bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of strontium citrate on bone consolidation during mandibular distraction osteogenesis
Authors: Taylor Benjamin A. , Bezuhly Michael , Brace Matthew , Carter Michael , Hong Paul
Published: May 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

Mandibular distraction osteogenesis (MDO) involves a lengthy consolidation phase where complications can occur. Strontium is an element that has been shown to improve bone healing. The objective of this study was to determine whether strontium citrate can be used to enhance bone healing during MDO in a rabbit model.

Study Design

Prospective animal model study.

Methods

Custom‐made MDO devices were placed on 20 New Zealand White rabbits. After a 7‐day latency period, distraction was performed at 1 mm/day for 5 days. The study group rabbits (n = 10) received oral strontium citrate; the other 10 rabbits served as controls. Mandibles were removed at the end of the consolidation period (4 weeks). Formation and healing of new bone were evaluated with microcomputed tomography, histology, and a three‐point bending mechanical test.

Results

New bone formed in all animals, but the consolidation process was enhanced in rabbits that received strontium. The histological analysis showed that study group rabbits had more mature bone. Microcomputed tomographic images demonstrated significantly higher bone density for study group animals, and the three‐point bending test results demonstrated that the maximum load of the study group specimens was significantly greater than that of the control group mandibles.

Conclusions

Strontium citrate improved the formation of new bone in the current rabbit model of MDO. The prolonged consolidation period may be shortened with strontium citrate, which may also have the potential to reduce complications.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 127:E212–E218, 2017
A Comprehensive Approach to Care in Parkinson's Disease Adds Quality to the Current Gold Standard
Authors: Vaughan Camille P. , Prizer Lindsay P. , Vandenberg Ann E. , Goldstein Felicia C. , Trotti Lynn Marie , Hermida Adriana P. , Factor Stewart A.
Published: May 2017

Background

Providing high‐quality care for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) involves addressing both motor and nonmotor features. We describe the implementation and evaluation of a 2‐day, interdisciplinary Comprehensive Care Clinic (CCC) for patients with PD.

Methods

Patients who attended the CCC between January 2010 and July 2013 were matched by sex and age with patients who were evaluated in specialist care during the same time frame. Provider documentation of the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) quality measures for PD and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor scores were compared between specialist and CCC visits at baseline and at 12 months.

Results

Ninety‐five patients participated in the CCC (60% men; 75% white; mean age, 68 years; age range, 38–97 years). Of these, 29 patients were matched to specialist care patients based on the availability of 12‐month follow‐up data. Both groups were similar with respect to race, marital status, years with PD, and baseline UPDRS motor scores. On average, patients who received CCC care met 10 of 10 AAN quality measures, whereas those who received specialist care met only 5 of 10 quality measures (P < 0.001) over 12 months. At 12‐months, there were no significant differences in UPDRS motor scores between the groups (P = 0.5).

Conclusions

According to the AAN quality measures, the CCC provided higher quality care than the gold standard of specialty care. A randomized controlled trial of the CCC model is warranted to determine its impact on patient‐centered outcomes and to assess whether the standard model of care should be altered.
Business models: Formal description and economic optimisation
Authors: Johnson Peter
Published: May 2017

This paper picks up on established concerns that the concept of a business model is underdetermined and lacking formalisation in the current academic literature. Matrix methods may usefully be deployed to characterise the architecture of resources, costs, and revenues that a business uses to create and deliver value to customers that defines its business model. Systematisation of this technique would support a taxonomical approach to empirical studies of business models. Generalisation of this matrix approach provides a formal linkage between business models, strategy, and value creation using the Hamiltonian economics associated with the Maximum Principle. Factor analysis permits the endogenous identification of critical resource combinations in the business model that underpins resource‐based views of strategy, resolving the tautological impasse identified by Priem and Butler ().
Synthesis and characterization of hybrid PANI/MWCNT nanocomposites for EMI applications
Authors: Kumar Anil , Kumar Vinod , Kumar Manoj , Awasthi Kamlendra
Published: May 2017

The present study reports on a simple and very efficient solution mixing method for the preparation of functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotube/polyaniline nanocomposites (f‐MWCNT/PANI) for electromagnetic interference (EMI) application. The synthesized composites have been characterized by different physiochemical techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffractometry (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR) spectroscopy. The electron microscopy analysis of nanocomposites reveals the good dispersion and agglomeration of CNT in PANI matrix at higher concentration. X‐ray study shows the higher crystallinity of PANI with the addition of f‐MWCNT. FTIR spectroscopy has confirmed the interactions of the carbonyl group of f‐MWCNT with the quinoid ring of PANI. The resulting f‐MWCNT/PANI nanocomposites (0 to 21 vol% CNT) shows higher electrical conductivity than that of pure PANI due to the formation of conducting path between CNT and PANI matrix. The increased electrical conductivity of nanocomposites also improved the estimated EMI shielding. The percolation threshold was found to occurs at 0.1 vol% of f‐MWCNT, where the DC electrical conductivity started to increase abruptly. The one‐order increment in electrical conductivity was observed which is 12 times more than that of pure PANI. The DC electrical conductivity of nanocomposite at 3.3 vol% and 13.9 vol% of f‐MWCNT was 1.6 × 10−1 S/cm and 1.8 × 10−1 S/cm, respectively. In addition, the estimated EMI shielding of nanocomposites at 3.3 vol% of f‐MWCNT and beyond it was found to be 12dB. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:3858–3868, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Localisation of Two Bioactive Labdane Diterpenoids in the Peltate Glandular Trichomes of Leonurus japonicus by Laser Microdissection Coupled with UPLC‐MS/MS
Authors: Xiao Chao‐Jiang , Liu Yan‐Chun , Luo Shi‐Hong , Hua Juan , Liu Yan , Li Sheng‐Hong
Published: May 2017

Introduction

Glandular trichomes of plants are biochemical factories that could produce, store and secrete copious pharmaceutically important natural products. The Labiatae plant Leonurus japonicus is an important traditional Chinese medicine used to treat gynecological diseases, and has abundant peltate glandular trichomes (PGTs), in which the secondary metabolites accumulated are still unknown.

Objective

To study the secondary metabolites specifically accumulated in the PGTs of L. japonicus and their biological activities, and provide a new way to pinpoint bioactive natural products from plants.

Methodology

Morphology of the trichomes on L. japonicus were observed under a scanning electron microscope. The PGTs of L. japonicus were precisely collected using laser microdissection (LMD) and analysed for their secondary metabolites with ultra performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS). Targeted compounds were isolated with classical phytochemical methods, and their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis. Biological activities were evaluated by in vitro assays.

Results

Two labdane diterpenoids, leoheterin (1) and galeopsin (2), were localised in the PGTs of L. japonicus. Antithrombotic activity of 1 in anti‐platelet aggregation assay induced by arachidonic acid was observed. Both compounds showed potential anti‐inflammatory activity by inhibiting proinflammatory cytokine TNF‐α. In addition, anti‐proliferative effect of both compounds on several cancer cell lines was also detected.

Conclusion

Two bioactive labdane diterpenoids were localised in the PGTs of L. japonicus. The findings suggested that it might be an efficient approach to explore bioactive natural products from the glandular trichomes of medicinal plants with LMD‐UPLC/MS/MS. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Whose Job Will be Taken Over by a Computer? The Role of Personality in Predicting Job Computerizability over the Lifespan
Authors: Damian Rodica Ioana , Spengler Marion , Roberts Brent W.
Published: May 2017

Economists estimate that 47% of US jobs will be computerized in the future. This paper tests the prospective role of a comprehensive range personality factors on selection into more (or less) computerizable jobs. We used a US representative high school sample ( N = 346 660) and a longitudinal design. At baseline, we measured social background, intelligence, personality traits and vocational interests. In two follow–ups (11 and 50 years later), we recorded occupations and coded their probability of being computerized based on the skills required and technological developments. Multiple regressions showed that, regardless of social background, people who were more intelligent, mature, interested in arts, and sciences at baseline, and selected into jobs that had a lower probability of computerization. On average, a one standard deviation increase in each of these traits predicted an average of 4 percentage points drop in the probability of one's job of being computerized. At the US population level, this is equivalent with saving 5.8 million people from losing their future careers to computerization. Most effects replicated across time. Path analyses showed that educational attainment mediated these effects and some direct effects remained. This highlights the importance of personality on occupational selection and in shaping the labour market. Copyright © 2017 European Association of Personality Psychology
Itaconic acid used as a versatile building block for the synthesis of renewable resource‐based resins and polyesters for future prospective: a review
Authors: Kumar Sudheer , Krishnan Sukhila , Samal Sushanta K , Mohanty Smita , Nayak Sanjay K
Published: May 2017

Itaconic acid, a carbohydrate‐derived aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, is a potential chemical for the synthesis of renewable resource‐based resins and polyesters. Owing to environmental reasons, there is a gradual demand for renewable resources in the chemical industry. Conversely, as a rather underappreciated side effect of this growth, novel chemical building blocks are obtained, which are not commercially derived from petrochemical sources. In this respect, itaconic acid has attracted much attention and its trifunctional structure leads to the synthesis of novel polymeric materials. This review discusses the most relevant information for bio‐based resins and polyesters resulting from itaconic acid and distinctive properties for various commercial applications. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
MicroRNA‐181a promotes docetaxel resistance in prostate cancer cells
Authors: Armstrong Cameron M. , Liu Chengfei , Lou Wei , Lombard Alan P. , Evans Christopher P. , Gao Allen C.
Published: May 2017

BACKGROUND

Docetaxel is one of the primary drugs used for treating castration resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Unfortunately, over time patients invariably develop resistance to docetaxel therapy and their disease will continue to progress. The mechanisms by which resistance develops are still incompletely understood. This study seeks to determine the involvement of miRNAs, specifically miR‐181a, in docetaxel resistance in CRPC.

METHODS

Real‐time PCR was used to measure miR‐181a expression in parental and docetaxel resistant C4‐2B and DU145 cells (TaxR and DU145‐DTXR). miR‐181a expression was modulated in parental or docetaxel resistant cells by transfecting them with miR‐181a mimics or antisense, respectively. Following transfection, cell number was determined after 48 h with or without docetaxel. Cross resistance to cabazitaxel induced by miR‐181a was also determined. Western blots were used to determine ABCB1 protein expression and rhodamine assays used to assess activity. Phospho‐p53 expression was assessed by Western blot and apoptosis was measured by ELISA in C4‐2B TaxR and PC3 cells with inhibited or overexpressed miR‐181a expression with or without docetaxel.

RESULTS

miR‐181a is significantly overexpressed in TaxR and DU145‐DTXR cells compared to parental cells. Overexpression of miR‐181a in parental cells confers docetaxel and cabazitaxel resistance and knockdown of miR‐181a in TaxR cells re‐sensitizes them to treatment with both docetaxel and cabazitaxel. miR‐181a was not observed to impact ABCB1 expression or activity, a protein which was previously demonstrated to be highly involved in docetaxel resistance. Knockdown of miR‐181a in TaxR cells induced phospho‐p53 expression. Furthermore, miR‐181a knockdown alone induced apoptosis in TaxR cells which could be further enhanced by the addition of DTX.

CONCLUSIONS

Overexpression of mir‐181a in prostate cancer cells contributes to their resistance to docetaxel and cabazitaxel and inhibition of mir‐181a expression can restore treatment response. This is due, in part, to modulation of p53 phosphorylation and apoptosis.
High anisotropic thermoelectric effect in palladium phosphide sulphide
Authors: Kaur Prabhjot , Chakraverty Suvankar , Ganguli Ashok Kumar , Bera Chandan
Published: May 2017

We have performed density functional theory (DFT) in combination with Boltzmann transport calculation to theoretically estimate the thermoelectric properties of ternary palladium pnictide chalcogenide, PdPS. A large thermopower, S, both for p‐type (), and n‐type () PdPS at temperature, K and carrier concentration, has been observed. The orthorhombic PdPS has large anisotropic power factor in its three crystallographic directions, which may enable the designing of nanostructured thermoelectric devices in the temperature range of 300–800 K. We also show that thermal conductivity is considerably low in z‐crystallographic direction of PdPS at 100 nm and 300 K. Our results imply that nanostructured PdPS can be a promising thermoelectric material.
Homogeneous ice formation in convective cloud outflow regions
Authors: Kärcher B.
Published: May 2017

Homogeneous droplet freezing in the warm cirrus regime (230–240 K) is investigated along idealized convective cloud trajectories using a spectral parcel model developed to track droplet freezing events accurately. The novel model is described and used to study ice formation from rapidly ascending (vertical velocity 0.6–6 m s−1) air parcels containing cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and liquid water droplets. Homogeneous freezing events in warm cirrus are affected by latent heat exchange and produce a mode of small ice crystals with maximum dimensions 10–100 μm after initial supersaturation quenching. During the formation stage, ice‐crystal number concentrations formed homogeneously in convective cloud outflow are hardly affected by ice‐crystal settling and depend sensitively on vertical velocity. In the case of CCN activation into cloud water droplets prior to or along with freezing, relative humidity variations also result in widely varying ice numbers that are insensitive to CCN solubility. These results offer pointers on how further progress can be achieved in simulating and better understanding the formation of upper tropospheric ice clouds originating from convective detrainment zones.
Development and multiaxial distribution of expansions in reinforced concrete elements affected by alkali–silica reaction
Authors: Wald David M. , Allford Morgan T. , Bayrak Oguzhan , Hrynyk Trevor D.
Published: May 2017

Understanding the development and multiaxial distribution of expansions is of critical importance in the appraisal of structures affected by alkali–silica reaction. Such expansions were monitored for 33 480‐mm reinforced concrete cubes in an effort to develop an improved understanding of the expansion mechanisms in reinforced concrete and broaden the database of experimental results available from which to build tools to aid in the performance assessment of affected structures. The cubes were fabricated using three different concrete mixtures of varying reactivity and contained uniaxial, biaxial, and triaxial reinforcement layouts with different reinforcement ratio combinations. In all cases, the cubes expanded at greater rates in unreinforced directions than in reinforced directions. Furthermore, the reinforcement ratios did not significantly influence expansion behavior, especially in the cases of uniaxially, equal biaxially, and equal triaxially reinforced specimens. Increasing the number of reinforced directions resulted in reduced volumetric expansion development over time and greater differences between expansions in reinforced and unreinforced directions. Cubes with end‐anchored, deformed steel reinforcing bars placed in three layers developed expansions exceeding steel yield strains in all directions. Cubes with bars placed in two layers exhibited differential expansions between locally reinforced concrete regions at the edges of elements and unreinforced core regions. Mixture reactivity and environmental conditioning influenced expansion rates but not trends of the multiaxial distribution of volumetric expansions.
Throughfall drop size distributions: a review and prospectus for future research
Authors: Levia Delphis F. , Hudson Sean A. , Llorens Pilar , Nanko Kazuki
Published: May 2017

Throughfall is the dominant input of water to forests. Throughfall drop size and the distribution thereof are important because of their influence on the forest water balance, soil erosion, and, possibly, biogeochemical cycling. However, our inadequate understanding of throughfall drop size distributions has hampered progress in the identification of direct and indirect linkages between throughfall inputs and the biogeochemistry and physiological ecology of forests. This review provides a snapshot of our current understanding of throughfall drop size distributions by tracing the historical development of throughfall drop size studies and examining the determinants of throughfall drop size. The theory and methods of drop size studies also are reviewed to consolidate our collective knowledge of throughfall drop size distributions to date. Some of the gaps in our current knowledge, among many, include: (1) the effects of snowmelt on throughfall drop size; (2) the role and extent to which different canopy phenophases affect throughfall drop size; and (3) the extent to which throughfall drop size affects the chemistry of and biogeochemical cycling within forest soils. Closing these knowledge gaps will likely lead to the better conceptualization of rainfall partitioning processes and more definitive linkages between the cause‐and‐effect relationships between throughfall and soil erosion, forest biogeochemistry, and plant physiological ecology, for example. WIREs Water 2017, 4:e1225. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1225

This article is categorized under:

Science of Water > Hydrological Processes
False confessions
Authors: Kassin Saul M.
Published: May 2017

As illustrated by numerous cases in recent years, DNA exonerations of innocent individuals have cast a spotlight on the counterintuitive problem of false confessions. Studying the underlying psychology scientists have found that (1) innocent people are often targeted for interrogation because police make erroneous but confident judgments of deception; (2) certain interrogation techniques—namely, lengthy sessions, presentations of false evidence, and minimization themes that imply leniency—increase the risk that innocent people will confess; (3) certain individuals are particularly vulnerable to influence—notably, those with mental health problems or intellectual impairments, which render them overly compliant or suggestible, and children and adolescents, who exhibit ‘immaturity of judgment’; (4) confession evidence is highly persuasive in court as a matter of common sense, increasing perceptions of guilt, even among judges and juries who see the confession as coerced, and even at times when the confession is contradicted by exculpatory information; (5) Miranda rights to silence and to counsel are not sufficiently protective, so proposals for reform have centered on the mandatory recording of interrogations, from start to finish, and a shift toward using investigative interviewing—a less confrontational, less deceptive means of questioning suspects. WIREs Cogn Sci 2017, 8:e1439. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1439

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Reasoning and Decision Making
Guide to Analysis
Authors: Hart Mary , Towers David
Published: May 2017

This new edition aims to guide undergraduate students through the first year of their mathematics course. It provides a rigorous introduction to Analysis, which takes into account the difficulties students often face when making the transition from A-level mathematics to this higher level. Plenty of examples are provided, some of which have full, detailed solutions, and others which encourage the student to discover and investigate the ideas themselves. Hints are provided, but the book aims to build confidence and understanding in all topics.

This second edition has two new substantial chapters, covering integration and powere series, and is updated throughout, taking into account changes in notation.
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Cells Secrete Factors that Stimulate Cellular LDL Uptake via Autocrine and Paracrine Mechanisms
Authors: Bhuiyan Hasanuzzaman , Masquelier Michèle , Tatidis Loukas , Gruber Astrid , Paul Christer , Vitols Sigurd
Published: May 2017

Leukemic cells isolated from most patients with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) have higher low density lipoprotein (LDL) uptake than normal mononuclear blood cells. Little is known, however, about the mechanism behind the elevated LDL uptake. We investigated if AML cells secrete factors that stimulate cellular LDL uptake. Mononuclear blood cells were isolated from peripheral blood from 42 patients with AML at diagnosis. Cellular LDL uptake was determined from the degradation rate of 125I‐labelled LDL. Conditioned media from AML cells stimulated the LDL degradation in the leukemic cell lines KG1 and HL60, and in isolated AML cells. The stimulatory effect correlated with the LDL degradation in the AML cells directly after isolation from blood. Conditioned media also autostimulated LDL degradation in the AML cells themselves. Concentrations of IL‐6 and IL‐8 in AML cell conditioned media correlated with the LDL degradation in AML cells directly after isolation from blood. Addition of R‐TNF‐α, but not IL‐6 or IL‐8, stimulated LDL degradation in HL60, KG1, and AML cells. The LDL degradation in AML cells could be inhibited by a LDL receptor blocking antibody. AML cells secrete factors that stimulate LDL uptake in a paracrine and autocrine pattern which open up therapeutic possibilities to inhibit the uptake of LDL by administration of antibodies to these factors.
Competitive Swimming and Racial Disparities in Drowning
Authors: Myers Samuel L. , Cuesta Ana , Lai Yufeng
Published: May 2017

This paper provides evidence of an inverse relationship between competitive swimming rates and drowning rates using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data on fatal drowning rates and membership rates from USA Swimming, the governing organization of competitive swimming in the United States. Tobit and Poisson regression models are estimated using panel data by state from 1999 to 2007 separately for males, females, African Americans and whites. The strong inverse relationship between competitive swimming rates and unintentional deaths through fatal drowning is most pronounced among African Americans males.
Household chaos as a context for intergenerational transmission of executive functioning
Authors: Brieant Alexis , Holmes Christopher J. , Deater‐Deckard Kirby , King‐Casas Brooks , Kim‐Spoon Jungmeen
Published: May 2017

Executive functioning (EF) may be transmitted across generations such that strengths or deficiencies in parent EF are similarly manifested in the child. The present study examined the contributions of parent EF and impulsivity on adolescent EF, and investigated whether household chaos is an environmental moderator that alters these transmission processes. American adolescents (N = 167, 47% female, 13–14 years old at Time 1) completed behavioral measures of EF and reported household chaos at Time 1 and one year later at Time 2. Parents completed behavioral measures of EF and self‐reported impulsivity at Time 1. Results indicated that lower parent EF at Time 1 predicted lower adolescent EF at Time 2 (controlling for adolescent EF and IQ at Time 1), but only in the context of high household chaos. Findings suggest that household chaos may be a risk factor that compounds influences of poor parent EF and compromises adolescent EF development.
Reproducibility of the effects of homeopathically potentised Argentum nitricum on the growth of Lemna gibba L. in a randomised and blinded bioassay
Authors: Scherr Claudia , Schneider Claudia , Arlt Sebastian Patrick , Baumgartner Stephan , Majewsky Vera
Published: May 2017

Background:
A previous study reported a significant statistical interaction between experiment date and treatment effect of Argentum nitricum 14x–30x on the growth rate of duckweed (Lemna gibba L.). The aim of the present study was to investigate the stability of the test system and intra-laboratory reproducibility of the effects found.

Methods:
Duckweed was treated with A. nitricum potencies (14x–30x) as well as succussed and unsuccussed water controls. The outcome parameter area-related growth rate for day 0–7 was determined by a computerised image analysis system in two series of independent randomised and blinded experiments. Systematic negative control (SNC) experiments were carried out to investigate test system stability. Statistical analysis was performed with full two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and protected Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) test.

Results:
In the first repetition series we found a significant treatment effect (p = 0.016), while in the second series no effect was observed. The negative control experiments showed that the experimental system was stable. An a posteriori subgroup analysis concerning gibbosity revealed the importance of this growth state of L. gibba for successful reproduction of the statistically significant interaction in the original study; flat: no interaction (p = 0.762); slight gibbosity: no interaction (p = 0.356); medium gibbosity: significant interaction (p = 0.031), high gibbosity: highly significant interaction (p = 0.005).

Conclusions:
With the original study design (disregarding gibbosity status of L. gibba) results of the original study could not be reproduced sensu stricto. We conclude that the growth state gibbosity is crucial for successful reproduction of the original study. Different physiological states of the test organisms used for bioassays for homeopathic basic research must carefully be considered.
Glutathione peroxidase 3 gene polymorphisms and the risk of sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Authors: Chien Chen‐Yu , Huang Tzu‐Yen , Tai Shu‐Yu , Chang Ning‐Chia , Wang Hsun‐Mo , Wang Ling‐Feng , Ho Kuen‐Yao
Published: May 2017

The glutathione peroxidase 3 gene (GPX3) is reported to be a risk factor for arterial ischaemic stroke and cerebral venous thrombosis. GPX3 may be one of the aetiologies of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), which might be attributed to the genetic effect of GPX3 by influence reactive oxygen species (ROS). Unbalanced ROS have been associated with susceptibility to SSNHL. Therefore, we conducted a case–control study with 416 SSNHL cases and 255 controls. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected. The genotypes were determined using TaqMan genotyping assays. Each SNP was tested using the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (HWE), and the genetic effects were evaluated using three inheritance models. All five SNPs were in HWE. As the result, the AG genotype of rs3805435 had an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.54 (95% confidence interval = 0.37–0.79, p = 0.001) compared with the AA genotype in the SSNHL cases. The GG and AG genotypes of the SNP rs3805435 were associated with SSNHL under the dominant model (p = 0.002, OR = 0.58). In conclusion, these results suggest that GPX3 polymorphisms influence susceptibility to SSNHL in southern Taiwan.
New Labour Laws in Old Member States
Authors: Zahn Rebecca
Published: May 2017

The enlargement of the EU in 2004 and 2007 has led to greatly increased free movement of workers from 'new' to 'old' Member States. The unprecedented scale of this migration has had a profound impact on the regulation of labour law in Europe. This book compares the ways trade unions have responded to the effects of the enlargements, and in particular to the increased migration of workers across borders. It undertakes a contextualised comparison of trade union responses in Austria, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and the UK and examines the relationship between trade unions and labour law at a national and European level. This analysis illustrates how trade unions can use law to better respond to changing regulatory and opportunity structures and indicates the kinds of laws that would benefit trade unions at a national and European level.
The Life and Death of ACT UP/LA
Authors: Roth Benita
Published: May 2017

The Life and Death of ACT UP/LA explores the history of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, Los Angeles, part of the militant anti-AIDS movement of the 1980s and 1990s. ACT UP/LA battled government, medical, and institutional neglect of the AIDS epidemic, engaging in multi-targeted protest in Los Angeles and nationally. The book shows how appealing the direct action anti-AIDS activism was for people across the United States; as well as arguing the need to understand how the politics of place affect organizing, and how the particular features of the Los Angeles cityscape shaped possibilities for activists. A feminist lens is used, seeing social inequalities as mutually reinforcing and interdependent, to examine the interaction of activists and the outcomes of their actions. Their struggle against AIDS and homophobia, and to have a voice in their healthcare, presaged the progressive, multi-issue, anti-corporate, confrontational organizing of the late twentieth century, and deserves to be part of that history.
A Global Political Morality
Authors: Perry Michael J.
Published: May 2017

In A Global Political Morality, Michael J. Perry addresses several related questions in human rights theory, political theory and constitutional theory. He begins by explaining what the term 'human right' means and then elaborates and defends the morality of human rights, which is the first truly global morality in human history. Perry also pursues the implications of the morality of human rights for democratic governance and for the proper role of courts - especially the US Supreme Court - in protecting constitutionally entrenched human rights. The principal constitutional controversies discussed in the book are capital punishment, race-based affirmative action, same-sex marriage, physician-assisted suicide and abortion.
A System-Based Intervention to Improve Access to Hyperacute Stroke Care
Authors: Swartz Richard H. , Linkewich Elizabeth , Sharp Shelley , Willems Jacqueline , Olynyk Chris , Tahair Nicola , Cayley Megan L. , Bayley Mark T.
Published: May 2017

Background:Hyperacute stroke is a time-sensitive emergency for which outcomes improve with faster treatment. When stroke systems are accessed via emergency medical services (EMS), patients are routed to hyperacute stroke centres and are treated faster. But over a third of patients with strokes do not come to the hospital by EMS, and may inadvertently arrive at centres that do not provide acute stroke services. We developed and studied the impact of protocols to quickly identify and move “walk-in” patients from non-hyperacute hospitals to regional stroke centres (RSCs).Methods and Results:Protocols were developed by a multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional working group and implemented across 14 acute hospital sites within the Greater Toronto Area in December of 2012. Key metrics were recorded 18 months pre- and post-implementation. The teams regularly reviewed incident reports of protocol non-adherence and patient flow data. Transports increased by 80% from 103 to 185. The number of patients receiving tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) increased by 68% from 34 to 57. Total EMS transport time decreased 17 minutes (mean time of 54.46 to 37.86 minutes,p<0.0001). Calls responded to within 9 minutes increased from 34 to 59%.Conclusions:A systems-based approach that included a multi-organizational collaboration and consensus-based protocols to move patients from non-hyperacute hospitals to RSCs resulted in more patients receiving hyperacute stroke interventions and improvements in EMS response and transport times. As hyperacute stroke care becomes more centralized and endovascular therapy becomes more broadly implemented, the protocols developed here can be employed by other regions organizing patient flow across systems of stroke care.
European Energy Union? Caught between securitisation and ‘riskification’
Authors: Judge Andrew , Maltby Tomas
Published: May 2017

Fears about the security of supplies have been central to debates about the development of an integrated EU energy policy over the past decade, leading to claims that energy has been ‘securitised’. Previous analyses have found, however, that although shared security concerns are frequently used as justification for further integration, they can also serve as a rationale for Member States to resist sharing sovereignty. Transcending this apparent paradox would require not just agreement aboutwhetherenergy supplies are security concerns, but also agreement aboutwhat kindof security concern they are. In this article, we examine whether such an agreement could emerge through a comparative analysis of constructions of gas security in the UK and Poland. Utilising a framework that draws from both the philosophical and sociological wings of Securitisation Studies, we demonstrate that although gas has been elevated on the security agendas of both states, the specific logic of insecurity – securitisation or riskification – underpinning these constructions differs substantially, and is conditioned by distinct modes of governance in each Member State. This, we contend, limits the potential for further integration of EU energy policies in the context of the European Commission’s proposals for an ‘Energy Union’.
Partially hyperbolic dynamics in dimension three
Authors: CARRASCO PABLO D. , RODRIGUEZ-HERTZ FEDERICO , RODRIGUEZ-HERTZ JANA , URES RAÚL
Published: May 2017

Partial hyperbolicity appeared in the 1960s as a natural generalization of hyperbolicity. In the last 20 years, there has been great activity in this area. Here we survey the state of the art in some related topics, focusing especially on partial hyperbolicity in dimension three. The reason for this is not only that it is the smallest dimension in which non-degenerate partial hyperbolicity can occur, but also that the topology of$3$-manifolds influences the dynamics in revealing ways.
Hegel’s Schein as Ideology of Equality and Freedom in Capitalism
Authors: Abazari Arash
Published: May 2017

In this paper, I demonstrate that the category of Schein (which I translate as ‘semblance’) in Hegel’s Science of Logic expresses the structure of ideology in general, and specifically the ideology of equality and freedom in capitalism. To this aim, I motivate Marx’s mature critique of political economy in Capital and the Grundrisse. I argue that while the semblance of equality is false and misleading, it is constitutive of the essence of capitalism. This implies that domination in capitalism does not exclude equality, but requires it. In particular, I argue that the structure of domination generates equality as its own necessary moment. The paper shows, on the one hand, how a close study of Hegel’s Logic is helpful for understanding the structure of capitalism, and on the other hand, how reading Hegel’s Logic through Marx can help in unveiling its social import.
TAIWAN CITIZENS' VIEWS OF CHINA: WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF CROSS-STRAIT CONTACTS?
Authors: Wang T.Y. , Cheng Su-feng
Published: May 2017

Segregation has long been recognized as a source of ignorance which breeds negative feelings and hostility. This view maintains that interactions between members of different groups can foster social bonds and promote positive group relationship. Employing recently collected survey data, this study examines the effect of cross-Strait contacts on Taiwan citizens’ negative views toward Chinese citizens and the Beijing government. The empirical results show that casual encounters have no effect on the island residents’ general perception of China. Serious interactions in the form of friendship moderate their unfavorable feelings of Chinese citizens but have no effects on the perception of a hostile Beijing. Unless contacts can invoke true social bonds, frequent interactions do not have transformative effects on individuals’ political views. The moderating effect of contacts at the personal level is not transferable to a political entity when the latter is perceived as a suppressing agent.
Fractal scaling of the turbulence interface in gravity currents
Authors: Krug Dominik , Holzner Markus , Marusic Ivan , van Reeuwijk Maarten
Published: May 2017

It was previously observed by Krug et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 765, 2015, pp. 303–324) that the surface area $A_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$ of the turbulent/non-turbulent interface (TNTI) in gravity currents decreases with increasing stratification, significantly reducing the entrainment rate. Here, we consider the multiscale properties of this effect using direct numerical simulations of temporal gravity currents with different gradient Richardson numbers $Ri_{g}$. Our results indicate that the reduction of $A_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D702}}$ is caused by a decrease of the fractal scaling exponent $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$, while the scaling range remains largely unaffected. We further find that convolutions of the TNTI are characterized by different length scales in the streamwise and wall-normal directions, namely the integral scale $h$ and the shear scale $l_{Sk}=k^{1/2}/S$ (formed using the mean shear $S$ and the turbulent kinetic energy $k$) respectively. By recognizing that the anisotropy implied by the different scaling relations increases with increasing $Ri_{g}$, we are able to model the $Ri_{g}$ dependence of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FD}$ in good agreement with the data.
Morphology in Spanish-speaking children with Williams syndrome
Authors: BENÍTEZ-BURRACO ANTONIO , GARAYZÁBAL ELENA , CUETOS FERNANDO
Published: May 2017

abstract

Aims.Morphological skills in Williams syndrome (WS) are a controversial issue, particularly cross-linguistically.Methods.We assessed pluralization patterns of nouns, inflection of verbs in the past, and gender assignment, inflection, and agreement within the noun phrase in a sample of Spanish-speaking children with WS compared to typically developing (TD) children matched on mental age (VA-TD) and on chronological age (CA-TD) age.Results.Children with WS attribute grammatical gender correctly in a production task, but they have problems with inferring the referent’s sex from the gender of the noun in a comprehension task. Additionally, they correctly pluralize nouns and properly inflect regular verbs, but they have problems with irregular verbs. Our findings suggest that they have mastered the productive rules, but they perform like younger children regarding irregular items.
Physical Properties of the First Quasars
Authors: Gallerani S. , Fan X. , Maiolino R. , Pacucci F.
Published: May 2017

Since the beginning of the new millennium, more than 100z~ 6 quasars have been discovered through several surveys and followed-up with multi-wavelength observations. These data provided a large amounts of information on the growth of supermassive black holes at the early epochs, the properties of quasar host galaxies and the joint formation and evolution of these massive systems. We review the properties of the highestzquasars known so far, especially focussing on some of the most recent results obtained in (sub-)millimetre bands. We discuss key observational challenges and open issues in theoretical models and highlight possible new strategies to improve our understanding of the galaxy black hole formation and evolution in the early Universe.
Daytime restricted feeding modifies the daily regulation of fatty acidβ-oxidation and the lipoprotein profile in rats
Authors: Rivera-Zavala J. B. , Molina-Aguilar C. , Pérez-Mendoza M. , Olguín-Martínez M. , Hernández-Muñoz R. , Báez-Ruiz G. A. , Díaz-Muñoz M.
Published: May 2017

Daytime restricted feeding (2 h of food access from 12.00 to 14.00 hours for 3 weeks) is an experimental protocol that modifies the relationship between metabolic networks and the circadian molecular clock. The precise anatomical locus that controls the biochemical and physiological adaptations to optimise nutrient use is unknown. We explored the changes in liver oxidative lipid handling, such asβ-oxidation and its regulation, as well as adaptations in the lipoprotein profile. It was found that daytime restricted feeding promoted an elevation of circulating ketone bodies before mealtime, an altered hepatic daily rhythmicity of14CO2production from radioactive palmitic acid, and an up-regulation of the fatty acid oxidation activators, theα-subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the deacetylase silent mating type information regulation homolog 1, and the transcriptional factor PPARγ-1αcoactivator. An increased localisation of phosphorylatedα-subunit of AMPK in the periportal hepatocytes was also observed. Liver hepatic lipase C, important for lipoprotein transformation, showed a change of daily phase with a peak at the time of food access. In serum, there was an increase of LDL, which was responsible for a net elevation of circulating cholesterol. We conclude that our results indicate an enhanced fasting response in the liver during daily synchronisation to food access, which involves altered metabolic and cellular control of fatty acid oxidation as well a significant elevation of serum LDL. These adaptations could be part of the metabolic input that underlies the expression of the food-entrained oscillator.
Effects of NWT-03, an egg-protein hydrolysate, on blood pressure in normotensive, high-normotensive and mild-hypertensive men and women: a dose-finding study
Authors: Plat Jogchum , Severins Nadine , Morrison Steve , Mensink Ronald P.
Published: May 2017

Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are important agents in blood pressure (BP) management. It was recently shown that the egg-protein hydrolysate NWT-03 inhibited ACE in Zucker diabetic fatty rats. We therefore designed a dose-finding study to assess the effects of 1, 2 and 5 g NWT-03 on daytime, 36-h, and night-time systolic and diastolic BP (SBP and DBP) in ninety-two generally healthy subjects with normal BP (n29), high-normal BP (n34) or mild hypertension (n29). The study had a cross-over design with six treatment arms (1 g NWT-03 or placebo in period 1 and placebo or 1 g NWT-03 in period 2, 2 g NTW-03 or placebo in period 1 and placebo or 2 g NWT-03 in period 2, or 5 g NTW-03 or placebo in period 1 and placebo or 5 g NTW-03 in period 2). A comparable number of subjects from each BP class were included in each study arm. Duration of both treatments in each arm was 7 d, separated by 5-d wash-out periods. BP was measured with an ambulatory BP monitor before and after the treatments. In mild-hypertensive subjects, 2 g NWT-03 significantly decreased daytime SBP (7·9 mmHg;P=0·006), daytime DBP (4·2 mmHg;P=0·009), 36-h SBP (6·9 mmHg;P=0·015) and 36-h DBP (3·5 mmHg;P=0·035) compared with placebo subjects. In addition, in mild-hypertensive subjects, 5 g NWT-03 significantly decreased night-time SBP (14·8 mmHg;P=0·008) and night-time DBP (8·4 mmHg;P=0·020) compared with that in placebo subjects. To conclude, we found that 2 g NWT-03 lowered daytime and 36-h BP in subjects with mild hypertension, and 5 g NWT-03 lowered night-time BP in subjects with mild hypertension. As no dose–response relationship was evident, these results should be interpreted with care, and additional studies are needed.
Blue light-induced immunosuppression in Bactrocera dorsalis adults, as a carryover effect of larval exposure
Authors: Tariq K. , Noor M. , Hori M. , Ali A. , Hussain A. , Peng W. , Chang C.-J. , Zhang H.
Published: May 2017

Detrimental effects of ultraviolet (UV) light on living organisms are well understood, little is known about the effects of blue light irradiation. Although a recent study revealed that blue light caused more harmful effects on insects than UV light and blue light irradiation killed insect pests of various orders including Diptera, the effects of blue light on physiology of insects are still largely unknown. Here we studied the effects of blue light irradiation on cuticular melanin in larval and the immune response in adult stage of Bactrocera dorsalis. We also evaluated the effects of blue light exposure in larval stage on various age and mass at metamorphosis and the mediatory role of cuticular melanin in carryover effects of larval stressors across metamorphosis. We found that larvae exposed to blue light decreased melanin contents in their exoskeleton with smaller mass and delayed metamorphosis than insects reared without blue light exposure. Across metamorphosis, lower melanotic encapsulation response and higher susceptibility to Beauveria bassiana was detected in adults that had been exposed to blue light at their larval stage, thereby constituting the first evidence that blue light impaired adult immune function in B. dorsalis as a carryover effect of larval exposure.
Interspecific interactions in solitary Aculeata – is the presence of heterospecifics important for females establishing nests?
Authors: Kierat J. , Miler K. , Celary W. , Woyciechowski M.
Published: May 2017

There are several possible causes of aggregated nesting in solitary Aculeata, one being joint defense against parasites. We tested whether females prefer nesting in aggregations, even if they consist of heterospecifics. We compared the colonization and nesting parasitism of trap-nests with and without a red mason bee aggregation. The results did not support our hypothesis that females prefer nesting in aggregations. The numbers of wild Aculeata nests did not differ between trap-nests with and without an aggregation. Unexpectedly, parasitism rates were higher in trap-nests with aggregations. When analyzing only nests of wild insects (mostly wasps), the differences in parasitism disappeared. Natural nesting sites may be such a limited resource that females nested in the first trap-nest they encountered and did not discriminate between our treatments, or wasps might share too few parasites species with bees to benefit from joint nest defense.