bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metastatic breast cancers: Estimates for Italy
Authors: Crocetti Emanuele , Gori Stefania , Falcini Fabio
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

Breast is the leading site of cancer onset and death in Italy. Cases diagnosed in stage IV or that progress in metastatic phase represent a specific and challenging task for oncologists. Estimates on the burden of breast cancer (BC) in stage IV in Italy are not available.

Methods:

We applied mortality-incidence age-specific ratios measured in the United States in 2013 for BC in stage IV at diagnosis (de novo) or following a previous diagnosis in a localized stage (distant recurrence) to the age-specific BC deaths observed in Italy in 2014. The US mortality-prevalence age-specific ratios were used for estimating de novo and distant recurrence prevalent metastatic BC.

Results:

In 2014 in Italy, there were 12,330 deaths due to BC. We estimated that in the same year about 3400 BC were newly diagnosed in stage IV (7.1% of all the new cases); moreover, more than 10,000 other BC progressed to stage IV. In addition, in 2014, the overall number of BC in stage IV, whenever diagnosed, was about 37,100 (5.6% of all the estimated prevalent BC).

Conclusions:

These estimates quantify, for the first time in Italy, the burden of BC in stage IV, at diagnosis or during the clinical course, providing useful figures for clinicians and policy makers.
The Politics of Participation in Cape Town’s Slum Upgrading: The Role of Productive Tension
Authors: Kiefer Karly , Ranganathan Malini
Published: March 2018

This article studies Cape Town’s new slum “reblocking” paradigm, in which settlements are reorganized, housing upgraded, and services delivered in situ. Though not without structural and long-term challenges, research shows that for those waiting for post-apartheid housing, reblocking provides an alternative to eviction and resettlement. Through primary and secondary research over 2014–2016 on four reblocking pilot projects covering six hundred households, we argue that reblocking hinges not on consensus but rather the “productive tension” generated in the negotiation of visions and outcomes. We draw on critical theories of agonism and participation to suggest that such tension plays a role in producing legitimacy.
Examining the Effect of Military Service on Education: The Unique Case of Hispanic Veterans
Authors: Cancio Roberto
Published: March 2018

Every year, over 20,000 Hispanics enlist in the U.S. military. Their military experiences influence their long-term educational outcomes. This exploratory study estimates the effect of military service on education level completed by men up to 15 years after initial enlistment. Findings suggest that technical military jobs, more than nontechnical military jobs, positively influence the educational outcomes of individuals after military service.
Suggesting a Practical Theory to Oncology Nurses
Authors: Ebrahimpour Fatemeh , Hoseini Akram Sadat Sadat
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

Children with cancer are faced with many challenges related to their disease that disturbs their comfort. The aim of this study was to apply Kolcaba’s comfort theory for a child with cancer.

Design:

A case study design was used.

Methods:

We applied Kolcaba’s comfort theory for a young boy with cancer who was sad and in discomfort because of intravenous access procedures. Following Kolcaba’s taxonomy of needs for comfort in the spiritual and mental level, we designed a new intervention.

Findings:

Kolcaba’s comfort theory is an appropriate approach which not only helps to assess and evaluate comfort holistically but also assists in performing innovative interventions to provide comfort for children with cancer.

Conclusions:

Kolcaba’s comfort theory is a practical theory for oncology nurses.

Clinical Relevance:

Nursing theories can improve the quality of clinical care.
A coordinated turn controller for a fixed-wing aircraft
Authors: Corona-Sánchez José J , Guzmán Caso Óscar Roberto , Rodríguez-Cortés H
Published: March 2018

This paper describes the design of a controller for a fixed-wing aircraft to make it perform coordinated turns. First, a state feedback partial linearization controller drives the airplane to carry out an ideal coordinated turn. A second control loop, inspired by the total heading control system technique, mixes the ailerons and rudder inputs to perform a coordinated turn considering the sideslip dynamics. The control design development gives new insights to establish the fundamental basis for the total heading control system. Simulations in an advanced flight simulator (X-Plane 10) are presented to show the closed-loop system behavior.
Satisfaction with democracy and perceived performance of the welfare state in Europe
Authors: Sirovátka Tomáš , Guzi Martin , Saxonberg Steven
Published: March 2018

This article tests several hypotheses for explaining the link between welfare-state performance and satisfaction with democracy. In conducting our multilevel analysis, we combine data from the European Social Survey 2012 special module on democracy with data on contextual and institutional conditions, including those on welfare-state regimes. Our results show that a discrepancy between desired policy goals and perceived policy outcomes in connection with the welfare state (i.e. the policy deficit) influences citizens’ perceptions of how well democracy in their country works. Social policies which citizens see as reducing poverty correlate positively with satisfaction with democracy. We also find evidence that satisfaction with democracy depends on the type of welfare regime, as well as on changes in economic conditions that arise due to financial crisis.
Multi-proxy evidence for an arid shift in the climate and vegetation of the Banni grasslands of western India during the mid- to late-Holocene
Authors: Pillai Anusree AS , Anoop Ambili , Prasad Vandana , Manoj MC , Varghese Saju , Sankaran Mahesh , Ratnam Jayashree
Published: March 2018

Tropical semi-arid grasslands are a widespread and ecologically and economically important terrestrial biome. Here, we use paleoecology to understand woodland–grassland transitions across the mid- to late-Holocene period in the Banni grassland, western India. Multi proxy analyses involving palynology, phytoliths and elemental geochemistry were carried out on two sediment cores retrieved from wetlands (Chachi and Luna), to understand temporal fluctuations in vegetation, moisture availability and other environmental parameters. Based on the results, the Chachi core was divided into two major climatic phases. Phase 1 (4600–2500 cal. yr BP) was characterised by high precipitation and abundance of pollen types and phytolith morphotypes that indicate the presence of woody savanna, and mesic herbaceous taxa. Phase 2 (2500 cal. yr BP to the present) was characterised by lower precipitation, lower abundance of mesic taxa and an increase in grass phytolith abundance. However, the period from ~1000 cal. yr BP to the present was characterised by the increased abundance of leguminous taxa, dryland herbs/shrubs and a decline in grass phytolith abundance. The Luna core (~1000 cal. yr BP to the present) also showed results matching with the Chachi core for this latter period. Overall, moisture availability in the ecosystem appears to have declined since 4600 cal. yr BP, and the vegetation has responded to this. Although the balance between tree, shrub and grass elements has fluctuated, overall, the region has remained as an open ‘grass and shrub savanna’ with sparse woody vegetation throughout this period. Our study provides insights into the vegetation dynamics and environmental settings in a poorly understood tropical arid-grassland ecosystem from Asia during the mid-late-Holocene.
Respecting the privacy of hospitalized patients: An integrative review
Authors: Hasan Tehrani Tayebeh , Seyed Bagher Maddah Sadat , Fallahi-Khoshknab Masoud , Ebadi Abbas , Mohammadi Shahboulaghi Farahnaz , Gillespie Mark
Published: March 2018

Background:

Privacy is a complicated and obscure concept, which has special meanings in the healthcare environment; therefore, it is essential for healthcare providers to fully understand this concept. However, there is no universally accepted definition for this concept in the texts, and it has been interpreted differently, based on its application.

Aim:

To analyze and provide a clear and scientific definition for respect of privacy of hospitalized patients and identify the common aspects of this concept.

Research design:

This study was conducted using the Whittemore and Knafl’s modified framework as a conceptual analysis method.

Ethical consideration:

This study was approved by the Research Council of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences. We have respected the ethical requirements required regarding the sources and authorship.

Research context and data sources:

Using integrative review, a search was performed using national and international databases, including CINAHL, Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, and ISI (with no date restriction). The keywords employed during the search process were “privacy of patients,” “confidentiality,” “and patients’ rights.” In total, 1345 articles were retrieved from the databases. After the elimination of repetitive studies and with regard to the study objectives, 124 articles, 3 books, and 4 theses were entered into the study. The data were analyzed using the conventional content analysis approach.

Findings:

The results were extracted in the form of four, seven, and two themes related to attributes such as physical, informational, social, and psychological and the antecedents and consequences of respecting patient privacy, respectively.

Conclusion:

Respect for hospitalized patient privacy contains multiple dimensions. Factors affecting the achievement of this concept include individual backgrounds, nature of the disease, and rule of paternalism. The fulfillment of patient privacy leads to such consequences as protection and improvement of human dignity as well as improved communication between the patient and the health team.
Structural Changes Following Velopharyngeal Resistance Training (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Therapy)
Authors: Bae Youkyung , Pfeil Gwenlyn
Published: March 2018

Objective:

To evaluate the feasibility/effectiveness of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to document velopharyngeal (VP) structural changes induced by continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy.

Outcome Measures:

Changes in velar length and thickness, levator veli palatini (LVP) length and thickness, velar volume, and intravelar muscular proportion along the course of CPAP therapy participation (Pre-CPAP, Post-CPAP, and withdrawal).

Results:

Velar and LVP lengths remained nearly the same, with the median changes (Δ) less than 0.6%, across repeated conditions. Although varying in magnitudes of change, median velar volume (Δ4%), velar thickness (Δ20%), LVP thickness (Δ17%), and intravelar muscular proportion (Δ10%) illustrated a consistent pattern of increases following the 8-week CPAP therapy. These VP structural measurements slightly decreased but remained above the pretraining condition after 8-week detraining.

Conclusions:

This report successfully demonstrated that MRI is a viable tool to document CPAP therapy–induced VP structural changes while providing preliminary empirical data.
Evaluating Vasopressor Discontinuation Strategies in Patients With Septic Shock on Concomitant Norepinephrine and Vasopressin Infusions
Authors: Musallam Nadine , Altshuler Diana , Merchan Cristian , Zakhary Bishoy , Aberle Caitlin , Papadopoulos John
Published: March 2018

Background: There is little data guiding clinicians on how to discontinue vasopressors among septic shock patients on concomitant norepinephrine (NE) and vasopressin (VP). Objective: To determine the incidence of hypotension within 24 hours of discontinuing NE (NE DC first) versus VP (VP DC first) first in septic shock patients. Methods: This retrospective study evaluated septic shock patients admitted to the medical intensive care unit (MICU) and surgical ICU (SICU) receiving concomitant NE and VP. Receipt of additional vasopressors, mixed shock states, expired or care withdrawn, and NE and VP discontinued simultaneously were exclusion criteria. The primary outcome was incidence of hypotension within 24 hours of first vasopressor discontinuation. Secondary outcomes included time to hypotension, hospital length of stay (LOS), ICU LOS, and ICU mortality. Results: A total of 80 patients were included (NE DC first [n = 35]; VP DC first [n = 45]), with a median age of 73 years and median modified Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores of 21 and 7, respectively. More patients in the NE DC first group were in the SICU (42.9% vs 20.0%; P = 0.048) with more intra-abdominal infections (40.0% vs 15.6%; P = 0.021) and fewer appropriate empirical antibiotics (62.9% vs 86.7%; P = 0.018). Hypotension within 24 hours of first agent discontinuation was higher in the VP DC first group (28.6% vs 62.2%; P = 0.004), with similar hospital LOS and ICU mortality. Multivariate analysis identified VP DC first as an independent predictor of hypotension (odds ratio = 7.2; CI = 2.3-22.7). Conclusion: Among septic shock patients on concomitant NE and VP, discontinuation of VP first was associated with an increased incidence of hypotension; future prospective control trials are warranted.
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Simultaneously Involving the Breast and Epithelial Inclusions in an Ipsilateral Axillary Lymph Node
Authors: Commander Leah A. , Ollila David W. , O’Connor Siobhan M. , Hertel Johann D. , Calhoun Benjamin C.
Published: March 2018

Benign cystic epithelial inclusions with squamous, glandular, or Müllerian phenotypes are known to occur in the axillary lymph nodes of patients with benign and malignant breast disease. Careful evaluation of hematoxylin and eosin–stained slides and correlation with the histologic findings in the ipsilateral breast are paramount in evaluation of suspected benign inclusions. In this case of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast in a 73-year-old woman, DCIS also involved epithelial inclusions in an ipsilateral axillary lymph node. The recognition of these benign epithelial elements, and awareness that they can be involved by DCIS, is crucial to avoid the overdiagnosis of metastatic carcinoma.
Party Elites or Manufactured Doubt? The Informational Context of Climate Change Polarization
Authors: Merkley Eric , Stecula Dominik A.
Published: March 2018

Americans polarized on climate change despite decreasing uncertainty in climate science. Explanations focused on organized climate skeptics and ideologically driven motivated reasoning are likely insufficient. Instead, Americans may have formed their attitudes by using party elite cues. We analyze the content of over 8,000 print, broadcast, and cable news stories. We find that coverage became increasingly partisan as climate change rose in salience, but climate skeptics received scant attention. Democratic messages were more voluminous and consistently pro–climate science, while Republican messages have been scarcer and ambiguous until recently. This suggests Republican voters took cues from Democratic elites to reject climate science.
Views of children, parents, and health-care providers on pediatric disclosure of medical errors
Authors: Koller Donna , Espin Sherry
Published: March 2018

Despite the prevalence of medical errors in pediatrics, little research examines stakeholder perspectives on the disclosure of adverse events, particularly in the case of children’s own perspectives. Stakeholder perspectives, however, are integral to informing processes for pediatric disclosure. Building on a systematic review of the literature, this article presents findings from a series of focus groups with key pediatric stakeholders where perspectives were sought on the disclosure of medical errors. Focus groups were conducted with three stakeholder groups. Participants included child members of the Children’s Council from a large pediatric hospital ( n = 14), parents of children with chronic medical conditions ( n = 5), and health-care providers including physicians, nurses, and patient safety professionals ( n = 27). Children acknowledged various disclosure approaches while citing the importance of children’s right to know about errors. Parents generally identified the need for full disclosure and the uncovering of hidden errors. Health-care providers were concerned about the process of disclosure and whether it always served the best interest of the child or family. While some health-care providers addressed the need for more clarity in pediatric policies, most stakeholders agreed that a case-by-case approach was necessary for supporting variations in how medical errors are disclosed.
The flow and acoustic characteristics of underwater gas jets from large vertical exhaust nozzles
Authors: Miao Tiancheng , Liu Jingting , Qin Shijie , Chu Ning , Wu Dazhuan , Wang Leqin
Published: March 2018

The flow and acoustic characteristics of underwater gas jets exhausted from large vertical nozzles are experimentally investigated in this work with gas flow rates of 30–150 m3/h, nozzle widths of d = 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, and 40 mm. A high-speed digital video camera is used to examine bubble behavior and flow regimes. Sound pressure is measured by two hydrophones and recorded by a digital audio tape recorder. The audio and video signals are synchronized to find out the relationship between sound and gas behavior. Experimental results indicate that the general behavior of gas exhausted into water is of periodical necking and expansion. Sound pressure peaks are mostly excited by necking in two ways: pinch-off and redial expansion. Necking itself is a kind of low frequency behavior, corresponding to strong low frequency sounds. Moreover, necking can force the growing bubble to oscillate and emit broadband sound. As the gas velocity increases, necking would happen more frequently, and gas jets would grow into larger volume in shorter time, and then the sound radiated from the gas jets would have higher frequency and larger amplitude.
“The most inspiring bikini photos you’ll see this summer”: A thematic analysis of mass audiences’ interpretations of ostomy selfies
Authors: Rademacher Mark A
Published: March 2018

How people with ostomies—a surgically created opening in the body that expels bodily wastes—use social media to challenge ostomy stigma represents a growing area of research, especially the creation, posting, and circulation of ostomy selfies within online health communities. This project contributes to this research by examining reactions by a mass audience to news stories about a viral ostomy selfie posted by ostomate Bethany Townsend to a Crohn’s disease Facebook page. By analyzing the user-generated comments associated with this news coverage, this study illuminates how ostomy selfies are interpreted outside the highly sympathetic audiences that populate online health communities. Analysis reveals positive and negative reactions, posted by ostomates and non-ostomates alike, coexist within the comments. Implications of the conflicting reactions to ostomies, in general, and ostomy selfies, in particular, are discussed with regard to the effort to destigmatize ostomies in society.
Choosing Fighting Competitors Among Men: Testosterone, Personality, and Motivations
Authors: Borráz-León Javier I. , Cerda-Molina Ana Lilia , Rantala Markus J. , Mayagoitia-Novales Lilian
Published: March 2018

Higher testosterone levels have been positively related to a variety of social behaviors and personality traits associated with intrasexual competition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of testosterone levels and personality traits such as aggressiveness, competitiveness, and self-esteem on the task of choosing a fighting competitor (a rival) with or without a motivation to fight. In Study 1, a group of 119 men participated in a task for choosing a rival through pictures of men with high-dominant masculinity versus low-dominant masculinity. Participants completed three personality questionnaires and donated two saliva samples (pre-test and post-test sample) to quantify their testosterone levels. We found that the probability of choosing high-dominant masculine men as rivals increased with higher aggressiveness scores. In Study 2, the task of choosing rivals was accompanied by motivations to fight (pictures of women with high or low waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]). In this context, we observed that the probability of choosing dominant masculine men as rivals depended on the WHR of the women. Overall, average levels of post-test testosterone, aggressiveness, and high self-esteem increased the probability to fight for women with low WHR independently of the dominance masculinity of the rivals. Our results indicate that human decisions, in the context of intrasexual competition and mate choice, are regulated by physiological and psychological mechanisms allowing men to increase their biological fitness. We discuss our results in the light of the plasticity of human behavior according to biological and environmental forces.
Parent–Offspring Conflict Over Mating in Chinese Families: Comparisons With Greek Cypriot Families
Authors: Apostolou Menelaos , Wang Yan
Published: March 2018

Parents and their children are genetically related but not genetically identical, a fact that leads to conflict between the two. One such domain of conflict is mate choice, where in-law and mate preferences diverge. The current research examined this divergence in preferences in the Chinese culture and how it varied across cultural contexts. More specifically, we have employed an online sample of 356 Chinese families, and we asked parents to rate the importance of several traits in a prospective spouse for their children and their children to rate the importance of the same traits in a prospective spouse for themselves. Comparisons of parents’ and children’s answers indicated a disagreement in several domains including good looks and family oriented. It was also found that there was more disagreement between parents and sons than between parents and daughters. Finally, the responses of Chinese parents and their children in the current study were compared with the responses of Greek Cypriot parents and their children from a previous study. It was found that, across several domains, there was more disagreement between parents and sons in the Chinese sample, while for the family oriented and the chastity, there was more parents–sons and parents–daughters disagreement in the Chinese sample. The implications of these findings were further examined.
Geographic Distance From Transplant Center Does Not Impact Pediatric Heart Transplant Outcomes
Authors: McKane Meghann , Dodd Debra A. , Mettler Bret A. , Wujcik Kari A. , Godown Justin
Published: March 2018

Background:

Many pediatric heart transplant recipients live a significant distance from their transplant center. This results in families either traveling long distances or relying on outside physicians to assume aspects of their care. Distance has been implicated to play a role in congenital heart disease outcomes, but its impact on heart transplantation has not been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of distance on pediatric heart transplant outcomes.

Methods:

The Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients database was queried for all pediatric heart transplant recipients from large US children’s hospitals (1987-2014). Patients were stratified into 4 groups (<20, 20-50, 50-100, and >100 miles) based on distance. Survival curves were generated and compared using the log-rank test. Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to adjust for differences between groups.

Results:

A total of 4768 patients were included in the analysis, of which 1435 (30.1%) were <20 miles, 940 (19.7%) were 20 to 50 miles, 806 (16.9%) were 50 to 100 miles, and 1587 (33.3%) were >100 miles from their transplant center. There was no difference in posttransplant survival based on distance after adjusting for patient age, gender, ethnicity, blood type, diagnosis, listing status, and the need for pretransplant ventricular assist device, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ventilator support.

Conclusion:

There is no significant difference in graft survival after pediatric heart transplantation based on patient distance from their transplant center. Our data suggest the current strategy of transitioning some aspects of transplant care to local physicians or management from a distance does not increase posttransplant mortality risk.
Performance Improvement to Decrease Readmission Rates for Patients With a Left Ventricular Assist Device
Authors: Iseler Jackeline , Fox John , Wierenga Kelly
Published: March 2018

Background:

The 30-day readmission rate for patients with a left ventricular assist device implantation at a large, urban, Midwest hospital system (from October 2013 to September 2014) was estimated at 32.1%.

Problem Statement:

Readmission rates were a concern at this facility. Review of the readmissions, change in practice, and home expectations of patients and families have identified an opportunity to improve the transitions of care for this left ventricular assist device (LVAD) program. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness and feasibility of a transitional care model (TCM) for care of patients with left ventricular devices.

Methods:

Ten patients were enrolled in the pilot that was implemented in June 2015. A transitional care nurse trained to support patients with ventricular assist devices was used to facilitate patient flow. The goal was to create an individualized plan for the development or improvement of self-management skills to decrease readmission rates. The transitional care nurse collaborated with the ventricular device team.

Outcomes:

The 30-day readmission rate during the pilot was 14.3% compared to the previous annual overall rate of 42.6%.

Implications for Practice:

Based on these results, further research is recommended into interventions consistent with the TCM to advance care coordination and to facilitate care transition in the this fragile patient population.
Effect of Electrode Distance in Grid Electrode: Numerical Models and In Vitro Tests
Authors: Ongaro Alessia , Campana Luca Giovanni , De Mattei Monica , Di Barba Paolo , Dughiero Fabrizio , Forzan Michele , Mognaschi Maria Evelina , Pellati Agnese , Rossi Carlo Riccardo , Bernardello Clara , Sieni Elisabetta
Published: March 2018

Electrochemotherapy is an emerging local treatment for the management of superficial tumors and, among these, also chest wall recurrences from breast cancer. Generally, the treatment of this peculiar type of tumor requires the coverage of large skin areas. In these cases, electrochemotherapy treatment by means of standard small size needle electrodes (an array of 0.73 cm spaced needles, which covers an area of 1.5 cm2) is time-consuming and can allow an inhomogeneous coverage of the target area. We have previously designed grid devices suitable for treating an area ranging from 12 to 200 cm2. In this study, we propose different approaches to study advantages and drawbacks of a grid device with needles positioned 2 cm apart. The described approach includes a numerical evaluation to estimate electric field intensity, followed by an experimental quantification of electroporation on a cell culture. The electric field generated in a conductive medium has been studied by means of 3-dimensional numerical models with varying needle pair distance from 1 to 2 cm. In particular, the electric field evaluation shows that the electric field intensity with varying needle distance is comparable in the area in the middle of the 2 electrodes. Differently, near needles, the electric field intensity increases with the increasing electrode distance and supply voltage. The computational results have been correlated with experimental ones obtained in vitro on cell culture. In particular, electroporation effect has been assessed on human breast cancer cell line MCF7, cultured in monolayer. The use of 2-cm distant needles, supplied by 2000 V, produced an electroporation effect in the whole area comprised between the electrodes. Areas of cell culture where reversible and irreversible electroporation occurred were identified under microscope by using fluorescent dyes. The coupling of computation and experimental results could be helpful to evaluate the effect of the needle distance on the electric field intensity in cell cultures in terms of reversible or irreversible electroporation.
Modeling and pressure tracking control of a novel electro-hydraulic braking system
Authors: Xiong Zhe , Guo Xuexun , Yang Bo , Pei Xiaofei , Zhang Jie
Published: March 2018

A brake-by-wire system is considered the best solution to realize advanced functions in electric vehicles/hybrid electric vehicles and intelligent vehicles. In this article, a novel electro-hydraulic brake system is proposed. The main issues in the development of the proposed electro-hydraulic brake system focus on hydraulic loop design and pressure tracking control. Instead of an accumulator, a large displacement piston pump coupled to a high-power motor is applied to meet the demand of pressure boost. A passive pedal feel simulator is designed to decouple the brake pedal and the wheel cylinders. The high pressure in the wheel cylinders is controlled by de/activating the motor and valves to track the reference pressure. To minimize the pressure instability observed in previous proportional–integral–derivative controller tests, a self-tuning generalized predictive controller is applied. Models of each system’s dynamic process are derived, and the parameters are identified through test data. A sliding mode differentiator is used to filter the sensor signals and improve the pressure boost performance in hard brake maneuvers. A rapid control prototype test environment based on dSPACE is built to verify and adjust the controller. The simulation results using MATLAB/Simulink and bench tests are presented and analyzed. Tracking performances show that compared to a proportional–integral–derivative controller, the proposed controller has a better effect in lowering pressure overshoots and start–stop frequency.
The Levellers, political literacy and contemporary Citizenship education in England
Authors: Hopkins Neil , Coster Will
Published: March 2018

This article analyses the concept of political literacy (as introduced in the 1998 Crick Report) in relation to Citizenship in the English National Curriculum. It argues that political literacy has not been sufficiently emphasised or facilitated within this foundation subject and that the concept is particularly important for students at a time of considerable political and social conflict in England (and elsewhere). The authors state that engagement with the ideas and practices of the Levellers (a political group writing and agitating at the time of the Civil Wars) could enable students and teachers to explore political literacy (especially the implications of social media) by looking at a political group that utilised mass pamphleteering as a form of political communication. The article will also investigate the context of Citizenship within the English National Curriculum and some of the philosophical concerns around Citizenship education. It contains a section placing the Levellers in their contemporary and historiographical contexts.
Comparison of outcomes between axial radial and axial ulnar carpal injuries
Authors: Shannon Steven F. , Boe Chelsea C. , Shin Alexander Y.
Published: March 2018

Axial carpal injuries are rare entities where a traumatic force transmits through the intermetacarpal space, dissociating the carpometacarpal joint and disrupting the distal carpal row in an axial radial or axial ulnar pattern via true axial force or compressive crush mechanism. Differences in outcomes remain unclear with regard to the specific type of axial carpal injury pattern. A retrospective case series identified 37 wrists (in 37 patients) over 25 years who presented to a Level 1 trauma centre, with 20 wrists experiencing an axial radial injury and 17 wrists experiencing an axial ulnar injury. Of all the variables evaluated, only axial radial injuries were identified as predictors of poor outcome as defined by Mayo Wrist scores with univariate analysis demonstrating 6 times increased risk and multivariate analysis demonstrating 15 times increased risk of a poor outcome compared with axial ulnar injuries. This knowledge will provide prognostic information to surgeons managing patients with these severe injuries.

Level of evidence: IV
Submucosal fat accumulation in human colorectal tissue and its association with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance
Authors: Wada Seriko , Yasunaga Yuichi , Oka Kazumasa , Dan Naoki , Tanaka Eri , Morita Kaori , Masuda Eriko , Yanagawa Kazunori , Matsumoto Hitoshi , Yoshioka Shinichi , Tsujie Masaki , Inui Yoshiaki , Kawata Sumio
Published: March 2018

Background

In addition to visceral fat, peripheral ectopic fat accumulation is suggested to play a role in the pathophysiology of metabolic syndrome, which is known to be associated with not only cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes mellitus but also colorectal cancer.

Objective

This study aims to clarify whether there is ectopic fat accumulation in human colorectal tissue in association with metabolic syndrome or its components such as abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.

Methods

Lipid contents of colorectal tissue were measured in 27 patients with colorectal polyp excised endoscopically. In addition, lipid droplets were immunohistochemically estimated using anti‐perilipin antibody in 32 patients with colorectal cancer resected surgically.

Results

Increasing tissue triglyceride/phospholipid ratio was associated with increasing body mass index, fasting plasma insulin level and homeostasis model assessment as an index of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR), and also decreasing serum adiponectin level. Lipid droplets were observed in the submucosal region of colorectal tissue. The amount of lipid droplets was associated with increasing body mass index, waist circumference and visceral fat area.

Conclusion

This study showed the presence of submucosal fat accumulation in human colorectal tissue and its association with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance.
The Role of Desmopressin in the Management of Severe, Hypovolemic Hyponatremia: A Single-Center, Comparative Analysis
Authors: Ward Frank L. , Tobe Sheldon W. , Naimark David M. J.
Published: March 2018

Background:

The role of desmopressin (DDAVP) to prevent or treat rapid serum sodium concentration ([Na]s) correction during hyponatremia management remains unclear.

Objective:

To assess DDAVP use during the first 48 hours of severe, hypovolemic hyponatremia management. The primary study hypothesis was that the use of DDAVP would slow the rate of [Na]s correction compared with those not receiving DDAVP.

Design:

A retrospective, observational, comparison study.

Setting:

A single, Canadian, tertiary center.

Patients:

All admitted patients referred to the nephrology service for severe, hypovolemic hyponatremia ([Na]s < 125 mmol/L) over a 12-month period from November 2015.

Measurements:

The primary outcomes measure was the [Na]s after medical management for 48 hours. The length of hospital stay was also measured.

Methods:

Patients were grouped based on whether they received DDAVP during the first 48 hours of treatment, and [Na]s correction was compared between groups using linear regression. An exploratory, multivariable, linear regression model was used to adjust for diabetes status, active malignancy, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and hypertonic saline administration.

Results:

Twenty-eight patients were identified, with baseline mean [Na]s of 112.7 ± 6.6 mmol/L versus 117 ± 4.3mmol/L ( P = .06) in those receiving (n = 16) and not receiving DDAVP (n = 12), respectively. The DDAVP group had a more rapid [Na]s correction on the first day compared with those not receiving DDAVP, 7.7 ± 3.8 mmol/L/d versus 5.1 ± 2.0 mmol/L/d ( P = .04). On the second day, there was a similar rate of [Na]s correction between groups: 1.3 ± 4.3 mmol/L/d versus 2.6 ± 3.2 mmol/L/d ( P = .39), respectively. Overall, there was no difference in [Na]s correction after 48 hours between those who received DDAVP and those who did not: 121.7 ± 7.5 mmol/L versus 124.8 ± 5.7 mmol/L ( P = .24). Patients who had experienced an overcorrection were successfully treated with DDAVP (n = 5), so that no patient had an ongoing overcorrection by 48 hours.

Limitations:

The limited sample size and lack of randomization preclude definitive conclusion on the additional benefit of DDAVP to standard care.

Conclusion:

DDAVP appears to be safe and effective in the management of severe, hypovolemic hyponatremia, associated with similar [Na]s correction to those who did not receive DDAVP after 48 hours, despite an initial more rapid correction. A randomized trial should examine what benefit DDAVP confers in addition to standard care in the management of severe, hypovolemic hyponatremia.
Effects of AHCC® on Immune and Stress Responses in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Takanari Jun , Sato Atsuya , Waki Hideaki , Miyazaki Shogo , Uebaba Kazuo , Hisajima Tatsuya
Published: March 2018

AHCC® is a functional food from the basidiomycete Lentinula edodes. We evaluated the effects of AHCC® on subjects under different kinds of stress and at rest. Physical stress was imposed using an active standing test, known as Schellong’s test. Sympathetic nervous activity in the standing position was significantly greater in AHCC®-treated subjects than in a placebo group. In contrast, AHCC® significantly increased parasympathetic nervous activity at rest. Under mental stress, AHCC® increased sympathetic nervous activity, with no difference in the parasympathetic nervous system. In subjects with chronic mental stress, self-reported “initiation and maintenance of sleep” was significantly greater in the AHCC®-intake period than in the placebo intake period, and natural killer cell activity also increased after AHCC® intake, suggesting a possible mechanism of action of AHCC®. Our findings indicate that AHCC® is potentially effective in stress management and may be useful in the treatment of depression.
Household Incarceration and Salient Emerging Adult Role Transitions: Findings From an Urban Sample of Hispanic Youth
Authors: Forster Myriam , Davis Laurel , Shlafer Rebecca , Unger Jennifer B.
Published: March 2018

In California, Hispanic children are 2.5 times as likely to have a family member in prison than their non-Hispanic White peers. Despite these ethnic disparities, few studies have examined the longitudinal impact of household incarceration on age-salient developmental transitions among Hispanic emerging adults. Using a matching method to control for demographic and psychosocial factors, we investigated whether emerging adults who were raised in families with an incarcerated adult experienced labor force participation, family formation, education, and criminal justice involvement differently than their peers without a history of family incarceration. Participants who had a history of household incarceration and who interacted with the criminal justice system themselves had significantly different transition experiences than their peers (higher odds of past year job loss, cohabitation, and having a child by age 20, and lower odds of pursuing a postsecondary education) and may be at increased risk of systematic disadvantage over the life course.
Uneven Development and Shifting Socioecological Rifts: Some Unintended Consequences of Dolphin Conservation in Cambodia
Authors: Deutsch Sierra
Published: March 2018

As sites of global environmental degradation continue to emerge and pose significant threats to life on the planet, the world’s natural resource managers persist in attempts to mitigate and reverse this degradation. However, these mitigation attempts often employ capitalist mechanisms as solutions to problems caused by capitalism. I used one-on-one in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and participant observation to examine the socioenvironmental changes associated with an Irrawaddy dolphin conservation project in Cambodia from the perspectives and experiences of the people most affected by the project. I argue that the inability of capitalist mechanisms to address the interconnectedness of “social” and “environmental” problems resulting from capitalism, in this case, appear to have served to exacerbate social inequality and to shift the project’s targeted ecological rift from the rivers to the forests. I also introduce the term “Whack-A-Mole” conservation to refer to this tendency of neoliberal conservation to simply shift socioecological rifts.
Murine CMV induces type 1 IFN that impairs differentiation of MDSCs critical for transplantation tolerance
Authors: Dangi Anil , Zhang Lei , Zhang Xiaomin , Luo Xunrong
Published: March 2018

Key Points

MCMV induces type 1 IFN that alters the differentiation of MDSCs critical for transplantation tolerance.
Comparative Toxicities and Cost of Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy, Proton Radiation, and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy Among Younger Men With Prostate Cancer
Authors: Pan Hubert Y. , Jiang Jing , Hoffman Karen E. , Tang Chad , Choi Seungtaek L. , Nguyen Quynh-Nhu , Frank Steven J. , Anscher Mitchell S. , Shih Ya-Chen Tina , Smith Benjamin D.
Published: March 2018

Purpose

To compare the toxicities and cost of proton radiation and stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer among men younger than 65 years of age with private insurance.

Methods

Using the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database, we identified men who received radiation for prostate cancer between 2008 and 2015. Patients undergoing proton therapy and SBRT were propensity score–matched to IMRT patients on the basis of clinical and sociodemographic factors. Proportional hazards models compared the cumulative incidence of urinary, bowel, and erectile dysfunction toxicities by treatment. Cost from a payer’s perspective was calculated from claims and adjusted to 2015 dollars.

Results

A total of 693 proton therapy patients were matched to 3,465 IMRT patients. Proton therapy patients had a lower risk of composite urinary toxicity (33% v 42% at 2 years; P < .001) and erectile dysfunction (21% v 28% at 2 years; P < .001), but a higher risk of bowel toxicity (20% v 15% at 2 years; P = .02). Mean radiation cost was $115,501 for proton therapy patients and $59,012 for IMRT patients ( P < .001). A total of 310 SBRT patients were matched to 3,100 IMRT patients. There were no significant differences in composite urinary, bowel, or erectile dysfunction toxicities between SBRT and IMRT patients ( P > .05), although a higher risk of urinary fistula was noted with SBRT (1% v 0.1% at 2 years; P = .009). Mean radiation cost for SBRT was $49,504 and $57,244 for IMRT ( P < .001).

Conclusion

Among younger men with prostate cancer, proton radiation was associated with significant reductions in urinary toxicity but increased bowel toxicity at nearly twice the cost of IMRT. SBRT and IMRT were associated with similar toxicity profiles; SBRT was modestly less expensive than IMRT.
Daunorubicin reduces MBNL1 titration by expanded CUG repeat RNA and rescues cardiac dysfunctions in a Drosophila model of myotonic dystrophy
Authors: Chakraborty M. , Sellier Chantal , Ney Michel , Villa Pascal , Charlet-Berguerand Nicolas , Artero R. , Llamusi B.
Published: March 2018

Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is a dominantly inherited neuromuscular disorder caused by expression of mutant DMPK transcripts containing expanded CUG repeats. Pathogenic RNA sequesters the muscleblind-like (MBNL) proteins, causing alterations of RNA metabolism. Cardiac dysfunction represents the second most common cause of death in DM1 patients. However, the contribution of MBNL titration in DM1 cardiac dysfunction is unclear. We overexpressed Muscleblind (Mbl), Drosophila MBNL orthologue, in cardiomyocytes of DM1 model flies and observed a rescue of heart dysfunctions, which are characteristic of these model flies and resemble cardiac defects observed in patients. We also identified a drug, Daunorubicin hydrochloride, that directly binds to CUG repeats and alleviates Mbl titration in Drosophila DM1 cardiomyocytes, resulting into missplicing rescue and cardiac function recovery. These results demonstrate the relevance of Mbl titration by expanded CUG RNA in cardiac dysfunctions in DM1, and highlight the potential of strategies aimed at inhibit this protein-RNA interaction to recover normal cardiac function.
Debt and sad affects in the society of control
Authors: Młoźniak Iwona
Published: March 2018

The article presents an analysis of the notion of debt in the context of Deleuzean philosophy of affect. The interpretation presented on the following pages is “indebted” to Lazzarato’s conception of the notion of debt as a figure of subjectivity typical for capitalism. Debt is understood as an assemblage of sad passions and considered in relation to social transformations, that have led to contemporary societies of control.  The article shows the connection between the concept of debt and the process of individualization characteristic for contemporary society. Firstly, the concepts of control, debt and affect in the philosophy of Deleuze are put into consideration. Secondly, their relation to the forces and assemblages typical for contemporary societies is discussed. In order to grasp the social significance of the philosophical analysis, the article involves a sociological excursion that demonstrates sociological interpretation of the processes that were described in terms of philosophical analysis in the main body of the text.
A good life: Friendship, Art and Truth
Authors: Nehamas Alexander
Published: March 2018

In September 2017 Alexander Nehamas kindly accepted our invitation to have a meeting in Athens in order to discuss several issues of philosophical interest; with his latest publication On Friendship (New York: Basic Books, 2016) as a starting point we soon moved over to a multitude of topics Nehamas has so far dealt with. The whole conversation spirals around the probably most challenging and demanding issue as far as practical philosophy is concerned – yet one every moral agent needs to provide an adequate answer to during his lifetime: Values. Do they exclusively belong to the domain of morality? Nehamas claims that “although moral values […] are important […], they are not the only values that determine whether a life is or is not worthwhile”. This view inevitably shifts the focus from individual values - even fundamental ones such as friendship, art and truth- to the real issue: What is a good life, after all?
Optimization of conditions for the biological treatment of textile dyes using isolated soil bacteria
Authors: Rahman Shafkat Shamim , Alif Fahim Ahmed , Hossain M. Mahboob
Published: March 2018

Background: In the 21st century, environmental pollution has been acknowledged as one of the major problems. The textile and dyeing industries contribute a major portion by discharging intensely complex effluent consisting of highly noxious azoic dyes.

Methods: In this study, biological treatment using acclimatized microorganisms were employed in search of a cheap and eco-friendly substitute for color removal from textile waste. The microbial inocula were isolated from effluent soil samples and then applied to flasks containing azo dyes as the only source of carbon for decolorization.

Results: Biochemical tests postulated predominance of Enterococcus and Bacillus bacterial strains. CO isolate or Bacillus farraginis emerged as the best decolorizer of Orange M2R dye, decolorizing 98% of the dye.  BG isolate or Paenibacillus macerans showed maximum decolorization on Green GS dye that decolorized 97% of the dye. The optimum physiochemical condition for decolorization of OM2R and GGS dye was pH 7.0, 2% NaCl conc., 1% initial dye conc. and 37°C temperature by the selected isolates.

Conclusions: The findings were validated and have the potential for bioremediation in textile waste effluent treatment plants.