bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physical Exercise Ameliorates the Cognitive Function and Attenuates the Neuroinflammation of Alzheimer’s Disease via miR-129–5p
Authors: Li Zhen , Chen Qi , Liu Jinxia , Du Yifeng
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Physical exercise has a significant neuroprotective role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. Objective: This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of physical exercise by analyzing the role of microRNA-129–5p (miR-129–5p) in AD mice and patients. Methods: AD mice and patients were treated with 4-week and 3-month physical exercise, respectively. The expression of miR-129–5p was measured using quantitative real-time PCR. The Morris water-maze test was used for cognition evaluation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for inflammation analysis. Results: In both AD mice and patients, the expression of miR-129–5p was elevated by physical exercise. By in vivoregulation of miR-129–5p, we found that the improved cognitive function and reduced inflammatory responses were reversed by the knockdown of miR-129–5p. In patients with AD, the serum expression of miR-129–5p was further found to be correlated with the serum levels of cognitive function markers and proinflammatory cytokines. Conclusion: All data indicated that the expression of miR-129–5p in AD mice and patients is significantly upregulated by physical exercise. The knockdown of miR-129–5p can abrogate the neuroprotective effect of exercise on cognition and neuroinflammation in AD mice. This study provides a novel insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effect of physical exercise in AD, and miR-129–5p may provide a novel therapeutic target for AD treatment.
Relation between Tobacco Smoking/Electronic Smoking and Albuminuria/Vascular Stiffness in Young People without Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Podzolkov Valery I. , Bragina Anna E. , Druzhinina Natalya A. , Vasil’eva Lubov V. , Osadchiy Konstantin K. , Dubchak Artem E. , Khvalin Evgeny I.
Published: May 2020

Introduction/Objective: Tobacco smoking is a well-known risk factor for cardiovascular and renal diseases. In recent years, alternative types of smoking, including vaping, have been becoming popular. The contribution of vape to vascular and renal injury is not known. We studied the relation between smoking of traditional/electronic cigarettes and arterial stiffness and albuminuria, which is also a vascular dysfunction marker. Methods: We examined 270 young volunteers without significant clinical cardiovascular diseases (mean age: 21.2 ± 2.3 years). Twenty-seven percent of the subjects in the study group were smokers; 69.9% of them smoked traditional cigarettes and 30.1% smoked electronic cigarettes. The urine albumin level was assessed by a dipstick test, and the augmentation index was determined by photoplethysmography. A linear correlation test and multiple regression analysis were applied. Results: The study groups did not differ in basic characteristics. The smokers demonstrated generally higher blood pressure levels and were overweight. Most of the smokers were male. In the groups of smokers, albuminuria was more frequent, especially among vapers (94 vs. 79% in tobacco smokers and 29% in nonsmokers). AU values (median [quartile 25; quartile 75]) were significantly higher in vapers (160 mg/L [150; 207.5]) vs. tobacco smokers (115 mg/L [60; 200]) and vs. nonsmokers (20 mg/L [10; 50]) (р < 0.05). Photoplethysmographic results showed relevant higher augmentation indices among tobacco smokers (–4, [–6.6; –1.9]) and vapers (–5.05 [–13.4; –3.3]) compared to nonsmokers (–16.2 [–23.9; –7]) (р < 0.05). Results of multiple regression analysis demonstrate that smoking of both traditional and electronic cigarettes is related to an increase in the albuminuria level and the augmentation index. Conclusions: Smoking of both traditional and electronic cigarettes is related to albuminuria and an increase in the augmentation index, which is a noninvasive marker for arterial stiffness.
When the Burden Gets Overwhelming: Testing an Inverse U-Shaped Relation between Work-Family Conflicts and Alcohol Use
Authors: Kuntsche Sandra , Kuntsche Emmanuel
Published: May 2020

Background: Combining work and family demands often results in conflicts increasing alcohol use. However, extreme levels of conflict may be associated with low volumes consumed. This study tests such an inverse u-shaped relationship and whether this is influenced by the source from which the conflicts mainly arise (family duties and/or work obligations). Methods: Regression models including linear and quadratic terms were estimated based on a sample of 305 employed parents (mean age = 38.7; 52.1% mothers) in French-speaking Switzerland. Results: No significant gender differences were found for the total level of conflict, but men reported significantly more work conflicts influencing family life than women. A significant positive linear (B = 2.10, SE = 0.72) and negative quadratic (B = −0.60, SE = 0.26) effect was found indicating that parents with low and those with high level of conflict report drinking less alcohol than those with a medium level of conflict. This relation was independent from the underlying sources of conflict and persisted when adjusting for gender, level of employment, number of children, or age of the youngest child. Conclusion: This study extends existing knowledge by demonstrating that the relationship between work-family conflicts (WFC) and alcohol use is more complex than previously assumed. To explain the inverse u-shaped relation, future studies should test two major processes: (a) holding multiple roles may cause more conflicts but will also limit the opportunities to engage in alcohol use, (b) those facing high level of WFC are a particular risk group experiencing detrimental health outcomes other than hazardous drinking, and (c) a combination of both.
The Devil Is in the Details: Neurological Diseases Presenting as Religious Hallucinations in Two Literary Works
Authors: Pedro Matheus Kahakura Franco , De Souza Thiago Ferreira Simões , Germiniani Francisco Manoel Branco
Published: May 2020

Few authors in the Western literature have acquired such a monumental reputation as Thomas Mann and Fyodor Dostoyevsky; although with different backgrounds and aesthetic peculiarities, their writings converge thematically in their frequent relationship with disease. From Dostoyevsky’s struggle with epilepsy to Mann’s descriptions of tuberculosis and cholera, many are the examples found in their body of work describing medical afflictions. One noteworthy similarity in their works is the presence of hallucinations with Mephistopheles-like devilish entities, possibly caused by neurological diseases: in Mann’s case, concerning the main character of Doctor Faustus, caused by neurosyphilis, while for Dostoyevsky, concerning one of the titular Brothers Karamazov, by delirium tremens. In both cases, the authors leave room for ambiguity, with the characters themselves casting doubts on whether their experiences were indeed caused by their disease or by an actual supernatural being. In this, we may find an interesting intersection between neurology and the literature.
Urology in the Time of Coronavirus: Reduced Access to Urgent and Emergent Urological Care during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak in Italy
Authors: Porreca Angelo , Colicchia Michele , D’Agostino Daniele , Amenta Michele , Corsaro Alfio , Zaramella Stefano , Zegna Luisa , Gallo Fabrizio , Schenone Maurizio , Bozzini Giorgio , Calori Alberto , Pastore Antonio L. , Al Salhi Yazan , Sciorio Carmine , Spirito Lorenzo , Varca Virginia , Marenghi Carlo , Greco Francesco , Altieri Vincenzo M. , Verze Paolo , Barba Ciro , Antonelli Alessandro , Cerruto Maria A. , Falabella Roberto , Di Bello Silvana , Leonardo Costantino , Tufano Antonio , Volpe Alessandro , Umari Paolo , Parma Paolo , Nidini Mattia , Pini Giovannalberto , Borghesi Marco , Terrone Carlo , Cacciamani Giovanni E. , Sighinolfi Maria C. , Busetto Gian Maria , Wennberg Alexandra M. , Finocchiaro Marinella , Falsaperla Mario , Oderda Marco , Ceruti Carlo , Rocco Bernardo , Schiavina Riccardo , Bianchi Lorenzo , Mari Andrea , Di Maida Fabrizio , Dalpiaz Orietta , Celia Antonio , Pirozzi Marco , Bove Pierluigi , Iacovelli Valerio , Cafarelli Angelo , Cindolo Luca , Ferrari Giovanni , Gatti Lorenzo , Pirola Giacomo , Annino Filippo , Pucci Luigi , Romagnoli Daniele , Artibani Walter , Minervini Andrea
Published: May 2020

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has put a substantial burden on the Italian healthcare system, resulting in the restructuring of hospitals to care for COVID-19 patients. However, this has likely impacted access to care for patients experiencing other conditions. We aimed to quantify the impact of COVID-19 on access to care for patients with urgent/emergent urological conditions throughout Italy. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire was sent to 33 urological units in the AGILE consortium, asking clinicians to report on the number of urgent/emergent urological patients seen and/or undergoing surgery over a 3-week period during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak and a reference week prior to the outbreak. ANOVA and linear regression models were used to quantify these changes. Results: Data from 27 urological centres in Italy showed a decrease from 956 patients/week seen just prior to the outbreak to 291 patients/week seen by the end of the study period. There was a difference in the number of patients with urgent/emergent urological disease seen within/during the different weeks (all p values < 0.05). A significant decrease in the number of patients presenting with haematuria, urinary retention, urinary tract infection, scrotal pain, renal colic, or trauma and urgent/emergent cases that required surgery was reported (all p values < 0.05). Conclusion: In Italy, during the COVID-19 outbreak there has been a decrease in patients seeking help for urgent/emergent urological conditions. Restructuring of hospitals and clinics is mandatory to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic; however, the healthcare system should continue to provide adequate levels of care also to patients with other conditions.
Ideologia gerencialista e adoecimento mental no trabalho
Authors: Dias Cledinaldo Aparecido , Siqueira Marcus Vinícius Soares , Morais Andreia Pereira Silva , Gomes Kever Bruno Paradelo
Published: May 2020

Estudos sobre o mundo do trabalho e as articulações do homem em seu contexto perpassam diferentes perspectivas e olhares, implicando uma diversidade de análises. À luz da crítica organizacional, este ensaio teórico tem como objetivo discutir os reflexos da ideologia gerencialista na organização do trabalho e no adoecimento mental do trabalhador. No contexto da sociedade do consumo, marcada pelo neoliberalismo e pela racionalidade da economia capitalista, fazer carreira e ter sucesso assumem valores essenciais no universo subjetivo dos trabalhadores. A partir do fascínio e da sedução, explícitos no vínculo afetivo, a ideologia gerencialista faz uso de diversas estratégias para o envolvimento máximo do trabalhador. Os conflitos advindos da relação homem e trabalho, fruto do capitalismo e sua gestão, são reforçados pela ideologia gerencialista e se deslocam do nível da organização para o nível psicológico, aguçando o sofrimento psíquico, o esgotamento e as perturbações psicossomáticas.
Association of Blood Pressure Responses to Submaximal Exercise in Midlife With the Incidence of Cardiovascular Outcomes and All‐Cause Mortality: The Framingham Heart Study
Authors: Lee Joowon , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Xanthakis Vanessa
Published: May 2020

Background

Few studies examined the associations of midlife blood pressure (
BP
) responses to submaximal exercise with the risk of cardiovascular outcomes and mortality in later life.

Methods and Results

We evaluated 1993 Framingham Offspring Study participants (mean age, 58 years; 53.2% women) attending examination cycle 7. We related
BP
responses to submaximal exercise with prevalent subclinical cardiovascular disease (
CVD
) using multivariable linear regression models. We also related
BP
responses to submaximal exercise to the incidence of hypertension,
CVD
, and all‐cause mortality using Cox proportional hazards regression models. Each
SD
increment of exercise
BP
was associated with higher log‐transformed left ventricular mass (systolic blood pressure [
SBP]
, β=0.02,
P
=<0.001; diastolic blood pressure [
DBP
], β=0.01,
P
=0.004) and carotid intima‐media thickness (SBP, β=0.08,
P
=<0.001). Rapid
BP
recovery (per 1
SD
increment) was associated with lower log left ventricular mass (
SBP
recovery
; β=−0.03,
P
=<0.001) and carotid intima‐media thickness (
SBP
recovery
, β=−0.07,
P
=0.003;
DBP
recovery
, β=−0.09,
P
=0.003). Additionally, Each
SD
increment of exercise
BP
was associated with a higher risk of incident hypertension (
SBP
, hazard ratio [HR], 1.40; 95%
CI
, 1.20–1.62;
DBP
, HR, 1.24; 95%
CI
, 1.11–1.40) and
CVD
(
DBP,
HR, 1.15; 95%
CI
, 1.02–1.30). Finally, the multivariable‐adjusted HR for each 1‐SD increment of
BP
recovery was 0.46 (
SBP
recovery
, 95%
CI
, 0.38–0.54) and 0.55 (
DBP
recovery
, 95%
CI
, 0.45–0.67) for hypertension; 0.80 (
SBP
recovery
, 95%
CI
, 0.69–0.93) for
CVD
; and 0.76 (
SBP
recovery
, 95%
CI
, 0.65–0.88) for all‐cause mortality.

Conclusions

Higher submaximal exercise
BP
and impaired
BP
recovery after submaximal exercise in midlife may be markers of subclinical and clinical
CVD
and mortality in later life.
Rethinking Anna Halprin’s Parades and Changes: Postmodern Dance, Racialized Urban Restructuring, and Mid-1960s San Francisco
Authors: Mckeon Olive
Published: May 2020

While choreographer Anna Halprin’s work has been characterized as embodying the cultural ethos of the New Left, it is also aligned with the race and class interests that spearheaded urban renewal in San Francisco. Contextualizing Halprin’s Parades and Changes in relation to political and economic developments during the 1960s suggests the work’s contradictory affiliation with both an urban elite and utopian countercultures.
Management of Meloidogyne javanica on tomato using agro-industrial wastes
Authors: Brito Olivia D.C. , Ferreira Júlio C.A. , Hernandes Isabela , da Silva Elizeu J. , Dias-Arieira Claudia R.
Published: May 2020

Nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne are one of the major limiting factors in tomato production and a challenging problem in organic systems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of agro-industrial wastes, their forms of application and doses on tomato plants inoculated with Meloidogyne javanica. First, nematodes were multiplied on tomato under glasshouse conditions to simulate a naturally infested environment. At 60 days after inoculation, plant shoots were removed, new seedlings were transplanted into the pots, and the soil was amended with agro-industrial wastes. Treatments were as follows: rice husk, common bean hull, soybean hull, orange bagasse, poultry litter and waste mixture (wastes mixed in equal proportions) applied in three different forms (raw, powdered and biodigester effluent). A non-treated control and a composted waste mixture were also assessed. At 60 days after transplanting, plants were evaluated for nematode parameters. Powdered bean hulls, soybean hulls, orange bagasse and waste mixture provided the best results and were selected for dose-response investigations. A second experiment was conducted in two periods using, in addition to the selected wastes, a mixture of powdered bean hulls, soybean hulls and orange bagasse. Wastes were applied at doses of 0 (control), 2, 4, 6 and 8 t ha−1. Powdered bean hulls, soybean hulls, orange bagasse and waste mixtures at 5 t ha−1 gave the best nematode control, with reductions of 55-100%. The optimal doses for vegetative growth were 4 t ha−1 in the first period and 5 t ha−1 in the second period.
In dubio pro CPR? The Controversial Status of ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ Imprints on the Human Body – a Swiss Innovation
Authors: Levy Melanie
Published: May 2020

‘Do not resuscitate’ (DNR) imprints on the human body have recently appeared in medical practice. These non-standard DNR orders (e.g., tattoos, stamps, patches) convey the patient’s refusal of resuscitation efforts should he be incapable of doing so. The article focuses on such innovative tools to express one’s end-of-life wishes. Switzerland provides a unique example, as ‘No Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation’ stamps and patches have been commercialised. The article discusses the challenging legal questions as to the validity of non-standard DNR orders imprinted on the human body. It analyses the obligation of healthcare providers to honour such orders, either as an advance directive or an expression of an individual’s presumed wishes, and withhold treatment. Finally, the article addresses the balancing of interests between the presumed wishes of an unconscious patient and his best interests of being resuscitated and potentially staying alive, a dilemma facing healthcare providers in a medical emergency.
Developing Children’s Cultural Identities Through Play
Authors: PUI Winnie Sin Wai , Heyi ZHANG , Ming DING , Cai E ZHONG
Published: May 2020

Play is an important vehicle for developing literacy, cognition, and social competence in early years settings. In this paper, a qualitative case study in a private kindergarten in China indicated how children could learn and appreciate their own culture in a thoughtfully designed play-based setting. Thirty kindergarten teachers from 15 classes consisting of 431 children in total participated in this study. Based on field notes, audio and video recordings, and teachers’ self-reflective notes, the study explored the play-based setting within a curriculum framework, i.e. the Early-years Whole-person Global-mindset Curriculum Framework (ewgc). The results showed that the play-based setting supported young children to form their own cultural identities and enhanced children’s development in general.
Improving Teacher Development in Rural China: A Case of “Rural Teacher Support Plan”
Authors: Jian LI
Published: May 2020

Since 2015, both the educational policymakers and practitioners in China passionately have sought to raise the educational quality, especially in Chinese rural schools. Series of significant and instructive reforms were designed to boost educational quality comes from China, where in 2015 the central government enacted an overwhelming educational policy to reform rural teacher development. China’s politics on reforming rural teacher development differ from similar reforms elsewhere in Asia countries due to the strong role of centralized top-down power representatives, various types of policy formation pathways and the final consulted settlement with the national and local teacher committees. This study also emphasizes the discussion on the complicated roles of distributive education politics and policy networks in contemporary Chinese education system.
Allium stamatiadae, a new species of A. sect. Codonoprasum (Amaryllidaceae) from Andros island (Aegean Archipelago, Greece)

Authors: TRIGAS PANAYIOTIS , BAREKA PEPY
Published: May 2020

Allium stamatiadae from Andros island (Cyclades, Aegean archipelago, Greece) is described and illustrated. It belongs to A. sect. Codonoprasum, and its closest relatives are A. orestis, a local endemic species of southern Peloponnese (Greece) and A. dirphianum, another local species from Evvia island (West Aegean, Greece). The new species grows in the understorey of riparian forests and is currently known from two localities. The chromosome number of A. stamatiadae, 2n = 2x = 16, is reported and a metaphase plate is illustrated.
2. Creating a Meaningful World
Authors: Park Karen , Wyndham Felice S. , Gosler Andrew , Fanshawe John
Published: May 2020

Chapter 2 uses the linguistic and cultural resources of the Ethno-ornithology World Atlas (EWA) and draws on comparative and historical linguistics, anthropology and biology to investigate the creative processes at work as linguistically diverse communities respond to the natural world through naming, metaphor and myth.
4. A Breath of Fresh Air… Ivan Vyrypaev's Oxygen (2002)
Authors: Dudrah Rajinder , Curtis Julie , Bullock Philip Ross , Birksted-Breen Noah
Published: May 2020

Chapter 4 investigates interaction between languages in the performing arts – theatre, stand-up comedy, grime, rap, opera – and the types of creativity this generates in response to cultural contexts and audiences, drawing on media and performance studies, and working with artists ranging from Russian dramatists to Black British and British Asian musicians from Birmingham and Leicester.
10. Creating Languages
Authors: Kohl Katrin
Published: May 2020

Chapter 10 sets out on a journey of discovery, homing in on some key questions concerning the interplay between creativity and languages, finding out what motivates language inventors to create an artificial language such as Esperanto and equip mythical folk such as Elves and the Dothraki with distinctive languages. It further considers the extraordinary linguistic inventiveness that allows us to create and appreciate language play, such as puns.
Hypermethylation of BMP1 Promoter Regulates Migration of Colon Cancer Cells by Regulating the TGF-Beta 1/Smad2 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xu Zhiheng , Wu Wei , Shang Chengwei
Published: May 2020

The infiltration and migration of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells are important factors that affect the mortality rate of CRC patients. It is essential to explore the role and mechanism of metastasis of colon cancer in clinical treatment. In this study, we show that the DNA transferase
inhibitor, 5-AZA-CdR (Decitabine), affected the viability and proliferation of the CRC cell line SW480 cell, as was verified by MTT. Real-time quantitative fluorescent PCR (RT-qPCR) was used for assessing mRNA expression levels of BMP1, TGF-beta, and Smad2 in SW480 cells
cultured with 5-AZA-CdR for 96 h. Expression levels of BMP1, TGF-beta, and Smad2 proteins were detected by western blotting (WB). After culturing with 5-AZA-CdR, apoptosis of SW480 cells was assessed by immunohistochemical assay for Bax and Bcl-2 expression.
Transwell migration assay was used to assess the influence of reducing DNA methylation on the migration of SW480 cells. Following treatment with DNA transferase inhibitor, the cell number and viability of SW480 were reduced, their invasion and migration were inhibited, TGF-beta and
Smad2 expression was decreased, and that of BMP-1, Bax, and Bcl-2 was increased. We concluded that the viability and migration of SW480 cells were inhibited by stimulating BMP1 expression, which also inhibited TGF-beta and Smad2 signaling pathways,
and increased Bax and Bcl-2 expression to promote the apoptosis of SW480 cells.
Role of Pharmacy Analytics in Creating a Data-Driven Culture for Frontline Management
Authors: Yi Whitley M. , Bernstein Adam , Vest Mary-Haston , Colmenares Evan W. , Francart Suzanne
Published: May 2020

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to offer key recommendations based on the authors’ experiences for utilizing pharmacy analytics to support moving beyond standard-of-practice operational metrics towards high impact reporting to drive day-to-day decisions for frontline leaders. Summary: There is a continuous and vast amount of data generated through all facets of a health system’s daily operations, yet many data elements go unused and fail to contribute to value creation and increased performance at an organizational level. It is critical, therefore, for departments of pharmacy to identify and implement effective strategies to leverage data through robust business analytics and reporting, ensuring managers at every level are provided the information they need to support data-driven decisions and meaningful interventions in the day-to-day operations of the organization. At the authors’ institution, development and growth of a dedicated Pharmacy Analytics (PA) team has been instrumental to the pharmacy department for generating value and proactively supporting a business intelligence strategy that focuses on a data-driven management culture. Key recommendations to leverage pharmacy analytics are provided within four overarching themes: building transparency, leveraging synergy, optimizing actionability, and prioritizing partnerships. Conclusion: Through creation of a data-driven management culture, the authors provide recommendations for leveraging pharmacy analytics to reduce costs and impact outcomes across a range of hospital pharmacy operations.
Adapter la religion : négocier les limites de la religion minoritaire dans les espaces urbains
Authors: Martínez-Ariño Julia , Griera Mar
Published: May 2020

Throughout Europe we observe a significant trend of increasing state intervention in the governance of religious practices and expressions. A growing number of policies and procedures seek to define and regulate how religion can, and cannot, be expressed in the public domain. In this article we explore how ideas of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ religion are translated into policies in urban contexts. We disentangle the social imaginaries that underlie the symbolic boundaries that distinguish between ‘acceptable’ and ‘unacceptable’ expressions of religiosity, and the repertoires of justification used to enforce them. Drawing on empirical research in cities in France and Spain, we argue that public expressions of religion are more likely to be deemed ‘acceptable’ in public as long as they meet a series of criteria, namely being perceived as: a) aesthetic and festive, rather than outrageous, b) discrete/decent/decorous rather than interpellating and, more importantly, c) exceptional rather than ordinary, d) freely chosen rather than imposed, e) cultural rather than pious, f) being legible with existing reference frameworks and categories rather than unintelligible. In other words, religious expressions are accepted, and considered to be acceptable, if they ‘fit’ or can be made ‘fit’ certain social expectations.
Investigating the relationship between syntactic and short-term/working memory impairments in children with developmental disorders is not a straightforward endeavour
Authors: Marshall Chloë
Published: May 2020

The research studies presented in this special issue rest on two assumptions: firstly, that limitations in verbal short-term memory and verbal working memory (vSTM/WM) capacity are likely to be related to impairments in syntax, and secondly that this relationship is likely to be causal, with impairments in vSTM/WM causing impairments in syntax. In this commentary article I make two, linked, methodological critiques relevant to these studies. Firstly, vSTM/WM tasks, by definition, use verbal stimuli, and therefore they are unable to measure a STM/WM capacity independently of language. Secondly, the authors make causal claims on the basis of correlational data. I argue therefore that the authors’ favoured explanation that impairments in vSTM/WM cause impairments in syntax might not be correct. I conclude that pinning down the relationship between syntax and vSTM/WM in children with developmental disorders is fraught with methodological challenges, and that if the ultimate goal is to devise effective language interventions, then continuing to explore this relationship might not be particularly fruitful.
Analysis of productivity differences in vertical coalbed methane wells in the Shizhuangnan Block, Southern Qinshui Basin, and their influencing factors
Authors: Yan Xinlu , Tang Shuheng , Zhang Songhang , Yi Yongxiang , Dang Feng , Zhang Qian
Published: May 2020

Coalbed methane wells in the Shizhuangnan Block exhibit significant productivity differences. The reasons were determined based on the impact analysis of geological factors and drainage strategies on production capacity at 82 wells. Grey relational analysis was further utilized to quantitatively analyze the correlation degree of geological parameters to production characteristics. It is found that the main reason for wells with high water production is the ingress of external water, i.e. connecting adjacent aquifer by natural faults or artificial fractures. And aquifer characteristics, especially thickness of aquifer has the greatest influence on the water production, followed by pore connectivity, porosity, and shale content. For the wells that have not been affected by external water, the gas productivity differences are mainly affected by reservoir conditions and drainage strategies. Finally, an analytical process was proposed to provide theoretical support for rational production of coalbed methane wells.
Extraversion as a Moderator of the Efficacy of Self-Esteem Maintenance Strategies
Authors: Vaughan-Johnston Thomas I. , MacGregor Karen E. , Fabrigar Leandre R. , Evraire Lyndsay E. , Wasylkiw Louise
Published: May 2020

Four experiments explored how extraversion’s connection with self-esteem may depend on specific self-enhancement strategies. Participants’ self-esteem threatening feedback indicating that they had performed poorly on a vocabulary or emotional intelligence test. In Experiment 1, participants ( N = 80) were randomly assigned to either a control condition (no self-enhancement) or a downward social comparison condition. The procedures for Experiments 2 ( N = 470) and 3 ( N = 514) were similar, adding a self-serving attribution condition (Experiments 2 and 3) and Basking-in-Reflected-Glory (BIRG) condition (Experiment 3). Across the experiments, extraversion was more related to self-esteem under downward social comparison versus other conditions. BIRGing produced higher self-esteem in Experiment 3 across extraversion levels. Experiment 4 ( N = 355) focused on downward social comparison versus control, and provided evidence that an increased perception of being similar to the comparison targets may partially explain extraversion’s self-esteem link. Theoretical implications concerning both extraversion and self-enhancement are discussed.
Regulating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Economic and Social Development Through Trade Rules
Authors: Rioux Michèle , Vaillancourt Christine
Published: May 2020

Multinationals affirm corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a way to go further than national and international law to build a social compact. While CSR can contribute to an effective global labor governance scheme, we argue that national and international laws must be engaged to regulate CSR private governance schemes. We will support this argument and, furthermore, we will argue that international trade agreements can provide, if effectively enforced, grounds for the articulation. It can be argued that hybrid governance schemes could ensure that result-oriented and pragmatic developmental processes are at the core of the CSR–development nexus. In this article, we argue for the need to socialize CSR to make it more efficient, and that trade agreements can be part of this process. CSR is not an autonomous regulatory trajectory, and it will probably become increasingly regulated through institutional means.
Analysis of the incidence and baseline predictors of the left ventricular ejection fraction returning to normal after dilated cardiomyopathy in postmenopausal women: a retrospective, observational study
Authors: Yuan Xiaopin , Mao Shuai , Tang Qizhu
Published: May 2020

Objective

To analyse the incidence and baseline predictors of the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) returning to normal after dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) following intervention with standard anti-heart failure (HF) medication in postmenopausal women.

Methods

Data from consecutive postmenopausal women who were first diagnosed with DCM and received anti-HF treatment during 2011 to 2018 were prospectively retrieved. The study population was divided into the LVEF recovery (LVR) group and the LVEF unrecovered (LVU) group according to whether LVEF was > 50%. The primary endpoint was baseline predictors of LVEF returning to normal.

Results

LVEF returned to normal in 49.3% (210/426) of patients with DCM. LVEF was significantly higher in the LVR group than in the LVU group (57.4% ± 6.9% vs 44.2% ± 5.3%; hazard ratio 1.312, 95% confidence interval 1.015–1.726) at the final follow-up. High systolic pressure, a short history of HF, a short QRS interval, a small left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd), and high LVEF at admission were independent predictors of LVEF returning to normal.

Conclusions

LVEF returning to normal in postmenopausal women with DCM who receive standard anti-HF treatment is associated with systolic pressure, a history of HF, QRS interval, LVEDd, LVEF at admission, and favourable outcome.
Influences of Cardiovascular Fitness and Body Fatness on the Risk of Metabolic Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lee Junga
Published: May 2020

Objective:

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the associations between combined cardiovascular fitness, obesity, and the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Data Sources:

The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were used to select relevant studies that included the relative risk (RRs) of metabolic syndrome based on the combined effects of cardiovascular fitness and obesity from January 1990 to July 2019.

Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria:

The inclusion criteria were providing the RRs for the associations between combined cardiovascular fitness and obesity and the risk of metabolic syndrome. The exclusion criteria were review studies, duplicated studies, and no RRs reported for those associations.

Data Extraction:

All selected studies categorized levels of cardiovascular fitness (high cardiovascular fitness vs low cardiovascular fitness) and obesity (normal vs obesity) and directly extracted the RRs for the risk of metabolic syndrome from these data. All selected studies were cross-sectional studies.

Data Synthesis:

All RRs and 95% CIs from the selected studies were computed to find the associations between combined cardiovascular fitness and obesity and the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Results:

A total of 8 studies were selected for this meta-analysis. Low cardiovascular fitness was associated with 3. Fifty-nine times increased metabolic syndrome risk regardless of obesity (3.59, 95% CI: 3.07-4.20; P = .00). And obesity was associated with 1.62 times increased metabolic syndrome risk regardless of cardiovascular fitness level (1.62, 95% CI: 1.32-1.98; P = .00). Lastly, the risk of metabolic syndrome decreased by 77% with high cardiovascular fitness regardless of obesity (0.23, 95% CI: 0.12-0.43; P = .00).

Conclusions:

The combined effects of cardiovascular fitness and obesity are important factors when determining metabolic syndrome risk. The minimum level of cardiovascular fitness is 8.39 metabolic equivalent (METs) for adults to lower the risk of metabolic syndrome. Enhanced cardiovascular fitness and maintaining normal weight should be recommended for individuals to reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.
A unified framework for simultaneous assessment of accuracy, between-, and within-reader variability of image segmentations
Authors: Ghattas Andrew E , Beichel Reinhard R , Smith Brian J
Published: May 2020

Medical imaging is utilized in a wide range of clinical applications. To enable a detailed quantitative analysis, medical images must often be segmented to label (delineate) structures of interest; for example, a tumor. Frequently, manual segmentation is utilized in clinical practice (e.g., in radiation oncology) to define such structures of interest. However, it can be quite time consuming and subject to substantial between-, and within-reader variability. A more reproducible, less variable, and more time efficient segmentation approach is likely to improve medical treatment. This potential has spurred the development of segmentation algorithms which harness computational power. Segmentation algorithms’ widespread use is limited due to difficulty in quantifying their performance relative to manual segmentation, which itself is subject to variation. This paper presents a statistical model which simultaneously estimates segmentation method accuracy, and between- and within-reader variability. The model is simultaneously fit for multiple segmentation methods within a unified Bayesian framework. The Bayesian model is compared to other methods used in literature via a simulation study, and application to head and neck cancer PET/CT data. The modeling framework is flexible and can be employed in numerous comparison applications. Several alternate applications are discussed in the paper.
The Bank Efficiency through Off-Balance Sheet Items’ Window: A Malmquist Approach
Authors: Gurjar Hariom , Tripathi Akhilesh , Joshi Mahesh C.
Published: May 2020

After financial reforms, banks in India adopted financial innovation to earn more profits through various off-balance sheet tools. To gauge the impact of these items on the efficiency of selected banks, we used the non-parametric Malmquist method. We calculated the efficiency with and without inclusion of these items. Technical and technological efficiency changes were calculated to make total factor productivity change index for 10 years (2008–2017). The results for the banks strengthen the dominant view in the current literature, removing off-balance sheet items led to a biased efficiency of these banks. The presence of these items increased the efficiency of the banks. Nonetheless, it also supported that increment in efficiency was more due to technological change. Despite the odd distribution of these items among these banks, they made a significant pie in the income of banks and overlooking them eroded the efficiency of the banks.
The Effect of Board Diversity on Firm Performance: Evidence from Chinese L isted Companies
Authors: Bin Khidmat Waqas , Ayub Khan Muhammad , Ullah Hashmat
Published: May 2020

Drawing on the upper echelon’s theory and the resource-based theory, the purpose of the study is to examine the impact of board diversity on the Chinese A-listed firm’s performance. The data were collected from A-listed companies registered in Shanghai SSE 180 and the Shenzhen 100 from the period 2007 to 2016. Since some of the companies got listed after 2007, our data is unbalanced. Both fixed effects model and a more robust dynamic panel generalised method of moment estimation are applied to cater the endogeneity problem. After controlling for several firms and board characteristics, we found gender diversity, education diversity and foreign national diversity measured through Blau index have a positive and significant effect on the Chinese A-listed firm performance for both the accounting and market measures. The age diversity and independence diversity seem not to be an essential determinant of firm performance in Chinese A-listed firms. The results supported the efficient monitoring hypothesis and managerial networking theory, which suggests that the director’s diversity reduces the managerial entrenchment on the one hand, while, through networking, increases the resources of the firms on the other side.
A Study of the Mechanism of Government Intervention on Excess Capacity Through the Enterprise Overinvestment in China
Authors: Hu Biliang , Liu Zhiyi , Fan Sha
Published: May 2020

This article summarizes government publications focusing on excess capacity from the 1990s to 2016 and argues that the market-oriented principle needs to be established to deal with the long-standing excess capacity issues in China.

Based on the specificity of the long-term excess capacity in China, this article puts forward the hypothesis: The excess capacity in China is derived from the enterprise’s overinvestment, and the government intervention is one of the main drivers of the problem. The intervention is actuated by the GDP-based government performance assessment through such means as offering privileges on land use, environmental ignorance, natural resource provision and financial support. This article (a) calculates capacity utilization of 30 manufacturing industries, (b) builds a ‘mediation effect model of overinvestment’, and (c) makes use of the industrial data, economic development data and capacity utilization from 1998 to 2017 to test the hypothesis.

The result shows that government intervention indeed has a significant influence on excess capacity. The support for land use and the tolerance for environmental pollution are two of the most persuasive reasons. Therefore, the Chinese government needs to make greater efforts to deepen the market reforms, standardize and improve the factor market so as to accelerate innovation, and push for industrial upgrading.
Long-term Autograft Harvest Site Pain After Ankle and Hindfoot Arthrodesis
Authors: Baumhauer Judith F. , Glazebrook Mark , Younger Alastair , Quiton Jovelyn D. , Fitch David A. , Daniels Timothy R. , DiGiovanni Christopher W.
Published: May 2020

Background:

Pain following autograft harvest has been studied; however, published literature has typically focused on the iliac crest with follow-up limited to only a few years. It remains unknown if pain continues or improves over time. The purpose of this study was to evaluate long-term pain associated with autograft harvest to supplement hindfoot or ankle arthrodesis.

Methods:

Subjects in the control arm of a previously conducted trial comparing autograft with a synthetic bone graft for hindfoot or ankle arthrodesis were invited back for a single visit at a minimum of 5 years following their initial surgery. Harvest site, fusion site, and weight-bearing pain were evaluated using a 100-point visual analog scale (VAS). Of the 130 invited subjects, 60 (46.1%) returned for assessment, 58 of whom completed pain assessments.

Results:

At a mean follow-up of 9.0 years (range, 7.8-10.5), more than a third (36.6%) of subjects had some level of harvest site pain. Using VAS greater than 20 mm as a threshold of clinical significance, pain remained clinically significant in 5.2% of subjects. There was a significant correlation between harvest site pain and both weight-bearing and fusion site pain. There was not a significant correlation between harvest site pain and volume of graft harvested.

Conclusion:

Autograft harvest can result in chronic, clinically significant pain that can last up to 10 years. In the era of shared decision making, this information will help surgeons and patients quantify the risks of chronic pain after arthrodesis procedures that include a secondary operative incision for graft harvest.

Level of Evidence:

Level II, prospective comparative study.
Neighborhoods and Felony Disenfranchisement: The Case of New York City
Authors: Morris Kevin
Published: May 2020

Over the past two decades, scholars have sought to estimate the direct and indirect effects of felony disenfranchisement on political representation. This literature, however, has often overlooked both the geographic concentration of communities impacted by overincarceration and the low propensity to vote exhibited by individuals convicted of felony crimes. In this article, I redefine “lost voters” as disenfranchised individuals with a history of participating in elections. I map these individuals to their preincarceration addresses and use multiple approaches to explore whether their home neighborhoods turned out at lower rates than other neighborhoods in the 2017 New York City (NYC) mayoral election. I find that neighborhoods that were home to lost voters turned out at substantially lower rates than similar neighborhoods, and that Black neighborhoods are particularly impacted by the spillover effects of disenfranchisement. These indirect effects of the incarceration of would-be voters may have serious implications for the representation of impacted neighborhoods.
Comorbidity as a mediator of depression in adults with congenital heart disease: A population-based cohort study
Authors: Yang Hsiao-Ling , Chang Nien-Tzu , Wang Jou-Kou , Lu Chun-Wei , Huang Yong-Chen , Moons Philip
Published: May 2020

Background

The population of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased dramatically with a high prevalence of acquired cardiac and non-cardiac comorbidities. However, the relationship among congenital heart disease, physical comorbidities, and psychological health in this population is not well studied.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) the association between adult congenital heart disease and the occurrence of depression and (b) whether physical comorbidities mediated the association between congenital heart disease and the occurrence of depression.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study was followed from 1 January 2010–31 December 2013, based on the data from the National Health Insurance Research Database 2010 in Taiwan. We used mediation analysis in survival data to assess the mediated effect. The hazard ratios were adjusted by age, sex, area of residence, and estimated propensity scores.

Results

We recruited 2122 adult congenital heart disease patients and 8488 matched controls. Nearly half of patients diagnosed with simple congenital heart disease, 39.0% had complex congenital heart disease, and 11.2% had unclassified congenital heart disease. Adult congenital heart disease patients had a significantly higher risk of depression than matched controls (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.43 and 1.48, for all and complex congenital heart disease, respectively, p<0.05). Coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were the significant comorbidities mediating the relationship between adult congenital heart disease and depression, the proportions mediated by coronary artery disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were 35.5% and 12.9%, respectively.

Conclusions

Helping patients to prevent psychological and physical acquired disease is imperative. Coronary artery disease is a potent mediator between congenital heart disease and depression, especially for patients with complex congenital heart disease.
Comparative evaluation of oil resistance, dielectric properties, AC conductivity, and transport properties of nitrile rubber and chlorinated nitrile rubber
Authors: Nihmath A , Ramesan MT
Published: May 2020

Nitrile rubber (NBR) has been extensively used in high oil resistance application such as in automotive seals and gaskets. Due to the poor mechanical strength of NBR, the performance of these products undergoes deterioration when it is in contact with hot oils and solvents. The aim of the present work is to investigate the molecular transport of petroleum fuels and oil through chlorinated NBR (Cl-NBR) with respect to different contents of chlorine. It also focuses on the effect of chlorine content on the alternating current (AC) conductivity and dielectric properties of Cl-NBR for flexible electronic applications. The transport characteristics of petroleum fuels through the NBR and Cl-NBR membranes have been studied by a simple sorption gravimetric analysis in the temperature range 27–50°C. The diffusion results have been explained in terms of the size of liquid molecules and the diffusion mechanism was found to follow the anomalous trend. The diffusion, sorption, solvent uptake, and permeation constants were investigated and were found to decrease with increase in the level of chlorine content in NBR matrix. The activation energy for diffusion and permeation processes were increased and reached maximum value for Cl-NBR (22% Cl content). The oil resistance property of Cl-NBR was significantly higher than pure NBR. The swelling of Cl-NBR in ASTM oil was three times lower than NBR. The electrical conductivity and dielectric properties of NBR was found to be increased with the increase in chlorine content of NBR. NBR showed the AC conductivity value of 7.24 S cm−1 at 106 Hz, while the Cl-NBR with 24% chlorine showed the conductivity value of 4.69 S cm−1. The higher AC conductivity and dielectric properties, solvent, and oil resistance of Cl-NBR than that of NBR suggests that the Cl-NBR can be used as multifunctional materials for flexible nano-electronic devices and high-performance oil-resistant applications.