bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Proinflammatory Gut Microbiota Increases Systemic Inflammation and Accelerates Atherosclerosis
Authors: Brandsma Eelke , Kloosterhuis Niels J. , Koster Mirjam , Dekker Daphne C. , Gijbels Marion J.J. , van der Velden Saskia , Ríos-Morales Melany , van Faassen Martijn J.R. , Loreti Marco G. , de Bruin Alain , Fu Jingyuan , Kuipers Folkert , Bakker Barbara M. , Westerterp Marit , de Winther Menno P.J. , Hofker Marten H. , van de Sluis Bart , Koonen Debby P.Y.
Published: January 2019

Rationale:

Several studies have suggested a role for the gut microbiota in inflammation and atherogenesis. A causal relation relationship between gut microbiota, inflammation, and atherosclerosis has not been explored previously.

Objective:

Here, we investigated whether a proinflammatory microbiota from
Caspase1
−/−
(
Casp1
−/−
) mice accelerates atherogenesis in
Ldlr
−/−
mice.

Method and Results:

We treated female
Ldlr
−/−
mice with antibiotics and subsequently transplanted them with fecal microbiota from
Casp1
−/−
mice based on a cohousing approach. Autologous transplantation of fecal microbiota of
Ldlr
−/−
mice served as control. Mice were cohoused for 8 or 13 weeks and fed chow or high-fat cholesterol–rich diet. Fecal samples were collected, and factors related to inflammation, metabolism, intestinal health, and atherosclerotic phenotypes were measured. Unweighted Unifrac distances of 16S rDNA (ribosomal DNA) sequences confirmed the introduction of the
Casp1
−/−
and
Ldlr
−/−
microbiota into
Ldlr
−/−
mice (referred to as
Ldlr
−/−
(
Casp1
−/−
) or
Ldlr
−/−
(
Ldlr
−/−
) mice). Analysis of atherosclerotic lesion size in the aortic root demonstrated a significant 29% increase in plaque size in 13-week high-fat cholesterol–fed
Ldlr
−/−
(
Casp1
−/−
) mice compared with
Ldlr
−/−
(
Ldlr
−/−
) mice. We found increased numbers of circulating monocytes and neutrophils and elevated proinflammatory cytokine levels in plasma in high-fat cholesterol–fed
Ldlr
−/−
(
Casp1
−/−
) compared with
Ldlr
−/−
(
Ldlr
−/−
) mice. Neutrophil accumulation in the aortic root of
Ldlr
−/−
(
Casp1
−/−
) mice was enhanced compared with
Ldlr
−/−
(
Ldlr
−/−
) mice. 16S-rDNA-encoding sequence analysis in feces identified a significant reduction in the short-chain fatty acid–producing taxonomies
Akkermansia
,
Christensenellaceae
,
Clostridium
, and
Odoribacter
in
Ldlr
−/−
(
Casp1
−/−
) mice. Consistent with these findings, cumulative concentrations of the anti-inflammatory short-chain fatty acids propionate, acetate and butyrate in the cecum were significantly reduced in 13-week high-fat cholesterol–fed
Ldlr
−/−
(
Casp1
−/−
) compared with
Ldlr
−/−
(
Ldlr
−/−
) mice.

Conclusions:

Introduction of the proinflammatory
Casp1
−/−
microbiota into
Ldlr
−/−
mice enhances systemic inflammation and accelerates atherogenesis.
Patient-Specific and Gene-Corrected Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes Elucidate Single-Cell Phenotype of Short QT Syndrome
Authors: Guo Fengfeng , Sun Yaxun , Wang Xiaochen , Wang Hao , Wang Jue , Gong Tingyu , Chen Xianzhen , Zhang Ping , Su Lan , Fu Guosheng , Su Jun , Yang Shilong , Lai Ren , Jiang Chenyang , Liang Ping
Published: January 2019

Rationale:

Short QT syndrome (SQT) is a rare but arrhythmogenic disorder featured by shortened ventricular repolarization and a propensity toward life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate the single-cell mechanism of SQT using patient-specific and gene-corrected induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs).

Methods and Results:

One SQT patient carrying missense mutation T618I in potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily H member 2 (
KCNH2
) was recruited as well as 2 healthy control subjects in this study. Control and SQT patient-specific iPSCs were generated from skin fibroblasts using nonintegrated Sendai virus. The
KCNH2
T618I mutation was corrected by genome editing in SQT iPSC lines to generate isogenic controls. All iPSCs were differentiated into iPSC-CMs using monolayer-based differentiation protocol. SQT iPSC-CMs exhibited abnormal action potential phenotype featured by shortened action potential duration and increased beat-beat interval variability, when compared with control and gene-corrected iPSC-CMs. Furthermore, SQT iPSC-CMs showed KCNH2 gain-of-function with increased rapid delayed rectifying potassium current (I
Kr
) density and enhanced membrane expression. Gene expression profiling of iPSC-CMs exhibited a differential cardiac ion-channel gene expression profile of SQT. Moreover, QTc of SQT patient and action potential durations of SQT iPSC-CMs were both normalized by quinidine, indicating that quinidine is beneficial to
KCNH2
T618I of SQT. Importantly, shortened action potential duration phenotype observed in SQT iPSC-CMs was effectively rescued by a short-peptide scorpion toxin BmKKx2 with a mechanism of targeting KCNH2.

Conclusions:

We demonstrate that patient-specific and gene-corrected iPSC-CMs are able to recapitulate single-cell phenotype of SQT, which is caused by the gain-of-function mutation
KCNH2
T618I. These findings will help elucidate the mechanisms underlying SQT and discover therapeutic drugs for treating the disease by using peptide toxins as lead compounds.
Hepatic Glucagon Signaling Regulates PCSK9 and Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol
Authors: Spolitu Stefano , Okamoto Haruka , Dai Wen , Zadroga John A. , Wittchen Erika S. , Gromada Jesper , Ozcan Lale
Published: January 2019

Rationale:

Glucagon is a key hormone that regulates the adaptive metabolic responses to fasting. In addition to maintaining glucose homeostasis, glucagon participates in the regulation of cholesterol metabolism; however, the molecular pathways underlying this effect are incompletely understood.

Objective:

We sought to determine the role of hepatic Gcgr (glucagon receptor) signaling in plasma cholesterol regulation and identify its underlying molecular mechanisms.

Methods and Results:

We show that Gcgr signaling plays an essential role in LDL-C (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) homeostasis through regulating the PCSK9 (proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9) levels. Silencing of hepatic Gcgr or inhibition of glucagon action increased hepatic and plasma PCSK9 and resulted in lower LDLR (LDL receptor) protein and increased plasma LDL-C. Conversely, treatment of wild-type (WT) mice with glucagon lowered LDL-C levels, whereas this response was abrogated in
Pcsk9
−/−
and
Ldlr
−/−
mice. Our gain- and loss-of-function studies identified Epac2 (exchange protein activated by cAMP-2) and Rap1 (Ras-related protein-1) as the downstream mediators of glucagon’s action on PCSK9 homeostasis. Moreover, mechanistic studies revealed that glucagon affected the half-life of PCSK9 protein without changing the level of its mRNA, indicating that Gcgr signaling regulates PCSK9 degradation.

Conclusions:

These findings provide novel insights into the molecular interplay between hepatic glucagon signaling and lipid metabolism and describe a new posttranscriptional mechanism of PCSK9 regulation.
CLIC4/Arf6 Pathway
Authors: Abdul-Salam Vahitha B. , Russomanno Giusy , Chien-Nien Chen , Mahomed Abdul S. , Yates Luke A. , Wilkins Martin R. , Zhao Lan , Gierula Magdalena , Dubois Oliver , Schaeper Ute , Endruschat Jens , Wojciak-Stothard Beata
Published: January 2019

Rationale:

Increased expression of CLIC4 (chloride intracellular channel 4) is a feature of endothelial dysfunction in pulmonary arterial hypertension, but its role in disease pathology is not fully understood.

Objective:

To identify CLIC4 effectors and evaluate strategies targeting CLIC4 signaling in pulmonary hypertension.

Methods and Results:

Proteomic analysis of CLIC4-interacting proteins in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells identified regulators of endosomal trafficking, including Arf6 (ADP ribosylation factor 6) GTPase activating proteins and clathrin, while CLIC4 overexpression affected protein regulators of vesicular trafficking, lysosomal function, and inflammation. CLIC4 reduced BMPRII (bone morphogenetic protein receptor II) expression and signaling as a result of Arf6-mediated reduction in gyrating clathrin and increased lysosomal targeting of the receptor. BMPRII expression was restored by Arf6 siRNA, Arf inhibitor Sec7 inhibitor H3 (SecinH3), and inhibitors of clathrin-mediated endocytosis but was unaffected by chloride channel inhibitor, indanyloxyacetic acid 94 or Arf1 siRNA. The effects of CLIC4 on NF-κB (nuclear factor-kappa B), HIF (hypoxia-inducible factor), and angiogenic response were prevented by Arf6 siRNA and SecinH3. Sugen/hypoxia mice and monocrotaline rats showed elevated expression of CLIC4, activation of Arf6 and NF-κB, and reduced expression of BMPRII in the lung. These changes were established early during disease development. Lung endothelium–targeted delivery of CLIC4 siRNA or treatment with SecinH3 attenuated the disease, reduced CLIC4/Arf activation, and restored BMPRII expression in the lung. Endothelial colony–forming cells from idiopathic pulmonary hypertensive patients showed upregulation of CLIC4 expression and Arf6 activity, suggesting potential importance of this pathway in the human condition.

Conclusions:

Arf6 is a novel effector of CLIC4 and a new therapeutic target in pulmonary hypertension.
ATF6 Regulates Cardiac Hypertrophy by Transcriptional Induction of the mTORC1 Activator, Rheb
Authors: Blackwood Erik A. , Hofmann Christoph , Santo Domingo Michelle , Bilal Alina S. , Sarakki Anup , Stauffer Winston , Arrieta Adrian , Thuerauf Donna J. , Kolkhorst Fred W. , Müller Oliver J. , Jakobi Tobias , Dieterich Christoph , Katus Hugo A. , Doroudgar Shirin , Glembotski Christopher C.
Published: January 2019

Rationale:

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress dysregulates ER proteostasis, which activates the transcription factor, ATF6 (activating transcription factor 6α), an inducer of genes that enhance protein folding and restore ER proteostasis. Because of increased protein synthesis, it is possible that protein folding and ER proteostasis are challenged during cardiac myocyte growth. However, it is not known whether ATF6 is activated, and if so, what its function is during hypertrophic growth of cardiac myocytes.

Objective:

To examine the activity and function of ATF6 during cardiac hypertrophy.

Methods and Results:

We found that ER stress and ATF6 were activated and ATF6 target genes were induced in mice subjected to an acute model of transverse aortic constriction, or to free-wheel exercise, both of which promote adaptive cardiac myocyte hypertrophy with preserved cardiac function. Cardiac myocyte-specific deletion of
Atf6
(ATF6 cKO [conditional knockout]) blunted transverse aortic constriction and exercise-induced cardiac myocyte hypertrophy and impaired cardiac function, demonstrating a role for ATF6 in compensatory myocyte growth. Transcript profiling and chromatin immunoprecipitation identified
RHEB
(Ras homologue enriched in brain) as an ATF6 target gene in the heart. RHEB is an activator of mTORC1 (mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1), a major inducer of protein synthesis and subsequent cell growth. Both transverse aortic constriction and exercise upregulated
RHEB
, activated mTORC1, and induced cardiac hypertrophy in wild type mouse hearts but not in ATF6 cKO hearts. Mechanistically, knockdown of ATF6 in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes blocked phenylephrine- and IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor 1)-mediated
RHEB
induction, mTORC1 activation, and myocyte growth, all of which were restored by ectopic RHEB expression. Moreover, adeno-associated virus 9-
RHEB
restored cardiac growth to ATF6 cKO mice subjected to transverse aortic constriction. Finally, ATF6 induced
RHEB
in response to growth factors, but not in response to other activators of ATF6 that do not induce growth, indicating that ATF6 target gene induction is stress specific.

Conclusions:

Compensatory cardiac hypertrophy activates ER stress and ATF6, which induces
RHEB
and activates mTORC1. Thus, ATF6 is a previously unrecognized link between growth stimuli and mTORC1-mediated cardiac growth.
Protein Phosphatase 2A Regulates Cardiac Na
+
Channels
Authors: El Refaey Mona , Musa Hassan , Murphy Nathaniel P. , Lubbers Ellen R. , Skaf Michel , Han Mei , Cavus Omer , Koenig Sara N. , Wallace Michael J. , Gratz Daniel , Bradley Elisa , Alsina Katherina M. , Wehrens Xander H.T. , Hund Thomas J. , Mohler Peter J.
Published: January 2019

Rationale:

Voltage-gated Na
+
channel (
I
Na
) function is critical for normal cardiac excitability. However, the Na
+
channel late component (
I
Na,L
) is directly associated with potentially fatal forms of congenital and acquired human arrhythmia. CaMKII (Ca
2+
/calmodulin-dependent kinase II) enhances
I
Na,L
in response to increased adrenergic tone. However, the pathways that negatively regulate the CaMKII/Na
v
1.5 axis are unknown and essential for the design of new therapies to regulate the pathogenic
I
Na,L
.

Objective:

To define phosphatase pathways that regulate
I
Na,L
in vivo.

Methods and Results:

A mouse model lacking a key regulatory subunit (B56α) of the PP (protein phosphatase) 2A holoenzyme displayed aberrant action potentials after adrenergic stimulation. Unbiased computational modeling of B56α KO (knockout) mouse myocyte action potentials revealed an unexpected role of PP2A in
I
Na,L
regulation that was confirmed by direct
I
Na,L
recordings from B56α KO myocytes. Further, B56α KO myocytes display decreased sensitivity to isoproterenol-induced induction of arrhythmogenic
I
Na,L
, and reduced CaMKII-dependent phosphorylation of Na
v
1.5. At the molecular level, PP2A/B56α complex was found to localize and coimmunoprecipitate with the primary cardiac Na
v
channel, Na
v
1.5.

Conclusions:

PP2A regulates Na
v
1.5 activity in mouse cardiomyocytes. This regulation is critical for pathogenic Na
v
1.5 late current and requires PP2A-B56α. Our study supports B56α as a novel target for the treatment of arrhythmia.
Concordance in Aneurysm Size at Time of Rupture in Familial Intracranial Aneurysms
Authors: Bourcier Romain , Lindgren Antti , Desal Hubert , L’Allinec Vincent , Januel Anne Christine , Koivisto Timo , Jääskeläinen Juha E. , Slot Emma M.H. , Mensing Liselore , Zuithoff Nicolaas P.A. , Milot Geneviève , Algra Ale , Rinkel Gabriël J.E. , Ruigrok Ynte
Published: January 2019

Background and Purpose—

Intracranial aneurysm (IA) size and location are important determinants of aneurysm rupture risk. In familial IAs there is concordance of location; however, if such concordance exists for size is unknown. We analyzed the concordance of aneurysm size at time of rupture in familial IAs.

Methods—

In pairs of affected relatives with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, the ratio between the largest and the smallest aneurysm size at time of rupture was calculated. We also compared the proportion of families in which both IAs ruptured at a size < or ≥7 mm with the proportion of families in which one IA ruptured at <7 mm and another ≥7 mm. We calculated the repeatability with corresponding 95% CI for aneurysm size at time of rupture.

Results—

About 130 patients from 64 families were included. Of the 68 affected pairs 18 (26%) had a ratio ≤1.2, 38 (57%) had a ratio >1.2, and 12 (17%) had a ratio ≥3. We found no difference between the proportion of families (n=31; 49%) who both had IA at time of rupture <7 mm (n=20; 31%) or both ≥7 mm (n=11; 18%) and the proportion of those families with one patient with an IA <7 mm and another with an IA ≥7 mm (n=33; 51%;
P
=0.86). Overall, the repeatability in aneurysm size at rupture within familial IAs was 0.10 (95% CI, 0–0.35).

Conclusions—

There is no good concordance in aneurysm size at rupture within familial IAs. These data suggest that size of a ruptured IA in a family member should not significantly impact on the management of a familial unruptured IA in a relative.
Marine n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and the Risk of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Venø Stine K. , Bork Christian S. , Jakobsen Marianne U. , Lundbye-Christensen Søren , McLennan Peter L. , Bach Flemming W. , Overvad Kim , Schmidt Erik B.
Published: January 2019

Background and Purpose—

We hypothesized that total marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), in particular eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the diet and in adipose tissue (biomarkers of long-term intake and endogenous exposure) were inversely associated with the risk of ischemic stroke and its subtypes.

Methods—

The Diet, Cancer and Health cohort consisted of 57 053 participants aged 50 to 65 years at enrolment. All participants filled in a food frequency questionnaire and had an adipose tissue biopsy taken at baseline. Information on ischemic stroke during follow-up was obtained from The Danish National Patient Register, and all cases were validated. Cases and a random sample of 3203 subjects from the whole cohort had their fatty acid composition of adipose tissue determined by gas chromatography.

Results—

During 13.5 years of follow-up 1879 participants developed an ischemic stroke. Adipose tissue content of EPA was inversely associated with total ischemic stroke (hazard ratio [HR], 0.74; 95% CI, 0.62–0.88) when comparing the highest with the lowest quartile. Also, lower rates of large artery atherosclerosis were seen with higher intakes of total marine n-3 PUFA (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50–0.95), EPA (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48–0.91) and DHA (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53–0.99), and higher adipose tissue content of EPA (HR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.36–0.76). Higher rates of cardioembolism were seen with higher intakes of total marine n-3 PUFA (HR, 2.50; 95% CI, 1.38–4.53) and DHA (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.21–3.69) as well as with higher adipose tissue content of total marine n-3 PUFA (HR, 2.63; 95% CI, 1.33–5.19) and DHA (HR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.04–3.84). The EPA content in adipose tissue was inversely associated with small-vessel occlusion (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55–0.88).

Conclusions—

EPA was associated with lower risks of most types of ischemic stroke, apart from cardioembolism, while inconsistent findings were observed for total marine n-3 PUFA and DHA.
Holoparasitic Orobanchaceae (Cistanche, Diphelypaea, Orobanche, Phelipanche) in Armenia: distribution, habitats, host range and taxonomic problems
Authors: PIWOWARCZYK RENATA , SÁNCHEZ PEDRAJA ÓSCAR , MORENO MORAL GONZALO , FAYVUSH GEORGE , ZAKARYAN NARINE , KARTASHYAN NUNE , ALEKSANYAN ALLA
Published: January 2019

The species of holoparasitic genera from the family Orobanchaceae have a specific lifestyle associated with the host, greatly reduced vegetative organs, very variable features and quickly lose their color, resulting in difficulties and mistakes in identification. This study represents the first comprehensive monograph of 36 species from the four holoparasitic genera, Cistanche, Diphelypaea, Phelipanche and Orobanche (Orobanchaceae), in Armenia. This country, as a part of the Caucasus, is one of the most important biodiversity centers in the world, a diversity which includes rich and insufficiently understood holoparasitic plants. Our investigations were based on five years of field work in the Caucasus, and complemented by examination of ca. 1200 herbarium sheets with ca. 3000 specimens from 37 herbaria. We present information on distribution, list of localities, habitat, phenology, host range, taxonomic clarification, illustrations and descriptions for problematic ones, images from the field, proposals for new synonymisations, new combination Phelipanche cernua subsp. sinaica (Beck) Piwow., Ó. Sánchez & Moreno Mor., 20 lectotypes, two epitypes, one neotype are designated here, as well as a key and geospatial conservation assessments for all species based on IUCN criteria.
Implementing a community-based task-shifting psychosocial intervention for individuals with psychosis in Chile: Perspectives from users
Authors: Agrest Martin , Le PhuongThao D , Yang Lawrence H , Mascayano Franco , Alves-Nishioka Silvia , Dev Saloni , Kankan Tanvi , Tapia-Muñoz Thamara , Sawyer Samantha , Toso-Salman Josefina , Dishy Gabriella A , Jorquera Maria Jose , Schilling Sara , Pratt Charissa , Price LeShawndra , Valencia Eliecer , Conover Sarah , Alvarado Ruben , Susser Ezra S
Published: January 2019

Background:

Latin America, and Chile in particular, has a rich tradition of community mental health services and programs. However, in vivo community-based psychosocial interventions, especially those with a recovery-oriented approach, remain scarce in the region. Between 2014 and 2015, a Critical Time Intervention-Task Shifting project (CTI-TS) was implemented in Santiago, Chile, as part of a larger pilot randomized control trial. CTI is a time-limited intervention delivered at a critical-time to users, is organized by phases, focuses on specific objectives and decreases in intensity over time. CTI-TS, which combines both the task-shifting strategy and the use of peers, introduces a novel approach to community mental health care that has not yet been tried in Chile.

Aims:

We aim to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and applicability of such a community-based psychosocial intervention in urban settings in Latin America – specifically, in Santiago (Chile) from a user perspective.

Method:

We analyzed 15 in-depth interviews ( n = 15) with service users who participated in the intervention about their perceptions and experiences with CTI-TS through thematic analysis.

Results:

Three themes were revealed. The first was related to the structural characteristics of CTI-TS, especially regarding the timing, duration and phasic nature of the intervention. The second pertained to the acceptability of the in vivo community-based approach. The third theme dealt with the task-shifting aspect, that is, users’ perceptions of the peer support workers and the community mental health workers.

Conclusions:

CTI-TS was generally acceptable in this Latin American context. Users’ perspectives pointed to the need to make adjustments to some of the structural characteristics of the CTI model and to combine this type of intervention with others that can address stigma. Thus, future adaptations of CTI-TS or similar psychosocial interventions in Latin American contexts are feasible and can enhance community mental health in the region.
Frugality Is Hard to Afford
Authors: Orhun A. Yeşim , Palazzolo Mike
Published: January 2019

Intertemporal savings strategies, such as bulk buying or accelerating purchase timing to take advantage of a good deal, provide long-term savings in exchange for an increase in immediate spending. Although households with limited financial resources stand to benefit the most from these strategies, they are less likely to make use of them. The authors provide causal evidence that liquidity constraints impede low-income households’ ability to use these strategies, above and beyond the impact of other constraints. Exploiting recurring variation in household liquidity, this study shows that when low-income households have more liquidity, they partially catch up to higher-income households’ ability to use intertemporal savings strategies. The findings provide guidance to marketing managers and researchers regarding targeted promotional design and measurement of deal-proneness. For policy makers, they suggest a new path for decreasing the higher prices low-income households have been documented to pay for everyday goods. Policies have traditionally focused on increasing financial literacy or access to supermarkets. Our work suggests that providing greater liquidity can help low-income households make better use of savings opportunities already available to them.
From Impressions to Intentions: Direct and Indirect Effects of Police Contact on Willingness to Report Crimes to Law Enforcement
Authors: Rengifo Andres F. , Slocum Lee Ann , Chillar Vijay
Published: January 2019

Objectives:

Crime reporting intentions have been associated with ratings of police legitimacy and effectiveness. Less is known about the role of personal encounters with police. We explore this issue by specifying associations between reporting intentions and type of contact (involuntary/voluntary), scope (cumulative/recent), and appraisal (respect/satisfaction with last encounter).

Methods:

This study draws on surveys of young adults in New York City ( N = 508) and uses structural equation modeling to examine correlates of crime reporting intentions.

Results:

Respondents with more stops are less willing to report, and this effect is both direct and indirect, operating primarily via legitimacy. The association between reporting intentions and variety of voluntary contacts is direct and positive. Negative appraisals of recent stops are associated with lower reporting intentions but only indirectly; feelings of disrespect in recent stops are mediated by perceptions of legitimacy. Dissatisfaction with a recent voluntary contact is related to negative views of police effectiveness, but effectiveness does not shape reporting intentions. Instead, disrespectful voluntary contact has a direct negative relationship with reporting attitudes.

Conclusion:

The results underscore the importance of better-specifying contact with the police, as reporting intentions and related perceptions of law enforcement vary across experience and appraisal mechanisms.
Systematic Review of Ovarian Activity and Potential for Embryo Formation and Loss during the Use of Hormonal Contraception
Authors: Harrison Donna , Buskmiller Cara , Chireau Monique , Ruppersberger Lester A. , Yeung Patrick P.
Published: January 2019

The purpose of this review was to determine whether there is evidence that ovulation can occur in women using hormonal contraceptives and whether these drugs might inhibit implantation. We performed a systematic review of the published English-language literature from 1990 to the present which included studies on the hormonal milieu following egg release in women using any hormonal contraceptive method. High circulating estrogens and progestins in the follicular phase appear to induce dysfunctional ovulation, where follicular rupture occurs but is followed by low or absent corpus luteum production of progesterone. Hoogland scoring of ovulatory activity may inadvertently obscure the reality of ovum release by limiting the term “ovulation” to those instances where follicular rupture is followed by production of a threshold level of luteal progesterone, sufficient to sustain fertilization, implantation, and the end point of a positive β-human chorionic gonadotropin. However, follicular ruptures and egg release with subsequent low progesterone output have been documented in women using hormonal contraception. In the absence of specific ovulation and fertilization markers, follicular rupture should be considered the best marker for egg release and potential fertilization. Women using hormonal contraceptives may produce more eggs than previously described by established criteria; moreover, suboptimal luteal progesterone production may be more likely than previously acknowledged, which may contribute to embryo loss. This information should be included in informed consent for women who are considering the use of hormonal contraception.

For this study, the authors looked at English-language research articles that focused on how hormonal birth control, such as the birth control pill, may affect very early human embryos. The authors found that abnormal ovulation, or release of an egg followed by abnormal hormone levels, may often occur in women using hormonal birth control. This may increase the number of very early human embryos who are lost before a pregnancy test becomes positive. For women who are thinking about using hormonal birth control, this is important information to consider.
Considering Conversion: The Aftermath of Oral Contraceptives
Authors: Markette JoAnn Alicia Foley
Published: January 2019

In Humanae vitae, Pope Paul VI predicted conjugal infidelity and a loss of respect for women as grave societal consequences through severing the once-connected unitive and procreative goods of conjugal love by using artificial birth control. Almost sixty years after the Food and Drug Administration approved the artificial birth control pill for contraceptive use, these predictions have grown roots. Unfortunately, turning our backs on God’s plan for sexuality has disrupted our planet beyond the moral realm and affects the health of women, the health of society, and the health of wildlife in profound and tangible ways. Conversion refers to a change of heart, mind, and behavior concerning the stewardship of the body and creation. As opposed to artificial birth control, no known environmental or personal health risks exist in relation to natural family planning methods. Evangelization with subsequent conversion offers hope in overcoming these concerns surrounding artificial birth control pills, concerns which contribute to maladies in the female body, in society, and in nature. Too many wrestle against Catholic Church teaching prohibiting artificial birth control for birth regulation. However, because humans always have the power of choice in moral acts, our culture is not held captive by the current negative consequences that Pope Paul IV’s predicted in Humanae vitae. As mindful stewards of our bodies and of the created world, we have the option of conversion toward truth, which continually beckons and invites.
Bioethical and Moral Perspectives in Human Reproductive Medicine
Authors: Turner Joseph V. , McLindon Lucas A.
Published: January 2019

A reductive reading of Humanae vitae seeks to limit its appeal to a ban on contraception. In truth, however, it offers a vision of human sexuality and conjugal love with broad and enduring relevance. In setting forth the intrinsic complementarity and irreducibility of the unitive and procreative dimensions of the conjugal act, Paul VI has given us a hermeneutical key for assessing many contemporary ethical dilemmas in human reproductive medicine. From this perspective, this article seeks to apply the logic of Humanae vitae to several real-life scenarios confronted by medical practitioners, educators, and ethicists working in the field of fertility and reproductive health. These include a consideration of the ethics of prescribing hormonal contraceptives, the possibilities of investigating male infertility, issues of cooperation in counseling and assisting conception in same-sex relationships, the ethics pertaining to assisted reproductive technology (ART), the contested case of prenatal adoption, and the application of double-effect reasoning.

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the promulgation of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae vitae, this article seeks to defend its enduring relevance to modern-day society, through application of its reasoning to contemporary dilemmas in reproductive medicine. It considers real cases of the ethics of prescribing hormonal contraceptives, of investigating male infertility, of cooperating in counseling and assisting conception in same-sex relationships, of ART, of prenatal adoption, and the application of double-effect reasoning.
Ambiguous skin ulcer on the ear pinna
Authors: Abdalla Nazar
Published: January 2019

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a parasitic disease which has a biphasic life cycle; infection by promastigotes from the sandfly reaches a wound where it is phagocytosed by macrophages, producing the amastigote (the Leishmania donovani body) in the host. A protozoan parasite transmitted by the phlebotomous sandfly causes human leishmaniasis. Cutaneous forms include classical cutaneous, mucocutaneous and post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis. It affects c. 300 million individuals in more than 90 nations around the globe.

The cutaneous form in the Old World is caused at low altitudes mainly by L. major (which has an animal reservoir, rodents such as mouse) and in swampy regions and high altitudes by L. tropica (which has no animal reservoir). L. aethiopica and L. major lead to disseminated ulcers in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, India, Tunisia, Sudan and Ethiopia, whose main electrophoretic isozyme pattern Zymodeme in Saudi Arabia is LON-4.
Using Multitheory Model to Predict Low-Salt Intake Among Nigerian Adults Living With Hypertension
Authors: Dokun-Mowete Christine A. , Sharma Manoj , Beatty Frazier
Published: January 2019

One of the public health recommendations for the management of hypertension is the reduction of sodium/salt intake. The purpose of this study was to use the novel multitheory model of health behavior change to predict the initiation and maintenance of low-salt intake among adult Nigerian hypertensives. A quantitative cross-sectional design utilizing a convenience sample of 149 consenting Nigerian adults living with hypertension were self-administered a valid and reliable 39-item instrument. Multivariate regression analysis revealed 40.6% of the variance in initiating the consumption of low-salt diets explained by advantages outweighing disadvantages, behavioral confidence, and changes in physical environment. About 41.8% of the variance to sustain the intake of low-salt diet was explained by emotional transformation, practice for change, and changes in social environment. The results justified the predictive role of multitheory model and adequacy of its utility to build evidence-based health education interventions for hypertension in Nigeria.
Making investors feel good during earnings conference calls: The effect of warm-glow rhetoric
Authors: Jancenelle Vivien E , Storrud-Barnes Susan F , Iaquinto Anthony
Published: January 2019

In recent years, earnings conference calls have become a popular disclosure tool through which top managers can provide more information to the market regarding the quarterly earnings of their firms. Although some research has indicated that the tone of earnings conference calls is crucial in mitigating investors’ negative reactions to earnings surprises, relatively little is still known about other rhetorical tactics that may be available for managers to create value during times of heightened earnings uncertainty. This article contends that warm-glow rhetoric may be another way to mitigate investors’ negative reactions to earnings surprises, as warm-glow theory suggests that individuals are willing to make suboptimal economic choices when they receive warm-glow payouts. Hypotheses drawing on warm-glow theory and the incremental useful information perspective are developed and tested using computer-assisted text analysis (CATA) and event study methodology on a longitudinal sample of 1920 calls, and it is suggested that warm-glow rhetoric positively moderates the relationship between earnings surprises and financial performance (as measured through cumulated abnormal returns). The findings illustrate how the warm-glow effect can be used as an unconventional, yet effective tactic with which managers can create market value. A discussion of the findings and their implications for theory and practice concludes the study.
Cannabis Use for Medicinal Purposes among Canadian University Students
Authors: Smith Jacqueline M. , Mader Joel , Szeto Andrew C. H. , Arria Amelia M. , Winters Ken C. , Wilkes T. Chris R.
Published: January 2019

Objective:

The study sought to describe a Canadian sample of university students’ medicinal use of cannabis, including prevalence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) and replacement of traditional treatments with cannabis.

Method:

A random sample of 4000 university students was asked to complete a cross-sectional web-based survey. The survey was completed by 2212 (average age 23.2 years, SD = 5.2 years), representing a 55.3% response rate. To be eligible, students had to be enrolled in a class on campus and were 18 years or older.

Result:

Half (52%) of respondents used cannabis at least once in their lifetime, with ∼11% reporting medicinal cannabis use. Recreational motives to use cannabis were common among medicinal users (85%), several (38%) replaced traditional medication with cannabis, and more than a third received authorization by a health care provider. Of the medicinal users, 13.6% met the criteria for CUD. Common ailments for medicinal cannabis use were anxiety, sleep problems, depression, and pain. When mental health–related categories are combined, 78.2% of medicinal users used for at least 1 mental health condition.

Conclusions:

Medicinal cannabis use occurs among university students. None of the ailments listed by medicinal users meet the Canadian Family Physicians prescribing guidelines, and most are not among those viewed by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine as having strong evidence for therapeutic value. The results raise concerns for health care providers who are authorizing or counselling patients’ considering medicinal cannabis.
Solving the screw compressor rotor-forming grinding wheel using the edge detection method based on the graphic method
Authors: Yang Jian , Sun Fang-Hong , Lu Zheng
Published: January 2019

As a complex grinding wheel for special use, the screw compressor rotor-forming grinding wheel needs to be designed according to the specific profile of the workpiece. The design process is complicated and difficult to grasp, and various design issues are likely to occur. This study is based on the design theory of helical rotor-forming grinding wheels. Here, disc-shaped forming grinding wheels for machining a helical surface were studied, with discrete point workpiece cross-sections as examples. MATLAB was used as the development tool, and the Unigraphics motion simulation function was applied to establish a 3D model of screw rotors and design the forming grinding wheel for machining the helical surface. Additionally, the edge shape of the grinding wheel obtained with the analytical method and the edge shape obtained with the edge detection method based on the graphic method and the alpha-shape algorithm were compared. The results of this comparison show that the edge shape of the grinding wheel obtained by the edge detection method had high precision and was easy to solve. This method can also be used for the design of other similar conjugated products such as gears, worms, and grinding wheels. The research findings provide important reference value for the design and machining of screw rotors and grinding wheels.
Systematic Review and Meta- regression Analysis of Technical Efficiency of Agricultural Production Systems
Authors: Nandy Anirban , Singh Piyush Kumar , Singh Alok Kumar
Published: January 2019

The existing state of over-utilization of input resources affected the efficient production of the agricultural output, which created a challenge for the profitability of the farming community as well as sustainability of different agricultural production systems (APSs). Hence, it is crucial to explore the important input variables, which affect farming efficiency across different APSs. In past studies, data envelopment analysis (DEA) has been used extensively to estimate the mean technical efficiency (MTE) of agricultural farms. In this study, a meta-regression analysis has been performed to examine variables that affect the MTE variation in 100 studies. The selected studies have been classified based on the study period, farm location, journals, product type, sample size and their outcomes. Results revealed that the year of study, location and sample size were not significant, whereas agricultural products such as vegetables, fruits, flowers and livestock significantly affected the performance of MTE across studies. These empirical results establish the importance of related variables in the MTE estimation of different APSs, which will lead and assist better-quality future research in the agricultural efficiency domain.
Active vibration control of motorized spindle based on mixed H∞/Kalman filter robust state feedback control
Authors: He Ye , Chen Xiaoan , Liu Zhi , Chen Yi
Published: January 2019

In its working process, a high-speed motorized spindle bearing-rotor system is affected by a variety of vibration excitations, which severely affect the machining precision and reliability. In view of the problems in the active vibration control of current smart-material-based bearing-rotor systems and based on the structural layout of a piezoelectric device and a controlled bearing-rotor system, a bearing was directly connected to a piezoelectric actuator via a sleeve, which improved the working efficiency of the piezoelectric stack actuator. Furthermore, to improve the robustness of the system’s vibration control performance under different external excitations (e.g., cutting force and mass unbalance), uncertainties in internal parameters (changes in bearing stiffness and stiffness nonlinearity of piezoelectric materials), process and measure noises, a mixed state feedback algorithm based on [Formula: see text] norm optimization and a Kalman filter observer with state disturbance estimation was established. The dynamic and robust performance of the proposed method was compared with that of the linear quadratic Gaussian optimal control methods and [Formula: see text] output feedback control method through both simulation and experiment by changing the piezoelectric stacks without changing the control program.
Conditional Reasoning: A Review and Suggestions for Future Test Development and Validation
Authors: LeBreton James M. , Grimaldi Elizabeth M. , Schoen Jeremy L.
Published: January 2019

Lawrence R. James spent the last 20 years of his 35-year career developing and validating a new theory of personality that he called conditional reasoning. This theory was focused on mapping and measuring core aspects of the implicit (i.e., unconscious) personality. In this article, we (a) review James’s seminal contributions to the theory and measurement of conditional reasoning, (b) discuss subsequent contributions made in the area of conditional reasoning, and (c) provide a brief “look under the hood” at James’s approach to test development and validation. This final section of our paper is designed to familiarize other researchers with the protocols that James and his colleagues have used over the past 20 years. Many of these protocols have gone unmentioned or only briefly acknowledged (e.g., in conference presentations or informal meetings); indeed, many of these validation protocols were “implicit” in the thinking of James and his approach to the study of personality. Having benefited from working closely with James, we were privy to many of these implicit assumptions and protocols that privately guided James’s early work on conditional reasoning.
New analytical approach for buckling of composite sandwich pipes with iso-grid core under uniform external lateral pressure
Authors: Shahgholian-Ghahfarokhi Davoud , Rahimi Gholamhossein
Published: January 2019

In this paper, a new analytical approach is developed for buckling of composite sandwich pipes with iso-grid core under uniform external lateral pressure. Firstly, the stiffness contributions of iso-grid cores are evaluated through the new force and moment effect analysis. Then, iso-grid core is transformed into a solid pipe, as the middle layer of the sandwich pipe. The outer, inner, and middle pipes are transformed into an equivalent single-walled pipe. Therefore, composite sandwich pipe with iso-grid core is equalized with a single-walled pipe of the same stiffness. The Rayleigh–Ritz energy method is used to calculate the critical buckling pressure of the composite sandwich pipes with iso-grid cores. The efficiency and accuracy of the presented approach are confirmed by comparing the analytical solutions with finite element results obtained from ABAQUS and other works, showing a good agreement with each other. A parametric study is then carried out to investigate the effect of the scale of the structure, outer and inner pipes ply stacking sequence, radius to total thickness ratio, stiffener to outer and inner pipe thicknesses ratio, and stiffener angle on the buckling of sandwich pipes. Finally, applications of the present approach were demonstrated for designing of tending toward constant various structural applications such as offshore pipelines.
Slurry jet erosion performance of high-velocity flame-sprayed nano mixed Ni-40Al2O3 coating in aggressive environment
Authors: Sharma Vibhu , Kaur Manpreet , Bhandari Sanjeev
Published: January 2019

Hydro turbine components are subjected to severe erosion especially during the rainy season in the Himalayan region. To protect the CA6NM turbine steel, an attempt has been made to develop the Ni-40Al2O3 composite coating using a high-velocity flame spray process. To lower the porosity, the coating was developed by mixing two different sizes (viz. micron and nano) of alumina (Al2O3) reinforcement with 60 wt.% Ni as the base powder. The characterization of the as-sprayed coating was done by scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and PANalytical X-ray diffraction technique, whereas mechanical characterization was done for the evaluation of microhardness, bond strength, and surface roughness. The performance of the developed coating was compared with uncoated steel on slurry jet erosion test rig under accelerated conditions by varying the three parameters, viz. slurry concentration, erodent size, and impact velocity. Ni-40Al2O3 coating was found to be effective for minimizing the erosion rate in comparison with the uncoated steel. Scanning electron microscopy of eroded coatings mainly reveals the brittle type of signature on the coating.
Book Review: Chambers, Robert. 2017: Can We Know Better? Reflections for Development
Authors: Cochrane Logan
Published: January 2019

Chambers, Robert. 2017: Can We Know Better? Reflections for Development. Warwickshire: Practical Action Publishing. 194 pp. £9.45 (Paperback). ISBN: 9781853399459.
Science by streetlight and the OECD’s measure of global competence: A new yardstick for internationalisation?
Authors: Auld Euan , Morris Paul
Published: January 2019

Educational institutions have been among the most active social organisations responding to and facilitating processes associated with globalisation. This has primarily been undertaken through the attempts of schools and universities to ‘internationalise’ their student intake, staffing, curricula, research, and assessment systems. Amongst the many benefits associated with the promotion of ‘internationalisation’ is that it will provide students with attributes such as global citizenship, skills or competencies that will contribute to improving tolerance, respect and harmony between nations and cultures. Various nations and global agencies actively promote such goals and global citizenship is included in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Positioned as a response to the Sustainable Development Goals, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has developed a metric to compare the ‘global competency’ of 15-year-old pupils, which was incorporated into the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018. We analyse the rationales for this decision, the conception of ‘global competence’ adopted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and how these have changed since its inception in 2013. We also explore how it will be measured and how the organisation deals with what it describes as ‘the most salient challenge affecting PISA’. We argue: (i) the official conception of ‘global competence’ finally adopted was strongly influenced by the organisation’s quest to position itself as the agency responsible for monitoring progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and then amended to match what could be easily measured; and (ii) although the organisation presents its global competencies using a humanitarian discourse, it is framed by its economic mission.