bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structural Behavior of Reinforced Self-Compacted Engineered Cementitious Composite Beams
Authors: Mohammed Bashar S. , Nuruddin M. F. , Aswin Muhammad , Mahamood Nursyuhada , Al-Mattarneh Hashem
Published: November 2016

Eight large-scale reinforced self-compacted engineered cementitious composite (R-SC-ECC) beams with different steel reinforcement ratios have been designed, prepared, cast, cured, and tested to failure at the age of 28 days. The experimental results have been compared with theoretical values predicted using EC2, RILEM, and VecTor2 models. Results show that failure modes in flexure and shear of R-SC-ECC beams are comparable to that of normal reinforced concrete beam. Nevertheless, contrary to VecTor2, models of EC2 and RILEM are not suitable for predicting reasonable ultimate moments for the beams, while results using VecTor2 model have successfully predicted the failure modes and load-deflection curves for all R-SC-ECC beams. It has been concluded that R-SC-ECC fall in the category of ductility class medium to high which gives advantages of using R-SC-ECC beams in regions susceptible to seismic activities.
Qualitative Inquiry into Challenges Experienced by Registered General Nurses in the Emergency Department: A Study of Selected Hospitals in the Volta Region of Ghana
Authors: Atakro Confidence Alorse , Ninnoni Jerry Paul , Adatara Peter , Gross Janet , Agbavor Michael
Published: November 2016

Registered General Nurses (RGNs) play crucial roles in emergency departments (EDs). EDs in Ghana are primarily staffed by RGNs who have had no additional formal education in emergency care. Additionally, basic, master’s, or doctoral level nursing education programs provide limited content on the complexities of emergency nursing. Nurses in EDs are affected by many challenges such as growing patient population, financial pressures, physical violence, verbal abuse, operational inefficiencies, overcrowding, and work overload. There is a paucity of research on challenges experienced by RGNs in EDs in the Volta Region of Ghana. In this qualitative study, twenty RGNs in EDs from three selected hospitals in the Volta Region of Ghana were interviewed. All recorded interviews were transcribed, reviewed several times by researchers and supervisors, and analyzed using content analysis. Five thematic categories were identified. These thematic categories of challenges were lack of preparation for ED role, verbal abuse from patients relatives, lack of resources in ED, stressful and time consuming nature of ED, and overcrowding in ED. Formal education of RGNs in the advanced role of emergency care, adequate supply of resources, increased hospital management support, and motivations for RGNs working in ED are necessary to improve the practice of emergency care.
Maternal Body Mass Index Is Strongly Associated with ChildrenZ-Scores for Height and BMI
Authors: Tigga Pushpa Lata , Sen Jaydip
Published: November 2016

Introduction. Undernutrition continues to be a major public health problem throughout the developing world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia including India. Limited studies suggest associations between maternal body mass index (BMI) and child nutritional status. The present study aims to determine the relationship between maternal BMI and children nutritional status.Methods. The study was conducted among 246 mothers who had given birth to single children (n=246) and belonged to the Proto-Australoid population of North Bengal, India. The anthropometric measurements of height and weight were recorded following standard procedures. Overall body composition was evaluated using BMI.Result. The results showed that overall mean BMI among mothers was20.63±2.53 kg/m2, while those among boys and girls were15.19±1.62 kg/m2and14.86±1.37 kg/m2(p<0.001), respectively. The BMI of mothers were significantly and highly correlated with HAZ (0.709) and BMIZ (0.748) (p<0.001) of children. These are indicative of a strong genetic component between maternal and child anthropometry.Conclusion. The results indicate significant associations between mothers’ and children’s nutritional status. Assessments of body composition and nutritional status using BMI, especially among mothers and their children, are recommended.
Association between Oesophageal Diverticula and Leiomyomas: A Report of Two Cases
Authors: Chowdhry Muhammad , Spyratou Christina , Lorenzi Bruno , Kadirkamanathan Sritharan , Charalabopoulos Alexandros
Published: November 2016

We report two rare cases of female patients presenting with oesophageal leiomyoma associated with oesophageal diverticulum, both of whom were surgically managed. Oesophageal leiomyoma and oesophageal diverticulum are uncommon as separate entities and rare as combined disease presentation. Clinicians need to be aware of the rare combination of the two entities and need to be able to exclude the presence of a tumour (benign or malignant) within a diverticulum and so plan the optimum treatment. Herein, we present two cases of oesophageal leiomyoma within oesophageal diverticulum and we try to elucidate the association between the two. To date, there is no consensus whether a diverticulum is secondary to a leiomyoma or, on the contrary, a leiomyoma arises within a diverticulum.
Error Analysis of an Implicit Spectral Scheme Applied to the Schrödinger-Benjamin-Ono System
Authors: Muñoz Grajales Juan Carlos
Published: November 2016

We develop error estimates of the semidiscrete and fully discrete formulations of a Fourier-Galerkin numerical scheme to approximate solutions of a coupled nonlinear Schrödinger-Benjamin-Ono system that describes the motion of two fluids with different densities under capillary-gravity waves in a deep water regime. The accuracy of the numerical solver is checked using some exact travelling wave solutions of the system.
Design Elements and Electrical Performance of a Bifacial BIPV Module
Authors: Kang Jun-Gu , Kim Jin-Hee , Kim Jun-Tae
Published: November 2016

Bifacial BIPV systems have great potential when applied to buildings given their use of a glass-to-glass structure. However, the performance of bifacial solar cells depends on a variety of design factors. Therefore, in order to apply bifacial solar cells to buildings, a bifacial PV module performance analysis should be carried out, including consideration of the various design elements and reflecting a wide range of installation conditions. This study focuses on the performance of a bifacial BIPV module applied to a building envelope. The results here show that the design elements of reflectivity and the transparent space ratio have the greatest impact on performance levels. The distance between the module and the wall had less of an impact on performance. The bifacial BIPV module produced output up to 30% greater than the output of monofacial PV modules, depending on the design elements. Bifacial BIPV modules themselves should have transparent space ratios of at least 30%. When a dark color is used on the external wall with reflectivity of 50% or less, bifacial BIPV modules with transparent space ratios of 40% and above should be used. In order to achieve higher performance through the installation of bifacial BIPV modules, design conditions which facilitate reflectivity exceeding 50% and a transparent space ratio which exceeds 30% must be met.
(−)‐Epicatechin Prevents Blood Pressure Increase and Reduces Locomotor Hyperactivity in Young Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Kluknavsky M. , Balis P. , Puzserova A. , Radosinska J. , Berenyiova A. , Drobna M. , Lukac S. , Muchova J. , Bernatova I.
Published: November 2016

This study investigated the effects of subchronic (−)‐epicatechin (Epi) treatment on locomotor activity and hypertension development in young spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Epi was administered in drinking water (100 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks. Epi significantly prevented the development of hypertension (138 ± 2 versus 169 ± 5 mmHg, p < 0.001) and reduced total distance traveled in the open‐field test (22 ± 2 versus 35 ± 4 m, p < 0.01). In blood, Epi significantly enhanced erythrocyte deformability, increased total antioxidant capacity, and decreased nitrotyrosine concentration. In the aorta, Epi significantly increased nitric oxide (NO) synthase (NOS) activity and elevated the NO‐dependent vasorelaxation. In the left heart ventricle, Epi increased NOS activity without altering gene expressions of nNOS, iNOS, and eNOS. Moreover, Epi reduced superoxide production in the left heart ventricle and the aorta. In the brain, Epi increased nNOS gene expression (in the brainstem and cerebellum) and eNOS expression (in the cerebellum) but had no effect on overall NOS activity. In conclusion, Epi prevented the development of hypertension and reduced locomotor hyperactivity in young SHR. These effects resulted from improved cardiovascular NO bioavailability concurrently with increased erythrocyte deformability, without changes in NO production in the brain.
Characteristics of the Relationship of Kidney Dysfunction with Cardiovascular Disease in High Risk Patients with Diabetes
Authors: Losito Attilio , Pittavini Loretta , Zampi Ivano , Zampi Elena
Published: November 2016

We aimed at comparing the relationship of reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) with cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality between high risk patients with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The cross-sectional study evaluated 16,298 participants (1,627 T2DM) acutely admitted to hospital. The longitudinal study comprised 7,508 patients (673 with diabetes and 6,835 without). eGFR was categorized into 6 stages from >90 to <15 mL/min/1.73 m2. Kidney dysfunction was defined by an eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Patients with T2D showed a higher prevalence of CVD (37.9% versus 23.6%;P<0.001) and kidney dysfunction (25% versus 13.2%;P<0.001) than in the general population. An association with CVD was found with eGFR stages from 30 to 90 mL/min/1.73 m2in T2D and from <15 to 90 mL/min/1.73 m2in general population, in whom the association of eGFR with coronary heart disease was in an inverse relationship (P<0.01for trend). Survival, in diabetes, was lower (P=0.037) but not associated with kidney dysfunction.Conclusions. In a high risk population, patients admitted to hospital, the relationship of kidney function with CVD is different between T2D and the general population. Competing mortality and the presence of other major risk factors in diabetes may be responsible for this difference.
Flexural Free Vibrations of Multistep Nonuniform Beams
Authors: Tan Guojin , Wang Wensheng , Jiao Yubo
Published: November 2016

This paper presents an exact approach to investigate the flexural free vibrations of multistep nonuniform beams. Firstly, one-step beam with moment of inertia and mass per unit length varying as I(x)=α11+βxr+4 and m(x)=α21+βxr was studied. By using appropriate transformations, the differential equation for flexural free vibration of one-step beam with variable cross section is reduced to a four-order differential equation with constant coefficients. According to different types of roots for the characteristic equation of four-order differential equation with constant coefficients, two kinds of modal shape functions are obtained, and the general solutions for flexural free vibration of one-step beam with variable cross section are presented. An exact approach to solve the natural frequencies and modal shapes of multistep beam with variable cross section is presented by using transfer matrix method, the exact general solutions of one-step beam, and iterative method. Numerical examples reveal that the calculated frequencies and modal shapes are in good agreement with the finite element method (FEM), which demonstrates the solutions of present method are exact ones.
The Effect of Individualized Instruction System on the Academic Achievement Scores of Students
Authors: Bahçeci Ferhat , Gürol Mehmet
Published: November 2016

A web-based learning portal offering individualized learning was developed by utilizing rule-based knowledge representation and artificial intelligence techniques of expert systems in order to reduce the uncertainties of learning to minimum and to construct an intelligent tutoring system. This portal offers individualized learning content based on the individual’s level of cognitive knowledge. In order to determine the effects of the developed system on the student achievement, the system was tested in an 8-week-long study on the students of Software Engineering Department of Technology Faculty. The pretest-posttest control group experimental design was used in the study. The experimental group received education with Individualized Instruction Portal while the control group received education in traditional learning environment. Academic achievement test was used as the data collection tool. In order to test the research hypotheses, data obtained from the data collection tools were analysed in terms of frequency, percentages, and dependent-independentt-test with statistical software program. Based on the results, no significant differences were found between the groups in terms of the pretest. On the other hand, significant differences were found between experimental and control group in terms of the posttest. It was concluded that individualized learning portal had positive effect on the students’ learning when used in combination with traditional learning environment.
Scale-Dependent Signal Identification in Low-Dimensional Subspace: Motor Imagery Task Classification
Authors: She Qingshan , Gan Haitao , Ma Yuliang , Luo Zhizeng , Potter Tom , Zhang Yingchun
Published: November 2016

Motor imagery electroencephalography (EEG) has been successfully used in locomotor rehabilitation programs. While the noise-assisted multivariate empirical mode decomposition (NA-MEMD) algorithm has been utilized to extract task-specific frequency bands from all channels in the same scale as the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), identifying and extracting the specific IMFs that contain significant information remain difficult. In this paper, a novel method has been developed to identify the information-bearing components in a low-dimensional subspace without prior knowledge. Our method trains a Gaussian mixture model (GMM) of the composite data, which is comprised of the IMFs from both the original signal and noise, by employing kernel spectral regression to reduce the dimension of the composite data. The informative IMFs are then discriminated using a GMM clustering algorithm, the common spatial pattern (CSP) approach is exploited to extract the task-related features from the reconstructed signals, and a support vector machine (SVM) is applied to the extracted features to recognize the classes of EEG signals during different motor imagery tasks. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified by both computer simulations and motor imagery EEG datasets.
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia with Translocation (2;14)(p16;q32): A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Socola Francisco , Insuasti-Beltran Giovanni , Henrich Lobo Rodolfo , Atrash Shebli , Sasapu Appalanaidu
Published: November 2016

We report the case of a young African American male with no significant past medical history presenting with low back and bilateral leg pain; presenting CBC and chemistries revealed elevated white blood cell count of 250,000, with anemia (Hb 6.8 g/dL) and thrombocytopenia (platelets 9 K/μL), and elevated LDH, 1008. Physical examination findings were notable for diffuse lymphadenopathy and lower extremity skin nodules. Interestingly the bone marrow biopsy revealed involvement by CLL/SLL with translocation (2;14)(p16;q32) and trisomy 12. The patient was treated with fludarabine-based chemotherapy and steroids for CLL-related ITP with excellent response. After three cycles of chemotherapy, all the enlarged lymph nodes and skin nodules disappeared, and patient had achieved complete hematologic response. In this paper we also reviewed the available literature of CLL patients with translocation (2;14).
Review of Clinical Studies of the Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis Using Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Authors: Ji Jun , Huang Yan , Wang Xia-Fei , Ma Zhe , Wu Huan-Gan , Im Hyoyoung , Liu Hui-Rong , Wu Lu-Yi , Li Jing
Published: November 2016

Background. Clinical studies suggest that acupuncture and moxibustion therapy in ulcerative colitis (UC) can regulate bowel inflammation, and these treatments have the advantages of low rates of adverse reactions and recurrence as well as good long-term efficacy. We reviewed the current status of clinical studies of the treatment. Methods. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using the therapy as the major intervention for treating UC were included from 1995 to 2015. The extracted data mainly included diagnostic standards, treatment methods, selection of acupoints, treatment times and courses, and efficacy determination criteria. Results. The use of diagnostic standards and efficacy criteria lacked unification and standardization. There were two main groups: acupuncture and moxibustion therapy combined with drug treatment and the use of all types of acupuncture and moxibustion therapy alone or in combination. The acupoint compositions included distal-proximal point combinations, back-shu point and front-mu point combinations, and acupuncture through meridians. The treatment courses in all the clinical trials had large variations. Conclusion. The treatment of UC in the examined articles was mainly based on the classical theory. However, many links of the clinical regimen design were still lacking, which affected the repeatability of the clinical studies and the accuracy of the clinical conclusions.
Should Prophylactic Anticoagulation Be Considered with Large Uterine Leiomyoma? A Case Series and Literature Review
Authors: Satti Mohamed A. , Paredes Saenz Carmen , Raju Rubin , Cuthpert Sierra , Kanzy Abed , Abhari Sina , Hebert III John , Rocha Frederico G.
Published: November 2016

Introduction. Uterine leiomyomas, also called uterine fibroids or myomas, are the most common pelvic tumors in women. They are very rarely the cause of acute complications. However, when complications occur they cause significant morbidity and mortality. Thromboembolic disease has been described as a rare complication of uterine leiomyomas. DVT is a serious illness, sometimes causing death due to acute PE.Cases. We report a case series of 3 patients with thromboembolic disease associated with uterine leiomyoma at Hurley Medical Center, Flint, Michigan, during 2015 and conduct a literature review on the topic. A literature search was conducted using Medline, PubMed, and PMC databases from 1966 to 2015.Conclusion. The uterine leiomyoma is a very rare cause of PE and only few cases have been reported. DVT secondary to uterine leiomyoma should be considered in a female presenting with abdominal mass and pelvic pressure, if there is no clear common cause for her symptoms. Thromboembolic disease secondary to large uterine leiomyoma should be treated with acute stabilization and then hysterectomy. Prophylactic anticoagulation would be beneficial for lowering the risk of VTE in patients with large uterine leiomyoma.
Autophagy Induction Results in Enhanced Anoikis Resistance in Models of Peritoneal Disease
Authors: Chen James L. , David Jason , Cook-Spaeth Douglas , Casey Sydney , Cohen David , Selvendiran Karuppaiyah , Bekaii-Saab Tanios , Hays John L.
Published: November 2016

Peritoneal carcinomatosis and peritoneal sarcomatosis is a potential complication of nearly all solid tumors and results in profoundly increased morbidity and mortality. Despite the ubiquity of peritoneal carcinomatosis/peritoneal sarcomatosis, there are no clinically relevant targeted therapies for either its treatment or prevention. To identify potential therapies, we developed in vitro models of peritoneal carcinomatosis/peritoneal sarcomatosis using tumor cell lines and patient-derived spheroids (PDS) that recapitulate anoikis resistance and spheroid proliferation across multiple cancer types. Epithelial- and mesenchymal-derived cancer cell lines (YOU, PANC1, HEYA8, CHLA10, and TC71) were used to generate spheroids and establish growth characteristics. Differential gene expression analyses of these spheroids to matched adherent cells revealed a consensus spheroid signature. This spheroid signature discriminates primary tumor specimens from tumor cells found in ascites of ovarian cancer patients and in our PDS models. Key in this gene expression signature is BNIP3 and BNIP3L, known regulators of autophagy and apoptosis. Elevated BNIP3 mRNA expression is associated with poor survival in ovarian cancer patients and elevated BNIP3 protein, as measured by IHC, and is also associated with higher grade tumors and shorter survival. Pharmacologic induction of autophagy with rapamycin significantly increased spheroid formation and survival while decreasing the induction of apoptosis. In contrast, the autophagy inhibitor hydroxychloroquine abrogated spheroid formation with a clear increase in apoptosis. Modulation of BNIP3 and the critical autophagy gene Beclin-1 (BECN1) also caused a significant decrease in spheroid formation. Combined, these data demonstrate how modulation of BNIP3-related autophagy, in PDS and in vitro spheroid models, alters the survival and morphology of spheroids.

Implications: Development of BNIP3/BNIP3L-targeting agents or autophagy-targeting agents may reduce morbidity and mortality associated with peritoneal carcinomatosis and sarcomatosis. Mol Cancer Res; 15(1); 26–34. ©2016 AACR.
β-Carotene 9′,10′ Oxygenase Modulates the Anticancer Activity of Dietary Tomato or Lycopene on Prostate Carcinogenesis in the TRAMP Model
Authors: Tan Hsueh-Li , Thomas-Ahner Jennifer M. , Moran Nancy E. , Cooperstone Jessica L. , Erdman John W. , Young Gregory S. , Clinton Steven K.
Published: November 2016

The hypothesis that dietary tomato consumption or the intake of the carotenoid lycopene inhibits prostate cancer arose from epidemiologic studies and is supported by preclinical rodent experiments and in vitro mechanistic studies. We hypothesize that variation in activity of carotenoid cleavage enzymes, such as β-carotene 9′,10′-oxygenase (BCO2), may alter the impact of dietary tomato and lycopene on prostate carcinogenesis and therefore examined this relationship in the TRAMP model. Starting at 3 weeks of age, TRAMP:Bco2+/+ and TRAMP:Bco2−/− mice were fed either AIN-93G control, or semipurified diets containing 10% tomato powder or 0.25% lycopene beadlets until 18 weeks of age. Both tomato- and lycopene-fed TRAMP:Bco2−/− mice had significantly greater serum concentrations of total, 5-cis, other cis, and all-trans lycopene than TRAMP:Bco2+/+ mice. Tomato- and lycopene-fed mice had a lower incidence of prostate cancer compared with the control-fed mice. Although Bco2 genotype alone did not significantly change prostate cancer outcome in the control AIN-93G-fed mice, the abilities of lycopene and tomato feeding to inhibit prostate carcinogenesis were significantly attenuated by the loss of Bco2 (Pinteraction = 0.0004 and 0.0383, respectively). Overall, dietary tomato and lycopene inhibited the progression of prostate cancer in TRAMP in a Bco2 genotype-specific manner, potentially implicating the anticancer activity of lycopene cleavage products. This study suggests that genetic variables impacting carotenoid metabolism and accumulation can impact anticancer activity and that future efforts devoted to understanding the interface between tomato carotenoid intake, host genetics, and metabolism will be necessary to clearly elucidate their interactive roles in human prostate carcinogenesis. Cancer Prev Res; 10(2); 161–9. ©2016 AACR.
From Development to Implementation: Adjusting the Hematocrit of Deglycerolized Red Cell Concentrates to Meet Regulatory Standards
Authors: Turner Tracey , Hansen Adele , Kurach Jayme , Acker Jason P.
Published: November 2016

Background: Before transfusion, thawed frozen red cell concentrates (RCCs) must be deglycerolized. In order to ensure that these products meet regulatory standards for hematocrit, an approach to manipulate hematocrit post deglycerolization was developed and implemented. Methods: Glycerolized and frozen RCCs were thawed and deglycerolized using the COBE 2991 cell processor, and the final product's hematocrit was adjusted by addition of various volumes of 0.9% saline / 0.2% dextrose. The in vitro quality of RCCs (hematocrit, hemolysis, hemoglobin content, volume, recovery, ATP, supernatant potassium, and others) were compared to Canadian Standards Association (CSA) and other standards for deglycerolized RCCs. Results: Addition of saline/dextrose re-suspension solution in a range of 65-90 g post deglycerolization led to acceptable hematocrits. In the pilot study, this approach resulted in RCCs meeting all CSA standards for deglycerolized RCCs, with stimulation of RBC metabolism demonstrated by increased ATP concentration. In the validation phase, results were similar, although the CSA hemolysis standard was not met. Pre- and post-implementation data confirmed that manipulated RCCs met CSA hematocrit standards. Conclusion: This process was implemented at Canadian Blood Services to provide deglycerolized RCCs that meet the CSA hematocrit standard. However, pre- and post-implementation data reveal that this deglycerolization process is not sufficient to have RCCs consistently meet hemolysis standards.
Systematic Review of Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents with Psoriasis
Authors: Gonzalez Jessica , Cunningham Kiera , Perlmutter Jason , Gottlieb Alice
Published: November 2016

Background: Many cases of psoriasis begin in adolescence. The affected adolescents face the combined physical and psychosocial challenges of their disease-free peers with the added complexity of a visible disease. Objective: To review the impact of psoriasis on the health-related quality of life (HRQL) in adolescents as compared to their peers with other chronic diseases and to determine the best tools to measure HRQL in this population. Methods: A systematic literature review was completed using PubMed. Results: 256 publications were screened for inclusion, 37 were relevant to objectives and included in the systematic review. Most studies are pediatric psoriasis studies with an adolescent subgroup, very few are dedicated to solely addressing HRQL in adolescents with psoriasis. Adolescents with psoriasis face both the challenges similar to an adult psoriasis population in addition to the complexities inherent to healthy adolescents. Studies often use a general pediatric HRQL measure, PedsQL 4.0, or a dermatology-specific measure adapted from an adult questionnaire. Only one psoriasis-specific measurement tool exists, and it is specifically for scalp psoriasis. Conclusion: Both dermatologists and primary care physicians should treat the visible cutaneous lesions and disease comorbidities and address the psychosocial impact of psoriasis in their adolescent patients. Use of both a general and dermatology-specific HRQL questionnaire may allow physicians to better identify the impact of the disease and recognize improvement or impairment over time.
Self-Reported Adherence among Individuals at High Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: Effect of Knowledge and Attitude
Authors: Alefishat Eman A. , Abu Farha Rana K. , Al-Debei Mutaz M.
Published: November 2016

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate factors that affect adherence in individuals at high risk of metabolic syndrome, with a focus on knowledge and attitude effect. Subjects and Methods: A sample of 900 high-risk individuals with metabolic syndrome was recruited in this cross-sectional study. During the study period, all participants filled in validated structured questionnaires to evaluate the adherence to different management options of metabolic syndrome, knowledge about the syndrome, and health-related attitude. Simple linear regression followed by multiple linear regression analysis were used to evaluate the effect of knowledge, attitude, and other factors on participants' adherence to both medications and lifestyle changes. Results: Of the 900 participants, 436 (48.4%) were nonadherent to medications and 813 (90.3%) were nonadherent to lifestyle changes. Increasing age (r = 0.140, p = 0.000), the presence of hypertension (r = 0.075, p = 0.036), and a more positive attitude toward health (r = 0.230, p = 0.000) were significantly associated with increasing adherence to medications. Higher educational level (r = 0.085, p = 0.023), higher knowledge score (r = 0.135, p = 0.001), and more positive attitude toward health (r = 0.183, p = 0.000) were found to significantly increase the adherence to lifestyle changes, while central obesity (r = −0.106, p = 0.003) was found to significantly decrease the adherence to lifestyle changes. Conclusion: Patients' knowledge about metabolic syndrome and attitude to health affected adherence rates in patients at high risk of metabolic syndrome. Hence, we suggest the need to incorporate patients' educational programs into current management of metabolic syndrome.
High Levels of Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells Are Associated with Acrotism in Patients with Takayasu Arteritis
Authors: Keşkek Şakir Özgür , Bozkırlı-Ersözlü Emine Duygu , Kozanoglu Ilknur , Yücel Ahmet Eftal
Published: November 2016

Objectives: To investigate the association between endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and Takayasu arteritis (TA). Subjects andMethods: A total of 39 subjects were included in this study: 12 subjects had been diagnosed with active TA, 11 had active Behçet disease (BD), and 16 were healthy controls. The EPCs, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels of all the subjects were measured. MedCalc 15.8 software (MedCalc, Belgium) was used for all statistical analyses. Results: The level of EPCs was higher in TA patients (4.25 ± 2.56) than in the BD group (2.27 ± 2.0) and the healthy controls (2.12 ± 1.2) (p = 0.015). TA patients with acrotism (n = 4) had higher levels of EPCs compared to TA patients without acrotism (n = 8) (6.50 ± 1.73 vs. 3.12 ± 2.16, p = 0.02). A positive correlation was found between EPCs and the ESR (r = 0.723, p = 0.0079) and between EPCs and CRP in patients with TA (r = 0.769, p < 0.0034). Conclusion: High levels of circulating EPCs were correlated with the CRP level and the ESR in patients with TA. These cells could be a marker for acrotism and inflammation in patients with TA.
A Micro-Computed Tomography Study of the Root Canal Morphology of Mandibular First Premolars in an Emirati Population
Authors: Alkaabi Wafa , AlShwaimi Emad , Farooq Imran , Goodis Harold E. , Chogle Sami M.A.
Published: November 2016

Objective: To investigate variations in the root canal morphology of mandibular first premolars in a population from the United Arab Emirates using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and conventional radiography. Materials and Methods: Three-dimensional images of 50 extracted human mandibular first premolars were produced using a micro-CT scanner, and conventional radiography was also used to record the number of roots, the root canal system configuration, the presence of a C-shaped canal system and lateral canals, intercanal communications, and the number and location of apical foramina. The interpretations of micro-CT and conventional radiography were statistically analyzed using Fisher's exact test. Results: Variable root canal configurations based on Vertucci's classification were observed in the teeth (i.e., types I, III, IV, V, and VII). The examined teeth exhibited the following 2 additional root canal configurations, which did not fit Vertucci's classification: type 1-2-3 and type 1-3. A C-shaped canal configuration was present in 14 (28%) cases, and lateral canals were present in 22 (44%) cases. Apical deltas were found in 25 (50%) cases, intercanal communications were seen in 6 (12%) cases, and apical loops were seen in 2 (4%) of the samples. Micro-CT and X-ray imaging identified 39 (78%) and 34 (68%) apical foramina, respectively. A single apical foramen was detected in 33 (66%) samples, and 2 or 3 apical foramina were detected in 14 (28 %) and 3 (6%) samples, respectively. In 18.5 (37%) samples the apical foramina were located centrally, and in 31 (62%) they were located laterally. Conclusion: A complex morphology of the mandibular first premolars was observed with a high prevalence of multiple root canal systems.
mCRP triggers angiogenesis by inducing F3 transcription and TF signalling in microvascular endothelial cells
Authors: Peña Esther , la Torre Raquel de , Arderiu Gemma , Slevin Mark , Badimon Lina
Published: November 2016

Inflammation contributes to vascular disease progression. However, the role of circulating inflammatory molecules on microvascular endothelial cell (mECs) is not fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the short pentraxin CRP on microvascular endothelial cell angiogenic function. Subcutaneously implanted collagen plugs seeded with human mECs exposed to monomeric CRP (mCRP) in mice showed formation of an extended network of microvessels both in the plug and the overlying skin tissue, while mECs exposure to pentameric native CRP (nCRP) induced a much milder effect. To understand the mechanisms behind this angiogenic effects, mECs were exposed to both CRP forms and cell migration, wound repair and tube-like formation were investigated. nCRP effects were moderate and of slow-onset whereas mCRP induced rapid, and highly significant effects. We investigated how circulating nCRP is transformed into mCRP by confocal microscopy and western blot. nCRP is transformed into mCRP on the mECs membranes in a time dependent fashion. This transformation is specific and in part receptor dependent, and the formed mCRP triggers F3 gene transcription and TF-protein expression in mECs to induce angiogenesis. F3-silenced mECs are unable to form angiotubes. In agreement, mCRP induced upregulation of the TF signalling pathway in mECs with downstream phosphorylation of AKT and activation of the transcription factor ETS1 leading to increased CCL2 release. The circulating pentraxin nCRP with little pro-angiogenic effect when dissociated into mCRP on the surface of mECs is able to trigger potent proangiogenic effects by inducing F3-gene upregulation and TF signalling.

Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
The Internal Senses in Nemesius, Plotinus and Galen: the Beginning of an Idea
Authors: Faruque Muhammad Umar
Published: November 2016

This study traces the notion of the internal senses in three ancient authors, namely Nemesius, Plotinus and Galen. It begins with Nemesius, and then by going backward ends with Galen. The textual evidence investigated in this study shows clearly that Galen, after acknowledging the Platonic tripartite soul, locates the various dunameis of the soul in the brain. The “localization” theory of Galen plays a crucial role in paving the way for the foundation of the internal senses, which both Plotinus and Nemesius adapted. Just as with the external senses one can locate various sense-organs in different parts of the body, viz., touch, smell, sight etc., so too with the internal senses, thanks to Galen, one is able to locate them in various organs of the body. Thus philosophers are able to explain the role of all these different (internal) senses in their account of sense-perception.
Phosphodiesterase Inhibitor‐Based Vasodilation Improves Oxygen Delivery and Clinical Outcomes Following Stage 1 Palliation
Authors: Mills Kimberly I. , Kaza Aditya K. , Walsh Brian K. , Bond Hilary C. , Ford Mackenzie , Wypij David , Thiagarajan Ravi R. , Almodovar Melvin C. , Quinonez Luis G. , Baird Christopher W. , Emani Sitaram E. , Pigula Frank A. , DiNardo James A. , Kheir John N.
Published: November 2016

Background

Systemic vasodilation using α‐receptor blockade has been shown to decrease the incidence of postoperative cardiac arrest following stage 1 palliation (S1P), primarily when utilizing the modified Blalock‐Taussig shunt. We studied the effects of a protocol in which milrinone was primarily used to lower systemic vascular resistance (
SVR
) following S1P using the right ventricular to pulmonary artery shunt, measuring its effects on oxygen delivery (
DO
2
) profiles and clinical outcomes. We also correlated Fick‐based assessments of
DO
2
with commonly used surrogate measures.

Methods and Results

Neonates undergoing S1P were treated according to best clinical judgment prior to (n=32) and following (n=24) implementation of a protocol that guided operative, anesthetic, and postoperative management, particularly as it related to
SVR
. A majority of the subjects (n=51) received a modified right ventricular to pulmonary artery shunt. In a subset of these patients (n=21), oxygen consumption (
VO
2
) was measured and used to calculate
SVR
,
DO
2
, and oxygen debt. Neonates treated with the protocol had significantly lower
SVR
(
P
=0.02), serum lactate (
P
<0.001), and Sa‐v
O
2
difference (
P
<0.001) and a lower incidence of
CPR
requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (E‐
CPR
,
P
=0.02) within the first 72 postoperative hours.
DO
2
was closely associated with
SVR
(r
2
=0.78) but correlated poorly with arterial (SaO
2
) and venous (SvO
2
) oxyhemoglobin concentrations, the Sa‐v
O
2
difference, and blood pressure.

Conclusions

A vasodilator protocol utilizing milrinone following S1P effectively decreased
SVR
, improved serum lactate, and decreased postoperative cardiac arrest.
DO
2
correlated more closely with
SVR
than with Sa‐v
O
2
difference, highlighting the importance of measuring
VO
2
in this population.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL
:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier:
NCT
02184169.
Miracle Children: Medieval Hagiography and Childhood Imperfection
Authors: Bailey Anne E.
Published: November 2016

Approaches from social history, medical anthropology, and the history of the emotions can aid in the understanding of sick and physically impaired children as they appeared in the miracle stories of medieval England. An analysis of the medical and religious meanings attached to bodily defects in the Middle Ages discovers that hagiographers harnessed the emotions evoked by childhood illness to create a distinctly Christian concept of childhood imperfection.
The Missing Link? Trust, Cooperative Norms, and Industrial Growth in Italy
Authors: Cappelli Gabriele
Published: November 2016

Despite recent research about the link between social capital and economic growth, the degree to which social norms influenced the first phase of Italy’s regional economic divergence remains largely unexplored. A methodology based on a multifaceted definition of social capital, employing data about charity, mutual aid, and crime permits estimates of the differences in the strength of trust and cooperative norms across Italy’s provinces at ten-year intervals between 1871 and 1911. Further analysis of trust and cooperative norms via regression models of conditional convergence in industrial value added per capita shows that, although regional disparities in social capital were large during the late nineteenth century, they are not strongly correlated with industrial growth. Instead, the evidence indicates that human capital, innovation, and formal institutions were far more instrumental in determining the economic fortunes of Italy’s provinces before the World War I.
Moral Masculinities: Ethical Self-fashionings of Professional Chinese Men in London
Authors: Hird Derek
Published: November 2016

Through qualitative interviews and examination of textual sources, this essay investigates the gendered, class and cultural subjectivities of transnational, highly-educated Chinese men living and working in London. Narrative analysis of the interviews of two participants suggests that they exhibit hybrid “bricolage masculinities,” which incorporate elements from Western educational and corporate cultures, and also appropriate concepts and practices from the Confucian tradition of moral self-cultivation. A discussion of contemporary texts that support the revival of Confucian masculinities illuminates the discursive context in which the participants’ ethical self-fashionings take place. The study argues that the cosmopolitan yet culturally embedded masculinities of the participants are suggestive of how professional Chinese men, as they step onto the world stage, seek to insert themselves more advantageously into local and global power relations of gender, class and nation.
The Barnabites’ Contribution
Authors: Unger Daniel M.
Published: November 2016

Soon after the canonization of St. Carlo Borromeo, Cardinal Benedetto Giustiniani commissioned Lorenzo Garbieri to create three paintings for one of the chapels in the newly-erected Barnabite church of San Paolo Maggiore in the center of Bologna, with scenes taken from the new saint’s life. This was the first chapel to be decorated in the church. Here, as will be argued below, one may find the seeds of what eventually became common in representations of the saint: Barnabite propaganda meant to accentuate not only the saint himself and his important altruistic deeds, but also the order’s part in those deeds, as well as the connections between the saint and the Barnabites. An emphasis is given to the Barnabites’ participation in the very deeds that became associated with the saint and through which he became known during his lifetime as a living saint.
Making the World Body Whole and Complete
Authors: Berman Brad
Published: November 2016

Plato’s demiurge makes a series of questionable decisions in creating the world. Most notoriously, he endeavors to replicate, to the extent possible, some of the features that his model possesses just insofar as it is a Form. This has provoked the colorful complaint that the demiurge is as raving mad as a general contractor who constructs a house of vellum to better realize the architect’s vellum plans (Keyt 1971). The present paper considers the sanity of the demiurge’s reasoning in light ofTimaeus32c5-33b1, where he invokes considerations of wholeness, completeness, uniqueness, and eternality in deciding to build the body of the world from all of each of the simple bodies. Since the passage makes no appeal to the demiurge’s intelligible model, one can mine it for indications of the value that the demiurge takes those features to have independent of mimetic goals. I argue that, for Plato, those features are intrinsically good-making and, thus, that it is not only appropriate for them to characterize FormsquaForms but also that it is appropriate for the demiurge to aim at replicating them, to the extent possible, in his creation. In particular, I argue that the demiurge’s success in instilling a circumscribed version of each feature in his creation helps to qualify it as a genuinebeingdespite the fact that itcomes to be.
Somewhere Between Civilization and Savagery
Authors: Brundage Mathew
Published: November 2016

This article examines the language in mid-19th Century accounts emphasizing Chinese cultural “stagnation” in the face of growing American influence in East Asia to investigate the emergence of a belief in the rising position of the United States on the world stage. This construction played off of critical observations that attempted to explain how the China trade was strong enough to be of u.s. national interest, while at the same time clarifying how the Chinese were weak enough to succumb to foreign influence. As such, Americans attempted to diagnose and cure the ills of stagnation through intervention. From religious conversion, to economic expansion, to cultural influence, Americans proposed a litany of solutions to China’s problems. A common theme within these larger tropes focused on the unique role that Chinese women played in American hopes for enacting change in China. In defining Chinese stagnation, Americans betrayed their own perspectives on the role of women in society and attempted to influence Chinese women to adopt that idealized model as the means by which the United States could profit from elevating China into the ranks of modern civilized nations.
How Heresy Makes Orthodoxy
Authors: Qadir Ali
Published: November 2016

This article explores the on-going construction, or “sedimentation,” of Sunni orthodoxy by paying attention to the boundary role of “insider-Others.” To highlight how boundary positions of heretical communities shape the category of orthodox Islam, this paper focuses on the social processes excluding the “heretical” Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in South Africa. The paper undertakes a qualitative analysis of two Supreme Court cases involving Ahmadis and the Muslim Judicial Council of South Africa, local representatives of orthodox Sunnism. These two cases stand out in a contentious history that has led to extreme ostracism of Ahmadis by Sunni Muslims in the country. The analysis identifies three features of Sunni orthodoxy that crystallized in the process of conflict with the Ahmadiyya: alienation, transnationalism, and Archimedean moral authority. These features help make sense of social processes marginalizing Ahmadis around the world, and offer new insights into construction of global Sunni orthodoxy.
Dangerous Encounters, Ambiguous Frontiers
Authors: Egüez Guevara Pilar
Published: November 2016

Dance balls, masquerades, and street carnivals functioned as frontier spaces of otherwise reprehensible encounters between people of different gender, race, and class. I examine dance as a dense point of contact in nineteenth-century Cuba by showing how dance served ruling elites as a disciplining instrument to enforce social and legal boundaries, and was simultaneously used by colonial subjects as a tactic of survival to navigate these barriers. Because dancing lent itself to situations of intimacy and mis-recognition, it challenged Cuban ruling elites’ efforts to police dancing bodies. Dance is offered as a useful methodological venue to illuminate the predicament of the colonial state in governing colonial subjects and bodies. I offer the case of colonial Cuba as a contribution to the study of contact zones and colonial intimacies in Latin America and the Caribbean, in a much-needed examination of the relationships between imperialism, sexuality, and the governance of dance.
The identity of Polyalthia florulenta (Annonaceae): a second species of Wangia in China
Authors: XUE BINE , TAN YUN-HONG , YE XING-ER
Published: November 2016

The taxonomic placement of Polyalthia florulenta C.Y.Wu ex P.T.Li has not been clarified. Phylogenetic analyses of eight chloroplast regions (matK, ndhF, ndhF-rpl32, psbA-trnH, rbcL, rpl32-trnL, trnL-F and ycf1; ca. 9.2 kb, 66 taxa) unambiguously placed Polyalthia florulenta in a subclade of tribe Miliuseae, sister to Wangia saccopetaloides. Polyalthia flourulenta shares several diagnostic characters with Wangia saccopetaloides, including leaf-opposed inflorescences, sepaloid outer petals and saccate inner petals with basal glandular tissue. It differs from Wangia saccopetaloides in having membranous leaf laminas, single-flowered inflorescences, subglobose single-seeded monocarps, and spiniform endosperm rumination. On the basis of the combined molecular phylogenetic and morphological data, we propose a new combination, Wangia florulenta (C.Y.Wu ex P.T.Li) B.Xue. As the protologue description was based on material lacking mature flowers, we provide a detailed description of flower morphology. A key to species in the genus Wangia is also provided.
On the genus Elasmopus Costa, 1853 from the Northeastern Coast of Brazil with five new species and new records
Authors: ALVES JESSIKA , JOHNSSON RODRIGO , SENNA ANDRÉ R.
Published: November 2016

The genus Elasmopus is the most diverse in the Family Maeridae. Five new species and new records of Elasmopus from the Brazilian coast are herein described. The specimens were collected in intertidal and subtidal zones along the Northeastern Brazilian coast between 2010 and 2014. The distribution of Elasmopus longipropodus along the coast is extended. Eighteen species of Elasmopus are known from Brazil, not including these five new species. An identification key to the species of Elasmopus is provided.