bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Central Blood Pressure Parameters Correlate with Cardiac Structure and Function in Healthy Chinese Individuals without Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Yu Kai , Bai Xiao-Juan , Jin Bo , Zhao Xin , Han Lu-Lu , Zhang Wei-Guang
Published: April 2018

Purpose: To explore the relationship between central blood pressure (BP) parameters and cardiac structure and function parameters in healthy individuals. Methods: Four hundred Chinese participants with no overt cardiovascular disease participated in this study. One hundred and seventy-one participants (42.8%) were male and the mean age was 60 years. Central BP was measured with the SphygmoCor system. Cardiac structure and function were assessed by echocardiography. Results: We showed a significant association of left atrial volume and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) with brachial and central systolic BP (SBP) and pulse pressure (PP; r = 0.189–0.0.39, p < 0.001). Left ventricular diastolic function and the E/A ratio were significantly associated with brachial and central BP (r = 0.228–0.469, p < 0.001). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that central SBP and PP were independently correlated with LVMI after normalization for age and other confounding variables (sex, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol intake, and the levels of triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, creatinine, uric acid, fasting blood glucose, log C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen. However, only central SBP was found to be independently correlated with the E/A ratio. Conclusions: Cardiac structure and diastolic function were associated with brachial and central BP. However, after normalization, cardiac structure parameters were independently correlated with central SBP and PP. Diastolic function was the only cardiac function parameter that correlated with central SBP.
Efficacy and Survival Outcome Associated with the Use of Novel Agents and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation in Cases of Immunoglobulin D Multiple Myeloma in Korea
Authors: Kang Jihoon , Hong Jung Yong , Yoon Dok Hyun , Kim Shin , Lee Kyoung Min , Park Jung Sun , Park Chan-Jeoung , Min Won-Ki , Seo Eul-Ju , Jang Seongsoo , Suh Cheolwon
Published: April 2018

Background: Immunoglobulin D multiple myeloma (IgD MM) is characterized by a poor prognosis. Data are lacking on the survival benefits associated with the use of novel agents followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in IgD MM patients. We evaluated the clinical outcomes of induction treatment with novel agents followed by ASCT. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study of 22 IgD MM patients who underwent ASCT between 1995 and 2016. Of these, 10 (45.4%) received novel agents and 12 (54.6%) received nonnovel agents. Clinical features and survival outcomes were examined. Results: Median overall survival (OS) was 37.7 months in the 22 patients. Those in the novel-agents group received bortezomib or thalidomide-based regimens, whereas 91.7% of the nonnovel-agents group received a vincristine-based regimen. The median progression-free survival and OS in the novel-agent/nonnovel-agent groups were 8.3/7.4 and 38.6/12.5 months, respectively. The median OS of patients receiving maintenance therapy was not reached. Conclusion: This study showed improved survival outcomes compared to our previous study (37.7 vs. 12 months), suggesting that the use of a novel agent as induction and maintenance therapy may be beneficial in patients with IgD MM who undergo ASCT.
Cyclophosphamide or Rituximab Treatment of Scleritis and Uveitis for Patients with Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
Authors: Ahmed Aseef  , Foster C. Stephen
Published: April 2018

Purpose: Vision-threatening ocular inflammation can be a devastating complication of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). Here we performed a retrospective observational study to describe the safety and efficacy of treating scleritis and uveitis with either cyclophosphamide or rituximab in GPA. Methods: A chart review of patients diagnosed with GPA-associated scleritis or uveitis, treated with either cyclophosphamide or rituximab as the final therapy at our clinic, was conducted. A total of 1 year of follow-up visits was required for inclusion in the study. Results: Thirteen patients (19 eyes) suffering from GPA-associated scleritis and/or uveitis were identified. As the final therapy, rituximab was administered to 9 patients and cyclophosphamide to 4. Mean duration of follow-up was 55 months (range 16–23 months). Remission was observed in all patients. Three patients had a flare of scleritis after the completion of therapy, and they were restarted on their respective agents. One patient had a flare of retinal vasculitis during rituximab therapy. One patient on cyclophosphamide experienced transient leukopenia. No adverse side effects of rituximab were noted throughout the course of treatment. Conclusions: Cyclophosphamide and rituximab are safe and effective agents for controlling scleritis and uveitis associated with GPA, with eventual progression towards steroid-sparing remission.
Specific IgE for Fag e 3 Predicts Oral Buckwheat Food Challenge Test Results and Anaphylaxis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Yanagida Noriyuki , Sato Sakura , Maruyama Nobuyuki , Takahashi Kyohei , Nagakura Ken-ichi , Ogura Kiyotake , Asaumi Tomoyuki , Ebisawa Motohiro
Published: April 2018

Background: Buckwheat (BW) is the source of a life-threatening allergen. Fag e 3-specific serum IgE (sIgE) is more useful than BW-sIgE for diagnosis; however, it is unknown whether Fag e 3-sIgE can predict oral food challenge (OFC) results and anaphylaxis. This study aimed to clarify the efficacy of Fag e 3-sIgE in predicting OFC results and anaphylaxis. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of BW- and Fag e 3-sIgE data obtained using the ImmunoCAP® assay system and fluorescent enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay from children who underwent OFC using 3,072 mg of BW protein between July 2006 and March 2014 at Sagamihara National Hospital, Kanagawa, Japan. Results: We analyzed 60 patients aged 1.9–13.4 years (median 6.0 years); 20 (33%) showed objective symptoms upon BW OFC. The patients without symptoms had significantly lower Fag e 3-sIgE than those with non-anaphylactic (p < 0.001) and anaphylactic reactions to BW (p = 0.004). Fag e 3-sIgE was the only tested factor that significantly predicted positive OFC results (odds ratio 8.93, 95% confidence interval 3.10–25.73, p < 0.001) and OFC-induced anaphylaxis (2.67, 1.12–6.35, p = 0.027). We suggest that a threshold Fag e 3-sIgE level of 18.0 kUE/L has 95% probability of provoking a positive reaction to BW. Conclusions: Fag e 3-sIgE predicted OFC results and OFC-induced anaphylaxis. We further emphasize paying careful attention to the risk of BW OFC-induced anaphylaxis.
Heterogeneity in Lung Cancer
Authors: de Sousa Vitor Manuel Leitão  , Carvalho Lina
Published: April 2018

Lung cancer diagnosis is a challenge since it is also one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers. Diagnostic challenges are deeply related to the development of personalized therapy and molecular and precise histological characterizations of lung cancer. When addressing these features, it is very important to acknowledge the issue of tumour heterogeneity, as it imposes several questions. First of all, lung cancer is a very heterogeneous disease, at a cellular and histological level. Cellular and histological heterogeneity are addressed with emphasis on the diagnosis, pre-neoplastic lesions, and cell origin, trying to contribute to a better knowledge of carcinogenesis. Molecular intra-tumour and inter-tumour heterogeneity are also addressed as temporal heterogeneity. Lung cancer heterogeneity has implications in pathogenesis understanding, diagnosis, selection of tissue for molecular diagnosis, as well as therapeutic decision. The understanding of tumour heterogeneity is crucial and we must be aware of the implications and future developments regarding this field.
A Novel SCN5A Variant Associated with Abnormal Repolarization, Atrial Fibrillation, and Reversible Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Boddum Kim , Saljic Arnela , Jespersen Thomas , Christensen Alex Hørby
Published: April 2018

A variety of life-threating arrhythmias are caused by mutations in the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel encoded by the SCN5A gene. In this study, we report a novel loss-of-function SCN5A variant, p.Ile1343Val (c.4027A>G), identified in a 42-year-old proband who presented with an unusual ECG with abnormal repolarization with biphasic T-waves in anteroseptal leads, persistent atrial fibrillation (AF), intermittent left bundle branch block (LBBB), and reversible cardiomyopathy. The patient did not meet the diagnostic criteria for Brugada syndrome, long QT syndrome, or any other known SCN5A-associated phenotype. Characterization of the biophysical properties of the variant by in vitro patch clamp experiments revealed a reduced Na+ current with no effect on the inactivation kinetics of the channel. This loss-of-function of Na+ current could explain the intermittent LBBB as well as the AF. In conclusion, we describe a unique combination of electrical and structural abnormalities associated with a novel SCN5A variant. Our findings broaden the spectrum of cardiac phenotypes associated with SCN5A channelopathy, underlining the complex clinical manifestations of genetic variations within this gene.
Chromosomal Mapping of Repeat DNA in Bergiaria westermanni (Pimelodidae, Siluriformes): Localization of 45S rDNA in B Chromosomes
Authors: Malimpensa Geovana C. , Traldi Josiane B. , Toyama Danyelle , Henrique-Silva Flávio , Vicari Marcelo R. , Moreira-Filho Orlando
Published: April 2018

The occurrence of repetitive DNA in autosomes and B chromosomes of Bergiaria westermanni was examined using conventional and molecular cytogenetic techniques. This species exhibited 2n = 56 chromosomes, with intra- and interindividual variation in the number of heterochromatic B chromosomes (from 0 to 4). The 5S rDNA was localized in pairs 1 and 5, and histone probes (H1, H3, and H4) and U2 small nuclear RNA were syntenic with 5S rDNA in pair 5. Histone sequences were also located in chromosome pair 14. The (GATA)n sequence was dispersed throughout the autosomes and B chromosomes, with clusters (microsatellite accumulation) in some chromosome regions. The telomeric probe revealed no signs of chromosomal rearrangements in the genome of B. westermanni. The 45S rDNA sites were detected in the terminal region of pair 27; these sites corresponded to a GC-rich heterochromatin block. In addition, 3 of the 4 B chromosomes also contained 45S rDNA copies. Silver nitrate staining in interphase nuclei provided indirect evidence of the expression of these rRNA genes in B chromosomes, indicating the probable origin of these elements. This report shows plasticity in the chromosomal localization of repeat DNA in B. westermanni and features a discussion of genomic diversification.
The Role of Central Androgen Receptor Actions in Regulating the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis
Authors: Walters Kirsty A. , Edwards Melissa C. , Tesic Dijana , Caldwell Aimee S.L. , Jimenez Mark , Smith Jeremy T. , Handelsman David J.
Published: April 2018

The androgen receptor (AR) is expressed throughout the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, and findings from female global AR knockout mice confirm that AR-mediated androgen actions play important roles in regulating female reproductive function. We generated neuron-specific AR knockout mice (NeurARKO) to investigate the functional role of neuronal AR-mediated androgen action in regulating the female HPG axis and fertility. Relative to control females, NeurARKO females exhibited elevated luteinizing hormone (LH) levels at diestrus (p < 0.05) and a compromised serum LH response to ovariectomy and E2 priming (p < 0.01). Furthermore, NeurARKO females displayed reduced Kiss1 mRNA expression in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus at diestrus (p < 0.05) and proestrus (p < 0.05), but elevated Kiss1 (p < 0.05) and neurokinin B (Tac2, p < 0.05) mRNA expression in the arcuate nucleus at proestrus compared to WT controls. Ovarian follicle dynamics were also altered in NeurARKO ovaries at 3 months of age, with a significant reduction in large antral follicle numbers at the proestrus stage compared to control WT ovaries (p < 0.05). Increased follicular atresia was evident in NeurARKO ovaries with a 4-fold increase in unhealthy large preantral follicles (p < 0.01). Despite the findings of aberrant neuroendocrine and ovarian characteristics in the NeurARKO females, estrous cyclicity and overall fertility were comparable between NeurARKO and WT females. In conclusion, our findings revealed that selective loss of neuronal AR actions impacts the kisspeptin/GnRH/LH cascade leading to compromised ovarian follicle dynamics.
Study of the Association of PEAR1, P2Y12, and UGT2A1 Polymorphisms with Platelet Reactivity in Response to Dual Antiplatelet Therapy in Chinese Patients
Authors: Zhang Suli , Zhu Jinhang , Li Hua , Wang Lei , Niu Jiamin , Zhu Bin , He Lin , Shen Lu , Qin Shengying , Fang Shuxin
Published: April 2018

Objectives: Genetic variation is thought to contribute to considerable interindividual variability in platelet function, and there is a pressing need to identify genetic markers that can be used to predict the response to treatment. Our study investigated whether PEAR1, P2Y12, and UGT2A1 polymorphisms were associated with platelet reactivity in response to dual antiplatelet therapy in Chinese patients with acute coronary syndrome. Methods: Patients with inhibition of platelet aggregation (IPA) < 30% after treatment were classified as the high platelet reactivity (HPR) group. Patients with IPA > 30% were classified as the normal platelet reactivity (NPR) group. ADP-induced platelet aggregation was measured by thromboelastography (TEG) platelet-mapping assay. Thirteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PEAR1, P2Y12 and UGT2A1 were genotyped using the Mass­ARRAY platform. Results: Seven SNPs were significantly associated with ADP-induced platelet aggregation by univariate analysis. Major allele G at rs12041331, minor allele G at rs2644592, minor allele C at rs11264580, and minor allele C at rs11249454 were significantly associated with HPR, whereas minor allele T at rs57731889, minor allele A at rs16863356, and minor allele T at rs7634096 were significantly associated with NPR. The mean IPA was significantly lower in patients suffering recurrent ischemic events than in patients without recurrent events in our study (p = 0.048). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that PEAR1, P2Y12, and UGT2A1 genetic variants may be potential biomarkers that can be used to guide clinical applications of clopidogrel and aspirin in Chinese patients.
Autophagy Facilitates Metadherin-Induced Chemotherapy Resistance Through the AMPK/ATG5 Pathway in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Pei Guoqing , Luo Meng , Ni Xiaochun , Wu Jugang , Wang Shoulian , Ma Yiwen , Yu Jiwei
Published: April 2018

Background/Aims: Metadherin (MTDH) is overexpressed in some malignancies and enhances drug resistance; however, its role in gastric cancer (GC) and the underlying mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Here, we explore the mechanism by which MTDH induces drug resistance in GC. Methods: We analysed the level of MTDH in GC and adjacent normal gastric mucosal tissues by real-time quantitative PCR (q-PCR). We also analysed the level of autophagy by western blot analysis, confocal microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy after MTDH knockdown and overexpression, and examined fluorouracil (5-FU) resistance by Cell Counting Kit-8 at the same time. Finally, GC patient-derived xenograft tumours were used to demonstrate 5-FU resistance. An AMPK pathway inhibitor was applied to determine the molecular mechanisms of autophagy. Results: MTDH expression was significantly increased in the GC specimens compared with that in the adjacent normal gastric mucosal tissues. Further study showed a positive correlation between the expression level of MTDH and 5-FU resistance. MTDH overexpression in MKN45 cells increased the levels of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and promoted 5-FU resistance, while inhibition of MTDH showed the opposite result. The simultaneous inhibition of autophagy and overexpression of MTDH decreased the levels of P-gp and inhibited 5-FU resistance. Moreover, MTDH induced AMPK phosphorylation, regulated ATG5 expression, and finally influenced autophagy, suggesting that MTDH may activate autophagy via the AMPK/ATG5 signalling pathway. Our findings reveal a unique mechanism by which MTDH promotes GC chemoresistance and show that MTDH is a potential target for improved chemotherapeutic sensitivity and GC patient survival. Conclusions: MTDH-stimulated cancer resistance to 5-FU may be mediated through autophagy activated by the AMPK/ATG5 pathway in GC.
O médico diante da morte no pronto socorro
Authors: Aredes Janaína de Souza , Giacomin Karla Cristina , Firmo Josélia Oliveira Araújo
Published: April 2018

OBJETIVO: Analisar a forma como médicos, enquanto parte de um grupo sociocultural, lidam com diferentes tipos de morte, em um serviço de pronto socorro metropolitano. MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma etnografia realizada em um dos maiores serviços de pronto socorro da América Latina. A coleta dos dados deu-se ao longo de nove meses de observação participante e entrevistas com 43 médicos de diferentes especialidades – 25 homens e 18 mulheres, entre 28 e 69 anos. RESULTADOS: À análise, guiada pelo modelo dos Signos, Significados e Ações, nota-se um vasto mosaico de situações e questões que medeiam o cuidado médico em uma unidade de pronto socorro. Os resultados apontaram que os médicos podem considerar uma morte mais difícil se comparada a outras, a depender de critérios: o etário; a identificação ou não com o paciente; as circunstâncias da morte e o questionamento médico quanto a sua responsabilidade no processo de morte. CONCLUSÕES: Para os médicos, nenhuma morte é fácil. Cada morte pode ser mais ou menos difícil, a depender de diferentes critérios que medeiam o cuidado médico em uma unidade de pronto socorro e revelam questões de ordem social, ética e moral das mais diversas.
Comportamento sexual e fatores associados em adolescentes da zona rural
Authors: Sousa Bárbara Cabral de , Santos Rebeca Silva dos , Santana Katiuscy Carneiro , Souzas Raquel , Leite Álvaro Jorge Madeiro , Medeiros Danielle Souto de
Published: April 2018

OBJETIVO: Descrever o comportamento sexual e identificar fatores associados em adolescentes de comunidades rurais da Bahia. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, de base populacional e abordagem domiciliar, realizado em 2015, com adolescentes entre 10 e 19 anos. Foram descritos: relação sexual alguma vez na vida e nos últimos 12 meses; idade na primeira relação sexual; uso de preservativo e número de parceiros; orientação sobre gravidez, aids ou outras infecções sexualmente transmissíveis e como conseguir preservativo. Foi realizada análise para a amostra total e para os estratos quilombola e não quilombola. Utilizou-se regressão de Poisson, com variância robusta, para estimar as razões de prevalências para a relação sexual em relação às variáveis explicativas. RESULTADOS: Foram entrevistados 390 adolescentes, sendo 42,8% quilombolas, 51,3% do sexo feminino e mediana de idade de 14,8 anos. Desses, 26,4% relataram ocorrência de relação sexual (28,1% quilombolas e 25,1% não quilombolas), com mediana de idade da primeira relação com 15,0 anos; 77,7% mencionaram o uso de preservativo na última relação e mais da metade recebeu orientações sobre gravidez, aids ou outras infecções sexualmente transmissíveis e não recebeu orientações sobre como conseguir preservativo gratuito. Mostraram-se positivamente associados à ocorrência de relação sexual, após ajuste: idade (RP = 1,42) e ter experimentado uma dose de álcool (RP = 2,41). No estrato quilombola, a idade (RP = 1,37), ter três e mais amigos próximos (RP = 1,37) e experimentação de álcool (RP = 2,60) mostraram-se associados. No não quilombola, mostraram-se associados idade (RP = 1,43), raça/cor negra (RP = 2,06) e experimentação de álcool (RP = 2,68). CONCLUSÕES: A carência de informações e a exposição a comportamentos como o uso de álcool são condições que necessitam ser contempladas nas estratégias de promoção de saúde e prevenção de agravos à saúde sexual de adolescentes de zona rural. Ainda há necessidade de potencializar parcerias intersetoriais entre educação e saúde para fomentar o exercício autônomo e seguro da sexualidade nessa população.
Legitimizing Boundary Crossing for the Average Scientist: Two Cases Acknowledging How Arts Practice Informs Science
Authors: Rock Jenny , Howard Sunkita
Published: April 2018

To normalize ArtScience, examples need to be shared of its average practitioners within the sciences, in addition to its historical exemplars. Described here are two cases of arts practice informing scientific research as experienced by early-stage researchers in postdoctoral or PhD work. Each case involves different arts approaches and yields different effects on the science; both inform ideas for how to better support and institutionalize ArtScience work.
Systematics of araphid diatoms with asymmetric rimoportulae or densely packed virgae, with particular attention to Hyalosynedra (Ulnariaceae, Bacillariophyta)
Authors: SABIR J. S. M. , THERIOT E.C. , LOBBAN C.S. , ALHEBSHI A.M. , AL-MALKI A.L. , HAJRAH N.H. , KHIYAMI M.A. , OBAID A.Y. , JANSEN R.K. , ASHWORTH M.A.
Published: April 2018

Synedroid diatoms are morphologically characterized by a putative synapomorphic structure called an ocellulimbus, a terminal pore field whose surface is depressed relative to the rest of the valve surface. Among these diatoms is the genus Hyalosynedra Williams and Round. Characters associated with that genus are bilayered wall construction, densely packed virgae and an asymmetric rimoportula. However, these characters diagnose partially overlapping (incongruent) groups. The apical pore field itself, when present, is sometimes sunken deeply, sometimes weakly and sometimes not at all among these diatoms. Here we make additional morphological observations and add molecular sequence data (nuclear SSU rDNA, rbcL, psbC) to attempt to resolve these apparent conflicts. The molecular phylogeny does not resolve any morphological character without homoplasy, but conversely does resolve taxa which share an asymmetric rimoportula and/or densely packed virgae into a single clade we call the “hyalosynedroid” taxa. This clade contains our representatives of Thalassionematales which had been linked to Hyalosynedra by the bilayered wall structure and the possession by some species of an asymmetric rimoportula. We describe three new genera, and a total of 11 new species. Whereas four species of Hyalosynedra were previously described, we describe three new species of Hyalosynedra, describe the new genus Divergita with three species (one new, one transferred from Synedra and one from Hyalosynedra), and the new genus Stricosus with seven new species. A key to species of Hyalosynedra, Divergita and Stricosus is included.
Initialization and Potential Predictability of Soil Moisture in the Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System
Authors: Sospedra-Alfonso Reinel , Merryfield William J.
Published: April 2018

The initialization and potential predictability of soil moisture in CanCM4 hindcasts during 1981–2010 is assessed. CanCM4 is one of the two global climate models employed by the Canadian Seasonal to Interannual Prediction System (CanSIPS) providing operational multiseasonal forecasts for Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). Soil moisture forecast initialization in CanSIPS is determined by the response of the land component to forcing from data-constrained model atmospheric fields. We evaluate hindcast initial conditions for soil moisture and its atmospheric forcings against observation-based datasets. Although model values of soil moisture variability compare relatively well with a blend of two reanalysis products, there is significant disagreement in the tropics and arid regions linked to biases in precipitation, as well as in snow-covered regions, likely the result of biases in the timing of snow onset and melt. The temporal variance of initial soil moisture anomalies is typically larger in regions of considerable precipitation variability and in cold continental areas of shallow soil depth. Appreciable variance of initial conditions, combined with persistence of the initial anomalies and the model’s ability to represent future climate variations, lead to potentially predictable soil moisture variance exceeding 60% of the total variance for up to 3–4 months in the tropics and 6–7 months in the mid- to high latitudes during hemispheric winter. Potential predictability at longer leads is primarily found in the tropics and extratropical areas of ENSO-teleconnected influences. We use lagged partial correlations to show that ENSO-teleconnected precipitation in CanCM4 is a likely source of potential predictability of soil moisture up to 1-yr lead in CanSIPS hindcasts.
U.S. Science and Engineering Workforce: Underrepresentation of Women and Minorities
Authors: Varma Roli
Published: April 2018

Increasingly, industrial leaders, governmental officials, and academic scholars have become concerned whether the United States can successfully compete in science and engineering (S&E) fields. This is when employment in S&E jobs has grown faster than employment in all occupations in the United States. It is proposed that the United States has not been able to build its S&E human capital necessary for technological innovations and economic growth. Women and minorities are seen as essential to fill the perceived gap. There is a higher representation of women in S&E education and occupations. Yet overall demographics of S&E fields have remained unchanged. The U.S. technology industry has been progressively employing workers from foreign countries to meet their S&E internal workforce needs. Many have been outsourcing the work to developing countries, namely China and India. This article shows that technology companies that embrace the United States’s changing demographics would gain the economic benefits from a diverse S&E workforce.
Overcoming Persistent Barriers to Broadening Participation in the Federal Workforce
Authors: Valdez Bill
Published: April 2018

“Broadening participation” is defined as programs or policies that have the potential to benefit society and contribute to the achievement of specific, desired societal outcomes. This program was created by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) to address the underrepresentation of women, minorities, the disabled, and other groups in NSF’s programs and workforce. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has recently taken steps that could lead to a closer examination of the NSF Broadening Participation Program as a way to deliver key insights into ways to overcome three persistent barriers to broadening participation in the overall federal workforce.
Why Are Gender Quota Laws Adopted by Men? The Role of Inter- and Intraparty Competition
Authors: Weeks Ana Catalano
Published: April 2018

In nearly every case of quota law adoption, the support of party elites is critical. But this raises a puzzle: What can motivate predominantly male elites to put these policies in place? This article uses a comparison of two sets of matched pair countries—similar on background characteristics except for quota adoption—to explore the motivations and role of male party elites in quota reform. The cases of Belgium and Austria, and Portugal and Italy highlight two key explanations. First, quota laws are likely to be supported and passed by parties threatened by a new, more progressive competitor on the left, as a way of claiming women voters back from the encroaching party (interparty competition). Second, quotas can be employed as a mechanism for party elites to gain power over candidate selection within their own parties in the face of entrenched local party monopolies (intraparty competition).
Patterns of abuse among South Asian women experiencing domestic violence in the United States
Authors: Bhandari Shreya , Sabri Bushra
Published: April 2018

This qualitative study was conducted with a convenience sample of 20 South Asian women experiencing domestic violence in the United States. The results explore the patterns of abuse as well as the factors and circumstances (i.e. turning points) that motivated South Asian women to change in the context of the stage that they were in as per the Landenburger model (binding, enduring, disengaging, and recovery). The four themes that emerged from the interviews and analysis are (1) ‘Timing and Frequency of abuse’, (2) ‘Methods of control – financial, isolation and suspicion’, (3) ‘Cycle of Abuse’, and (4)’ Turning Points – motivation to change’. Implications for practice and policy-level changes for abused South Asian women in the United States are discussed.
Biological Remittance Among Migrant Workers: Social Ramifications in the Philippines and Indonesia
Authors: Ullah AKM Ahsan , Alkaff Sharifah Nurul Huda
Published: April 2018

The huge amount of remittance transfers has brought migration studies to the fore in the public and private discourse on global development. Since the time migration studies occupied a space in the academe, most research has been devoted to remittances in cash and their use. Prior to the mid-nineties, the debate about the concept of migrants’ ‘remittance’ has not entailed other forms of remittances other than remittances in cash. This research explores another form of remittance, that is, biological remittance. This research firstly explores how migrant populations handle ‘biological remittance’ in their societies, and secondly compares the experiences of female migrant workers in two countries with distinct cultural and religious mores. We collected empirical information from two countries: Indonesia and the Philippines. A total of 38 respondents (17 from the Philippines and 21 from Indonesia) were selected for this study by using the snowball technique. While all the respondents, irrespective of countries of origin, face ordeals coping with their situation, Indonesians bear more psychological burden than the Filipinos. This research has crucial implications for scholars, researchers and policy-makers alike.
Relationships Among Meditation, Perfectionism, Mindfulness, and Performance Anxiety Among Collegiate Music Students
Authors: Diaz Frank M.
Published: April 2018

I examined the use of meditation practices among collegiate-level musicians ( N = 255), along with the degree to which these practices contributed to music performance anxiety (MPA) when controlling for trait perfectionism and trait mindfulness. Findings indicated that approximately 48% of the participants sampled had engaged in meditation during the past 6 months and that, holding mindfulness and perfectionist traits constant, participants who meditated at least weekly tended to report less MPA. Additionally, higher trait mindfulness predicted lower performance anxiety, whereas higher self-oriented as well as socially prescribed perfectionism predicted higher MPA scores. The type of meditation participants engaged in did not seem to significantly affect performance anxiety.
Thermal failure mechanism of fiber ropes when bent over sheaves
Authors: Ning Fanggang , Li Xiaoru , Hear Nick O , Zhou Rong , Shi Chuan , Ning Xin
Published: April 2018

Thermal damage is an important failure mechanism that affects the bending failure of fiber ropes. This is relevant because synthetic fibers often have a relatively low melting point and low thermal conductivity. In cyclic bending over sheave (CBOS), the heat generated by friction and deformation is not conducted rapidly to the external environment, and the temperature of the rope core increases quickly. This higher temperature greatly reduces the mechanical properties of the fiber, thus accelerating the final rope failure. In this paper, evidence of thermal damage in the bending process of a braided synthetic fiber rope is given. The test conditions inducing thermal damage are discussed, including stress level, bending frequency and diameter ratio. The reasons for the heat generation and the dynamic process of heat accumulation inside the rope during CBOS are also discussed. This study aims to provide theoretical and experimental guidance for the design and use of fiber rope.
A novel degumming process of kenaf
Authors: Zhang Yuanming , Song Yan , Jiang Wei , Han Guangting
Published: April 2018

The high content of lignin is the major disadvantage for kenaf fiber separation. In order to remove lignin effectively as well as to improve the dispersion of kenaf fibers, a novel degumming process with steam explosion followed by Fenton treatment was applied in the present study. Fibers prepared by traditional chemical degumming process and raw kenaf samples were employed as control. The fiber microstructure, chemical composition, and physical and mechanical properties were characterized and analyzed in this paper. The results revealed that steam explosion coupled with Fenton treatment could effectively remove the gum materials from kenaf bast, which performed noticeably effectively in lignin removal. The refined dry fibers showed a clean and smooth surface. The average fineness of the refined dry fibers degummed by the novel process was measured to be higher than 70 dtex, which is much better than fibers prepared by the traditional chemical degumming process. It can be concluded that the novel degumming process of combined steam explosion and Fenton treatment is feasible and effective for kenaf degumming.
Ionic shot noise in an electrochemical capacitor system made of poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) film and silver-coated polybenzoxazole-stainless steel electrodes on textile fabrics
Authors: Nuramdhani Ida , De Mey Gilbert , Widodo Mohamad , Hertleer Carla , Van Langenhove Lieva
Published: April 2018

Unusual noisy discharge profiles were observed from some of our textile-based energy storage devices having asymmetrical electrodes consisting of pure stainless steel and silver-coated polybenzoxazole yarns. Our hypothesis was that it was due to the ionic shot noise behavior that occurred in electrochemical devices and is a well-known phenomenon in electronic devices. The poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) polymer coverage on the cell surface, which functioned as a solid electrolyte in this system, was believed to play an important role. To confirm this assumption, devices made with different drop-coating strategies to obtain thin and thick layers of PEDOT:PSS polymer on the cell surface were prepared. The noisy discharge profiles were observed from devices with thin polymer layers, while those with thick layers exhibited normal discharge profiles. The morphology of cell surfaces was characterized by a stereo microscope. Cross-section analysis of a device with a thick layer was employed to further characterize its film formation and elemental properties using Scanning Electron Microscopy-Electron Dispersive Spectroscopy. Formation of multilayers of PEDOT:PSS polymer on the cell surface allowed a continuous interaction between electrode metals and PEDOT:PSS ions at the interface area. The noisy component was caused by the movement of silver ions hopping from one trap to the next. A qualitative model of the autocorrelation function executed to the data with noisy behavior further confirmed the ionic shot noise phenomenon.
Flying to Quality: Cultural Influences on Online Reviews
Authors: Stamolampros Panagiotis , Korfiatis Nikolaos , Kourouthanassis Panos , Symitsi Efthymia
Published: April 2018

Customers increasingly consult opinions expressed online before making their final decisions. However, inherent factors such as culture may moderate the criteria and the weights individuals use to form their expectations and evaluations. Therefore, not all opinions expressed online match customers’ personal preferences, neither can firms use this information to deduce general conclusions. Our study explores this issue in the context of airline services using Hofstede’s framework as a theoretical anchor. We gauge the effect of each dimension as well as that of cultural distance between the passenger and the airline on the overall satisfaction with the flight as well as specific service factors. Using topic modeling, we also capture the effect of culture on review text and identify factors that are not captured by conventional rating scales. Our results provide significant insights for airline managers about service factors that affect more passengers from specific cultures leading to higher satisfaction/dissatisfaction.
Study of multi-objective optimization of process parameters in film posting based on outside mold decoration
Authors: Zhigang Li
Published: April 2018

In order to optimize the process parameters in film posting based on outside mold decoration (OMD), the polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) plastic sheets were tested in uniaxial tensile tests at high temperature with different temperatures and strain rates. The coefficients of the viscoelastic constitutive model called Duan Saigal Greif Zimmerman (DSGZ) were calculated based on the uniaxial tensile tests, and the predicted curve of DSGZ model and experimental data were compared and analyzed. The user material subroutine in ABAQUS of the DSGZ model was designed and written by adopting elastic prediction-radial consumers algorithm and was integrated into ABAQUS for the simulation of forming process of mouse shell posting film using the OMD process. After solving the model, the film thickness distribution and its deforming distribution in the X- and Y-direction were obtained. The optimization objective was to minimize the standard deviation of film thickness and its deforming distribution in the X- and Y-direction for 50 nodes on the thin film of mouse shell. The process parameters of OMD were sampled based on the method of optimal Latin hypercube design. In addition, the radial basis functions model was built. As the analysis shows, the radial basis functions model is sufficiently accurate. Based on the models, the process parameters of OMD were multi-objective optimized and analyzed by adopting archive-based micro-genetic algorithm. The best process parameters group was obtained after comprehensive analysis.
Diagnostic Value of Gains and Corrective Saccades in Video Head Impulse Test in Vestibular Neuritis
Authors: Yang Chan Joo , Cha Eun Hye , Park Jun Woo , Kang Byung Chul , Yoo Myung Hoon , Kang Woo Suk , Ahn Joong Ho , Chung Jong Woo , Park Hong Ju
Published: April 2018

Objectives

We investigated changes in video head impulse test (vHIT) gains and corrective saccades (CSs) at the acute and follow‐up stages of vestibular neuritis to assess the diagnostic value of vHIT.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary medical center.

Subjects and Methods

Sixty‐three patients with vestibular neuritis who underwent vHIT at an initial presentation and an approximately 1‐month follow‐up were included. vHIT gains, gain asymmetry (GA), peak velocities of CS, and interaural difference of CS (CSD) were analyzed.

Results

Mean vHIT gains increased significantly from the acute stage to the follow‐up exam. The mean GA, peak velocities of CS, and CSD had decreased significantly at the follow‐up. The incidence of CSs was also significantly decreased at the follow‐up. The abnormal rate (87%) considering both gain and CS value was significantly higher than that (62%) considering vHIT gain only at the follow‐up, although the abnormal rates did not differ at the acute stage (97% vs 87%).

Conclusion

The abnormal rates based on both vHIT gains and CS measurements are similar at the acute stage of VN but are considerably higher at the follow‐up stage compared with the abnormal rates based on vHIT gains alone. It is thus advisable to check both CS and vHIT gain while performing vHIT to detect vestibular hypofunction.
Differential Gene Expression and Pathway Analysis in Juvenile Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma Using RNA Sequencing
Authors: Jones Joel W. , Usman Shireen , New Jacob , Holcomb Andrew , Gunewardena Sumedha , Tawfik Ossama , Hoover Larry , Bruegger Daniel , Thomas Sufi Mary
Published: April 2018

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a highly vascularized and locally aggressive tumor that typically presents in adolescent males. The molecular biology of this tumor remains understudied. We sought to identify differentially expressed genes in the JNA transcriptome through messenger RNA sequencing of primary fibroblasts from 2 tumor explants and tonsil tissue from tumor‐free subjects. In total, 1088 significant, differentially expressed genes were identified with 749 upregulated and 339 downregulated. Pathway analysis identified a number of activated signaling pathways, most notably, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway (adjusted overlap P =. 03). VEGF‐A showed a 4.4‐fold upregulation in JNA samples. In addition, the angiogenic receptor, fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2), was not present in tumor‐free samples but increased in JNA. We validate these findings with immunohistochemistry, demonstrating upregulation of VEGF and FGFR2 in patient sections. Inhibition of the VEGF or FGFR signaling axes may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of JNA.
Emigration and Policy in Yugoslavia: Dynamics and Constraints within the Process of Muslim Emigration to Turkey during the 1950s
Authors: Pezo Edvin
Published: April 2018

The southern parts of Yugoslavia, especially Macedonia, experienced massive emigration by non-Slavic Muslims in the 1950s after an agreement was concluded between Yugoslavia and Turkey in 1953. The movement raises questions of ethnic belonging and policy towards minorities in socialist Yugoslavia, especially regarding the Albanian population in Kosovo. It also raises questions regarding the entanglement of (migration) policy and emigration and the character of state intervention in an on-going emigration process. Thus, the author's aim is to analyse the pillars of migration policy, the legal and regulatory framework as well as the extent, causes and consequences of state intervention on emigration processes to Turkey. The author further questions the emigration factors and their ethno-political dimensions, also examining how the mass emigration of Muslims influenced different fields of society in the region of origin as well as the Muslim lifeworld in the region.
Roma migration, anti-migrant sentiment and social integration: A case study in South-east England
Authors: Smith David
Published: April 2018

This article explores the settlement and residential patterns of Slovakian Roma migrants in Chatham, Kent where a significant number have been moving since the mid-2000s. This process is analysed in the context of growing hostility to European Union migrants and of fundamental changes to the local economy, labour markets, social and demographic structures and of growing neighbourhood polarisation. Vertovec’s ( 2006 ) notion of ‘hyper-diversity’ is used to frame the analysis allowing for a shift away from homogenising categories that conceive of Roma as being qualitatively ‘different’ to other migrant populations and towards the generationally specific hybrid group dynamics that evolve at the grassroots level (Tremlett, 2014 ). The discussion will highlight the relationship between the participants’ migratory strategies, social ties and settlement patterns in the UK and the increasingly diverse intergenerational experiences of life in their adopted hometown. While many Roma are following a similar path of absorption into the lower end of the working class followed by other migrant groups, structural changes to the local economy and the deterioration of poorer neighbourhoods mean this equates to integration into the social exclusion and marginalisation experienced by large swathes of the contemporary working classes as captured by Wacquant’s ( 2008 ) concept of ‘advanced marginality’.
How modes of instrumental practice are distributed in three musical genres and among vocalists and instrumentalists at music colleges
Authors: Sandgren Maria
Published: April 2018

The present study investigates whether past and present instrumental practices differ across musical genres (jazz, folk music, classical music) and vocalists in relation to instrumentalists ( N = 108). New findings were that vocalists and instrumentalists differed significantly in all practice experiences ( p < .05–.001), whereas fewer differences were found across genres. In line with previous research, classical musicians engaged more in solitary practice than folk music and jazz musicians did ( p < .001), yet jazz and folk music students practiced more in ensemble compared to classical musicians ( p < .05). In addition, the results contrasted with the general view of solitary practice as a demanding and unpleasant activity, as all groups of music students found solitary practice to be a more positive than negative experience. Future studies are warranted to more closely and empirically investigate vocalists’ practice habits, and to examine how emotions are related to instrumental practicing in music education.
The time will come: Evidence for an eye-audiation span in silent music reading
Authors: Silva Susana , Castro São Luís
Published: April 2018

Musical literacy allows one to “hear music from the page”. What can we say about this internal music if we follow the reader’s eyes? Do readers hear a given fragment while they are looking at it? Or do they hear it later, when they are already gazing at the following fragment? We hypothesized that the second possibility is more likely, since it allows the reader to start processing one fragment while the previous one is being heard, and thus to keep the musical rhythm going. We refer to this as the eye-audiation span hypothesis, which we tested with an innovative eye-tracking paradigm. We found convergent evidence of an eye-audiation span: first, temporal representations (the internal rhythms) are not concurrent with gaze; second, they emerge later than gaze (gaze-lagged representations). Evidence of lagged temporal representations was stronger in non-experts compared to experts, suggesting either that experts are more efficient in parallel processing, or that their representations are more amodal. Our approach to the relation between gaze and internal rhythm paves the way to mind-reading silent music readers, and provides cues for understanding mechanisms in extra-musical domains, such as implicit prosody in text reading.
From welfare to lawfare: Environmental suffering, neighbour disputes and the law in UK social housing
Authors: Koch Insa
Published: April 2018

Social housing authorities in the UK frequently invoke a language of ‘anti-social behaviour’ and neighbour nuisance in dealing with disputes between tenants. But this language fails to recognise the poor environmental conditions that cause disputes between tenants in the first place. An ethnographic analysis of neighbour disputes identifies a double move from a politics of welfare to one of lawfare: just as housing providers shift the blame onto individual tenants for tenants' perceived failure to act in socially appropriate manners, so tenants end up calling for more policing and tougher neighbourhood control. This politics of lawfare not only places a moral economy of blame at its core but further undermines the possibilities of transforming environmental suffering into redistributive struggles.