bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obstructing Colonic Mass: A Case of Recurrent Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Chedid Victor , Arasoghli Mona , Hashash Jana G.
Published: June 2015

A 71-year-old female with a history of endometrial cancer presented to our hospital with bilateral lower quadrant abdominal pain, which had been worsening over the past two months. The pain was associated with constipation, pencil-thin stools, and a 60 lb weight loss. On physical examination, the patient had suprapubic and left lower quadrant abdominal tenderness. Contrast-enhanced CT scan revealed a 6 cm pelvic mass in the left lower quadrant. It was unclear if this mass was arising from the sigmoid colon or abutting it. A colonoscopy to further investigate the mass was pursued and this revealed a moderate 5 cm long stenosis in the sigmoid colon starting at 15 cm from the anal verge. The stenosis was not ulcerated but had a bluish/purplish hue to it circumferentially. Multiple biopsies were obtained from that area and these revealed architectural changes with mild fibrosis but no malignancy. The mass was further explored with CT-guided fine needle aspiration. The results obtained were positive for cytokeratin-7, CA-125, estrogen receptor protein, and PAX-8 confirming that the mass was endometrial in origin.
Hsp20 Protects against Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reperfusion-Induced Golgi Fragmentation and Apoptosis through Fas/FasL Pathway
Authors: Zhong Bingwu , Hu Zhiping , Tan Jieqiong , Lu Tonglin , Lei Qiang , Chen Chunli , Zeng Liuwang
Published: June 2015

Cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury plays an important role in the development of tissue injury after acute ischemic stroke. Finding effective neuroprotective agents has become a priority in the treatment of ischemic stroke. The Golgi apparatus (GA) is a pivotal organelle and its protection is an attractive target in the treatment of cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury. Protective effects of Hsp20, a potential cytoprotective agent due to its chaperone-like activity and involvement in regulation of many vital processes, on GA were assessed in an ischemia-reperfusion injury model. Mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2a (N2a) cells were subjected to oxygen-glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGDR) insult. OGDR induces Golgi fragmentation, apoptosis, and p115 cleavage in N2a cells. However, transfection with Hsp20 significantly attenuates OGDR-induced Golgi fragmentation and apoptosis. Hsp20 interacts with Bax, decreases FasL and Bax expression, and inhibits caspases 3 and p115 cleavage in N2a cells exposed to OGDR. Our data demonstrate that increased Hsp20 expression protects against OGDR-induced Golgi fragmentation and apoptosis, likely through interaction with Bax and subsequent amelioration of the OGDR-induced elevation in p115 cleavage via the Fas/FasL signaling pathway. This neuroprotective potential of Hsp20 against OGDR insult and the underlying mechanism will pave the way for its potential clinical application for cerebral ischemia-reperfusion related disorders.
A Simple Repairable System with Warning Device
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Guo Lina
Published: June 2015

This paper considers a simple repairable system with a warning device which can signal an alarm when the system is not in good condition and a repairman who can have delayed-multiple vacations. By using Markov renewal process theory and the probability analysis method, the system is first described into a group of integrodifferential equations. Then the unique existence and asymptotic stability, especially the exponential stability of the system dynamic solution, are studied by using the strongly continuous semigroup theory orC0semigroup theory and the spectrum theory. The reliability indices and some applications (such as the comparisons of some indexes and profit of systems with and without warning device) as well as numerical examples are presented at the end of the paper.
On Using Fuzzy Linguistic 2-Tuples for the Evaluation of Human Resource Suitability in Software Development Tasks
Authors: Gerogiannis Vassilis C. , Rapti Elli , Karageorgos Anthony , Fitsilis Panos
Published: June 2015

Efficient allocation of human resources to the development tasks comprising a software project is a key challenge in software project management. To address this critical issue, a systematic human resource evaluation and selection approach can be proven helpful. In this paper, a fuzzy linguistic approach is introduced to evaluate the suitability of candidate human resources (software developers) considering their technical skills (i.e., provided skills) and the technical skills required to perform a software development task (i.e., task-related skills). The proposed approach is based on qualitative evaluations which are derived in the form of fuzzy linguistic 2-tuples from a group of decision makers (project managers). The approach applies a group/similarity degree-based aggregation technique to obtain an objective aggregation of the ratings of task-related skills and provided skills. To further analyse the suitability of each candidate developer, possible skill relationships are considered, which reflect the contribution of provided skills to the capability of learning other skills. The applicability of the approach is demonstrated and discussed through an exemplar case study scenario.
Chemical Interactions in Reinforced Concrete Exposed at a Tropical Marine Environment
Authors: Mendoza-Rangel José Manuel , Castro-Borges Pedro , Quintana-Owen Patricia , Balancan-Zapata Mercedes , Cabrera-Madrid Jesús Alejandro
Published: June 2015

Prediction of concrete structure behavior is complicated by diverse factors, including interaction between elements and concrete compounds, chlorides diffusion through concrete, and compounds formed by corrosion of steel reinforcement. These factors were evaluated in concrete test cylinders exposed to a tropical marine environment since 1993 (during 126 months). Electrochemical, chlorides profile, scanning electron microscope, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrophotometry analyses were done and results compared. This suite of analytical methods accurately characterized reinforced concrete condition and generated data useful in developing prediction models of corrosion in concrete structures.
Optimal Harvesting Policies for a Stochastic Food-Chain System with Markovian Switching
Authors: Ge Yanming , Xu Yifan
Published: June 2015

An optimal harvesting problem for a stochastic food-chain system with Markovian switching is investigated in this paper. Firstly, the existence, uniqueness, and positivity of the food-chain system’s solution are proved. Secondly, persistent in mean of the system is obtained. Then the optimal harvesting policy is discussed. Finally, the main results are illustrated by several examples.
Keratin-17 Promotes p27KIP1 Nuclear Export and Degradation and Offers Potential Prognostic Utility
Authors: Escobar-Hoyos Luisa F. , Shah Ruchi , Roa-Peña Lucia , Vanner Elizabeth A. , Najafian Nilofar , Banach Anna , Nielsen Erik , Al-Khalil Ramsey , Akalin Ali , Talmage David , Shroyer Kenneth R.
Published: June 2015

Keratins that are overexpressed selectively in human carcinomas may offer diagnostic and prognostic utility. In this study, we show that high expression of keratin-17 (K17) predicts poor outcome in patients with cervical cancer, at early or late stages of disease, surpassing in accuracy either tumor staging or loss of p27KIP1 as a negative prognostic marker in this setting. We investigated the mechanistic basis for the biologic impact of K17 through loss- and gain-of-function experiments in human cervix, breast, and pancreatic cancer cells. Specifically, we determined that K17 functions as an oncoprotein by regulating the subcellular localization and degradation of p27KIP1. We found that K17 was released from intermediate filaments and translocated into the nucleus via a nuclear localization signal (NLS), specific among keratins, where it bound p27KIP1 during G1 phase of the cell cycle. p27KIP1 lacks a nuclear export signal (NES) and requires an adaptor for CRM1 binding for nuclear export. In K17, we defined and validated a leucine-rich NES that mediated CRM1 binding for export. Cervical cancer cells expressing K17 mutations in its NLS or NES signals exhibited an increase in levels of nuclear p27KIP1, whereas cells expressing wild-type K17 exhibited a depletion in total endogenous p27KIP1. In clinical specimens of cervical cancer, we confirmed that the expressions of K17 and p27KIP1 were inversely correlated, both across tumors and within individual tumors. Overall, our findings establish that K17 functions specially among keratins as an oncoprotein by controlling the ability of p27KIP1 to influence cervical cancer pathogenesis. Cancer Res; 75(17); 3650–62. ©2015 AACR.
Estrogen Metabolites Are Not Associated with Colorectal Cancer Risk in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Falk Roni T. , Dallal Cher M. , Lacey James V. , Bauer Douglas C. , Buist Diana S.M. , Cauley Jane A. , Hue Trisha F. , LaCroix Andrea Z. , Tice Jeffrey A. , Pfeiffer Ruth M. , Xu Xia , Veenstra Timothy D. , Brinton Louise A.
Published: June 2015

Background: A potential protective role for estrogen in colon carcinogenesis has been suggested based on exogenous hormone use, but it is unclear from previous studies whether endogenous estrogens are related to colorectal cancer risk. These few prior studies focused on parent estrogens; none evaluated effects of estrogen metabolism in postmenopausal women.

Methods: We followed 15,595 women (ages 55–80 years) enrolled in the Breast and Bone Follow-up to the Fracture Intervention Trial (B∼FIT) who donated blood between 1992 and 1993 for cancer through December 2004. A panel of 15 estrogen metabolites (EM), including estradiol and estrone, were measured in serum from 187 colorectal cancer cases and a subcohort of 501 women not using exogenous hormones at blood draw. We examined EM individually, grouped by pathway (hydroxylation at the C-2, C-4, or C-16 position) and by ratios of the groupings using Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results: No significant associations were seen for estrone (HRQ4 vs. Q1 = 1.15; 95% CI, 0.69–1.93; Ptrend = 0.54), estradiol (HRQ4 vs. Q1 = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.58–1.64; Ptrend > 0.99), or total EM (the sum of all EM; HRQ4 vs. Q1 = 1.35; 95% CI, 0.81–2.24; Ptrend = 0.33). Most metabolites in the 2-, 4-, or 16-pathway were unrelated to risk, although a borderline trend in risk was associated with high levels of 17-epiestriol.

Conclusion: Circulating estrogens and their metabolites were generally unrelated to colorectal cancer risk in postmenopausal women.

Impact: Additional studies are needed to understand how exogenous estrogen may prevent colorectal cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(9); 1419–22. ©2015 AACR.
siRNA Lipid Nanoparticle Potently Silences Clusterin and Delays Progression When Combined with Androgen Receptor Cotargeting in Enzalutamide-Resistant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Yamamoto Yoshiaki , Lin Paulo J.C. , Beraldi Eliana , Zhang Fan , Kawai Yoshihisa , Leong Jeffrey , Katsumi Hidemasa , Fazli Ladan , Fraser Robert , Cullis Pieter R. , Gleave Martin
Published: June 2015

Purpose: Lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations facilitate tumor uptake and intracellular processing through an enhanced permeation and retention effect (EPR), and currently multiple products are undergoing clinical evaluation. Clusterin (CLU) is a cytoprotective chaperone induced by androgen receptor (AR) pathway inhibition to facilitate adaptive survival pathway signaling and treatment resistance. In our study, we investigated the efficacy of siRNA tumor delivery using LNP systems in an enzalutamide-resistant (ENZ-R) castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) model.

Experimental Design: Gene silencing of a luciferase reporter gene in the PC-3M-luc stable cell line was first assessed in subcutaneous and metastatic PC-3 xenograft tumors. Upon validation, the effect of LNP siRNA targeting CLU in combination with AR antisense oligonucleotides (ASO) was assessed in ENZ-R CRPC LNCaP in vitro and in vivo models.

Results: LNP LUC-siRNA silenced luciferase expression in PC-3M-luc subcutaneous xenograft and metastatic models. LNP CLU-siRNA potently suppressed CLU and AR ASO-induced CLU and AKT and ERK phosphorylation in ENZ-R LNCaP cells in vitro, more potently inhibiting ENZ-R cell growth rates and increased apoptosis when compared with AR-ASO monotherapy. In subcutaneous ENZ-R LNCaP xenografts, combinatory treatment of LNP CLU-siRNA plus AR-ASO significantly suppressed tumor growth and serum PSA levels compared with LNP LUC-siRNA (control) and AR-ASO.

Conclusions: LNP siRNA can silence target genes in vivo and enable inhibition of traditionally non-druggable genes like CLU and other promising cotargeting approaches in ENZ-R CRPC therapeutics. Clin Cancer Res; 21(21); 4845–55. ©2015 AACR.
Deferasirox Decreases Liver Iron Concentration in Iron-Overloaded Patients with Myelodysplastic Syndromes, Aplastic Anemia and Other Rare Anemias
Authors: Kohgo Yutaka , Urabe Akio , Kilinç Yurdanur , Agaoglu Leyla , Warzocha Krzysztof , Miyamura Koichi , Lim Lay Cheng , Glaser Sabine , Wang Candace , Wiktor-Jedrzejczak Wieslaw
Published: June 2015

Iron overload in transfusion-dependent patients with rare anemias can be managed with chelation therapy. This study evaluated deferasirox efficacy and safety in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), aplastic anemia (AA) or other rare anemias. A 1-year, open-label, multicenter, single-arm, phase II trial was performed with deferasirox (10-40 mg/kg/day, based on transfusion frequency and therapeutic goals), including an optional 1-year extension. The primary end point was a change in liver iron concentration (LIC) after 1 year. Secondary end points included changes in efficacy and safety parameters (including ophthalmologic assessments) overall as well as in a Japanese subpopulation. Overall, 102 patients (42 with MDS, 29 with AA and 31 with other rare anemias) were enrolled; 57 continued into the extension. Mean absolute change in LIC was -10.9 mg Fe/g dry weight (d.w.) after 1 year (baseline: 24.5 mg Fe/g d.w.) and -13.5 mg Fe/g d.w. after 2 years. The most common drug-related adverse event was increased serum creatinine (23.5%), predominantly in MDS patients. Four patients had suspected drug-related ophthalmologic abnormalities. Outcomes in Japanese patients were generally consistent with the overall population. Results confirm deferasirox efficacy in patients with rare anemias, including a Japanese subpopulation. The safety profile was consistent with previous studies and ophthalmologic parameters generally agreed with baseline values (EUDRACT 2006-003337-32).
Inflammatory Macrophages Promotes Development of Diabetic Encephalopathy
Authors: Wang Beiyun , Miao Ya , Zhao Zhe , Zhong Yuan
Published: June 2015

Background/Aims: Diabetes and Alzheimer's disease are often associated with each other, whereas the relationship between two diseases is ill-defined. Although hyperglycemia during diabetes is a major cause of encephalopathy, diabetes may also cause chronic inflammatory complications including peripheral neuropathy. Hence the role and the characteristics of inflammatory macrophages in the development of diabetic encephalopathy need to be clarified. Methods: Diabetes were induced in mice by i.p. injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Two weeks after STZ injection and confirmation of development of diabetes, inflammatory macrophages were eliminated by i.p. injection of 20µg saporin-conjugated antibody against a macrophage surface marker CD11b (saporin-CD11b) twice per week, while a STZ-treated group received injection of rat IgG of same frequency as a control. The effects of macrophage depletion on brain degradation markers, brain malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, superoxidase anion-positive cells and nitric oxide (NO) were measured. Results: Saporin-CD11b significantly reduced inflammatory macrophages in brain, without affecting mouse blood glucose, serum insulin, glucose responses and beta cell mass. However, reduced brain macrophages significantly inhibited the STZ-induced decreases in brain MDA, catalase and superoxidase anion-positive cells, and the STZ-induced decreases in brain NO. Conclusion: Inflammatory macrophages may promote development of diabetic encephalopathy.
Autophagy is Required for the Maintenance of Liver Progenitor Cell Functionality
Authors: Cheng Yiji , Wang Bei , Zhou Hong , Dang Shipeng , Jin Min , Shi Yufang , Hao Li , Yang Zhenxi , Zhang Yanyun
Published: June 2015

Background: Liver progenitor cells (LPCs) are bipotent stem cells existing in the adult liver, which could be activated upon massive liver injury and contribute to liver regeneration. However, mechanisms of maintenance of LPC functionality remain poorly understood. Previous studies found that autophagy was required for the self-renewal and differentiation of several tissue stem cells. Methods: The study compared the level of autophagic activity in LPCs and differentiated hepatocytes. Then, autophagic activity was inhibited in LPCs by lentivirus-mediated autophagy-related gene 5 or Beclin 1 knockdown. Clonogenic assay, cell viability assays, hepatic differentiation assay, and senescence analysis were conducted to assess the role of autophagy in regulating self-renewal, hepatic differentiation and senescence of LPCs. Results: We observed high autophagic activity in LPCs compared with differentiated hepatocytes. We found that inhibition of autophagy impaired the self-renewal, proliferation, and hepatic differentiation capability of LPCs under normal cultural condition, but had little impact on cell viability. Interestingly, while wild-type LPCs remained rarely affected by the toxin, etoposide, inhibition of autophagy induced the senescent phenotype of LPCs. Overexpression of Beclin 1 in Beclin 1-knockdown LPCs restored the functionality of stem cells. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that autophagy may function as a critical regulator of LPC functionality under both physiological and pathological condition.
Malondialdehyde-Modified LDL IgG Antibody Levels and Indices of Cardiac Function in Valvular Heart and Coronary Artery Disease Patients
Authors: Rahsepar Amir Ali , Mirzaee Asadollah , Moodi Fatemeh , Moohebati Mohsen , Tavallaie Shima , Khorashadizadeh Fatemeh , Mottahedi Behrooz , Esfehanizadeh Jamil , Azari Ali , Khojasteh Roshanak , Mousavi Somayeh , Paydar Roghayeh , Amini Maral , Ghayour-Mobarhan Majid , Ferns Gordon A. , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: June 2015

Objective: To compare the changes in anti-malondialdehyde-modified low-density lipoprotein (MDA-LDL) IgG levels among patients undergoing off-pump and on-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or valvuloplasty. Subjects and Methods: A total of 38, 39 and 34 patients who underwent off-pump CABG, on-pump CABG and valvuloplasty, respectively, were enrolled in this study. Serum anti-MDA-LDL IgG values were measured 24 h before and after the operative procedures and at discharge. Echocardiography was also done before surgery and before discharge. The results were compared with values from 50 healthy controls. Results: In all patients, a reduction in antibody titers was observed post-operatively. However, the decrease was significant only in the off-pump CABG - before surgery: 42.33 (25.83-58.51), after surgery: 30.86 (16.36-51.33) and at discharge: 10.96 (6.82-23.57; p = 0.027). There was a significant positive association between anti-MDA-LDL IgG levels and ejection fraction (r = 0.248, p = 0.036) and a negative association with E/E', a marker of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, in the coronary patients (r = -0.345, p = 0.012), but no significant associations were found in patients with valvular heart disease. Conclusions: Serum anti-MDA-LDL IgG levels were associated with cardiac function indices in coronary patients undergoing CABG.
Impact of Overlapping Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders on the Presentation and Quality of Life of Patients with Erosive Esophagitis and Nonerosive Reflux Disease
Authors: Lee Shou-Wu , Chang Chi-Sen , Lien Han-Chung , Peng Yen-Chun , Wu Chun-Ying , Yeh Hong-Zen
Published: June 2015

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of overlapping functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) on the quality of life of patients with nonerosive reflux disease (NERD) and erosive esophagitis (EE). Materials and Methods: Data from patients with NERD and EE were collected between January 2009 and March 2010. These cases were further stratified into the subgroups of overlapping NERD-functional dyspepsia (FD), NERD-irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), EE-FD, EE-IBS, and NERD or EE alone according to the symptoms. All patients completed the modified Chinese GERDQ and the SF-36 questionnaires. Results: Of the 222 enrolled patients, 96 (43.2%) had NERD and 126 (56.8%) had EE. Overlap of FGID occurred in 43.8-45.8% of the NERD patients, and in 41.3-44.4% of EE cases. The impact of overlapping FGID on patient quality of life was greater in the patients with overlapping NERD-FD compared to those with NERD alone (mean SF-36 total scores 59 vs. 72, adjusted p = 0.025) and the cases with overlapping EE-FD compared to those with EE alone (mean SF-36 total scores 53.19 vs. 73.11, adjusted p = 0.047). There were no significant differences between the individuals with overlapping NERD/EE-IBS and those with NERD/EE alone. Conclusions: There was a high prevalence of overlapping FGID, with both FD and IBS, among the GERD patients. The individuals with overlapping GERD and FD had lower quality of life scores than those with GERD alone.
Community Acquired Severe Acute Kidney Injury Caused by Hantavirus-Induced Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome Has a Favorable Outcome
Authors: Outinen Tuula K. , Mäkelä Satu , Clement Jan , Paakkala Antti , Pörsti Ilkka , Mustonen Jukka
Published: June 2015

Background: Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) induces an acute tubulointerstitial nephritis and acute kidney injury (AKI). Our aim was to evaluate the prognosis of severe AKI associated with PUUV infection. Methods: We examined 556 patients who were treated at Tampere University Hospital during 1982-2013 for acute, serologically confirmed PUUV infection. Plasma creatinine was measured during hospitalization, convalescence, and 1, 2, and 5 years after the acute infection. Results: Plasma creatinine concentration was elevated (>100 μmol/l) in 459 (83%) patients, while altogether 189 patients (34%) had severe AKI defined as Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) stage 3, that is, plasma creatinine ≥353.6 μmol/l (4.0 mg/dl) or need of dialysis. There were no fatal cases during the hospitalization or the following 3 months. Fatality rate during the years following PUUV infection did not differ between patients who had suffered from severe AKI versus those without severe AKI. Post-hospitalization plasma creatinine values were available for 188 (34%) patients. One month after the acute infection, patients with prior severe AKI had higher median plasma creatinine concentration (82 µmol/l, range 54-184) than patients without severe AKI (74 µmol/l, range 55-109, p = 0.005). After 1 year, no significant difference existed in median plasma creatinine concentrations between patients with (71 µmol/l, range 36-123) and without prior severe AKI (72 µmol/l, range 34-116, p = 0.711). After 5 years all but 1 patient had normal creatinine levels. Conclusions: In contrast to the worldwide well-accepted KDIGO criteria, severe AKI associated with PUUV infection is not associated with excess fatality but has a very good prognosis, both in the short and long terms.
Neuro-Behçet: Pons Involvement with Longitudinal Extension to Midbrain and Hypertrophic Olivary Degeneration
Authors: Franco-Macías Emilio , Roldán-Lora Florinda , Martínez-Agregado Paula , Cerdá-Fuertes Nuria , Moniche Francisco
Published: June 2015

A 21-year-old right-handed man developed progressive dysarthria and gait disturbance over 4 months (associated with intermittent hiccups). During that time, he also suffered from uveitis. A physical examination showed pseudobulbar and pyramidal signs and genital and oral ulcers. A brain MRI revealed an extensive lesion mainly located in the ventral pons, with an extension upwards to the midbrain. The inferior olivary nucleus also showed hyperintensity. After the treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone and pulses of cyclophosphamide, he improved. As observed on his MRI, his lesions also improved, except for an increase of the inferior olivary nucleus, consistent with hypertrophic olivary degeneration. Neuro-Behçet tropism for ventral brainstem explains the usual presentation with pyramidal syndrome. Hypertrophic olivary degeneration due to pons involvement could explain the hiccup attacks in a few known cases.
Effect of Intravenous Recombinant Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator in Patients With Mild Stroke in the Third International Stroke Trial-3
Authors: Khatri Pooja , Tayama Darren , Cohen Geoff , Lindley Richard I. , Wardlaw Joanna M. , Yeatts Sharon D. , Broderick Joseph P. , Sandercock Peter
Published: June 2015

Background and Purpose—

Randomized trial evidence on the risk/benefit ratio of thrombolysis for mild stroke is limited. We sought to determine the efficacy of intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV r-tPA) in a subset of patients with mild deficit in the third International Stroke Trial (IST-3).

Methods—

IST-3 compared IV r-tPA with control within 6 hours of onset in patients for whom IV r-tPA was considered promising but unproven. Analysis was restricted to subjects randomized within 3 hours of onset with a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≤5, pretreatment blood pressure <185/110, and no other r-tPA exclusion criteria. We compared r-tPA and control arms for primary (Oxfordshire Handicap Score [OHS] 0–2) and secondary (ordinal OHS and OHS 0–1) outcomes at 6 months.

Results—

Among 3035 IST-3 subjects, 612 (20.2%) had an National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≤5; of these 106 (17.6%) met the restricted criteria. Allocation to r-tPA was associated with an increase in OHS 0 to 2 (84% r-tPA versus 65% control; adjusted odds ratio, 3.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.24–8.79) and a favorable shift in OHS distribution (adjusted odds ratio, 2.38; 95% confidence interval, 1.17–4.85). There was no significant effect of r-tPA on OHS 0 to 1 (60% versus 51%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.83–4.43).

Conclusions—

This post hoc analysis in a highly selected sample of IST-3 supports the rationale of A Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Activase (Alteplase) in Patients With Mild Stroke (PRISMS) trial—a randomized, phase IIIb study to evaluate IV r-tPA in mild ischemic stroke.
At Home: Somaesthetics and Re-Education in Architecture from a Global Perspective
Authors: Dhillon Pradeep A.
Published: June 2015

In this essay, I first argue for the importance of somaesthetics in thinking about “autonomy” and “atmosphere” in architecture in a manner that brings about a critical re-education. Refusing the strict distinction between these architectural approaches through a turn to somaesthetics, I then turn to Kant’s theory of reflective judgment to set forth discursive possibilities for arriving at some understanding of the concept of architectural atmosphere. Finally, I suggest ways in which somaesthetics and Kantian thought can be seen as mutually enhancing, rather than opposing each other.
Two new Phragmidium species identified on Rosa plants native to China
Authors: Yang Ting , Chang Wei , Cao Bin , Tian Chengming , Zhao Long , Liang Yingmei
Published: June 2015

Two new Phragmidium species, Phragmidium zhouquensis and Ph. longissima, were identified on two native plants, Rosa omeiensis and R. lichiangensis respectively, during an investigation of the occurrence of rust fungi in western China. Phragmidium zhouquensis is mainly characterized by 3–9-celled teliospores bearing minute verrucae on the surface. Phragmidium longissima differs from other Phragmidium species in that it possesses echinulate urediniospores with a pore membrane at the germ pore. Phylogenetic analyses based on 28S rRNA partial gene sequences revealed that specimens of Ph. zhouquensis and Ph. longissima formed two distinct lineages. Phragmidium longissima is the first Phragmidium species to be identified on R. lichiangensis.
Taxonomic review of the genus Hypomicrogaster Ashmead (Hymenoptera: Braconidae: Microgastrinae), with descriptions of 40 new species
Authors: VALERIO A. A. , WHITFIELD J.B.
Published: June 2015

A taxonomic review of the genus Hypomicrogaster Ashmead is presented with the redescription and redelimitation of the already named species Hypomicrogaster ecus Nixon, H. imitator (Ashmead), H. tydeus Nixon and H. zonaria (Say). The review also implies eleven new synonymies, and a new combination for the species H. areolaris (Blanchard). Also, the present revision identified 40 new Hypomicrogaster species: Hypomicrogaster aodous n. sp., H. aplebis n. sp., H. cernus n. sp., H. crocinus n. sp., H. daktulios n. sp., H. deltis n. sp., H. duo n. sp., H. epipagis n. sp., H. espera n. sp., H. evrys n. sp., H. guille n. sp., H. hektos n. sp., H. hupsos n. sp., H. ingensis n. sp., H. insolitus n. sp., H. inversalis n. sp., H. koinos n. sp., H. largus n. sp., H. laxus n. sp., H. linearis n. sp., H. lineatus n. sp., H. luisi n. sp., H. masoni n. sp., H. mesos n. sp., H. mikrosus n. sp., H. multus n. sp., H. pectinatus n. sp., H. plagios n. sp., H. pollex n. sp., H. rugosus n. sp., H. scindus n. sp., H. sicingens n. sp., H. sicpollex n. sp., H. sicscindus n. sp., H. siderion n. sp., H. spatulae n. sp., H. specialis n. sp., H. tantillus n. sp., H. tetra n. sp., H. zan n. sp. The Hypomicrogaster species are using as hosts 11 families of Lepidoptera, and 52 confirmed lepidopteran species feeding on 34 families of plants. Additionally, a fully illustrated key to all known described species of Hypomicrogaster is presented.
Drivers of the Recent Tropical Expansion in the Southern Hemisphere: Changing SSTs or Ozone Depletion?
Authors: Waugh Darryn W. , Garfinkel Chaim I. , Polvani Lorenzo M.
Published: June 2015

Observational evidence indicates that the southern edge of the Hadley cell (HC) has shifted southward during austral summer in recent decades. However, there is no consensus on the cause of this shift, with several studies reaching opposite conclusions as to the relative role of changes in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and stratospheric ozone depletion in causing this shift. Here, the authors perform a meta-analysis of the extant literature on this subject and quantitatively compare the results of all published studies that have used single-forcing model integrations to isolate the role of different factors on the HC expansion during austral summer. It is shown that the weight of the evidence clearly points to stratospheric ozone depletion as the dominant driver of the tropical summertime expansion over the period in which an ozone hole was formed (1979 to late 1990s), although SST trends have contributed to trends since then. Studies that have claimed SSTs as the major driver of tropical expansion since 1979 have used prescribed ozone fields that underrepresent the observed Antarctic ozone depletion.
Kinematic GNSS Estimation of Zenith Wet Delay over a Range of Altitudes
Authors: Webb Samuel R. , Penna Nigel T. , Clarke Peter J. , Webster Stuart , Martin Ian , Bennitt Gemma V.
Published: June 2015

Atmospheric water vapor estimates from static ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers are now operationally assimilated into numerical weather prediction models, either as total precipitable water vapor (PWV) or zenith total delay. To extend this concept, the estimation of water vapor using kinematic GNSS has been investigated for over a decade. Previous kinematic GNSS PWV studies suggest a 2–3-mm PWV measurement agreement with radiosondes, almost commensurate with static GNSS PWV measurement accuracy, but the only comprehensive experiments undertaken have been shipborne. As a first step toward extending sea level–based studies to airborne experiments that obtain atmospheric profiles, the authors considered the kinematic GNSS estimation of atmospheric water vapor along a repeatable trajectory spanning substantial topographic relief, namely, the Snowdon Mountain Railway, United Kingdom. The atmospheric water vapor was indirectly quantified through the GNSS estimation of zenith wet delay (ZWD). Static GNSS [GPS+ Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS)] reference receivers were installed at the 950-m-altitude profile’s extremities, providing ZWD reference values that were interpolated to the train’s altitude, together with profiles from 100-m-resolution runs of the Met Office Unified Model. Similar GNSS ZWD accuracies to those from shipborne studies are demonstrated, namely, 12.1 mm (RMS) using double-difference relative kinematic GPS and 16.2 mm using kinematic GPS precise point positioning (PPP), but which is improved to 11.6 mm when using kinematic GPS+GLONASS PPP, commensurate with the relative kinematic GPS. The PPP solution represents a more typical airborne estimation scenario, that is, without relying on nearby GNSS reference stations.
Solidarity against All Odds
Authors: Naczyk Marek , Seeleib-Kaiser Martin
Published: June 2015

In an era of fiscal austerity and dualization of social protection, has organized labor become increasingly split along skill and industry lines? Against recent political science accounts of trade union involvement in social policymaking, this paper argues that, in the specific area of pensions, unions representing high-skilled workers and the core industrial sectors of the economy have paradoxically been led to increase their cooperation with unions representing the less privileged segments of labor, in order to improve coverage of private pensions across the board. These unions’ motivations for doing so and the strategies they have employed have nonetheless differed according to the preexisting institutional design of domestic pension systems. The argument is supported with case studies of British, French, German, and Belgian unions’ involvement in contemporary pension reform.
Long-distance trade on the Karak Plateau (Central Jordan): The case of Khirbat al-Mudaybiᶜ and Fajj al-ᶜUsaykir
Authors: Mattingly Gerald L.
Published: June 2015

By its very nature, archaeological evidence survives in fragmentary form, but we can still learn much about the ancient world from these material remains. This includes the study of products and raw materials obtained through local and long-distance trade networks. Since 1995, Joel Drinkard and his colleagues on Karak Resources Project have studied central Jordan. KRP’s research agenda included excavation at Khirbat al-Mudaybiᶜ, a fortress on Moab’s desert fringe that was built and occupied in Iron Age II and reoccupied in several later periods. Most artifacts recovered by this team were made locally and used for domestic purposes. Certain items found here also reflect connections with surrounding lands (e.g., remains of plants and animals, objects made from non-local rocks and minerals, sea shells). A 30 g bronze weight points to trade in precious commodities.
Ruth and the unaccompanied minors from Central America: Ethical perspectives on a socio-economic problem
Authors: Melgar César
Published: June 2015

The migration of minors from Central America in the latter part of 2013 brought the issue of immigration to the fore of the national debate. The uproar that this flood of immigrants caused was well-documented in several media outlets with images that were heartbreaking. The book of Ruth offers a compelling case that provides the reader with a deeper understanding of the influence that socio-economic problems have on migration. It also exemplifies the charitable treatment of the foreigner according to the laws in the Torah, and the opportunities that welcoming the migrant brings to a nation. In this article, I argue that these aspects of the book of Ruth offer us a way to contextualize this story with the accounts of the migrants coming to the US, and it compels us to advocate for the humane treatment and possible integration of this people to our communities. The book of Ruth is about faith in action; it is a live text that should move us to advocate for the needy, especially for those who are fleeing death and extreme poverty.
Comment
Authors: Buchanan Colin
Published: June 2015

Whereas traditionally all Northern bishops in the Church of England have been invited to share in the laying on of hands at the consecration of new bishops for dioceses in the Province of York, when a bishop opposed to the ordination of women was consecrated in February 2015, a week after the first woman bishop had been consecrated, all but two carefully selected male bishops were asked to exercise ‘gracious restraint' and refrain from imposing hands. The author reflects on the significance and implications of this new pattern of participation.
Copula Models for Sociology: Measures of Dependence and Probabilities for Joint Distributions
Authors: Vuolo Mike
Published: June 2015

Often in sociology, researchers are confronted with nonnormal variables whose joint distribution they wish to explore. Yet, assumptions of common measures of dependence can fail or estimating such dependence is computationally intensive. This article presents the copula method for modeling the joint distribution of two random variables, including descriptions of the method, the most common copula distributions, and the nonparametric measures of association derived from the models. Copula models, which are estimated by standard maximum likelihood techniques, make no assumption about the form of the marginal distributions, allowing consideration of a variety of models and distributions in the margins and various shapes for the joint distribution. The modeling procedure is demonstrated via a simulated example of spousal mortality and empirical examples of (1) the association between unemployment and suicide rates with time series models and (2) the dependence between a count variable (days drinking alcohol) and a skewed, continuous variable (grade point average) while controlling for predictors of each using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997. Other uses for copulas in sociology are also described.
It’s Been Mostly About Money! A Multi-method Research Approach to the Sources of Institutionalization
Authors: Bértoa Fernando Casal
Published: June 2015

Although much has been written about the process of party system institutionalization in different regions, the reasons why some party systems institutionalize while others do not still remain a mystery. Seeking to fill this lacuna in the literature, and using a mixed-methods research approach, this article constitutes a first attempt to answer simultaneously the following three questions: (1) What specific factors help party systems to institutionalize (or not)? (2) What are the links (in terms of time and degree) as well as the causal mechanisms behind such relationships? and (3) how do they affect a particular party system? In order to do so, this article focuses on the study of party system development and institutionalization in 13 postcommunist democracies between 1990 and 2010. Methodologically, the article innovates in five respects. First, it continues the debate on the importance of “mixed methods” when trying to answer different research questions. Second, it adds to the as yet brief literature on the combination of process tracing and qualitative comparative analysis. Third, it constitutes the first attempt to date to use a most similar different outcome/most different same outcome procedure in order to reduce causal complexity before undertaking a crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis. Third, it also shows the merits of combining both congruence and process tracing in the same comparative study. Finally, it also develops a novel “bipolar comparative method” to explain the extent to which opposite outcomes are determined by reverse conditions and conflicting intervening causal forces.
Spanish Fury: Football and National Identities under Franco
Authors: Quiroga Alejandro
Published: June 2015

This article explores the Franco dictatorship's utilization of football for nationalist indoctrination. It focuses on the Francoist appropriation of Spanish football victories and the promotion of a collective identity that portrayed Spaniards as ferocious, passionate and quixotic. The paper challenges the traditional view that Francoists sought to obliterate regional identities after the Spanish Civil War. As in the case of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, Francoism cultivated certain types of regional identities via sports, seeking to introduce an element of populism and grassroots activism into the dictatorship. Football was also used by the anti-Francoist opposition to foster counter-hegemonic national identities. This article analyses how Spanish democrats, Catalan regionalists and Basque nationalists found in football a suitable means to build alternative identities. The conclusions show that whereas the political nationalism fostered by the Franco regime had little impact on Spaniards, the cultural features and stereotypes associated with the Spanish nation were adopted by different sectors of society.
Evaluation of Timed Up and Go Test as a tool to measure postoperative function and prediction of one year walking ability for patients with hip fracture
Authors: Nygard Heid , Matre Kjell , Fevang Jonas Meling
Published: June 2015

Objective:

To evaluate if the Timed Up and Go Test is a useful tool to measure postoperative function and to predict one-year results of rehabilitation in patients operated owing to hip fracture.

Design:

Prospective cohort study.

Setting:

The department of orthopaedic surgery at five hospitals in Norway. Patients were assessed five days postoperatively and after one year.

Subjects:

A total of 684 patients over 60 years with trochanteric or subtrochanteric hip fractures were included. A total of 171 (25%) patients died within a year and 373 (73% of patients still alive) attended follow-up one year after surgery.

Main measures:

Timed Up and Go Test and walking ability.

Results:

A total of 258 (38%) patients passed the postoperative Timed Up and Go Test. A total of 217 (56%) patients with a prefracture independent outdoor walking ability, passed the test. The average Timed Up and Go Test score was 71 seconds. A total of 171 (25%) patients could not rise from a chair without assistance; 8% of the patients with cognitive impairment, and 8% of those admitted from nursing homes, were able to pass the postoperative Timed Up and Go Test. The sensitivity and specificity of the Timed Up and Go Test in predicting walking ability one year after the operation were low. At one year follow-up, 38% of the patients not able to perform the postoperative Timed Up and Go Test, passed the test. A total of 81 (21%) patients did not use any walking-aid, 17 of them did not pass the postoperative Timed Up and Go Test.

Conclusion:

The Timed Up and Go Test performed the fifth postoperative day was not a suitable tool to assess functional mobility for the majority of the patients with hip fractures in our study. Neither was the postoperative Timed Up and Go Test a suitable tool to predict the walking ability one year after the operation.
Global perspectives: First-year engineering students’ views on social engineering projects
Authors: Shekar Aruna
Published: June 2015

The purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of a new first-year course on students’ views on engineering practice and problem solving for a global context. Specifically, we wanted to know how first-year engineering students viewed humanitarian engineering projects, what these projects meant to them, what the specific design requirements are and whether their views on the role of engineers were influenced as a result of the course. A short feedback survey was administered to the class following the completion of the course in 2014. Thirty-six responses were received, collated and analysed (from a total of 50 students), giving a response rate of 72%. This paper presents the findings and discusses the important concepts that engineering students learn and their views about social engineering projects.
Adopters’ views on their children’s life story books
Authors: Watson Debbie , Latter Sandra , Bellew Rebecca
Published: June 2015

This research, conducted jointly between the UK children’s charity Coram and the University of Bristol, aimed to address the absence in the academic literature of adopters’ perspectives on their children’s life story books. Forty adopters from England and Wales participated in either focus group or telephone interviews. While some of the accounts were of positive experiences, there was a broad consensus that many books were of poor quality, children had been inadequately prepared to explore their histories, adoption professionals and agencies did not seem to prioritise life story books, and that adopters felt poorly prepared in how to use and update them for the benefit of their children. Clear messages for adoption agencies can be elicited regarding the preparation and use of life story books, such as improved training for professionals, monitoring of the quality of books produced and better access to support and guidance for adopters to engage in this crucial work with their children over time.
Potential Mechanisms Leading to Overuse Injuries of the Back in Alpine Ski Racing
Authors: Spörri Jörg , Kröll Josef , Haid Christian , Fasel Benedikt , Müller Erich
Published: June 2015

Background:

Overuse injuries of the back are a common complaint among top athletes and of competitive alpine skiers in particular. However, there is limited understanding about the sport-specific causes of these injuries that is essential for their prevention.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

This study was undertaken to describe the sport-specific, overall trunk kinematics and skiers’ loading during giant slalom turns and to assess the plausibility of the hypothesis that a combination of frontal bending, lateral bending, and/or torsion in the loaded trunk might be a potential mechanism leading to overuse injuries of the back in alpine ski racing.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

Eight European Cup–level athletes performed giant slalom runs with 2 different pairs of skis (varying in length, width, and sidecut). They were analyzed with respect to selected kinematic variables related to spinal disc loading. The overall trunk movement components (frontal bending, lateral bending, and torsion) were measured using 2 inertial measurement units fixed on the sacrum and sternum. Total ground-reaction forces were measured by pressure insoles.

Results:

During the turn phase in which the total ground-reaction forces were the greatest (up to 2.89 times the body weight), the highest average values of frontal bending (38.7°), lateral bending (14.7°), and torsion (7.7°) in the trunk occurred. Similar magnitudes were observed when skiing on longer, giant slalom skis with less width and sidecut.

Conclusion:

The typical loading patterns of the back in alpine ski racing include a combined occurrence of frontal bending, lateral bending, and torsion in the loaded trunk. Because these factors are known to be related to high spinal disc loading, they may be considered important components of mechanisms leading to overuse injuries of the back in alpine ski racing.

Clinical Relevance:

Prevention measures should aim to control and/or reduce the magnitude of frontal bending, lateral bending, and torsion in the trunk, as well as the peak loads, while skiing.