bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Analysis of Familial Nonmedullary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Yang Shuai , Meng Xian‐ying , Chen Guang , Pang Ren‐zhu
Published: December 2015

Objective

To analyze the clinical characteristics of familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma (FNMTC), in order to provide evidence for early diagnosis and treatment.

Methods

We retrospectively investigated the inpatients between September 2006 and September 2013 in the First Bethune Hospital of Jilin University, in which 78 patients with FNMTC from 31 families were analyzed by a comparison with 3445 control cases from the patients with sporadic nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma (SNMTC).

Results

There was no significant difference in gender, age, and tumor size between FNMTC and SNMTC patients. However, the characteristics of disease in multifoci, neck lymph node metastasis, invasion to the surrounding tissues, and coexistence with Hashimoto disease in two types of cancer patients show significant difference. They are: multifoci: 71.8 % (56/78) in FNMTC versus 46.3 % (1595/3445) in SNMTC; neck lymph node metastasis: 52.6 % (41/78) in FNMTC versus 33.3 % (1148/3445) in SNMTC; surrounding tissue invasion: 64.1 % (50/78) in FNMTC versus 48.5 % (1670/3445) in SNMTC; coexistence with Hashimoto disease: 30.8 % (24/78) in FNMTC versus 20.0 % (689/3445) in SNMTC.

Conclusion

Lymph node metastasis, multifoci, invasion to the surrounding tissues, and combination with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis are the main features of FNMTC, which suggests the extent of the operation for FNMTC patients should be amplified properly.
Efficacy and Toxicity of Hepatic Intra‐Arterial Drug‐Eluting (Irinotecan) Bead (DEBIRI) Therapy in Irinotecan‐Refractory Unresectable Colorectal Liver Metastases
Authors: Bhutiani Neal , Akinwande Olaguoke , Martin Robert C. G.
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Response rates to systemic chemotherapy for patients who have failed irinotecan‐based chemotherapy for liver‐dominant metastatic colorectal cancer range between 10 and 18 % with overall survival between 7 and 9 months. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of hepatic arterial irinotecan therapy in patients with hepatic‐dominant metastatic colorectal cancer who had failed systemic irinotecan.

Methods

This was a multi‐institutional, multi‐national, analysis of patients who received DEBIRI in the setting of unresectable liver‐dominant metastatic colorectal cancer. Patients had received between 1 and 4 lines of prior chemotherapy, the majority of which included systemic irinotecan. Primary endpoints were toxicity profile and tumor response rate.

Results

296 patients with unresectable liver metastases who had undergone 666 DEBIRI treatments were reviewed. 192 treatments were performed in patients who had received prior systemic irinotecan. 222 treatments were performed in irinotecan‐naïve patients. The median number of DEBIRI treatments was 1 (range 1–8); median treatment dose was 100 mg (range 50–200 mg), with total hepatic treatment of approximately 100 mg (range 20/30–200/300 mg). All‐grade adverse events occurred in 18 % of patients receiving prior systemic irinotecan compared with 15 % of patients receiving no prior systemic irinotecan (including chemo‐naïve patients). Response rates in patients with prior systemic irinotecan were 44 % at 3 months, 43 % at 6 months, and 44 % at 12 months, compared with 45, 40, and 35 % during the same time point in patients without prior systemic irinotecan. All‐grade adverse events occurred in 10, 20, 10, and 37 % of patients receiving 0, 1, 2, and 3+ lines of systemic chemotherapy, respectively. Overall survival was 90 %, 93 %, 90 %, 90 % at 6 months and 76 %, 71 %, 77 %, 87 % at 12 months in patients undergoing DEBIRI therapy after receiving 0, 1, 2, and 3+ lines of systemic chemotherapy, respectively.

Conclusions

The safety and efficacy of hepatic arterial drug‐eluting irinotecan bead (DEBIRI) therapy are not affected by non‐response to prior systemic irinotecan. While DEBIRI complete response rates are greatest and overall adverse events are least in chemotherapy‐naïve individuals, it retains its respectable efficacy and low rate of serious adverse events even in the setting of previous administration of systemic chemotherapy.
Enhanced succinic acid productivity by expression of mgtCB gene in Escherichia coli mutant
Authors: Wang Jing , Yang Le , Wang Dan , Dong Lichun , Chen Rachel
Published: December 2015

In this study, a novel engineering Escherichia coli strain (CBMG111) with the expression of mgtCB gene was constructed for the enhanced fermentative production of succinic acid by utilizing the synergetic effect of mgtC gene to improve the growth of strains at the environment of low Mg2+ concentration and mgtB to enhance the transport of Mg2+ into cells. After the effect of the expression of the individual genes (mgtA, mgtB, mgtC) on the growth of E. coli was clarified, the fermentative production of succinic acid by CBMG111 was studied with the low-price mixture of Mg(OH)2 and NH3·H2O as the alkaline neutralizer and the biomass hydrolysates as the carbon sources, which demonstrated that the expression of mgtCB gene can significantly increase the productivity of succinic acid (2.97 g L−1 h−1) compared with that by using the engineering strain with the overexpression of mgtA gene.
Sophorolipid‐Derived Unsaturated and Epoxy Fatty Acid Estolides as Plasticizers for Poly(3‐Hydroxybutyrate)
Authors: Ashby Richard D. , Solaiman Daniel K. Y. , Liu Cheng‐Kung , Strahan Gary , Latona Nick
Published: December 2015

Unsaturated and epoxy fatty acid estolides were synthesized from the ω and ω‐1 hydroxy fatty acids derived from sophorolipids (SL). These estolides were utilized as additives in solution‐cast poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (P3HB) films and their plasticizing effects reported. Estolides in the P3HB film matrix resulted in slight reductions of melting and glass transition temperatures while the crystallinity remained relatively constant (±2.0 %). Scanning electron microscopy revealed irregular film surfaces in the presence of both estolides and the formation of pores within the P3HB film matrix. These irregularities influenced the tensile properties of the films by incrementally decreasing the tensile strength and moduli of the P3HB films and increasing their elongation. Curing the films for 3 months in the presence of estolide triggered an enhanced tensile strength and modulus when compared to the initial films. Irradiation was implemented in an attempt to crosslink the estolides. Results showed that radiation did not result in crosslinking but rather instigated chain scission and reduced the molecular weights by up to 81 % which further reduced the tensile strength, elongation and modulus of the P3HB films. These tensile property variations showed that while the tensile strength of the P3HB films declined in the presence of both estolides, the plasticity and elongation improved validating that these unique SL‐derived estolides can be effectively used as plasticizers in P3HB films.
Effect of Industrial Chemical Refining on the Physicochemical Properties and the Bioactive Minor Components of Peanut Oil
Authors: Zhu Minghui , Wen Xin , Zhao Jinhong , Liu Fang , Ni Yuanying , Ma Liyan , Li Jingming
Published: December 2015

The effect of the industrial chemical refining process on the physicochemical properties, fatty acid composition, and bioactive minor components of peanut oil was studied. The results showed that the moisture and volatile matter content, acid value, peroxide value, and p‐anisidine value were significantly changed (P < 0.05) after the complete refining process. No significant variation (P > 0.05) in the iodine value was observed among all the peanut oil samples. Similar changes were observed in the DPPH radical scavenging activity and the total tocol content during chemical refining. In addition, chemical refining did not have much effect on the fatty acid composition, except for certain changes of several individual fatty acids. Moreover, the chemical refining resulted in 23.6, 23.1, and 9.5 % losses of squalene, total phytosterols, and total tocols (α, β, γ, δ‐tocopherols and α, β, γ, δ‐tocotrienols), respectively. The degumming–neutralization step caused the greatest overall reduction of these bioactive minor components. However, the concentrations of α‐tocotrienol and γ‐tocotrienol increased after full refining. Furthermore, chemical refining slightly changed the relative proportions of individual phytosterols and individual tocols.
On one-parameter Koopman groups
Authors: ter ELST A. F. M. , LEMAŃCZYK M.
Published: December 2015

We characterize Koopman one-parameter $C_{0}$-groups, in the class of all unitary one-parameter $C_{0}$-groups on $L_{2}(X)$, as those that preserve $L_{\infty }(X)$ and for which the infinitesimal generator is a derivation on the bounded functions in its domain.
Non-divergence of unipotent flows on quotients of rank-one semisimple groups
Authors: BUENGER C. DAVIS , ZHENG CHENG
Published: December 2015

Let$G$be a semisimple Lie group of rank one and$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$be a torsion-free discrete subgroup of$G$. We show that in$G/\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$, given$\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}>0$, any trajectory of a unipotent flow remains in the set of points with injectivity radius larger than$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$for a$1-\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$proportion of the time, for some$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}>0$. The result also holds for any finitely generated discrete subgroup$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$and this generalizes Dani’s quantitative non-divergence theorem [On orbits of unipotent flows on homogeneous spaces.Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.4(1) (1984), 25–34] for lattices of rank-one semisimple groups. Furthermore, for a fixed$\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}>0$, there exists an injectivity radius$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$such that, for any unipotent trajectory$\{u_{t}g\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}\}_{t\in [0,T]}$, either it spends at least a$1-\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$proportion of the time in the set with injectivity radius larger than$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}$, for all large$T>0$, or there exists a$\{u_{t}\}_{t\in \mathbb{R}}$-normalized abelian subgroup$L$of$G$which intersects$g\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}g^{-1}$in a small covolume lattice. We also extend these results to when$G$is the product of rank-one semisimple groups and$\unicode[STIX]{x1D6E4}$a discrete subgroup of$G$whose projection onto each non-trivial factor is torsion free.
The Agadez Chronicles and Y Tarichi: A Reinterpretation
Authors: Rossi Benedetta
Published: December 2015

This article focuses on the texts known as the “Agadez Chronicles” and “Y Tarichi,” which have been used by historians of the Central Sahara and Sahel to reconstruct the history of the Sultanate of Agadez and the Ader Kingdom in today’s Republic of Niger. The most frequently cited of these texts are published translations of copies of Arabic manuscripts that were made available to French and British colonial administrators by members of the elites of Agadez, Ader, and Sokoto in the first decade of the twentieth century. This article suggests that the copies handed over to the representatives of European empires had been altered to promote the interests of the local elites who circulated these sources. The article compares texts in the Agadez corpus with independent sources on the history of this region in the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth centuries; it discusses the political context in which the Agadez Chronicles were circulated at the beginning of the twentieth century; and it considers the implications of the proposed reinterpretations for the historiography of the Aïr and Ader regions.
Preadmission Application of 2% Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG): Enhancing Patient Compliance While Maximizing Skin Surface Concentrations
Authors: Edmiston Charles E. , Krepel Candace J. , Spencer Maureen P. , Ferraz Alvaro A. , Seabrook Gary R. , Lee Cheong J. , Lewis Brian D. , Brown Kellie R. , Rossi Peter J. , Malinowski Michael J. , Edmiston Sarah E. , Ferraz Edmundo M. , Leaper David J.
Published: December 2015

OBJECTIVE

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. Preadmission skin antisepsis, while controversial, has gained acceptance as a strategy for reducing the risk of SSI. In this study, we analyze the benefit of an electronic alert system for enhancing compliance to preadmission application of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Following informed consent, 100 healthy volunteers in an academic, tertiary care medical center were randomized to 5 chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) skin application groups: 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 consecutive applications. Participants were further randomized into 2 subgroups: with or without electronic alert. Skin surface concentrations of CHG (μg/mL) were analyzed using a colorimetric assay at 5 separate anatomic sites.

INTERVENTION

Preadmission application of chlorhexidine gluconate, 2%

RESULTS

Mean composite skin surface CHG concentrations in volunteer participants receiving EA following 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 applications were 1,040.5, 1,334.4, 1,278.2, 1,643.9, and 1,803.1 µg/mL, respectively, while composite skin surface concentrations in the no-EA group were 913.8, 1,240.0, 1,249.8, 1,194.4, and 1,364.2 µg/mL, respectively (ANOVA, P<.001). Composite ratios (CHG concentration/minimum inhibitory concentration required to inhibit the growth of 90% of organisms [MIC90]) for 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 applications using the 2% CHG cloth were 208.1, 266.8, 255.6, 328.8, and 360.6, respectively, representing CHG skin concentrations effective against staphylococcal surgical pathogens. The use of an electronic alert system resulted in significant increase in skin concentrations of CHG in the 4- and 5-application groups (P<.04 and P<.007, respectively).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest an evidence-based standardized process that includes use of an Internet-based electronic alert system to improve patient compliance while maximizing skin surface concentrations effective against MRSA and other staphylococcal surgical pathogens.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;37(3):254–259
From immediate to extended intersubjectification: a gradient approach to intersubjective awareness and semasiological change
Authors: TANTUCCI VITTORIO
Published: December 2015

abstract

This paper provides a theoretical and methodological contribution to the heated debate on intersubjectivity and intersubjectification (Nuyts, 2001, 2012; Traugott & Dasher, 2002; Traugott, 2003, 2010, 2012; Verhagen, 2005; Narrog, 2010, 2012; Dancygier & Sweetser, 2012). I will argue that intersubjectivity, intended as a subject’s awareness of the other persona(s)’ feelings, knowledge, and beliefs, can be construed alternatively on an ‘immediate’ and on an ‘extended’ level. Immediate intersubjectivity (I-I) corresponds to the mutual awareness of the speech participants during the ongoing speech event, whereas extended intersubjectivity (E-I) includes an assumed third party (specific or generic) who has an indirect social bearing on the utterance (cf. Tantucci 2013, 2014). Along a unidirectional cline of change, extended intersubjectification constitutes a further stage of semantic and/or grammatical reanalysis with respect to its immediate counterpart. In order to empirically justify the diachronic continuum between the two, I provide some corpus-illustrated (cf. Tummers et al., 2005, p. 235) examples from Mandarin and corpus-based evidence about the constructions [you don’t wantX] andbelieve it or notin American English.
Questioning Judges with a Questionable Process: An Analysis of Committee Appearances by Canadian Supreme Court Candidates
Authors: Lawlor Andrea , Crandall Erin
Published: December 2015

In 2006, the Canadian government introduced a new component to its process of selecting Supreme Court justices, a review committee composed of members of Parliament. Tasked with interviewing justices prior to their appointment to the bench, the committee met four times, interviewing only five of the eight judicial candidates appointed to the bench before the Conservative government announced the committee's termination in 2014. This study offers the first comprehensive analysis of the performance of this ad hoc judicial review committee. Using an original dataset, we find that MPs asked little by way of probing questions, such as those related to policy or a candidate's previous jurisprudence. However, we do find some evidence that the hearing process was used to further the political aims of the participating political parties.
Middle–late Miocene palaeoenvironments, palynological data and a fossil fish Lagerstätte from the Central Kenya Rift (East Africa)
Authors: RASMUSSEN CORNELIA , REICHENBACHER BETTINA , LENZ OLAF , ALTNER MELANIE , PENK STEFANIE B. R. , PRIETO JEROME , BRÜSCH DENNIS
Published: December 2015

The Miocene epoch was a time of major change in the East African Rift System (EARS) as forest habitats were transformed into grasslands and hominids appeared in the landscape. Here we provide new sedimentological and palynological data on the middle–upper Miocene Ngorora Formation (Tugen Hills, Central Kenya Rift, EARS), together with clay mineral characterizations, mammal finds and a description of the Ngorora fish Lagerstätte. Furthermore, we introduce a revised age ofc. 13.3 Ma for the onset of the Ngorora Formation. The older part of the Ngorora Formation (c. 13.3–12 Ma) records low-energy settings of lakes, floodplains and palaeosols, and evidence of analcime indicates that lakes were alkaline. The palynomorph spectrum consists of tree pollen (Juniperus, Podocarpus), Euphorbiaceae pollen (Acalypha, Croton) and herbaceous pollen of Poaceae and Asteraceae, suggestive of wooded grasslands or grassy woodlands. Alkaline lakes, floodplains and palaeosols continue upsection (c. 12–9 Ma), but environmental fluctuations become more dynamic. Paucity of palynomorphs and the presence of an equid may point to progressively drier conditions. A total of about 500 articulated fish fossils were recovered from distinctive layers of almost all sections studied and represent different lineages of the Haplotilapiines (Pseudocrenilabrinae, Cichlidae). Some of the fish kills may be attributable to rapid water acidification and/or asphyxiation by episodic ash falls. Repeated instances of abrupt change in water depth in many sections are more likely to be due to synsedimentary tectonic activity of the Central Kenya Rift than to climatic variation. Overall, the preservation of the Ngorora fish Lagerstätte resulted from the interplay of tectonics, formation of alkaline lakes and explosive volcanism. As records of grasslands that pre-date late Miocene time are rare, our finding of middle Miocene (12–13 Ma) grassy savannah in the Central Kenya Rift is also relevant to models of human evolution in East Africa.
CHARLES I, CLEMENT COKE, AND SEDITION
Authors: YOUNG MICHAEL B.
Published: December 2015

Clement Coke was a minor figure of the early Stuart period, especially in comparison to his brilliant and prominent father, Sir Edward Coke. People seem to have taken note of ‘Fighting Clem’ only when he engaged in a duel or punched another member of parliament. In the parliament of 1626, however, he briefly gained notoriety when he faced an unusually formidable adversary, Charles I, who accused him of making a seditious speech. A close analysis of this episode reveals much about the broad concept of sedition and the unstable atmosphere in the House of Commons. Coke's case also had repercussions later in this parliament and perhaps even in the next parliament where his father championed the Petition of Right. Yet the most interesting aspect of Coke's case is what it reveals about the mindset of the king. In contrast to the stereotypical view of Charles as prickly and paranoid, he appears here to have been both perceptive and prescient. Thus, this article, like work by the late Mark Kishlansky, concludes that we should take Charles I's view of the political landscape more seriously.
The Struggle to Fashion the NRA Code: The Triumph of Studio Power in 1933 Hollywood
Authors: COHEN HARVEY G.
Published: December 2015

This article traces the long and antagonistic fashioning of the National Recovery Adminstration's code of practice for the film industry during 1933. The NRA code process publicly exposed resentful fissions within Hollywood, and the oligarchic, if not monopolistic, way in which the major film studios had set up their vertically integrated consolidation of the motion-picture industry in terms of production, distribution and exhibition on a national scale. A media spotlight flooded onto their soundstages and executive suites, and many, including President Franklin Roosevelt, were not pleased with what they saw. The NRA, signed into law in 1933 by Roosevelt, implemented an unprecedented reorganization of the American economy to restore employment to combat the Great Depression. Perhaps most controversially, especially for the union-averse film industry, the NRA established collective bargaining. Though they supported it initially, the major studios would not long abide by the NRA. Throughout 1933, they violated the spirit and letter of the code, ensuring as much as possible that the economic pain and sacrifice of the Great Depression in Hollywood was visited upon artists and technicians, not studio heads and executives. They used the making of the code to attempt to cement and further the advantages they enjoyed while offering little to other interests in the film industry.
Single cannula versus double cannula tracheostomy tubes in major oral and oropharyngeal resections
Authors: Dhiwakar M , Nambi G I , Ramanikanth T V , Kale S M , Sivakumar M N
Published: December 2015

Objective:

To compare the outcomes of two types of tracheostomy tubes used in major head and neck surgery.

Methods:

A retrospective study was conducted of prospectively collected data. The post-operative safety and adequacy of a single cannula tracheostomy tube was compared to a double cannula tracheostomy tube in patients undergoing tracheostomy during major oral and oropharyngeal resections.

Results:

Out of 46 patients with the single cannula tube, 7 (15 per cent) experienced significant obstruction warranting immediate tube removal, while another 9 (20 per cent) needed a change of tube or tube re-insertion for continued airway protection. In contrast, out of 50 patients with the double cannula tube, the corresponding numbers were 0 (p = 0.004) and 1 (2 per cent; p = 0.007) respectively.

Conclusion:

Insertion of a double cannula (instead of a single cannula) tracheostomy tube in the course of major oral and oropharyngeal resections offers better airway protection during the post-operative period.
Alternative energy production pathways in Taenia crassiceps cysticerci in vitro exposed to a benzimidazole derivative (RCB20)
Authors: FRAGA CAROLINA MIGUEL , DA COSTA TATIANE LUIZA , DE CASTRO ANA MARIA , REYNOSO-DUCOING OLIVIA , AMBROSIO JAVIER , HERNÁNDEZ-CAMPOS ALICIA , CASTILLO RAFAEL , VINAUD MARINA CLARE
Published: December 2015

Biochemical studies of benzimidazole derivatives are important to determine their mode of action and activity against parasites. The lack of antihelminthic alternatives to treat parasitic infections and albendazole resistance cases make the search for new antiparasitary drugs of utmost importance. The 6-chloro-5-(1-naphthyloxy)-2-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-benzimidazole (RCB20) is a benzimidazole derivative with promising effect. This study evaluated the effect of different concentrations of RCB20 in the alternative energetic pathway of in vitro Taenia crassiceps cysticerci. The parasites were in vitro exposed to 6·5 and 13 µm of RCB20 and albendazole sulfoxide (ABZSO). The quantification of acetate, acetoacetate, β-hydroxybutyrate, fumarate and propionate was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography. The quantification of urea, creatinine and total proteins was performed by spectrophotometry. The increase in β-hydroxybutyrate reflects the enhancement of the fatty acid oxidation in the treated groups. Volatile fatty acids secretion, acetate and propionate, was increased in the treated groups. The secretion mechanisms of the treated parasites were impaired due to organic acids increased concentrations in the cysticerci. It is possible to conclude that the metabolic effect on alternative energetic pathways is slightly increased in the parasites treated with RCB20 than the ones treated with ABZSO.
Efficacy of motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression symptoms following traumatic brain injury
Authors: Ponsford J. , Lee N. K. , Wong D. , McKay A. , Haines K. , Alway Y. , Downing M. , Furtado C. , O'Donnell M. L.
Published: December 2015

Background

Anxiety and depression are common following traumatic brain injury (TBI), often co-occurring. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 9-week cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program in reducing anxiety and depression and whether a three-session motivational interviewing (MI) preparatory intervention increased treatment response.

Method

A randomized parallel three-group design was employed. Following diagnosis of anxiety and/or depression using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, 75 participants with mild-severe TBI (mean age 42.2 years, mean post-traumatic amnesia 22 days) were randomly assigned to an Adapted CBT group: (1) MI + CBT (n = 26), or (2) non-directive counseling (NDC) + CBT (n = 26); or a (3) waitlist control (WC, n = 23) group. Groups did not differ in baseline demographics, injury severity, anxiety or depression. MI and CBT interventions were guided by manuals adapted for individuals with TBI. Three CBT booster sessions were provided at week 21 to intervention groups.

Results

Using intention-to-treat analyses, random-effects regressions controlling for baseline scores revealed that Adapted CBT groups (MI + CBT and NDC + CBT) showed significantly greater reduction in anxiety on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [95% confidence interval (CI) −2.07 to −0.06] and depression on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (95% CI −5.61 to −0.12) (primary outcomes), and greater gains in psychosocial functioning on Sydney Psychosocial Reintegration Scale (95% CI 0.04–3.69) (secondary outcome) over 30 weeks post-baseline relative to WC. The group receiving MI + CBT did not show greater gains than the group receiving NDC + CBT.

Conclusions

Findings suggest that modified CBT with booster sessions over extended periods may alleviate anxiety and depression following TBI.
Rethinking Child Policy Post-UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: Vulnerable Children's Welfare in Sweden
Authors: HEIMER MARIA , PALME JOAKIM
Published: December 2015

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) formulates the rights of children in terms of provision, protection and participation. CRC implies a multi-dimensional view of children's welfare, including agency. This enables us to rethink the way we research and design policies aimed at promoting child welfare. In the past, Sweden has been seen as a forerunner when it comes to children's rights. However, the weak imprint of CRC on Swedish legislation and CRC implementation is not only a puzzle but also this apparent lack of impact makes it an interesting test case for exploring post-CRC policy developments. The purpose of the study is to identify what has prevented the evolution of Swedish social policy in this domain. We propose a framework for analysing policies aimed at promoting children's welfare (child policy) that goes beyond ‘family policy’. This, we argue, is critical for identifying obstacles to such a policy evolution. The framework is normatively anchored in CRC and theoretically inspired by the notion of participatory rights. By examining the legal reform work in Sweden over the past three decades with regard to how children's right to voice is treated in three areas of social service delivery, we observe that the lawmaker recognises parents’ rather than children's participatory rights. The lack of recognition of children's agency implies that a reconceptualisation of child welfare is necessary in order to unlock the stalemate in child policy development in Sweden, as well as to dissolve the tension between children as ‘beings’ and ‘becomings’.
Kawasaki disease in a healthcare provider: an adult case in a paediatric resident
Authors: Garrido-García Luis M. , López-Amézquita Martín , Villaverde-Rosas Rodrigo
Published: December 2015

Kawasaki disease is a small-to-medium-vessel vasculitis of unknown origin that predominantly affects children, although the disease can occur in adults. We report the case of a 26-year-old paediatric resident with fever, exanthema, ocular changes, arthralgia, and desquamation of palms and soles. Diagnosis was established after the fever resolved, and no treatment with intravenous gammaglobulin was administered. His echocardiogram showed normal coronary arteries. Acute Kawasaki disease in adults is a rare and under-recognised condition. It is important to consider the disease in patients with prolonged fever associated with unusual clinical features.
Predictors of micronutrient powder intake adherence in a pilot programme in Nepal
Authors: Mirkovic Kelsey R , Perrine Cria G , Subedi Giri Raj , Mebrahtu Saba , Dahal Pradiumna , Staatz Colleen , Jefferds Maria Elena D
Published: December 2015

Objective

Poor adherence to recommended intake protocols is common and a top challenge for micronutrient powder (MNP) programmes globally. Identifying modifiable predictors of intake adherence could inform the design and implementation of MNP projects.

Design

We assessed high MNP intake adherence among children who had received MNP ≥2 months ago and consumed ≥1 sachet (n 771). High MNP intake adherence was defined as maternal report of child intake ≥45 sachets. We used logistic regression to assess demographic, intervention components and perception-of-use factors associated with high MNP intake.

Setting

Four districts of Nepal piloting an integrated infant and young child feeding and MNP project.

Subjects

Children aged 6–23 months were eligible to receive sixty MNP sachets every 6 months with suggested intake of one sachet daily for 60 d. Cross-sectional surveys representative of children aged 6–23 months were conducted.

Results

Receiving a reminder card was associated with increased odds for high intake (OR=2·18, 95 % CI 1·14, 4·18); exposure to other programme components was not associated with high intake. Mothers perceiving ≥1 positive effects in their child after MNP use was also associated with high intake (OR=6·55, 95 % CI 4·29, 10·01). Perceiving negative affects was not associated; however, the child not liking the food with MNP was associated with lower odds of high intake (OR=0·12, 95 % CI 0·08, 0·20).

Conclusions

Behaviour change intervention strategies tailored to address these modifiable predictors could potentially increase MNP intake adherence.
Institutional complementarities, intellectual property rights and technology in the knowledge economy
Authors: GÜRPINAR ERKAN
Published: December 2015

This essay explores the trade-off between strong and weak intellectual property rights inside firms with reference to the importance of job termination. The probability of job termination has an effect on the relative profitability of different intellectual property rights regimes. Weak intellectual property rights may make it more attractive for skilled workers to join the firm, which will increase its profits while employing workers. However, when a job match is terminated the firm is left with the ownership of intellectual property only under a strong intellectual property rights regime. Based on the institutional complementarities approach we develop a simple model that analyses this trade-off, in which multiple organisational equilibria exist. We show that when intellectual property rights are taken into account, expectations such as increase in the skill and knowledge content of work are not inevitable in the knowledge economy.
Potential effectiveness of Community Health Strategy to promote exclusive breastfeeding in urban poor settings in Nairobi, Kenya: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Kimani-Murage E. W. , Norris S. A. , Mutua M. K. , Wekesah F. , Wanjohi M. , Muhia N. , Muriuki P. , Egondi T. , Kyobutungi C. , Ezeh A. C. , Musoke R. N. , McGarvey S. T. , Madise N. J. , Griffiths P. L.
Published: December 2015

Early nutrition is critical for later health and sustainable development. We determined potential effectiveness of the Kenyan Community Health Strategy in promoting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in urban poor settings in Nairobi, Kenya. We used a quasi-experimental study design, based on three studies [Pre-intervention (2007–2011; n=5824), Intervention (2012–2015; n=1110) and Comparison (2012–2014; n=487)], which followed mother–child pairs longitudinally to establish EBF rates from 0 to 6 months. The Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) study was a cluster randomized trial; the control arm (MIYCN-Control) received standard care involving community health workers (CHWs) visits for counselling on antenatal and postnatal care. The intervention arm (MIYCN-Intervention) received standard care and regular MIYCN counselling by trained CHWs. Both groups received MIYCN information materials. We tested differences in EBF rates from 0 to 6 months among four study groups (Pre-intervention, MIYCN-Intervention, MIYCN-Control and Comparison) using a χ2 test and logistic regression. At 6 months, the prevalence of EBF was 2% in the Pre-intervention group compared with 55% in the MIYCN-Intervention group, 55% in the MIYCN-Control group and 3% in the Comparison group (P<0.05). After adjusting for baseline characteristics, the odds ratio for EBF from birth to 6 months was 66.9 (95% CI 45.4–96.4), 84.3 (95% CI 40.7–174.6) and 3.9 (95% CI 1.8–8.4) for the MIYCN-Intervention, MIYCN-Control and Comparison group, respectively, compared with the Pre-intervention group. There is potential effectiveness of the Kenya national Community Health Strategy in promoting EBF in urban poor settings where health care access is limited.
Posttraumatic Distress and Growth Among Guatemalan War Orphans in Adulthood
Authors: Heying Shirley A. , Witherington David C. , Smith Jane Ellen , Gibbons Judith L.
Published: December 2015

Psychological sequelae of war and genocide can potentially persist into adulthood for child survivors of such tragedies. However, few studies have investigated child survivors’ particular experiences with such sequelae in adulthood, and fewer still distinguish between orphaned and nonorphaned child survivors’ experiences. The present study examined the experiences of posttraumatic distress and psychological growth among a sample of adults ( N = 40) who, as children, survived Guatemala’s 36-year civil war and genocide. We compared the experiences of orphaned survivors raised at a particular permanent residential home for much of their childhoods ( n = 20) with those of their childhood peers raised by family ( n = 20), all from the same rural mountain town. Findings reveal that both groups report similar long-term posttraumatic distress, yet the orphaned group reported significantly higher posttraumatic psychological growth than their peers. Implications for reconsidering institutional care for child survivors of war and genocide are discussed.
A T-type method for characterization of the thermoelectric performance of an individual free-standing single crystal Bi2S3nanowire
Authors: Ma Weigang , Miao Tingting , Zhang Xing , Takahashi Koji , Ikuta Tatsuya , Zhang Boping , Ge Zhenhua
Published: December 2015

A comprehensive T-type method is developed to evaluate the thermoelectric performance of one-dimensional nanostructures and an individual Bi2S3nanowire is studied.
Direct in situ observation of ZnO nucleation and growth via transmission X-ray microscopy
Authors: Tay S. E. R. , Goode A. E. , Nelson Weker J. , Cruickshank A. A. , Heutz S. , Porter A. E. , Ryan M. P. , Toney M. F.
Published: December 2015

The nucleation and growth of a nanostructure controls its size and morphology, and ultimately its functional properties.
Rational design of DNA-actuated enzyme nanoreactors guided by single molecule analysis
Authors: Dhakal Soma , Adendorff Matthew R. , Liu Minghui , Yan Hao , Bathe Mark , Walter Nils G.
Published: December 2015

Using experimental and computational approaches to define sequence-level design principles that enable rationally improved closure and tweezer-actuated enzyme function of a DNA tweezer.
Synthesis of a [60]fullerene-end-capped polyacetylene derivative – a “rod-sphere” molecule from a “coil-sphere” precursor
Authors: Qi Gang , Yu Yunhai , He Junpo
Published: December 2015

A hybrid material composed of a head-to-head substituted polyacetylene end-capped with [60]fullerene was synthesized through anionic polymerization precursor route.
Design of ionic liquid-based polyelectrolytes by combining ‘nanostructurisation’ and ‘zwitterionisation’
Authors: Matsumoto Takuro , Ichikawa Takahiro , Ohno Hiroyuki
Published: December 2015

We have designed nanostructured polyelectrolytes through the co-aggregation of micelles bearing polyzwitterion and lithium salts.
Synthesis of 9,9′-spirobifluorene-based conjugated microporous polymers by FeCl3-mediated polymerization
Authors: Modak Arindam , Maegawa Yoshifumi , Goto Yasutomo , Inagaki Shinji
Published: December 2015

An easy, safe and low-cost synthesis of 9,9'-spirobifluorene-based conjugated microporous polymers and related carbonized microporous materials with high gas uptake ability was developed.
Synthesis of amphiphilic block-type macromolecular brushes with cleavable pendant chains and fabrication of micelle-templated polymer nanocapsules
Authors: Han Guangda , Ju Yuanyuan , Zhao Hanying
Published: December 2015

Macromolecular brushes with cleavable pendant chains were synthesized by controlled free radical polymerizations and functional nanocapsules were fabricated on the basis of the brush polymers.
3,5-Bis((4′-carboxylbenzyl)oxy)benzoilate-based coordination polymers: their synthesis, structural characterization, and sensing properties
Authors: Huang Jing-Jing , Zhang Xiao , Huo Qi-Sheng , Yu Jie-Hui , Xu Ji-Qing
Published: December 2015

The structural characterization of four 3,5-bis((4′-carboxylbenzyl)oxy)benzoilate-based coordination polymers has been reported, and the sensing ability of 2 and 4 on NB has been investigated.
An overview of the modification of g-C3N4 with high carbon containing materials for photocatalytic applications
Authors: Patnaik Sulagna , Martha Satyabadi , Acharya Saumyaprava , Parida K. M.
Published: December 2015

This review highlights the recent trends in modifying g-C3N4 with high carbon containing materials for H2 production and pollutant degradation.
A benzo[c]carbazolyl-based phosphine ligand for Pd-catalyzed tetra-ortho-substituted biaryl syntheses
Authors: Fu Wai Chung , Zhou Zhongyuan , Kwong Fuk Yee
Published: December 2015

A benzo[c]carbazolyl-based phosphine ligand has been developed for the preparation of tetra-ortho-substituted biaryls.
Performance enhancement in ZnO nanowire based double Schottky-barrier photodetector by applying optimized Ag nanoparticles
Authors: Zhao Xin , Wang Fei , Shi Linlin , Wang Yunpeng , Zhao Haifeng , Zhao Dongxu
Published: December 2015

Optimized Ag nanoparticles are used as little antennas on the ZnO nanowire surface to improve the performance of a double Schottky-barrier based UV photodetector in the visible-blind band.
Effect of pretreatment on the formation of 5-chloromethyl furfural derived from sugarcane bagasse
Authors: Howard Joshua , Rackemann Darryn W. , Zhang Zhanying , Moghaddam Lalehvash , Bartley John P. , Doherty William O. S.
Published: December 2015

The highest CMF yield (81.9%) was achieved with acidic ionic liquid pretreated bagasse, which had a glucan content of 81.6%.
Selective liquid phase benzyl alcohol oxidation over Cu-loaded LaFeO3 perovskite
Authors: Mistri Rajib , Das Dipak , Llorca Jordi , Dominguez Montserrat , Mandal Tapas Kumar , Mohanty Paritosh , Ray Bidhan Chandra , Gayen Arup
Published: December 2015

Copper loaded LaMO3 (M = Mn, Fe and Co) perovskites have been synthesized by a single-step solution combustion method.
Preparation, characterization and biocompatible properties of β-chitin/silk fibroin/nanohydroxyapatite composite scaffolds prepared using a freeze-drying method
Authors: Azadi Mohammad , Teimouri Abbas , Mehranzadeh Ghasem
Published: December 2015

β-Chitin/silk fibroin/nanohydroxyapatite (CT/SF/nHAp) composite scaffolds were synthesized using a freeze-drying method by blending β-chitin hydrogel, silk fibroin and nHAp at different inorganic/organic weight ratios.
Synthesis and structural characterization, by spectroscopic and computational methods, of two fluorescent 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone chelators bearing sulphorhodamine B and naphthalene
Authors: Moniz T. , Coimbra J. T. S. , Brás N. F. , Cunha-Silva L. , Ramos M. J. , Fernandes P. A. , de Castro B. , Rangel M.
Published: December 2015

A crystal structure of a rhodamine labelled 3-hydroxy-4-pyridinone chelator and prediction of the range of conformations in solution is reported.
A sensitive hydrazine hydrate sensor based on a mercaptomethyl-terminated trinuclear Ni(ii) complex modified gold electrode
Authors: Gu Xuefang , Li Xian , Wu Sijie , Shi Jian , Jiang Guoqing , Jiang Guomin , Tian Shu
Published: December 2015

A mercapto-terminated trinuclear Ni(ii) complex was synthesized and used as an electrocatalyst for the detection of hydrazine hydrate.
Controllable synthesis of rod-like SnO2 nanoparticles with tunable length anchored onto graphene nanosheets for improved lithium storage capability
Authors: Gao Renmei , Zhang Haijiao , Yuan Shuai , Shi Liyi , Wu Minghong , Jiao Zheng
Published: December 2015

Rod-like SnO2 nanoparticles with tunable length have been anchored onto graphene nanosheets as high performance lithium-ion battery anodes.
Reconstruction of a helical trimer by the second transmembrane domain of human copper transporter 2 in micelles and the binding of the trimer to silver
Authors: Dong Zhe , Guan Liping , Wang Chunyu , Xu Haoran , Li Zhengqiang , Li Fei
Published: December 2015

The second transmembrane domain of human copper transporter 2 (hCtr2-TMD2) forms a trimer with a weaker intermolecular interaction and a lower affinity for Ag(I) than hCtr1-TMD2 trimer.
Photoelectron spectrometer for attosecond spectroscopy of liquids and gases
Authors: Jordan I. , Huppert M. , Brown M. A. , van Bokhoven J. A. , Wörner H. J.
Published: December 2015

A new apparatus for attosecond time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy of liquids and gases is described. It combines a liquid microjet source with a magnetic-bottle photoelectron spectrometer and an actively stabilized attosecond beamline. The photoelectron spectrometer permits venting and pumping of the interaction chamber without affecting the low pressure in the flight tube. This pressure separation has been realized through a sliding skimmer plate, which effectively seals the flight tube in its closed position and functions as a differential pumping stage in its open position. A high-harmonic photon spectrometer, attached to the photoelectron spectrometer, exit port is used to acquire photon spectra for calibration purposes. Attosecond pulse trains have been used to record photoelectron spectra of noble gases, water in the gas and liquid states as well as solvated species. RABBIT scans demonstrate the attosecond resolution of this setup.
Higher regularity of global attractors of a weakly dissipative fractional Korteweg de Vries equation
Authors: Guo Yantao , Wang Ming , Tang Yanbin
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we study the long time behavior of solutions to a weakly dissipative fractional Korteweg de Vries (KdV) equation on the real line R. The main difficulty lies in that the dissipative term is a nonlocal operator. We overcome this difficulty by the commutator estimates and product estimates associated with fractional Laplacian. The asymptotical compactness of solution semigroup is proved by the tail estimates. Finally, we conclude the existence of (H2(R), H5(R)) global attractor of the weakly dissipative fractional KdV equation.
Stacking-dependent electronic property of trilayer graphene epitaxially grown on Ru(0001)
Authors: Que Yande , Xiao Wende , Chen Hui , Wang Dongfei , Du Shixuan , Gao Hong-Jun
Published: December 2015

The growth, atomic structure, and electronic property of trilayer graphene (TLG) on Ru(0001) were studied by low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy in combined with tight-binding approximation (TBA) calculations. TLG on Ru(0001) shows a flat surface with a hexagonal lattice due to the screening effect of the bottom two layers and the AB-stacking in the top two layers. The coexistence of AA- and AB-stacking in the bottom two layers leads to three different stacking orders of TLG, namely, ABA-, ABC-, and ABB-stacking. STS measurements combined with TBA calculations reveal that the density of states of TLG with ABC- and ABB-stacking is characterized by one and two sharp peaks near to the Fermi level, respectively, in contrast to the V-shaped feature of TLG with ABA-stacking. Our work demonstrates that TLG on Ru(0001) might be an ideal platform for exploring stacking-dependent electronic properties of graphene.
Piezoelectric transformers for low-voltage generation of gas discharges and ionic winds in atmospheric air
Authors: Johnson Michael J. , Go David B.
Published: December 2015

To generate a gas discharge (plasma) in atmospheric air requires an electric field that exceeds the breakdown threshold of ∼30 kV/cm. Because of safety, size, or cost constraints, the large applied voltages required to generate such fields are often prohibitive for portable applications. In this work, piezoelectric transformers are used to amplify a low input applied voltage (<30 V) to generate breakdown in air without the need for conventional high-voltage electrical equipment. Piezoelectric transformers (PTs) use their inherent electromechanical resonance to produce a voltage amplification, such that the surface of the piezoelectric exhibits a large surface voltage that can generate corona-like discharges on its corners or on adjacent electrodes. In the proper configuration, these discharges can be used to generate a bulk air flow called an ionic wind. In this work, PT-driven discharges are characterized by measuring the discharge current and the velocity of the induced ionic wind with ionic winds generated using input voltages as low as 7 V. The characteristics of the discharge change as the input voltage increases; this modifies the resonance of the system and subsequent required operating parameters.
Bending of solitons in weak and slowly varying inhomogeneous plasma
Authors: Mukherjee Abhik , Janaki M. S. , Kundu Anjan
Published: December 2015

The bending of solitons in two dimensional plane is presented in the presence of weak and slowly varying inhomogeneous ion density for the propagation of ion acoustic soliton in unmagnetized cold plasma with isothermal electrons. Using reductive perturbation technique, a modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili equation is obtained with a chosen unperturbed ion density profile. The exact solution of the equation shows that the phase of the solitary wave gets modified by a function related to the unperturbed inhomogeneous ion density causing the soliton to bend in the two dimensional plane, while the amplitude of the soliton remains constant.