bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydroxysafflor Yellow A Shows Protection against PPARγ Inactivation in Nitrosative Neurons
Authors: Sun Li , Xu Yan-Wei , Han Jing , Xiao Chen , Cao Shan-Shan , Liang Hao , Cheng Yan
Published: October 2018

Peroxynitrite‐mediated nitrosative stress in the brain has been associated with various neurodegenerative disorders. Recent evidence highlights peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPARγ) as a critical neuroprotective factor in neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we observed the effect of the herb hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) during nitrosative stress in neurons and investigated the mechanism based on PPARγ protection. We found that a single exposure of primary neurons to peroxynitrite donor SIN‐1 caused neuronal injury, which was accompanied by the increase of PPARγ nitration status and lack of activation of the receptor, as measured by PPARγ DNA‐binding activity, by agonist (15d‐PGJ2 or rosiglitazone) stimulation. The crucial role of PPARγ in neuronal defense against nitrosative stress was verified by showing that pretreatment with 15d‐PGJ2 or rosiglitazone attenuated SIN‐1‐induced neuronal injury but pretreatment with GW9662, a PPARγ antagonist, aggravated SIN‐1‐induced neuronal injury. The addition of HSYA not only inhibited SIN‐1‐induced neuronal damage but prevented PPARγ nitrative modification and resumed PPARγ activity stimulated by either 15d‐PGJ2 or rosiglitazone. Furthermore, HSYA also showed the ability to rescue the neuroprotective effect of 15d‐PGJ2 or rosiglitazone when the agonists were coincubated with SIN‐1. Finally, in vivo experiments demonstrated that the administration of HSYA also efficiently blocked PPARγ nitration and loss of activity in the SIN‐1‐injected hippocampus and reversed the increased neuronal susceptibility which was supported by the inhibition of Bcl‐2 protein downregulation induced by SIN‐1. The results suggest that HSYA protects neurons from nitrosative stress through keeping PPARγ as a functional receptor, allowing a more effective activation of this neuroprotective factor by the endogenous or exogenous agonist. Our findings provide new clues in understanding the role of the neuroprotective potential of the herbal HSYA.
Involvement of MicroRNA-133a in the Protective Effect of Hydrogen Sulfide against Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis
Authors: Ren Lin , Wang Qian , Chen Yu , Ma Yanzhuo , Wang Dongmei
Published: October 2018

Aim: Myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury is a severe trauma that cells undergo and is associated with cardiomyocyte apoptosis. Recently, miRNAs have been demonstrated to play an important role in cardiovascular biology and disease. However, whether the miR-133a and ER stress play a role in hydrogen sulfide (H2S) protection of cardiomyocytes against I/R-induced apoptosis remains unclear. Methods: The neonatal cardiomyocytes were prepared to be treated with H2S or transfected with miR-133a activator or miR-133a inhibitor, either separately or in combination. Non-treated cardiomyocytes served as control. The ER stress biomarker GRP78, CHOP, and eIF2α expression levels were measured by Western blot. Cell apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry after staining with the Annexin V- FITC. Proliferation was monitored by BrdU labeling, while cell migration and invasion were determined by Transwell assays. Results: Pre-treatment of H2S and overexpression of miR-133a reversed I/R-induced ER stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. The proliferation, migration, and invasion of cardiomyocytes were significantly increased by co-treatment with H2S and overexpression of miR-133a. Conclusion: These findings suggest the protective effect of miR-133a against I/R-induced ER stress and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and its enhancement of cell motility. Thus, cardioprotection by miR-133a overexpression provides a novel therapeutic approach to the treatment of ischemic heart diseases.
Interventional Therapy Versus Medical Therapy for Secundum Atrial Septal Defect: A Systematic Review (Part 2) for the 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines
Authors: Oster Matthew , Bhatt Ami B. , Zaragoza-Macias Elisa , Dendukuri Nandini , Marelli Ariane
Published: October 2018

Secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) is the most common adult congenital heart defect and can present with wide variation in clinical findings. With the intention of preventing morbidity and mortality associated with late presentation of ASD, consensus guidelines have recommended surgical or percutaneous ASD closure in adults with right heart enlargement, with or without symptoms. The aim of the present analysis was to determine if the protective effect of secundum ASD closure in adults could be qualified by pooling data from published studies.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed by using EMBASE, MEDLINE (through PubMed), and the Cochrane Library databases to assess the effect of secundum ASD percutaneous or surgical closure in unoperated adults ≥18 years of age. Data were pooled across studies with the DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model or a Bayesian meta-analysis model. Between-study heterogeneity was assessed with Cochran’s Q test. Bias assessment was performed with the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool, and statistical risk of bias was assessed with Begg and Mazumdar’s test and Egger’s test.

A total of 11 nonrandomized studies met the inclusion criteria, contributing 603 patients. Pooled analysis showed a protective effect of ASD closure on New York Heart Association functional class and on right ventricular systolic pressure, volumes, and dimensions. Two additional studies comprising 652 patients were reviewed separately for mortality outcome and primary outcome of interest because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Those studies showed that ASD closure was associated with a weak protective effect on adjusted mortality rate but no significant impact on atrial arrhythmias in patients >50 years of age. Across all studies, there was significant heterogeneity between studies for nearly all clinical outcomes. The overall body of evidence was limited to observational cohort studies, the limitations of which make for low-strength evidence. Even within the parameters of the included studies, quality of evidence was further diminished by the lack of well-defined clinical outcomes.

In conclusion, pooled data analysis on the impact of secundum ASD closure in adults was notably limited because of the lack of randomized controlled trials in patients with only secundum ASD. The few cohort studies in this population demonstrated improvement in functional status and right ventricular size and function as shown by echocardiogram. However, our findings suggest that at the time of this publication, insufficient data are available to determine the impact of ASD repair on mortality rate in adults.
The Information Bottleneck and Geometric Clustering
Authors: Strouse DJ , Schwab David J.
Published: October 2018

The information bottleneck (IB) approach to clustering takes a joint distribution [Formula: see text] and maps the data [Formula: see text] to cluster labels [Formula: see text], which retain maximal information about [Formula: see text] (Tishby, Pereira, & Bialek, 1999 ). This objective results in an algorithm that clusters data points based on the similarity of their conditional distributions [Formula: see text]. This is in contrast to classic geometric clustering algorithms such as [Formula: see text]-means and gaussian mixture models (GMMs), which take a set of observed data points [Formula: see text] and cluster them based on their geometric (typically Euclidean) distance from one another. Here, we show how to use the deterministic information bottleneck (DIB) (Strouse & Schwab, 2017 ), a variant of IB, to perform geometric clustering by choosing cluster labels that preserve information about data point location on a smoothed data set. We also introduce a novel intuitive method to choose the number of clusters via kinks in the information curve. We apply this approach to a variety of simple clustering problems, showing that DIB with our model selection procedure recovers the generative cluster labels. We also show that, in particular limits of our model parameters, clustering with DIB and IB is equivalent to [Formula: see text]-means and EM fitting of a GMM with hard and soft assignments, respectively. Thus, clustering with (D)IB generalizes and provides an information-theoretic perspective on these classic algorithms.
Limitations of Proposed Signatures of Bayesian Confidence
Authors: Adler William T. , Ma Wei Ji
Published: October 2018

The Bayesian model of confidence posits that confidence reflects the observer's posterior probability that the decision is correct. Hangya, Sanders, and Kepecs ( 2016 ) have proposed that researchers can test the Bayesian model by deriving qualitative signatures of Bayesian confidence (i.e., patterns that one would expect to see if an observer were Bayesian) and looking for those signatures in human or animal data. We examine two proposed signatures, showing that their derivations contain hidden assumptions that limit their applicability and that they are neither necessary nor sufficient conditions for Bayesian confidence. One signature is an average confidence of 0.75 on trials with neutral evidence. This signature holds only when class-conditioned stimulus distributions do not overlap and when internal noise is very low. Another signature is that as stimulus magnitude increases, confidence increases on correct trials but decreases on incorrect trials. This divergence signature holds only when stimulus distributions do not overlap or when noise is high. Navajas et al. ( 2017 ) have proposed an alternative form of this signature; we find no indication that this alternative form is expected under Bayesian confidence. Our observations give us pause about the usefulness of the qualitative signatures of Bayesian confidence. To determine the nature of the computations underlying confidence reports, there may be no shortcut to quantitative model comparison.
Bayesian Modeling of Motion Perception Using Dynamical Stochastic Textures
Authors: Vacher Jonathan , Meso Andrew Isaac , Perrinet Laurent U. , Peyré Gabriel
Published: October 2018

A common practice to account for psychophysical biases in vision is to frame them as consequences of a dynamic process relying on optimal inference with respect to a generative model. The study presented here details the complete formulation of such a generative model intended to probe visual motion perception with a dynamic texture model. It is derived in a set of axiomatic steps constrained by biological plausibility. We extend previous contributions by detailing three equivalent formulations of this texture model. First, the composite dynamic textures are constructed by the random aggregation of warped patterns, which can be viewed as three-dimensional gaussian fields. Second, these textures are cast as solutions to a stochastic partial differential equation (sPDE). This essential step enables real-time, on-the-fly texture synthesis using time-discretized autoregressive processes. It also allows for the derivation of a local motion-energy model, which corresponds to the log likelihood of the probability density. The log likelihoods are essential for the construction of a Bayesian inference framework. We use the dynamic texture model to psychophysically probe speed perception in humans using zoom-like changes in the spatial frequency content of the stimulus. The human data replicate previous findings showing perceived speed to be positively biased by spatial frequency increments. A Bayesian observer who combines a gaussian likelihood centered at the true speed and a spatial frequency dependent width with a “slow-speed prior” successfully accounts for the perceptual bias. More precisely, the bias arises from a decrease in the observer's likelihood width estimated from the experiments as the spatial frequency increases. Such a trend is compatible with the trend of the dynamic texture likelihood width.
Sovereignty, Self-Determination, and Human Rights from Walzer to the Responsibility to Protect
Authors: Piirimäe Eva
Published: October 2018

This essay explores the intellectual context and conceptual foundations of R2P. Michael Walzer reinitiated debates about humanitarian intervention by grounding sovereignty and non-intervention in individual human rights and communal autonomy (self-determination). Liberal cosmopolitan critics of Walzer highlighted the tension between these two values, and proposed that sovereignty should rather be grounded in individual rights and democratic self-determination. In the post-Cold War era, international lawyers and international relations scholars came to endorse the idea that state sovereignty is qualified by the most basic human rights. High ranking UN officials further proposed that state sovereignty should be redefined as the sovereignty of the people, which, however, was seen as coextensive with the protection of the fundamental individual rights, and as such could be shared by the ‘international community’. R2P adopted a similar approach, glossing over the potential tensions between sovereignty, self-determination and human rights.
Who is Responsible in the International Arms Trade? Measuring Human Rights Concerns in Arms Transfers
Authors: de Moraes Rodrigo Fracalossi
Published: October 2018

This paper proposes an index to measure the extent to which governments authorise arms transfers to places in which human rights are violated. Levels of democracy in the purchasing country are used as a proxy for that country’s degree of respect for human rights. The paper then applies this index to test whether Robin Cook’s ‘ethical dimension’ in foreign policy was applied to British arms transfers, and concludes that this was indeed the case, although its legacy did not survive to the end of Tony Blair’s government. This index should be useful for academics, civil society groups, government departments and international organisations working with human rights or arms transfers.
Odontia aculeata and O. sparsa, two new species of tomentelloid fungi (Thelephorales, Basidiomycota) from the secondary forests of northeast China
Authors: YUAN YUAN , WU FANG , DAI YU-CHENG , QIN WEN-MIN , YUAN HAI-SHENG
Published: October 2018

Two new tomentelloid basidiomycetes, Odontia aculeata and O. sparsa, are described from secondary forests of northeastern China. Odontia aculeata is characterized by resupinate, arachnoid and brownish basidiocarps, a hydnoid hymenophore, a differentiated dimitic hyphal structure in the rhizomorphs with clamp connections on the generative hyphae, a monomitic hyphal system in the subiculum and irregular subglobose basidiospores with verruculose ornamentation. O. sparsa is characterized by resupinate, arachnoid, continuous and brown basidiocarps, smooth or with sparsely distributed spines, a differentiated dimitic hyphal structure in the rhizomorphs with simple-septate generative hyphae, a dimitic hyphal system in the subiculum and verruculose basidiospores. Molecular phylogeny inferred from internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences data indicated that the two new species clustered with the other species of Odontia with strong support. These two new species are described and illustrated in this paper.
A new genus of Rhaphidophorinae (Orthoptera, Rhaphidophoridae) from China
Authors: QIN YANYAN , JIANG HUITING , LIU XIANWEI , LI KAI
Published: October 2018

In this article, a new genus Sinorhaphidophora gen. nov., three new combinations: Sinorhaphidophora hainanensis (Bian & Shi, 2016) comb. nov., Neorhaphidophora brevispinula (Bian, Zhu & Shi, 2017) comb. nov., Neorhaphidophora longispinula (Bian, Zhu & Shi, 2017) comb. nov. and three new species of Rhaphidophora Audinet-Serville, 1838: Rhaphidophora quadridentata sp. nov., Rhaphidophora setiformis sp. nov., Rhaphidophora wuzhishanensis sp. nov. are proposed. Keys to all genera of Rhaphidophorinae and all species of Rhaphidophora from China are given. And the female of Rhaphidophora sichuanensis Liu & Zhang, 2002 is also added.
Do We Have It All Wrong? The Protective Roles of Peers and Criminogenic Risks From Family During Prison Reentry
Authors: Mowen Thomas J. , Boman John H.
Published: October 2018

Prior work on the process of reentry from prison has highlighted the pivotal role that family and peers play during reintegration. Families are traditionally understood as important protective mechanisms against recidivism whereas peers are typically viewed as primarily criminogenic. Yet, drawing from differential coercion and social support theory, family and peer relationships can both be supportive (and protect against recidivism) and coercive (and contribute to recidivism). Using four waves of data from the Serious and Violent Offender Reentry Initiative, results of mixed-effects models demonstrate that family, but not peer, coercion relates to increased odds of reincarceration. Peer, but not family, social support relates to decreased odds of reincarceration. Findings suggest families are primarily criminogenic, whereas peers are protective during reentry.
Does vertical administrative integration of environmental monitoring at the provincial level effectively motivate firms to improve environmental behaviour in China?
Authors: Liu Yong
Published: October 2018

A few cities and provinces in China have implemented vertical administrative integration of environmental monitoring to the provincial level as a response to severe environmental pollution. This study used an adaptive agent-based simulation model to explore whether the reform might effectively motivate polluting industrial firms to improve their environmental behaviour. Simulation results found that the reform might not effectively motivate the desired improvements in environmental behaviour unless policy-makers improve individual enterprises’ financial capacities, enhance their subsidies, and encourage managers to improve their environmental awareness. These findings could be used in the vertical administrative reform efforts to help achieve the reform’s success.

Points for practitioners

The vertical reform needs to be sufficiently systematic across its governmental structure because it cannot operate in isolation. It is a part of the country’s complex economic, social, and environmental societal system. Combining administrative restructuring with regulation of micro-agents’ behaviour might increase the reform’s likelihood of success, and financial policies might improve preventive/enthusiastic environmental behaviour. A sophisticated policy approach, such as encouraging preventive/enthusiastic environmental behaviour through business opportunities, might ease behavioural change.
Enhanced Cognitive Flexibility in the Seminomadic Himba
Authors: Pope Sarah M. , Fagot Joël , Meguerditchian Adrien , Washburn David A. , Hopkins William D.
Published: October 2018

Through codified rule-use, humans can accurately solve many problems. Yet, mechanized strategies can also be costly. After adopting a solution strategy, humans often become blind to alternatives, even when those alternatives are more efficient. Termed cognitive set, this failure to switch from a familiar strategy to a better alternative has been considered universally human. Yet, our understanding of this phenomenon is derived almost exclusively from Western subjects. In this study, we used the nonverbal Learned Strategy–Direct Strategy (LS-DS) touchscreen task in which subjects are presented with an opportunity to use either a learned strategy or a more efficient, but novel, shortcut. We found that the remote, seminomadic Himba of northern Namibia exhibited enhanced shortcut-use on the LS-DS task, challenging the claim that cognitive set affects humans universally. In addition, we found that altering subjects’ conceptualization of the shortcut as a viable option significantly enhanced its subsequent use in Western but not Himba participants. We discuss how other aspects of cultural variation, namely, environmental uncertainty and educational background, might contribute to the observed cross-cultural differences in flexible strategy-use.
Spaces of visibility in the smart city: Flagship urban spaces and the smart urban imaginary
Authors: Caprotti Federico
Published: October 2018

Smart urbanism is a currently popular and widespread way of conceptualising the future city. At the same time, the smart city is critiqued by several scholars as difficult to define, and as being almost invisible to the naked eye. The article explores two urban spaces through which the smart city is rendered visible, in two UK cities that are prominent sites for smart urban experimentation and development. Bristol’s Data Dome and Glasgow’s Operations Centre are analysed in light of their iconic nature. The article develops a conceptual understanding of these flagship spaces of the actually existing smart cities through three interrelated conceptual lenses. Firstly, they are understood as a videological type of Leibniz’s concept of the windowless monad. Secondly, they are conceptualised as examples of banal and serialised architecture. Thirdly, these spaces and their attendant buildings are understood as totemic assemblages that point to newly emergent forms of elite urban power.
Dyadic Examination of Parental Support, Basic Needs Satisfaction, and Student–Athlete Development During Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Kaye Miranda P. , Lowe Katie , Dorsch Travis E.
Published: October 2018

Using self-determination theory and the theory of emerging adulthood as frameworks, the present study investigated dyadic associations for the effect of parental support on college student–athletes’ need satisfaction, and the effect of need satisfaction on student–athletes’ adjustment. Fifty NCAA Division I student–athletes and a corresponding parent ( N = 50) completed online surveys. Student–athletes’ and parents reported parental support (i.e., parental responsiveness and basic needs satisfaction) and student–athletes’ reported college adjustment (i.e., academic self-efficacy, athletic satisfaction, and individuation). Interpersonal models demonstrated both parent and student–athlete reported parental responsiveness was associated with higher levels of need satisfaction. Student–athlete reports of need satisfaction was related to reduced emotional independence, while parental reports of need satisfaction were related to enhanced academic self-efficacy. Findings support the central role of parental support for student–athletes in college; however, negotiating the balance between providing support and encouraging emotional independence remains a challenge for parents.
The Missionary Formation in the Eastern Orthodox Theological Education in Present Day Romania
Authors: Sonea Cristian
Published: October 2018

The article presents the current missionary formation in the Romanian Orthodox Church. I evaluated the national curricula from the faculties of Orthodox Theology, following the missionary orientated topics in each subject, and I analyzed the curricula of Missiology taught in the faculties.The article underlines the relation between the content of the Missiology curriculum and the historical context in which the Orthodox Church in Romania developed, and it explains why there are both innovative and conservative themes within the curriculum. Finally, the specificities of the orthodox missionary formation in Romania are emphasized, such as the spiritual education, the central place of the liturgy, and the focus on internal mission.
Assessment of uveal melanomas using advanced diffusion-weighted imaging techniques: value of reduced field of view DWI (“zoomed DWI”) and readout-segmented DWI (RESOLVE)
Authors: Seeger Achim , Batra Marion , Süsskind Daniela , Ernemann Ulrike , Hauser Till-Karsten
Published: October 2018

Background

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has become an important tool for lesion characterization. Advanced techniques of DWI may be used to improve image quality.

Purpose

To evaluate multi-shot segmented DWI (rs-EPI, RESOLVE) and reduced field-of view DWI (rFOV-EPI, “zoomed” EPI) in patients with ocular melanoma and to compare image quality and diagnostic performance in differentiation of melanoma from retinal detachment.

Material and Methods

In this prospective and IRB-approved trial, we examined 26 patients using methods including conventional single-shot echo-planar DWI (ss-EPI), rs-EPI, and rFOV-EPI. Subjective image quality was compared using a four-point score and the maximum tumor length was measured in all sequences. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements were performed using a region-of interest analysis. Tumor delineation and differences in ADC values between melanomas and retinal detachments were compared.

Results

Diffusion restriction was markedly reduced in melanomas in all applied image techniques. Subjective image quality was significantly higher for rFOV-EPI (score = 3.5 ± 0.5) compared with rs-EPI (score = 3.3 ± 0.6) and ss-EPI (score = 2.5 ± 0.9). Regarding tumor diameter measurements, rFOV-EPI showed the best agreement compared with high-resolution conventional sequences. ADC measurements of the tumor and retinal detachment differed significantly ( P < 0.001) with the rFOV-EPI performing best (sensitivities and specificities compared with T1-weighted ss-EPI 61%/82%; rFOV-EPI 86%/92%; rs-EPI 79%/92%, respectively).

Conclusion

rFOV-EPI showed improved image quality compared with ss-EPI and rs-EPI, the most accurate tumor delineation and the best differentiation from retinal detachments in our patients.
Influence of Autologous Serum on in Vitro Reactivity of Peripheral Lymphocytes of Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Missiroli Andrea , Bandieramonte Gaetano , Di Padova Franco , Nicolin Angelo
Published: October 2018

The influence of autologous serum on DNA synthesis and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or pokeweed mitogen (PWM) stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes from mammary tumor-bearing women has been studied. Blood samples were collected from patients at the 4 stages of the TNM classification who had not undergone any therapeutic treatment. Lymphocyte functions were significantly reduced only in patients with the largest tumors and in the latest stage of disease. Autologous cancer sera inhibited spontaneous DNA synthesis of lymphocytes and did not inhibit lymphocyte stimulation by mitogens. It is possible that unrecognized inhibiting and stimulating factors, possibly acting in synergism with mitogens, are present in mammary cancer sera.
Formestane as Treatment of Advanced Breast Cancer in Elderly Women
Authors: Zilembo Nicoletta , Buzzoni Roberto , Celio Luigi , Noberasco Cristina , Ferrari Leonardo , Laffranchi Alberto , Vicario Giovanni , Dolci Stella , Bajetta Emilio
Published: October 2018

Aims and background

The number of elderly people is increasing, and the proportion of breast cancer in female cancer patients older than 65 years is 26%. In elderly patients, hormone therapy is widely accepted as the treatment of choice, because of its efficacy and good tolerability compared to chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endocrinologic and clinical activity of formestane (4-hydroxyandrostenedione), a selective aromatase inhibitor, in elderly patients with advanced breast cancer.

Methods

Thirty-five patients older than 65 years, selected from a larger group, were given formestane (250 mg or 500 mg i.m. fortnightly). Patients were evaluable for tumor response after 4 doses of formestane. Blood samples were collected to evaluate E2, FSH, LH, SHBG and DHEAS serum levels at baseline and after 2, 4, 8,12 and 24 weeks.

Results

Thirty patients had PS ≤ 1 (ECOG) and only 5 patients had PS = 2. Twenty-six patients were ER positive. Previous hormonal treatment for metastatic disease had been given to 17 patients; only 1 case had received chemotherapy. The overall response rate was 51% (95% C.I. 35–67%) and the median response duration was 9.5 months. Three complete responses were observed on viscera. The best responses were obtained on soft tissues (59%); on bone and viscera the response was respectively 45% and 47%. Local and systemic tolerability was highly satisfactory. Formestane induced prolonged suppression of E2 levels in all of the patients, and a significant reduction in SHBG levels was also observed from month 2 onward. A statistically significant ( P = 0.0001) rise in serum FSH was also observed during the therapy.

Conclusions

The study showed that formestane induced a long-lasting suppression of E2 levels and a satisfactory overall response. In our opinion, the drug is an effective and well-tolerated approach in the management of advanced breast cancer in elderly patients.
Geography’s creative (re)turn: Toward a critical framework
Authors: Hawkins Harriet
Published: October 2018

The latest ‘turn’ to appear on geography’s intellectual horizons pivots around creativity. Geographers long fascinated with the practices of poetry, visual art, photography, performance, dance, cabaret, story-telling and more, are becoming creators and collaborators (rather than simply analysts). My intention here is not to get caught up in debating whether this is in fact a turn; rather, I look to wider interdisciplinary ‘turn talk’ as a source from which to build a much-needed critical framework for these recent disciplinary developments. Five dimensions of this critical framework are posed: histories, geographies, imaginaries, expertise and politics. By no means exhaustive, these dimensions gesture towards critical perspectives on the current intensification and future practice of creative geographies, exploring possibilities but also, importantly, addressing challenges.
First-use Reactions: A Potential Hazard for Referral Centers
Authors: Caruana R.J.
Published: October 2018

First-use reactions comprise a spectrum of adverse clinical signs and symptoms occurring in end-stage renal failure patients during hemodialysis treatments. This report describes four patients experiencing first-use reactions in the context of being referred to or from a tertiary care inpatient dialysis facility. Theories on the pathogenesis of first-use reactions are reviewed and recommendations for identifying patients at increased risk for this problem are proposed.
Effects of Keto-analogues on Phosphocalcic and Aminoacid Metabolism in Dialysed Patients: A Crossover Study
Authors: Mahmoud M.D. , Bouche V. , Collin Ph. , Girault A.
Published: October 2018

It has been suggested that calcium salts of keto-analogues (KA) have beneficial effects on phosphocalcic and aminoacid (AA) metabolism. To confirm this, their short-term effects were evaluated on chronic dialyzed patients. In a prospective, randomised, crossover study, eight and seven patients were put on KA (200 mg/kg/d) and assigned either a low-protein diet (LP:0.4 g/kg/d) or a normal one (NP: 1 g/kg/d) for 15 days. The two treatments were interchanged after 15 days of washout. KA.LP was accompanied by: a) decreases in calorie intake (12%; p = 0.001) and in blood concentrations of albumin (5%, p = 0.004), urea (32 %, p = 0.001), phosphate (29%, p = 0.001), parathormone (27%, p = 0.008), isoleucine (24%, p = 0.04), 1 and 3 methyl-histidine (71%, p = 0.03,; 24%, p = 0.005), valine (19%, p = 0.004) and hydroxyproline (85%, p = 0.009); b) increases in calcemia (9%, p = 0.002), cystathionine (991%, p = 0.0001) and threonine (22%, p = 0.04).

KA.NP was accompanied by: a) decreases in phosphatemia (15%, p = 0.03) and parathormone (18 %, p = 0.06); b) increases in calcemia (9%, p = 0.002), cystathionine (427 %, p = 0.0001), and phenylalanine (28%, p = 0.013).

Calcium salts of keto-analogues together with a low or normal protein diet thus seem to reduce blood concentrations of phosphates and parathormone, and raise calcium; however their action on aminoacids needs further investigation.
In Memoriam
Authors: Hellström John , Ljunggren Einur
Published: October 2018

Poichè non siamo stati in grado di pubblicare, al momento opportuno, il necrologio del grande urologo svedese, scomparso alla fine del 1965 all'età di 75 anni, pensiamo di fare cosa gradila ai lettori offrendo loro, quale omaggio alla memoria dell'illustre scomparso, le poche righe scritte dall'amico Einar Ljunggren, che per noi ha avuto il cortese pensiero di farsi suo biografo.
Transformative or Functional Justice? Examining the Role of Health Care Institutions in Responding to Violence Against Women in India
Authors: Kapilashrami Anuj
Published: October 2018

With the growing salience of ideas and reforms concerning women’s human rights and gender equality, violence against women (VAW) has received heightened policy attention. Recent global calls for ending VAW identify health care systems as having a crucial role in a multisector response to tackle this social injustice. Scholars emphasize the transformative potential of such response in its ability to not only address the varied health consequences but also prevent future recurrence by enabling wider access to support and justice. This wider consensus on the role of health systems, however, demands stronger empirical basis. This article reports findings from an exploratory research developed around the core question: What are the perceived strengths and challenges confronting health systems in offering a comprehensive response to VAW in India? Drawing on site visits, observations, and interviews with front-line staff and program managers of an integrated intervention to tackle violence in Kerala and nongovernment organisation staff in Delhi and Mumbai, the article presents its historical context and key barriers to effective implementation. While promising in terms of outreach and incremental changes in attitudes, barriers include deficits in infrastructure and institutional practices that reinforce inequities in gender–power relations, hostile attitudes, and limited capacities of health workforce to tackle the complex and diverse needs of women experiencing abuse. Locating these experiences in relation to other models rooted in feminist approach, I argue how conventional intervention models of provisioning fail to challenge institutional contexts and structural inequalities that underpin violence and compound vulnerabilities experienced by women, thereby serving a functional response. Health systems are social institutions embedded in prevailing gender norms and power relations that must be tackled alongside addressing imminent needs of women victims of abuse. To this end, feminist approaches to counselling and relational perspectives to social justice can strengthen responsiveness (and transformative potential) of integrated sector-wide interventions.
The Role of Life Satisfaction in Predicting Youth Violence and Offending: A Prospective Examination
Authors: Hanniball Katherine B. , Viljoen Jodi L. , Shaffer Catherine S. , Bhatt Gira , Tweed Roger , Aknin Lara B. , Gagnon Nathalie , Douglas Kevin S. , Dooley Stephen
Published: October 2018

Life satisfaction in adolescence has been shown to protect against numerous negative outcomes (e.g., substance use, sexual risk-taking), but limited work has directly explored the relationship between life satisfaction and youth violence and offending. As such, we conducted a prospective assessment to explore this relationship among community ( n = 334) and at-risk youth ( n = 99). Findings suggest life satisfaction is significantly associated with decreased offending and violence within both samples and adds incremental value above established risk factors in predicting violent and total offending among community youth. Furthermore, moderation analyses indicate that the protective value of life satisfaction is greater for youth with high callous–unemotional traits. Mediation analyses suggest that youth who are unsatisfied with their lives may seek out substance use, in turn elevating risk of offending. Together, these findings indicate that efforts to improve overall life satisfaction may help prevent adolescent offending. However, future research is needed.
From fluctuation and fragility to innovation and sustainability: The role of a member network in UK enterprise education
Authors: Michels Nicolette , Beresford Richard , Beresford Kate , Handley Karen
Published: October 2018

Enterprise education has been identified as suffering from fluctuating policy, inconsistent funding and faddish practice, thereby limiting the development of a sustainable community of scholar-practitioners. In view of these constraints, this article considers the position of often-isolated enterprise educators and focuses on the role networks play in supporting their sustainable professional development and hence the domain itself. A case-based analysis draws on social-constructivist concepts of networks and communities of practice (CoPs) to analyse a UK network, Enterprise Educators UK (EEUK). It is argued that the member-driven nature of EEUK is unique and important for providing a sustainable forum through which enterprise educators can engage, share practice, find identity, develop ownership of and deliver sustained innovation in enterprise education. Generating a rich picture of the enterprise educator’s ecosystem, the article makes a methodological contribution to network research by undertaking a longitudinal analysis of a decade of ‘Best Practice’ events. It extends the CoP theory of peripheral participation and identity in professional associations and derives practical implications for enterprise educator networks. Recommendations are made for future research and dissemination of enterprise educator practice at, between and beyond events to further the development of the international enterprise education domain.
From engaging publics to engaging knowledges: Enacting “appropriateness” in the Austrian biobank infrastructure
Authors: Goisauf Melanie , Durnová Anna P
Published: October 2018

While there is consensus on the essential importance of public engagement in further developments of biobanking, the related investigation of public views predominantly focused on the concerns expressed by the publics, and the concrete formats of public engagement, without delving into the ways these concerns are constituted. In this article, we summarize recent research on public engagement in order to describe the constitution of respective concerns as “engagement of knowledges.” By shifting the focus of analysis from “publics” to “knowledges,” we draw attention to the interaction dynamic through which citizens embed the new knowledge they receive during expert interactions into the stock of knowledge they already possess. Analyzing our recent investigation of public views on biobanking in the form of citizen-expert panels in the Austrian infrastructure of biobanks (BBMRI.at), we trace this dynamic through citizens’ recurrent concerns that the research and consent practices related to biobanking should be “appropriate.”
Getting a Grip on Cognitive Flexibility
Authors: Braem Senne , Egner Tobias
Published: October 2018

Cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to quickly reconfigure our mind, as when we switch between different tasks. This review highlights recent evidence showing that cognitive flexibility can be conditioned by simple incentives typically known to drive lower-level learning, such as stimulus–response associations. Cognitive flexibility can also become associated with, and triggered by, bottom-up contextual cues in our environment, including subliminal cues. Therefore, we suggest that the control functions that mediate cognitive flexibility are grounded in, and guided by, basic associative-learning mechanisms and abide by the same learning principles as more low-level forms of behavior. Such a learning perspective on cognitive flexibility offers new directions and important implications for further research, theory, and applications.
Location of Vertical Limb of Extensile Lateral Calcaneal Approach and Risk of Injury of the Calcaneal Branch of Peroneal Artery
Authors: Sirisreetreerux Norachart , Sa-ngasoongsong Paphon , Kulachote Noratep , Apivatthakakul Theerachai
Published: October 2018

Background:

The extensile lateral calcaneal approach is a standard method for accessing a joint depression calcaneal fracture. However, the operative wound complication rate is high. Previous studies showed a calcaneal branch of the peroneal artery contributing to the calcaneal flap blood supply. This study focuses on the location of the vertical limb in this approach correlating to the aforementioned artery and flap perfusion.

Methods:

Ten pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric lower extremities were used. Extensile lateral calcaneal approach (ELCA) was carried out on both calcanei, where the vertical limb was placed at the line between the posterior border of lateral malleolus and lateral edge of the Achilles tendon for the right side (standard ELCA; sELCA) and at the lateral edge of the Achilles tendon for the left side (modified ELCA; mELCA). The identified vessel in the vertical limb incision was ligated and cut, and the horizontal limb of the incision was carried out as usual. After completion of flap elevation, 80°C water was injected into the popliteal vessel. In addition, thermal images were taken pre- and postinjection. Dye was injected subsequently, and perfusion was recorded in video format.

Results:

Mean pre- and postinjection skin flap temperature difference was significantly higher in mELCA (5.36°C vs 0.72°C, P = .0002). Dye perfusion patterns were significantly better in mELCA ( P = .0013). The calcaneal branch of peroneal artery was found in the vertical incision in 9 of 10 sELCA, with average distance 22.04 mm anterior to the calcaneal tuberosity and 8.22 mm proximal to superior border of the calcaneus, whereas one was found in mELCA, in which perfusion tests still appeared normal.

Conclusion:

The vertical limb of incision during extensile lateral calcaneal approach should be placed at the lateral edge of the Achilles tendon to avoid injuring the calcaneal branch of peroneal artery, which supplies the lateral calcaneal flap. However, further clinical research might be needed to confirm the results of this study.

Clinical relevance:

This study demonstrates a likely safest position for the proper incision for exposing the lateral calcaneus.
Anti-plane stress analysis of a half-plane with multiple cracks by distributed dislocation technique in nonlocal elasticity
Authors: Tavakoli Mohamad , Fotuhi Ali Reza
Published: October 2018

The effective role of a distributed dislocation technique accompanied by a nonlocal elasticity model has been demonstrated for the crack problem in a half-plane. The dislocation solution is employed to model and analyze the anti-plane crack problem for nonlocal elasticity using the distributed dislocation technique. The solution of dislocation in the half-plane has been extracted through the solution of dislocation in an infinite plane by the image method. The dislocation solution has been utilized to formulate integral equations for dislocation density functions on the surface of a smooth crack embedded in the half-plane under anti-plane loads. The integral equations are of the Cauchy singular type, and have been solved numerically. Multiple cracks with different configurations have been solved; results demonstrate that the nonlocal theory predicts a certain stress value in the crack tip.
Shared Struggles? Cumulative Strain Theory and Public Mass Murderers From 1990 to 2014
Authors: Silver James , Horgan John , Gill Paul
Published: October 2018

Scholars have urged a shift in research on mass murder from the creation of typologies to theoretically rich, data-driven comparative examinations of the phenomenon. We seek to redress such calls in two ways. First, we analyze a unique sample of public mass murderers through the multistage explanatory model of cumulative strain theory. Second, we use a comparison group of similarly violent offenders—lone actor terrorists—to provide context to our findings. The results demonstrate that cumulative strain theory usefully describes the trajectory toward violence of public mass murderers, more so when a concept implicit in the theory—grievance—is made explicit.
Prognostic information for people with MS: Impossible or inevitable?
Authors: Heesen Christoph , Scalfari Antonio , Galea Ian
Published: October 2018

Delivering prognostic information is a challenging issue in medicine and has been largely neglected in the past. A major reason has been a suspected nocebo effect of pessimistic estimates, although this is largely unproven. Among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), there is a strong unmet need to receive long-term prognostic information. This viewpoint discusses reasons for this blind spot in physicians’ attitude, foremost among which is the uncertainty of prognostic estimates. Possible strategies to move forward include tools to identify matching patients from large well-defined databases, to deliver an evidence-based individualized estimate of long-term prognosis, and its confidence interval, in a clinical setting.
Squamous cell carcinoma antigen in genitourinary tumors
Authors: Wishnow K.I. , Johnson D.E. , Fritsche H.A.
Published: October 2018

We have evaluated the serum levels of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) antigen in patients with adenocarcinoma of the kidney, adenocarcinoma of the prostate, germ cell tumors of the testis, transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, and SCC of the penis, urethra, and bladder. Serum SCC antigen levels were elevated in 5 of 11 patients (45%) with metastatic SCC of the penis, and in the 3 patients for whom serial determinations were made, the serum levels correlated correctly with the progression of disease or response to treatment. The antigen was elevated in 1 of 3 patients with SCC of the urethra, and 1 apparent false-positive value was observed in a patient with adenocarcinoma of the prostate. Otherwise, no SCC antigen elevations were noted among 10 patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the prostate, 8 with metastatic adenocarcinoma of the kidney, 11 with metastatic transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder, 8 with metastatic nonseminomatous germ cell tumors of the testis, and 2 patients with metastatic SCC of the bladder
Insulin Units and Conversion Factors: A Story of Truth, Boots, and Faster Half-Truths
Authors: Knopp Jennifer L. , Holder-Pearson Lui , Chase J. Geoffrey
Published: October 2018

Conventional insulin concentration units (IU/mL or just U/mL) are bioefficacy based, whereas the Système International (SI) units (pmol/L) are mass based. In converting between these two different approaches, there are at least 2 well-accepted conversion factors, where there should be only 1. The correct value is not the most-used or well-accepted using online calculators, some journal styles, laboratory reports, and published articles. In short, an incorrect insulin conversion factor is widely used which underreports insulin concentrations by ~15%, with potentially significant research and clinical implications. This short commentary describes the history of insulin IU definitions and conversion factors, and highlights the widespread nature of conversion factor misuse, to provoke deeper interest and thought regarding numbers we so often use without thinking.