bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation effect on postoperative complications
Authors: Sezen Celal Bugra , Akboga Suleyman Anil , Celik Ali , Kalafat Cem Emrah , Tastepe Abdullah Irfan
Published: March 2017

Objectives

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation has been used to control post-thoracotomy pain, with conflicting results. We aimed to assess its efficacy on post-thoracotomy pain and early complications.

Methods

Between January 2012 and December 2014, 87 patients underwent a standard posterolateral thoracotomy and were randomized in 2 groups: group T was 43 patients who had transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation and group C was 44 patients who had placebo stimulation with an inoperative device. Pain score was measured using a visual analogue scale ranging from 0 to 10. The frequency of the device was set at 100 Hz and pulse width at 100 ms.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in the demographic characteristics of the 2 groups, and there was no difference in the duration of hospitalization (4.74 ± 1.6 vs. 5.23 ± 1.5 days; p = 0.06). Postoperative pain scores of the two groups showed that on postoperative day 0, 1, and 2, the mean pain scores of group T were significantly lower ( p = 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.003). There were no significant differences in early complications or surgical technique.

Conclusion

We concluded that electrical stimulation is a safe and effective adjunctive therapy for acute post-thoracotomy pain control. However, it does not affect the duration of hospitalization or early pulmonary complications.
The Customer and the Teller: A Close Encounter of an Unusual Kind
Authors: Gopinath Mohan , Abraham Dolphy
Published: March 2017

Calcutta in midsummer is not an ideal place to be in. Anybody who has lived there even for a year will be the first to acknowledge this. The humidity is high, the weather is very hot, the power cuts are frequent and as a direct result of all these, tempers tend to run high. It is about a High Net Worth customer who banked with the Shakespeare Sarani (Road) branch in Calcutta of the Taiwan International Bank, who had come in at 1.45 pm to withdraw cash from his savings account. It was hot, humid, there was a power cut and the banking hall was also crowded. What then occurred gives the reader insights into various aspects of customer management and handling of unionized staff members. The discussion point of the case is management of unions.

( Note —a list of the characters who appear in the case is given at the end)
Staying with the Manifesto: An Interview with Donna Haraway
Authors: Franklin Sarah
Published: March 2017

Donna Haraway’s recent volume, Manifestly Haraway, offers the opportunity not only to compare two of her most influential writings side-by-side but also to revisit some of the enduring themes of her work over the past several decades. In this interview with Haraway, feminist science studies scholar Sarah Franklin explores some of the key terms in her work, looking back to some of her early work on embryology and primatology as well as exploring the more recent themes of her latest book, Staying with the Trouble.
Multiple ontologies of water: Politics, conflict and implications for governance
Authors: Yates Julian S , Harris Leila M , Wilson Nicole J
Published: March 2017

We ask what it would mean to take seriously the possibility of multiple water ontologies, and what the implications of this would be for water governance in theory and practice. We contribute to a growing body of literature that is reformulating understanding of human–water relations and refocusing on the fundamental question of what water ‘is’. Interrogating the political–ontological ‘problem space’ of water governance, we explore a series of ontological disjunctures that persist. Rather than seeking to characterize any individual ontology, we focus on the limitations of silencing diverse ontologies, and on the potential of embracing ontological plurality in water governance. Exploring these ideas in relation to examples from the Canadian province of British Columbia, we develop the notion of ontological conjunctures, which is based on networked dialogue among multiple water ontologies and which points to forms of water governance that begin to embrace such a dialogue. We highlight water as siwlkw and the processual concept of En’owkin as examples of this approach, emphasizing the significance of cross-pollinating scholarship across debates on water and multiple ontologies.
“Don’t bring me down”
Authors: Homan Kristin J. , Wild Samara , Dillon Kristyn R. , Shimrock Rachel
Published: March 2017

Ample evidence has shown that secure attachment is related to more positive body-related attitudes in women. However, existing studies are primarily correlational, leaving questions about causal direction unanswered. This article reports results of two experiments that tested the effects of a guided visualization priming procedure on body image. In Experiment 1, 87 female undergraduates completed a neutral prime at Time 1 and were randomly assigned to either a secure or anxious prime at Time 2. They completed a general measure of body image after each priming task. In Experiment 2, 49 female students and 51 male students completed a neutral prime, a secure prime, and an anxious prime, followed by a measure of body appreciation, at three different sessions 1 week apart. In both studies, women’s body image worsened in response to the anxious attachment prime but was unaffected by the secure attachment prime. For women, the effect of the anxious prime was conditional upon body mass index and dispositional attachment anxiety. The primes had no effect on men’s body image. Directions for future research, clinical implications, and limitations of the present studies are discussed.
3D visualization and quantification of microvessels in the whole ischemic mouse brain using solvent-based clearing and light sheet microscopy
Authors: Lugo-Hernandez Erlen , Squire Anthony , Hagemann Nina , Brenzel Alexandra , Sardari Maryam , Schlechter Jana , Sanchez-Mendoza Eduardo H , Gunzer Matthias , Faissner Andreas , Hermann Dirk M
Published: March 2017

The visualization of cerebral microvessels is essential for understanding brain remodeling after stroke. Injection of dyes allows for the evaluation of perfused vessels, but has limitations related either to incomplete microvascular filling or leakage. In conventional histochemistry, the analysis of microvessels is limited to 2D structures, with apparent limitations regarding the interpretation of vascular circuits. Herein, we developed a straight-forward technique to visualize microvessels in the whole ischemic mouse brain, combining the injection of a fluorescent-labeled low viscosity hydrogel conjugate with 3D solvent clearing followed by automated light sheet microscopy. We performed transient middle cerebral artery occlusion in C57Bl/6j mice and acquired detailed 3D vasculature images from whole brains. Subsequent image processing, rendering and fitting of blood vessels to a filament model was employed to calculate vessel length density, resulting in 0.922 ± 0.176 m/mm3 in healthy tissue and 0.329 ± 0.131 m/mm3 in ischemic tissue. This analysis showed a marked loss of capillaries with a diameter ≤ 10 µm and a more moderate loss of microvessels in the range > 10 and ≤ 20 µm, whereas vessels > 20 µm were unaffected by focal cerebral ischemia. We propose that this protocol is highly suitable for studying microvascular injury and remodeling post-stroke.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage – Induced block of cerebrospinal fluid flow: Role of brain coagulation factor III (tissue factor)
Authors: Golanov Eugene V , Bovshik Evgeniy I , Wong Kelvin K , Pautler Robia G , Foster Chase H , Federley Richard G , Zhang Jonathan Y , Mancuso James , Wong Stephen TC , Britz Gavin W
Published: March 2017

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 95% of cases results in long-term disabilities due to brain damage, pathogenesis of which remains uncertain. Hindrance of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation along glymphatic pathways is a possible mechanism interrupting drainage of damaging substances from subarachnoid space and parenchyma. We explored changes in CSF circulation at different time following SAH and possible role of brain tissue factor (TF). Fluorescent solute and fluorescent microspheres injected into cisterna magna were used to track CSF flow in mice. SAH induced by perforation of circle of Willis interrupted CSF flow for up to 30 days. Block of CSF flow did not correlate with the size of hemorrhage. Following SAH, fibrin deposits were observed on the brain surface including areas without visible blood. Block of astroglia-associated TF by intracerebroventricular administration of specific antibodies increased size of hemorrhage, decreased fibrin deposition and facilitated spread of fluorophores in sham/naïve animals. We conclude that brain TF plays an important role in localization of hemorrhage and also regulates CSF flow under normal conditions. Targeting of the TF system will allow developing of new therapeutic approaches to the treatment of SAH and pathologies related to CSF flow such as hydrocephalus.
2-18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography in delirium
Authors: Haggstrom Lucy R , Nelson Julia A , Wegner Eva A , Caplan Gideon A
Published: March 2017

Delirium is a common, serious, yet poorly understood syndrome. Growing evidence suggests cerebral metabolism is fundamentally disturbed; however, it has not been investigated using 2-18F-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) in delirium. This prospective study thus explored FDG PET patterns of cerebral glucose metabolism in older inpatients with delirium. A particular emphasis was on the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a key region for attention, which is a central feature of delirium. Delirium scans were compared with post-delirium scans using visual analysis and semi-quantitative analysis with NeuroQ; 13 participants (8 female, median 84 y) were scanned during delirium, and 6 scanned again after resolution. On visual analysis, cortical hypometabolism was evident in all participants during delirium (13/13), and improved with delirium resolution (6/6). Using NeuroQ, glucose metabolism was higher post-delirium in the whole brain and bilateral PCC compared to during delirium ( p < 0.05). Greater metabolism in both PCCs correlated with better performance on a neuropsychological test of attention, the WAIS-IV Digit Span Test forwards, and with shorter delirium duration. This research found widespread, reversible cortical hypometabolism during delirium and PCC hypometabolism was associated with inattention during delirium.
A role for sex and a common HFE gene variant in brain iron uptake
Authors: Duck Kari A , Neely Elizabeth B , Simpson Ian A , Connor James R
Published: March 2017

HFE (high iron) is an essential protein for regulating iron transport into cells. Mutations of the HFE gene result in loss of this regulation causing accumulation of iron within the cell. The mutated protein has been found increasingly in numerous neurodegenerative disorders in which increased levels of iron in the brain are reported. Additionally, evidence that these mutations are associated with elevated brain iron challenges the paradigm that the brain is protected by the blood–brain barrier. While much has been studied regarding the role of HFE in cellular iron uptake, it has remained unclear what role the protein plays in the transport of iron into the brain. We investigated regulation of iron transport into the brain using a mouse model with a mutation in the HFE gene. We demonstrated that the rate of radiolabeled iron (59Fe) uptake was similar between the two genotypes despite higher brain iron concentrations in the mutant. However, there were significant differences in iron uptake between males and females regardless of genotype. These data indicate that brain iron status is consistently maintained and tightly regulated at the level of the blood–brain barrier.
Development of a tool to facilitate real life activity retraining in hand and arm therapy
Authors: Ohno Kanta , Tomori Kounosuke , Takebayashi Takashi , Sawada Tatsunori , Nagayama Hirofumi , Levack William MM , Domen Kazuhisa , Higashi Toshio
Published: March 2017

Introduction

Successful recovery of upper extremity function after stroke is more likely when the affected limb is used regularly in daily life. We developed an iPad (Apple) application called the ‘Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand’ to facilitate daily upper extremity use. This study examined the suitability of items and pictures in the Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand, and tested a paper prototype of the application (which has since been produced).

Method

We used a Delphi method with 10 expert occupational therapists to refine the items in the aid. Next, we prepared pictures of items in the aid and confirmed their suitability by testing them with 10 patients (seven stroke, three cervical spondylotic myelopathy). Nine occupational therapists conducted field tests with a paper prototype of the aid in clinical practice to examine its utility.

Results

After four Delphi rounds, we selected 130 items representing activities of daily living, organized into 16 categories. Of 130 pictures, 128 were recognizable to patients as representing the intended activities. Based on testing of the paper prototype, we found the Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand process was suitable for clinical practice, and could be organized into six steps.

Conclusion

The Aid for Decision-Making in Occupation Choice for Hand process may promote daily upper extremity use. This application, since developed, now needs to be clinically tested in its digital form.
Antimafia families: Cooperative work and flexible kinship in Sicily
Authors: Rakopoulos Theodoros
Published: March 2017

This article focuses on the formation of flexible ideas of kinship to accommodate reform ideologies (antimafia) and collective platforms of work (cooperatives) in Sicily. While the anthropology of cooperatives often shows how coops reproduce family work, assessing how flexible kinship idioms accommodate cooperativisation can reveal how cooperatives are constituted around family life. In the Sicilian antimafia, kinship and work are strictly separated, on paper, for fear of mafia corruption. In actual fact, members of Sicilian antimafia cooperatives experience their merging of family life and antimafia cooperativism as a belonging to ‘antimafia families’. This article explicates the tension between this ethnographic finding and antimafia ideology and policy. Antimafia families provide a backdrop for a cooperativism inclusive of kinship. The analysis shows both how antimafia families are mutually constituted with cooperatives and how cooperatives are embedded in the domestic lives of their members. This cooperative-family interplay can help us bridge conceptual separations between workplace and family life.
Signs, webs, and memories
Authors: Cossu Andrea
Published: March 2017

The article reviews Italian semiotician and philosopher Umberto Eco’s vision of semiotics as a discipline, the aim of which is to study the ‘whole of culture’. It focuses especially on Eco’s trajectory out of structuralism and on the development of a cognitive semantics based on strong pragmatist principles, that inform his notion of interpretability as the key process of semiosis and on the encyclopedia as the format more apt to describe the cultural space. After a consideration of the interface between the cognitive, the pragmatic and the cultural dimensions of semiosis, the article highlights a few open problems in contemporary, culturally-oriented sociological theory that could benefit from a deeper engagement with these concepts.
Energy Absorption Capability of Axially Compressed Woven Natural Ramie/Green Epoxy Square Composite Tubes
Authors: Ghoushji Majid J , Eshkoor Rahim A , Zulkifli Rozli , Sulong Abu B , Abdullah Shahrum , Azhari Che H
Published: March 2017

This study focuses on failure response and energy absorption of woven ramie epoxy square composite tubes when exposed to the axial quasi-static compression test. Hand lay-up technique was used to prepare the rectangular composite tubes composed of 12 layers of ramie fabric with a thickness of 1.7 mm and 50-, 80-, and 120-mm-long tubes. The measured parameters were specific energy absorption, energy absorption, and peak load. The total energy absorption increased with the increase in the length of the tubes. The failure mode of the tested tubes was examined, and the mid-length and local buckling were considered as the main sources of failure. The woven natural ramie was used in the textiles for years. However, the results of this paper can be significant because of the limited research employing woven ramie as reinforcement for composites.
Effectiveness of Mobile Devices on Vocabulary Learning: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Mahdi Hassan Saleh
Published: March 2017

Mobile devices are considered as the most widely used information and communication technologies. They have provided great advantages in language learning. This study reports a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of using mobile devices on vocabulary learning. A meta-analysis was conducted on research that compared the outcomes from students learning vocabulary using mobile devices to those learning vocabulary using traditional ways of learning. The meta-analysis examined how effect sizes varied based on learners’ age, type of vocabulary learning (receptive or productive), and aspects of vocabulary used (form, meaning, and use). This meta-analysis examined the effect of using mobile devices on vocabulary learning by reviewing 16 studies involving 986 participants. The use of mobile devices in learning vocabulary was associated with greater achievement in comparison with traditional ways. The findings of the meta-analysis indicate a medium effect of using mobile devices on vocabulary learning ( g = .67). Major findings of the current meta-analysis include the following: (a) Mobile devices have moderate effect sizes on both ways of vocabulary learning (productive and receptive), (b) adult learners get benefit from using mobile devices in vocabulary learning better than young learners, and (c) mobile devices have moderate effect on all aspects of vocabulary learning.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Deficiency Alters Circadian and Metabolic Rhythmicity
Authors: Jaeger Cassie , Khazaal Ali Q. , Xu Canxin , Sun Mingwei , Krager Stacey L. , Tischkau Shelley A.
Published: March 2017

PAS domain–containing proteins can act as environmental sensors that capture external stimuli to allow coordination of organismal physiology with the outside world. These proteins permit diverse ligand binding and heterodimeric partnership, allowing for varied combinations of PAS-dependent protein-protein interactions and promoting crosstalk among signaling pathways. Previous studies report crosstalk between circadian clock proteins and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Activated AhR forms a heterodimer with the circadian clock protein Bmal1 and thereby functionally inhibits CLOCK/Bmal1 activity. If physiological activation of AhR through naturally occurring, endogenous ligands inhibits clock function, it seems plausible to hypothesize that decreased AhR expression releases AhR-induced inhibition of circadian rhythms. Because both AhR and the clock are important regulators of glucose metabolism, it follows that decreased AhR will also alter metabolic function. To test this hypothesis, rhythms of behavior, metabolic outputs, and circadian and metabolic gene expression were measured in AhR-deficient mice. Genetic depletion of AhR enhanced behavioral responses to changes in the light-dark cycle, increased rhythmic amplitude of circadian clock genes in the liver, and altered rhythms of glucose and insulin. This study provides evidence of AhR-induced inhibition that influences circadian rhythm amplitude.
A Patient as Art: Andrew Wyeth’s Portrayal of Christina Olson’s Neurologic Disorder in Christina’s World
Authors: Patterson Marc C. , Cole Thomas B. , Siegel Eliot , Mackowiak Philip A.
Published: March 2017

In Christina’s World, one of the most beloved works of American art, Andrew Wyeth painted Christina Olson crawling crablike across the field below her house, raised on emaciated arms, with a swollen knob for an elbow, and hands clenched and gnarled. The significance of these physical abnormalities, and the message Wyeth endeavored to convey via the portrait, are considered here in light of Christina’s medical history and the disorder it most likely signifies.
Anti‐Inflammatory Diet in Clinical Practice: A Review
Authors: Ricker Mari Anoushka , Haas William Christian
Published: March 2017

Recently, there has been an increase in the research regarding the impact of acute and chronic inflammation on health and disease. Specific foods are now known to exert strong effects on inflammatory pathways within the body. Carefully selecting foods that are anti‐inflammatory in nature while avoiding foods that are proinflammatory is central to an anti‐inflammatory diet plan. Ultimately, the plan models a pattern of eating that (1) focuses on eating whole, plant‐based foods that are rich in healthy fats and phytonutrients and (2) maintains a stable glycemic response.
Carbon dioxide-modified polyethylenimine as a novel gene delivery vector and its in vitro validation
Authors: Shao Dongjie , Wu Hanbing , Shen Fawei , Wu Hua , Quan Jing
Published: March 2017

In this work, the CO2-modified polyethylenimine, as a novel delivery vector, has been validated by combining with the plasmid DNA to form plasmid DNA/CO2-modified polyethylenimine complexes. We have modified polyethylenimine using CO2 to partially convert amine groups to carbamic acid groups. The buffering capacity and the plasmid DNA binding ability of the CO2-modified polyethylenimine and PEI-25 (polyethylenimine with Mw = 25 kDa) were characterized by acid–base titration and agarose gel electrophoresis, respectively. The particle size and zeta potential of the complexes were determined using a Zetasizer Nano ZS. Resistance to nuclease digestion was determined via DNase I protection assay. The cytotoxicity was measured by the MTT assay. The transfection efficiency of the complexes has been evaluated by flow cytometry. It is observed that the condensation capacity of CO2-modified polyethylenimine is still comparable to polyethylenimine and the CO2-modified polyethylenimine can protect plasmid DNA from degradation by DNase I. The diameter of the plasmid DNA/CO2-modified polyethylenimine complex is around 140 nm and the zeta potential decreases. MTT assays confirm that the cytotoxicity is much lower for plasmid DNA/CO2-modified polyethylenimine than for plasmid DNA/PEI-25. The flow cytometry found that in serum-free medium the transfection efficiency can reach a value of ∼60% for plasmid DNA/CO2-modified polyethylenimine, and in 10% fetal bovine serum medium, the transfection efficiency is still as high as ∼40%, which is much higher than that of plasmid DNA/PEI-25. CO2-modified polyethylenimine could be a novel and promising nonviral gene vector for gene therapy.
Factors Influencing Labeling Nonconsensual Sex as Sexual Assault
Authors: Yndo Monica C. , Zawacki Tina
Published: March 2017

The current study examined the effects of physical attractiveness and sexual interest cues on men’s sexual perceptions of women and whether increases in sexual perceptions of a woman would lead to decreases in labeling of subsequent nonconsensual sex as sexual assault. Two hundred thirty-three male college students ( Mage = 19.17, SD = 1.22) read a vignette describing a hypothetical social interaction between a man and a woman; within the vignette, the female character’s physical attractiveness (attractive vs. less attractive) and the degree to which the female character behaved interested in the male character (uninterested vs. ambiguous) were manipulated. The vignette ends with the male character physically forcing sexual intercourse with the female character. After reading the vignette, participants’ labeling of the nonconsensual sex as sexual assault was addressed. Participants’ perceptions of the female character’s sexual interest in the male character prior to the nonconsensual sex was assessed as a dependent variable during stopping points in the vignette, prior to sexual assault. Both physical attractiveness and interest cues had a significant positive influence on men’s perception of the female character as sexually interested. In addition, perceptions of sexual interest had a direct negative effect on sexual assault labeling. These results indicate that increases in physical attractiveness and interest cues increase perceptions of sexual interest, in turn decreasing the labeling of nonconsensual sex as sexual assault. This experimental research contributes to the literature on misperception of sexual interest and sexual assault labeling. These findings provide implications for intervention programs and for forensic issues related to sexual assault.
Mediators and Moderators of the Association Between Stalking Victimization and Psychological Distress
Authors: Fais Connor R. , Lutz-Zois Catherine J. , Goodnight Jackson A.
Published: March 2017

The current study aims to understand mediators and moderators of the relationship between stalking victimization and depression. Based on the reformulated learned helplessness theory, which emphasizes the role of internal, global, and stable attributions for negative events in the development of depression, we predicted that the association between stalking victimization and depression would be mediated by attributions for the stalking and characterological self-blame. We predicted that the association between stalking victimization and helplessness attributions or characterological self-blame, in turn, would be moderated by gender, sex-role identity, and length of stalking. Specifically, we hypothesized that female victims, victims possessing a feminine sex-role identity, and victims experiencing longer stalking episodes would be more likely to experience depression in comparison with male victims, victims possessing a masculine sex-role identity, and victims experiencing shorter stalking episodes. The results indicated that global attributions for the cause of stalking significantly mediated the relationship between stalking victimization and depression. The results for stable attributions, internal attributions, and characterological self-blame were nonsignificant. Furthermore, gender, sex-role identity, and length of stalking did not moderate the association between stalking and attributional style or characterological self-blame. The implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.
An Israeli Model for Predicting Fear of Terrorism Based on Community and Individual Factors
Authors: Shechory-Bitton Mally , Cohen-Louck Keren
Published: March 2017

The purpose of the study was to suggest a model for predicting fear of terrorism using theoretical explanations that predict fear of crime. The study focused on two different levels of analysis: community and individual. The sample consisted of 507 Israeli adults. Predictions of fear of terrorism and fear of crime were conducted with two path analysis models, calculated using AMOS software. Fear of terrorism was predicted directly by gender, age, prior victimization, religiosity, and neighborhood disorder. The findings allow the researchers to offer a predictive model for fear of terrorism based on a combination of theories that explain fear of crime as well as a theory concerning the link between fear of death and religion. A combination of environmental theories (e.g., the Broken Windows theory), theories related to personal variables (e.g., the Vulnerability theory), and the Terror Management theory can produce an adequate theoretical framework for explaining fear of terrorism.
Thermal error modelling of motorised spindle in large-sized gear grinding machine
Authors: Dai He , Wang Shilong , Xiong Xin , Zhou Baocang , Sun Shouli , Hu Zongyan
Published: March 2017

Thermal errors are one of the most significant factors that influence the machining precision of machine tools. For large-sized gear grinding machine tools, thermal errors of beds, columns and rotary tables are decreased by their huge heat capacity. However, different from machine tools of normal sizes, thermal errors increase with greater power in motorised spindles. Thermal error compensation is generally considered as a relatively effective, convenient and cost-efficient approach in thermal error control and reduction. This article proposes two thermal error prediction models for motorised spindles based on an adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and support vector machine, respectively. In the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system–based model, the temperature values are divided into different groups using subtractive clustering. A hybrid learning scheme is adopted to adjust membership functions so as to learn from the input data. In the particle swarm optimisation support vector machine–based model, particle swarm optimisation is used to optimise the hyperparameters of the established model. Thermal balance experiments are conducted on a large-sized computer numerical control gear grinding machine tool to establish the prediction models. Comparative results show that the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system model has higher prediction accuracy (with residual errors within ±2.5 μm in the radial direction and ±3 μm in the axial direction) than the support vector machine model.
Genetic algorithm-based optimization design method of the Formula SAE racing car’s rear wing
Authors: Wang Hui , Bai Qiuyang , Hao Xufei , Hua Lin , Meng Zhenghua
Published: March 2017

The aerodynamic devices play an important role on the performance of the Formula SAE racing car. The rear wing is the most significant and popular element, which offers primary down force and optimizes the wake. In traditional rear wing optimization, the optimization variables are first selected, and separately enumerated according to the analyzing experience of the racing car’s external flow field, and thus the optimal design is chosen by comparison. This method is complicated, and even might lose some key sample points. In this paper, the attack angle of the rear wing and the relative position parameters are set as design variables; then the design variables’ combination is determined by the DOE experimental design method. The aerodynamic lift and drag of the racing car for these variables’ combinations are obtained by the computational fluid dynamics method. With these sample points, the approximation model is produced by the response surface method. For the sake of gaining the best lift to drag ( FL/ FD) ratio, i.e. maximum down force and the minimum drag force, the optimal solution is found by the genetic algorithm. The result shows that the established optimization procedure can optimize the rear wing’s aerodynamic characteristic on the racing car effectively and have application values in the practical engineering.
Numerical investigation of the axial compressor performance with inlet distortions
Authors: Liu ZX , Diao HZ , Zhu XC , Du ZH
Published: March 2017

In this paper, a three-dimensional body force model for predicting compressor performance and stability is implemented in the Ansys CFX. The influence of the blade rows on the flow field is represented by the source terms of CFX-solver equation. At first, a high-speed and high-pressure-ratio transonic compressor with the clean inlet is investigated. The overall performance and the flow fields are in agreement well with those of the experimental date, so the model is reliable and correct. Then, the effects of the circumferential distortions in the inlet total pressure and the total temperature on the compressor performance and flow field are also illustrated, respectively. In summary, the proposed body force model is suitable to investigate the flow field of the compressor with the inlet distortions.
The laboratory and the asylum: Francis Walker Mott and the pathological laboratory at London County Council Lunatic Asylum, Claybury, Essex (1895–1916)
Authors: Buklijas Tatjana
Published: March 2017

London County Council’s pathological laboratory in the LCC asylum at Claybury, Essex, was established in 1895 to study the pathology of mental illness. Historians of psychiatry have understood the Claybury laboratory as a predecessor of the Maudsley Hospital in London: not only was this laboratory closed when the Maudsley was opened in 1916, but its director, Frederick Walker Mott, a champion of the ‘German’ model in psychiatry, was instrumental in the establishment of this institution. Yet, as I argue in this essay, for all the continuities with the Maudsley, the Claybury laboratory should not be seen solely as its predecessor – or as a British answer to continental laboratories such as Theodor Meynert’s in Vienna. Rather, as I show using the examples of general paralysis of the insane and ‘asylum colitis’, the Claybury laboratory is best understood as an attempt to prevent mental illness using a microbiological model.
Reproductive justice in context: South African and Zimbabwean women’s narratives of their abortion decision
Authors: Chiweshe Malvern , Mavuso Jabulile , Macleod Catriona
Published: March 2017

The abortion decision-making process is embedded within overlapping power relations. Using a post-colonial feminist framework, we analyse South African and Zimbabwean women’s narratives regarding their abortion decision. As neighbouring countries, South Africa and Zimbabwe provide a useful counterpoint as they have common and differing social histories and very different abortion legislation. In our analysis, we unpick transversal commonalities and divergences in the discursive resources deployed by the women in their narratives in the two sites. Commonalities included the women feeling compelled to justify their abortion decision in the interactive interview space, an absence of a reproductive rights discourse, and the deployment of relationship embedded discourses in the justificatory work performed by the women. The “conjugalisation of reproduction”, “imperative of good mothering”, and “unstable partner relationships” discourses featured across both sites but the manner in which these were deployed differed. These discursive resources allowed the women to position themselves as making responsible decisions. The Zimbabwean women spoke of shame and hiding, a discursive resource that was explicitly absent in the South African women’s accounts. We conclude by arguing that our post-colonial feminist approach allows for a contextualised reproductive justice stance to abortion decision-making that identifies both transnational and context-specific power relations.
Serum neuron-specific enolase as an early predictor of delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae in patients with acute carbon monoxide poisoning
Authors: Cha YS , Kim H , Do HH , Kim HI , Kim OH , Cha K-C , Lee KH , Hwang SO
Published: March 2017

Delayed onset of neuropsychiatric symptoms after apparent recovery from acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been described as delayed neuropsychiatric sequelae (DNS). To date, there have been no studies on the utility of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE), a marker of neuronal cell damage, as a predictive marker of DNS in acute CO poisoning. This retrospective observational study was performed on adult patients with acute CO poisoning consecutively treated over a 9-month period. Serum NSE was measured after emergency department arrival, and patients were divided into two groups. The DNS group comprised patients with delayed sequelae, while the non-DNS group included patients with none of these sequelae. A total of 98 patients with acute CO poisoning were enrolled in this study. DNS developed in eight patients. The median NSE value was significantly higher in the DNS group than in the non-DNS group. There was a statistical difference between the non-DNS group and the DNS group in terms of CO exposure time, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), loss of consciousness, creatinine kinase, and troponin I. GCS and NSE were the early predictors of development of DNS. The area under the curve according to the receiver operating characteristic curves of GCS, serum NSE, and GCS combined with serum NSE were 0.922, 0.836, and 0.969, respectively. In conclusion, initial GCS and NSE served as early predictors of development of DNS. Also, NSE might be a useful additional parameter that could improve the prediction accuracy of initial GCS.
SIRT3 functions as a tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Zeng Xianchun , Wang Nanzhu , Zhai Hui , Wang Rongpin , Wu Jiahong , Pu Wei
Published: March 2017

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes for cancer-related mortality worldwide. SIRT3 may function as either oncogene or tumor suppressor in a panel of cancers; however, the role of SIRT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma remains unclear. In this study, we assayed the expression level of SIRT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry. A loss-of-function approach was used to examine the effects of SIRT3 on biological activity, including cell proliferative activity and invasive potential. The results demonstrated that the expression levels of SIRT3 protein in hepatocellular carcinoma tissues were significantly downregulated compared with those in adjacent non-cancerous tissues. Furthermore, SIRT3 could decrease cell proliferation and inhibit cell migration/invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. Taken together, these results elucidated the function of SIRT3 in hepatocellular carcinoma development and suggested that SIRT3 might function as tumor suppressor in hepatocellular carcinoma by targeting PI3K/Akt pathway.
Nestin and cluster of differentiation 146 expression in breast cancer: Predicting early recurrence by targeting metastasis?
Authors: Tampaki Ekaterini Christina , Tampakis Athanasios , Nonni Afroditi , Kontzoglou Konstantinos , Patsouris Efstratios , Kouraklis Gregory
Published: March 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the expression of stem-cell markers nestin and cluster of differentiation 146 with clinicopathological characteristics in breast cancer and to determine whether a prognostic impact of nestin and CD146 expression exists regarding occurrence of disease relapse in breast cancer. A total of 141 patients who were histologically diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent radical operations from November 2006 to October 2013 in Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, were enrolled in the study. CD146 and nestin protein expression were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. Nestin expression was observed in 18.4% (26/141) of the cases, while CD146 expression was observed in 35.5% (50/141) of the cases. Nestin expression is significantly higher in younger patients with breast cancer. Nestin and CD146 expression were not correlated with the tumor size and the presence of lymph node metastasis. On the contrary, a significantly higher expression of nestin and CD146 was observed with triple-negative cancers (p < 0.0001 for both markers), low differentiated tumors (p = 0.021 for nestin and p = 0.008 for CD146), and increased Ki-67 expression (p = 0.007 for nestin and p < 0.0001 for CD146). The nestin-positive group of patients and the CD146–positive group of patients presented significantly higher rates of disease recurrence (log-rank test, p = 0.022 for nestin and p = 0.003 for CD146) with a distant metastasis, 30 months after the primary treatment. CD146 but not nestin, however, predicted independently (p = 0.047) disease recurrence. Nestin and CD146 are expressed in breast cancer cells with highly aggressive potency. They might contribute to disease relapse in breast cancer by activating the epithelial–mesenchymal transition pathway and assist tumor neovascularization.
The miR-30 family: Versatile players in breast cancer
Authors: Yang Su-Jin , Yang Su-Yu , Wang Dan-Dan , Chen Xiu , Shen Hong-Yu , Zhang Xiao-Hui , Zhong Shan-Liang , Tang Jin-Hai , Zhao Jian-Hua
Published: March 2017

The microRNA family, miR-30, plays diverse roles in regulating key aspects of neoplastic transformation, metastasis, and clinical outcomes in different types of tumors. Accumulating evidence proves that miR-30 family is pivotal in the breast cancer development by controlling critical signaling pathways and relevant oncogenes. Here, we review the roles of miR-30 family members in the tumorigenesis, metastasis, and drug resistance of breast cancer, and their application to predict the prognosis of breast cancer patients. We think miR-30 family members would be promising biomarkers for breast cancer and may bring a novel insight in molecular targeted therapy of breast cancer.
Cancer stem cells: The potential role of autophagy, proteolysis, and cathepsins in glioblastoma stem cells
Authors: Bischof Joachim , Westhoff Mike-Andrew , Wagner Johanna Elisabeth , Halatsch Marc-Eric , Trentmann Stephanie , Knippschild Uwe , Wirtz Christian Rainer , Burster Timo
Published: March 2017

One major obstacle in cancer therapy is chemoresistance leading to tumor recurrence and metastasis. Cancer stem cells, in particular glioblastoma stem cells, are highly resistant to chemotherapy, radiation, and immune recognition. In case of immune recognition, several survival mechanisms including, regulation of autophagy, proteases, and cell surface major histocompatibility complex class I molecules, are found in glioblastoma stem cells. In different pathways, cathepsins play a crucial role in processing functional proteins that are necessary for several processes and proper cell function. Consequently, strategies targeting these pathways in glioblastoma stem cells are promising approaches to interfere with tumor cell survival and will be discussed in this review.
Inhibition of microRNA-21 via locked nucleic acid-anti-miR suppressed metastatic features of colorectal cancer cells through modulation of programmed cell death 4
Authors: Nedaeinia Reza , Sharifi Mohammadreza , Avan Amir , Kazemi Mohammad , Nabinejad Abdolreza , Ferns Gordon A , Ghayour-Mobarhan Majid , Salehi Rasoul
Published: March 2017

Colorectal cancer is among the most lethal of malignancies, due to its propensity to metastatic spread and multifactorial-chemoresistance. The latter property supports the need to identify novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of colorectal cancer. MicroRNAs are endogenous non-coding small RNA molecules that function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression. Recently, programmed cell death 4 has been identified as a protein that increases during apoptosis. This gene is among the potential targets of miR-21 (OncomiR). Locked nucleic acid–modified oligonucleotides have recently emerged as a potential therapeutic option for targeting microRNAs. The aim of this study was to explore the functional role of locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 in the LS174T cell line in vitro and in vivo models. LS174T cells were treated with locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 for 24, 48, and 72 h in vitro. The expression of miR-21 and PDCD4 at messenger RNA (mRNA) level was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, while the protein level of PDCD4 was determined by Western blotting. Cell migratory behavior and the cluster-forming ability of cells were assessed before and after therapy. The disseminated tumor cells were assessed in the chick chorioallantoic membrane model by Alu quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 was transfected successfully into the LS174T cells and inhibited the expression of miR-21. Locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 inhibited the migration and the number of cells forming clusters. Moreover, we found that locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 transfection was associated with a significant reduction in metastatic properties as assessed by the in ovo model. Our findings demonstrated the novel therapeutic potential of locked nucleic acid-anti-miR-21 in colon adenocarcinoma with high miR-21 expression.
Aberrant AML1 gene expression in the diagnosis of childhood leukemias not characterized by AML1-involved cytogenetic abnormalities
Authors: Adamaki Maria , Vlahopoulos Spiros , Lambrou George I , Papavassiliou Athanasios G , Moschovi Maria
Published: March 2017

The AML1 ( acute myeloid leukemia 1) gene, a necessary prerequisite of embryonic hematopoiesis and a critical regulator of normal hematopoietic development, is one of the most frequently mutated genes in human leukemia, involving over 50 chromosome translocations and over 20 partner genes. In the few existing studies investigating AML1 gene expression in childhood leukemias, aberrant upregulation seems to specifically associate with AML1 translocations and amplifications. The aim of this study was to determine whether overexpression also extends to other leukemic subtypes than the ones karyotypically involving AML1. We use quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction methodology to investigate gene expression in 100 children with acute leukemias and compare them to those of healthy controls. We show that in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia, AML1 gene overexpression is associated with a variety of leukemic subtypes, both immunophenotypically and cytogenetically. Statistically significantly higher transcripts of the gene were detected in the acute lymphoblastic leukemia group as compared to the acute myeloid leukemia group, where AML1 overexpression appeared to associate with cytogenetic abnormalities additional to those that engage the AML1 gene, or that are reported as showing a “normal” karyotype. Collectively, our study shows that AML1 gene overexpression characterizes a broader range of leukemic subtypes than previously thought, including various maturation stages of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia and cytogenetic types additional to those involving the AML1 gene.
High mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 signaling promotes progression of gastric cancer
Authors: Yue Yanqiu , Zhou Tao , Gao Yanjing , Zhang Zongli , Li Li , Liu Lin , Shi Wenna , Su Lihui , Cheng Baoquan
Published: March 2017

High mobility group box 1 and toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 signaling pathway have been indicated to have oncogenic effects in many cancers. However, the role of high mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 signaling pathway in the development of gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that high mobility group box 1, toll-like receptor 4, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 were overexpressed in gastric cancer tumors compared with the adjacent non-tumor tissues. The overexpression of high mobility group box 1, toll-like receptor 4, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 were correlated with tumor-node-metastasis stage (p = 0.0068, p = 0.0063, p = 0.0173) and lymph node metastasis (p = 0.0272, p = 0.0382, and p = 0.0495). Furthermore, we observed that knockdown of high mobility group box 1 by high mobility group box 1-small interfering RNA suppressed the expression of toll-like receptor 4 and myeloid differentiation factor 88. Blockage of high mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 signaling by high mobility group box 1-small interfering RNA resulted in elevation of apoptotic ratio and inhibition of cell growth, migration, and invasion by upregulating Bax expression and downregulating Bcl-2, matrix metalloproteinase-2, nuclear factor kappa B/p65 expression, and the nuclear translocation of nuclear factor kappa B/p65 in gastric cancer cells. Our findings suggest that high mobility group box 1/toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 signaling pathway may contribute to the development and progression of gastric cancer via the nuclear factor kappa B pathway and it also represents a novel potential therapeutic target for gastric cancer.