bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid depuration of mercury in songbirds accelerated by feather molt
Authors: Whitney Margaret , Cristol Daniel
Published: July 2017

Mercury (Hg) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that affects avian reproduction and condition, in both aquatic and terrestrial species. Because Hg binds strongly to the keratin of growing feathers, molt is an important avenue for Hg elimination. We investigated the rate of depuration of Hg from songbird blood and organs (brain, kidney, liver, muscle) as a function of molt. We exposed 2 species of captive songbirds, European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata), to environmentally relevant dietary Hg (1.2–1.5 mg/kg wet wt) for extended periods of time and then allowed them to depurate on a Hg-free diet for 20 wk. Depuration occurred either while birds were regrowing new feathers or when there was little to no molt occurring. Both species quickly eliminated Hg from blood and reduced Hg concentrations in other tissues by more than 90% over 20 wk. The rate of depuration was more rapid than previously reported in the literature, but depuration in small-bodied songbirds has rarely been studied. Molting birds depurated Hg from their blood more rapidly than nonmolting birds. The effect of molt on Hg retention in other tissues was more difficult to resolve, because by the time we sampled organ tissue, depuration was nearly complete. Our results confirm that molting expedites depuration and raises mechanistic questions about how songbirds depurate Hg stored in their tissues. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:3120–3126. © 2017 SETAC
Alcohol consumption and risk of urothelial cell bladder cancer in the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition cohort
Authors: Botteri E. , Ferrari P. , Roswall N. , Tjønneland A. , Hjartåker A. , Huerta J.M. , Fortner R.T. , Trichopoulou A. , Karakatsani A. , La Vecchia C. , Pala V. , Perez‐Cornago A. , Sonestedt E. , Liedberg F. , Overvad K , Sánchez M.J. , Gram I.T. , Stepien M. , Trijsburg L. , Börje L. , Johansson M. , Kühn T. , Panico S. , Tumino R. , Bueno‐de‐Mesquita H. B(as) , Weiderpass E.
Published: July 2017

Findings on the association between alcohol consumption and bladder cancer are inconsistent. We investigated that association in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. We included 476,160 individuals mostly aged 35–70 years, enrolled in ten countries and followed for 13.9 years on average. Hazard ratios (HR) for developing urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC; 1,802 incident cases) were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. Alcohol consumption at baseline and over the life course was analyzed, as well as different types of beverages (beer, wine, spirits). Baseline alcohol intake was associated with a statistically nonsignificant increased risk of UCC (HR 1.03; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.00–1.06 for each additional 12 g/day). HR in smokers was 1.04 (95% CI 1.01–1.07). Men reporting high baseline intakes of alcohol (>96 g/day) had an increased risk of UCC (HR 1.57; 95% CI 1.03–2.40) compared to those reporting moderate intakes (<6 g/day), but no dose–response relationship emerged. In men, an increased risk of aggressive forms of UCC was observed even at lower doses (>6 to 24 g/day). Average lifelong alcohol intake was not associated with the risk of UCC, however intakes of spirits > 24 g/day were associated with an increased risk of UCC in men (1.38; 95% CI 1.01–1.91) and smokers (1.39; 95% CI 1.01–1.92), compared to moderate intakes. We found no association between alcohol and UCC in women and never smokers. In conclusion, we observed some associations between alcohol and UCC in men and in smokers, possibly because of residual confounding by tobacco smoking.
Plasma microRNA‐based signatures to predict 3‐year postoperative recurrence risk for stage II and III gastric cancer
Authors: Liu Xinyang , Zhang Xiaowei , Zhang Zhe , Chang Jinjia , Wang Zhichao , Wu Zheng , Wang Chenchen , Sun Zuojun , Ge Xiaoxiao , Geng Ruixuan , Tang Wenbo , Dai Congqi , Lin Ying , Lin Fengjuan , Sun Menghong , Jia Weihua , Xue Wenqiong , Ji Jiafu , Hu Ying , Qin Guoyou , Li Jin
Published: July 2017

Our aim was to identify plasma microRNA (miRNA)‐based signatures to predict 3‐year postoperative recurrence risk for patients with stage II and III gastric cancer (GC), so as to provide insights for individualized adjuvant therapy. Plasma miRNA expression was investigated in three phases, involving 407 patients recruited from three centers. ABI miRNA microarray and TaqMan Low Density Array were adopted in the discovery phase to identify potential miRNAs. Quantitative reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to assess the expression of selected miRNAs. Logistic regression models were constructed in the training set (n = 170) and validated in the validation set (n = 169). Receiver operating characteristic analyses, survival analyses and subgroup analyses were further used to assess the accuracy of the models. We identified a 7 miRNA classifier and 7miR + pathological factors index that provided high predictive accuracy of GC recurrence (area under the curve = 0.725 and 0.841 in the training set; and 0.627 and 0.771 in the validation set). High‐risk patients defined by the signatures had significantly shorter disease‐free survival and overall survival than low‐risk patients. The 7 miRNA classifier is an independent prognostic factor, and could add predictive value to traditional prognostic factors. Subgroup analyses revealed the satisfactory performance persisted regardless of stage, and the two models both displayed high accuracy in stage IIA patients. In conclusion, identified microRNA signature may potentially provide some additional benefit for prediction of disease recurrence in patients with stage II and III GC.
Retracted: Bisindole‐oxadiazole hybrids, T3P®‐mediated synthesis, and appraisal of their apoptotic, antimetastatic, and computational Bcl‐2 binding potential
Authors: Kamath Pooja R. , Joseph Manu M. , Abdul Salam Abdul Ajees , T. Therakathinal Sreelekha , Sunil Dhanya , Biswas Subhankar , Pai Karkala Sreedhara Ranganath
Published: July 2017

In the pursuit of novel anticancer leads, new bisindole‐oxadiazoles were synthesized using propyl phosphonic anhydride as a mild and efficient reagent. The molecule, 3‐[5‐(1H‐indol‐3‐ylmethyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazol‐2‐yl]‐1H‐indole (3a) exhibited selective cytotoxicity to MCF‐7 cells with a cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. The mechanism of cytotoxicity of 3a involved caspase‐2‐dependent apoptotic pathway with characteristic apoptotic morphological alterations as observed in acridine orange/ethidium bromide and Hoechst staining. The wound healing migratory assay exhibited an intense impairment in the motility of MCF‐7 cells on incubation with 3a. Docking simulations with anti‐apoptotic protein Bcl‐2, which is also involved in cancer metastasis displayed good affinity and high binding energy of 3a into the well characterized BH3 binding site. The positive correlation between the Bcl‐2 binding studies and the results of in vitro investigations exemplifies compound 3a as a lead molecule exhibiting MCF‐7 differential cytotoxicity via apoptotic mode of cell death in addition to its anti‐metastatic activity.
CDK9: A key player in cancer and other diseases
Authors: Franco Lia Carolina , Morales Fátima , Boffo Silvia , Giordano Antonio
Published: July 2017

Cyclin‐Dependent Kinase 9 (CDK9) is part of a functional diverse group of enzymes responsible for cell cycle control and progression. It associates mainly with Cyclin T1 and forms the Positive Transcription Elongation Factor b (p‐TEFb) complex responsible for regulation of transcription elongation and mRNA maturation. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of CDK9 in many relevant pathologic processes, like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and viral replication. Herein we provide an overview of the different pathways in which CDK9 is directly and indirectly involved.
What Competencies Should Undergraduate Engineering Programs Emphasize? A Systematic Review
Authors: Passow Honor J. , Passow Christian H.
Published: July 2017

Background

Under Washington Accord or ABET accreditation requirements, faculty must envision, collectively articulate, and prioritize the competencies that students should gain from their educational program to prepare for life and myriad career paths.

Purpose

When faculty create specifications for designing a curriculum, they need to answer questions, including “Among generic engineering competencies, what is the relative importance for professional practice across disciplines and work contexts?”

Scope/Method

A search identified the intersection of four concepts (competence, engineering, practice, and importance) in engineering and education databases (8,232 reports, 1990–2012). This review integrates a quantitative synthesis inspired by meta‐analytic techniques (27 studies, 14,429 participants) and a qualitative thematic analysis (25 studies, 2,174 participants plus 36,100 job postings) to establish a comprehensive list of generic engineering competencies, their relative importance, and rich descriptions highlighting interrelationships.

Conclusions

Engineers' technical work is inseparably intertwined with team‐player collaboration. The most crucial skill is coordinating multiple competencies to accomplish a goal. Sixteen generic competencies important for engineering practice are defined. Compared with Washington Accord graduate attributes, the evidence‐based competencies re‐envision “teamwork” as coordinate efforts, split “life‐long learning” into gather information and expand skills, broaden “ethics” to take responsibility, expand “design experiments” to measure accurately and separate it from interpret data, apply “contemporary issues” and “impacts” in define constraints, modify “manage projects” to devise process, and add important competencies (take initiative, think creatively, and make decisions). Definitions are refined for communicate effectively, design solutions, apply knowledge, apply skills, and solve problems. Problem solving is the core of engineering practice.
Mildred S. Dresselhaus (1930–2017)
Authors: Jorio Ado
Published: July 2017

This paper is an obituary in honor to Professor Mildred S. Dresselhaus, who passed away on 20 February 2017, letting behind a memorable contribution to the field of Raman spectroscopy applied to carbon materials. With 8 figures and 60 selected references, this text shortly overviews her contribution on paving the basis of our knowledge on graphite, graphite intercalated compounds, graphite ion‐implantation, graphite fibers, fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and two‐dimensional systems, starting from graphene. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel neurological function of rice bran: a standardized rice bran supplement promotes non‐rapid eye movement sleep in mice through histamine H1 receptors
Authors: Um Min Young , Kim Sojin , Jin Young‐Ho , Yoon Minseok , Yang Hyejin , Lee Jaekwang , Jung Jonghoon , Urade Yoshihiro , Huang Zhi‐Li , Kwon Sangoh , Cho Suengmok
Published: July 2017

Scope

Although rice bran has been shown to be associated with a wide spectrum of health benefits, to date, there are no reports on its effects on sleep. We investigated the effect of rice bran on sleep and the mechanism underlying this effect.

Methods and results

Electroencephalography was used to evaluate the effects of standardized rice bran supplement (RBS) and doxepin hydrochloride (DH), a histamine H1 receptor (H1R) antagonist used as a positive control, on sleep in mice. The mechanism of RBS action was investigated using knockout (KO) mice and ex vivo electrophysiological recordings. Oral administration of RBS and DH significantly decreased sleep latency and increased the amount of non‐rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS) in mice. Similar to DH, RBS fully inhibited H1R agonist‐induced increase in action potential frequency in tuberomammillary nucleus neurons. In H1R KO mice, neither RBS nor DH administration led to the increase in NREMS and decrease in sleep latency observed in WT mice. These results indicate that the sleep‐promoting effect of RBS is completely dependent on H1R antagonism.

Conclusions

RBS decreases sleep latency and promotes NREMS through the inhibition of H1R, suggesting that it could be a promising therapeutic agent for insomnia.
Compatibilization effect of aminated poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)s in carbon fiber‐reinforced copoly(phthalazinone ether sulfone)s composites
Authors: Li Nan , Zong Lishuai , Wu Zuoqiang , Wang Xin , Bao Feng , Wang Jinyan , Jian Xigao
Published: July 2017

In this study, a kind of aminated poly(phthalazinone ether ketone)s (PPEK‐NH2s) with amino groups on side chains were synthesized by the condensation polymerization of 4‐(4‐Hydroxylphenyl)(2H)‐phthalazin‐1‐one (DHPZ), 4,4′‐difluoro benzophenone (DFK), and the third active monomer (4‐Amino)phenylhydroquinone (4‐AmPHQ). Then, PPEK‐NH2s were employed as compatibilizers to enhance the interfacial adhesion of carbon fiber (CF) reinforced copoly(phthalazinone ether sulfone)s (PPBES) composites. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis profiles indicate that PPEK‐NH2s exhibit more impressive thermal behaviors than PPBES. CF/PPBES composites with 5 wt% compatibilizers based on PPBES were fabricated by solution impregnation and compression molding. The as‐made CF/PPBES/PPEK‐NH2 (4) demonstrates the highest interlaminar shear strength and flexural strength with increasement of 12.7% and 16.8%, respectively. Meanwhile, this composite exhibits excellence in hydrothermal aging tests. Moreover, the strengthening mechanisms of CF/PPBES composites with PPEK‐NH2s could be attributed to both chemical and physical interaction between the matrix and CFs owing to amino groups. Therefore, these compatibilizers offer new insights for fabricating high‐performance advanced thermoplastic composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:4139–4147, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers
Oncogenic transformation of lung cells results in distinct exosome protein profile similar to the cell of origin
Authors: Lobb Richard J. , Hastie Marcus L. , Norris Emma L. , van Amerongen Rosa , Gorman Jeffrey J. , Möller Andreas
Published: July 2017

Lung cancer is responsible for the highest rate of cancer mortality worldwide. Lung cancer patients are often ineligible for tumor biopsies due to comorbidities. As a result, patients may not have the most effective treatment regimens administered. Patients with mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have improved survival in response to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. A noninvasive method of determining EGFR mutations in patients would have promising clinical applications. Exosomes have the potential to be noninvasive novel diagnostic markers in cancer. Using MS analysis, we identify differentially abundant cell and exosome proteins induced by mutations in p53 and EGFR in lung cells. Importantly, mutations in p53 and EGFR alter cell and exosome protein content compared to an isogenic normal lung epithelial cell. For some proteins, mutation had similar effects in the cell of origin and exosomes. Differences between the cells of origin and exosomes were also apparent, which may reflect specific packaging of proteins into exosomes. These findings that mutations alter protein abundance in exosomes suggest that analysis of exosomes may be beneficial in the diagnosis of oncogenic mutations.
Experimental Study on the Reaction Zone Distribution of Impact‐Induced Reactive Materials
Authors: Feng Shunshan , Wang Chenglong , Huang Guangyan
Published: July 2017

The energy release behaviors of a metal‐fluoropolymer composite impact‐induced reactive material (IRM) under high dynamic impact loading were investigated using a new partition pressure test and the multipoint pressure test. The results indicated that a reverse reaction zone and a subsequent reaction zone were formed along the impact direction as the IRM impacted on an aluminum plate at the velocity of 1050–1450 m s−1. The total energy release increased with the increase of impact velocity and the energy released from the impact reaction of IRM in the reverse reaction zone was only 20–30 % of the total energy. Most energy release occurred in the subsequent reaction zone, which was composed of an impact decomposition reaction zone, a thermal decomposition reaction zone and a combustion reaction zone. Three IRM including Al/PTFE, Mg/PTFE, and Ti/PTFE were tested. The Ti/PTFE was most sensitive to the impact velocity, but exhibited the lowest energy release rate. The energy release from the impact reaction of Mg/PTFE was mainly due to the combustion reaction. The high energy release of Al/PTFE was mainly from deflagration reaction. This work provides experimental methods and data for the formulation and evaluation of IRM in engineering applications.
Teachers’ reasoning: Classroom visual representational practices in the context of introductory chemical bonding
Authors: Patron Emelie , Wikman Susanne , Edfors Inger , Johansson‐Cederblad Brita , Linder Cedric
Published: July 2017

Visual representations are essential for communication and meaning‐making in chemistry, and thus the representational practices play a vital role in the teaching and learning of chemistry. One powerful contemporary model of classroom learning, the variation theory of learning, posits that the way an object of learning gets handled is another vital feature for the establishment of successful teaching practices. An important part of what lies behind the constitution of teaching practices is visual representational reasoning that is a function of disciplinary relevant aspects and educationally critical features of the aspects embedded in the intended object of learning. Little is known about teachers reasoning about such visual representational practices. This work addresses this shortfall in the area of chemical bonding. The data consist of semistructured interviews with 12 chemistry teachers in the Swedish upper secondary school system. The methodology uses a thematic analytic approach to capture and characterize the teachers’ reasoning about their classroom visual representational practices. The results suggest that the teachers’ reasoning tended to be limited. However, the teachers’ pay attention to the meaning‐making potential of the approaches for showing representations. The analysis presents these visualization approaches and the discussion makes theoretical links to the variation theory of learning.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of VO2 Polymorphs: Advantages, Challenges and Prospects for the Application of Energy Efficient Smart Windows
Authors: Li Ming , Magdassi Shlomo , Gao Yanfeng , Long Yi
Published: July 2017

Vanadium dioxide (VO2) is a widely studied inorganic phase change material, which has a reversible phase transition from semiconducting monoclinic to metallic rutile phase at a critical temperature of τc ≈ 68 °C. The abrupt decrease of infrared transmittance in the metallic phase makes VO2 a potential candidate for thermochromic energy efficient windows to cut down building energy consumption. However, there are three long‐standing issues that hindered its application in energy efficient windows: high τc, low luminous transmittance (Tlum), and undesirable solar modulation ability (ΔTsol). Many approaches, including nano‐thermochromism, porous films, biomimetic surface reconstruction, gridded structures, antireflective overcoatings, etc, have been proposed to tackle these issues. The first approach—nano‐thermochromism—which is to integrate VO2 nanoparticles in a transparent matrix, outperforms the rest; while the thermochromic performance is determined by particle size, stoichiometry, and crystallinity. A hydrothermal method is the most common method to fabricate high‐quality VO2 nanoparticles, and has its own advantages of large‐scale synthesis and precise phase control of VO2. This Review focuses on hydrothermal synthesis, physical properties of VO2 polymorphs, and their transformation to thermochromic VO2(M), and discusses the advantages, challenges, and prospects of VO2(M) in energy‐efficient smart windows application.
Free‐Standing Photonic Glasses Fabricated in a Centrifugal Field
Authors: Chen Mengdi , Fischli Danja , Schertel Lukas , Aubry Geoffroy J. , Häusele Benedikt , Polarz Sebastian , Maret Georg , Cölfen Helmut
Published: July 2017

One efficient method to obtain disordered colloidal packing is to reduce the stability of colloidal particles by adding electrolytes to the colloidal dispersions. But the correct amount of additional electrolytes must be found empirically. Here, the effect of CaCl2 on polystyrene colloidal dispersions is studied, and a link between the amount of CaCl2 and the corresponding glassy colloidal structure is quantitatively built. A threshold concentration of CaCl2 is found by dynamic light scattering. When exceeding this threshold, different nanoparticle oligomers are observed in the dispersions by analytical ultracentrifugation. The second objective is to achieve free‐standing samples, which is required for many optical measurements. A universal method is established, using a centrifugal field to produce robust samples by polymerizing coassembled hydrophilic monomers to form a network, which traps the glassy colloidal structures. Photon time of flight measurements shows that the CaCl2 concentration threshold should not be exceeded. Otherwise an optical shortcut may take place. Thus, the work provides a feasible universal route to prepare macroscopic free‐standing photonic glasses from electrostatically stabilized nanoparticles, suitable for further optical investigation.
Critical Elitism
Authors: Moore Alfred
Published: July 2017

Democracies have a problem with expertise. Expert knowledge both mediates and facilitates public apprehension of problems, yet it also threatens to exclude the public from consequential judgments and decisions located in technical domains. This book asks: how can we have inclusion without collapsing the very concept of expertise? How can public judgment be engaged in expert practices in a way that does not reduce to populism? Drawing on deliberative democratic theory and social studies of science, Critical Elitism argues that expert authority depends ultimately on the exercise of public judgment in a context in which there are live possibilities for protest, opposition and scrutiny. This account points to new ways of looking at the role of civil society, expert institutions, and democratic innovations in the constitution of expert authority within democratic systems. Using the example of climate science, Critical Elitism highlights not only the risks but also the benefits of contesting expertise.
Demopolis
Authors: Ober Josiah
Published: July 2017

What did democracy mean before liberalism? What are the consequences for our lives today? Combining history with political theory, this book restores the core meaning of democracy as collective and limited self-government by citizens. That, rather than majority tyranny, is what democracy meant in ancient Athens, before liberalism. Participatory self-government is the basis of political practice in 'Demopolis', a hypothetical modern state powerfully imagined by award-winning historian and political scientist Josiah Ober. Demopolis' residents aim to establish a secure, prosperous, and non-tyrannical community, where citizens govern as a collective, both directly and through representatives, and willingly assume the costs of self-government because doing so benefits them, both as a group and individually. Basic democracy, as exemplified in real Athens and imagined Demopolis, can provide a stable foundation for a liberal state. It also offers a possible way forward for religious societies seeking a realistic alternative to autocracy.
The Forgotten Front
Authors: Ladwig III Walter C.
Published: July 2017

After a decade and a half of war in Iraq and Afghanistan, US policymakers are seeking to provide aid and advice to local governments' counterinsurgency campaigns rather than directly intervening with US forces. This strategy, and US counterinsurgency doctrine in general, fail to recognize that despite a shared aim of defeating an insurgency, the US and its local partner frequently have differing priorities with respect to the conduct of counterinsurgency operations. Without some degree of reform or policy change on the part of the insurgency-plagued government, American support will have a limited impact. Using three detailed case studies - the Hukbalahap Rebellion in the Philippines, Vietnam during the rule of Ngo Dinh Diem, and the Salvadorian Civil War - Ladwig demonstrates that providing significant amounts of aid will not generate sufficient leverage to affect a client's behaviour and policies. Instead, he argues that influence flows from pressure and tight conditions on aid rather than from boundless generosity.
FMR1 CGG repeat expansion mutation detection and linked haplotype analysis for reliable and accurate preimplantation genetic diagnosis of fragile X syndrome
Authors: Rajan-Babu Indhu-Shree , Lian Mulias , Cheah Felicia S.H. , Chen Min , Tan Arnold S.C. , Prasath Ethiraj B. , Loh Seong Feei , Chong Samuel S.
Published: July 2017

Fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) full-mutation expansion causes fragile X syndrome. Trans-generational fragile X syndrome transmission can be avoided by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). We describe a robust PGD strategy that can be applied to virtually any couple at risk of transmitting fragile X syndrome. This novel strategy utilises whole-genome amplification, followed by triplet-primed polymerase chain reaction (TP-PCR) for robust detection of expanded FMR1 alleles, in parallel with linked multi-marker haplotype analysis of 13 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers located within 1 Mb of the FMR1 CGG repeat, and the AMELX/Y dimorphism for gender identification. The assay was optimised and validated on single lymphoblasts isolated from fragile X reference cell lines, and applied to a simulated PGD case and a clinical in vitro fertilisation (IVF)-PGD case. In the simulated PGD case, definitive diagnosis of the expected results was achieved for all ‘embryos’. In the clinical IVF-PGD case, delivery of a healthy baby girl was achieved after transfer of an expansion-negative blastocyst. FMR1 TP-PCR reliably detects presence of expansion mutations and obviates reliance on informative normal alleles for determining expansion status in female embryos. Together with multi-marker haplotyping and gender determination, misdiagnosis and diagnostic ambiguity due to allele dropout is minimised, and couple-specific assay customisation can be avoided.
Families Without Schools: Rurality, Correspondence Education, and the Promise of Schooling in Interwar Western Canada
Authors: Gleason Mona
Published: July 2017

Using a collection of settler family letters to the Elementary Correspondence School (ECS) in British Columbia, the first provincial government–supported “schooling by mail” arrangement of its kind in Canada, I highlight the efforts of rural families to secure an education for their children in the period between the First and Second World Wars. The settler families who took advantage of correspondence schooling did so without the benefit of a professional teacher or a dedicated schoolhouse. This arrangement proved onerous for many settler families. In their letters to the ECS, adults and young people articulated the belief that the provincial government needed to do more to provide educational services for them. Families were acutely aware of their contributions to the prosperity of the province and, in return, they demanded schools for their children. Given the unique perspectives reflected through this collection of letters, my examination is situated in the interstices between rural schooling and correspondence schooling.
Teacher, Tester, Soldier, Spy: Psychologists Talk about Teachers in the Intelligence-Testing Movement, 1910s-1930s
Authors: Beauvais Clémentine
Published: July 2017

This article focuses on teachers in the discourses of early twentieth-century proponents of intelligence testing in America. Teachers were often a targeted enemy in the academic literature on intelligence testing—their methods belittled, their unreliability emphasized. Yet, in part because teachers were essential for intelligence tests to be given in schools, they were also often talked about in more ambiguous ways. In particular, this paper argues that psychologists’ ways of talking to, at, and about teachers presented a relationship characterized by an originary indebtedness of teachers toward psychology. Intelligence tests, it was implied, were a gift for teachers, and psychologists’ help a favor that teachers should repay by using the tests and showing rigor, obedience, and gratefulness in doing so. Arguably, the debt was framed in such ways as to render impossible its repayment and to make illegible the potential contributions and initiatives of teachers in the intelligence-testing movement.
Hunger strikes in prisons: a narrative systematic review of ethical considerations from a physician’s perspective
Authors: Gulati G. , Kelly B. D. , Meagher D. , Kennedy H. , Dunne C. P.
Published: July 2017

Objectives

We sought to identify and review published studies that discuss the ethical considerations, from a physician’s perspective, of managing a hunger strike in a prison setting.

Methods

A database search was conducted to identify relevant publications. We included case studies, case series, guidelines and review articles published over a 20-year period. Non-English language publications were translated.

Results

The review found 23 papers from 12 jurisdictions published in five languages suitable for inclusion.

Conclusions

Key themes from included publications are identified and summarised in the context of accepted guidelines from the World Medical Association. Whilst there seems to be an overall consensus favouring autonomy over beneficence, tensions along this fine balance are magnified in jurisdictions where legislation leads to a dual loyalty conflict for the physician.
Marine Early Triassic Actinopterygii from Elko County (Nevada, USA): implications for the Smithian equatorial vertebrate eclipse
Authors: Romano Carlo , Jenks James F. , Jattiot Romain , Scheyer Torsten M. , Bylund Kevin G. , Bucher Hugo
Published: July 2017

The Early Triassic vertebrate record from low paleolatitudes is spotty, which led to the notion of an ‘equatorial vertebrate eclipse’ during the Smithian. Here we present articulated ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii), collected from the marine Lower Triassic Thaynes Group at three new localities in Elko County (Nevada, USA), which were deposited within the equatorial zone. From the Smithian of the Winecup Ranch, we describe two partial skulls of the predatory actinopterygianBirgeria(Birgeriidae), attributed toB.americananew species andBirgeriasp.Birgeria americanan. sp. is distinguished from other species by a less reduced operculogular series. With an estimated total length of 1.72–1.85m, it is among the largest birgeriids. We confirm thatBirgeriaencompasses species with either two or three rows of teeth on the maxilla and dentary, and suggest that species with three well-developed rows are restricted to the Early Triassic. From the latest Smithian of Palomino Ridge, we present a three-dimensional, partial skull of the longirostrine predatorSaurichthys(Saurichthyidae). This and other occurrences indicate that saurichthyids were common in the western USA basin. From the early late Spathian of Crittenden Springs, we describe a posterior body portion (Actinopterygii indet.). This find is important given the paucity of Spathian osteichthyan sites. We provide a summary of Early Triassic vertebrate occurrences in the United States, concluding that vertebrate fossils remain largely unstudied. The presence of predatory vertebrates in subequatorial latitudes during the Smithian confirms that Early Triassic trophic chains were not shortened and contradicts the ‘equatorial vertebrate eclipse’.
Effects of progressive resistance training combined with a protein-enriched lean red meat diet on health-related quality of life in elderly women: secondary analysis of a 4-month cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Torres Susan J. , Robinson Sian , Orellana Liliana , O’Connell Stella L. , Grimes Carley A. , Mundell Niamh L. , Dunstan David W. , Nowson Caryl A. , Daly Robin M.
Published: July 2017

Resistance training (RT) and increased dietary protein are recommended to attenuate age-related muscle loss in the elderly. This study examined the effect of a lean red meat protein-enriched diet combined with progressive resistance training (RT+Meat) on health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) in elderly women. In this 4-month cluster randomised controlled trial, 100 women aged 60–90 years (mean 73 years) from self-care retirement villages participated in RT twice a week and were allocated either 160 g/d (cooked) lean red meat consumed across 2 meals/d, 6 d/week or ≥1 serving/d (25–30 g) carbohydrates (control group, CRT). HR-QoL (SF-36 Health Survey questionnaire), lower limb maximum muscle strength and lean tissue mass (LTM) (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) were assessed at baseline and 4 months. In all, ninety-one women (91 %) completed the study (RT+Meat (n 48); CRT (n 43)). Mean protein intake was greater in RT+Meat than CRT throughout the study (1·3 (sd 0·3) v. 1·1 (sd 0·3) g/kg per d, P<0·05). Exercise compliance (74 %) was not different between groups. After 4 months there was a significant net benefit in the RT+Meat compared with CRT group for overall HR-QoL and the physical component summary (PCS) score (P<0·01), but there were no changes in either group in the mental component summary (MCS) score. Changes in lower limb muscle strength, but not LTM, were positively associated with changes in overall HR-QoL (muscle strength, β: 2·2 (95 % CI 0·1, 4·3), P<0·05). In conclusion, a combination of RT and increased dietary protein led to greater net benefits in overall HR-QoL in elderly women compared with RT alone, which was because of greater improvements in PCS rather than MCS.
USING COUPLES’ DISCORDANT REPORTS TO ESTIMATE FEMALE COVERT USE OF MODERN CONTRACEPTION IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Authors: Gasca Natalie C. , Becker Stan
Published: July 2017

Substantial numbers of married women use contraceptives without their partner’s knowledge in sub-Saharan Africa, but studies of female covert use across time are rare. This study investigates the levels, trends and correlates of covert use in nine countries and determines which contraceptive methods are more frequently used covertly by women. Data from monogamous couples in Demographic and Health Surveys were used from nine sub-Saharan African countries that had experienced an increase of 10 percentage points in current modern contraceptive use between an earlier (1991–2004) and later (2007–2011) survey. Covert use was indirectly estimated as the percentage of women who reported a female modern method whose husband did not report a modern method. The percentage of women using covertly increased in eight of the countries studied (significantly in three of them), yet when comparing across countries cross-sectionally, covert use was lower where contraceptive prevalence was higher. In general, women with more years of schooling and those with larger spousal schooling gaps had lower odds of covert use. There was no significant difference between covert and open injectable use, though more than half of both groups used this method in the later surveys. Encouraging couple communication about contraception, where the woman feels it is safe to do so, could be an important strategy to minimize covert use. Further research is needed to better identify the contraceptive prevalence and social context in which covert use declines within a country.
Recovery from DSM-IV post-traumatic stress disorder in the WHO World Mental Health surveys
Authors: Rosellini A. J. , Liu H. , Petukhova M. V. , Sampson N. A. , Aguilar-Gaxiola S. , Alonso J. , Borges G. , Bruffaerts R. , Bromet E. J. , de Girolamo G. , de Jonge P. , Fayyad J. , Florescu S. , Gureje O. , Haro J. M. , Hinkov H. , Karam E. G. , Kawakami N. , Koenen K. C. , Lee S. , Lépine J. P. , Levinson D. , Navarro-Mateu F. , Oladeji B. D. , O'Neill S. , Pennell B.-E. , Piazza M. , Posada-Villa J. , Scott K. M. , Stein D. J. , Torres Y. , Viana M. C. , Zaslavsky A. M. , Kessler R. C.
Published: July 2017

Background

Research on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) course finds a substantial proportion of cases remit within 6 months, a majority within 2 years, and a substantial minority persists for many years. Results are inconsistent about pre-trauma predictors.

Methods

The WHO World Mental Health surveys assessed lifetime DSM-IV PTSD presence-course after one randomly-selected trauma, allowing retrospective estimates of PTSD duration. Prior traumas, childhood adversities (CAs), and other lifetime DSM-IV mental disorders were examined as predictors using discrete-time person-month survival analysis among the 1575 respondents with lifetime PTSD.

Results

20%, 27%, and 50% of cases recovered within 3, 6, and 24 months and 77% within 10 years (the longest duration allowing stable estimates). Time-related recall bias was found largely for recoveries after 24 months. Recovery was weakly related to most trauma types other than very low [odds-ratio (OR) 0.2–0.3] early-recovery (within 24 months) associated with purposefully injuring/torturing/killing and witnessing atrocities and very low later-recovery (25+ months) associated with being kidnapped. The significant ORs for prior traumas, CAs, and mental disorders were generally inconsistent between early- and later-recovery models. Cross-validated versions of final models nonetheless discriminated significantly between the 50% of respondents with highest and lowest predicted probabilities of both early-recovery (66–55% v. 43%) and later-recovery (75–68% v. 39%).

Conclusions

We found PTSD recovery trajectories similar to those in previous studies. The weak associations of pre-trauma factors with recovery, also consistent with previous studies, presumably are due to stronger influences of post-trauma factors.
Characteristics of Healthy Older Adults that Influence Self-rated Cognitive Function
Authors: Mulligan Bryce P. , Smart Colette M. , Segalowitz Sidney J. , MacDonald Stuart W.S.
Published: July 2017

Objectives: We sought to clarify the nature of self-reported cognitive function among healthy older adults by considering the short-term, within-person association (coupling) of subjective cognitive function with objective cognitive performance. We expected this within-person coupling to differ between persons as a function of self-perceived global cognitive decline and depression, anxiety, or neuroticism. Methods: This was an intensive measurement (short-term longitudinal) study of 29 older adult volunteers between the ages of 65 and 80 years without an existing diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Baseline assessment included neuropsychological testing and self-reported depression, anxiety, and neuroticism, as well as self- and informant-reported cognitive decline (relative to 10 years previously). Intensive within-person measurement occasions included subjective ratings of cognitive function paired with performance on a computerized working memory (n-back) task; each participant attended four or five assessments separated by intervals of at least one day. Statistical analysis was comprised of multilevel linear regression. Results: Comparison of models suggested that both neuroticism and self-rated cognitive decline explained unique variance in the within-person, across-occasion coupling of subjective cognitive function with objective working memory performance. Conclusions: Self-ratings of cognition may accurately reflect day-to-day variations in objective cognitive performance among older adults, especially for individuals lower in neuroticism and higher in self-reported cognitive decline. Clinicians should consider these individual differences when determining the validity of complaints about perceived cognitive declines in the context of otherwise healthy aging. (JINS, 2018, 24, 57–66)
Compassion in healthcare: a concept analysis
Authors: Taylor A. , Hodgson D. , Gee M. , Collins K.
Published: July 2017

Background

Compassion and compassionate care are central to radiographers’ professional policy and practice and are congruent with the core values of the National Health Service Constitution. The term compassion however is over-used, ambiguous and vague. This work sought to explore and provide contextual understanding to the term compassion in healthcare.

Method

Walker and Avant’s eight-step model was used as the framework for the concept analysis. Data collection utilised a number of resources including online databases: Medline, CINAHL complete, Scopus, PubMed, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Cochrane and DARE; dictionaries, social media, Internet sources, books and doctoral theses. In all, 296 resources were included in the review.

Results

The concept analysis distinguishes the defining characteristics of compassion within a healthcare context, allowing for associated meanings and behaviours to be outlined aiding understanding of compassion. Compassion in healthcare requires five defining attributes to be present: recognition, connection, altruistic desire, humanistic response and action.

Conclusion

The findings identify the complexity of the term and subjective nature in which it is displayed and in turn perceived. The concept analysis forms the basis of further research aiming to develop a healthcare explicit definition of compassion within healthcare, specifically cancer care and radiography practices. Lucidity will enhance understanding, facilitating active engagement and implementation into practice.
The incidence of health financing in South Africa: findings from a recent data set
Authors: Ataguba John E. , McIntyre Di
Published: July 2017

There is an international call for countries to ensure universal health coverage. This call has been embraced in South Africa (SA) in the form of a National Health Insurance (NHI). This is expected to be financed through general tax revenue with the possibility of additional earmarked taxes including a surcharge on personal income and/or a payroll tax for employers. Currently, health services are financed in SA through allocations from general tax revenue, direct out-of-pocket payments, and contributions to medical scheme. This paper uses the most recent data set to assess the progressivity of each health financing mechanism and overall financing system in SA. Applying standard and innovative methodologies for assessing progressivity, the study finds that general taxes and medical scheme contributions remain progressive, and direct out-of-pocket payments and indirect taxes are regressive. However, private health insurance contributions, across only the insured, are regressive. The policy implications of these findings are discussed in the context of the NHI.
Lycopene Ameliorates Experimental Colitis in Rats via Reducing Apoptosis and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Gul Baykalir Burcu , Aksit Dilek , Dogru Mustafa Selim , Hanım Yay Arzu , Aksit Hasan , Seyrek Kamil , Attesahin Ahmet
Published: July 2017

Abstract. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an inflammatory disorder involving colitis. Lycopene is a naturally occurring carotenoid that has attracted considerable attention as a potential chemopreventive agent. The impact of lycopene on colitis is currently unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of lycopene in a rat model of colitis induced by acetic acid. The animals were randomly divided into the following five groups: the control group, colitis group, colitis + sulfasalazine group as a positive control group, colitis + lycopene and lycopene groups. Colonic mucosal injury was assessed by biochemical and histopathological examinations. Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, total antioxidant status (TAS), ceruloplasmin (CPN), total sialic acid and iron (Fe) levels were evaluated in blood samples. MDA, SOD, TAS and DNA fragmentation levels were also measured in colon tissues. MDA (p < 0.05), total sialic acid (p < 0.05) and DNA fragmentation levels (p < 0.01) were significantly higher, and the activity of the antioxidant enzyme were lower in the colitis group than in the control group. Treatments with lycopene in the colitis decreased MDA, total sialic acid and DNA fragmentation levels, while SOD activity (p < 0.05), TAS (in colon p < 0.05; in serum p < 0.01), CPN (p < 0.05) and Fe levels (p < 0.05) were significantly increased. The histopathological evaluation also confirmed the foregoing findings. Treatment with lycopene ameliorated the biochemical and pathological alterations caused by colitis. The results obtained in this study indicate that lycopene may exert protective effects in experimental colitis and might, therefore, be useful for treatment of IBD.
Kollegiale Ansprechpartner
Authors: Hemkendreis Bruno , Wabnitz Pascal
Published: July 2017

Zusammenfassung. Wenn Unternehmen heute steigende Ausfallzeiten auf Grund psychischer Erkrankungen beklagen, so ist die beste Reaktion darauf, diesen mit präventiven Maßnahmen zu begegnen, sie möglichst erst gar nicht entstehen zu lassen. Viele Unternehmen und Einrichtungen sehen mittlerweile, dass sie ihre Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeiter halten müssen, weil sie gut ausgebildet und eingearbeitet sind. Deren Wissen ist nicht einfach austauschbar ist, weil eben nicht mehr zehn Bewerber vor dem Werkstor darauf warten, den Job zu übernehmen.
Pädagogische Konzeption
Authors: Deibl Ines , Hascher Tina
Published: July 2017

Zusammenfassung. In einer pädagogischen Konzeption werden Ziele, Aufgaben, Schwerpunkte und Prozesse innerhalb der Einrichtung im Team erarbeitet und für die Öffentlichkeit sichtbar gemacht. Deshalb kann eine pädagogische Konzeption einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Qualitätssicherung in Kindertageseinrichtungen leisten. Der Beitrag diskutiert die Bedeutung von pädagogischen Konzeptionen für Kindertageseinrichtungen und beschreibt die Entwicklung eines Kriterienkatalogs mit 15 Kategorien zu deren Begutachtung. Zudem wird dargestellt, wie dieser Katalog für die externe Evaluation eingesetzt werden kann.
Reconciling irrigated food production with environmental flows for Sustainable Development Goals implementation
Authors: Jägermeyr Jonas , Pastor Amandine , Biemans Hester , Gerten Dieter
Published: July 2017

Safeguarding river ecosystems is a precondition for attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to water and the environment, while rigid implementation of such policies may hamper achievement of food security. River ecosystems provide life-supporting functions that depend on maintaining environmental flow requirements (EFRs). Here we establish gridded process-based estimates of EFRs and their violation through human water withdrawals. Results indicate that 41% of current global irrigation water use (997 km3 per year) occurs at the expense of EFRs. If these volumes were to be reallocated to the ecosystems, half of globally irrigated cropland would face production losses of ≥10%, with losses of ∼20–30% of total country production especially in Central and South Asia. However, we explicitly show that improvement of irrigation practices can widely compensate for such losses on a sustainable basis. Integration with rainwater management can even achieve a 10% global net gain. Such management interventions are highlighted to act as a pivotal target in supporting the implementation of the ambitious and seemingly conflicting SDG agenda.