bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Demethylation Therapy as a Targeted Treatment for Human Papillomavirus–Associated Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Biktasova Asel , Hajek Michael , Sewell Andrew , Gary Cyril , Bellinger Gary , Deshpande Hari A. , Bhatia Aarti , Burtness Barbara , Judson Benjamin , Mehra Saral , Yarbrough Wendell G. , Issaeva Natalia
Published: September 2017

Purpose: DNA methylation in human papillomavirus–associated (HPV+) head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) may have importance for continuous expression of HPV oncogenes, tumor cell proliferation, and survival. Here, we determined activity of a global DNA-demethylating agent, 5-azacytidine (5-aza), against HPV+ HNSCC in preclinical models and explored it as a targeted therapy in a window trial enrolling patients with HPV+ HNSCC.

Experimental Design: Sensitivity of HNSCC cells to 5-aza treatment was determined, and then 5-aza activity was tested in vivo using xenografted tumors in a mouse model. Finally, tumor samples from patients enrolled in a window clinical trial were analyzed to identify activity of 5-aza therapy in patients with HPV+ HNSCC.

Results: Clinical trial and experimental data show that 5-aza induced growth inhibition and cell death in HPV+ HNSCC. 5-aza reduced expression of HPV genes, stabilized p53, and induced p53-dependent apoptosis in HNSCC cells and tumors. 5-aza repressed expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) in HPV+ HNSCC, activated IFN response in some HPV+ head and neck cancer cells, and inhibited the ability of HPV+ xenografted tumors to invade mouse blood vessels.

Conclusions: 5-aza may provide effective therapy for HPV-associated HNSCC as an alternative or complement to standard cytotoxic therapy. Clin Cancer Res; 23(23); 7276–87. ©2017 AACR.
HPV Integration in HNSCC Correlates with Survival Outcomes, Immune Response Signatures, and Candidate Drivers
Authors: Koneva Lada A. , Zhang Yanxiao , Virani Shama , Hall Pelle B. , McHugh Jonathan B. , Chepeha Douglas B. , Wolf Gregory T. , Carey Thomas E. , Rozek Laura S. , Sartor Maureen A.
Published: September 2017

The incidence of human papillomavirus (HPV)–related oropharynx cancer has steadily increased over the past two decades and now represents a majority of oropharyngeal cancer cases. Integration of the HPV genome into the host genome is a common event during carcinogenesis that has clinically relevant effects if the viral early genes are transcribed. Understanding the impact of HPV integration on clinical outcomes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is critical for implementing deescalated treatment approaches for HPV+ HNSCC patients. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from HNSCC tumors (n = 84) were used to identify and characterize expressed integration events, which were overrepresented near known head and neck, lung, and urogenital cancer genes. Five genes were recurrent, including CD274 (PD-L1). A significant number of genes detected to have integration events were found to interact with Tp63, ETS, and/or FOX1A. Patients with no detected integration had better survival than integration-positive and HPV− patients. Furthermore, integration-negative tumors were characterized by strongly heightened signatures for immune cells, including CD4+, CD3+, regulatory, CD8+ T cells, NK cells, and B cells, compared with integration-positive tumors. Finally, genes with elevated expression in integration-negative specimens were strongly enriched with immune-related gene ontology terms, while upregulated genes in integration-positive tumors were enriched for keratinization, RNA metabolism, and translation.

Implications: These findings demonstrate the clinical relevancy of expressed HPV integration, which is characterized by a change in immune response and/or aberrant expression of the integration-harboring cancer-related genes, and suggest strong natural selection for tumor cells with expressed integration events in key carcinogenic genes. Mol Cancer Res; 16(1); 90–102. ©2017 AACR.
Salivary Gland Neoplasms: Does Morphological Diversity Reflect Tumor Heterogeneity
Authors: Rito Miguel , Fonseca Isabel
Published: September 2017

Salivary gland tumor classification encompasses a vast list of benign and malignant neoplasms. Their morphological diversity is recognized not only between different entities but also within individual tumors. Tumor categories as described by the World Health Organization reflect, in part, a true genetic heterogeneity (e.g., translocations involving CRTC1 and CRTC3-MAML2 genes in mucoepidermoid carcinoma and MYB-NFIB fusion in adenoid cystic carcinoma). Carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma shows diversity in its histological appearance, but recurrent rearrangements on PLAG1 and HMGA2 are common to its benign precursor. More recently, new categories have been defined, like secretory carcinoma with the t(12;15) (p13;q25) ETV6-NTRK3 translocation and clear-cell carcinoma with EWSR1-ATF1 fusion. Recent studies on cribriform adenocarcinoma of minor salivary gland origin and epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma point to a correlation with their morphological features. All of these advances show that the search of a histogenetic and genetic basis for salivary gland tumors is helping to clarify morphological categories and unraveling new ones. Nevertheless, currently morphology is still the hallmark of tumor classification and the gold standard. The therapeutic options for advanced tumors remain very limited but the discovery of translocation-generated gene fusions and increased knowledge of the genomic information of salivary gland tumors is creating opportunities for the development of specific targeted therapies.
Camel Milk Attenuates Rheumatoid Arthritis Via Inhibition of Mitogen Activated Protein Kinase Pathway
Authors: Arab Hany H. , Salama Samir A. , Abdelghany Tamer M. , Omar Hany A. , Arafa El-Shaimaa A. , Alrobaian Majed M. , Maghrabi Ibrahim A.
Published: September 2017

Background/Aims: Camel milk (CM) has shown beneficial anti-inflammatory actions in several experimental and clinical settings. So far, its effect on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has not been previously explored. Thus, the current work aimed to evaluate the effects of CM in Adjuvant-induced arthritis and air pouch edema models in rats, which mimic human RA. Methods: CM was administered at 10 ml/kg orally for 3 weeks starting on the day of Freund’s adjuvant paw inoculation. The levels of TNF-α and IL-10 were measured by ELISA while the protein expression of NF-κBp65, COX-2 and iNOS was detected by immunohistochemistry. The expression of MAPK target proteins was assessed by Western blotting. Results: CM attenuated paw edema, arthritic index and gait score along with dorsal pouch inflammatory cell migration. CM lowered the TNF-α and augmented the anti-inflammatory IL-10 levels in sera and exudates of arthritic rats. It also attenuated the expression of activated NF-κBp65, COX-2 and iNOS in the lining of the dorsal pouch. Notably, CM inhibited the MAPK pathway signal transduction via lowering the phosphorylation of p38 MAPK, ERK1/2 and JNK1/2 in rat hind paws. Additionally, CM administration lowered the lipid peroxide and nitric oxide levels and boosted glutathione and total anti-oxidant capacity in sera and exudates of animals. Conclusion: The observed CM downregulation of the arthritic process may support the interest of CM consumption as an adjunct approach for the management of RA.
Political Topicality and Literary Aesthetics in Wale Okediran’s Novels
Authors: Otu Oyeh O.
Published: September 2017

The prolificity, contemporaneity, and topicality of Wale Okediran’s themes are irrefutable indices to his claim to a place in the Nigerian literary canon. His engagement with and exposé of Nigeria’s intractable neurotic leadership disorders are timely and highly commendable. Also worthy of note are the promotion and popularity that the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has given his latest novel, Tenants of the House, as it fills a significant gap and promises a positive turn in the development of Nigerian literature. This essay examines Okediran’s topical themes in relation to his craftsmanship; it investigates his deployment of aesthetic devices in the realization of his artistic vision. It fundamentally asks: what constitutes literariness in Okediran’s novels? Where does this belong in the Nigerian tradition of the novel? If it marks a shift from the conventional novelistic tradition, in what ways does it advance it? Considering that Okediran is one of Nigeria’s most prolific contemporary writers, it is important to determine his place in the Nigerian canon and also to analyse critically the factors responsible for that position.
“Sex, Pleasures, Dangers, Love and Lies!”
Authors: Mtenje Asante Lucy
Published: September 2017

This essay examines how contemporary Malawian female poets writing in the post-dictatorship era engage with aspects that inflect female sexuality such as eroticism, sexual desire, marriage, sexual violence, and HIV/AIDS through their poetry and how they represent these aspects against normative expectations of gender and sexuality. I am interested in how these poets depict the complex mediation of female sexualities by the state, the family, religious, and cultural bodies and how, in turn, they represent sexuality as simultaneously a domain of restriction, repression, and danger as well as a domain of exploration, pleasure, and agency. Through an analysis of selected works by Malawian female poets, I examine how the authors negotiate issues of female sexuality within the new democratic dispensation which have traditionally been relegated to the margins in favour of more politically ‘relevant’ issues. I argue that these poets challenge the monolithic status quo through which Malawian women’s sexualities have been constructed by portraying the nuances, complexities, and ambiguities that characterize female sexuality in Malawi.
The Predicament of Women in a Postmodern World
Authors: Bamidele Dele , Abuh Blessing
Published: September 2017

Feminism has no unanimous acceptance in Africa, so women who are associated with it are regarded as deviants or radicals who have chosen to kick against the norms and traditions of traditional Africa. This study explores the plight of suppression and exploitation experienced by women and also revealed the dangerous and difficult situations that often reduce women to mental wrecks. Njabulo Ndebele’s The Cry of Winnie Mandela is the focus of this essay, as the novel accounts for the entrapment and subjugation of women caused by traditional laws and customs, as well as their determined effort to survive in a patriarchal culture. Njabulo examined the lives of five South African women in post-apartheid South Africa, who had to wait indefinitely for their absent husbands. This essay attempts to create awareness of the need for societal reforms in order to improve the lot of women in patriarchal societies and encourage cooperation between women in order to stand up to the challenges of life and assert their individual worth and value, as espoused in the novel. This study concludes that the subjugation of women by patriarchal societies is to the detriment of the family and society at large. Thus, there is a need to re-evaluate and redefine gender roles in African societies in order to establish mutual understanding and relationships between the genders.
Morning Sir!
Authors: Akande Akinmade Timothy
Published: September 2017

Nigerian military army barracks are a rich domain in which soldiers and officers display different strands of their identity. A typical army barracks in Nigeria often accommodates many ethnic groups owing to the federal policy governing the recruitment of both soldiers and officers. Thus, it is common in the barracks for military men to be aware of their ethnic, linguistic, religious, and regional affiliations and to relate to one another based on these various affiliations. It is against this backdrop that the present study seeks to investigate how soldiers and officers make use of linguistic resources available to them to convey religious, occupational, ethnic, and linguistic identity in the barracks. Data for the study were collected from 46 military men, soldiers and officers, in four military barracks. The locationss are Akure, Enugu, Saki, and Zaria Barracks. The instruments used in gathering the data were questionnaire, face-to-face interviews, and participant observation. The study revealed that both soldiers and officers represent their occupational identity through the specific use of certain lexical items and slang, while their ethnic identity is signified through the use of ethnic and other local languages. Their personal names were also observed to be symptomatic of their religious identity.
Exploiting Folklore for Culture-Based Science and Research for Medicinal and Economic Development
Authors: Ikyer Godwin Aondofa
Published: September 2017

The world is enmeshed in a political and economic downturn, the environment is increasingly being polluted and destroyed, and development models, mostly Western, have cruised abroad, to disappointing gasps of neoliberal delight, in their aspiration to charm a wider population. Developing countries and marginal communities together with their subsuming cultures, ethno-science, engineering, technology, arts and crafts, and creative genius are undermined, their values reduced to mere ‘primitivism’, their vibrant intrinsic strength attenuated by the mesmerizing jargon of technocracy into genetically modified values endorsed by Western-trained intellectuals in these same communities. This dynamic has denied these communities the opportunity to explore their own natural and intellectual potential for culturally based science and to organize and strategize folklore for environmental and historically founded Nigerian truths that can help in the exploitation of resources for good health and economic development. The essay investigates this culturally-based science, proposing the deployment of folklore with a view to full participation in cultural science-based research and application. The scholarly task is to suggest ways of bridging the gap between the potentialities of autochthonous lore and Western science.
A study on the genus Stenus Latreille from Zhuji City of Zhejiang, East China (Coleoptera, Staphylinidae)
Authors: TANG LIANG , LIU SHENG-NAN , ZHAO TIE-XIONG
Published: September 2017

The species of the genus Stenus Latreille from Zhuji city, Zhejiang, East China, are reviewed. Two species are described as new: Stenus dongbaishanus Tang, Liu & Zhao, sp. n., and S. zhejiangensis Tang, Liu & Zhao, sp. n. Stenus gastralis Fauvel, 1895 is newly recorded from China, and S. alumoenus Rougemont, 1981, S. dissimilis Sharp, 1874 and S. kuatunensis L. Benick, 1942 are newly recorded from Zhejiang. Diagnostic characters of the new species and newly recorded species are illustrated and a key to species of Zhuji city is provided.
Use of Cloud Radar Doppler Spectra to Evaluate Stratocumulus Drizzle Size Distributions in Large-Eddy Simulations with Size-Resolved Microphysics
Authors: Rémillard J. , Fridlind A. M. , Ackerman A. S. , Tselioudis G. , Kollias P. , Mechem D. B. , Chandler H. E. , Luke E. , Wood R. , Witte M. K. , Chuang P. Y. , Ayers J. K.
Published: September 2017

A case study of persistent stratocumulus over the Azores is simulated using two independent large-eddy simulation (LES) models with bin microphysics, and forward-simulated cloud radar Doppler moments and spectra are compared with observations. Neither model is able to reproduce the monotonic increase of downward mean Doppler velocity with increasing reflectivity that is observed under a variety of conditions, but for differing reasons. To a varying degree, both models also exhibit a tendency to produce too many of the largest droplets, leading to excessive skewness in Doppler velocity distributions, especially below cloud base. Excessive skewness appears to be associated with an insufficiently sharp reduction in droplet number concentration at diameters larger than ~200 μm, where a pronounced shoulder is found for in situ observations and a sharp reduction in reflectivity size distribution is associated with relatively narrow observed Doppler spectra. Effectively using LES with bin microphysics to study drizzle formation and evolution in cloud Doppler radar data evidently requires reducing numerical diffusivity in the treatment of the stochastic collection equation; if that is accomplished sufficiently to reproduce typical spectra, progress toward understanding drizzle processes is likely.
A Field Study of Footprint-Scale Variability of Raindrop Size Distribution
Authors: Tokay Ali , D’Adderio Leo Pio , Porcù Federico , Wolff David B. , Petersen Walter A.
Published: September 2017

A network of seven two-dimensional video disdrometers (2DVD), which were operated during the Midlatitude Continental Convective Clouds Experiment (MC3E) in northern Oklahoma, are employed to investigate the spatial variability of raindrop size distribution (DSD) within the footprint of the dual-frequency precipitation radar (DPR) on board the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission core satellite. One-minute 2DVD DSD observations were interpolated uniformly to 13 points distributed within a nearly circular DPR footprint through an inverse distance weighting method. The presence of deep continental showers was a unique feature of the dataset resulting in a higher mean rain rate R with respect to previous studies. As a measure of spatial variability for the interpolated data, a three-parameter exponential function was applied to paired correlations of three parameters of normalized gamma DSD, R, reflectivity, and attenuation at Ka- and Ku-band frequencies of DPR (Z_Ka, Z_Ku, k_Ka, and k_Ku, respectively). The symmetry of the interpolated sites allowed quantifying the directional differences in correlations at the same distance. The correlation distances d0 of R, k_Ka, and k_Ku were approximately 10 km and were not sensitive to the choice of four rain thresholds used in this study. The d0 of Z_Ku, on the other hand, ranged from 29 to 20 km between different rain thresholds. The coefficient of variation (CV) remained less than 0.5 for most of the samples for a given physical parameter, but a CV of greater than 1.0 was also observed in noticeable samples, especially for the shape parameter and Z_Ku.
Combination of Multimodel Probabilistic Forecasts Using an Optimal Weighting System
Authors: Chen Li-Chuan Gwen , van den Dool Huug
Published: September 2017

In this study, an optimal weighting system is developed that combines multiple seasonal probabilistic forecasts in the North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME). The system is applied to predict temperature and precipitation over the North American continent, and the analysis is conducted using the 1982–2010 hindcasts from eight NMME models, including the CFSv2, CanCM3, CanCM4, GFDL CM2.1, Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution (FLOR), GEOS5, CCSM4, and CESM models, with weights determined by minimizing the Brier score using ridge regression. Strategies to improve the performance of ridge regression are explored, such as eliminating a priori models with negative skill and increasing the effective sample size by pooling information from neighboring grids. A set of constraints is put in place to confine the weights within a reasonable range or restrict the weights from departing wildly from equal weights. So when the predictor–predictand relationship is weak, the multimodel ensemble forecast returns to an equal-weight combination. The new weighting system improves the predictive skill from the baseline, equally weighted forecasts. All models contribute to the weighted forecasts differently based upon location and forecast start and lead times. The amount of improvement varies across space and corresponds to the average model elimination percentage. The areas with higher elimination rates tend to show larger improvement in cross-validated verification scores. Some local improvements can be as large as 0.6 in temporal probability anomaly correlation (TPAC). On average, the results are about 0.02–0.05 in TPAC for temperature probabilistic forecasts and 0.03–0.05 for precipitation probabilistic forecasts over North America. The skill improvement is generally greater for precipitation probabilistic forecasts than for temperature probabilistic forecasts.
Primary Care Group Visits for Childhood Obesity: Clinical Program Evaluation
Authors: Bottino Clement J. , Puente Gabriella C. , Burrage Amanda , Tannis Candace , Cheng Jennifer K. , Epee-Bounya Alexandra , Cox Joanne E.
Published: September 2017

We conducted 29 group visits targeting children with elevated body mass index (BMI) and their families. Visit activities focused on social support, mind-body techniques, exercise, and nutrition. Measures included attendance, family satisfaction scores, and per-patient change in BMI percentile. Ninety-six patients attended ≥1 group visit, mean 2.0 (SD ±1.8; range 1-14). Mean patient age was 9.6 years (SD ±2.4; range 4-15 years); 53.1% were female; 44.8% had a BMI 95th to 99th percentile for age/sex; 35.4% had a BMI >99th percentile. Mean attendance per group visit was 6.8 patients (SD ±3.8; range 1-16 patients). Mean family satisfaction scores were 9.8 (SD ±0.8) with 10/10 “would recommend to family or friends.” Of 42 patients who attended ≥2 group visits, 5 (11.9%) experienced a ≥5 BMI percentile reduction between first and last visits; 3 (7.1%) maintained this reduction 2 years later. Group visits were associated with high family satisfaction scores, though few patients experienced a reduction in BMI percentile.
Book Review: Radhakrishan Sapru, Public Policy: A Contemporary Perspective
Authors: Sahni Pardeep
Published: September 2017

Radhakrishan Sapru, Public Policy: A Contemporary Perspective. New Delhi: SAGE Publications India, 2017, 384 pp., ₹395. ISBN: 978-93-860-6217-8 (Paper Back).
The President of India: The Constitutional Head with Discretionary Powers
Authors: Tyagi Ruchi
Published: September 2017

The Constitution of India has vested the President with the role ‘to aid and advise’ (Article 74) while expecting him/her to use authority and influence under certain circumstances, yet leaving the actual decision-making with the Cabinet. The president may be assertive and use his/her discretion under certain circumstances—in appointment and dismissal of the prime minister, maintaining relationship between prime minister/president and Council of Ministers, exercising right to be informed, dissolution of the parliament, use of veto power, etc. In fact, the equation within the Union Executive depends upon the factional balance of forces in the ruling party or coalition, the political conditions of hung parliament, party splits and naked struggle for power along with the personalities of the principal actors involved. The experiences have showed that the president’s role was definitely not that of a mere rubber stamp.
Longitudinal Relationships Among Marital Conflict, Maternal and Paternal Warmth and Control, and Preschoolers’ Socioemotional Outcomes in South Korea
Authors: Han Youngsook , Rudy Duane , Proulx Christine M.
Published: September 2017

This longitudinal study examined spillover effects of marital conflict on subsequent parenting and preschoolers’ outcomes in South Korea. Data came from the Panel Study on Korean Children. Participants were 1,826 South Korean fathers, mothers, and their preschool children ( M age = 3 years at Time 1; 51.5% boys). Path analysis was conducted to examine longitudinal relationships among marital conflict, fathers’ and mothers’ parenting behaviors (i.e., warmth and strict control), and preschool children’s emotional maladjustment and peer relationships. Marital conflict when children were age 3 predicted lower levels of warmth for mothers and fathers, but not levels of strict control, when children were age 4. Maternal reports of lower warmth and higher strict control when children were age 4 predicted preschoolers’ later emotional maladjustment, but not peer relationships at age 5. Paternal reports of warmth and control at age 4 predicted preschoolers’ subsequent peer relationships, but not their emotional problems at age 5. Direct effects of marital conflict at age 3 on children’s outcomes at age 5 were also found. The model fits equally well for boys and girls. The study suggests that different socialization processes may have been affected for mothers and fathers by marital conflict, which in turn selectively affected different outcomes in children.
Grainyhead-like Transcription Factors in Craniofacial Development
Authors: Carpinelli M.R. , de Vries M.E. , Jane S.M. , Dworkin S.
Published: September 2017

Craniofacial development in vertebrates involves the coordinated growth, migration, and fusion of several facial prominences during embryogenesis, processes governed by strict genetic and molecular controls. A failure in any of the precise spatiotemporal sequences of events leading to prominence fusion often leads to anomalous facial, skull, and jaw formation—conditions termed craniofacial defects (CFDs). Affecting approximately 0.1% to 0.3% of live births, CFDs are a highly heterogeneous class of developmental anomalies, which are often underpinned by genetic mutations. Therefore, identifying novel disease-causing mutations in genes that regulate craniofacial development is a critical prerequisite to develop new preventive or therapeutic measures. The Grainyhead-like ( GRHL) transcription factors are one such gene family, performing evolutionarily conserved roles in craniofacial patterning. The antecedent member of this family, Drosophila grainyhead ( grh), is required for head skeleton development in fruit flies, loss or mutation of Grhl family members in mouse and zebrafish models leads to defects of both maxilla and mandible, and recently, mutations in human GRHL3 have been shown to cause or contribute to both syndromic (Van Der Woude syndrome) and nonsyndromic palatal clefts. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the craniofacial-specific function of the Grainyhead-like family in multiple model species, identify some of the major target genes regulated by the Grhl transcription factors in craniofacial patterning, and, by examining animal models, draw inferences as to how these data will inform the likely roles of GRHL factors in human CFDs comprising palatal clefting. By understanding the molecular networks regulated by Grhl2 and Grhl3 target genes in other systems, we can propose likely pathways that mediate the effects of these transcription factors in human palatogenesis.
Preparing Teachers to Engage Rural Students in Computational Thinking Through Robotics, Game Design, and Culturally Responsive Teaching
Authors: Leonard Jacqueline , Mitchell Monica , Barnes-Johnson Joy , Unertl Adrienne , Outka-Hill Jill , Robinson Roland , Hester-Croff Carla
Published: September 2017

This article examines teacher preparation and teacher change in engineering and computer science education. We examined culturally responsive teaching self-efficacy (CRTSE), culturally responsive teaching outcome expectancy (CRTOE) beliefs, and attitudes toward computational thinking (CT) as teachers participated in one of three treatment groups: robotics only, game design only, or blended robotics/game design. Descriptive data revealed that CRTSE gain scores were higher in the robotics only and blended contexts than in the game design only context. However, CRTOE beliefs were consistent across all treatment groups. In regard to CT attitudes, teachers’ gain scores were higher in the game design only and blended contexts than in the robotics only context. In addition, there were differences by treatment group related to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) practices, while cultural artifacts were evident in each learning environment. The results of this study reveal some variability by treatment type and inform future research on equitable practices in engineering and computer science education.
The Forensic Symptoms Inventory—Revised (FSI-R Adults): Measurement and Structural Invariance Across Gender and Age Groups
Authors: van Horn Joan E.
Published: September 2017

This article investigates the measurement and structural invariance of a newly developed self-report questionnaire, the Forensic Symptoms Inventory-Revised, aimed at measuring eight cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits (aggression, lack of social support, problematic substance use, lack of concentration, anger, poor self-regulation, impulsivity, and sexual problems) among adult forensic outpatients. The sample consisted of 716 outpatients (603 males, 113 females) with a mean age of 38.19 (SD = 12.47). Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses supported the measurement and structural invariance with respect to gender and age groups (18–23 years and ≥24 years). Between-group comparisons revealed that, compared to females, male outpatients reported more substance related problems, as well as incapacities to control verbal and/or physical aggression. Compared to adults, young adults displayed more inadequate self-regulation skills and reported more social support. These findings may promote the formulation of gender- and age-specific treatment goals.
Force analysis of tubular fabric during drilling and sampling
Authors: Ding Zuowei , Yu Weidong
Published: September 2017

Based on the principles of kinetics, through analyzing interaction forces among tubular fabric, round pipe and lunar soil simulant during drilling and sampling, it was found that radial elastic properties of tubular fabric, cooperation between tubular fabric and round pipe all influenced the forces. Three different lengths of tubular fabrics were manufactured to verify the analysis. The results testified that the greater the length, the greater the forces at any corresponding time. The relationship between forces and time is linear. The positive correlation relationship in a folded state turned negative and, ultimately, to a fixed value. Compared to theoretical force–time curves, experimental results are bigger and more accurate. Experimental curves demonstrated a creeping phenomenon, which displayed a buckling wave during drilling and sampling. These results offer effective guidance to future research and product design.
The Contribution of Sensation Seeking and the Big Five Personality Factors to Different Types of Delinquency
Authors: Ljubin-Golub Tajana , Vrselja Ivana , Pandžić Mario
Published: September 2017

The present study examined the role of sensation seeking (SS) in different types of delinquent behavior across sex, controlling for the Big Five personality dimensions. The sample of Croatian adolescents comprised 117 boys and 137 girls. As predicted, SS was the central explanatory variable beyond the Big Five dimensions in both the boys’ and girls’ normative antisocial behavior, minor delinquency, and overall delinquency. In only the girls, SS was also a risk factor for serious and violent delinquency along with extraversion and emotional instability. In both sexes, the explanatory power of SS decreased as the severity of the offenses increased. The results underscore the significance of SS in normative and minor types of adolescent delinquency and indicate a different etiology of normative adolescent delinquency from severe and violent delinquency. The results also suggest a different constellation of personality risk factors for boys and girls for each different type of delinquency.
Thermal oil aging behavior of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber/multi-walled carbon nanotube composites under free or compression state
Authors: Guo Jianhua , Chen Xuming , Li Zhicai
Published: September 2017

The effect of the aging time on the thermal oil aging behavior of hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR)/multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composites under the free or compression state was investigated. The composites aged under the free state and the IRM 903 oil after aging for different time were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. The surface morphology of the composites aged under the free state was characterized by microscopic analysis. The thermal stability of the composites aged for different time and the edge and inner samples obtained from the composites aged under the free or compression state were characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis. The effect of aging time on the compressive stress and compressive stain energy density of the compressed composites was investigated. The scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis were exercised to the edge and inner samples obtained from the composites. This research facilitates to discover the heterogeneous aging effect on the degradation behavior of HNBR seals under the compression state in the hot oil environment.
Geometric analysis-based trajectory planning and control for underactuated capsule systems with viscoelastic property
Authors: Liu Pengcheng , Yu Hongnian , Cang Shuang
Published: September 2017

This paper proposes a novel geometric analysis-based trajectory planning approach for underactuated capsule systems with viscoelastic property. The idea is to reduce complexity and to characterize coupling by imposing a harmonic drive and then to compute the dynamics projection onto a hyper-manifold, such that the issue of trajectory planning is converted into geometric analysis and trajectory optimization. The objective is to obtain optimal locomotion performance in terms of tracking error, average capsule speed and energy efficacy. Firstly, an analytical two-stage velocity trajectory is given based on control indexes and dynamic constraints. A locomotion-performance index is then proposed and evaluated to identify the optimal viscoelastic parameters. The trajectory is optimally parameterized through rigorous analysis. A nonlinear tracking controller is designed using collocated partial feedback linearization. For the sake of efficiency in progression and energy, the proposed method provides a novel approach in characterizing and planning motion trajectory for underactuated capsule systems such that the optimal locomotion can be achieved. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed method.
Microwave sensor technologies for food evaluation and analysis: Methods, challenges and solutions
Authors: Meng Zhaozong , Wu Zhipeng , Gray John
Published: September 2017

Microwave sensor technology is widely accepted as a non-destructive and hygienic means for food evaluation and analysis. However, its applications concentrate on in-lab investigations, which are not widely applied for on-line measurement in food industry. Motivated by the rapid progress of microwave technologies and the lack of on-line measurement systems in industry, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive overview of microwave sensors for food measurement, define the technological gap, and suggest the potential solutions. With a brief introduction to the fundamentals, classification and analysis of the traditional methods and technologies are presented, followed by a discussion of calibration and decision-making methods. Based on the analysis of the cutting-edge microwave sensing technologies, the limitations and challenges facing the present studies are identified. Then, focusing on some new emerging technologies including Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits, antenna array and System on Chip Ultra-Wide Band pulse-based time domain systems, the feasibility and prospective of potential solutions in this particular area are suggested. In addition, integration of emerging Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and new design concepts of the sensor system concerning the practical use for smart manufacturing are also illustrated. The potentiality of the suggested new emerging technologies and integration of ICT to satisfy future digitised industry will be inspirational and of interest to researchers of both microwave engineering and food sectors.
The Fate of Inhaled Nanoparticles: Detection and Measurement by Enhanced Dark-field Microscopy
Authors: Mercer Robert R. , Scabilloni James F. , Wang Liying , Battelli Lori A. , Antonini James M. , Roberts Jenny R. , Qian Yong , Sisler Jennifer D. , Castranova Vincent , Porter Dale W. , Hubbs Ann F.
Published: September 2017

Assessing the potential health risks for newly developed nanoparticles poses a significant challenge. Nanometer-sized particles are not generally detectable with the light microscope. Electron microscopy typically requires high-level doses, above the physiologic range, for particle examination in tissues. Enhanced dark-field microscopy (EDM) is an adaption of the light microscope that images scattered light. Nanoparticles scatter light with high efficiency while normal tissues do not. EDM has the potential to identify the critical target sites for nanoparticle deposition and injury in the lungs and other organs. This study describes the methods for EDM imaging of nanoparticles and applications. Examples of EDM application include measurement of deposition and clearance patterns. Imaging of a wide variety of nanoparticles demonstrated frequent situations where nanoparticles detected by EDM were not visible by light microscopy. EDM examination of colloidal gold nanospheres (10–100 nm diameter) demonstrated a detection size limit of approximately 15 nm in tissue sections. EDM determined nanoparticle volume density was directly proportional to total lung burden of exposed animals. The results confirm that EDM can determine nanoparticle distribution, clearance, transport to lymph nodes, and accumulation in extrapulmonary organs. Thus, EDM substantially improves the qualitative and quantitative microscopic evaluation of inhaled nanoparticles.
The relationship between blood flow impairment and oxygen depletion in acute ischemic stroke imaged with magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: Seiler Alexander , Blockley Nicholas P , Deichmann Ralf , Nöth Ulrike , Singer Oliver C , Chappell Michael A , Klein Johannes C , Wagner Marlies
Published: September 2017

Oxygenation-sensitive spin relaxation time T2′ and relaxation rate R2′ (1/T2′) are presumed to be markers of the cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) in acute ischemic stroke. In this study, we investigate the relationship of T2′/R2′ with dynamic susceptibility contrast-based relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in acute ischemic stroke to assess their plausibility as surrogate markers of the ischemic penumbra. Twenty-one consecutive patients with internal carotid artery and/or middle cerebral artery occlusion were studied at 3.0 T. A physiological model of the cerebral vasculature (VM) was used to process PWI raw data in addition to a conventional deconvolution technique. T2′, R2′, and rCBF values were extracted from the ischemic core and hypoperfused areas. Within hypoperfused tissue, no correlation was found between deconvolved rCBF and T2′ ( r = −0.05, p = 0.788), or R2′ ( r = 0.039, p = 0.836). In contrast, we found a strong positive correlation with T2′ ( r = 0.444, p = 0.006) and negative correlation with R2′ ( r = −0.494, p = 0.0025) for rCBFVM, indicating increasing OEF with decreasing CBF and that rCBF based on the vascular model may be more closely related to metabolic disturbances. Further research to refine and validate these techniques may enable their use as MRI-based surrogate markers of the ischemic penumbra for selecting stroke patients for interventional treatment strategies.
Echoes of the Past: Meaning Making in Congolese Narratives Relates to Their Social Distance Attitudes Toward Europeans
Authors: Köber Christin , Weihofen Ruth , Rennstich Joachim K.
Published: September 2017

Narrative identity is not only based on the personal past but also informed by one’s historical and political past. Beside the fact that this has been shown mostly in Western samples, it is unknown how placing personal narratives within the context of an ethnic and political heritage relates to other cognitive processes, such as social attitudes. Therefore, this study explores narratives about encounters with Europeans in a Congolese sample to study the impact of their meaning on their social distance attitudes toward Europeans. Separate hierarchical regression models revealed that social distance is predicted by closure and redemption, and by the perceived heterogeneity of whiteness, but not by contamination. Yet, narratives with both low levels of closure and contamination predict greater social distance. Surprisingly, commitment to own ethnic identity was not found to be a significant predictor. Results are discussed in terms of narrative identity, historical memories, and social cognition.
In vivo MR spectroscopy predicts high tumor grade in endometrial cancer
Authors: Ytre-Hauge Sigmund , Esmaeili Morteza , Sjøbakk Torill E , Grüner Renate , Woie Kathrine , Werner Henrica M , Krakstad Camilla , Bjørge Line , Salvesen Øyvind O , Stefansson Ingunn M , Trovik Jone , Bathen Tone F , Haldorsen Ingfrid S
Published: September 2017

Background

In vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) enables non-invasive measurements of tumor metabolites. Choline-containing metabolites play a key role in tumor metabolism.

Purpose

To explore whether preoperative MRS-derived tumor choline levels are associated with clinical and histological features in endometrial carcinomas.

Material and Methods

Preoperative pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (1.5T), including structural and diffusion-weighted imaging and localized multivoxel proton MR (1H-MR) spectroscopy, was performed in 77 prospectively included patients with histologically confirmed endometrial carcinomas. Relative levels of total choline-containing metabolites (tCho) in tumor and myometrium were measured using the ratios: tCho/Creatine; tCho/Water; and tCho/Noise. MRS parameters were analyzed in relation to histological subtype and grade, surgicopathological staging parameters, MRI-measured tumor volume, and tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and clinical outcome.

Results

Tumor tissue had significantly higher ratios for tCho/Creatine, tCho/Water, and tCho/Noise than normal myometrial tissue ( P < 0.001 for all). High tumor tCho/Water ratio was significantly associated with high tumor grade in endometrioid tumors ( P = 0.02). Tumor tCho/Creatine ratio was positively correlated to MRI-measured tumor volume (rs = 0.25; P = 0.03).

Conclusion

High choline levels in tumor are associated with high-risk features. In vivo MRS may potentially aid in the preoperative risk stratification in endometrial cancer.
Correlations between polymorphisms in the uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A and C-C motif chemokine receptor 5 genes and infection with the hepatitis B virus in three ethnic groups in China
Authors: Zhang Chan , He Yan , Shan Ke-Ren , Tan Kui , Zhang Ting , Wang Chan-Juan , Guan Zhi-Zhong
Published: September 2017

Objective

To determine whether genetic polymorphisms in the uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A ( UGT1A) and the C-C motif chemokine receptor 5 ( CCR5) genes are associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Yi, Yao and Han ethnic groups in the Guizhou Province of China.

Methods

The study enrolled subjects with and without HBV infection. Whole blood was used for DNA genotyping using standard techniques. The study determined the frequencies of several polymorphic alleles ( UGT1A6 [rs2070959], UGT1A1 [rs8175347], CCR5-59029 [rs1799987] and CCR5Δ32 [rs333]) and then characterized their relationship with HBV infection.

Results

A total of 404 subjects were enrolled in the study: 138 from the Yao group, 101 from the Yi group and 165 from the Han group. There was a significant difference in the frequency of UGT1A1 rs8175347 polymorphisms among the three groups. The rates of 7TA carriers of UGT1A1 rs8175347 in all three groups were significantly higher than the other genotypes. Individuals with genotype AA of UGT1A6 rs2070959 in the Yi group had a higher risk for HBV infection than in the Yao and Han groups. The frequency of genotype GG in CCR5-59029 in the Yao group was significantly higher than in the Yi group. The genotypes of CCR5Δ32 were not associated with HBV infection.

Conclusion

These findings provide genetic and epidemiological evidence for an association of UGT1A and CCR5-59029 polymorphisms with HBV infection in Chinese Yi and Yao populations.
A Future for Growth?
Authors: Friedman Gerald
Published: September 2017

Macroeconomics has been constrained by assumptions that the economy tends toward full employment, and longterm growth depends on exogenous factors, productivity, and labor force growth. This discounts effects of demand on the labor force participation and immigration, and on investment and productivity growth. Expansionary fiscal policy and greater effective demand could induce reverse (or benevolent) hysteresis where capacity grows faster with higher employment, investment, and productivity.
Exploring the Correlates to Depression in Elder Abuse Victims: Abusive Experience or Individual Characteristics?
Authors: Santos Ana João , Nunes Baltazar , Kislaya Irina , Gil Ana Paula , Ribeiro Oscar
Published: September 2017

Depression and depressive symptoms have been studied both as risk factors and consequences of elder abuse, even though the most common cross-sectional design of the studies does not allow inferring cause or consequence relationships. This study estimates the proportion of older adults who screened positive for depressive symptoms among those self-reporting elder abuse and examines whether individual characteristics and/or abusive experience aspects are associated with self-reported depressive symptoms. Participants were 510 older adults self-reporting experiences of abuse in family setting enrolled in the cross-sectional victims’ survey of the Aging and Violence Study. Depressive symptoms were assessed through the abbreviated version of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-5). Poisson regression was used to determine the prevalence ratio (PR) of screening depressive symptoms according to individual and abusive experience covariates: sex, age group, cohabitation, perceived social support, chronic diseases, functional status, violence type, perpetrator, and number of conducts. Women (PR = 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.04, 1.35]) individuals perceiving low social support level (PR = 1.36, 95% CI = [1.16, 1.60]) and with long-term illness (PR = 1.17, 95% CI = [1.02, 1.33]) were found to be associated with increased risk for screening depressive symptoms. In regard to abusive experience, only the number of abusive conducts increased the PR (PR = 1.07, 95% CI = [1.05, 1.09]). Routine screening for elder abuse should include psychological well-being assessment. Interventions toward risk alleviation for both mental health problems and elder abuse should target women perceiving low social support level and with long-term illness.
Optimization and design method for a rough rear surface on the notchback MIRA model
Authors: Yang Yi , Zhang Di , Liu Zheng
Published: September 2017

In order to explore the optimization and design method of the rough surface on a vehicle body, a pitted rough surface, a convex rough surface and a grooved rough surface are respectively arranged at the rear of the MIRA model. Computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel tests are adopted to analyse the relationships between the aerodynamic drag and the factors of the rough surface. The distance L and the height H of the surface roughness are considered as the design variables, and the aerodynamic drag coefficient CD is the objective evaluation function. Sample points are obtained by the Latin hypercube sampling method, and the kriging approximate model is set up according to the sample points and the response values. Then the multi-island genetic algorithm is used as the optimization algorithm to find the optimum solution. The aerodynamic effects of the rough surface model, with optimization and without optimization, are compared and analysed. Experimental and simulation results show that the aerodynamic drag coefficient further decreases after parameter optimization and that the optimization method is valid and general. The results obtained may provide a helpful reference and guidance for future rough surface applications on a vehicle body.