bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcomes of Prosthetic Reconstruction of Irradiated and Nonirradiated Breasts with Fat Grafting
Authors: Komorowska-Timek Ewa , Turfe Zaahir , Davis Alan T.
Published: December 2016

Background:

Fat grafting may be beneficial in prosthetic reconstruction of irradiated tissues, but there is a paucity of data on the complication rates associated with this clinical scenario.

Methods:

All consecutive patients who had undergone fat grafting and prosthetic reconstruction from 2010 to 2013 were enrolled. Variables obtained related to fat grafting and history of irradiation. Implant-related complications in relation to irradiation status were also noted.

Results:

Eighty-five patients (age 49 ± 10 years) underwent 117 fat grafting procedures. The mean follow-up was 2.6 ± 0.7 years. Fat grafting was predominantly performed to correct soft-tissue deficiency [112 of 117 (95.7 percent)] or to alter skin after irradiation [five of 117 (4.3 percent)]. Thirty-two procedures (27.4 percent) were associated with a complication, with the most common being palpable fat necrosis (23.1 percent). Volume of transferred fat averaged 151.2 ± 76.6 ml per breast. Fat grafting complications did not depend on donor site, technique of fat processing, volume of transferred fat, number of procedures, or irradiation. Implant-related complications were observed after 26 of 117 overall procedures (22.2 percent). No association between implant-related complications and irradiation was observed (OR, 1.3; 95 percent CI, 0.4 to 4.1; p = 0.63). Overall complications following fat grafting in nonirradiated [37 of 82 (45.1 percent)] and irradiated [16 of 35 (45.7 percent)] breasts were not statistically different (OR, 1.02; 95 percent CI, 0.41 to 2.57; p = 0.96).

Conclusion:

Similar outcomes of irradiated and nonirradiated prosthetic breast reconstruction can be achieved with additional fat grafting.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE:

Therapeutic, III.
Definitive Management of Persistent Frontal Sinus Infections and Mucocele with a Vascularized Free Fibula Flap
Authors: Sinno Sammy , Rodriguez Eduardo D.
Published: December 2016

Chronic frontal sinus infections in the setting of previous trauma or tumor removal are challenging clinical scenarios. To remove and débride all chronically infected tissue, obliterate dead space, and provide a stable reconstructive yet aesthetic contour are critical tasks in managing these patients. The vascularized free fibula is an ideal flap for this situation; in this article, the authors detail their technique in a patient with chronic frontal sinus infections complicated by mucocele formation.
Impact of Panic Attacks on Bronchoconstriction and Subjective Distress in Asthma Patients With and Without Panic Disorder
Authors: Boudreau Maxine , Bacon Simon L. , Paine Nicola J. , Cartier André , Trutschnigg Barbara , Morizio Alexandre , Lavoie Kim L.
Published: December 2016

Objective

Panic disorder (PD) is common among asthma patients and is associated with worse asthma outcomes. This may occur because of psychophysiological factors or cognitive/affective factors. This study evaluated the impact of panic attacks (PAs) on bronchoconstriction and subjective distress in people who have asthma with and without PD.

Methods

A total of 25 asthma patients (15 with PD who had a PA [PD/PA], 10 without PD who did not have a PA [no PD/no PA]) were recruited from an outpatient clinic. They underwent a panic challenge (one vital capacity inhalation of 35% carbon dioxide [CO2]) and completed the Panic Symptom Scale, the Subjective Distress Visual Analogue Scale, and the Borg Scale before and after CO2. Forced expiratory volume in 1 second was assessed pre- and post-CO2; respiratory (i.e., CO2 production, minute ventilation, tidal volume) was continuously recorded, and physiological measures (i.e., systolic and diastolic blood pressure [SBP/DBP]) were recorded every 2 minutes.

Results

Analyses adjusting for age, sex, and provocative concentration of methacholine revealed no significant differences between groups in forced expiratory volume in 1 second change after CO2 inhalation (F(1, 23) < 0.01, p = .961). However, patients with PD/PA reported more panic (F(1, 22) = 18.10, p < .001), anxiety (F(1, 22) = 21.93, p < .001), worry (F(1, 22) = 26.31, p < .001), and dyspnea (F(1,22) = 4.68, p = .042) and exhibited higher levels of CO2 production (F(1, 2843) = 5.89, p = .015), minute ventilation (F(1, 2844) = 4.48, p = .034), and tidal volume (F(1, 2844) = 4.62, p = .032) after the CO2 challenge, compared with patients with no PD/no PA.

Conclusions

Results, presented as hypothesis generating, suggest that asthma patients with PD/PA exhibit increased panic-like anxiety, breathlessness, and a respiratory pattern consistent with hyperventilation that was not linked to statistically significant drops in bronchoconstriction.
Self-Transcendent Values and Neural Responses to Threatening Health Messages
Authors: Kang Yoona , O'Donnell Matthew Brook , Strecher Victor J. , Taylor Shelley E. , Lieberman Matthew D. , Falk Emily B.
Published: December 2016

Objective

Prioritizing self-transcendent values such as family and friends more than nontranscendent values such as wealth and privilege is associated with lower stress response. In this study, we tested whether having self-transcendent values can reduce specific responses in the brain in the context of potentially threatening health communications.

Methods

Sedentary adults (N = 67) who would likely feel threatened by health messages that highlight the risk of sedentary behavior were recruited. Participants indicated the degree to which they prioritize self-transcendent values more than nontranscendent values. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants' neural responses to health messages were assessed within neural regions implicated in threat responses, including bilateral amygdala and anterior insula (AI).

Results

A tendency to prioritize self-transcendent more than nontranscendent values was associated with lower reactivity during exposure to health messages within anatomically defined regions of left amygdala (t(55) = −2.66, p = .010, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −0.08 to −0.01), right amygdala (t(55) = −2.22, p = .031, 95% CI = −0.06 to 0.0), and left AI (t(55) = −2.17, p = .034, 95% CI = −0.04 to 0.0), as well as a mask functionally defined to be associated with “threat” using an automated meta-analysis (t(55) = −2.04, p = .046, 95% CI = −0.05 to 0.0). No significant effect was obtained within the right AI (t(55) = −1.38, p = .17, 95% CI = −0.04 to .01). These effects were partially enhanced by reinforcing important values through self-affirmation, remained significant after accounting for self-reported social connection, and were specific to health message processing (versus generic self-related information).

Conclusions

Attenuated neural reactivity to potentially threatening health messages may be a novel way that prioritizing self-transcendent values could lead to positive health behaviors.
Exhaustively Identifying Cross-Linked Peptides with a Linear Computational Complexity
Authors: Yu Fengchao , Li Ning , Yu Weichuan
Published: December 2016

Chemical cross-linking coupled with mass spectrometry is a powerful tool to study protein-protein interactions and protein conformations. Two linked peptides are ionized and fragmented to produce a tandem mass spectrum. In such an experiment, a tandem mass spectrum contains ions from two peptides. The peptide identification problem becomes a peptide-peptide pair identification problem. Currently, most existing tools don’t search all possible pairs due to the quadratic time complexity. Consequently, a significant percentage of linked peptides are missed. In our earlier work, we developed a tool named ECL to search all pairs of peptides exhaustively. While ECL does not miss any linked peptides, it is very slow due to the quadratic computational complexity, especially when the database is large. Furthermore, ECL uses a score function without statistical calibration, while researchers1,2have demonstrated that using a statistical calibrated score function can achieve a higher sensitivity than using an uncalibrated one.

Here, we propose an advanced version of ECL, named ECL 2.0. It achieves a linear time and space complexity by taking advantage of the additive property of a score function. It can analyze a typical data set containing tens of thousands of spectra using a large-scale database containing thousands of proteins in a few hours. Comparison with other five state-of-the-art tools shows that ECL 2.0 is much faster than pLink, StavroX, ProteinProspector, and ECL. Kojak is the only one tool that is faster than ECL 2.0. But Kojak does not exhaustively search all possible peptide pairs. We also adopt ane-value estimation method to calibrate the original score. Comparison shows that ECL 2.0 has the highest sensitivity among the state-of-the-art tools. The experiment using a large-scalein vivocross-linking data set demonstrates that ECL 2.0 is the only tool that can find PSMs passing the false discovery rate threshold. The result illustrates that exhaustive search and well calibrated score function are useful to find PSMs from a huge search space.
Label-free high-resolution 3-D imaging of gold nanoparticles inside live cells using optical diffraction tomography
Authors: Kim Doyeon , Oh Nuri , Kim Kyoohyun , Lee SangYun , Pack Chan-Gi , Park Ji-Ho , Park YongKeun
Published: December 2016

Delivery of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) into live cells has high potentials, ranging from molecular-specific imaging, photodiagnostics, to photothermal therapy. However, studying the long-term dynamics of cells with GNPs using conventional fluorescence techniques suffers from phototoxicity and photobleaching. Here, we present a method for 3-D imaging of GNPs inside live cells exploiting refractive index (RI) as imaging contrast. Employing optical diffraction tomography, 3-D RI tomograms of live cells with GNPs are precisely measured for an extended period with sub-micrometer resolution. The locations and contents of GNPs in live cells are precisely addressed and quantified due to their distinctly high RI values, which was validated by confocal fluorescence imaging of fluorescent dye conjugated GNPs. In addition, we perform quantitative imaging analysis including the segmentations of GNPs in the cytosol, the volume distributions of aggregated GNPs, and the temporal evolution of GNPs contents in HeLa and 4T1 cells.

Abbreviations

GNPs

gold nanoparticles

RI

refractive index

ODT

optical diffraction tomography

DMD

digital micromirror device
Delivery of BACE1 siRNA mediated by TARBP-BTP fusion protein reduces β-amyloid deposits in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Haroon Mohamed M , Saba Kamal , Boddeda Venkata H , Kumar Jerald M , Patel Anant Bahadur , Gopal Vijaya
Published: December 2016

Systemic delivery of nucleic acids to the central nervous system (CNS) is a major challenge for the development of RNA interference-based therapeutics due to absence of stability, target specificity, non-permeability to the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and mainly due to lack of suitable carriers. Using a designed bi-functional fusion protein TARBP-BTP, very recently we demonstrated knockdown of target genes in the brain of both AβPP-PS1 (Alzheimer’s disease, AD) and wildtype C57BL/6 mice upon systemic delivery of a single dose of siRNA. In this report, we further substantiate this hypothesis through an extended study in AβPP-PS1 mice, which upon treatment with seven doses of β-secretase APP cleaving Enzyme 1 (BACE1) siRNA, led to target-specific effects in the mouse brain. Concomitant gene silencing and consequent reduction in plaque load in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus (>60%) in mice treated with TARBP-BTP:siRNA complex further led to improvement in spatial learning and memory, which was assessed and verified through Morris Water Maze test that revealed significant improvement in cognitive function. Moreover, the treatment did not induce any adverse effects as revealed by the histopathology of different organs. The work validates the efficiency of TARBP-BTP fusion protein as an efficient mediator of RNAi giving considerable scope for future intervention of neurodegenerative disorders of the CNS through the use of short nucleic acids as gene specific inhibitors.
The hippocampus as a predictive map
Authors: Stachenfeld Kimberly L. , Botvinick Matthew M. , Gershman Samuel J.
Published: December 2016

A cognitive map has long been the dominant metaphor for hippocampal function, embracing the idea that place cells encode a geometric representation of space. However, evidence for predictive coding, reward sensitivity, and policy dependence in place cells suggests that the representation is not purely spatial. We approach this puzzle from a reinforcement learning perspective: what kind of spatial representation is most useful for maximizing future reward? We show that the answer takes the form of a predictive representation. This representation captures many aspects of place cell responses that fall outside the traditional view of a cognitive map. Furthermore, we argue that entorhinal grid cells encode a low-dimensional basis set for the predictive representation, useful for suppressing noise in predictions and extracting multiscale structure for hierarchical planning.
Thioredoxin-dependent disulfide bond reduction is required for protamine eviction from sperm chromatin
Authors: Emelyanov Alexander V. , Fyodorov Dmitry V.
Published: December 2016

Cysteine oxidation in protamines leads to their oligomerization and contributes to sperm chromatin compaction. Here we identify the Drosophila thioredoxin Deadhead (DHD) as the factor responsible for the reduction of intermolecular disulfide bonds in protamines and their eviction from sperm during fertilization. Protamine chaperone TAP/p32 dissociates DNA–protamine complexes in vitro only when protamine oligomers are first converted to monomers by DHD. dhd-null embryos cannot decondense sperm chromatin and terminate development after the first pronuclear division. Therefore, the thioredoxin DHD plays a critical role in early development to facilitate the switch from protamine-based sperm chromatin structures to the somatic nucleosomal chromatin.
Transcription factor assisted loading and enhancer dynamics dictate the hepatic fasting response
Authors: Goldstein Ido , Baek Songjoon , Presman Diego M. , Paakinaho Ville , Swinstead Erin E. , Hager Gordon L.
Published: December 2016

Fasting elicits transcriptional programs in hepatocytes leading to glucose and ketone production. This transcriptional program is regulated by many transcription factors (TFs). To understand how this complex network regulates the metabolic response to fasting, we aimed at isolating the enhancers and TFs dictating it. Measuring chromatin accessibility revealed that fasting massively reorganizes liver chromatin, exposing numerous fasting-induced enhancers. By utilizing computational methods in combination with dissecting enhancer features and TF cistromes, we implicated four key TFs regulating the fasting response: glucocorticoid receptor (GR), cAMP responsive element binding protein 1 (CREB1), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor alpha (PPARA), and CCAAT/enhancer binding protein beta (CEBPB). These TFs regulate fuel production by two distinctly operating modules, each controlling a separate metabolic pathway. The gluconeogenic module operates through assisted loading, whereby GR doubles the number of sites occupied by CREB1 as well as enhances CREB1 binding intensity and increases accessibility of CREB1 binding sites. Importantly, this GR-assisted CREB1 binding was enhancer-selective and did not affect all CREB1-bound enhancers. Single-molecule tracking revealed that GR increases the number and DNA residence time of a portion of chromatin-bound CREB1 molecules. These events collectively result in rapid synergistic gene expression and higher hepatic glucose production. Conversely, the ketogenic module operates via a GR-induced TF cascade, whereby PPARA levels are increased following GR activation, facilitating gradual enhancer maturation next to PPARA target genes and delayed ketogenic gene expression. Our findings reveal a complex network of enhancers and TFs that dynamically cooperate to restore homeostasis upon fasting.
Postmodern patriotism: teachers’ perceptions of loyalty to Singapore
Authors: Chua Shuyi , Sim Jasmine B.-Y.
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore humanities teachers’ perceptions of patriotism in Singapore by addressing two questions. First, what are teachers’ understandings of patriotism? Second, what are teachers’ attitudes toward patriotism as a quality of good citizenship?

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative case study approach was used, with semi-structured interviews and classroom observations as data sources. The participants were four teachers from diverse backgrounds with distinct perceptions of patriotism. Data analysis methods included writing teacher profiles and thematic coding.

Findings

Teachers were generally positive toward patriotism and understood it in four ways: cosmopolitan, nationalistic, social-movement and person oriented. These themes were not mutually exclusive but distributed across the participants in varying extents. These findings show that patriotism is susceptible to individual meaning-making, and there are different scales and expressions of patriotism.

Research limitations/implications

The results from this small case study cannot be generalized. However, owing to globalization, it is likely that alternative ways of understanding patriotism might become more widespread and salient in citizenship education. Hence, the authors recommend that more studies be conducted on larger samples and using other methods.

Originality/value

This study goes in-depth into a case where teachers had positive feelings toward patriotism, and it draws on the context of Singapore to understand how and why this is so. It also revealed conceptions of patriotism that differ from the more common constructs in the educational literature, suggesting that people from post-colonial countries with different histories, might conceive of patriotism differently from others.
Institutions do matter
Authors: Lui Luen Tim Percy
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how institutional designs governing the executive-legislative relations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) have weakened the government’s capacity to effectively govern the HKSAR.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines institutional designs and rules that govern Hong Kong’s executive-legislative relations. It uses the case of the HKSAR Legislative Council (LegCo) to illustrate the impacts of institutional designs and rules on the performance of political institutions and government performance.

Findings

This paper finds that institutional designs and rules do affect the performance of a political institution. This paper suggests changes to the institutional designs and rules that govern the operation of the HKSAR LegCo, and the interaction between the legislature and the executive so as to create a facilitative context for good governance.

Originality/value

Studies on governance in Hong Kong mostly focus on individual institution’s behavior and performance. This paper studies the problem of governance in Hong Kong from the perspective of executive-legislative relations. It adopts the institutional theory to examine the behavior, performance, and interaction between the legislative and executive branches.
The roles of internships in encouraging university students to join political parties
Authors: Ng Hoi-Yu
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Political parties in Hong Kong are eager to recruit university students and internship programs are a major recruitment channel for them. However, studies on the influences of political internship programs on university students are few and have mainly been conducted in Western democracies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the roles of political party internship programs in encouraging university and community college students to join political parties in Hong Kong, a semi-democratic autonomous region of China.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on the insights gained from semi-structured interviews with a small sample of former party interns.

Findings

This paper found that party internship programs can play three major roles in encouraging students at higher education institutions to join a political party. They are: exposing students to the recruitment efforts of the party, helping students who have no political aspirations to generate a desire to join, and providing an opportunity for those already considering joining to ascertain if the party is really suitable for them.

Originality/value

This paper shows that political internships in semi-democratic regimes like Hong Kong can play similar roles as those in Western democracies to stimulate some university students to pursue a career in politics and help those already considering a political career to ascertain their goals. This paper also shows that these stimulating and confirming effects could also apply to the application for party membership.
Meta-analysis of business-related research in the former Warsaw Pact and the Soviet Union countries
Authors: Bureš Vladimír
Published: December 2016

Purpose

Research focussed on various issues or perspectives of business can be considered as an important driving force for business development. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main topics and trends associated with business-related research conducted in Belarus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Slovakia and Ukraine. The study results contribute to a context-aware explanation of the dynamics of business-oriented research in individual countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study both quantitatively and semantically analyses 6,166 abstracts indexed and abstracted in the Scopus database. Three main research questions and associated hypotheses are investigated. Three text-mining techniques were applied in the analysis of available resources, namely, word clustering, collocation statistics and correspondence analysis.

Findings

There is a growing trend in the quantity of business-related research publications associated with each country. Similarly, there is an increasing internationalisation and intensification process of research networks. It is possible to identify both general and specific business topics that are investigated in individual countries.

Research limitations/implications

The time spans investigated do not always correspond with the main events occurring at the national level. From the semantic analysis perspective, the shortage of records for specific time periods prevents a valid semantic analysis, and the results are dependent on the quality of the abstracts provided by the authors. The study results might be used as support for funding decisions or context-aware evaluation of research outcomes at both institutional and national level.

Originality/value

This study provides a unique insight into the development and mutual comparison of business-related research in the countries investigated.
Impacts and adaptation to climate change in Malaysian real estate
Authors: Shahid Shamsuddin , Pour Sahar Hadi , Wang Xiaojun , Shourav Sabbir Ahmed , Minhans Anil , Ismail Tarmizi bin
Published: December 2016

Purpose

There is a growing concern in recent years regarding climate change risks to real estate in the developed and developing countries. It is anticipated that the property sector could be affected by variable climate and related extremes as well as by the strategies adopted to combat greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This paper aims to analyse the current knowledge regarding future climate changes to understand their possible impacts on the real estate sector of Malaysia with an aim to help stakeholders to adopt necessary responses to reduce negative impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

Available literature is reviewed and data related to climatic influences on buildings and structures are analysed to understand the climate change impacts on real estate in Malaysia.

Findings

The study reveals that temperature in the Peninsular Malaysia will increase by 1.1 to 3.6°C, rainfall will be more variable and river discharge in some river basins will increase up to 43 per cent during the northeast monsoon season by the end of this century. These changes in turn will pose risks of property damage and increase property lifecycle costs. Furthermore, property prices and the overall growth of the property sector may be affected by the government policy of GHG emission reduction by up to 45 per cent by the year 2030. This study concludes that the property sector of Malaysia will be most affected by the implementation of GHG emission reduction policy in the short term and due to the physical risk posed by variable climate and related extremes in the long term.

Originality/value

The study in general will assist in guiding the operational responses of various authorities, especially in terms of those interventions aimed at climate change risk reduction in the property sector of Malaysia.
An investigation into the major environment and climate change policy issues in southwest coastal Bangladesh
Authors: Roy Anjan Kumer Dev
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the issues of environment and climate change policy gaps and their impacts on the natural resources and ecosystems in southwest coastal Bangladesh. The effects of the increasing human activities as well as natural disasters due to the environment and climate change are analysed. The policy options as a response to mitigation, adaptation and possible human suffering as consequences are explored through discourse analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

This study applied focus group discussions, workshop and field visits to collect the data and information to explore environment and climate change policy-related problems.

Findings

It was found that there is a need for major policy reform to guide development interventions to reverse salinity, waterlogging, migration and groundwater recharging problems for sustainable environmental and ecosystem management in the region.

Originality/value

The paper then underscores the need for governments at all levels to adequately fund geo-information-based development interventions as adequate and proactive responses to environmental management and development to combat future environmental and climate change problems in the region.
Innovative approach to build a “no regret” framework for reinforcing agricultural water resilience under climate risks and change in Burkina Faso
Authors: Gahi Narcisse Zegbé , Dongo Kouassi , Koudou Aimé , Badolo Mathieu
Published: December 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to propose, for the very first time in Burkina Faso, a “no regret” reference tool to improve policies and processes which could strengthen agricultural water resilience under climate risks and change for sustained food security. Such a framework consists of five pillars derived from the agricultural water vulnerability analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The method combined a new designed tool “ClimProspect”, adapted to the Sahelian climatic context, participatory and analogue approaches.

Findings

Innovative “no regret” framework to overcome current and future climate risks on agricultural water requirements has been built.

Research limitations/implications

The paper proposes a new way to assess vulnerability and build resilience for a given system and brings climate and disaster risks together. In fact, in the country, disaster and climate risks are closely associated.

Practical implications

The proposed measures will reinforce water security under climate variability and change and disaster risks, boost the farmers’ participation in water governance and secure the adaptation investment for the long term.

Social implications

Implementing the proposed measures should provide farmers with agricultural water needs at any time over the year, having access to social protection and sustainably increase their food security.

Originality/value

Method used explicitly allows for paying attention, at the same time, to climate variability and change, disaster risks and social issues. The “no regret” framework is a practical secured tool for policy makers and planners, and it gives them a new way to secure sustainable water requirements.
Using nutraceuticals in the management of major depressive disorder (MDD)
Authors: Khalifa Nahlaa , Aljaaly Elham Abbas
Published: December 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study evidence-based records on the impact of some effective nutraceuticals on major depression disorder management; and describe the antidepressant properties of nutraceuticals to achieve health policy targets and maintain a sustainable healthcare system.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature was searched using MEDLINE (PubMed), Google Scholar, PsycINFO and Quertile databases and retrieving relevant published articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Findings

The results provided evidence of a range of nutraceuticals with potential benefits in the management of depression. Studies support the anti-depressant properties of S-adenosyl methionine, folnic acid, 5-hydroxytryptophan and omega-3 fatty acids. The results might represent evidence for an innovative adjunctive neurobiological line for the management and treatment of depression.

Practical implications

Randomized-controlled trials and evaluations continue to provide evidence for the use of nutraceuticals in the treatment of depression.

Social implications

Nutraceuticals emphasize the personalized medicine, which offers a psychophysical balance to the individual.

Originality/value

Nutraceuticals have specific antidepressant properties that may be beneficial in psychiatric populations and reduce pharmacotherapeutic side effects.
Artisanal gold mining’s impact on local livelihoods and the mining industry in Ivory Coast
Authors: Kouame Kouame Joseph Arthur , Jiang Fuxing , Sitao Zhu
Published: December 2016

Purpose

In rural regions, mining is an activity that employs many people due to the fact that the barriers to entry are sometimes trivial, with very low technology, capital fund, and no specialized skills required. Many people including children are engaged in artisanal mining in Ivory Coast because they can earn higher incomes in mining than through other traditional activities such as agriculture, which is the main activity in the country. Artisanal mining contributes to reduce abject poverty prevalent in the country and it offers many others opportunities. However, this activity has many negative social impacts. Local people including miners are risking their lives everyday as they are exposed to unsanitary conditions, prostitution, chemical contaminants, and alcoholism, and also due to the large degradation of lands. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

All the data collected during this study were analyzed before some of it was corrected. For data analysis and interpretation, the authors used Word and Excel and other software, and other statistical tools for maps, graphs, and tables.

Findings

The main objective of this paper is to understand how artisanal gold mining in the Ivory Coast affects local livelihoods and the environment.

Research limitations/implications

This study was carried out during the author’s study in China. The data collection between the two countries was too difficult due to the long distance. Many times the network was not reliable for any call and discuss with miners when we are not in the country. The hesitation of miners to give real information to the authors was also a main problem because most of them are illegal miners. Some of the guided questionnaires stayed without feedback for almost three months. The production was sold on a day-to-day basis by the miners in the illegal mining sites, so the authors could not obtain with precision the monthly and annual production to calculate income of the miners.

Originality/value

Some key recommendations for addressing artisanal mining activities in order to have a good option for sustainable management of mineral resources in the country are proposed.
Change in receptive vocabulary from childhood to adulthood: associated mental health, education and employment outcomes
Authors: Armstrong Rebecca , Arnott Wendy , Copland David A. , McMahon Katie , Khan Asaduzzaman , Najman Jake M. , Scott James G.
Published: December 2016

Background

Population‐based studies have found that early language delays are associated with poorer long‐term outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Few studies have explored the influence of change in language ability over time on adult outcomes.

Aim

To examine the educational, vocational and mental health outcomes for adults accounting for different vocabulary developmental profiles over a 16‐year period.

Methods & Procedures

A total of 1914 participants of the Mater‐University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP) were categorized into four groups based on their vocabulary skills at 5 and 21 years: (1) persistently good (n = 1679), (2) persistently poor (n = 33), (3) improved (n = 160), and (4) deteriorated (n = 42). The associations between vocabulary group and educational, vocational, and mental health outcomes at 21 years were investigated.

Outcomes & Results

Adults with deteriorated and persistently poor vocabulary skills were less likely to have completed secondary school; with the improved, deteriorated and persistently poor groups being less likely to be engaged in education, employment or training at the 21‐year follow‐up, compared with the persistently good group. Adults with deteriorated performance were at an increased risk of affective disorders, as well as substance and alcohol abuse/misuse.

Conclusions & Implications

These findings provide evidence that impaired vocabulary skills in adulthood, regardless of whether the deficit was acquired early or later, are associated with adverse outcomes. Clinicians and educators need to be aware of these adversities and ensure they are supporting children and adolescents in whom language difficulties exist or emerge so as to prevent poor long‐term outcomes from occurring.
The German Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS‐G): reliability and validity evidence
Authors: Neumann Sandra , Rietz Christian , Stenneken Prisca
Published: December 2016

Background

In 2012 the Intelligibility in Context Scale (ICS) was published as a parent‐report screening assessment that considers parents’ perceptions of their children's functional intelligibility with a range of communication partners that differ in levels of authority and familiarity in real‐life situations. To date, the ICS has been translated into 60 languages (including German).

Aims

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the German translation of the ICS ( = ICS‐G), especially its reliability and validity, using four objective measures of speech sound disorder (SSD) severity: percentage of consonants correct (PCC); percentage of initial consonants correct (PICC); percentage of vowels correct (PVC); and percentage of phonemes correct (PPC).

Methods & Procedures

Children who were typically developing (TD) and children with SSD (n = 181; 90 males, 81 females; mean age = 4.18 years, SD = 0.79 years, range = 3;0–5;11 years) were recruited through 13 kindergartens and 15 speech–language pathologists (SLPs) in Germany. All children's parents completed the ICS‐G. To obtain an insight into the severity of SSD (n = 30), children's speech skills were assessed with PLAKSS‐II. For the analysis of test–retest reliability the ICS‐G was re‐administered with a subsample of parents (n = 36) after 1 week.

Outcomes & Results

The ICS‐G had high internal consistency (α = .95, p < .001) and high test–retest reliability (r = .998, p < .001). The ICS‐G total scores and item scores for both samples showed significant correlations, indicating good construct validity. Analyses revealed low but significant correlations with external factors (e.g., age, social class). Criterion validity was established through significant correlations between the ICS‐G and scores for PCC (r = .43), PICC (r = .43), PVC (r = .62) and PPC (r = .47). The discriminatory ability of the ICS‐G was indicated by significantly higher mean scores for the TD group (mean = 4.49, SD = 0.47) than the SSD group (mean = 3.97, SD = 0.63).

Conclusions & Implications

The overall good psychometric properties of the ICS‐G support its use by SLPs for clinical and research purposes with German‐speaking children.
Subsidence Analysis and Burial History of the Late Carboniferous to Early Jurassic Soutpansberg Basin, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: MALAZA Ntokozo , LIU Ken , ZHAO Baojin
Published: December 2016

The subsidence history of the Soutpansberg Basin was reconstructed by a tectonic subsidence analysis coupled with backstripping calculations based on data of newly interpreted sequence boundaries. Furthermore, burial and time plots were constructed in order to understand the burial and thermal history of the basin. Input data were based on facies, lithostratigraphic models and tectonic interpretations. The studied succession is up to 1000 m and is underlain by the Achaean Limpopo Mobile Belt. The subsidence within the basin supports the primary graben system which must have been centred within the present basins, and later became a region of faulting. The subsidence and burial history curves suggests two phases of rapid subsidence during the Early‐Late Permian (300–230 Ma) and Middle Triassic (215–230 Ma). The areas of greater extension subsided more rapidly during these intervals. Two slow subsidence phases are observed during the Late Triassic (215–198 Ma) and Early Jurassic (198–100 Ma). These intervals represent the post‐rift thermal subsidence and are interpreted as slow flexural subsidence. Based on these observations on the subsidence curves, it is possible to infer that the first stage of positive inflexion (300 Ma) is therefore recognised as the first stage of the Soutpansberg Basin formation.
Structure Styles of Mesozoic‐Cenozoic U‐bearing Rock Series in Northern China
Authors: JIN Ruoshi , MIAO Peisen , SIMA Xianzhang , LI Jianguo , ZHAO Hualei , ZHAO Fengqing , FEN Xiaoxi , CHEN Yin , CHEN Lulu , ZHAO Lijun , ZHU Qiang
Published: December 2016

In Northern China, sandstone‐type uranium (U) deposits are mostly developed in Mesozoic‐Cenozoic basins. These U deposits are usually hosted in unvarying horizons within the basins and exhibit typical U‐forming sedimentary associations, which is referred to as U‐bearing rock series. This study describes the structural features of U‐bearing rock series within the main Mesozoic‐Cenozoic U‐producing continental basins in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia in the western segment of the Central Asian Metallogenic Belt (CAMB), and Northern China in the eastern segment of the CAMB. We analyze the basic structural conditions and sedimentary environments of U‐bearing rock series in Northern China and classify their structural styles in typical basins into river valley, basin margin, and intrabasin uplift margin types. The intrabasin uplift margin structural style proposed in this study can be used to indicate directions for the exploration of sandstone‐type U deposits hosted in the center of a basin. At the same time, the study of structural style provides a new idea for exploring sandstone‐type U deposits in Mesozoic‐Cenozoic basins and it is of great significance to prospecting of sandstone‐type uranium deposits.
Laboratory Simulation of the Formation Process of Surface Geochemical Anomalies Applied to Hydrocarbon Exploration
Authors: WANG Guojian , TANG Yuping , CHENG Tongjin , TANG Junhong , FAN Ming , LU Li
Published: December 2016

The formation mechanisms and processes of geochemical anomalies used as proxies in surface geochemistry exploration (SGE) have not been well understood. Previous studies cannot realize 3D measurement of microseeping hydrocarbons from reservoirs to the surface, which made it difficult to understand the features and pathways of deep hydrocarbon microseepages. Understanding the processes of hydrocarbon microseepages will contribute to the acceptance and effectiveness of surface geochemistry. Based on a simplified geological model of hydrocarbon microseepages, including hydrocarbon reservoir, direct caprock, overlying strata and Quaternary sediments, this work established a 3D experimental system to simulate the mechanisms and processes of deep hydrocarbon microseepes extending to the surface. The dispersive halos of microseeping hydrocarbons in the subsurface were adequately described by using this 3D experimental system. Results indicate that different migration patterns of hydrocarbons above the point gas source within the simulated caprock and overlying strata can be reflected by the ratio of i‐butane to n‐butane (i‐C4/n‐C4), which follow diffusion and infiltration (buoyancy) mechanisms. This is not the case for vertical measurement lines far from the point gas source. A vertical gas flow in the form of a plume was found during hydrocarbon microseepage. For sampling methods, the high‐density grid sampling is favorable for delineating prospecting targets. Hydrocarbon infiltration or buoyancy flow occurs in the zones of infiltration clusters, coupling with a diffusion mechanism at the top of the water table and forming surface geochemical anomalies. These results are significant in understanding hydrocarbon microseepage and interpreting SGE data.
Pain prevalence in hospitalized children: a prospective cross‐sectional survey in four Danish university hospitals
Authors: Walther‐Larsen S. , Pedersen M. T. , Friis S. M. , Aagaard G. B. , Rømsing J. , Jeppesen E. M. , Friedrichsdorf S. J.
Published: December 2016

Background

Pain management in hospitalized children is often inadequate. The prevalence and main sources of pain in Danish university hospitals is unknown.

Methods

This prospective mixed‐method cross‐sectional survey took place at four university hospitals in Denmark. We enrolled 570 pediatric patients who we asked to report their pain experience and its management during the previous 24 hours. For patients identified as having moderate to severe pain, patient characteristics and analgesia regimes were reviewed.

Results

Two hundred and thirteen children (37%) responded that they had experienced pain in the previous 24 hours. One hundred and thirty four (24%) indicated moderate to severe pain and 43% would have preferred an intervention to alleviate the pain. In children hospitalized for more than 24 hours, the prevalence of moderate/severe pain was significantly higher compared to children admitted the same day. The single most common painful procedure named by the children was needle procedures, such as blood draw and intravenous cannulation.

Conclusion

This study reveals high pain prevalence in children across all age groups admitted to four Danish university hospitals. The majority of children in moderate to severe pain did not have a documented pain assessment, and evidence‐based pharmacological and/or integrative (‘non‐pharmacological’) measures were not systematically administered to prevent or treat pain. Thus, practice changes are needed.
Estrogen Receptors α and β Play Major Roles in Ethanol‐Evoked Myocardial Oxidative Stress and Dysfunction in Conscious Ovariectomized Rats
Authors: Yao Fanrong , Abdel‐Rahman Abdel A.
Published: December 2016

Background

We documented the dependence of ethanol (EtOH)‐evoked myocardial dysfunction on estrogen (E2), and our recent estrogen receptor (ER) blockade study, in proestrus rats, implicated ERα signaling in this phenomenon. However, a limitation of selective pharmacological loss‐of‐function approach is the potential contribution of the other 2 ERs to the observed effects because crosstalk exists between the 3 ERs. Here, we adopted a “regain”‐of‐function approach (using selective ER subtype agonists) to identify the ER subtype(s) required for unraveling the E2‐dependent myocardial oxidative stress/dysfunction caused by EtOH in conscious ovariectomized (OVX) rats.

Methods

OVX rats received a selective ERα (PPT), ERβ (DPN), or GPER (G1) agonist (10 μg/kg; i.v.) or vehicle 30 minutes before EtOH (1.0 g/kg; infused i.v. over 30 minutes) or saline, and the hemodynamic recording continued for additional 60 minutes. Thereafter, left ventricular tissue was collected for conducting ex vivo molecular/biochemical studies.

Results

EtOH had no hemodynamic effects in OVX rats, but reduced the left ventricular contractility index, dP/dtmax, and MAP after acute ERα (PPT) or ERβ (DPN) activation. These responses were associated with increases in the phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and eNOS, and in reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in the myocardium. GPER activation (G1) only unraveled a modest EtOH‐evoked hypotension and elevation in myocardial ROS. PPT enhanced catalase, DPN reduced ALDH2, while G1 had no effect on the activity of either enzyme, and none of the agonists influenced alcohol dehydrogenase or CYP2E1 activities in the myocardium. Blood EtOH concentration (96.0 mg/dl) was significantly reduced following ERα (59.8 mg/dl) or ERβ (62.9 mg/dl), but not GPER (100.3 mg/dl), activation in EtOH‐treated OVX rats.

Conclusions

ERα and ERβ play major roles in the E2‐dependent myocardial dysfunction caused by EtOH by promoting combined accumulation of cardiotoxic (ROS and MDA) and cardiodepressant (NOS‐derived NO) molecules in female myocardium.
Agricultural production and children's diets: evidence from rural Ethiopia
Authors: Hirvonen Kalle , Hoddinott John
Published: December 2016

We study the relationship between pre‐school children's food consumption and household agricultural production. Using a large household survey from rural Ethiopia, we find that increasing household production diversity leads to considerable improvements in children's dietary diversity. However, we also document how this nonseparability of consumption and production does not hold for households that have access to food markets. These findings imply that nutrition‐sensitive agricultural interventions that push for market integration are likely to be more effective in reducing under‐nutrition than those promoting production diversity.
Demand for a labor‐based drought insurance scheme in Ethiopia: a stated choice experiment approach
Authors: Tadesse Million A. , Alfnes Frode , Erenstein Olaf , Holden Stein T.
Published: December 2016

Index‐based weather insurance is increasingly used to manage weather‐related risks in smallholder agriculture. However, cash‐constrained smallholders often lack the resources to pay an insurance premium, which may undermine its wider adoption. This article investigates alternative insurance payment methods that may help to enhance the adoption of index‐based weather insurance. We use a choice experiment to elicit smallholders’ willingness to pay in cash or labor for index‐based weather insurance in four districts in the south‐central highlands of Ethiopia. The insurance schemes were created using a fractional factorial design with three factors: work, cash, and payout rate. We analyze the choice data using a random parameter mixed logit model. We find that the average participants need a subsidy to pay cash for insurance because their willingness to pay is less than the expected cost of the insurance. On average, they are willing to pay only 0.81 ETB (Ethiopian currency) to get an expected yearly payout of 1 ETB. However, most are willing to participate in work‐for‐insurance programs at lower daily wage rates than is common for other work programs in Ethiopia.