prostatic hyperplasia affect erectile and ejaculatory functions negatively, leading to patient dissatisfaction.

Aim

To determine whether water vapor thermal therapy, when conducted in a randomized controlled trial, would significantly improve lower urinary tract symptoms secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia and urinary flow rate while preserving erectile and ejaculatory functions.

Methods

Men at least 50 years old with International Prostate Symptom Scores of at least 13, a peak flow rate of at least 5 to no higher than 15 mL/s, and prostate volume of 30 to 80 cm3 were randomized 2:1 between Rezūm System thermal therapy and control. Thermal water vapor (103°C) was injected into lateral and median lobes as required for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The control procedure entailed rigid cystoscopy with simulated active treatment sounds.

Main Outcome Measures

Blinded group (active = 136, control = 61) comparison occurred at 3 months and the active arm was followed to 12 months for International Prostate Symptom Score, peak flow rate, and sexual function using the International Index of Erectile Function and the Male Sexual Health Questionnaire for Ejaculatory Function. The minimal clinically important difference in erectile function perceived by subjects as beneficial was determined for each erectile function severity category. Subjects not sexually active were censored from sexual function analysis.

Results

No treatment- or device-related de novo erectile dysfunction occurred after thermal therapy. International Index of Erectile Function and Male Sexual Health Questionnaire for Ejaculatory Function scores were not different from the control group at 3 months or from baseline at 1 year. Ejaculatory bother score improved 31% over baseline (P = .0011). Also, 32% of subjects achieved minimal clinically important differences in erectile function scores at 3 months, and 27% at 1 year, including those with moderate to severe erectile dysfunction. International Prostate Symptom Score and peak flow rate were significantly superior to controls at 3 months and throughout 1 year (P < .0001).

Conclusion

Convective water vapor thermal therapy provides sustainable improvements for 12 months to lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary flow while preserving erectile and ejaculatory functions.
The incremental information content of innovations in implied idiosyncratic volatility
Authors: Moll Cliff R. , Huffman Stephen P.
Published: April 2016

Motivated by mixed evidence related to the pricing of measures of risk, we investigate the information content of innovations in implied idiosyncratic volatility. Using both cross‐sectional and time‐series methodologies, we find that innovations in implied idiosyncratic volatility explain future returns for a sample of 2864 optionable firms examined during the 1999–2010 sample period. We find that long‐short portfolios formed using innovations in implied idiosyncratic volatility produce much larger abnormal returns than long‐short portfolios formed using the level of implied idiosyncratic volatility. We also find that significant (both statistically and economically) abnormal returns continue to be generated for portfolios formed using innovations in implied idiosyncratic volatility when the sample is partitioned by: firm size, book‐to‐market equity, implied idiosyncratic volatility persistence, volatility risk, jump risk and option skewness. Our cross‐sectional results lead to similar conclusions and are robust to the inclusion of traditional risk factors. Therefore, our results provide evidence of a significant and, to this point, undetected ex ante measure of risk.
Chalcophile elements in black shales of the Bazhenov Formation, West Siberian sea basin
Authors: Zanin Yu.N. , Zamirailova A.G. , Eder V.G.
Published: April 2016

The contents and distribution of chalcophile elements in the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Bazhenov Formation (black shales), West Siberian sea basin, are related to the composition of rocks, sedimentation rate, and redox conditions of sedimentation. The total content of chalcophile elements in the argillaceous–siliceous and argillaceous mudstones of normal sections (1360.7 and 498.4 ppm, respectively) is higher than the clarkes for black shales of this type, while that in the silty argillaceous mudstones of anomalous sections (186.7 ppm) corresponds to average contents for clays. On the other hand, the contents of Zn, Cu, As, Se, Cd, and In in the argillaceous–siliceous mudstones are above the clarkes, those of Pb, Ga, Ag, Hg, and Te are close to the clarkes, and the contents of Tl, Ge, Bi, and Sn are below the clarkes. In the argillaceous mudstones of normal sections, the first group of elements includes Zn, As, and Ga; the second, Cu, Pb, Sb, Tl, Ge, and Bi; and the third, Se, Ag, In, Sn, Hg, and Te. In the silty argillaceous mudstones of anomalous sections, the first group includes Ga, Ag, Ge, Bi, and Te (?); the second, Cu, As, Cd, Pb, and In; and the third, Zn, Se, Sb, and Hg. We have found that S, Cu, Zn, As, Ge, Se, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, and Hg are associated with pyrite and organic matter in the formation, whereas Ga, Sn, Pb, Bi, and Tl are mainly of terrigenous origin (which was earlier substantiated by Ya.E. Yudovich and M.P. Ketris for the first four elements) and are associated with clay material.
Trilobites and biostratigraphy of the Kuonamka Formation, northern Siberian Platform (Olenek River)
Authors: Korovnikov I.V. , Shabanov Yu.Ya.
Published: April 2016

A study of triobite distribution allowed a biostratigraphic subdivision of the Kuonamka Formation section exposed in the middle reaches of the Olenek River (18 km downstream of the village of Olenek). Through detailed description of the section, a biostratigraphic subdivision down to the level of biozones and faunal beds was performed. These are beds with Calodiscus–Triangulaspis annio, Delgadella ultima–Bergeroniellus expansus Zone, Lermontovia dzevanovskii–Neopagetina orbiculata Zone, Anabaraspis Zone, Cheiruroides arcticus– Pagetia horrida Zone, Kounamkites Zone, Triplagnostus gibbus Zone, and beds with Tomagnostus fissus–Paradoxides sacheri. These biostratigraphic subdivisions were correlated with regional zones of the Siberian Platform. The study also provides analysis of trilobite assemblages from the Lower/Middle Cambrian boundary interval, which was identified in the studied section and other previously described sections (Nekekit, Molodo, Boroulakh Rivers). In the studied section, the base of the Middle Cambrian is defined by the FAD of Cheiruroides arcticus, i.e., at the base of the Cheiruroides arcticus–Pagetia horrida Zone. This level correlates with a presumed lower boundary of Stage 5 of a new International Stratigraphic Chart for the Cambrian System.
Latitude dependence of amplitude factor δ for degree 2 tides
Authors: Spiridonov E.A.
Published: April 2016

The study updates the theory of tides by specifying latitude dependence of the gravimetric factor (amplitude factor δ) for diurnal and semidiurnal tidal waves in the oceanless elastic Earth. The strain of an elastic flattened gravitating sphere with latitude-dependent geopotential, density, and Lamé constants is described by a system of sixth-order ordinary differential equations. The elliptical sphere is presented as consisting of layers, with density and elasticity varying as a function of latitude along the sphere surface as mean radiuses of equidensity and equielasticity ellipsoids that cross this surface. Dissipation is taken into account as a logarithmic creep function. Integration of the derived equations allows avoiding the use of approximate methods. The predicted δ factors for degree 2 tides depend on latitude and increase from the equator to the pole by 0.12 to 0.18% for different reference Earth models. The obtained latitude dependences are compared with superconducting gravimeter (SG) data after including effects associated with the inertial and Coriolis forces, as well as dynamic resonance. The theoretical predictions and the observations show good fit, to hundredths of percent. The average δ factors predicted in this study for the PREM model are intermediate between those computed with the hydrostatic and nonhydrostatic tidal gravity models of Dehant, Defraigne, and Wahr (DDW/H and DDW/NH), while the estimates obtained with reference to the IASP91 model coincide with the DDW/NH results to the fifth decimal digit.
Profitability of Virginia's Agritourism Industry: A Regression Analysis
Authors: Lucha Christopher , Ferreira Gustavo , Walker Martha , Groover Gordon
Published: April 2016

Virginia's growing agritourism industry provides additional income to farms and mitigates risk. This study empirically analyzes the effect of demographic, operational, and financial factors on the profitability of agritourism operations using a primary data set collected from a survey of more than 500 agritourism operations. Results show that greater profitability is associated with operators who are motivated by additional income and have more education, larger operations with a greater percentage of income from agritourism, and visitors who spent more on average. Characteristics having a negative effect on profitability are wineries, locations farther from interstates, and difficulty accessing capital.
ULRICH IDEALS AND MODULES OVER TWO-DIMENSIONAL RATIONAL SINGULARITIES
Authors: GOTO SHIRO , OZEKI KAZUHO , TAKAHASHI RYO , WATANABE KEI-ICHI , YOSHIDA KEN-ICHI
Published: April 2016

The main aim of this paper is to classify Ulrich ideals and Ulrich modules over two-dimensional Gorenstein rational singularities (rational double points) from a geometric point of view. To achieve this purpose, we introduce the notion of (weakly) special Cohen–Macaulay modules with respect to ideals, and study the relationship between those modules and Ulrich modules with respect to good ideals.
EDUCATIONAL INEQUALITIES IN REPEAT ABORTION: A LONGITUDINAL REGISTER STUDY IN FINLAND 1975–2010
Authors: Väisänen Heini
Published: April 2016

The proportion of repeat abortions among all abortions has increased over the last decades in Finland. This study examined the association of education with the likelihood of repeat abortion, and the change in this association over time using reliable longitudinal data. A unique set of register data from three birth cohorts were followed from age 20 to 45, including about 22,000 cases of repeat abortion, and analysed using discrete-time event-history models. Low education was found to be associated with a higher likelihood of repeat abortion. Women with low education had abortions sooner after the preceding abortion, and were more often single, younger and had larger families at the time of abortion than more highly educated women. The educational differences were more significant for later than earlier cohorts. The results show a lack of appropriate contraceptive use, possibly due to lack of knowledge of, or access to, services. There is a need to improve access to family planning services, and contraceptives should be provided free of charge. Register data overcome the common problems of under-reporting of abortion and attrition ensuring the results are reliable, unique and of interest internationally.
Sons of Khun Bulom: The discovery by modern Lao historians of the ‘birth of the Lao race’
Authors: Wolfson-Ford Ryan
Published: April 2016

The opening of the nithan khun bulom genre of texts is usually regarded as a mythic account of Lao history. But the process by which Lao historians themselves began to perceive this was an important nationalist project of the elite during the Royal Lao Government (RLG) period. As early as the 1920s, Lao authors began rewriting the old folktales into a new, modern, scientific account of the past, the ‘birth of the Lao race’. By studying elite writings in the RLG period I show that Lao nationalism was more modernist and autonomous than previously recognised.
Impact of biofilm resuspension on mesozooplankton in a shallow coastal ecosystem characterized by a bare intertidal mudflat
Authors: David Valérie , Hartmann Hans , Barnett Alexandre , Bréret Martine , Montanié Hélène , Orvain Francis , Dupuy Christine
Published: April 2016

A prey–predator experimental setup was conducted in a shallow coastal ecosystem characterized by a bare intertidal mudflat to test if benthic biofilm resuspension causing microalgae inputs and carbon export toward nanoflagellates would favour the highest planktonic trophic level (i.e. mesozooplankton) when nutrient concentrations are high in the water column. Mesozooplankton predation and somatic production were studied by comparing the evolution of the prey assemblage (diversity and abundances) in the presence and absence of these predators during 24 h experiments. The results were then statistically analysed according to the cross-calculation method. Biofilm resuspension caused (i) a direct input of benthic microorganisms that had changed prey structure in term of diversity and/or size and (ii) a differential growth ability between prey taxa. Both reasons implied a bottom-up control on both micro- and mesozooplankton. The carbon export toward heterotrophic nanoflagellates favoured pelagic ciliate growth while mesozooplankton benefited from largest diatoms with high growth rates, both benthic and R-strategist pelagic species. Even if these microbial and herbivorous pathways are controlled by benthic inputs, they seemed to be totally disconnected since ciliates represented only a small part of mesozooplankton diet. The sensitivity of mesozooplankton production appeared species-dependent with the most tolerant taxa dominating the zooplankton assemblages. This suggests a role of the intensities and the frequencies of biofilm resuspension on the spatio-temporal structuring of mesozooplankton in macrotidal coastal ecosystems.
TEM modes influenced electron acceleration by Hermite–Gaussian laser beam in plasma
Authors: Ghotra Harjit Singh , Kant Niti
Published: April 2016

Electron acceleration by a circularly polarized Hermite–Gaussian (HG) laser beam in the plasma has been investigated theoretically for the different transverse electromagnetic (TEM) mode indices (m, n) as (0, 1), (0, 2), (0, 3), and (0, 4). HG laser beam possesses higher trapping force compared with a standard Gaussian beam owing to its propagation characteristics during laser–electron interaction. A single-particle simulation indicates a resonant enhancement in the electron acceleration with HG laser beam. We present the intensity distribution for different TEM modes. We also analyze the dependence of beam width parameter on electron acceleration distance, which effectively influences the electron dynamics. Electron acceleration up to longer distance is observed with the lower modes. However, the higher electron energy gain is observed with higher modes at shorter distance of propagation.
A distributed control algorithm for area search by a multi-robot team
Authors: Baranzadeh Ahmad , Savkin Andrey V.
Published: April 2016

In this paper, we present a novel algorithm for exploring an unknown environment using a team of mobile robots. The suggested algorithm is a grid-based search method that utilizes a triangular pattern which covers an area so that exploring the whole area is guaranteed. The proposed algorithm consists of two stages. In the first stage, all the members of the team make a common triangular grid of which they are located on the vertices. In the second stage, they start exploring the area by moving between vertices of the grid. Furthermore, it is assumed that the communication range of the robots is limited, and the algorithm is based on the information of the nearest neighbours of the robots. Moreover, we apply a new mapping method employed by robots during the search operation. A mathematically rigorous proof of convergence with probability 1 of the algorithm is given. Moreover, our algorithm is implemented and simulated using a simulator of the real robots and environment and also tested via experiments with Adept Pioneer 3DX wheeled mobile robots.
DECISIONAL NONCONSEQUENTIALISM AND THE RISK SENSITIVITY OF OBLIGATION
Authors: Spector Horacio
Published: April 2016

A good deal of contemporary moral nonconsequentialism assumes that agents have perfect knowledge about the various features and consequences of their options. This assumption is unrealistic. More often than not, moral agents can only assess with a certain degree of probability the factual circumstances that are morally relevant for their decision making. My aim in this essay is to discuss the problem of moral decisions under risk from the point of view of nonconsequentialism. Basically, I analyze how objective moral principles can be transformed into subjective, decisional prescriptions, and argue that the standard nonconsequentialist approach to moral decision making, which focuses on probability thresholds, is wrong. In accordance with the fundamental postulates of nonconsequentialism, I seek to solve the problem of risk in moral choice by proposing a theory about the marginal moral value of various options. Actions can vary along various dimensions, and each of these dimensions can offer a different moral value function. Nonconsequentialist marginalism can level the playing field with consequentialism. Whereas consequentialism can simply borrow the notion of expected utility from economics, nonconsequentialism must introduce the notion of expectational obligation to formulate a general principle of moral choice under risk. I finally suggest that further empirical work is needed to delineate the shape of various moral value functions that are critical for applying the general principle of moral decision making under risk to well-known cases.
THE PURE THEORY OF PUBLIC JUSTIFICATION
Authors: Wall Steven
Published: April 2016

The ideal of public justification holds, at a minimum, that the most fundamental political and legal institutions of a society must be publicly justified to each of its members. This essay proposes and defends a new account of this ideal. The account defended construes public justification as an ideal of rational justification, one that is grounded in the moral requirement to respect the rational agency of persons. The essay distinguishes two kinds of justifying reasons that bear on politics and shows how they inform the ideal of public justification. It also decouples public justification from contractualist political morality. The result is a novel account of public justification that departs markedly from how the ideal is commonly characterized, but shows how it retains its distinctiveness as an ideal of politics.
Laoshi, zao shang hao! Good morning, teacher?
Authors: Xiaoqiong Hu , Siqi Luo
Published: April 2016

Terms of address are universally seen as a tool used to build social relations between speakers and hearers. Terms of address ‘help establish or maintain social bonds, strengthen solidarity and control social distance’ (Gu, 1990: 249), although ways of addressing vary from culture to culture. Therefore, the proper choice of address terms is a prerequisite for a successful interaction. Inappropriate use of address terms may lead to misunderstandings and hinder communication.
Using Religion to Resist Rural Dispossession: A Case Study of a Hui Muslim Community in North-west China
Authors: Luo Qiangqiang , Andreas Joel
Published: April 2016

In this paper, we examine the role played by religion in a struggle waged by Hui Muslim villagers against land expropriation. Religion can provide powerful resources for protest movements, especially for religious minorities, but it can also be dangerous. This is particularly true in China where the state has had little toleration of autonomous organization and has long been suspicious of religious organization, especially among ethnic minorities. Scholarly literature about collective action by religious minorities in China has focused on protests about cultural and political issues – and the repression of such protests – but there has been relatively little scholarship about protests by religious minorities over economic issues. The number of protests over economic conflicts has increased in recent years, and the state has been more tolerant of economic than of political protests. These conditions have shaped the following questions: what happens when villagers employ religious ideas and use religious organization to advance economic demands? How effective are religious ideas and organization as tools of mobilization? How do government authorities respond?
State Consent and Disagreement in International Law-Making.Dissolving the Paradox
Authors: BESSON SAMANTHA
Published: April 2016

This article starts with a paradox: international law-making is ridden with reasonable disagreement and yet no state can be bound by international law without its consent and hence without agreement. Breaking away from the pragmatic resignation that prevails among international law scholars on this question, the article proposes an interpretation of the role of state consent that both fits and justifies its central role in the practice of international law-making and, hopefully, strengthens the latter's legitimacy in the future. Its proposed justification actually lies in the circumstances of reasonable disagreement among democratic states and this proposal dissolves the paradox. The article argues that, in international law as it is the case domestically, consent is neither a criterion of validity of law nor a ground for its legitimate authority. It also dispels two myths about state consent: its necessary relationship to legal positivism and state sovereignty. Instead, the article argues, the role of democratic state consent is that of an exception to the legitimate authority of international law and hence to its bindingness in a concrete case. While the legitimacy of international law is not democratic, the democratic nature of states and their democratic accountability to their people matter. This is especially the case in circumstances of widespread and persistent reasonable disagreement as they prevail among democratic states in international law-making. In these circumstances, respecting the sovereign equality of democratic states by requiring their consent is the way to grant an equal voice to their people. Of course, there are limits to the democratic state exception that are inherent to both its democratic dimension (it requires respecting basic political equality) and its consensual dimension (it requires that consent is expressed in a free, fair and informed fashion). The article concludes by showing how the proposed disagreement-attuned account of democratic state consent explains various characteristics of the main international law-making processes, i.e., treaties and custom.
The Concept(s) of Accountability: Form in Search of Substance
Authors: RACHED DANIELLE HANNA
Published: April 2016

Accountability has become a cornerstone of current discussion on the prospects of legitimate and effective global governance. In spite of its rather high currency, accountability does not partake in the select group of first-order political ideals: democracy, human rights, constitutionalism and rule of law have all been historically uttered in much more vocal tones and still remain at the forefront of public demands for legitimate authority. Rather than radiating a comprehensive legal or political vision, accountability supplies a power-constraining toolbox that allows for a variety of more or less attractive permutations. This rather commonplace story, though, tells very little about the concrete configurations, underlying values and ends of accountability. The concept of accountability remains unstable because, among other things, its descriptive and normative aspects lack a clearer articulation; traditional taxonomies fail to precisely illuminate its political and extra-political instantiations, and their respective connection with law; the relevant descriptive variables that shape accountability arrangements are not yet systematized in a comprehensive way; the specific normative goals that lurk behind the calls for more accountability tend to be taken for granted, and the trade-offs or internal tensions that necessarily occur are usually camouflaged. Conceptual clarification, thus, is indispensable whenever one comes across such multifaceted umbrella terms. The article attempts to diagnose such shortcomings, to elucidate a minimalist concept of accountability and to provide a large analytical map that can aid both the description and the critical assessment of accountability arrangements in light of their potential purposes. This analytical exercise is a pivotal starting point if accountability is to get a better grip on the debates about the improvement of global governance.
Towards a Humanized International “Constitution”?
Authors: TZEVELEKOS VASSILIS P. , LIXINSKI LUCAS
Published: April 2016

The article argues that, by bringing a number of changes of systemic proportions in the order of international law, the internationalization of national constitutional human rights law has led to the ‘constitutionalization’ of international law. To build that argument, the paper first critically assesses the constitutionalization narrative. To that end it explains the reasons for its agnostic stance vis-à-vis the constitutionalization narrative and highlights the fact that international law has always contained some general, “constitutional” features that are particular to its systemic physiognomy. The article then explains how human rights law, as a special branch of international law, expands beyond the so-called humanization of international law narrative, acting as an important ingredient in a number of other narratives such as the constitutionalization of international law and the ones that are comparable to it, like legal pluralism and fragmentation. As to the systemic changes the internationalization of human rights has brought to the order of public international law, the examples given are those of collective enforcement at the decentralized level for the protection of common interests/values, sui generis normative hierarchy beyondjus cogensand the idea of the responsibility of states to act in a protective manner linked with the principle of due diligence and the so-called positive effect that human rights develop.
Climate-Resilient Crops and International Climate Change Adaptation Law
Authors: SAAB ANNE
Published: April 2016

This article explores the role of international climate change adaptation law in promoting the use of genetically engineered crops as an adaptation strategy. The severity of climate change impacts and the realization that, by now, some adverse effects are inevitable, has intensified the urgency to devise effective adaptation strategies. Genetically engineered climate-resilient crops are presented as one possible means to adapt to the predicted adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture and crop yields. Despite increased attention on the research and development of climate-resilient crops, particularly by private sector seed corporations, there are many controversies surrounding this proposed adaptation strategy. The key contentions relate to apprehensions about genetically engineered crops more generally, the effectiveness of climate-resilient crops, and the involvement of the private sector in international climate change adaptation initiatives.

The main argument in this article is that the emerging field of international climate change adaptation law contributes to promoting genetically engineered climate-resilient crops as a possible means of adaptation. Moreover, international adaptation law creates an enabling environment for the active engagement of private sector corporations in devising adaptation strategies. Notwithstanding controversies over genetically engineered crops and the role of the private sector, there has been little consideration so far of the influence of the growing international legal regime on climate change on the types of adaptation strategies that are devised and promoted.
Clinical significance of serum cortisol levels following surgery for congenital heart disease
Authors: Teagarden Alicia M. , Mastropietro Christopher W.
Published: April 2016

Objective

Use of hydrocortisone to treat refractory haemodynamic instability in patients recovering from surgery for congenital heart disease is common practice at many centres. We aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between total serum cortisol concentrations and haemodynamic response to this therapy.

Material and methods

We retrospectively reviewed patients <21 years who underwent cardiac surgery from 2011 to 2013, received hydrocortisone within 72 hours postoperatively, and had total serum cortisol measurements contemporaneous with its administration. Favourable responders were defined as patients in whom, at 24 hours after hydrocortisone initiation, either (1) systolic blood pressure was increased or unchanged and vasoactive-inotrope score was decreased or (2) systolic blood pressure increased by ⩾10% of baseline and vasoactive-inotrope score was unchanged. Variables were compared using t-tests or Mann–Whitney U tests as appropriate.

Results

In total, 24 patients were reviewed, with a median age of 1.4 months and range of 0.1–232 months. Among them, 14 (58%) patients responded favourably to hydrocortisone. At 24 hours, the median change in vasoactive-inotrope score was −18% in favourable responders and +31% in those who did not respond favourably, p=0.001. The mean pre-hydrocortisone total serum cortisol in favourable responders was 17.4±10.9 µg/dl compared with 46.1±44.7 µg/dl in those who did not respond favourably, p=0.03.

Conclusion

Total serum cortisol obtained before initiation of hydrocortisone was significantly lower in patients who responded favourably to this therapy. Total serum cortisol may therefore be helpful in identifying children recovering from cardiac surgery who may or may not haemodynamically improve with hydrocortisone.
Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function Adult Version in Patients with Neurological and Neuropsychiatric Conditions: Symptom Levels and Relationship to Emotional Distress
Authors: Løvstad M. , Sigurdardottir S. , Andersson S. , Grane V.A. , Moberget T. , Stubberud J. , Solbakk A.K.
Published: April 2016

Objectives:The present study explored the level of self-and informant reported executive functioning in daily living using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult Version (BRIEF-A) in a large sample comprising healthy adults and patient cohorts with neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. The relationship to neuropsychological test performance and self-reported emotional distress was explored, as well as the applicability of U.S. normative data.Methods:Scores on the self- and informant reported BRIEF-A are presented, along with scores on standardized cognitive tests, and on rating scales of self-reported emotional distress in a Norwegian healthy comparison group (n=115), patients with severe traumatic brain injury (n=125), focal frontal lobe damage (n=29), focal cerebellar lesion (n=24), Parkinson’s disease (n=42), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (n=34), type II bipolar disorder (n=21), and borderline personality disorder (n=18).Results:Strong associations were observed between the BRIEF-A and emotional distress in both the healthy group and in neurological groups, while no or weak relationships with IQ and performance-based tests of executive function were seen. The relationship between BRIEF-A and emotional distress was weaker in the neuropsychiatric patient groups, despite high symptom load in both domains. Healthy participants tended to have BRIEF-A scores 1/2–3/4SDbelow the U.S. normative mean ofTscore=50.Conclusions:The study demonstrates the need to interpret BRIEF-A results within a broad differential diagnostic context, where measures of psychological distress are included in addition to neuropsychological tests. Uncertainty about the appropriateness of U.S. normative data in non-U.S. countries adds to the need for interpretive caution. (JINS, 2016,22, 682–694)
The Najaf Ḥawzah Curriculum
Authors: MOTTAHEDEH ROY P.
Published: April 2016

Najaf has been the cradle of Shī῾ī learning for many centuries. According to Najaf tradition, it has been so ever since the prominent scholar Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan al-Ṭūsī, called shaykh al-tā'ifa or “senior scholar of the the sect”, migrated there shortly after the Saljuq conquest of Baghdad in 447/1055.

We have very little information about the teaching system and curriculum in Najaf before the nineteenth century. In this essay, I will try to present the basic elements of a Najaf ḥawza education as they exist in contemporary Iraq and compare it with a Najaf curriculum of 1913. Quite remarkably, the curriculum, teaching methods and patronage networks have been remarkably stable over the last century. Politics and reform movements have, however, had their effects on the curriculum too, as I shall explain in the course of this essay.
The Preconditions to Becoming a Judge (Yarġuči) in Mongol Iran
Authors: VÁSÁRY ISTVÁN
Published: April 2016

Despite the existence of some general overviews, the institution of the Mongol tribunals has not been studied in a satisfactory way. A great deal of details are unclear and the functioning of the whole legal procedure is shrouded in obscurity. The present paper makes an attempt to elucidate an aspect of the historical development of this Turco-Mongolian institution in Ilkhanid Iran, one of the Chingisid uluses, namely what were the preconditions and prescriptions of being appointed to the rank of a Mongol judge? The focal point will be the three charters of appointment (or yarlik samples) presented by Muḥammad ibn Hindūshāh Nakhchivānī (ca. 679/1280 – after 768/1366), in his Dastūr al-kātib fī tacyīn al-marātib (“Guidelines of the Secretary for Defining the Echelons”), a manual of Ilkhanid and Jalayirid administration, accomplished in the 1360s.
Gain enhancement of wideband circularly polarized antenna using FSS
Authors: Kushwaha Nagendra , Kumar Raj
Published: April 2016

This paper presents a high gain, wideband circularly polarized (CP) antenna. High gain of the antenna is achieved by employing a frequency selective surface (FSS) as a reflector. The antenna is a coplanar waveguide-fed structure with a modified L-shaped radiating patch. The unit element of the FSS is formed by connecting two modified dipoles at an angle of 90°. The antenna with reflector has a measured impedance bandwidth of 74.3% (2.2–4.8 GHz) and a 3-dB axial ratio bandwidth (ARBW) of 62% (2.2–4.18 GHz). The maximum boresight gain of the proposed antenna with reflector is 7.1 dB at 3.4 GHz. The radiation patterns of the antenna with the FSS are also measured and compared with simulated patterns. The various aspects of effect of FSS on CP antenna performance are also discussed.
Future Directions in the Management of Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome
Authors: Cincotta Robert , Kumar Sailesh
Published: April 2016

Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is the major complication of monochorionic (MC) pregnancy. The outcomes of this condition have been significantly improved after the introduction and widespread uptake of fetoscopic laser ablation over the last decade. However, there is still a significant fetal loss rate and morbidity associated with this condition. Improvements in the management of TTTS will require improvements in many areas. They are likely to involve refinements in the prediction of the disease and clarification of the optimum frequency of surveillance and monitoring. Improvements in training for fetoscopic surgery as well as in the technique of fetoscopic laser ablation may lead to better outcomes. New technologies as well as a better understanding of the pathophysiology of TTTS may lead to adjuvant medical therapies that may also improve short- and long-term results.
Radial artery pseudoaneurysms after transradial cardiac catheterisation
Authors: Din Jehangir N. , Murphy Aengus , Chu Karen , Forman Patty , Mildenberger Richard D. , Fretz Eric B. , Nadra Imad J. , Della Siega Anthony , Robinson Simon D.
Published: April 2016

Abstract. Background: Although uncommon, radial artery access site complications are likely to become more frequent with the increased adoption of transradial cardiac catheterisation. There is a lack of data regarding the incidence and clinical features of radial artery pseudoaneuryms. We aimed to describe the incidence, clinical features and management of radial artery pseudoaneurysms in a high-volume transradial cardiac catheterisation centre. Patients and methods: We performed a search of the Vancouver Island Health Authority medical imaging database from 1st Jan 2008 to April 2012 looking for all radial and femoral artery pseudoaneuryms occurring after cardiac catheterisation. Hospital charts were reviewed to determine patient and procedural characteristics as well as management and outcome. Results: There were a total of 14,968 coronary procedures performed over the four year search period, of which 13,216 (88 %) were trans-radial. The incidence of radial artery pseudoaneurysm after cardiac catheterisation was 0.08 %, and did not differ between transradial diagnostic angiography and PCI (0.07 % vs 0.08 %; P = 0.90). In contrast, the incidence of femoral artery pseudoaneurysm was higher, at 1.4 % (P < 0.0001). Patients with radial pseudoaneurysms were generally elderly, with a median age of 77 years, and there were no gender differences. Only one patient had received a glycoprotein IIb / IIIa inhibitor, whilst two received warfarin post-procedure. The majority of cases (80 %) were treated with surgical repair. Conclusions: We have demonstrated that radial artery pseudoaneuryms are a rare but important complication of transradial cardiac catheterisation, with patients generally requiring surgical repair. Most patients were elderly, but surprisingly only a minority were anti-coagulated with warfarin.
Delayed adaptive immunity is related to higher MMR vaccine‐induced antibody titers in children
Authors: Strömbeck Anna , Lundell Anna‐Carin , Nordström Inger , Andersson Kerstin , Adlerberth Ingegerd , Wold Agnes E , Rudin Anna
Published: April 2016

There are notable inter‐individual variations in vaccine‐specific antibody responses in vaccinated children. The aim of our study was to investigate whether early‐life environmental factors and adaptive immune maturation prior and close to measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) immunization relate to magnitudes of vaccine‐specific antibody titers. In the FARMFLORA birth cohort, including both farming and non‐farming families, children were immunized with the MMR vaccine at 18 months of age. MMR vaccine‐induced antibody titers were measured in plasma samples obtained at 36 months of age. Infants’ blood samples obtained at birth, 3–5 days and at 4 and 18 months of age were analyzed for T‐ and B‐cell numbers, proportions of naive and memory T and B cells, and fractions of putative regulatory T cells. Multivariate factor analyses show that higher anti‐MMR antibody titers were associated with a lower degree of adaptive immune maturation, that is, lower proportions of memory T cells and a lower capacity of mononuclear cells to produce cytokines, but with higher proportions of putative regulatory T cells. Further, children born by cesarean section (CS) had significantly higher anti‐measles titers than vaginally‐born children; and CS was found to be associated with delayed adaptive immunity. Also, girls presented with significantly higher anti‐mumps and anti‐rubella antibody levels than boys at 36 months of age. These results indicate that delayed adaptive immune maturation before and in close proximity to immunization seems to be advantageous for the ability of children to respond with higher anti‐MMR antibody levels after vaccination.
Dynamics of microbial community composition and soil organic carbon mineralization in soil following addition of pyrogenic and fresh organic matter
Authors: Whitman Thea , Pepe-Ranney Charles , Enders Akio , Koechli Chantal , Campbell Ashley , Buckley Daniel H , Lehmann Johannes
Published: April 2016

Pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) additions to soils can have large impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) cycling. As the soil microbial community drives SOC fluxes, understanding how PyOM additions affect soil microbes is essential to understanding how PyOM affects SOC. We studied SOC dynamics and surveyed soil bacterial communities after OM additions in a field experiment. We produced and mixed in either 350 °C corn stover PyOM or an equivalent initial amount of dried corn stover to a Typic Fragiudept soil. Stover increased SOC-derived and total CO2 fluxes (up to 6x), and caused rapid and persistent changes in bacterial community composition over 82 days. In contrast, PyOM only temporarily increased total soil CO2 fluxes (up to 2x) and caused fewer changes in bacterial community composition. Of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that increased in response to PyOM additions, 70% also responded to stover additions. These OTUs likely thrive on easily mineralizable carbon (C) that is found both in stover and, to a lesser extent, in PyOM. In contrast, we also identified unique PyOM responders, which may respond to substrates such as polyaromatic C. In particular, members of Gemmatimonadetes tended to increase in relative abundance in response to PyOM but not to fresh organic matter. We identify taxa to target for future investigations of the mechanistic underpinnings of ecological phenomena associated with PyOM additions to soil.