bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First Morning Voided Urinary Gonadotropin Measurements as an Alternative to the GnRH Test
Authors: Demir And , Voutilainen Raimo , Stenman Ulf-Håkan , Dunkel Leo , Albertsson-Wikland Kerstin , Norjavaara Ensio
Published: March 2016

Aims: We studied whether first morning voided (FMV) urinary gonadotropin measurements could be used as a noninvasive alternative to the GnRH test in the assessment of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function in children. Methods: In a single-center study, we compared FMV urinary gonadotropin concentrations with basal and GnRH-stimulated serum gonadotropin levels in 274 children and adolescents (78 girls, 196 boys) aged 5-17 years referred for growth and pubertal disorders. The concordance between FMV urinary gonadotropin concentrations and GnRH test results was assessed. Results: FMV urinary LH (U-LH), urinary FSH (U-FSH) and their ratios correlated well with the corresponding basal and GnRH-stimulated serum parameters (r ≥ 0.66, p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses using urinary and serum LH and FSH concentrations showed that FMV U-LH and U-LH/U-FSH performed equally well as the GnRH test in the differentiation of early puberty (Tanner stage 2) from prepuberty (Tanner stage 1) (area under the curve 0.768-0.890 vs. 0.712-0.858). FMV U-LH and U-LH/U-FSH performed equally well as basal serum LH in predicting a pubertal GnRH test result (area under the curve 0.90-0.93). Conclusion: FMV U-LH determination can be used for the evaluation of pubertal development and its disorders, reducing the need for invasive GnRH stimulation tests.
Characterization and Activation of NLRP3 Inflammasomes in the Renal Medulla in Mice
Authors: Xia Min , Abais Justine M. , Koka Saisudha , Meng Nan , Gehr Todd W. , Boini Krishna M. , Li Pin-Lan
Published: March 2016

Background/Aims: Recent studies have indicated that local inflammatory mediators are importantly involved in the regulation of renal function. However, it remains unknown how such local inflammation is triggered intracellularly in the kidney. The present study was designed to characterize the inflammasome centered by Nlrp3 in the kidney and also test the effect of its activation in the renal medulla. Methods and Results: By immunohistochemistry analysis, we found that inflammasome components, Nlrp3, Asc and caspase-1, were ubiquitously distributed in different kidney areas. The caspase-1 activity and IL-1β production were particularly high in the renal outer medulla compared to other kidney regions. Further confocal microscopy and RT-PCR analysis showed that Nlrp3, Asc and caspase-1 were particularly enriched in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. In anesthetized mice, medullary infusion of Nlrp3 inflammasome activator, monosodium urate (MSU), induced significant decreases in sodium excretion and medullary blood flow without changes in mean arterial blood pressure and renal cortical blood flow. Caspase-1 inhibitor, Ac-YVAD-CMK and deletion of Nlrp3 or Asc gene abolished MSU-induced decreases in renal sodium excretion and MBF. Conclusion: Our results indicate that renal medullary Nlrp3 inflammasomes represent a new regulatory mechanism of renal MBF and sodium excretion which may not depend on classical inflammatory response.
Implantation of the Auditory Nerve via the Middle Ear Cavity in Rats with Partial Hearing Preservation
Authors: Guigou Caroline , Leterme Gaëlle , Pasquis Bruno , Martin Laurent , Tourrel Guillaume , Bretillon Lionel , Bozorg Grayeli Alexis
Published: March 2016

The aim of this study was to evaluate the residual hearing function and cochlear morphology after auditory nerve implantation via middle ear spaces in rats. A titanium rod (1.5 mm long and 0.3 mm thick) coated with Parylene was inserted in the cochlear apex in the direction of the modiolus in 9 Wistar rats. Auditory brainstem-evoked responses to tone bursts at 2, 8, 12 and 32 kHz were recorded before surgery and on postoperative days 0, 2, 15 and 30. Eight cochleas were examined microscopically. The rod was inside the modiolus in 4, and partly or totally outside the modiolus in 4 animals. Residual hearing was present in all cases. The average threshold shift in cochleas with modiolar implant was 39 ± 11.2, 54 ± 9.7, 48 ± 20.3 and 43 ± 21.3 dB SPL on postoperative days 0, 2, 15 and 30, respectively. The transmodiolar approach allows a minimally invasive cochlear implantation and a partial hearing preservation.
Prevalence of Skin and Skin-Related Diseases in the Rochester Epidemiology Project and a Comparison with Other Published Prevalence Studies
Authors: Andersen Louise K. , Davis Mark D.P.
Published: March 2016

In Olmsted County, Minn., USA, reliable, population-based epidemiologic research studies can be performed because of a unique medical records linkage system, the Rochester Epidemiology Project (REP). Our objective was to summarize the epidemiologic data describing the prevalence of skin and skin-related diseases derived from the REP and to compare the findings with those from other studies worldwide. Retrospectively, we reviewed the results of population-based REP studies reporting the prevalence of skin and skin-related diseases over more than 4 decades and compared them to other published prevalences globally. Prevalences from the REP reported per 100,000 persons were as follows: hidradenitis suppurativa, 130.0; psoriasis, 700.0; psoriatic arthritis in 1992, 100.0, and in 2000, 160.0; Behçet disease, 5.2; scleroderma, 13.8; dermatomyositis, 21.42; systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), from 30.5 to 122.0 suspected SLE, 32.8; combined SLE, 41.8; discoid lupus erythematosus, 27.6, and cutaneous lupus erythematosus, 70.4 and 73.2 (from 2 studies). Many of the population-based prevalences of specific skin and skin-related diseases derived from the REP are different from those estimated globally. Suggested reasons for disparity in the prevalences globally may include differences in the type of reported prevalence, study methodology, geographic areas, ethnic groups, age distribution, and socioeconomic status.
Diabetes mellitus, CYP2C19 genotype, and response to escalating doses of clopidogrel
Authors: Carreras Edward , Hochholzer Willibald , Frelinger Andrew , Nordio Francesco , O’Donoghue Michelle , Wiviott Stephen , Angiolillo Dominick , Michelson Alan , Sabatine Marc , Mega Jessica
Published: March 2016

Both diabetes mellitus (DM) and carriage of the CYP2C19*2 allele are associated with a reduced response to clopidogrel. The relative contributions of these factors and whether higher clopidogrel doses can overcome both factors remain unknown. The objective of this study was to test the ability of clopidogrel doses up to 300 mg daily to decrease platelet reactivity in patients with DM and/or CYP2C19*2. ELEVATE-TIMI 56 randomised 333 patients with coronary artery disease to different maintenance doses of clopidogrel in four treatment periods, each lasting approximately 14 days. On-treatment platelet reactivity was compared between patients stratified by DM, CYP2C19*2 status and clopidogrel dose. Both DM and CYP2C19*2 were independently associated with elevated on-treatment platelet reactivity with clopidogrel 75 mg daily (p<0.0001 for each). With 75 mg, mean on-treatment PRU was progressively higher (p trend <0.001) when evaluating patients: with neither DM nor CYP2C19*2 (150.7; 95 % CI 140.5–162.6), with only DM (187.2; 95 % CI, 171.3–206.9), with only CYP2C19*2 (227.9; 95 % CI, 205.1–250.8), and with both DM and CYP2C19*2 (239.9; 95 % CI, 209.7–270.1). Notably, with 75 mg, patients with only CYP2C19*2 had higher ontreatment platelet reactivity than those with only DM (p=0.0068). To achieve on-treatment platelet reactivity similar to that seen with clopidogrel 75 mg in patients with neither DM nor CYP2C19*2, the following doses were required: 150 mg with only DM, 225 mg with only CYP2C19*2, and 300 mg with both DM and CYP2C19*2. Patients with both DM and CYP2C19*2 required a four-fold increase in clopidogrel maintenance dose as compared to patients without these factors to achieve a similar antiplatelet response.
Experimentally altered plumage brightness of female tree swallows: a test of the differential allocation hypothesis
Authors: Berzins Lisha L. , Dawson Russell D.
Published: March 2016

The differential allocation hypothesis posits that individuals should invest in the current reproductive attempt according to the attractiveness of their mate, but studies of allocation by males when female traits are manipulated to be more attractive are lacking. In the current study, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) relative to controls to examine whether males adjust investment in parental care according to female attractiveness, while simultaneously performing a brood size manipulation. Contrary to our predictions, we found no evidence that males provisioned nestlings according to the plumage brightness of females. However, we found that nestling quality and fledging success were lowest when female plumage brightness was reduced and brood size was enlarged. This may be due to the plumage brightness treatment influencing agonistic interactions with other females, and may suggest that plumage brightness is a signal assessed by females.
The eu–Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee and Turkey’s eu Accession Process
Authors: Scotti Valentina Rita
Published: March 2016

After the Treaties of Rome in 1957, Turkey started negotiations with the European Communities to define a framework for cooperation. The result was the Ankara Agreement (1965), which established economic cooperation and provided for an eu–Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee (jpc), conceived as a discussion forum to encourage the democratic transition of Turkey. This article analyses the main phases and obstacles in Turkey’s accession process, focusing on relations between the European Parliament and the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and on the effectiveness of European Parliament and jpc activities. The analysis particularly considers the respect for the Copenhagen political criteria with regard to minorities’ rights, the Cyprus dispute, and the role of religion in Turkey. The concluding remarks discuss the European Parliament’s role in overcoming the current deadlock in the Turkish accession process.
The Case Study of the Land of Navahrudak
Authors: Kananovich Uladzimir
Published: March 2016

The paper examines the process of forging a new historical memory in a particular area of the late medieval and early modern Eastern Europe. Because of contemporary intellectual controversy in present-day Lithuania and Belarus over its role in the early Grand Duchy of Lithuania, I have chosen for the study the historical land of Navahrudak. In order to elucidate the role of Navahrudak in the past, I have tried to investigate what a ruling class in Navahrudak did really remember of its past, as well as what was forgotten and why, in the specific conditions of the early sixteenth-century of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. First of all, by utilizing primarily such historical evidence as chronicles and by focusing mainly on the memories of dukes who had ruled in the region, I tried to understand the process of how the region’s historical memory was being forged. My research clearly reveals that most of what we actually know about Navahrudak’s past appears as nothing else as the sixteenth-century construction, initiated primarily by the contemporary Lithuanian chancellor Albertus Gastoldus and forged by a remarkable team of Renaissance intellectuals employed in the grand ducal chancellery. Their vision of the region’s past was greatly influenced by the actual political, social and even personal (familial) considerations and was clearly aimed at glorifying Navahrudak’s past, by highlighting especially Navahrudak as Lithuania’s first political center, where Albertus Gastoldus had began his political career and where also the political and economical interests of his kin were located.
Conquest, Borders, Geopolitics
Authors: Filyushkin Alexander
Published: March 2016

Livonian War (1558–83) was not a local Baltic war, but a European conflict. What was the place of Livonian War in the context of European wars of the 16th century? Europe in this era experienced colonial wars, wars of independence, religious wars, Turkish wars etc. The Livonian War bears the strongest resemblance to Italian wars of 1494–1559. Those were wars about tying microstates to new monarchies. In part, a similar process took place in Livonia. It was a microstate with an obsolete socio-political hierarchy unable to fight back (the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order). Several new European monarchies, including Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, Denmark, and Russia, sought to divide it. Russia’s participation in the conflict set it apart from the Italian Wars. Europe immediately and unconditionally recognized the right of the Jagiellon, Oldenburg, and Vasa dynasties (but not that of the Rurikide dynasty) to divide the Baltic. Livonian War was also a more complex multi-faceted phenomenon for new European monarchies (especially for Sweden and Denmark), than it was a war similar to Italian wars of the first half of the sixteenth century (that is, a war for the takeover of microstates by stronger and more modern kingdoms going through a phase of active development). The same can be said of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in that it went through this active phase during the Livonian War and formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Poland also positioned itself as a state whose higher mission was to act as a shield protecting the “Christendom” from “Eastern barbarians,” among whom Russians were numbered, portrayed in a similar fashion to Turks. For Russia, this war evolved from a local border conflict to a war for the annexation of the Baltic States, and finally, for Russians, the war became a holy war against a foreign foe.
A Special Sort of Forgetting
Authors: Rosengart Daniel
Published: March 2016

The development from a positive, dualistic theory of memory and forgetting to a concept of memory that includes forgetting as a variety of remembering is traced in two thinkers. Freud’s concept of repression is discussed as a complex negation of both remembering and forgetting, and the development of this construct is shown in his letters to Wilhelm Fliess. A close reading of Augustine of Hippo’s Confessions shows a similar concept of a special sort of forgetting, in which what is forgotten is remembered nonetheless. Finally, the limits of the comparison are discussed, and a reading of Freud’s “Negation” reveals ways in which the unconscious is fundamentally unlike Augustine’s interiority.
Feminicide in Mexico: An approach through academic, activist and artistic work
Authors: Castañeda Salgado Martha Patricia
Published: March 2016

In recent decades, the incidence of feminicidio has been interwoven with increasing social and structural violence in Mexico, which has resulted in the need to stress its specificity to prevent the violent murders of women going unpunished. Feminicidio has become a topic of academic, political, social and cultural reflection not only due to its alarming prevalence in the country, but also because of the complexity of its characteristics. This article aims to show some relevant academic, activist and artistic approaches within the Mexican context.
Birds in the Roman sky: Shooting for the sublime in La Grande Bellezza
Authors: Mecchia Giuseppina
Published: March 2016

The movie La Grande Bellezza stages the most recognizable sights and sounds of the city of Rome, in a referential gesture that brings us back to the past glories of Italian cinema. This is why the movie has been accused of pandering to foreign – mostly American – audiences, an accusation that was in fact encouraged, rather than prevented, by the winning of the 2014 Oscar as best foreign movie. This essay argues, instead, that Paolo Sorrentino anchors his movie in the aesthetics of the sublime as a profoundly ethical category, based in our emotional and affective response to infinity and loss. In the movie, Rome not only serves as a postcard-like, picturesque backdrop for a sublime perception of historical time; the city’s skies open up to inhuman and even saintly figures, and remind us that what is needed in today’s Italy falls nothing short of a profound ethical and political reformation.
The Voices of Parents
Authors: Blustein Carly L. , Carter Erik W. , McMillan Elise D.
Published: March 2016

The expectations of parents can shape the post-school pathways of young people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Yet little is known about how parents view the employment prospects and priorities of their sons and daughters after high school. We examined expectations, preferences, and concerns of 1,065 parents of children and youth with IDD (below age 22) related to outcomes after leaving high school. We found parents prioritized paid community employment over sheltered options, valued qualitative aspects of the workplace (e.g., personal fit and interaction opportunities) over common employment outcome metrics (e.g., pay and hours), and held substantial concerns about their child’s future employment success. We found that multiple factors shaped parental expectations and the extent to which their daughters or sons accessed early career development experiences. We offer recommendations for research and practice aimed at raising expectations for and access to community employment for young people with IDD.
Trace elements in skin-contact clothes and migration to artificial sweat: Risk assessment of human dermal exposure
Authors: Rovira Joaquim , Nadal Martí , Schuhmacher Marta , Domingo José L
Published: March 2016

The concentrations of a considerable number of trace elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ti, Tl, V and Zn) were determined in various skin-contact clothes (T-shirts, blouses, socks, baby pajamas and bodies) from the Catalan (Spain) market. In addition, migration experiments with artificial acidic sweat were conducted in order to establish the migration rates of these elements. High levels of Zn (186–5749 mg/kg) were found in zinc pyrithione labeled T-shirts, while high concentrations of Sb and Cr were found in polyester and black polyamide fabrics, respectively. An environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) confirmed the presence of Ag and Ti particles and aggregates in several clothing items. The use of the ESEM complemented the results of the elemental analysis and migration experiments. Dermal exposure to trace elements was subsequently calculated, and the human health risks were assessed. Antimony showed the highest mean hazard quotient (HQ = 0.4) for male and female adults wearing polyester clothes; for one of the examined items (polyester T-shirt) the HQ was even above the safety limit (HQ > 1). Exposure to Sb from polyester textile could mean potential health risks in subpopulation groups who frequently wear these clothes, and for long time periods. The migration experiments with artificial sweat showed to be essential for establishing the exposure to trace elements through cloth with direct contact with skin.
Fabrication, characterization and application of polypropylene macroporous mesh for repairing pelvic floor defects
Authors: Lu Yao , Dong Sheng-nan , Chen Yan-chun , Zhang Pei-hua , Tong Xiao-wen
Published: March 2016

The application of mesh to reconstruct pelvic floors is considered a state-of-the-art method for the treatment of pelvic floor dysfunction. Polypropylene (PP) is the most frequently used synthetic graft material in gynecology departments due to its good mechanical property and non-degradability. Pelvic repairing meshes are required to have good biocompatibility, stability and low shrinkage with sufficient softness. Meshes should also adhere to surrounding tissues to support pelvic organs after implantation. This work designed two kinds of lightweight PP macroporous meshes with different structures. The meshes were designed based on analyzing properties of Gynemesh® PS, which is a common pelvic repairing mesh in clinical use. The requirements of mesh design were as follows: mesh weight <45 g/m2, pore size >75 µm, porosity >60%. Two kinds of meshes were fabricated according to design requirements and named the S1 mesh and S2 mesh. Several structural parameters, including thickness, weight, pore size, porosity and mechanical properties, including bursting strength, tensile strength, suture pulling off force and flexibility, were tested and analyzed. S1 mesh and S2 mesh were then implanted in the onlay position of rabbits for 90 days. The biocompatibility was evaluated through operation situation, postoperative recovery, mesh adhesion, shrinkage, histological evaluation of mesh and surrounding tissues. The results revealed that the two kinds of meshes were both beneficial to promote tissue growth; most animals recovered well. However, S1 mesh had greater shrinkage, while there existed one case of infection in the S2 mesh group because of mesh folding.
Assembling desires: Synthetic biology and the wish to act at a distant time
Authors: Delgado Ana
Published: March 2016

Wonderful living things such as biological clocks, sensors, living cameras and switches are often presented as iconic designs in synthetic biology. The wonderfulness of such living things resides in their performative powers: they ‘count’, ‘memorise’ or ‘imprint’, and they do so by living. This paper explores design in synthetic biology. It follows a basic biological part, a BioBrick construction, situating it as an element of more complex socio-technical assemblages. The paper explores how living designs in synthetic biology are stabilized and given credit. Rather than producing static matters of fact, synthetic biology turns the dynamics of life itself into a matter of design. Arguably, living designs in synthetic biology displace the epistemic focus, moving its referential anchoring from ‘back’ in reality to ‘ahead’ in the future or from the natural organism to the possible living thing. A will to act at a distant time is inscribed in the living wonderful things of synthetic biology. The paper proposes a number of ways in which action is displaced towards the future within synthetic biology designs: as recursive innovation, potentiality, technological acceleration and anticipatory action. Matters of design in synthetic biology are justified on the premise that wished-for futures can be realized.
Caregiver outcomes and interventions: a systematic scoping review of the traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury literature
Authors: Baker Anne , Barker Samantha , Sampson Amanda , Martin Clarissa
Published: March 2016

Aim:

To identify factors reported with negative and positive outcomes for caregivers of the traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury cohorts, to investigate what interventions have been studied to support carers and to report what effectiveness has been found.

Methods:

Scoping systematic review. Electronic databases and websites were searched from 1990 to December 2015. Studies were agreed for inclusion using pre-defined criteria. Relevant information from included studies was extracted and quality assessment was completed. Data were synthesised using qualitative methods.

Results:

A total of 62 studies reported caregiver outcomes for the traumatic brain injury cohort; 51 reported negative outcomes and 11 reported positive outcomes. For the spinal cord injury cohort, 18 studies reported caregiver outcomes; 15 reported negative outcomes and three reported positive outcomes. Burden of care was over-represented in the literature for both cohorts, with few studies looking at factors associated with positive outcomes. Good family functioning, coping skills and social support were reported to mediate caregiver burden and promote positive outcomes. A total of 21 studies further described interventions to support traumatic brain injury caregivers and four described interventions to support spinal cord injury caregivers, with emerging evidence for the effectiveness of problem-solving training. Further research is required to explore the effects of injury severity of the care recipient, as well as caregiver age, on the outcome of the interventions.

Conclusion:

Most studies reported negative outcomes, suggesting that barriers to caregiving have been established, but not facilitators. The interventions described to support carers are limited and require further testing to confirm their effectiveness.
The effect of desvenlafaxine on cognitive functioning in employed outpatients with major depressive disorder: a substudy of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Reddy Sujana , Fayyad Rana , Edgar Chris J , Guico-Pabia Christine J , Wesnes Keith
Published: March 2016

The objective of this substudy was to examine the effect of desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day compared with placebo on cognitive function in employed outpatients with major depressive disorder. A total of 11/55 (20%) study sites in a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial administered cognitive assessments in memory, attention, and executive functioning domains using the cognitive drug research system. Changes from baseline were subjected to analysis of covariance with baseline levels as covariates, using last observation carried forward data. A significant improvement with desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day ( n=52) compared with placebo ( n=29) was observed on the quality of working memory composite measure (0.081 units (0.005, 0.156); P=0.0365) at last observation carried forward. Improvement from baseline on the speed of working memory composite was significant for desvenlafaxine (−226.6 msec (−316.7, −136.4); P<0.0001) and for placebo (−133.3 msec (−257.2, −9.4); P=0.0354); however, the treatment effect was not significant. No significant differences between groups were observed on composite measures for attention. Treatment of depression with desvenlafaxine 50 mg/day may improve aspects of cognitive functioning, including working memory.

Clinical Trial Registry No.: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT00824291
Predictive modeling and in vivo assessment of cerebral blood flow in the management of complex cerebral aneurysms
Authors: Walcott Brian P , Reinshagen Clemens , Stapleton Christopher J , Choudhri Omar , Rayz Vitaliy , Saloner David , Lawton Michael T
Published: March 2016

Cerebral aneurysms are weakened blood vessel dilatations that can result in spontaneous, devastating hemorrhage events. Aneurysm treatment aims to reduce hemorrhage events, and strategies for complex aneurysms often require surgical bypass or endovascular stenting for blood flow diversion. Interventions that divert blood flow from their normal circulation patterns have the potential to result in unintentional ischemia. Recent developments in computational modeling and in vivo assessment of hemodynamics for cerebral aneurysm treatment have entered into clinical practice. Herein, we review how these techniques are currently utilized to improve risk stratification and treatment planning.
Increased 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine in leukocyte DNA from patients with type 2 diabetes and microangiopathy
Authors: Ye Xiaozhen , Jiang Rong , Zhang Qianqian , Wang Ruifeng , Yang Cuihua , Ma Jian , Du Hong
Published: March 2016

Objective

To evaluate oxidative damage in leukocytes from patients with type 2 diabetes by examining 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) levels.

Methods

Patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls were assessed for demographic, clinical and biochemical characteristics. Levels of 8-OHdG in extracted leukocyte DNA were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

Of 108 patients with type 2 diabetes (56 with microangiopathy, 52 without) and 65 healthy controls, leukocyte 8-OHdG levels were higher in patients with type 2 diabetes versus controls (median ± interquartile range [IQR], 3.19 ± 2.17 versus 0.38 ± 1.00 ng/ml), and higher in patients with type 2 diabetes and microangiopathy versus those without microangiopathy (median ± IQR, 3.34 ± 1.87 versus 2.71 ± 2.26 ng/ml). Patients with type 2 diabetes and microangiopathy had higher serum creatinine and urinary albumin levels versus those without microangiopathy. Leukocyte 8-OHdG levels, duration of type 2 diabetes, albuminuria, use of insulin and use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) were independently associated with microangiopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes after adjustment for smoking.

Conclusions

Leukocyte oxidative DNA damage was high in patients with type 2 diabetes and microangiopathy. Presence of microangiopathy was associated with leukocyte 8-OHdG levels, duration of type 2 diabetes, albuminuria and use of ACE inhibitors/ARBs or insulin.
Guns, gangs and garrison communities in the politics of Jamaica
Authors: Edmonds Kevin
Published: March 2016

While traditional political rivalry in Jamaica can be traced back to pre-independence times, modern-day Jamaican politics have been overshadowed by Kingston’s influential ‘garrison communities’. In order to establish and maintain political dominance in key constituencies, the loyalty of impoverished but highly influential gangsters in Kingston’s ghettos was secured by the main political parties through the development of large scale, highly politicised and heavily armed public housing schemes – essentially operating as states within a state. This article examines the roots of Jamaica’s current crime epidemic, revealing that it is not just a story of drugs, gangs and guns, but has deeper connections to the CIA, the Cold War, and the efforts to marginalise the 1970s democratic socialist government of Michael Manley and his People’s National Party. Manley’s convincing electoral victory in 1972 deeply troubled the United States, as his open commitment to democratic socialism, implementing moderately progressive policies like the minimum wage and free education, and his close friendship with Fidel Castro placed Jamaica firmly in the crosshairs for American covert operations.
Abnormal tyrosine metabolism in chronic cluster headache
Authors: D’Andrea Giovanni , Leone Massimo , Bussone Gennaro , Fiore Paola Di , Bolner Andrea , Aguggia Marco , Saracco Maria Gabriella , Perini Francesco , Giordano Giuseppe , Gucciardi Antonina , Leon Alberta
Published: March 2016

Objective

Episodic cluster headache is characterized by abnormalities in tyrosine metabolism (i.e. elevated levels of dopamine, tyramine, octopamine and synephrine and low levels of noradrenalin in plasma and platelets.) It is unknown, however, if such biochemical anomalies are present and/or constitute a predisposing factor in chronic cluster headache. To test this hypothesis, we measured the levels of dopamine and noradrenaline together with those of elusive amines, such as tyramine, octopamine and synephrine, in plasma of chronic cluster patients and control individuals.

Methods

Plasma levels of dopamine, noradrenaline and trace amines, including tyramine, octopamine and synephrine, were measured in a group of 23 chronic cluster headache patients (10 chronic cluster ab initio and 13 transformed from episodic cluster), and 16 control participants.

Results

The plasma levels of dopamine, noradrenaline and tyramine were several times higher in chronic cluster headache patients compared with controls. The levels of octopamine and synephrine were significantly lower in plasma of these patients with respect to control individuals.

Conclusions

These results suggest that anomalies in tyrosine metabolism play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic cluster headache and constitute a predisposing factor for the transformation of the episodic into a chronic form of this primary headache.
Development and Validation of the Internet Gratification Scale for Adolescents
Authors: Dhir Amandeep , Chen Sufen , Nieminen Marko
Published: March 2016

The proliferation of Internet usage has motivated Internet researchers and practitioners to study possible gratifications underlying Internet use. Despite the fact that research examining Internet gratification is more than two decades old, no attempt has been made in the last decade to develop an instrument that has known reliability of scores and validity of inferences to examine the various Internet gratifications. To bridge this gap, the present study has estimated the reliability of scores and validity of inferences of a 27-item instrument, examining different Internet uses and gratification (U&G) among 1,914 adolescent Internet users. The development and validation process involved exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, examination of convergent and discriminant validity, and other measures of construct validity and reliability. The factor analyses revealed a six-factor structure, representing six Internet gratifications, namely, information seeking, exposure, connection, coordination, entertainment, and social influence. This instrument exhibits excellent internal reliability. The practical and theoretical contributions of this instrument are also presented.
Test-Taking Speed: Predictors and Implications
Authors: Lovett Benjamin J. , Lewandowski Lawrence J. , Potts Heather E.
Published: March 2016

Students often feel time pressure when taking tests, and students with disabilities are sometimes given extended time testing accommodations, but little research has been done on the factors that affect students’ test-taking speed. In the present study, 253 students at two colleges completed measures of processing speed, reading fluency, and self-reports of their reading and test-taking skills, as well as a standardized paper-and-pencil reading comprehension task. The time taken to complete the reading comprehension task was not significantly related to students’ accuracy on the task, but it was predicted by students’ reading fluency and by their self-reports of problems with timed reading/test-taking. Students’ processing speed did not significantly predict comprehension task completion time or accuracy when reading fluency and self-reports were held constant. We discuss the implications of these and other results for making determinations about extended time testing accommodations, as well as for future research studies.
Constructing Relationships Between Science and Practice in the Written Science Communication of the Washington State Wine Industry
Authors: Szymanski Erika Amethyst
Published: March 2016

Even as deficit model science communication falls out of favor, few studies question how written science communication constructs relationships between science and industry. Here, I investigate how textual microprocesses relate scientific research to industry practice in the Washington State wine industry, helping (or hindering) winemakers and wine grape growers in making research relevant to their work. Critical discourse analysis of a corpus of wine science texts suggests that textual microprocesses continue to enact a deficit paradigm: scientists as knowledge producers and the industry public as knowledge deficient. Through its extension of features of scientific discourse, the industry-oriented literature abstracts research practices from context which could aid in drawing relationships with industry practices. In aggregate, these texts suggest an opportunity to increase research relevance to industry practice by writing the research–industry relationship differently, recontextualizing research in practice.
The Impact of Intensive Vocation-Related Course Taking on Employment Outcomes for Individuals Who Are Deaf
Authors: Cawthon Stephanie W. , Wendel Erica M. , Bond Mark P. , Garberoglio Carrie Lou
Published: March 2016

Individuals who are deaf have historically faced significant obstacles to equity in employment. This secondary analysis of data from the second National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS2) examined (a) intensive vocation-related courses taken by students who are deaf and (b) their impact on long-term employment outcomes. Deaf students in general education schools and special education schools were equally likely to take a four-course sequence of vocational classes. However, students in general education schools were less likely to enroll in at least a year of work-study courses. Propensity score analyses indicate there were no significant effects of enrollment in vocation-related course taking on employment outcomes for deaf students within the study time frame. Implications of these findings are provided both in terms of how the NLTS2 dataset is used to determine significant predictors of longer term outcomes for deaf individuals and potential inferences of nonsignificant results for the field.
Perfectionism in Language Learners
Authors: Flett Gordon L. , Hewitt Paul L. , Su Chang , Flett Kathleen D.
Published: March 2016

The pressures inherent in trying to be perfect can undermine learning and exacerbate anxiety in certain students. In the current article, we review existing research and theory on the role of perfectionism in language learning anxiety and performance deficits. Our analysis highlights the complexities inherent in the perfectionism construct, including the key distinction between personal and interpersonal perfectionism and the relevance of various components of the perfectionism construct when seeking to account for anxiety in language learners. A central theme in our analysis is how the cognitive tendencies as well as social pressures and self-presentational concerns that accompany perfectionism can exacerbate language learning anxiety and the subsequent emotional self-regulation responses of anxious learners. We outline a multifaceted model of perfectionism in language learning anxiety and language learning performance that incorporates trait perfectionism, perfectionistic cognitions, perfectionistic self-presentation, and individual differences in self-efficacy. Whereas personality is usually seen as a distal factor that contributes to language learning anxiety, we suggest that perfectionism can also act proximally by amplifying state-related, current concerns over making mistakes in language learning, especially in highly visible situations. The theoretical and practical implications of this theoretical framework are discussed. We conclude with a series of specific recommendations for teachers and school psychologists who must try to reduce levels of perfectionism and its impact among people trying too hard to minimize mistakes during the learning process.
Developing Empirically Informed Policies for Sexual Assault Kit DNA Testing: Is It Too Late to Test Kits Beyond the Statute of Limitations?
Authors: Campbell Rebecca , Pierce Steven J. , Sharma Dhruv B. , Feeney Hannah , Fehler-Cabral Giannina
Published: March 2016

A growing body of research indicates that there are thousands of sexual assault kits (SAKs) in police property storage facilities that have never been submitted for DNA forensic testing. Some of these rape kits may be quite dated, and the statute of limitations (SOL) for prosecution of the case may have expired. Whether testing such kits could still provide useful information for criminal justice system personnel is unknown. To address this gap in the literature and to inform policy regarding rape kit testing, we randomly sampled 700 previously untested SAKs from Detroit, MI: 350 were presumed to be beyond the SOL for prosecution (based on the date the SAK was collected), and 350 were still within the SOL. All SAKs were submitted for DNA testing, and then we quantified and compared the forensic testing outcomes. At issue was whether these older SAKs would yield DNA profiles that were eligible for entry into Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), the federal DNA forensic database, and whether these profiles would match (“hit”) to other criminal offenses catalogued in CODIS. Rates for presumed SOL-expired SAKs and unexpired SAKs were compared via a continuation-ratio model and equivalence tests. The rates of CODIS-eligible DNA profiles, CODIS hits, and serial sexual assault CODIS hits were statistically equivalent in the SOL-expired and SOL-unexpired groups. Testing older SAKs has potential utility to the criminal justice system because these kits produced DNA matches to other crimes, including other sexual assault crimes, at a rate equivalent to current, SOL-unexpired SAKs.
Clusters and Regional Performance
Authors: Delgado Mercedes , Zeuli Kimberly
Published: March 2016

This study evaluates Porter’s (1997) premise that inner-city economic development could be facilitated by integrating inner-city businesses into regional clusters. Prior work shows that the presence of clusters creates externalities that improve regional performance. The authors extend that work by developing a framework to examine the role of clusters of related industries on job creation in the inner city. Unique data sets from the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and from the U.S. Cluster Mapping Project are utilized to analyze the relationship between the strength of a regional cluster and the employment growth of inner-city industries during 2003 to 2011. The authors find that the initial strength of the cluster in the inner city, in the proximate city, and in the rest of the metropolitan statistical area are positively associated with employment growth within the inner-city cluster.
Are America’s Inner Cities Competitive? Evidence From the 2000s
Authors: Hartley Daniel A. , Kaza Nikhil , Lester T. William
Published: March 2016

In the years since Michael Porter’s research about the potential competitiveness of inner cities, there has been growing evidence of a residential resurgence in urban neighborhoods. Yet there is less evidence on the competitiveness of inner cities for employment. The authors document the trends in net employment growth and find that inner cities gained over 1.8 million jobs between 2002 and 2011 at a rate comparable with suburban areas. The authors also find a significant number of inner cities are competitive over this period—increasing their share of metropolitan employment in 144 out of 281 metropolitan statistical areas. Also described is the pattern of job growth within the inner city. The authors find that tracts that grew faster tended to be closer to downtown, with access to transit and adjacent to areas with higher population growth. However, tracts with higher poverty rates experienced less job growth, indicating that barriers still exist in the inner city.
Working smart and hard? Agency effort, judicial review, and policy precision
Authors: Turner Ian R
Published: March 2016

The lion’s share of policy in the United States is made by administrative agencies. Agencies not only make policy choices, they must also implement policy effectively. Oversight institutions play an integral role in the policymaking process by monitoring, through review of agency policy actions, both policymaking tasks. Through analysis of a formal model I develop a theory of policymaking between agencies and courts and show that review can impact agency effort choices even when bureaucratic subversion is not a concern. At times the court has no impact on this effort and the agency is unconstrained. However, when the agency’s effort dictates whether or not the court defers to the agency’s actions judicial review does affect effort decisions. In this setting, review can either strengthen or, counter-intuitively, weaken agency effort incentives. Implications for executive and congressional oversight are discussed in light of these results.
A numerical study on the unsteady effect of axial spacing on the performance in a contra-rotating axial compressor
Authors: Mao Xiaochen , Liu Bo
Published: March 2016

Unsteady numerical simulations are conducted to investigate the unsteady effects of axial spacing on the performance of a contra-rotating axial compressor. The results show that the stage efficiency is dominant by unsteady effects between two rotors at lower axial gap ranges. As the axial spacing is increased, the variation of aerodynamic force is different for the two rotors. As a whole, the oscillation on the pressure surface is much stronger than that on the suction side in rotor1. For rotor2, however, the local maximum amplitude is just located at the blade leading edge, especially near the tip region. Additionally, the maximum amplitude of the pressure fluctuations generally decreases with an increase of axial spacing. The dominating frequency is different for monitors located at different positions and varies with the increasing of axial gaps. As the axial gap is increased, the potential effects decay in the process of propagating. Meanwhile, the incoming wakes are mixed out more sufficiently which would reduce the fluctuations at leading edge of rotor2. Therefore, a proper axial spacing should be chosen in the design process of a contra-rotating axial compressor considering both the performance and structure.
Design and development of an eco-gate pump installation based on computational fluid dynamics
Authors: Chen Huixiang , Zheng Yuan , Zhou Daqing , Shen Pingfei , Liu Huiwen
Published: March 2016

To make water in urban rivers flowing and improve water quality, an eco-gate pump unit which uses plate gate as a carrier was designed and developed based on computational fluid dynamics method and the model test in this paper. Firstly, the bidirectional operation energy performance of eco-gate pump was verified by the model test. The results showed that the numerical simulation results were consistent with the model test results with an error of ±2% at the optimum operating condition both in the pumping mode and the powering mode, which verified the reliability and accuracy of numerical stimulation. The major sources of error associated with the power losses were due to the fact that the blade tip leakage and the blade deflection were not considered in computational fluid dynamics simulation. The thickened blade edges also contributed to the differences. On this basis, different schemes of runner blade’s setting angles, blade number, blade lean angle, bulb body’s length, and shoulder profile line were designed, and their influences on eco-gate pump’s performance were analyzed to choose the best runner type and bulb body’s profile line through the computational fluid dynamics numerical simulations. The numerical results showed that the eco-gate pump had the best hydraulic performance when the blade’s setting angle was ϕ = 23°, blade number z = 5, blade’s lean angle a = 0° and bulb body’s shoulder profile line was convex type with length L = 100 mm. The developed pump showed the highest efficiency of 70.95% under the condition of design discharge of 500 L/s and design lift of 1.0 m. Furthermore, the whole flow pattern of the optimized pump was analyzed. Overall, the eco-gate pump presented in this paper can make use of its low-lift pumping function to replenish the target water body more efficient than other similar products. At the same time, it also can utilize the micro-head water energy fully to generate power.
Dynamic response analysis of offshore wind turbine installation suspended by a floating crane
Authors: Ming Zhu , Peng Zhang , Changming Zhu
Published: March 2016

In this paper, a dynamic model for the offshore wind turbine installation is proposed. And this model is coupled by the wind turbine and the floating crane considering 6-DOF floating crane, 5-DOF wind turbine and elastic stretch of the hoisting cable. And when the wind turbine lands on the supporting structure, the displacement constraint is applied at the wind turbine. During the process, the relaxation of the hoisting cable is considered. In addition, the nonlinear hydrostatic force, environmental force, hoisting cable force and mooring force are considered as the external force. The motions of wind turbine and the floating crane are studied. From the numerical analysis, it is found that the release velocity, the release height and wave condition have a great effect on the motion of wind turbine.