bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Advanced Glycation End-Products: A Biological Consequence of Lifestyle Contributing to Cancer Disparity
Authors: Turner David P.
Published: April 2015

Low income, poor diet, obesity, and a lack of exercise are interrelated lifestyle factors that can profoundly alter our biologic make up to increase cancer risk, growth, and development. We recently reported a potential mechanistic link between carbohydrate-derived metabolites and cancer, which may provide a biologic consequence of lifestyle that can directly affect tumor biology. Advanced glycation end-products (AGE) are reactive metabolites produced as a by-product of sugar metabolism. Failure to remove these highly reactive metabolites can lead to protein damage, aberrant cell signaling, increased stress responses, and decreased genetic fidelity. Critically, AGE accumulation is also directly affected by our lifestyle choices and shows a race-specific, tumor-dependent pattern of accumulation in cancer patients. This review will discuss the contribution of AGEs to the cancer phenotype, with a particular emphasis on their biologic links with the socioeconomic and environmental risk factors that drive cancer disparity. Given the potential benefits of lifestyle changes and the potential biologic role of AGEs in promoting cancer, opportunities exist for collaborations affecting basic, translational, epidemiologic, and cancer prevention initiatives. Cancer Res; 75(10); 1925–9. ©2015 AACR.
Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells as an Immune Parameter in Patients with Concurrent Sunitinib and Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy
Authors: Chen Hui-Ming , Ma Ge , Gildener-Leapman Neil , Eisenstein Samuel , Coakley Brian A. , Ozao Junko , Mandeli John , Divino Celia , Schwartz Myron , Sung Max , Ferris Robert , Kao Johnny , Wang Lu-Hai , Pan Ping-Ying , Ko Eric C. , Chen Shu-Hsia
Published: April 2015

Purpose: The clinical effects of sunitinib on human myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) subsets and correlation of the T-cell–mediated immune responses and clinical outcomes in patients with oligometastases treated by stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) have been evaluated.

Experimental Design: The numbers of granulocytic and monocytic MDSC subsets, effector T cells, and regulatory T cells in the peripheral blood were evaluated pre- and post-sunitinib treatment and concurrent with SBRT. Correlations between MDSC, Treg, and T-cell responses and clinical outcomes were analyzed.

Results: Patients with oligometastases of various cancer types had elevated granulocytic MDSC and certain subsets of monocytic MDSC population. Sunitinib treatment resulted in a significant reduction in monocytic MDSC, phosphorylated STAT3, and arginase levels in monocytic MDSC (CD33+CD14+CD16+), and an increase in T-cell proliferative activity in cancer patients. Interestingly, the effects of sunitinib on reducing the accumulation and immune-suppressive function of MDSC were significantly correlated with Treg reduction, in responders but not in nonresponding patients. SBRT synergized the therapeutic effects of sunitinib, especially as related to decreased numbers of monocytic MDSC, Treg, and B cells, and augmented Tbet expression in primary CD4 and CD8 T cells. These effects were not observed in patients receiving radiation therapy alone. Most interestingly, the responders, defined by sunitinib-mediated reduction in CD33+CD11b+ myeloid cell populations, tend to exhibit improved progression-free survival and cause-specific survival.

Conclusions: Sunitinib treatment increased the efficacy of SBRT in patients with oligometastases by reversing MDSC and Treg-mediated immune suppression and may enhance cancer immune therapy to prevent tumor recurrence post-SBRT. Clin Cancer Res; 21(18); 4073–85. ©2015 AACR.
NextGen Brain Microdialysis: Applying Modern Metabolomics Technology to the Analysis of Extracellular Fluid in the Central Nervous System
Authors: Kao Chi-Ya , Anderzhanova Elmira , Asara John M. , Wotjak Carsten T. , Turck Christoph W.
Published: April 2015

Microdialysis is a powerful method for in vivo neurochemical analyses. It allows fluid sampling in a dynamic manner in specific brain regions over an extended period of time. A particular focus has been the neurochemical analysis of extracellular fluids to explore central nervous system functions. Brain microdialysis recovers neurotransmitters, low-molecular-weight neuromodulators and neuropeptides of special interest when studying behavior and drug effects. Other small molecules, such as central metabolites, are typically not assessed despite their potential to yield important information related to brain metabolism and activity in selected brain regions. We have implemented a liquid chromatography online mass spectrometry metabolomics platform for an expanded analysis of mouse brain microdialysates. The method is sensitive and delivers information for a far greater number of analytes than commonly used electrochemical and fluorescent detection or biochemical assays. The metabolomics platform was applied to the analysis of microdialysates in a foot shock-induced mouse model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The rich metabolite data information was then used to delineate affected prefrontal molecular pathways that reflect individual susceptibility for developing PTSD-like symptoms. We demonstrate that hypothesis-free metabolomics can be adapted to the analysis of microdialysates for the discovery of small molecules with functional significance.
Homozygous/Compound Heterozygous Triadin Mutations Associated With Autosomal-Recessive Long-QT Syndrome and Pediatric Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Altmann Helene M. , Tester David J. , Will Melissa L. , Middha Sumit , Evans Jared M. , Eckloff Bruce W. , Ackerman Michael J.
Published: April 2015

Background—

Long-QT syndrome (LQTS) may result in syncope, seizures, or sudden cardiac arrest. Although 16 LQTS-susceptibility genes have been discovered, 20% to 25% of LQTS remains genetically elusive.

Methods and Results—

We performed whole-exome sequencing child–parent trio analysis followed by recessive and sporadic inheritance modeling and disease-network candidate analysis gene ranking to identify a novel underlying genetic mechanism for LQTS. Subsequent mutational analysis of the candidate gene was performed with polymerase chain reaction, denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography, and DNA sequencing on a cohort of 33 additional unrelated patients with genetically elusive LQTS. After whole-exome sequencing and variant filtration, a homozygous p.D18fs*13
TRDN
-encoded triadin frameshift mutation was discovered in a 10-year-old female patient with LQTS with a QTc of 500 milliseconds who experienced recurrent exertion-induced syncope/cardiac arrest beginning at 1 year of age. Subsequent mutational analysis of
TRDN
revealed either homozygous or compound heterozygous frameshift mutations in 4 of 33 unrelated cases of LQTS (12%). All 5 TRDN-null patients displayed extensive T-wave inversions in precordial leads V
1
through V
4
, with either persistent or transient QT prolongation and severe disease expression of exercise-induced cardiac arrest in early childhood (≤3 years of age) and required aggressive therapy. The overall yield of TRDN mutations was significantly greater in patients ≤10 years of age (5 of 10, 50%) compared with older patients (0 of 24, 0%;
P
=0.0009).

Conclusions—

We identified
TRDN
as a novel underlying genetic basis for recessively inherited LQTS. All TRDN-null patients had strikingly similar phenotypes. Given the recurrent nature of potential lethal arrhythmias, patients fitting this phenotypic profile should undergo cardiac
TRDN
genetic testing.
CPs: Copies and Compositionality
Authors: Moulton Keir
Published: April 2015

Finite clausal arguments differ from other arguments—and other CPs—in two fundamental ways: (a) they do not move leftward ( Koster 1978 , Alrenga 2005 , Takahashi 2010 , Moulton 2013 ) and (b) they may combine with nouns that do not accept arguments ( Stowell 1981 , Grimshaw 1990 ). I argue that finite clausal arguments are predicates of propositional content (type 〈e,〈s,t〉〉), following proposals in Kratzer 2006 , Moulton 2009 . They combine with nouns by Predicate Modification, explaining (b). In order to complement verbs, CPs trigger two type-driven leftward movements (CP-movement and remnant AspPfronting). I argue that the resulting configuration prevents further leftward movement of clausal arguments, explaining (a). Also derived are the right-peripheral position of CPs relative to arguments and the verbal complex in Germanic, freezing effects in the VP, extraction from and binding into CPs, and the similarities and differences among CP argument extraposition, heavy NP shift, and relative clause extraposition. More broadly, the proposal demonstrates that copies can denote restricted variables, but need not be DPs (cf. Fox 2002 , Takahashi 2010 , Johnson 2012 ).
Time, and Again, and Forever: The Somatic Experience of Time in Daoist Philosophy and Religion
Authors: Miller James
Published: April 2015

Rather than considering time from a comparative philosophical perspective, the essay discusses the lived experience of time in the Esoteric Biography of Perfected Purple Yang, a Daoist hagiography associated with the fourth century ce Daoist movement that came to be known as the Way of Highest Clarity. This interpretation reveals three modes of time as experienced by the Daoist practitioner: singular time; repeated time; and forever time. Unlike the Biblical concept of time, ordained by God and calculated by the rotation of the stars, the hagiography points towards a Daoist experience of time that is experienced somatically through the individual’s metabolism.
Change, in the Western Renaissance
Authors: Costa Dennis
Published: April 2015

This essay does not propose an exercise in historiography. Though it presents evidences of difference with respect to what may be “medieval” or “Renaissance” or “Enlightenment” values, its end is not to elaborate clear periodicity in Western history. It argues that historical and cultural changes are cumulative and that positive change, as opening to a future, is recognized experientially in terms of a certain perdurance of the past. It has little to say about well-studied Renaissance developments—the Reformation, advances in technology and cosmology—in favor of important cultural shifts that have been somewhat less emphasized: Petrarchan humanism as a balance between the idiosyncratic and the sacred, history as ideally an “heterology” (M. de Certeau), syncretism as the instantiation of temporal “recursion” (Giambattista Vico), the evolution of Western Christian icons, missionary propaganda and doctrinal pluralism, new balances between faith and reason—including the possibility of “things indifferent” (Richard Hooker), irenism, and the early discourses of human liberty. What follows also responds to a unique scholarly context—the June 2014 Beijing conference on “Time and Change in China and the West.” Specific points are adduced here in the light of contemporary tensions and dialogues between the West and China; brief references to Machiavelli and Bacon are especially apposite to that Beijing context. This paper—synthetic of necessity—concludes in the terms of how the eighteenth century philosopher Giambattista Vico looked at the Western Middle Ages and Renaissance, that is to say, at his own, immediate past.
Directions of Time
Authors: Dösch Martin
Published: April 2015

In chapter 55.2 of hisHuangji jingshi shu皇極經世書 (hjjss, also calledneipian内篇 5.2), Shao Yong makes an explicit statement about the perception of time and its directions. This paragraph contains Shao Yong’s temporal epistemology in condensed form. Here he unfolds the perspectivity of the contemplation of time.Gu古 (old, former, antiquity; past),jin今 (now, today; present), undhou後 (after, later; future) are expressions describing the order of time. Shao Yong asks, what is the perception of time xn (n=1, 2, 3) when contemplated from time xm (m=1, 2, 3)? The answer shows that the designation changes. The designations “old/past,” “now/present,” “after/ future” have their meaning only by indication of the point of view. This point of view is the one of the perceiving subject. Moreover, Shao Yong provides a view of other basic aspects of time: direction and continuity. History does not make leaps. A philological and textual examination reveals some of Shao Yong’s attitudes towards time and gives a tentative glimpse into his attitude towards divination, conceived of as the observation of future events.
A Preliminary Inquiry into Zhang Zai’s Philosophy of History in His Studies of Yijing
Authors: Xin Yamin
Published: April 2015

“Zunwang jianba” 尊王賤霸 (Honoring the [Three] Kings and Denunciating the [Five] Hegemons) is commonly regarded as the principal idea of the Confucian Conception of History. However, Zhang Zai 張載 (1020-1077), the founder of North Song’s Neo- Confucianism, expressed his unique view of history by interpretingYijing(The Book of Changes) in his workHengqu Yishuo橫渠易說 (An Explanation of the Meaning of Yi), which departed from the ancient Confucian tradition. This article offers an account of Zhang’s philosophy of history, which has been overlooked for a long time. Zhang Zai’s historical philosophy ofYijingcan be summarized in two sentences: “Histories existed before [the advent of] historical records書前有史,” and “Tools existed prior to [the invention of] hexagrams卦前有器.”
Pristionchus Scratchpads—an online platform for taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny
Authors: HERRMANN MATTHIAS , NEUNER JONAS , VOETSCH MARTIN , WÖRNER JOHANNES , KANZAKI NATSUMI , SOMMER RALF J.
Published: April 2015

The availability of molecular tools has transformed animal taxonomy and systematics in the last two decades. In particular, small animals that have few morphological diagnostic attributes can be identified and diagnosed accurately by adding molecular markers to those already used. In nematodes, molecular sequence information relevant for taxonomy and systematics is currently transforming the resolution of phylogenetic studies. The extensive use of molecular tools is associated with a large increase in the number of publications. This increase can make problematic accessing current knowledge comprehensively. Similarly, old publications in very specialized journals are often hard to access as well. To overcome some of these issues for the nematode genus Pristionchus, we introduce Pristionchus Scratchpads as an online platform for taxonomy, systematics and phylogeny. As an online database, Pristionchus Scratchpads is community driven, searchable, comprehensive and dynamic. Given the substantial effort in using Pristionchus pacificus and other Pristionchus species as model systems in evolutionary biology, Pristionchus Scratchpads is intended to facilitate the development of new online tools in nematode taxonomy and systematics.
First description of winged stages of Thraulobaetodes Elouard & Hideux 1991 and reclassification of Rhithrocloeoninae (Ephemeroptera, Baetidae)
Authors: Kluge NIKITA J.
Published: April 2015

Larvae, subimagoes, imagoes of both sexes and eggs of Thraulobaetodes cumminsorum Elouard & Hideux 1991 are described based on reared material from north-west of Zambia. Structure and development of genitals testify that Thraulobaetodes Elouard & Hideux 1991 belongs to Rhithrocloeoninae Kluge 2012. According to the newly suggested classification, Rhithrocloeoninae are divided into Thraulobaetodini tribus n. and holophyletic taxon Rhithrocloeonini, which includes Bugilliesia Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty 1996, Mutelocloeon Gillies & Elouard 1990 and Rhithrocloeon Gillies 1985 (including subgenus Kivuiops Lugo-Ortiz & McCafferty 2007). Structure of egg chorion of Bugilliesia, Mutelocloeon and Rhithrocloeon is described for the first time. Additional imaginal and subimaginal characters of Mutelocloeon are reported.
Description of immatures of Chelymorpha reimoseri Spaeth, 1928 (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae: Mesomphaliini)
Authors: ŚWIĘTOJAŃSKA JOLANTA , MASSUDA KAMILA FERREIRA , STACH MAŁGORZATA , BOROWIEC LECH
Published: April 2015

Immature stages of Chelymorpha reimoseri Spaeth, 1928 are described in detail, including line drawings, chaetotaxy, sculpture of integument, and SEM photos of morphological details. It is the first detailed description of immatures in the genus Chelymorpha Chevrolat, 1836 and the fourth in the tribe Mesomphaliini Chapuis, 1875 which include chaetotaxy of the body. Diagnostic characters for this species in comparison with other described larvae and pupae of the genus Chelymorpha are discussed. Some remarks on the biology of Ch. reimoseri, are also given.
Redescription of some poorly known species of Cytaea Keyserling, 1882 (Araneae: Salticidae), with new synonymies
Authors: PATOLETA BARBARA M. , TRĘBICKI ŁUKASZ
Published: April 2015

Eight nominal species of Cytaea were studied. The poorly known Cytaea fibula Berland, 1938, C. flavolineata Berland, 1938 and C. oreophila Simon, 1902 are redescribed, diagnosed and illustrated. Cytaea aeneomicans Simon, 1902 and C. guentheri Thorell, 1895 are synonymized with C. dispalans (Thorell, 1892), while C. whytei Prószyński & Deeleman-Reinhold, 2010 is synonymized with C. haematica Simon, 1902.
Two peculiar new species of Otites Latreille 1804 (Diptera: Ulidiidae) with reduced phallus
Authors: MORGULIS ELIZABETH
Published: April 2015

Two new closely related species of the genus Otites are described and illustrated: O. freidbergi n. sp. from Israel, and O. friedmani n. sp. from Cyprus. The two species exhibit unusual male terminalia for Otites and other Otitini. Laboratory behavioral observations on live O. freidbergi individuals showed unusually long copulation duration compared to other examined Otitini species.
Discovery of the genus Ancystrocerus Raffray in China, with description of a new species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Pselaphinae)
Authors: YIN ZI-WEI , WANG DAN , LI LI-ZHEN
Published: April 2015

The tmesiphorine genus Ancystrocerus Raffray, 1893 is newly recorded in China, and a new species, A. chinensis Yin, Wang & Li sp. n., is described, figured, and compared with its congeners. New collection data of a previously described species Tmesiphodimerus sinensis Yin & Li is given.
Identification of Different Moisture Sources through Isotopic Monitoring during a Storm Event
Authors: Li Jie , Tao Tao , Pang Zhonghe , Tan Ming , Kong Yanlong , Duan Wuhui , Zhang Yuwei
Published: April 2015

Rain samples were collected for isotopic analyses during the entirety of an extreme rainfall event in Beijing, China, on 21 July 2012, the city’s heaviest rainfall event in the past six decades. Four stages of the storm event have been identified with corresponding isotopic characteristics: 1) isotopes deplete as rain increases, 2) isotopes enrich as rain decreases, 3) isotopes quickly deplete as rain increases, and 4) isotopes remain constant as rain reduces to a small amount. The rainout effect dominates the depletion of isotopic composition in stages 1 and 3. The incursion of a new air mass with enriched heavy isotopes was the main cause for the enriched isotopic composition during stage 2. A Rayleigh distillation model was used to describe the isotopic trends during stages 1 and 3. The Rayleigh distillation model and a binary mixing model were used to estimate the initial isotopic composition of different air masses, which were found to be similar to δ18O of precipitation at nearby Global Network of Isotopes in Precipitation stations representing southwest and southeast trajectories. The results are in agreement with meteorological arrays analysis. This model also indicates that 29% of the initial vapor from the southwest trajectory was precipitated in stage 1, followed by a mixing process between southeast and southwest moisture. In stage 3, up to 56% of mixed moisture was precipitated, among which ~65%–100% was from southeast moisture.
The Deep Equatorial Ocean Circulation in Wind-Forced Numerical Solutions
Authors: Ascani François , Firing Eric , McCreary Julian P. , Brandt Peter , Greatbatch Richard J.
Published: April 2015

We perform eddy-resolving and high vertical resolution numerical simulations of the circulation in an idealized equatorial Atlantic Ocean in order to explore the formation of the deep equatorial circulation (DEC) in this basin. Unlike in previous studies, the deep equatorial intraseasonal variability (DEIV) that is believed to be the source of the DEC is generated internally by instabilities of the upper-ocean currents. Two main simulations are discussed: solution 1, configured with a rectangular basin and with wind forcing that is zonally and temporally uniform, and solution 2, with realistic coastlines and an annual cycle of wind forcing varying zonally. Somewhat surprisingly, solution 1 produces the more realistic DEC; the large, vertical-scale currents [equatorial intermediate currents (EICs)] are found over a large zonal portion of the basin, and the small, vertical-scale equatorial currents [equatorial deep jets (EDJs)] form low-frequency, quasi-resonant, baroclinic equatorial basin modes with phase propagating mostly downward, consistent with observations. This study demonstrates that both types of currents arise from the rectification of DEIV, consistent with previous theories. The authors also find that the EDJs contribute to maintaining the EICs, suggesting that the nonlinear energy transfer is more complex than previously thought. In solution 2, the DEC is unrealistically weak and less spatially coherent than in the first simulation probably because of its weaker DEIV. Using intermediate solutions, this study finds that the main reason for this weaker DEIV is the use of realistic coastlines in solution 2. It remains to be determined what needs to be modified or included to obtain a realistic DEC in the more realistic configuration.
Incorporating the Effects of Moisture into a Dynamical Parameter: Moist Vorticity and Moist Divergence
Authors: Qian Weihong , Du Jun , Shan Xiaolong , Jiang Ning
Published: April 2015

Properly including moisture effects into a dynamical parameter can significantly increase the parameter’s ability to diagnose heavy rain locations. The relative humidity–based weighting approach used to extend the moist potential vorticity (MPV) to the generalized moist potential vorticity (GMPV) is analyzed and demonstrates such an improvement. Following the same approach, two new diagnostic parameters, moist vorticity (MV) and moist divergence (MD), have been proposed in this study by incorporating moisture effects into the traditional vorticity and divergence. A regional heavy rain event that occurred along the Yangtze River on 1 July 1991 is used as a case study, and 41 daily regional heavy rain events during the notorious flooding year of 1998 in eastern China are used for a systematic evaluation. Results show that after the moisture effects were properly incorporated, the improved ability of all three parameters to capture a heavy rain area is significant (statistically at the 99% confidence level): the GMPV is improved over the MPV by 194%, the MD over the divergence by 60%, and the MV over the vorticity by 34% in terms of the threat score (TS). The average TS is 0.270 for the MD, 0.262 for the MV, and 0.188 for the GMPV. Application of the MV and MD to assess heavy rain potential is not intended to replace a complete, multiscale forecasting methodology; however, the results from this study suggest that the MV and MD could be used to postprocess a model forecast to potentially improve heavy rain location predictions.
Identity, storytelling and the philanthropic journey
Authors: Maclean Mairi , Harvey Charles , Gordon Jillian , Shaw Eleanor
Published: April 2015

This article develops theoretical understanding of the involvement of wealthy entrepreneurs in socially transformative projects by offering a foundational theory of philanthropic identity narratives. We show that these narratives are structured according to the metaphorical framework of the journey, through which actors envision and make sense of personal transformation. The journey provides a valuable metaphor for conceptualizing narrative identities in entrepreneurial careers as individuals navigate different social landscapes, illuminating identities as unfolding through a process of wayfinding in response to events, transitions and turning-points. We delineate the journey from entrepreneurship to philanthropy, and propose a typology of rewards that entrepreneurs claim to derive from giving. We add to the expanding literature on narrative identities by suggesting that philanthropic identity narratives empower wealthy entrepreneurs to generate a legacy of the self that is both self- and socially oriented, these ‘generativity scripts’ propelling their capacity for action while ensuring the continuation of their journeys.
The defeat-entrapment theory versus Beck’s hopelessness theory of depression and suicidality: A cross-national analysis in Iran and the United States
Authors: Tarsafi Mahdieh , Kalantarkousheh Seyed Mohammad , Lester David
Published: April 2015

Background:

The defeat-entrapment theory has been proposed to explain both depression and suicidal behavior.

Methods:

Measures of defeat, entrapment, hopelessness and depression were administered to Iranian and American students.

Results:

Scores on measures of hopelessness, defeat, entrapment and depression were strongly associated. In both nations, scores for defeat and entrapment were stronger predictors of past suicidal ideation and attempted suicide. Overall, the Iranian respondents had higher scores on the measures of defeat, entrapment, hopelessness and depression, but less often reported prior suicidal ideation.

Conclusion:

The defeat-entrapment theory of depression and suicidal behavior appears to have validity in both Iran and America.
The Social Capital of Cohousing Communities
Authors: Ruiu Maria Laura
Published: April 2015

This article aims to discuss the possibility that cohousing communities might combine both civil engagement and governance systems in order to simultaneously generate three forms of social capital: bonding, bridging, and linking social capitals. Cohousing communities intend to create a ‘self-sufficient micro-cosmos’, but struggle against the relationships of ‘anonymous’ neighbourhood. Cohousers build their bonding social capital through the creation of a supportive (formal and informal) network within the community; while at the same time they develop bridging social capital when they try to integrate with the wider context, by organizing activities and making available spaces towards the outside. Finally, when cohousers try to collaborate with external partners (e.g. non-profit organizations and public institutions) they build linking social capital in relation to the ideas, information and advantages obtained through the collaboration with these institutions.
Outsourcing Elderly Care to Migrant Workers: The Impact of Gender and Class on the Experience of Male Employers
Authors: Gallo Ester , Scrinzi Francesca
Published: April 2015

This article, based on semi-structured interviews, addresses masculinity in the international division of reproductive labour through an analysis of the impact of gender and class on the outsourcing of elderly care services to migrant care workers. In the Italian context, characterised by a limited provision of long-term care services and by cash-for-care benefits, the strategies of men as employers of migrant care workers are shaped by class and gender. The outsourcing of care to migrant workers reproduces hegemonic masculinity in so far as male employers are able to withdraw from the ‘dirty work’. At the same time, men engage with tasks which are, in principle, kept at a distance. The employers’ family status, combined with their class background, are crucial factors in shaping the heterogeneity of men’s experiences as employers and managers of care labour, and the ways in which they make sense of their masculinity.
The Ethno-Religious Wage Gap within the British Salariat Class: How Severe is the Penalty?
Authors: Khattab Nabil
Published: April 2015

This study analyses data obtained from the UK Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2002–2013 to examine the ethno-religious differences in the gross hourly pay within the British salariat occupational class. It explores the extent to which these differences are associated with ethnicity, religion or both. The findings suggest that substantial between-group differences do exist, but these differences cannot be attributed to a pure religious or ethnic discrimination. Although two of the Muslim groups experience a greater penalty than many of the other groups, there was no evidence for an overarching ‘Muslim penalty’. There also was no evidence for an overarching ‘Black penalty’. It is possible that within the salariat class, mechanisms other than pure colour and cultural racism are at work.
Associations between family religious practices, internalizing/externalizing behaviors, and body mass index in obese youth
Authors: Limbers Christine A , Young Danielle , Bryant William , Stephen Matthew
Published: April 2015

The objective of the present study was to assess the associations among family religious practices, internalizing/externalizing behaviors, and body mass index in a sample of severely obese youth referred to an outpatient pediatric endocrinology clinic. The sample consisted of 43 obese youth (body mass index > 95th percentile) aged 6–16 years (mean age = 12.67 years). Approximately 93% of families endorsed their religious faith as Christian or Catholic. Parents of youth were administered a demographic questionnaire, religiosity questionnaire, and the Child Behavior Checklist. Three multiple linear regression models were examined with body mass index percentile, Child Behavior Checklist Internalizing Scale, and Child Behavior Checklist Externalizing Scale as outcome variables. A parent endorsing greater importance of religious faith in shaping family life was associated with lower child body mass index percentile ( p < 0.05) in the present sample. Greater family attendance at religious services was associated with higher child body mass index percentile ( p < 0.05). Our data suggest that church-based interventions may be one viable option for the delivery of lifestyle interventions in families of youth with severe obesity.
An intelligent CMAC-PD torque controller with anti-over-learning scheme for electric load simulator
Authors: Yang Bo , Han Huatao , Bao Ran
Published: April 2015

The hybrid architecture of a cerebellar model articulation controller (CMAC) and proportional derivative (PD) can effectively reduce the loading error and restrain the surplus torque of electric load simulators. However, due to the over-learning problem of the CMAC, the practical application of the CMAC-PD for electric load simulators is greatly constrained. This paper analyses the over-learning problem of CMAC and proposes a novel learning scheme including control error and an inhibiting over-learning item. An intelligent CMAC-PD controller with novel anti-over-learning scheme is derived by using the gradient descent algorithm. Both simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed CMAC-PD hybrid controller has good robustness, can effectively eliminate disturbances and restrain the over-learning phenomenon of the CMAC.
Chronic ethanol exposure during adolescence through early adulthood in female rats induces emotional and memory deficits associated with morphological and molecular alterations in hippocampus
Authors: Oliveira Ana CA , Pereira Maria CS , Santana Luana N da Silva , Fernandes Rafael M , Teixeira Francisco B , Oliveira Gedeão B , Fernandes Luanna MP , Fontes-Júnior Enéas A , Prediger Rui D , Crespo-López Maria E , Gomes-Leal Walace , Lima Rafael R , Maia Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz
Published: April 2015

There is increasing evidence that heavy ethanol exposure in early life may produce long-lasting neurobehavioral consequences, since brain structural maturation continues until adolescence. It is well established that females are more susceptible to alcohol-induced neurotoxicity and that ethanol consumption is increasing among women, especially during adolescence. In the present study, we investigated whether chronic ethanol exposure during adolescence through early adulthood in female rats may induce hippocampal histological damage and neurobehavioral impairments. Female rats were treated with distilled water or ethanol (6.5 g/kg/day, 22.5% w/v) by gavage from the 35th–90th day of life. Ethanol-exposed animals displayed reduced exploration of the central area and increased number of fecal boluses in the open field test indicative of anxiogenic responses. Moreover, chronic high ethanol exposure during adolescence induced marked impairments on short-term memory of female rats addressed on social recognition and step-down inhibitory avoidance tasks. These neurobehavioral deficits induced by ethanol exposure during adolescence through early adulthood were accompanied by the reduction of hippocampal formation volume as well as the loss of neurons, astrocytes and microglia cells in the hippocampus. These results indicate that chronic high ethanol exposure during adolescence through early adulthood in female rats induces long-lasting emotional and memory deficits associated with morphological and molecular alterations in the hippocampus.
Randomised clinical trial of the effects of prolonged-release melatonin, temazepam and zolpidem on slow-wave activity during sleep in healthy people
Authors: Arbon Emma L , Knurowska Malgorzata , Dijk Derk-Jan
Published: April 2015

Current pharmacological treatments for insomnia include benzodiazepine and non-benzodiazepine hypnotics targeting γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptors, as well as agonists of the melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2. Melatonin, temazepam and zolpidem are thought to exert their effect through different mechanisms of action, but whether this leads to differential effects on electroencephalogram (EEG) power spectra during sleep in middle-aged people is currently not known. To establish whether the effects of prolonged-release melatonin (2 mg) on the nocturnal sleep EEG are different to those of temazepam (20 mg) and zolpidem (10 mg). Sixteen healthy men and women aged 55–64 years participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-way cross-over trial. Nocturnal sleep was assessed with polysomnography and spectral analysis of the EEG. The effects of single oral doses of prolonged-release melatonin, temazepam and zolpidem on EEG slow-wave activity (SWA, 0.75–4.5 Hz) and other frequencies during nocturnal non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep were compared. In an entire night analysis prolonged-release melatonin did not affect SWA, whereas temazepam and zolpidem significantly reduced SWA compared with placebo. Temazepam significantly reduced SWA compared with prolonged-release melatonin. Prolonged-release melatonin only reduced SWA during the first third of the night compared with placebo. These data show that the effects of prolonged-release melatonin on the nocturnal sleep EEG are minor and are different from those of temazepam and zolpidem; this is likely due to the different mechanisms of action of the medications.
European rating of drug harms
Authors: van Amsterdam Jan , Nutt David , Phillips Lawrence , van den Brink Wim
Published: April 2015

Background:

The present paper describes the results of a rating study performed by a group of European Union (EU) drug experts using the multi-criteria decision analysis model for evaluating drug harms.

Methods:

Forty drug experts from throughout the EU scored 20 drugs on 16 harm criteria. The expert group also assessed criteria weights that would apply, on average, across the EU. Weighted averages of the scores provided a single, overall weighted harm score (range: 0–100) for each drug.

Results:

Alcohol, heroin and crack emerged as the most harmful drugs (overall weighted harm score 72, 55 and 50, respectively). The remaining drugs had an overall weighted harm score of 38 or less, making them much less harmful than alcohol. The overall weighted harm scores of the EU experts correlated well with those previously given by the UK panel.

Conclusion:

The outcome of this study shows that the previous national rankings based on the relative harms of different drugs are endorsed throughout the EU. The results indicates that EU and national drug policy measures should focus on drugs with the highest overall harm, including alcohol and tobacco, whereas drugs such as cannabis and ecstasy should be given lower priority including a lower legal classification.
Effect of carbamate pesticides on perforin, granzymes A-B-3/K, and granulysin in human natural killer cells
Authors: Li Qing , Kobayashi Maiko , Kawada Tomoyuki
Published: April 2015

We previously found that ziram, a carbamate pesticide, significantly reduced perforin, granzyme A (GrA), granzyme B (GrB), granzyme 3/K (Gr3/K), and granulysin (GRN) levels in NK-92MI cells, a human natural killer (NK) cell line. To investigate whether other carbamate pesticides also show similar toxicity on human NK cells, we conducted further experiments with NK-92CI cells, a human NK cell line, using a more sensitive assay. We previously confirmed that NK-92CI cells express CD56, perforin, GrA, GrB, Gr3/K, and GRN and are highly cytotoxic to K562 cells in a chromium release assay, which are more sensitive to organophosphorus pesticides and ziram than the NK-92MI cell line. NK-92CI cells were treated with ziram, thiram, maneb, or carbaryl at various concentrations for 4–24 h at 37°C in vitro. Thereafter, intracellular levels of perforin, GrA, GrB, Gr3/K, and GRN were determined by flow cytometry. It was found that all carbamate pesticides significantly reduced the intracellular levels of perforin, GrA, GrB, Gr3/K, and GRN in NK-92CI cells in a dose-dependent manner. However, the strength of the effect differed among the pesticides, and the order was thiram > ziram > maneb > carbaryl. In addition, it was also found that the degree of the reductions differed among the five proteins, with perforin more sensitive to pesticides than GRN, GrA, GrB, and Gr3/K, and the order was perforin > GRN > Gr3/K ≒ GrA ≒ GrB.
The Impact of Implementation of an ICU Consult Service on Hospital-Wide Outcomes and ICU-Specific Outcomes
Authors: Al-Rajhi Amjad , Mardini Louay , Jayaraman Dev
Published: April 2015

Background:

Rapid response teams (RRTs) were developed to promote assessment of and early intervention for clinically deteriorating hospitalized patients. Although the ideal composition of RRTs is not known, their implementation does require significant resources.

Objective:

To test the effectiveness of a dedicated daytime/weekday intensive care unit (ICU) consult service without formal training of ward teams.

Methods:

Pre- and postintervention study with weekends/nights during implementation period acting as a concurrent control. Setting: An adult tertiary care university center in Montreal without an RRT. Intervention: A daytime/weekday ICU consult service with a dedicated intensivist.

Results:

Total hospital mortality rate did not differ between the control and the implementation period (6.65% vs 6.60%; P = .84). The hospital code blue rates also did not differ (1.21/1000 vs 1.14/1000 patient days; P = .58). In contrast, 30-day mortality of patients admitted to the ICU following an ICU consult decreased (39% vs 24% P = .01). Multivariate analysis confirmed this effect on 30-day mortality (odds ratio for implementation period: 0.53 [95% confidence interval: 0.33-0.85] P = .009). The 14-day ICU readmission rate was reduced with the intervention (5.1% vs 4.1%; P < .001). The effect on 30-day mortality and ICU readmissions were only present during daytime/weekdays.

Conclusion:

Implementation of an ICU consult service without any formal afferent limb training was associated with decreased mortality and 14-day readmission rates of patients admitted to the ICU. In contrast, hospital-wide mortality and code blue rates were unaffected.
Fuzzy neural network–based shift control method of electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test
Authors: Chen Gang , Zhang Wei-gong
Published: April 2015

A new shift control method for an electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test based on a Sugeno fuzzy neural network is proposed in this article. The method can achieve the intelligent shifting of unmanned robot applied to automotive test with good robustness. The structure and working principle of the electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test are discussed. The electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test adopts electromagnetic linear motors as its drive mechanism. The position of the throttle mechanical leg for the electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test, the speed and acceleration of the test vehicle are used as the input to the Sugeno fuzzy neural network model, and the shifting of the test vehicle is used as the output of the Sugeno fuzzy neural network model. The number of membership functions is three, and the type of membership functions is gbellmf (generalized bell membership function). The hybrid learning algorithm that combines the back propagation algorithm with a least square method is applied to train and optimize the network parameters, and the optimal network parameters are determined. According to the optimized network parameters and the model input parameters, the intelligent shifting of the electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test is completed with the Sugeno fuzzy neural network. An electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test prototype is designed and manufactured. Experiments have been conducted using a Ford FOCUS car. The proposed control method is verified by the continuous and stable shift operation of the electromagnetic unmanned robot applied to automotive test prototype.
Last Millennium hydro-climate variability in Central–Eastern Europe (Northern Carpathians, Romania)
Authors: Feurdean Angelica , Galka Mariusz , Kuske Eliza , Tantau Ioan , Lamentowicz Mariusz , Florescu Gabriela , Liakka Johan , Hutchinson Simon M , Mulch Andreas , Hickler Thomas
Published: April 2015

Proxy-based reconstructions of climate variability over the last millennium provide important insights for understanding current climate change within a long-term context. Past hydrological changes are particularly difficult to reconstruct, yet rainfall patterns and variability are among the most critical environmental variables. Ombrotrophic bogs, entirely dependent on water from precipitation and sensitive to changes in the balance between precipitation and evapotranspiration, are highly suitable for such hydro-climate reconstructions. We present a multi-proxy analysis (testate amoebae, plant macrofossils, stable carbon isotopes in Sphagnum, pollen, spores and macroscopic charcoal) from an ombrotrophic peat profile from the Rodna Mountains (northern Romania) to establish a quantitative record of hydro-climatic changes. We identify five main stages: wet surface mire conditions between AD 800 and 1150 and AD 1800 and 1950, and drying of the mire surface between AD 1300 and 1450, AD 1550 and 1750 and AD 1950 and 2012. Our multi-proxy reconstructions suggest that conditions during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) period (AD 900–1150) were considerably wetter than today, while during most of the ‘Little Ice Age’ (LIA; AD 1500–1850), they were dry. Mire surface conditions in the Rodna Mountains have dried markedly over the last 40 years mainly as a result of anthropogenic climate change approaching the driest conditions seen over the last 1000 years. There is a marked difference between current hydro-climatic conditions (dry mire) and those of the MCA (wet mire). This implies that for the study region, the MCA cannot provide analogous climatic conditions to the contemporary situation. Our reconstructions are in partial agreement with water table estimates elsewhere in central and eastern Europe but generally contrast with those from NW Europe, especially during LIA. We suggest that these distinctive regional differences result from fluctuations in large-scale atmospheric circulation, which determine the relative influences of continental and oceanic air masses.
Responses of International Migrant Women to Abuse Associated With Pregnancy
Authors: Mehta Praem , Gagnon Anita J.
Published: April 2015

The current study aims to identify what newly arrived migrant women do, in the early months post-birth, to respond to abuse associated with pregnancy. Textual data from 59 migrant women were analyzed thematically to identify common responses to abuses. The most common response was to physically leave their countries of origin and move to Canada, or to move out of the shared dwelling. Other responses included taking legal action, remaining silent, reporting the abuse, seeking counseling, isolating themselves, and supporting anger management for the abuser. These results enhance our understanding of the decisions, including inaction, made by migrant women.
Beyond the Dyad
Authors: Jozkowski Kristen N.
Published: April 2015

Sexual assault is prevalent in the United States, particularly among college women. Prevention programs are implemented to combat assault, yet rates have not changed for five decades. A course designed to deconstruct contextualized factors contributing to assault was developed as an alternative prevention initiative. The current study assessed the effectiveness of the course compared with a traditional program via in-depth interviews with students. Findings indicated that students in the course were more likely to acknowledge underlying determinants of sexual assault and articulate how such behaviors could lead to assault. The course could be an effective approach to sexual assault prevention education.
The Secret Agent Society Social-Emotional Skills Program for Children With a High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Sofronoff Kate , Silva Jenni , Beaumont Renae
Published: April 2015

This study evaluated a parent-delivered social and emotional skills intervention—the Secret Agent Society (SAS) for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD). The study was a pre–post follow-up design with an 8-week baseline period and 6-week follow-up period. Participants were 38 parents and 41 children recruited from regional/rural Queensland and metropolitan Brisbane, Australia. Child participants completed measures of social skills and emotion management, and parents completed measures related to child behavioral problems, parent self-efficacy, child anxiety, and parent emotional distress at pre-intervention, post intervention, and 6-week follow-up. Analyses of outcomes were conducted with a series of repeated-measures MANOVAs and one-way ANOVAs at post intervention and 6-week follow-up. There were significant improvements in child social skills reported by parents with gains maintained at 6-week follow-up with large effect sizes. Parent self-efficacy, child behavior, and child anxiety levels also improved significantly. In addition, outcomes from the SAS self-directed program were compared with the original clinic-based program conducted by Beaumont and Sofronoff. Results indicated greater changes in social skills outcomes in the clinic-based program and no difference between groups on emotional management strategies. The limitations of the study and clinical implications are discussed.