bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A safety marketing stimuli-response model of passenger behaviour in the ferry context
Authors: Lu Chin-Shan , Poon Ho Yee , Weng Hsiang-Kai
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This study aims to propose a safety marketing stimuli-response model to explain passengers’ safety behavior in the ferry services context.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was conducted to examine the impact of safety marketing stimuli on passengers’ safety awareness and behavior by using data obtained from a survey of 316 ferry passengers in Hong Kong.

Findings

The authors found that passengers’ perceptions of ferry safety marketing stimuli positively affected their safety awareness and safety awareness positively affected passengers’ safety behaviors. Specifically, they found that safety awareness played a mediating role in the relationship between ferry safety marketing stimuli and passengers’ safety behaviors.

Practical/implications

The empirically validated scales can be adapted to practices of safety marketing, while providing helpful information for ferry operators to evaluate their efforts of safety marketing and implications for improvement.

Originality/value

According to the authors' knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to fill this research gap by empirically validating and theoretically conceptualizing measures of safety marketing stimuli based on the marketing stimulus-response model.
Image processing procedure to quantify the internal structure of porous asphalt concrete
Authors: Ahmad Kabiru Abdullahi , Abdul Hassan Norhidayah , Abdullah Mohd Ezree , Bilema Munder A.M. , Usman Nura , Al Allam Al Allam Musbah , Hainin Mohd Rosli Bin
Published: November 2018

Purpose

In order to fully understand the properties of porous asphalt, investigation should be conducted from different point of views. This is from the fact that porous asphalt mixture designed with the same aggregate gradation and air void content can give different infiltration rate due to the different formation of the internal structure. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the micro-structural properties and functional performance of porous asphalt simultaneously.

Design/methodology/approach

The aim is to develop imaging techniques to process and analyze the internal structure of porous asphalt mixture. A few parameters were established to analyze the air void properties and aggregate interlock within the gyratory compacted samples captured using a non-destructive scanning technique of X-ray computed tomography (CT) throughout the samples. The results were then compared with the functional performance in terms of permeability. Four aggregate gradations used in different countries, i.e. Malaysia, Australia, the USA and Singapore. The samples were tested for resilient modulus and permeability. Quantitative analysis of the microstructure was used to establish the relationships between the air void properties and aggregate interlock and the resilient modulus and permeability.

Findings

Based on the results, it was found that the micro-structural properties investigated have successfully described the internal structure formation and they reflect the results of resilient modulus and permeability. In addition, the imaging technique which includes the image processing and image analysis for internal structure quantification seems to be very useful and perform well with the X-ray CT images based on the reliable results obtained from the analysis.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, attention was limited to the study of internal structure of porous asphalt samples prepared in the laboratory using X-ray CT but can also be used to assess the quality of finished asphalt pavements by taking core samples for quantitative and qualitative analysis. The use of CT for material characterization presents a lot of possibilities in the future of asphalt concrete mix design.

Originality/value

Based on the validation process which includes comparisons between the values obtained from the image analysis and those from the performance test and it was found that the developed procedure satisfactorily assesses the air voids distribution and the aggregate interlock for this reason, it can be used.
Intrapulmonary lymph node metastasis is common in clinically staged IA adenocarcinoma of the lung
Authors: Zhang DengGuo , Chen XianChao , Zhu Daxin , Qin Changlong , Dong Jingsi , Qiu Xiaoming , Fan Mingyu , Zhuo QingHua , Tang XiaoJun
Published: November 2018

Background

Intrapulmonary lymph nodes (LNs, stations 11–14) are usually omitted in postoperative pathological examination. Some non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients with intrapulmonary LN metastasis are incorrectly diagnosed as N0 cases. Furthermore, underestimation of intrapulmonary LN involvement in clinically early stage NSCLC may lead to the incorrect choice of surgical procedure: lobectomy or sublobar resection. This study was conducted to determine the status of intrapulmonary LN involvement in clinically staged IA (c‐T1N0M0) peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung.

Methods

Seventy‐five lobectomy specimens of c‐T1N0M0 peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung were carefully dissected to find intrapulmonary LNs. The longest diameter of each intrapulmonary LN was measured and sent for pathological examination, together with hilar and mediastinal LNs, to investigate the relationship between LN metastasis and primary tumor size.

Results

Intrapulmonary LN metastasis was detected in 22.7%(17/75) of patients. Positive LNs were detected in 21.7% (10/46) of T1b patients and 45% (11/24) of T1c patients, while no metastasis (0/5) was observed in T1a patients (P = 0.036). The mean longest diameter of the 17 involved intrapulmonary LNs was only 6.5 ± 2.1 mm, which was not significantly different to the size of negative intrapulmonary LNs (5.2 ± 1.4 mm).

Conclusions

Intrapulmonary LN metastasis is common in clinically staged IA peripheral adenocarcinoma of the lung. LN metastasis is related to tumor size, and this should be taken into account to determine appropriate surgical procedures and postoperative treatment. Computed tomography is not a reliable method to judge LN metastasis, particularly intrapulmonary LN metastasis.
The Loss of Information Associated with Binary Audit Reports: Evidence from Auditors' Internal Control and Going Concern Opinions
Authors: Christensen Brant E. , Neuman Stevanie S. , Rice Sarah C.
Published: November 2018

This study provides evidence that binary signals in audit reports are unable to fully communicate underlying risks that are inherently continuous in nature. Specifically, we find that companies whose audit reports signal an improvement in internal control effectiveness relative to the prior year are still more likely to subsequently restate the current year's financial statements than companies with no material weaknesses in either year. Similarly, companies deemed to no longer have substantial doubt of continuing as a going concern are still more likely to declare bankruptcy than companies with no going concern opinion in either year. Results in both settings suggest the presence of residual risk that cannot be communicated through a binary audit report, despite the fact that auditors recognize the risk, as evidenced by higher audit fees and longer audit report lags. Our findings are strongest when the reported improvement is more pronounced, and our results hold in matched samples. Our study provides empirical evidence that supports recent regulatory efforts to improve the content of the audit report and offers suggestions for future research.
Risk and Feminist Utopia: Radicalizing the Future
Authors: Cortiel Jeanne
Published: November 2018

Risk has taken over the world as the major way of conceptualizing the future as bleak, if one follows Ulrich Beck’s claim in World at Risk (2007). However, there is also a distinctly utopian strand in American risk discourse, one that has, from the outset, been linked to feminist perspectives. Indeed, when risk entered American culture in the 19th century, immediately women’s rights philosophy began to draw on futures shaped by risk, establishing self‐ownership and agency in a context that denied such freedom to women and non‐white men. This article explores connections between risk, futurity, agency, and selfhood as expressed in feminist thought, drawing a line between Margaret Fuller’s political essay Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845), Joanna Russ’s science fiction novel The Female Man (1975), and Mary Daly’s radical feminist manifesto Quintessence: Realizing the Archaic Future (1998). The aim is not to develop a narrative of development but to see how risk has become useful in shaping distinctly feminist visions of the future. More specifically, I would like to see how risk‐taking has enabled feminist social dreaming. It is precisely this groundedness in risk that allows feminist utopian visions to remain productive in popular culture beyond feminist discourse. When, for example, the movie Alien (1979, dir. Ridley Scott) introduced a female protagonist to a science fiction/horror action plot, it drew on feminist utopian narrative patterns grounded in risk and risk‐taking. Feminist utopian visions as well as their continuations in popular culture thus bring out the subversive potential of risk for feminist theory and practice.
An Exploration of Femininity, Masculinity, and Racial Prejudices in Herland
Authors: Bowers Elinor
Published: November 2018

Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860–1935) helped spearhead the fin de siècle and early 20th‐century women’s rights movement and significantly contributed to the feminist literary genre with The Yellow Wallpaper (1892). Despite her dedication to the women’s movement and contributions to feminist literature, her novel Herland (1915) features problematic undertones of racism, elitism, and masculine degradation. Within recent years, feminism has become a term that is synonymous with inclusivity, with a focus on intersectionality and the rights of not only women but others who have been disenfranchised by race, religious affiliation, sexuality, socioeconomic status, or gender identification. Given modern feminism’s focus on diversity, the racist undertones and focus on gender separatism in Herland places Gilman outside the feminist literary genre, particularly as it has been defined in recent decades.
3D organ modeling with open‐source software
Authors: Cross Devon E. , Bauer Tyler M. , Tchantchaleishvili Vakhtang
Published: November 2018

To date, 3D organ modeling has not reached widespread clinical use, despite showing promise in medical literature. The majority of anatomic modeling that is presented in the literature is performed with proprietary software, presenting certain barriers to use, such as price for usage rights. Open‐source software not only circumvents this barrier, but also often provides greater customization offered by global communities. In this proof‐of‐concept experiment, a HeartMate II LVAD inflow cannula was “virtually fit” in a patient’s left ventricle using only open‐source software. Open‐source programs provide a legitimate alternative to the proprietary software options.
Clinical and translational pharmacological aspects of the management of fibrous dysplasia of bone
Authors: Rotman Marlous , Hamdy Neveen Agnes Therese , Appelman‐Dijkstra Natasha M.
Published: November 2018

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a genetic, noninheritable rare bone disease caused by a postzygotic activating mutation of the α subunit of the stimulatory G‐protein causing increased abnormal bone formation leading to pain, deformity and fractures. To date, no cure has been identified for FD/McCune–Albright syndrome (MAS) and treatment is symptomatic and aimed at decreasing pain and/or local bone turnover. Various drugs have been used to achieve clinical improvement in FD/MAS patients including bisphosphonates and denosumab, however further translational studies are also warranted to address unresolved pathophysiological issues and explore novel pharmacological targets for the management of FD/MAS.

In this article, we review literature on the medical treatment of FD/MAS, discuss the unresolved pathophysiological issues and explore novel pharmacological targets for the management of FD/MAS.
Risk factors associated with pseudoaldosteronism in patients with chronic hepatitis: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Komatsu Akihiro , Yoshino Tetsuhiro , Suzuki Takeshi , Nakamura Tomonori , Kanai Takanori , Watanabe Kenji
Published: November 2018

Glycyrrhizin is used to treat chronic hepatitis, but it also plays an important role in pseudoaldosteronism. Multidrug resistance‐associated protein 2 is important for glycyrrhizin excretion. Dysfunction of this transporter increases the serum levels of direct bilirubin, glycyrrhizin and its metabolites. Hence, elevated direct‐bilirubin levels could predict the risk of pseudoaldosteronism. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between elevated direct‐bilirubin levels and hypokalaemia, which is the most sensitive marker of pseudoaldosteronism. This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a Japanese university hospital. The occurrence of hypokalaemia is defined as a serum potassium level of ≤3.5 mEq/L after the administration of a glycyrrhizin‐containing medication, and a further decline of ≥0.5 mEq/L or an increase of ≥0.5 mEq/L after discontinuing the glycyrrhizin‐containing medication was examined in patients with chronic hepatitis between January 2009 and December 2015. This analysis involved 1392 patients, including 596 women. Hepatitis C virus infections were the most common cause of chronic hepatitis in this study. Seventy‐nine patients received glycyrrhizin (exposed group; mean age: 60.5 ± 14.2) and 1313 did not receive glycyrrhizin (control group; mean age: 58.3 ± 15.8 years). Synergistic effects of glycyrrhizin‐containing medications and elevated direct‐bilirubin levels were associated with hypokalaemia. Elevated direct‐bilirubin levels and hypoalbuminaemia were associated with hypokalaemia in the exposed group. Older age, female sex, high daily glycyrrhizin dosage, longer duration of glycyrrhizin intake, and potassium‐lowering medications were not associated with hypokalaemia after the model adjustment. Elevated direct‐bilirubin levels and hypoalbuminaemia may predict pseudoaldosteronism caused by glycyrrhizin.
Computational methods and tools to predict cytochrome P450 metabolism for drug discovery
Authors: Tyzack Jonathan D. , Kirchmair Johannes
Published: November 2018

In this review, we present important, recent developments in the computational prediction of cytochrome P450 (CYP) metabolism in the context of drug discovery. We discuss in silico models for the various aspects of CYP metabolism prediction, including CYP substrate and inhibitor predictors, site of metabolism predictors (i.e., metabolically labile sites within potential substrates) and metabolite structure predictors. We summarize the different approaches taken by these models, such as rule‐based methods, machine learning, data mining, quantum chemical methods, molecular interaction fields, and docking. We highlight the scope and limitations of each method and discuss future implications for the field of metabolism prediction in drug discovery.
Nonhypoxic pharmacological stabilization of Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1α: Effects on dopaminergic differentiation of human neural stem cells
Authors: Hey Sabine Morris , Jensen Pia , Ryding Matias , Martínez Serrano Alberto , Kristensen Bjarne W. , Meyer Morten
Published: November 2018

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease resulting in degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Exploratory studies using human foetal tissue or predifferentiated stem cells have suggested that intracerebral transplantation of dopaminergic precursor cells may become an effective treatment for patients with Parkinson's disease. However, strategies for dopaminergic stem cell differentiation vary widely in efficiency, and better methods still need to be developed. Hypoxia Inducible Factor 1 (HIF‐1) is a transcription factor involved in the regulation of genes important for cellular adaption to hypoxia and low glucose supply. HIF‐1 is to a large degree regulated by the availability of oxygen as in its presence, the subunit HIF‐1α is degraded by HIF prolyl hydroxylase enzymes (HPHs). Stabilization of HIF‐1α through inhibition of HPHs has been shown to increase dopaminergic differentiation of stem cells and to protect dopaminergic neurons against neurotoxins. This study investigated the effects of noncompetitive (FG‐0041) and competitive (Compound A and JNJ‐42041935) HIF‐1α stabilizing compounds on the dopaminergic differentiation of human neural stem cells. Treatment with all HPH inhibitors at high oxygen tension (20%) resulted in HIF‐1α stabilization as assessed by immunocytochemistry for HIF‐1α and detection of increased levels of vascular endothelial growth factor in the conditioned culture medium. Following 10 days of HIF‐1α stabilization, the cultures displayed a slightly reduced proliferative activity and significantly increased relative levels of tyrosine hydroxylase‐positive dopaminergic neurons. In conclusion, HIF‐1α stabilization may represent a promising strategy for the generation of dopaminergic neurons intended for use in experimental in vitro studies and cell replacement therapies.
Onychoscopy of non‐infectious nail abnormalities in patients after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Szlauer‐Stefańska A. , Kamińska‐Winciorek G. , Giebel S.
Published: November 2018

Nail abnormalities after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation procedure (alloHSCT) are often reported. Usually, they are related to chronic graft‐versus‐host disease (cGvHD). So far, only clinical manifestations of selected nail abnormalities have been described, without the presentation of dermoscopic images. In this article, we present morphologic and dermoscopic manifestations of potential non‐infectious nail abnormalities in patients after alloHSCT procedure based on reviewed literature and our own experience with dermoscopic iconography. In majority of studies published till now, nail changes are not connected to severity of other cGvHD symptoms; however, e.g. the presence of pterygium inversum unguis may be an indicator of lung dysfunction. As nail changes may be an early sign of cGvHD and always present in association with other manifestations, routine clinical assessment should include nails examination. Knowledge of possible presentation of nail involvement after alloHSCT may be valuable for treating physician.
‘High dose’ vs. ‘medium dose’ UVA1 phototherapy in italian patients with severe atopic dermatitis
Authors: Pacifico A. , Iacovelli P. , Damiani G. , Ferraro C. , Cazzaniga S. , Conic R.R.Z. , Leone G. , Morrone A.
Published: November 2018

Background

The current evidences attest UVA1 phototherapy as effective in the treatment of severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Furthermore, in this indication, ‘medium dose’ is as effective as ‘high dose’ regimen. To date, a randomized comparison study evaluating the effectiveness as well as safety of different UVA1 protocols in different skin types in the treatment of adult patients with severe AD is still lacking.

Objective

The aim of the present study was to compare the safety and the efficacy of medium and high dose UVA1 either in fair or in dark skin types.

Methods

Twenty‐seven adult patients with severe AD were consecutively included in a randomized, controlled, open, two arms trial Severity of AD was determined by means of SCORAD index and clinical improvement was also monitored. A total of 13 out of 27 patients were treated with high dose (130 J/cm2) UVA1 protocol while 14 out of 27 patients received medium dose (60 J/cm2) UVA1 protocol. Phototherapy was performed five times weekly up to 3 weeks. Before and after UVA1 treatment each patient was evaluated for skin pigmentation through Melanin Index (MI) quantitative evaluation.

Results

Skin status improved in all patients resulting in a reduction of SCORAD index in all groups. Our results demonstrated that among patients with darker skin types and higher MI, high dose UVA1 was significantly more effective than medium dose (P < 0.0001) while within the groups with skin type II, no significant differences between high and medium dose protocols were observed.

Conclusion

Our study, confirms previous observations that UVA1 phototherapy should be considered among the first approaches in the treatment of patients with severe generalized AD and also demonstrates that in darker skin types, high dose UVA1 phototherapy is more effective than medium dose in the treatment of adult patients with severe AD.
The 3D imaging of mesenchymal stem cells on porous scaffolds using high‐contrasted x‐ray computed nanotomography
Authors: VOJTOVÁ L. , ZIKMUND T. , PAVLIŇÁKOVÁ V. , ŠALPLACHTA J. , KALASOVÁ D. , PROSECKÁ E. , BRTNÍKOVÁ J. , ŽÍDEK J. , PAVLIŇÁK D. , KAISER J.
Published: November 2018

This study presents an X‐ray computed nanotomography (nano‐CT) based, high‐resolution imaging technique. Thanks to a voxel resolution of 540 nm, this novel technique is suitable for observing the 3D morphology of soft biopolymeric scaffolds seeded with stem cells. A sample of highly porous collagen scaffold seeded with contrasted mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was investigated by using lab‐based nano‐CT. The whole volume of the sample was analysed without its destruction. To evaluate the potential of nano‐CT, a comparison measurement was done using a standard microscopy technique. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive X‐ray analysis (EDX) established an extension and local accumulation of the contrasting agent – heavy metallic osmium tetroxide. The presented imaging technique is novel as it will help to understand better the behaviour of cells while interacting with three‐dimensional biomaterials. This is crucial for both experimental and clinical tissue engineering applications in order to limit the risk of uncontrolled cell growth, and potentially tumour formation.

Lay Description

Biomaterials play a crucial role in tissue engineering by serving as 3D scaffolds for cellular attachment, proliferation, and in growth ultimately leading to new tissue formation. Cell morphology and proliferation inside the 3D scaffold are necessary to know for assessing cell viability. However, these studies are usually negatively affected by the limitations of imaging techniques. We demonstrate that X‐ray computed nanotomography (nano‐CT), based on high‐resolution imaging technique providing voxel resolution of 540 nm, is a suitable method for observing the 3D morphology of soft biopolymeric scaffolds seeded with stem cells. A sample of highly porous collagen scaffold seeded with contrasted mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was investigated by using a lab‐based nano‐CT. The whole volume of the sample was analysed without its destruction. To evaluate the potential of nano‐CT, a comparison measurement was done using a standard microscopy technique. Scanning electron microscopy in a combination with energy dispersive X‐ray analysis established an extension and local accumulation of the contrasting agent – heavy metallic osmium tetroxide. The presented imaging technique is novel as it will help to understand better the behaviour of cells while interacting with three‐dimensional biomaterials. This is crucial for both experimental and clinical tissue engineering applications in order to limit the risk of uncontrolled cell growth, and potentially tumour formation.
Resuscitative hysterotomy in a patient with peripartum cardiomyopathy
Authors: Kamei Hidetake , Wakimoto Yu , Harada Kayoko , Fukui Atsushi , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Shibahara Hiroaki
Published: November 2018

Resuscitative hysterotomy (RH) is a resuscitation technique, allowing the restoration of a pregnant patient's heartbeat. Here, we reported a case of RH performed in a patient with cardiac arrest as a complication of a peripartum cardiomyopathy. A 29‐year‐old woman with suspected hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, low platelet syndrome was admitted to the hospital. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation and RH were initiated at 30 weeks of gestation. The infant was successfully delivered 2 min after the mother's cardiac arrest, weighting 1388 g. At the first minute, the Apgar score was 3 and the 5th minute was 6. After delivery, defibrillation was performed on the mother and restoration of spontaneous circulation was observed. However, she was hemodynamically unstable and approximately 2 months later she died. After cardiac arrest, it is possible that RH could improve the hemodynamic status. The opportunity of performing a RH is rare; however, it is necessary to be familiarized with the technique as a resuscitation method.
The population genomics of multiple tsetse fly (Glossina fuscipes fuscipes) admixture zones in Uganda
Authors: Saarman Norah P. , Opiro Robert , Hyseni Chaz , Echodu Richard , Opiyo Elizabeth A. , Dion Kirstin , Johnson Thomas , Aksoy Serap , Caccone Adalgisa
Published: November 2018

Understanding the mechanisms that enforce, maintain or reverse the process of speciation is an important challenge in evolutionary biology. This study investigates the patterns of divergence and discusses the processes that form and maintain divergent lineages of the tsetse flyGlossina fuscipes fuscipesin Uganda. We sampled 251 flies from 18 sites spanning known genetic lineages and the four admixture zones between them. We apply population genomics, hybrid zone and approximate Bayesian computation to the analysis of three types of genetic markers: 55,267 double‐digest restriction site‐associated DNA (ddRAD) SNPs to assess genome‐wide admixture, 16 microsatellites to provide continuity with published data and accurate biogeographic modelling, and a 491‐bp fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I and II to infer maternal inheritance patterns. Admixture zones correspond with regions impacted by the reorganization of Uganda's river networks that occurred during the formation of the West African Rift system over the last several hundred thousand years. Because tsetse fly population distributions are defined by rivers, admixture zones likely represent both old and new regions of secondary contact. Our results indicate that older hybrid zones contain mostly parental types, while younger zones contain variable hybrid types resulting from multiple generations of interbreeding. These findings suggest that reproductive barriers are nearly complete in the older admixture zones, while nearly absent in the younger admixture zones. Findings are consistent with predictions of hybrid zone theory: Populations in zones of secondary contact transition rapidly from early to late stages of speciation or collapse all together.
Spatial and temporal changes in species composition of submersed aquatic vegetation reveal effects of river restoration
Authors: Carhart Alicia M. , De Jager Nathan R.
Published: November 2018

We examined temporal changes in spatial patterns of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in response to the restoration of geomorphic habitat in Navigation Pool 8 of the Upper Mississippi River from 1998 to 2016. The frequency of occurrence and species composition of SAV at sampling sites were spatially interpolated for each year to create annual maps. Linear models were fitted to temporal changes in SAV within each map pixel. The frequency of occurrence of SAV (across all species) increased over time in much of the impounded region of the pool, including areas near restored islands. However, impounded areas maintained a relatively consistent species composition over time, with species known to be tolerant of higher flow velocities (>0.10 m/second) and wind fetch distances (>1,000 m) (e.g. Vallisneria americana) being most abundant. In contrast, areas protected by newly constructed islands transitioned from V. americana to species found in other protected backwater habitats and known to be intolerant of high flow velocities and wind fetch distances (e.g. Ceratophyllum demersum). The results suggest that previously reported improvements in water clarity may have improved growing conditions for all SAV species, especially in the lower impounded portion of the pool, while island restoration created more backwater‐like habitats and facilitated changes in species composition. Assessing changes in SAV occurrence alone offers only a partial view of local‐scale river restoration (e.g. island building), while analyses of species composition are likely to be more indicative of the types of changes (i.e. reduced flow velocity and wind fetch) associated with restoring geomorphic habitat.
Role of arginine deiminase in thymic atrophy during experimental Streptococcus pyogenes infection
Authors: Starikova Eleonora Alexandrovna , Golovin Alexander Stanislavovich , Vasilyev Kirill Alexandrovich , Karaseva Alena Borisovna , Serebriakova Maria Konstantinovna , Sokolov Alexey Victorovich , Kudryavtsev Igor Vladimirovich , Burova Larissa Alexandrovna , Voynova Irina Vitalyevna , Suvorov Alexander Nikolaevich , Vasilyev Vadim Borisovich , Freidlin Irina Solomonovna
Published: November 2018

Expression of gene of arginine deiminase (AD) allows adaptation of Streptococcus pyogenes to adverse environmental conditions. AD activity can lead to L‐arginine deficiency in the host cells’ microenvironment. Bioavailability of L‐arginine is an important factor regulating the functions of the immune cells in mammals. By introducing a mutation into S pyogenes M46‐16, we obtained a strain with inactivated arcA/sagp gene (M49‐16 delArcA), deficient in AD. This allowed elucidating the function of AD in pathogenesis of streptococcal infection. The virulence of the parental and mutant strains was examined in a murine model of subcutaneous streptococcal infection. L‐arginine concentration in the plasma of mice infected with S pyogenes M49‐16 delArcA remained unchanged in course of the entire experiment. At the same time mice infected with S pyogenes M49‐16 demonstrated gradual diminution of L‐arginine concentration in the blood plasma, which might be due to the activity of streptococcal AD. Mice infected with S pyogenes M49‐16 delArcA demonstrated less intensive bacterial growth in the primary foci and less pronounced bacterial dissemination as compared with animals infected with the parental strain S pyogenes M46‐16. Similarly, thymus involution, alterations in apoptosis, thymocyte subsets and Treg cells differentiation were less pronounced in mice infected with S pyogenes M49‐16 delArcA than in those infected with the parental strain. The results obtained showed that S pyogenes M49‐16 delArcA, unable to produce AD, had reduced virulence in comparison with the parental S pyogenes M49‐16 strain. AD is an important factor for the realization of the pathogenic potential of streptococci.
Feminist Institutional Activists: Venue Shifting, Strategic Adaptation, and Winning the Pregnancy Discrimination Act
Authors: McCammon Holly J. , Brockman Amanda J.
Published: November 2018

We examine efforts of feminist institutional activists in the 1960s and 1970s as they worked to gain U.S. federal policy to combat workplace pregnancy discrimination. The success of these activists in winning policy change provides a case that allows us to develop a theoretical understanding of how feminist institutional activists can succeed in winning policy change. We find that when institutional activists strategically shifted governmental arenas and adapted their mobilization and discursive strategies to these arenas, they were able to dismantle policy‐specific barriers that impeded their goals. In taking these steps, feminist institutional activists were successful in opening up both contingent and structural opportunities, which ultimately allowed them to gain the policy change they sought.
Identification of the novel HLA‐B*18:01:01:17 allele in a Saudi individual
Authors: Alqasem Afnan , Aloufi Faisal , Gattan Manal , Alanazi Hanan , Hajeer Ali H.
Published: November 2018

HLA‐B*18:01:01:17 differs from HLA‐B*18:01:01:01 by a single nucleotide substitution (A➔T) at position 3956.
Discovery of a novel HLA‐B*27 variant, B*27:168, by sequence‐based typing in a Taiwanese blood donor
Authors: Yang K. L. , Lin Py Y.
Published: November 2018

Nucleotide substitutions at residues 409 and 412 of HLA‐B*27:06 result in a novel allele, HLA‐B*27:168.
Assessment in Online German: Assessment Methods and Results
Authors: Goertler Senta , Gacs Adam
Published: November 2018

As online educational programs and courses increase (Allen & Seaman, ), it is important to understand the benefits and limitations of this delivery format when assessing students and when comparing learning outcomes. This article addresses the following two questions: (1) What are some of the best practices in assessing language skills online and how do they differ from assessment in face‐to‐face (F2F) courses? (2) How do learning outcomes differ in online vs. F2F courses? Both questions are answered based on previous research and our own practices and results in second‐year German. We found that the most effective online practices are too time‐consuming and costly to implement. Poor computer literacy skills and test security can be further issues in online environments. The solution lies in frequent formal and informal assessments. When comparing online with F2F language learning, meta‐analyses give online formats a slight advantage over F2F (Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia, & Jones, ). In this study no significant differences were found between the F2F and online sections. Noteworthy, however, is that large differences in standard deviations and score ranges between online and F2F classes suggest that online language learning works well for some and not as well for others.
Discrepancy between true distance of tibial tuberosity advancement and cage size: An ex vivo study
Authors: Jin Dong‐Woo , Peck Jeffrey N. , Tano Cheryl A. , Morgan Matthew J.
Published: November 2018

Objective

To determine the discrepancy between true distance of tibial tuberosity advancement (tTTA) and the most commonly used cages. The null hypothesis was that tTTA would be within 1.5 mm difference of the cage size.

Study design

Ex vivo study.

Sample population

Eight foam cortical shell specimens modeled from canine tibias.

Methods

Modified tibial tuberosity advancement (TTA) was performed to allow repeated measurement of the tTTA. The Pearson correlation test was used to evaluate the relationships of tTTA and cage sizes (P < .05). The difference between tTTA and cage size was calculated to establish the degree of underadvancement during the TTA.

Results

Two hundred forty tTTA measurements were recorded. The tTTA was less than each corresponding cage size (P < .001). Four cage sizes resulted in a difference greater than 1.5 mm (P < .001‐.04). The 6‐mm cage resulted in median tTTA of 4.3 mm, which did not differ significantly from 4.5 mm (range, 3.2‐6.65). The median underadvancement ranged from 1.7 to 2.5 mm for the tested cage sizes. The percentage underadvancement ranged from 21% to 28% for the tested cage sizes.

Conclusion

The tTTA was less than the corresponding cage sizes by at least 1.5 mm in all except the 6‐mm cage.

Clinical significance

Selection of a larger cage size during the TTA may be advantageous to compensate for underadvancement and to minimize the risk of residual cranial tibial translation.
Changing concepts in hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Yamamoto Ryo , Wilkinson Adam C. , Nakauchi Hiromitsu
Published: November 2018

Analyses of platelet and red blood cell lineages are redefining how we consider stemness
The immune system profoundly restricts intratumor genetic heterogeneity
Authors: Milo Idan , Bedora-Faure Marie , Garcia Zacarias , Thibaut Ronan , Périé Leïla , Shakhar Guy , Deriano Ludovic , Bousso Philippe
Published: November 2018

Host immune responses and checkpoint inhibition reduce clonal and genetic intratumor diversity.
Intraocular lens dislocation: a novel in-situ scleral refixation technique using a 25 Gauge trocar in the anterior chamber
Authors: Giansanti Fabrizio , Tartaro Ruggero , Caporossi Tomaso , Murro Vittoria , Savastano Alfonso , Barca Francesco , Bacherini Daniela , Fiore Tito , Cagini Carlo , Rizzo Stanislao
Published: November 2018

Objective

Intraocular lens (IOL) repositioning using a closed-eye approach could be carried out in some selected cases. Our study focuses on the efficacy and safety of a IOL closed-eye repositioning technique using scleral suture, which is performed using a trocar as an intrastromal limbal guide.

Methods and analysis

Thirty-one eyes of 31 patients with late IOL dislocation operated on between January 2015 and May 2017 were included in this retrospective non-comparative consecutive case series study. The patients had a single-piece in-the-bag dislocation or a 3-pieces in-the-bag or out-of-the-bag dislocation. The patients underwent an anterior vitrectomy and a scleral refixation in a closed chamber using a 10/0 polypropylene suture passed through a 25 Gauge trocar inserted in the anterior chamber.

Results

The mean follow-up time was 19.54 months. Average preoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.73 LogMar (±0.21 SD); while average postoperative BCVA was 0.27 LogMar (±0.23 SD). Fifteen patients underwent anterior pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) while 16 patients did not; moreover, two patients underwent PPV. Six patients had an increase of postoperative intraocular pressure, two patients had postoperative decentration, two patients had postoperative cystoid macular oedema, none of the patients had major complications such as retinal detachment, choroidal detachment, malignant glaucoma, irreversible corneal decompensation and endophthalmitis.

Conclusion

We can affirm that our technique may be safe and useful in the case of 3-piece in-the bag or out-of the bag dislocated IOLs and also in the case of in-the-bag single-piece dislocated IOLs.
Palliative care in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit: a 10-year review
Authors: Ng Stanley Ka Fai , Keenan Ngaire , Swart Sophie , Berry Mary Judith
Published: November 2018

Objectives

When active treatment is no longer in the best interests of the patient, redirection of care to palliation is an important transition. We review, within a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), the journey leading to the decision to redirect care, the means of symptom control and the provision of psychosocial supports.

Methods

A retrospective review of all 166 deaths of NICU-affiliated patients during a 10- year epoch. Medical notes were reviewed, and the provision and type of, or barriers to, effective palliative care was defined.

Results

Extreme prematurity accounted for 71/145 (49%) of deaths with relatively high proportions of Māori 17/71 (25%) and Pacific Islanders 9/71 (13%). Almost all eligible infants received some form of palliation. Transition from curative to palliative care was refused by the family in a single case. Median time from decision to redirect care until first recorded action was 80 min, and median time from action until death was 60 min. The majority of infants received some form of comfort cares, (128/166) most commonly morphine (94/128, 73%). Three infants had documented seizure activity or respiratory distress but did not receive any pharmacological intervention. Psychosocial supports were offered in 98/145 (67%) of cases, but only 71/145 (49%) of families were formally offered an opportunity to discuss the infant’s clinical course after their death.

Conclusions

Clinical documentation of care plans was often incomplete, potentially leading to inconsistent delivery of care, increased risk of symptom breakthrough and/or inadequate psychosocial supports for family. Formal individualised palliative care plans are under development to standardise documentation and improve therapeutic and psychosocial interventions available to the infant and their family.
A perfect fluid model for neutron stars
Authors: Estevez-Delgado Gabino , Estevez-Delgado Joaquin , Montelongo Garcia Nadiezhda , Pineda Duran Modesto
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we present a physically acceptable internal solution with a perfect fluid, which needs the pressure and density as regular, positive and monotonic decreasing functions and with a speed of sound positive and lower than the speed of light. This solution depends on a parameter [Formula: see text], and it is physically acceptable if [Formula: see text], the compactness has a maximum value for the maximum value of [Formula: see text] and it corresponds to [Formula: see text], thus the model can be applicable to the description of compact stars. In a complementary way, we present the description of a star with mass equal to the sun mass and radius of [Formula: see text] Km associated to the neutron star Her X-1, obtaining a central density [Formula: see text] which is characteristic of the neutron stars.
From peripherally unsubstituted subphthalocyanines with anti-inflammatory activity on macrophages to tri-iodo derivatives with adjuvant and immunostimulatory functions
Authors: Ayaz Furkan , Yuzer Abdulcelil , Ince Mine
Published: November 2018

In this study we evaluated the impact of iodine substitution on the ability of subphthalocyanines (SubPc) to stimulate or regulate the function of macrophages. Previous studies have focused on the usage of phthalocyanines and their derivatives as treatment options against different types of cancer. In order to obtain better prognosis rates, their possible effects on the immune system cells should be delineated. Unique subphthalocyanines were designed and synthesized by our group and a derivative was generated via iodine substitution. In our study we further tested the effects of the new Subpcs on macrophage cell lines. Macrophages play an important role in the immune system through cytokine production and antigen presentation to other types of the immune system cells. They can define the type and the strength of the immune responses against a particular danger signal. Based on pro-inflammatory cytokine (TNF[Formula: see text], IL1[Formula: see text] and IL6) production levels by macrophages, unsubstituted SubPc had anti-inflammatory properties. However, iodine substitution on the same SubPc created a completely opposite effect since these iodo-substituted SubPc exerted an immunostimulatory effect on macrophages based on significant increases in the pro-inflammatory cytokine production levels compared to the untreated controls. While SubPcs can be used to suppress the pro-inflammatory activities of the macrophages, iodine-substituted SubPcs have potentials to be used as adjuvants and immunostimulatory molecules.
“Direita, sem vergonha”
Authors: Maitino Martin Egon
Published: November 2018

Como a “nova direita” se diferencia e se aproxima das tradições do campo conservador brasileiro? Em que medida o fenômeno da “direita envergonhada” é afetado pelo discurso desses grupos? O artigo discute tais questões por meio da análise do discurso de um dos principais polos da direita contemporânea no Brasil – o deputado Jair Bolsonaro. Entendendo as narrativas como importantes mecanismos para a conformação de grupos políticos, busca-se compreender como esse ator contribui para as transformações no campo através de suas operações discursivas: quais os valores, atores e práticas atribuídos aos campos da esquerda e da direita pelo parlamentar. Como material primário, foram usados seus discursos na 54ª e 55ª legislatura para análises quantitativas e selecionadas entrevistas e declarações para análises qualitativas. Os resultados apontam para uma baixa relevância de questões econômicas no discurso do parlamentar, com ênfase em questões de cunho moral e na oposição aos governos petistas. Percebe-se grande valorização do período militar e uma reatualização do discurso anticomunista, vinculando-o ao antipetismo.
A new species of black fly with a yellow thorax in the genus Prosimulium (Diptera: Simuliidae) in Japan
Authors: TAKAOKA HIROYUKI , SAITO KATSUMI , ADLER PETER H. , BABA MINORU
Published: November 2018

A new species of black fly, Prosimulium kazukii, is described based on female, male and pupal specimens collected from central Honshu, Japan. It is placed in the Prosimulium magnum species-group, and is characterized in the female and male by yellow thoraces, and in the pupa by the frons and dorsal surface of the thorax without distinct tubercles. By these characters, it is distinguished from all four related species (P. apoina Ono, P. kalibaense Ono, P. sarurense Ono, and P. yezoense Shiraki) of the same species-group in Japan. The female of this new species was previously known as an aberrant form of P. yezoense.
Emerging data infrastructures and the new topologies of education policy
Authors: Gulson Kalervo N , Sellar Sam
Published: November 2018

This paper examines how datafication is creating new topologies of education policy. Specifically, we analyse how the creation of data infrastructures that enable the generation, communication and representation of digital data are changing relations of power, including both centralised and dispersed forms, and space in education. The paper uses conceptual resources from cultural topology and infrastructure studies to provide a framework for analysing spatial relations between educational data, discourses, policies and practices in new governance configurations. The paper outlines a case study of an emergent data infrastructure in Australian schooling, the National Schools Interoperability Program, to provide empirical evidence of the movement, connection and enactment of digital data across policy spaces. Key aspects of this case include the ways that data infrastructure is: (i) enabling new private and public connections across policy topologies; (ii) creating a new role for technical standards in education policy and (iii) changing the topological spaces of education governance.
Continued Use of Mobile Instant Messaging Apps: A New Perspective on Theories of Consumption, Flow, and Planned Behavior
Authors: Dhir Amandeep , Kaur Puneet , Rajala Risto
Published: November 2018

Mobile instant messaging (MIM) services have entirely changed the communication landscape from where it was a decade ago. They have taken communication among humans to the next level. However, despite their massive popularity among masses, we do not know of specific reasons that drive continuous use of MIM apps (e.g., LINE, WhatsApp, and Snapchat). The current study bridges this gap by investigating the continuation behavior in the context of a popular MIM app called LINE. The study developed a comprehensive framework using three popular consumer behavior theories, namely theory of planned behavior, flow experience theory, and consumption value theory. A total of 309 middle and late adolescent LINE users participated in an online survey. The analysis revealed that perceived ease of use (PEOU), functional value, and social value exert significant positive influences on users’ continuation intentions. The PEOU was found to have the strongest influence among all. Additionally, social influence was found to have the significant but negative influence on users’ continuation intentions. However, other factors (perceived enjoyment, concentration, telepresence, and perceived behavioral control) have no role in predicting continuation intentions. Furthermore, continuation intentions were found to have no impact on users’ actual LINE use related behavior. The findings of the present research offer several theoretical and managerial implications.