bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental pain sensitivity in subjects with major depression
Authors: Girard Murielle , Labrunie Anaïs , Marin Benoît , Malauzat Dominique
Published: September 2015

Objective

Patients with major depression frequently complain of pain, but conflicting data exist concerning their changes in pain sensitivity. This study aimed at comparing the sensitivity to moderate controlled pain between subjects presenting a major depressive episode (isolated and recurrent depressive episodes or a bipolar disorder), controls, and subjects with schizophrenia from a previous study.

Method

Pain sensitivity was assessed obtaining the visual analog scale (VAS) rating for the application of a 160 kPa pre-fixed pressure (fpVAS), the pressure corresponding to a VAS score of 3, and the time required to achieve a VAS score of 3 during ischemia induction. The effects of depression intensity, alexithymia, current and past general pain, and of six weeks of antidepressant treatment on fpVAS were investigated.

Results

The results did not differ significantly between the depressed groups and the controls, without any effect of depression intensity. Presence of long-lasting pain and current pain felt on the day of testing correlated with fpVAS. The subjects of the depressed group were less sensitive than subjects with schizophrenia. FpVAS was significantly lower before and after antidepressant treatment in the subjects presenting clinical improvement.

Conclusions

No difference in experimental pain sensitivity and expression between major depressive episode subjects and controls, in opposite to pain complaints, is to be detected. The changes in the sensation of pain routinely attributed to subjects presenting depression may result from changes in a differential processing of pain signals, not in relation with the depression intensity, or the kind of depressive disorder.
Can Elastography Predict Growth of Incidental Thyroid Nodules? A Pilot Two-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Krejbjerg Anne , Pedersen Inge Bülow , Laurberg Peter
Published: September 2015

The objective of this study was to examine the ultrasonography (US) and ultrasound elastography (USE) features of thyroid incidentalomas in a population exposed to iodine deficiency and to investigate whether baseline elasticity scores (ES) predicted changes in thyroid nodule US characteristics. We conducted a two-year follow-up pilot study of thyroid incidentalomas by US and USE. One sonographer performed the US and USE examination on the same apparatus at baseline and at follow-up. We evaluated 83 incidental thyroid nodules detected in a population study. The follow-up period saw no change in median thyroid nodule diameter ( p = 0.18) or in the prevalence of thyroid nodule US characteristics (hypoechoic: p = 0.05; solid nodule: p = 1.00; microcalcifications: p = 0.55). Individual changes in thyroid nodule diameter (>20%) were seen in 23% (11% had decreased, and 12% had increased in diameter). Changes in ES were frequently observed; 37% changed from ES A + B to ES C + D, and 27% changed from ES C + D to ES A + B. In a multivariate logistic regression model, we found no association between baseline ES and individual changes in nodule size. In an area with mild iodine deficiency and a high prevalence of thyroid nodules, thyroid USE performed on thyroid incidentalomas did not predict individual changes in thyroid nodule size.
Practice-Based Research
Authors: Santos Roberto G. , Santos Rachel Boba
Published: September 2015

Background:

Police agencies around the country are implementing various strategies to reduce crime in their communities that need to be evaluated. These strategies are often based on systematic crime analysis and are focused on crime occurring in hot spots, which are areas of disproportionate amounts of crime.

Objective:

This article takes a practice-based research approach to evaluate whether evidence-based police strategies implemented by one police agency as its normal everyday crime reduction practice are effective in reducing residential burglary incidents in micro-time hot spots.

Research Design:

A quasi-experimental ex post facto design is employed using 5 years of data from one police agency that has institutionalized the identification and response to micro-time hot spots into its day-to-day practices. Propensity score matching is used to match 54 pairs of micro-time hot spots using logistic regression to compute the propensity scores and greedy 1 to 1 matching with a caliper width of 0.5 of the standard deviation of the logit to match the cases.

Results:

Independent t-tests show that tactical police response to micro-time hot spots can lead to significant reductions in residential burglary incidents without the spatial displacement of crime.

Conclusion:

Tactical police responses that seek to achieve short-term reductions in crime appear to be well suited for micro-time hot spots since they are, by nature, short term. Importantly, the conclusions are based on the evaluation of an agency’s systematic implementation of the evidence-based practices as its normal practices and not for the sake of research.
Starnes procedure for severe left atrioventricular valve regurgitation
Authors: Nakata Tomohiro , Ikeda Tadashi , Doi Hiraku , Baba Shiro , Taguchi Shuma , Sakata Ryuzo
Published: September 2015

We present the case of a 19-day-old girl with incomplete atrioventricular septal defect, muscular ventricular septal defect, and severe left atrioventricular valve regurgitation. We attempted biventricular repair with left atrioventricular valve repair; however, we could not control the regurgitation. Moreover, the commercially available prosthetic valve was too large to implant. Thus we switched intraoperatively to a univentricular repair. We successfully performed patch closure of the left atrioventricular valve (Starnes procedure), Damus-Kaye-Stansel anastomosis, and a systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt.
How Did Britain Develop? Adaptive Social Systems and the Development of Nations
Authors: Myers Bryant L
Published: September 2015

The economic development of the West is under examined in terms of lessons there may be for development strategies employed in the global South today. This article examines the emergence of sustained change in economic growth in Britain in the 19th century, in light of the normative poverty eradication strategies of today. The article focuses not so much on what happened in Britain and why, as on what did not happen during this period of rapid economic development. The purpose of this anachronistic examination is to search for helpful correctives to current poverty eradication thinking and practice. There are two major lessons. First, Britain’s experience of rapid economic growth suggests that social change is unpredictable and thus immune to today’s linear planning models. Second, Britain’s development is a story of changes in the individual and social identity of the British people themselves – the British people changed. A set of proposals in response to these findings is then described.
Ambiguous pronoun use in narratives of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Novogrodsky Rama , Edelson Lisa R.
Published: September 2015

This study explored pronoun production and general syntactic abilities in story retelling and story generation among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Twenty-four children diagnosed with ASD, ages 6;1–14;3 and 17 typically-developing (TD) children ages 5;11–14;4 participated in the study. The linguistic measures for general syntax were sentence complexity and morpho-syntactic errors. The pronoun production measure was referential use of third person subject, object and possessive pronouns. The results revealed no group differences in general syntactic measures in either task. The ambiguous third person pronoun measure showed different results between the two tasks. Although there was no difference between the groups in the retelling task, children with ASD produced more ambiguous pronouns in the story-generation task than did the TD children. Interestingly, this pattern was shown for different types of pronouns, suggesting a cognitive deficit in monitoring the listener’s mental model.
The sociology of musical networks
Authors: Whittenburg Ozment Elizabeth
Published: September 2015

This review examines the current state of sociological music study. It demonstrates how sociologists excel at identifying social networks and survival strategies of musicians. It is argued that the sociology of music is invaluable to our knowledge about the social conditioning of musical practices and the development of community ties through shared musical experiences. Two recent publications, More Than Two to Tango: Argentine Tango Immigrants in New York City and The Sociology of Wind Bands: Amateur Music between Cultural Domination and Autonomy are analyzed separately and shown to exemplify contemporary trends in this field. These authors effectively argue that music enables communities to navigate issues of ethnic identity, age, race, class, and gender. For this reason, the study of musical practices should not be divorced from their social contexts.
Sociology and its publics: Fresh perspectives from the history of sociology
Authors: Stina Lyon E
Published: September 2015

This review article assesses recent developments and perspectives in the history of sociology as evidenced in two recently published conference volumes emanating from the ISA Research Committee on History of Sociology. Both these volumes address questions arising from recent debates in the discipline about the nature and role of sociology in the public domain. The article argues that history of sociology is ‘coming of age’ in the richness of topics, and varieties of methodological approaches and perspectives used in attempts more firmly to ground the sociological enterprise in its changing cultural and geographic contexts. The article also raises critical questions about the role of the history of sociology in contributing to a sharpened understanding of the complex and contradictory role of sociology in relation to its publics, and to the meaning of globalization in social science, both in theory and practice.
Landfill mining: Resource potential of Austrian landfills – Evaluation and quality assessment of recovered municipal solid waste by chemical analyses
Authors: Wolfsberger Tanja , Aldrian Alexia , Sarc Renato , Hermann Robert , Höllen Daniel , Budischowsky Andreas , Zöscher Andreas , Ragoßnig Arne , Pomberger Roland
Published: September 2015

Since the need for raw materials in countries undergoing industrialisation (like China) is rising, the availability of metal and fossil fuel energy resources (like ores or coal) has changed in recent years. Landfill sites can contain considerable amounts of recyclables and energy-recoverable materials, therefore, landfill mining is an option for exploiting dumped secondary raw materials, saving primary sources. For the purposes of this article, two sanitary landfill sites have been chosen for obtaining actual data to determine the resource potential of Austrian landfills. To evaluate how pretreating waste before disposal affects the resource potential of landfills, the first landfill site has been selected because it has received untreated waste, whereas mechanically–biologically treated waste was dumped in the second. The scope of this investigation comprised: (1) waste characterisation by sorting analyses of recovered waste; and (2) chemical analyses of specific waste fractions for quality assessment regarding potential energy recovery by using it as solid recovered fuels. The content of eight heavy metals and the net calorific values were determined for the chemical characterisation tests.
Women’s Long-Term Reactions to Whole-Body Scanning
Authors: Grogan Sarah , Gill Simeon , Brownbridge Kathryn , Warnock Dawn , Armitage Christopher J.
Published: September 2015

This study investigated long-term impacts of whole-body scanning. A total of 91 women completed a retrospective online questionnaire. Quantitative data revealed that 31 (34%) reported greater body dissatisfaction since the scan, and only 6 (7%) reported increased satisfaction. Positive change in satisfaction was predicted by current body satisfaction but not by body mass index (BMI) at time of scanning or by age. BMI did not predict satisfaction with the scanner process or likelihood of being rescanned, though a longer gap between scanning and questionnaire completion predicted satisfaction with the process. Inductive thematic analysis of responses to an open-ended question suggested that although women were comfortable being scanned and wanted to see an accurate and objective view of their size and shape, they also felt threatened and vulnerable when seeing their bodies on the printed output. It is concluded that whole-body scanning should be used with caution, particularly with women with existing body concerns.
On the influence of helix angle and face width on gear windage losses
Authors: Voeltzel Nicolas , Marchesse Yann , Changenet Christophe , Ville Fabrice , Velex Philippe
Published: September 2015

This paper investigates the windage power losses generated by helical gears rotating in pure air based on experimental results and a computational fluid dynamic code. It is found that the simulated flow patterns are totally different from those calculated for spur gears and that both tooth face width and helix angle are influential. The windage losses derived from Dawson’s and Townsend’s formulae are critically assessed using computational fluid dynamic results thus highlighting the limits of a unique formulation for accurate windage loss prediction. Finally, an analytical approach is suggested which gives good results providing that the flow rates at the boundaries of the inter-tooth domains can be estimated.
The incidence and prevalence of systemic lupus erythematosus in Thrace, 2003–2014: A 12-year epidemiological study
Authors: Pamuk O N , Balci M A , Donmez S , Tsokos G C
Published: September 2015

Background

We estimated the prevalence and incidence, clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in the Thrace region of Turkey.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated 331 patients (307 female, 24 male, mean age 38.5 years) diagnosed with SLE between 2003 and 2014. Clinical features, treatments, and response to various treatment modalities were recorded. Our hospital has been the only tertiary referral center for rheumatological diseases for a mixed rural and urban population of 620,477 people (306,036 females, 314,411 males) for more than 16 years.

Results

The mean annual incidence of SLE was 4.44/100,000 (females, 8.4/100,000; males, 0.6/100,000). The overall prevalence of SLE was 51.7/100,000 (females, 97.7/100,000; males, 7/100,000). Major organ involvement was present in the following percentages: neurologic involvement: 20.1%; renal involvement: 28.2%; autoimmune hemolytic anemia: 9.6%; thrombocytopenia: 14.7%. Seventeeen SLE patients (13 females, four males) died at a median follow-up of 48 months. The five-year survival was 94.5%, and the ten-year survival was 89.9%. According to Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, poor prognostic factors were: male gender ( p = 0.015); smoking ( p = 0.02); pleural involvement ( p = 0.011); thrombocytopenia ( p = 0.021); myocarditis ( p = 0.028); renal involvement ( p = 0.037); treatment with cyclophosphamide ( p = 0.011); and an initial high SLEDAI score (>4) ( p = 0.02). Lymphopenia at the time of diagnosis appeared as a favorable prognostic factor ( p = 0.008). Cox regression analysis revealed myocarditis (OR: 20.4, p = 0.018) and age at diagnosis (OR: 1.11, p = 0.035) to be poor, and lymphopenia at the time of diagnosis to be good prognostic factors (OR:0.13, p = 0.031).

Conclusions

The annual incidence and prevalence of SLE in the Thrace region of Turkey is lower than those reported in North America, however they are similar to those reported for European countries. Clinical manifestations appear to be milder, whereas survival was similar to those recorded in Western countries.
Neglect leads to extremes: maggots and malignancy in a case of discoid lupus erythematosus
Authors: Bhari N , Khaitan B K , Gupta P , Kumar T , Srivastava A
Published: September 2015

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is a chronic form of cutaneous lupus erythematosus that runs an indolent course. The rare complications of DLE include scarring, mutilation, non-healing ulceration, cicatricial alopecia and malignancy. DLE progresses to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in around 5% of localized cases and 22% of generalized cases. We report a case of DLE, presenting with a six-month history of ulcerated fungating plaques and small crusted nodules superimposed on DLE plaques over both the forearms. Two weeks prior to the presentation, maggots were also noticed on these plaques. Skin biopsies from these lesions were suggestive of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and keratoacanthoma. A wide surgical excision of the tumor followed by partial split-thickness skin grafting was performed with complete healing of the lesions. No recurrence has been noted 18 months from follow-up.
Cervical cytology and the diagnosis of cervical cancer in older women
Authors: Landy Rebecca , Castanon Alejandra , Dudding Nick , Lim Anita Wey Wey , Hollingworth Antony , Hamilton Willie , Sasieni Peter D
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Most non-screen-detected cervical cancers are advanced stage. We assess the potential for cytology to expedite diagnosis when used outside of routine call and recall screening for cervical cancer.

Methods

Two cohorts of women with cytology that did not appear to have been taken as part of routine screening, nested within a census of cervical cytology, in England between April 2007 and March 2010 were studied: 93,322 women aged 40–69 at first cytology, and 14,668 women aged ≥70. The diagnostic performance of high grade cervical squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) or worse cytology was estimated. We also estimated case-fatality from stage distribution in women aged ≥66 with and without cytology in the year prior to diagnosis.

Results

There were 259 cancers diagnosed in women aged 40–69 at first cytology, and 78 in women aged ≥70. The sensitivity of cytology ≥ HSIL for cancer was 89% and 83% respectively, and the number of women needed to test to identify one cancer was 404 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 355–462) and 226 (95% CI: 177–292) respectively. Women aged ≥66 with cytology within a year of diagnosis had earlier stage cancers than those without, corresponding to a 17–22% reduction in case fatality.

Conclusions

Cervical cytology is an excellent identifier of cancer among women tested outside routine screening call and recall. Its use as a triage tool, for instance in women with vague gynaecological symptoms, could facilitate earlier stage diagnosis and reduce cervical cancer mortality.
Transnational Higher Education Institutions in China
Authors: He Lan
Published: September 2015

In June 2015, a total of 64 transnational higher education institutions (TEIs) were approved by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to operate in China’s higher education sector. The TEIs were established in two batches. The first batch of 24 TEIs resulted from a policy promulgated in 1995, whereas the second batch of 40 TEIs resulted from two regulations enacted in 2003 and 2004. The selection criteria used by the MOE to grant approval for the establishment of TEIs are not openly available. Thus, this study aims to identify the actual changes in policy between 1995 and 2003/2004, by analyzing the characteristics of the TEIs in the two batches. It was found that TEIs were more likely to be approved by the MOE in the second batch if (a) they cooperated with high-ranked European partners, (b) they were affiliated with a Chinese university rather than having legal person status, and (c) they offered programs in IT, science, or engineering.
German version of the My System of Career Influences
Authors: Schindler Nicola , Schreiber Marc
Published: September 2015

Career counselling in German-speaking countries lacks assessment instruments that are based on a systemic approach. As nobody lives in a vacuum, all individuals are affected by their surrounding systems, such as parents, friends and politics. The My System of Career Influences, (MSCI) is an assessment instrument that is based on the systems theory framework and focuses on both intraindividual and contextual influences. We adapted and tested a German version of the MSCI with Baccalaureate school students at upper secondary level II in Switzerland. The results show that the MSCI can be considered a useful instrument in career counselling in general. Still, some improvements are needed regarding clarity of the aim of the MSCI and the embedding of the instrument within other career counselling activities. Further, for students it would be helpful if they had the possibility to discuss their MSCI results with another person.
A research agenda for the vocational psychology of agriculture
Authors: McIlveen Peter
Published: September 2015

The Vocational Psychology of Agriculture – Farming Food and Fibre is advanced in this article. It is argued that vocational psychology can and should provide a substantive contribution to agriculture by solving problems associated with labour supply and the quality of work, particularly the problems of poverty and hunger that blight the world. Despite its scientific and professional capability, the immediate problem is that vocational psychology lacks an epistemology and knowledge base on which to advance its contribution to agriculture. The Vocational Psychology of Agriculture – Farming Food and Fibre is motivated by the ethical vision of the psychology of working perspective. The Systems Theory Framework of Career is used as a prism to render a research agenda for the Vocational Psychology of Agriculture – Farming Food and Fibre. The Systems Theory Framework enables the integration of conceptually different vocational psychology theories. When coherently organised by the Systems Theory Framework, these theories will furnish novel research questions that may populate the research agenda and, ultimately, foster research and development that enhance agriculture’s capacity to feed and clothe the world.
Partisan Polarization and the Effect of Congressional Performance Evaluations on Party Brands and American Elections
Authors: Jones David R.
Published: September 2015

Scholars of political parties and elections around the globe have devoted extensive study toward understanding how party polarization affects the criteria voters use to determine their party preferences in elections. In American politics, previous empirical research suggests that congressional job performance ratings do not affect public attitudes toward parties and therefore have no significant ramifications for the electoral fortunes of parties. Building on the existing literature from American and comparative traditions, I demonstrate that congressional performance evaluations can be important for American parties and elections, but this depends on the extent of party polarization in Congress. First, when congressional parties are more distinct, congressional performance evaluations have a greater effect on the relative favorability of the majority party brand: when citizens like how Congress is performing under the leadership of the majority party, this boosts the favorability of that party overall. Second, because partisan polarization increases the effect of congressional performance evaluations on party brand favorability, partisan polarization also increases the role played by congressional performance evaluations in a variety of elections outside of Congress. These results inform our understanding of public opinion, parties, and elections, both in the U.S. and from a comparative perspective.
International Students and Gender-Based Violence
Authors: Forbes-Mewett Helen , McCulloch Jude
Published: September 2015

Headlines such as “Man Jailed for Train Station Attack on Indian Student,” “Fatal Stabbing Hits Indian Student Hopes,” and “Indian Student Bashings on the Rise in Sydney” highlight violent crimes against male international students by strangers in public spaces. The media reports run contrary to the perceptions of our interviewees who suggest that violence against female international students by known perpetrators in private spaces is common. We argue that intersecting inequalities relating to gender, race, and class are often compounded by the status of “international student.” Discussions focus on various forms of gender-based violence and gender violence education and support programs in Australia and the United States.
Various issues raised by the mechanics of an octopus’s arm
Authors: Kim Dorian , Segev Reuven
Published: September 2015

Various issues raised by the mechanics of an octopus’s arm are presented from the point of view of continuum mechanics. First, we study the conditions for a mixture of a number of fiber bundles to span the space of stress tensors. The geometry of a fiber bundle, as reflected in the direction and density of the fibers, is described by a vector field, or, more precisely, by a differential two-form. For the stress analysis, we propose a three-dimensional continuum model of the arm that is based on constitutive data available for muscle fibers. An analysis of small deformations superimposed on an activated configuration of the muscle bundles reveals the stiffening mechanism which enables the arm to support various external loadings, even if the geometry and the number of the fiber groups does not allow the tensions in them to span the space of stress tensors.
Departmental Professionalism and Its Impact on Indicators of Violence in Police–Citizen Encounters
Authors: Shjarback John A. , White Michael D.
Published: September 2015

Citizens’ beliefs that officers are employing unnecessary or excessive levels of force can quickly erode police legitimacy and can lead to severe consequences including loss of life, civil disorder, criminal prosecution, and large civil judgments. Although scholars have devoted more than four decades of research to identifying the correlates of police–citizen violence, relatively little study has focused on the relationship between departmental measures of police professionalism and violent outcomes between citizens and officers. The current study uses data from the 2003 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey to examine the impact of five measures of departmental professionalism—(a) agency commitment to education (associate’s degree requirement); (b) the number of hiring or screening standards; (c) the total number of training hours (academy, field training, and in-service); (d) female representation; and (e) agency commitment to community policing—on two indicators of police–citizen violence—(a) citizen complaints alleging excessive use of force and (b) reported assaults on officers—across 526 large municipal law enforcement agencies. Results from ordinary least squares regression analyses show that only departmental commitment to education was related to the police–citizen violence indicators, as agencies that require an associate’s degree experienced fewer citizen complaints of use of force and fewer assaults on their officers. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for police policy and practice, as well as for our understanding of the organizational-level correlates of police–citizen violence.
Thinking through houses: The materiality of kitchen houses and histri on Mere Lava, Vanuatu
Authors: Durand Marie
Published: September 2015

Houses in Vanuatu are prominent artefacts that materialise people’s links to the land, actualising their presence on places. Nowadays on Mere Lava, a striking emphasis is put on the building or re-building of the kitchen houses. Drawing upon recent theories of material efficacy that consider objects as potent media through which people think, this article questions the underpinnings of the major cultural part these buildings play. It suggests that their prominence is grounded precisely in the ways their material features relate to people’s conceptualisation of the world, such as the notion of histri, ‘history’. Key material features of kitchen houses as well as the values they embody are explored through the lens of the building technical process. The mechanisms that bind these artefacts to values such as balance and collaboration are highlighted, in order to show how artefacts themselves become a form through which histri is thought.
Tracing tears and triple axels: Media representations of Japan’s women figure skaters
Authors: Ho Michelle H. S.
Published: September 2015

Anticipating the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, this article uses the triple axel jump, one of the most challenging moves in women’s figure skating, as a heuristic device to track representations of Japanese skaters Ito Midori and Asada Mao in the New York Times and Asahi Shimbun. Ito and Asada are two of only six women to have landed triple axels at international figure skating competitions. Employing affect and feminist theories, I argue that constructions of the skaters’ bodies are not just gendered and heteronormative, but also sexed, raced, and affective. Using discourse analysis, I trace how media representations of Ito and Asada redraw global color lines and national boundaries in sport and negotiate different femininities, underscoring excessive feelings and physical appearance. Contributing to feminist sport studies and transnational feminist cultural studies, this comparative analysis offers new perspectives on women’s sports in Japan and athleticism’s relation to race, femininities, and national identity.
Statutory protection of Malaysian consumers against unfair contract terms
Authors: Trakic Adnan
Published: September 2015

The Malaysian Consumer Protection Act 1999 (CPA) was amended in 2010 by the Consumer Protection (Amendment) Act 2010 which inserted into the Act Part IIIA entitled ‘Unfair Contract Terms’. This article argues that the addition of Part IIIA is a welcome move towards greater consumer protection in Malaysia, but that the situation on the ground is still far from perfect. Some of the provisions in the CPA seem to be a source of many uncertainties. This article seeks to identify some of the most troubling inconsistencies and loopholes, and it attempts to offer a measured interpretation of those provisions from different angles.
Hypoxia promotes apoptosis of neuronal cells through hypoxia-inducible factor-1α-microRNA-204-B-cell lymphoma-2 pathway
Authors: Wang Xiuwen , Li Ji , Wu Dongjin , Bu Xiangpeng , Qiao Yong
Published: September 2015

Neuronal cells are highly sensitive to hypoxia and may be subjected to apoptosis when exposed to hypoxia. Several apoptosis-related genes and miRNAs involve in hypoxia-induced apoptosis. This study aimed to examine the role of HIF1α-miR-204-BCL-2 pathway in hypoxia-induced apoptosis in neuronal cells. Annexin V/propidium iodide assay was performed to analyze cell apoptosis in AGE1.HN and PC12 cells under hypoxic or normoxic conditions. The expression of BCL-2 and miR-204 were determined by Western blot and qRT-PCR. The effects of miR-204 overexpression or knockdown on the expression of BCL-2 were evaluated by luciferase assay and Western blot under hypoxic or normoxic conditions. HIF-1α inhibitor YC-1 and siHIF-1α were employed to determine the effect of HIF-1α on the up-regulation of miR-204 and down-regulation of BCL-2 induced by hypoxia. Apoptosis assay showed the presence of apoptosis induced by hypoxia in neuronal cells. Moreover, we found that hypoxia significantly down-regulated the expression of BCL-2, and increased the mRNA level of miR-204 in neuronal cells than that in control. Bioinformatic analysis and luciferase reporter assay demonstrated that miR-204 directly targeted and regulated the expression of BCL-2. Specifically, the expression of BCL-2 was inhibited by miR-204 mimic and enhanced by miR-204 inhibitor. Furthermore, we detected that hypoxia induced cell apoptosis via HIF-1α/miR-204/BCL-2 in neuronal cells. This study demonstrated that HIF-1α-miR-204-BCL-2 pathway contributed to apoptosis of neuronal cells induced by hypoxia, which could potentially be exploited to prevent spinal cord ischemia–reperfusion injury.
Involvement of indirectly allostimulated CD4+CD43highCD45RO+ T cell proliferation in the development of chronic allograft nephropathy
Authors: Wee Yu-Mee , Jung Joo-Hee , Kim Yang-Hee , Choi Monica-Y , Kim Young-Hoon , Choi Do-Sook , Cho Myung-Hwan , Han Duck-Jong
Published: September 2015

The goal of this study was to identify immunological markers for use in antigen-specific assays that predict long-term survival after renal allograft and distinguish stable-functioning (SP) patients from poorly functioning (PP) patients. For this prospective study, 20 patients were enrolled. Eight SP and six PP patients were enrolled in this study. Serum cytokine/chemokine levels were analyzed by the Luminex multiplex assay. To detect indirect alloreactive T cells, we performed indirect mixed lymphocyte reaction using donor-antigen-pulsed autologous dendritic cells as stimulators. Serum induced protein-10 levels were significantly higher in the serum of PP patients, whereas sCD40L levels were higher in SP patients. The PP patients had significantly higher numbers of donor-specific CD4+CD43highCD45RO+ T cells after indirect allostimulation, whereas this cell population was unchanged in SP patients. The donor-specific CD4+CD43highCD45RO+ T cells had the effector memory T cell phenotype. Prospectively, we studied whether these cells influence graft outcome and found that their strong proliferation in pre-transplant patients is related to a poorly functioning graft. Indirectly allostimulated CD4+CD43highCD45RO+ T cells may not only contribute to chronic allograft nephropathy development but may also have a role in the progression of acute rejection. Thus, these cells may have potential use as immune-monitoring markers in a noninvasive in vitro assay that predicts graft outcome.
Effect of Varicocelectomy on the Frequency of Nocturnal Sperm Emissions
Authors: Kara Cengiz , Aydogdu Ozgu , Oguz Ural , Sönmez Mehmet Giray
Published: September 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of nocturnal sperm emissions (NSE) in varicocele patients after varicocele surgery. A total of 127 patients, 96 varicocele (Group 1) and 31 patients with inguinal hernia (Group 2) were included in this study. Mean age, laterality of surgical procedures, spermiogram results, marital status, and postoperative serum hormone levels were noted for all patients. Two groups were compared in terms of Beck depression score (BDS) and anxiety scores (AS). The frequency of NSE and libido changes in the patients during 10 days postoperatively was evaluated. The number of the patients who had NSE and increased libido were significantly higher in the varicocelectomy group when compared with the control group. No significant difference was noted between the groups in terms of BDS, AS, and serum hormone levels. No association was reported between BDS, AS, and serum hormone levels and the presence of NSE in Group 1. The incidence of NSE was higher in younger men. Increased libido was significantly associated with NSE in Group 1. Cord dissection during surgery may be a factor on increased frequency of NSEs in varicocele patients.
Steroid Hormone Receptors as Potential Mediators of the Clinical Effects of Dutasteride
Authors: Alonso João C. C. , Reis Leonardo O. , Garcia Patrick V. , Ferreira Ubirajara , Matheus Wagner E. , Simões Fabiano A. , Rejowski Ronald F. , Alonso-Vale Maria Isabel C. , Fávaro Wagner J.
Published: September 2015

This study characterizes the clinical and morphofunctional effects of a 5α-reductase inhibitor on steroid hormone receptors in normal human prostate tissue, as potential mediators of the clinical effects of dutasteride. This work was a prospective, double-blind, and randomized study that evaluated 49 men aged between 45 and 70 years, with no alterations in a digital rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen measurements between 2.5 and 4.0 ng/mL. These patients underwent prostate biopsy guided by transretal ultrasound with prostate neoplasia being ruled out, and the patients were divided into two groups, with one group receiving dutasteride ( n = 25) and one group receiving a placebo ( n = 24). The patients were clinically assessed each quarter, and at the end of 12 months they underwent new laboratory tests, prostate rebiopsy, and histopathological, immunohistochemical and clinical analyses. The estrogen receptor-beta (ERβ) and androgen receptor immunoreactivities were higher, and the proliferation/apoptotic ratio was significantly lower with predominance of the apoptotic process, followed by a significant reduction in the prostate volume and the total serum prostate-specific antigen levels in the dutasteride group when compared with the placebo group, with a clear supremacy of ERβ. There were no significant variations in the serum estrogen and testosterone levels, in the body mass index, or in the ERα immunoreactivities in the dutasteride and placebo groups. The results demonstrated the importance of the ERβ pathway in the activation mechanisms of apoptosis, exerting a protective effect in the normal prostate, indicating that this receptor might be an important mediator of the clinical effects of dutasteride.
Effects of Participation in a Post-Secondary Honors Program With Covariate Adjustment Using Propensity Score
Authors: Furtwengler Scott R.
Published: September 2015

The present study sought to determine the extent to which participation in a post-secondary honors program affected academic achievement. Archival data were collected on three cohorts of high-achieving students at a large public university. Propensity scores were calculated on factors predicting participation in honors and used as the covariate. The Johnson–Neyman technique was used to determine the values of the covariate on which the groups differed. The effect of participating in honors was greater for smaller propensity scores. The findings offer a positive outcome associated with participation for students at the lower end of the propensity score continuum, providing evidence to conclude that such programs are beneficial to a subset of high-achieving students.
Efficacy and safety of naloxegol in patients with opioid‐induced constipation and laxative‐inadequate response
Authors: Tack Jan , Lappalainen Jaakko , Diva Ulysses , Tummala Raj , Sostek Mark
Published: September 2015

Background

Treatment options for patients with opioid‐induced constipation (OIC) and inadequate response to laxatives (LIR) are few.

Objective

Assess the efficacy and safety of orally administered naloxegol in patients with prospectively confirmed OIC and LIR

Methods

We analyzed pooled data from two identical randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, Phase 3 trials of naloxegol in patients with non‐cancer pain, OIC and LIR in which naloxegol (12.5 mg, n  = 240; 25 mg, n  = 241) or placebo (n  = 239) were administered daily. We assessed the response rates, time to first post‐dose laxation, spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs), OIC symptoms and patient‐reported outcomes over 12 weeks.

Results

OIC response rates for the naloxegol 25‐mg (p  < 0.001) and the 12.5‐mg (p  = 0.005) LIR dose groups were higher than placebo. Median times to first post‐dose SBM were 7.6, 19.2 and 41.1 hours for the naloxegol 25 mg, naloxegol 12.5 mg and placebo groups, respectively. Other SBM measures, daily symptoms of OIC, and both the Patient Assessment of Constipation ‐ Symptoms and Patient Assessment of Constipation‐Quality of Life scores improved from baseline with naloxegol treatment. Changes from baseline in opioid dose, pain scores and opioid withdrawal scores were similar among treatment groups.

Conclusions

Naloxegol was efficacious, generally safe and well tolerated in the patients with OIC and LIR, while preserving opioid analgesia.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT01309841; NCT01323790
Multicenter survey on the use of device‐assisted enteroscopy in Portugal
Authors: Pinho Rolando , Mascarenhas‐Saraiva Miguel , Mão‐de‐Ferro Susana , Ferreira Sara , Almeida Nuno , Figueiredo Pedro , Rodrigues Adélia , Cardoso Hélder , Marques Margarida , Rosa Bruno , Cotter José , Vilas‐Boas Germano , Cardoso Carla , Salgado Marta , Marcos‐Pinto Ricardo
Published: September 2015

Background

Device‐assisted enteroscopies (DAEs) are recent endoscopic techniques that enable direct endoscopic small‐bowel evaluation.

Objective

The objective of this article is to evaluate the implementation of DAEs in Portugal and assess the main indications, diagnoses, diagnostic yield, therapeutic yield and complication rate.

Methods

We conducted a multicenter retrospective series using a national Web‐based survey on behalf of the Portuguese Small‐Bowel Study Group. Participants were asked to fill out two online databases regarding procedural data, indications, diagnoses, endoscopic therapy and complications using prospectively collected institutional data records.

Results

A total of eight centers were enrolled in the survey, corresponding to 1411 DAEs. The most frequent indications were obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB), inflammatory bowel disease and small‐bowel tumors. The pooled diagnostic yield was 63%. A relation between the diagnostic yield and the indications was clear, with a diagnostic yield for OGIB of 69% (p  = 0.02) with a 52% therapeutic yield. Complications occurred in 1.2%, with a major complication rate of 0.57%. Perforations occurred in four patients (0.28%).

Conclusion

DAEs are safe and effective procedures, with complication rates of 1.2%, the most serious of which is perforation. Most procedures are performed in the setting of OGIB. Diagnostic and therapeutic yields are dependent on the indication, hence appropriate patient selection is crucial.
Using the Anthropocene as a teaching, communication and community engagement opportunity
Authors: Mychajliw Alexis M , Kemp Melissa E , Hadly Elizabeth A
Published: September 2015

Environmental challenges of the Anthropocene are synergistic and interdisciplinary, complicating the ability of scientists to effectively communicate to the public. This complexity illuminates the limitations of traditional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education, as students frequently have difficulty applying their coursework towards contextualizing the novel problems that accompany global change. We view these challenges as educational opportunities to prepare STEM students for the adaptive learning necessary in the Anthropocene. Through careful attention to course pedagogy, instructors can facilitate student learning about global change and science communication, and teach students to act as bridges across the science–policy gap. Here we discuss our university course, in which students translated The Scientific Consensus on Maintaining Humanity’s Life Support Systems in the 21st Century into a communication product, an ArcGIS Story Map entitled ‘Geographic Impacts of Global Change: Mapping the Stories of Californians’. Incorporating such real-world science translation into STEM education is critical for preparing our new generation of socially responsible scientists and citizens of the Anthropocene.
Deformations in Economic Consciousness of Children Raised in Orphanages
Authors: Golubeva Elena Valerievna , Golubeva Irina Valerievna
Published: September 2015

The aim of the present work was to study the deformations of economic consciousness in adolescents raised in orphanages. It was found that, due to deprivation of economic and social experience, children who were raised in orphanages have a high risk of deformations in economic consciousness, which can be represented by delayed formation of economic consciousness components in comparison with age norm, or distorted contents of economic consciousness components incompatible with social norms. The findings showed that the deformations of economic consciousness in adolescents raised in orphanages are deformation of the cognitive component—underforming of most economic concepts; deformation of the motivational-value component—corresponding to a lower (pre-conventional) level of moral consciousness; and deformation of the behavioral component—corresponding to Homo Economicus type, which seeks to maximize self-interest.
Food Intimacy
Authors: Laurent Jennifer S.
Published: September 2015

Disordered eating behaviors are implicated in the development and persistence of obesity in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative perspective of obese youth’s eating behaviors through the lens of their parent as they attempt to create healthy changes. An in-depth secondary analysis was conducted for the construct of food intimacy that evolved as part of a larger study investigating how parents promote health for their obese child. Seventeen parents of 10- to 14-year-old obese youth were interviewed. Themes and concepts were developed using grounded theory. Parents described child behaviors such as losing control and sneaky eating to obtain food, as well as using food for comfort, pleasure, and simply loving food. The relationship between these children and food was identified as the over-arching theme, food intimacy. This study highlights the intimate relationship these children developed with food and the powerful influence of this relationship on their eating behaviors. This suggests that prescribed interventions such as exercising more and eating less may be ineffective in certain obese children, and that more focus should be placed on investigating the relationship an obese child has with food.
Platelet-derived Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1 is implicated in ICAM-1/VCAM-1–mediated neutrophilic acute lung inflammation
Authors: Guo Yujie , Mishra Amarjit , Howland Emily , Zhao Chunling , Shukla Dhananjay , Weng Tingting , Liu Lin
Published: September 2015

Key Points

Platelet-derived Dkk1 is the major Wnt antagonist that suppresses Wnt/β-catenin signaling during acute lung inflammation. Intratracheal administration of Wnt3a or neutralization of Dkk1 inhibited neutrophil influx into the lungs.
A randomised, placebo-controlled study of the CXCR2 antagonist AZD5069 in bronchiectasis
Authors: De Soyza Anthony , Pavord Ian , Elborn J. Stuart , Smith David , Wray Heather , Puu Margareta , Larsson Bengt , Stockley Robert
Published: September 2015

This randomised double-blind placebo-controlled parallel-group multicentre phase IIa study evaluated the effect of the CXCR2 antagonist AZD5069 on sputum neutrophil counts in adults with bronchiectasis.

Patients were randomised 1:1 to receive AZD5069 80 mg or placebo orally twice daily for 28 days. Assessments included blood cell counts, inflammatory markers in blood, morning spontaneous sputum, lung function, safety and tolerability and patients completed daily BronkoTest diary cards. The primary outcome measure was the change in absolute sputum neutrophil count.

Of 52 randomised patients, 45 completed treatment, 20 (76.9%) out of 26 receiving AZD5069 and 25 (96.2%) out of 26 receiving placebo. AZD5069 reduced the absolute neutrophil cell count in morning sputum by 69%versusplacebo (p=0.004); percentage sputum neutrophil count was reduced by 36% (p=0.008). The number of infections/exacerbations was similar with AZD5069 and placebo (nineversuseight), but these led to more study discontinuations with AZD5069 (fourversuszero). Sputum interleukin (IL)-6 and growth-regulated oncogene (GRO)-α and serum GRO-α, IL-1ß and IL-8 levels increased with AZD5069versusplacebo (all p<0.001), while serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels did not change. AZD5069 was well tolerated.

AZD5069 markedly reduced absolute sputum neutrophil counts in bronchiectasis patients, although this was not associated with improvements in clinical outcomes in this exploratory study.