bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing Human Milk Production With Domperidone in Mothers of Preterm Infants
Authors: Asztalos Elizabeth V. , Campbell-Yeo Marsha , da Silva Orlando P. , Ito Shinya , Kiss Alex , Knoppert David ,   for the EMPOWER Study Collaborative Group
Published: January 2017

Background:

Mothers of preterm infants often are at risk of expressing an inadequate amount of milk for their infants and the use of galactogogues is often considered. Domperidone is a widely used galactogogue with little information available to guide clinicians regarding initiation, timing, and duration of treatment.

Research aim:

The primary objective of this study was to determine whether administration of domperidone within the first 21 days after delivery would lead to a higher proportion of mothers achieving a 50% increase in the volume of milk at the end of 14 days of treatment compared with mothers receiving placebo.

Methods:

Eligible mothers were randomized to one of two treatment arms: Group A—domperidone 10 mg orally three times daily for 28 days; or Group B—placebo 10 mg orally three times daily for 14 days followed by domperidone 10 mg orally three times daily for 14 days.

Results:

A total of 90 mothers of infants ≤ 29 weeks gestation were randomized. Mean milk volumes at entry were similar for both groups. More mothers achieved a 50% increase in milk volume after 14 days in Group A (77.8%) compared with Group B (57.8%), odds ratio = 2.56, 95% confidence interval [1.02, 6.25], p = .04.

Conclusion:

A greater number of mothers experienced a 50% or more increase in human milk volume, but the absolute increase in milk volume was modest.
Validation of the Arabic Version of the Infant Feeding Intentions Scale Among Lebanese Women
Authors: Yehya Nadine , Tamim Hani , Shamsedine Lama , Ayash Soumaya , Abdel Khalek Lama , Abou Ezzi Amanda , Nabulsi Mona
Published: January 2017

Background:

The Infant Feeding Intentions (IFI) scale was shown to reliably measure maternal intentions to initiate breastfeeding and continue exclusive breastfeeding until 1, 3, or 6 months in English and Spanish but not in Arab contexts.

Research aim:

This study aimed to validate an Arabic version of the IFI scale (IFI-A) and examine its ability to predict exclusive breastfeeding at 1, 3, or 6 months in pregnant Lebanese women.

Methods:

The internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the IFI-A scale were tested on 50 pregnant women (Group 1), whereas its predictive ability was tested on 196 pregnant women (Group 2), who were surveyed monthly about their infants’ nutrition method until 6 months.

Results:

The IFI-A scale’s Cronbach’s alpha internal consistency reliability is .82. Its corrected item-total correlations ranged from .26 for Item 2 (“at least give breastfeeding a try”) to .86 for Item 4 (“will be exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months”). Exploratory factor analysis revealed that it is unidimensional. IFI-A scores correlated significantly with exclusive breastfeeding duration in Group 1 ( r = .624; p = .001) and with participants’ breastfeeding attitude ( r = .390; p < .001) and previous breastfeeding duration ( r = .237; p = .011) in Group 2, thus confirming its external construct validity. In adjusted analysis, the IFI-A scale predicted exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months, albeit weakly (odds ratio = 1.16; 95% confidence interval [0.99, 1.36]), but not at 1 or 6 months.

Conclusion:

The IFI-A scale is a reliable and valid tool to assess maternal feeding intentions and predict exclusive breastfeeding at 3 months in the Arab context. Further studies are needed in other Arab contexts to confirm our findings.
Early Initiation of Breastfeeding Among Maya Mothers in the Western Highlands of Guatemala: Practices and Beliefs
Authors: Atyeo Natalie N. , Frank Tahvi D. , Vail Emma F. , Sperduto William A. L. , Boyd David L.
Published: January 2017

Background:

Guatemala exhibits the sixth highest rate of child stunting worldwide, and stunting disproportionately affects Guatemala indigenous communities. In a country struggling to combat this result of malnutrition, early child nutrition is especially critical. Specifically, early initiation of breastfeeding is important for the development of newborn infants. Understanding beliefs and practices related to early initiation of breastfeeding in Maya Guatemala may provide an avenue to guide nutrition interventions in indigenous communities.

Research aim:

This study aimed to determine major beliefs and practices associated with early initiation of breastfeeding among Maya mothers in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.

Methods:

As part of a larger study to assess child nutrition in the Lake Atitlán region, we created a series of semistructured interview questions to document breastfeeding practices and beliefs among mothers. We conducted and audio-recorded in-person interviews that were translated from Kaqchikel, the local language, to Spanish by a community assistant.

Results:

We conducted 178 interviews with mothers; 76% practiced early initiation. Early initiation was associated with the village and complementary feeding practices. Mothers held a variety of beliefs about the value of colostrum, and these beliefs were associated with the village. Mothers who held negative beliefs toward colostrum were more likely to delay breastfeeding initiation.

Conclusion:

Although most Maya mothers practice early initiation, the intervillage disparity in breastfeeding practices demonstrates a need to geographically focus breastfeeding interventions. Our novel insights into the breastfeeding beliefs among Maya mothers will serve as a guide to structure culturally competent breastfeeding education interventions in indigenous communities.
Admissions policies and risks to equity and educational inclusion in the context of school reform in England
Authors: Rayner Stephen M
Published: January 2017

Policy discourses in support of school reform in England have linked the objective of raising standards with that of tackling inequality. The assumption that a single policy strategy can tackle both objectives simultaneously is problematic. In this article, I examine issues of equity by studying admissions policy and practice. Drawing on a programme of interviews with the staff of a secondary school in England, I provide evidence of the interplay between policy discourses, the values and ethos of the school, and the professional practice of those who work there. Discussions and debates about the school’s admissions policy reveal cognitive and ethical dilemmas relating to equity and educational inclusion, particularly in the case of children with special educational needs and disabilities. In a policy context that requires schools to operate in a regulated, competitive market, school leaders may reluctantly restrict opportunities for children who already face physical, educational and social challenges.
Anabolic Steroid Abuse Educational Videotape Service Project
Authors: Seik Robert A. , Byer Douglas M.
Published: January 2017

This article describes the professional services project for the Phi Delta Chi Professional Pharmacy Fraternity—Beta Gamma Chapter—preparation of an educational videotape on abuse of anabolic steroids. A short summary of the adverse effects of these steroids, a personal story involving steroid abuse, recovery, and motivation and stimulation of a group of pharmacy students to provide important educational services to teenagers (and older aspiring athletes) is presented.
Vitamins, Minerals, and Nutritional Supplements
Authors: O'Donnell James T.
Published: January 2017

Vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements constitute materials which have been confused in the minds of consumers. They are promoted and sold by health care providers, including pharmacists, as well as by a wide variety of retail merchants. The relative safety and effectiveness of these substances in treatment of deficiency states has been extended to the notion that since the small recommended daily allowance ensures health or at least a non-deficient state, larger amounts will provide wellness or at least improve health. The proper use of diet, including vitamin and mineral supplements, has been supplanted by a form of unrestricted and unprofessional pharmacy practice. In large amounts, vitamins and minerals can have pharmacological effects including drug interaction and toxicity. The 1994 Dietary Supplements Health & Education Act has opened up the legal use by the general public of some pharmaceutically active ingredients unless they are demonstrated to be dangerous.
Performance Enhancing Drug Use in Athletes
Authors: Salemi John , O'Donnell James T.
Published: January 2017

Ergogenic aids include prescription and OTC drugs. Many other substances are used for the purpose of enhancing performance. These include black market anabolic steroids, sympathomimetics, vitamins, and nutritional supplements. The effectiveness of these aids varies from potent to non-effective. There is no controversy about the adverse effects of prescription drugs in therapeutic doses. There is widespread confusion about what athletes really do to themselves when taking OTC drugs and dietary supplements containing drugs in large doses or black market drugs at doses and schedules that are user determined. To the extent that any athlete can enhance performance by taking ergogenics, they expose themselves to harm and put pressure on their competitors to join in or be defeated. It is essential to keep the population of competitive athletes informed by bridging the gap between “street knowledge” of ergogenics and the pharmacists' obligation to advise against harmful consequences.
Promoting Functional Activity Among Nursing Home Residents: A Cross-Sectional Study on Barriers Experienced by Nursing Staff
Authors: Kuk Nienke O. , Zijlstra G. A. Rixt , Bours Gerrie J. J. W. , Hamers Jan P. H. , Tan Frans E. S. , Kempen Gertrudis I. J. M.
Published: January 2017

Objective: To obtain insight into (a) the prevalence of nursing staff–experienced barriers regarding the promotion of functional activity among nursing home residents, and (b) the association between these barriers and nursing staff–perceived promotion of functional activity. Method: Barriers experienced by 368 nurses from 41 nursing homes in the Netherlands were measured with the MAastrIcht Nurses Activity INventory (MAINtAIN)-barriers; perceived promotion of functional activities was measured with the MAINtAIN-behaviors. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed. Results: Most often experienced barriers were staffing levels, capabilities of residents, and availability of resources. Barriers that were most strongly associated with the promotion of functional activity were communication within the team, (a lack of) referral to responsibilities, and care routines. Discussion: Barriers that are most often experienced among nursing staff are not necessarily the barriers that are most strongly associated with nursing staff–perceived promotion of functional activity.
Ethnicity and low wage traps: favouritism, homosocial reproduction and economic marginalization
Authors: Hudson Maria , Netto Gina , Noon Mike , Sosenko Filip , de Lima Philomena , Kamenou-Aigbekaen Nicolina
Published: January 2017

This article analyses the relationship between cultural difference, social connections and opportunity structures using interview evidence from low-paid workers and managers in local government, the health service, facilities management and housing. Exploring the operation of homosocial reproduction it reveals the double-edged nature of informality and the role of favouritism in particular in perpetuating ethnic advantage and privilege. While demonstrating that uses of homosocial reproduction need to be sensitive to intersections of identities or categories of difference, the article adds further evidence of the persistent gap between equal opportunities policies and practice for ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom labour market. The article concludes that stronger forms of positive action, and even positive discrimination, are needed to address the low pay traps and restricted opportunities of ethnic minority workers.
ExperimentaLab
Authors: Iscaro Valentina , Castaldi Laura , Sepe Enrica
Published: January 2017

With a view to enhancing the entrepreneurial activity of universities, the authors explore the concepts and features of the ‘experimental lab’, presenting it as an effective means of supporting entrepreneurial training programmes and helping students to turn ideas into actual start-ups. In this context, the term experimental lab refers to a network of entrepreneurial individuals from universities, research laboratories, the financial sector and industry who become part of an innovative ecosystem to sustain entrepreneurship. To evaluate the educational effectiveness of an experimental lab, the authors developed a virtual platform (ExperimentaLab) and simulated its everyday dynamics through role play. Data analysis revealed that ExperimentaLab could effectively process an idea and make it potentially ready for the market and investors: It is thus found to be a valid training tool for the entrepreneurial university. Based on the simulation results, the authors propose a framework for further investigation of the technique.
The New Relationship between Industry and Higher Education in Japan
Authors: Yamamoto Shinichi
Published: January 2017

Against the background of a brief recent history of the higher education system in Japan, the author reviews the increasing recognition of the importance of establishing and developing interaction between higher education institutions and industry. Aside from increasing the relevance to industry of university education, there is now a strong emphasis in Japan on the development of basic research to maintain industrial competitiveness. This has led to government initiatives to encourage cooperative research between industry and universities and various mechanisms are in place to facilitate the development of interaction between firms and universities. In the current economic climate, universities are increasingly looking to the private sector for research funding and this is also accelerating the profound changes in the education–industry relationship.
EuroPACE 2000
Authors: Van der Perre G. , Van Heddegem J. , Van den Branden J.
Published: January 2017

In the March 1994 issue of Industry and Higher Education, William A. Weimer reviewed and analysed the lessons learned from the experience of the European Programme of Advanced Continuing Education (EuroPACE), which ceased to broadcast in January 1993. On 8 December 1993, EuroPACE 2000 arose from its ashes. In this article, the authors outline the aims and objectives of the new EuroPACE 2000 programme in the context of the education and training needs of the future workforce of Europe. A university-centred network, EuroPACE 2000 focuses on telematics as the key additional ingredient in the effective and widespread delivery of lifelong learning in Europe.
Letting Industry Hold the Reins
Authors: Watts Dianne L.
Published: January 2017

South Australian private and public sector organizations directly influence the quality and quantity of graduates through ownership of a unique cooperative education undergraduate course in business information systems. Sponsors meet monthly to set objectives and oversee management of the programme within the University framework. Academics work with sponsors to deliver educational objectives and to strengthen links with industry. The outcomes have been students' success in attaining high levels of academic performance; graduates' success in securing appropriate career positions; and employers' satisfaction with graduate employee's productivity and rapid assimilation into industry. These measurements of success vindicate an early decision to make industry the ‘owners' of the programme.
Linking Higher Education, Industry and School
Authors: Lea Suzanne C. , Huggins M.J.
Published: January 2017

The authors describe and review an innovative collaborative approach to the training of postgraduate generalist students of primary education (5–11 year-olds) in the teaching of economic and industrial understanding. The project involves a university education department, industrial and commercial organizations, and related support services.
Big data and the measurement of public organizations’ performance and efficiency: The state-of-the-art
Authors: Rogge Nicky , Agasisti Tommaso , De Witte Kristof
Published: January 2017

The increasing availability of statistical data raises opportunities for ‘big’ data and learning analytics. Here, we review the academic literature and research relating to the use of big data analytics in the public sector, and its contribution to public organizations’ performance and efficiency. We outline the advantages as well as the limitations of using big data in public sector organizations and identify research gaps in recent studies and interesting areas for future research.
A probabilistic-based study on fused direct and indirect methods for tracking tool flank wear of Rene-108, nickel-based alloy
Authors: Akhavan Niaki Farbod , Mears Laine
Published: January 2017

Nickel-based alloys are a class of hard-to-machine materials that exhibit a unique combination of high strength at high temperature. While they are widely used in industry, the high tool wear rate of these materials makes machining them a challenging task. Furthermore, machining tolerances, residual stresses, and tool runout impose uncertainty in tracking tool wear. In this work, the current view on tracking progressive tool wear is shifted from deterministic domains into the stochastic domain to study the probability distribution of the tool wear during the process. To do so, Bayesian-based estimation was used for accurate model inference and the result was fed into the Kalman filter for tracking tool wear in end-milling Rene-108 Ni-based alloy. To improve the accuracy, a direct laser measuring system for capturing tool length change was fused with the indirect power measurement. The results show a significant improvement in accuracy over the indirect method, with less than 8 µm root mean square error. This measuring strategy improved the accuracy, while preserving the automated platform for monitoring the tool’s health.
Optimization investigation on the liquid cooling heat dissipation structure for the lithium-ion battery package in electric vehicles
Authors: Xie Jinhong , Zang Mengyan , Wang Shuangfeng , Ge Zijing
Published: January 2017

The requirements of cooling and weight reduction for lithium-ion battery packages in electric vehicles are increasingly important. In this paper, a liquid cooling heat dissipation structure is designed and optimized. First of all, the effects of tube diameter, spacing, thickness and layout of the cooling plate on the heat dissipation of the battery package are investigated by using computational fluid dynamics. Afterwards, based on the optimal results of the single factor analysis, an orthogonal table with four factors and three levels are constructed to perform a single-objective optimization, where the minimization of the maximum temperature is the optimization object. Meanwhile, an experiment is carried out to verify the accuracy of the simulation model. In order to further reduce the mass of the cooling plate, a multi-objective optimization is performed, where the minimization of the maximum temperature and the mass are the optimization objects. The maximum temperature is increased by 10.9% in the multi-objective optimization when compared with that in the single objective optimization. However, the mass of the cooling plate in the multi-objective optimization can drop by 82.4%.
A hybrid method of tests coupled with simulations used to detect the working processes of an automotive engine from cycle to cycle in transient conditions
Authors: Fu Jianqin , Yuan Zhipeng , Liu Jingping , Zhou Feng , Wang Shuqian , Feng Renhua
Published: January 2017

To improve the actual performance of an automotive engine, an approach consisting of dynamic signal measurements coupled with gas dynamics–thermodynamics process simulations is proposed; this is used to detect the working processes of an automotive engine from cycle to cycle in transient conditions. Based on the working principles and the mathematical models of the proposed detection method, corresponding software was developed, and the reliability of this approach was validated on an automotive engine. Automotive road tests were conducted, and various transient parameters of the engine were successfully detected from cycle to cycle by using the developed software. On this basis, the variations in the influencing factors of and the interactions between various engine parameters were analysed. The results showed that the ignition timing has a strong effect on the indicated thermal efficiency. Where there is an unnecessary delay in the ignition timing, there is a decrease in the indicated thermal efficiency. The pumping mean effective pressure is approximately equal to the difference between the exhaust gas pressure and the intake gas pressure for a low to medium load, but it is much higher than the pressure difference and undergoes great fluctuations in the high-speed and high-load operating regions. Both the presented approach and the research results are significant for improving the engine performance in transient conditions.
Numerical simulation of parafoil inflation via a Robin–Neumann transmission-based approach
Authors: Nie Shuai , Cao Yihua , Wu Zhenlong
Published: January 2017

In this paper, a partitioned coupled iterative approach based on the Robin–Neumann transmission condition is proposed for the fluid–structure interaction simulation of the inflation process of a parafoil. The Reynold-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the versatile finite element method are employed to solve the fluid flow field and the structural deformation, respectively. The generalized-α time integration scheme for the structure and the second order back Euler scheme for the fluid are incorporated in the Robin-Neumann method. A modified spring-transfinite interpolation hybrid method is exploited to detect the deformation of the grid and regenerate the grid for the fluid architecture. Both a two-dimensional case and a three-dimensional case are studied to examine the feasibility of the present approach. The simulation results reveal the evolution of the flow regime during the inflation process when the air pours into the parafoil. The whole inflation process can be concluded as two stages: the span-wise deployment and the longitudinal expansion. The numerical aerodynamic performance agrees well with that obtained by wind-tunnel experiment, suggesting the effectiveness of this method in handling such a highly nonlinear fluid–structure interaction in parachute inflation.
Analytical analysis of vibration characteristics for the hard-coating cantilever laminated plate
Authors: Sun Wei , Liu Xiaozhou , Zhang Yue
Published: January 2017

For laminated plate served in high temperature and high corrosion environment, hard coating can be applied to suppress destructive vibration. While the creation of the dynamic model of hard-coating laminated plate is the premise of the research on vibration reduction. This study was focused on analyzing vibration characteristics of the hard-coating cantilever laminated plate under base excitation. Orthogonal polynomials were used as admissible displacement functions to formulate the displacement field, Lagrange’s equation was used to build the governing equations of both free vibration and forced vibration for the composite plate, and methods of solving the natural characteristics and the harmonic response were presented. A T300/QY89l1 laminated plate with NiCoCrAlY+YSZ hard coating was chosen to demonstrate the proposed method and obtained results were compared with the ones gotten by ANSYS software with the purpose of assessing the rationality of the developed analytical model. Finally, based on the established model, the influences of hard-coating parameters, including thickness, Young’s modulus, and loss factor, on the vibration characteristics of the laminated plate were studied. The results show that increasing the thickness, Young’s modulus and loss factor of hard coating are beneficial to vibration reduction of laminated plate.
A fast method for solving a linear model of one-dimensional blood flow in a viscoelastic arterial tree
Authors: Korade Ivan , Virag Zdravko , Krizmanić Severino
Published: January 2017

For the purpose of optimization of the whole arterial tree, a fast method for solving of one-dimensional model of blood flow is required. A semi-analytic transmission line method for solving a linearized one-dimensional model of blood flow in an arterial tree with viscoelastic walls is proposed. The transmission line method that solves the linearized model in the frequency domain and the method of characteristics that solves either linearized or non-linear one-dimensional models in the time domain are compared regarding accuracy and computational time. For this purpose, the benchmark problem of a 37-artery network with available experimental data is used. In the case of the linearized model, the results from the transmission line method and the method of characteristics are practically the same. The difference between the transmission line method solution of the linearized model and the method of characteristics solution of the non-linear model is much smaller than the error of either method of characteristics or transmission line method numerical solutions with respect to the experimental data. For typical applications, the transmission line method is at least two orders of magnitude faster than the method of characteristics.
Same Story, Different Story
Authors: Yeshurun Yaara , Swanson Stephen , Simony Erez , Chen Janice , Lazaridi Christina , Honey Christopher J. , Hasson Uri
Published: January 2017

Differences in people’s beliefs can substantially impact their interpretation of a series of events. In this functional MRI study, we manipulated subjects’ beliefs, leading two groups of subjects to interpret the same narrative in different ways. We found that responses in higher-order brain areas—including the default-mode network, language areas, and subsets of the mirror neuron system—tended to be similar among people who shared the same interpretation, but different from those of people with an opposing interpretation. Furthermore, the difference in neural responses between the two groups at each moment was correlated with the magnitude of the difference in the interpretation of the narrative. This study demonstrates that brain responses to the same event tend to cluster together among people who share the same views.
Why Do We Hate Hypocrites? Evidence for a Theory of False Signaling
Authors: Jordan Jillian J. , Sommers Roseanna , Bloom Paul , Rand David G.
Published: January 2017

Why do people judge hypocrites, who condemn immoral behaviors that they in fact engage in, so negatively? We propose that hypocrites are disliked because their condemnation sends a false signal about their personal conduct, deceptively suggesting that they behave morally. We show that verbal condemnation signals moral goodness (Study 1) and does so even more convincingly than directly stating that one behaves morally (Study 2). We then demonstrate that people judge hypocrites negatively—even more negatively than people who directly make false statements about their morality (Study 3). Finally, we show that “honest” hypocrites—who avoid false signaling by admitting to committing the condemned transgression—are not perceived negatively even though their actions contradict their stated values (Study 4). Critically, the same is not true of hypocrites who engage in false signaling but admit to unrelated transgressions (Study 5). Together, our results support a false-signaling theory of hypocrisy.
A 7000-year history of coastal environmental changes from Mexico’s Pacific coast: A multi-proxy record from Laguna Mitla, Guerrero
Authors: Bianchette Thomas A , McCloskey Terrence A , Liu Kam-biu
Published: January 2017

The lack of multi-millennial multi-proxy paleoenvironmental reconstructions from Mexico’s Pacific coast has limited our understanding of the regional response to climate change and sea-level rise. A 479-cm core covering the last 6900 years was extracted from Laguna Mitla in the state of Guerrero on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Beginning as a Rhizophora-dominated salt pan ~6900 yr BP, at ~6500 yr BP, the site transitioned to a mangrove swamp dominated by Laguncularia, which lasted about 300 years. The beach barrier formed from ~6200 to 5200 yr BP, during which time, the site existed as an intermittently sheltered bay, the result of large, rapid changes in wave energy associated with the shifting barrier location and changes in stability. After the beach barrier was stabilized at ~5200 yr BP, water level at the coring site became a function of precipitation rather than sea level. Since that time, deposition has alternated between peat, laid down in a mangrove swamp, and clay intervals characterized by high concentrations of titanium and a predominantly regional pollen signal, representing open-water lagoon phases. Seven periods of increased water level, varying in duration, occurred during the backbarrier period, with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) likely the main climatic mechanism causing these periodic shifts in the paleo-precipitation levels. We suggest that the deepest water levels detected over the last ~3200 years correlate with periods of increased ENSO activity. The spatial distribution of tropical cyclone rainfall, which represents a significant percentage of total annual precipitation along Mexico’s Pacific coast, may explain the inconsistencies between our record and paleoclimatic records from Mexico’s interior, but more work is needed to test this hypothesis.
Chronology of a late Neolithic Age site near the southern coastal region of Fujian, China
Authors: Jin Jianhui , Li Zhizhong , Huang Yunming , Jiang Feng , Fan Xuechun , Ling Zhiyong , Cheng Yan , Xu Xiaolin
Published: January 2017

An archaeological site at Anshan in the coastal area of Fujian province, southern China, was excavated in 2007, 2009 and 2015. Abundant artefacts including adzes, cores, bronze fishhook, pottery and bone arrowheads are found in the aeolian sediments. The aim of this article is to understand the geomorphological backdrop and process of Anshan site, and the coupling relationship between human activity and environmental evolution. In this study, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique was employed to establish the chronological framework of the site. Samples from the top and bottom of cultural layer yield OSL ages ranging from 1.4 to 6.1 ka, providing a systematic geochronological evidence for the development of ‘Anshan culture’ in coastal area of southern Fujian province and eastern Guangdong province. In the meantime, there is a clear link between the varying regional sea levels, the chronology of regional wind-sand deposition and the period of Anshan culture since the mid-Holocene.
Paleohydrological changes over the last 4000 years in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River: Evidence from particle size and n-alkanes from Longgan Lake
Authors: Xue Jiantao , Li Jingjing , Dang Xinyue , Meyers Philip A , Huang Xianyu
Published: January 2017

We have reconstructed the history of late-Holocene paleohydrological changes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River using grain size and n-alkane data from a sediment core retrieved from Longgan Lake. We employ changes in the grain size distribution to reflect the water level in the floodplain lake, with a higher percentage of the finer fraction indicating higher water level and vice versa. The n-alkane molecular distribution, average chain length (ACL), and Paq ratio (C23+C25)/(C23+C25+C29+C31) are used to reflect mainly vegetation composition that is also sensitive to water depth. Our results reveal that the lake water level was relatively low and gradually increased from 4 to 2.7 ka. The period from 2.7 to 1.2 ka exhibited the highest late-Holocene lake water level in this region. The water level then decreased toward the present. This paleohydrological reconstruction agrees with existing paleoclimate reconstructions of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, confirming that the intensity of Asian monsoon rains is an important factor in affecting paleohydrological changes in this region.
Very low inheritance in cosmogenic surface exposure ages of glacial deposits: A field experiment from two Norwegian glacier forelands
Authors: Matthews John A , Shakesby Richard A , Fabel Derek
Published: January 2017

Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide dating has been widely used to estimate the surface exposure age of bedrock and boulder surfaces associated with deglaciation and Holocene glacier variations, but the effect of inherited age has been rarely directly addressed. In this study, small clasts, embedded in flute surfaces on two cirque glacier forelands in Jotunheimen, southern Norway and deposited within the last ~60 years, were used to test whether such clasts have the modern surface exposure age expected in the absence of inheritance. Two different approaches were taken involving dating of (1) a single clast of cobble size from the proglacial area of Austanbotnbreen, and (2) 75 clasts mostly of pebble size from the proglacial area of Storbreen crushed and treated as a single sample. 10Be surface exposure ages were 99 ± 98 and 368 ± 90 years, respectively, with 95% confidence (±2σ). It is concluded that (1) these small glaciers have eroded and deposited rock fragments with a cosmogenic zero or near-zero concentration, (2) the likelihood of inherited cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in similar rock fragments deposited by larger warm-based glaciers and ice sheets should be small, and (3) combining a large number of small rock particles into one sample rather than using single large clasts of boulder size may provide a viable alternative to the commonly perceived need for five or more independent estimates of exposure age per site.
Effect of silver nanoparticles synthesized by gamma radiation on the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin in human cancer cell lines and experimental animals
Authors: Mansour HH , Eid M , El-Arnaouty MB
Published: January 2017

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)embedded poly ( N-vinylpyrrolidone/dextran) hydrogels were prepared by gamma radiation. Highly stable and uniformly distributed AgNPs have been obtained within hydrogel networks as nanoreactors via in situ reduction of silver nitrate using sodium borohydride as reducing agent. The formation of AgNPs has been confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy measurements show a distinct characteristic absorption peaks around 420 nm, indicating the formation of AgNPs. X-ray diffraction analysis and dynamic light scattering demonstrated that the hydrogels have regulated the AgNPs size to a nanoscale. The combination of the AgNPs with doxorubicin (DOX) as a model of antitumor drug forms a new biocompatible nanodrug. Our results show that the AgNPs effectively increased survival rate and decreased tumor volume of Ehrlich ascites carcinoma–bearing mice more than the DOX-treated group and enhanced the cytotoxicity of DOX in different human cancer cell lines (HepG2, T47D, and PC3). DOX-AgNPs decreased malondialdehyde and total nitrate/nitrite levels and increased superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione content in the rat cardiac tissues compared with the DOX-treated group. In conclusion, DOX-AgNPs improved therapeutic index and reduced DOX-induced cardiotoxicity via preservation of cardiac markers, which represents a promising candidate for cancer treatment.
Systemic lupus erythematosus in the light of the regulatory effects of galectin-1 on T-cell function
Authors: Hornung Á , Monostori É , Kovács L
Published: January 2017

Galectin-1 is an endogenous immunoregulatory lectin-type protein. Its most important effects are the inhibition of the differentiation and cytokine production of Th1 and Th17 cells, and the induction of apoptosis of activated T-cells. Galectin-1 has been identified as a key molecule in antitumor immune surveillance, and data are accumulating about the pathogenic role of its deficiency, and the beneficial effects of its administration in various autoimmune disease models. Initial animal and human studies strongly suggest deficiencies in both galectin-1 production and responsiveness in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) T-cells. Since lupus features widespread abnormalities in T-cell activation, differentiation and viability, in this review the authors wished to highlight potential points in T-cell signalling processes that may be influenced by galectin-1. These points include GM-1 ganglioside-mediated lipid raft aggregation, early activation signalling steps involving p56Lck, the exchange of the CD3 ζ-ZAP-70 to the FcRγ-Syk pathway, defective mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway activation, impaired regulatory T-cell function, the failure to suppress the activity of interleukin 17 (IL-17) producing T-cells, and decreased suppression of the PI3K-mTOR pathway by phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN). These findings place galectin-1 into the group of potential pathogenic molecules in SLE.
CUSUM chart to monitor autocorrelated counts using Negative Binomial GARMA model
Authors: Albarracin Orlando Yesid Esparza , Alencar Airlane Pereira , Lee Ho Linda
Published: January 2017

Cumulative sum control charts have been used for health surveillance due to its efficiency to detect soon small shifts in the monitored series. However, these charts may fail when data are autocorrelated. An alternative procedure is to build a control chart based on the residuals after fitting autoregressive moving average models, but these models usually assume Gaussian distribution for the residuals. In practical health surveillance, count series can be modeled by Poisson or Negative Binomial regression, this last to control overdispersion. To include serial correlations, generalized autoregressive moving average models are proposed. The main contribution of the current article is to measure the impact, in terms of average run length on the performance of cumulative sum charts when the serial correlation is neglected in the regression model. Different statistics based on transformations, the deviance residual, and the likelihood ratio are used to build cumulative sum control charts to monitor counts with time varying means, including trend and seasonal effects. The monitoring of the weekly number of hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases for people aged over 65 years in the city São Paulo-Brazil is considered as an illustration of the current method.
Performance of methods for estimating the effect of covariates on group membership probabilities in group-based trajectory models
Authors: Davies Christopher E , Giles Lynne C , Glonek Gary FV
Published: January 2017

One purpose of a longitudinal study is to gain insight of how characteristics at earlier points in time can impact on subsequent outcomes. Typically, the outcome variable varies over time and the data for each individual can be used to form a discrete path of measurements, that is a trajectory. Group-based trajectory modelling methods seek to identify subgroups of individuals within a population with trajectories that are more similar to each other than to trajectories in distinct groups. An approach to modelling the influence of covariates measured at earlier time points in the group-based setting is to consider models wherein these covariates affect the group membership probabilities. Models in which prior covariates impact the trajectories directly are also possible but are not considered here. In the present study, we compared six different methods for estimating the effect of covariates on the group membership probabilities, which have different approaches to account for the uncertainty in the group membership assignment. We found that when investigating the effect of one or several covariates on a group-based trajectory model, the full likelihood approach minimized the bias in the estimate of the covariate effect. In this ‘1-step’ approach, the estimation of the effect of covariates and the trajectory model are carried out simultaneously. Of the ‘3-step’ approaches, where the effect of the covariates is assessed subsequent to the estimation of the group-based trajectory model, only Vermunt’s improved 3 step resulted in bias estimates similar in size to the full likelihood approach. The remaining methods considered resulted in considerably higher bias in the covariate effect estimates and should not be used. In addition to the bias empirically demonstrated for the probability regression approach, we have shown analytically that it is biased in general.
Allegory: conceptual metaphor in history
Authors: Crisp Peter
Published: January 2017

Far from denying the importance of social contexts, a commitment to the existence of universal, human, mental properties deepens our understanding of such contexts by directing our attention to how they interact with such properties. One universal mental property appears to be the cognitively central role of metaphor. The study of the surface, linguistic or otherwise, manifestations of conceptual metaphor is important for its interaction with specific contexts. Allegory is one such surface manifestation. The study of western allegory should provide important insights into the roles of conceptual metaphor in western cultures. The concept of allegory as a sharply differentiated category dates from the late 18th century. The earlier rhetorical tradition saw allegory, correctly, as part of the natural continuum of metaphorical expression. The study of allegory as a discourse form reveals both a set of universal pragmatic constraints and the way in which these constraints are exploited by specific contexts to produce unique generic constructs such as that of Prudentian allegory.
The Square Circle of Margaret Cavendish: the 17th-century conceptualization of mind by means of mathematics
Authors: Bertuol Roberto
Published: January 2017

The cognitive theory of metaphor (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980; Lakoff, 1987; Lakoff and Turner, 1989) is the basis in this article for investigating the significance of the use of mathematical language, and in particular of the metaphor to square the circle in Margaret Cavendish's poem The Circle of the Brain Cannot be Squared. In the article I begin by introducing Margaret Cavendish as the first 17th-century female poet writing on scientific topics. I then explain how mathematics in the 17th century influenced people's view of reality and the extent to which this is mirrored in poetic language. The theory of cognitive metaphor provides the framework for the elucidation of mathematical concepts used to explain 'unknown' realities like mind and emotions and, in particular, of the central metaphor to square the circle in Cavendish's poem. A brief overview of the criteria of Lakoff and colleagues for analysing metaphors shows that the apparently extravagant metaphor to square the circle was simply a novel poetic extension of the conceptual metaphor UNIVERSE IS MATHEMATICS that, like other types of metaphors considered by cognitive linguists, is grounded in everyday experience. Further, Werth's (1994) remarks about the reasons behind the poet's use of particular concepts to explain others help highlight another important aspect at the basis of the production of novel metaphors, namely that of 'poetic choice'. Finally, I elaborate on Werth's remarks by drawing attention to what I term cultural choice, that is, to the influence that common knowledge and beliefs shared by the members of a linguistic community exert on the poet's choice of metaphors. The analysis of the poem shows that the topic and language of the poem, as well as the subtext, that is, the length of lines and the stanza form, depend on metaphoric projections from the domain MATHEMATICS. Through the conceptual metaphor NATURE IS MATHEMATICS, Cavendish explains man's attempt to take control over irrationalia such as fancy and female nature. The impossibility of squaring the circle is used as a proof to demonstrate that nature and fancy cannot be restricted and, at the same time, to give Cavendish a hope of acceptance in the male-dominated world.
Style-shifting in Edith Wharton's The House of Mirth
Authors: Herman David
Published: January 2017

Using Edith Wharton's 1905 novel The House of Mirth as a case study, this article revisits the issue of speech representation in narrative fiction by drawing on recent socio-linguistic and discourse-analytic research on style. Wharton's novel features a broad range of social styles, with style-shifts both indexing and helping to precipitate conflicts pertaining to class as well as gender. Wharton's speech representations thus reveal a mutually constitutive relationship between style and identity, patterns of usage and contexts of use, undermining the commonsensical idea that one selects from among various available styles to communicate who and what one is. Rather, her text suggests that it is by communicating, by stylizing, that interlocutors take on a role as selves, or centres of subjectivity. In particular, Wharton's novel shows that discordant communicative norms, far from being secondary conflicts that are parasitic on some primary, prelinguistic division between those already equipped with a masculine or a feminine gender, do much to account for the antagonistic role relationships lived out by men and women from day to day.
Living with end-stage renal disease: Moral responsibilities of patients
Authors: Schipper Karen , Landeweer Elleke , Abma Tineke A
Published: January 2017

Background:

Living with a renal disease often reduces quality of life because of the stress it entails. No attention has been paid to the moral challenges of living with renal disease.

Objectives:

To explore the moral challenges of living with a renal disease.

Research design:

A case study based on qualitative research. We used Walker’s ethical framework combined with narrative ethics to analyse how negotiating care responsibilities lead to a new perspective on moral issues.

Participants and research context:

One case was chosen from 20 qualitative interviews with renal patients in the Netherlands.

Ethical considerations:

Several actions have been taken to ensure the informed consent, privacy, anonymity and confidentiality of the patient in this article. More details are offered in this article. The study has been conducted in line with the recommendations of the Medical Ethical Committee of the VU Medical Center.

Findings:

A renal disease can force people to change their identity, relationships, values and responsibilities. The case study illustrates the moral challenges confronting renal patients.

Discussion and conclusion::

Moral issues can be raised by the changes to identities, relationships, values and responsibilities caused by renal disease. Support services for renal patients and their relatives should pay more attention to these issues in order to promote self-management.