bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Human Cervical Epithelial Cells Release Antiviral Factors and Inhibit HIV Replication in Macrophages
Authors: Xu Xi-Qiu , Guo Le , Wang Xu , Liu Yu , Liu Hang , Zhou Run-Hong , Gu Jun , Liu Jin-Biao , Xu Pei , Zhou Li , Ho Wen-Zhe
Published: August 2018

The female reproductive tract is a major site of HIV sexual transmission. We here examined whether human cervical epithelial cells (HCEs) can be immunologically activated and produce antiviral factors against HIV. We demonstrated that HCEs (End1/E6E7 cells) possess the functional toll-like receptor (TLR)3 signaling system, which could be activated by Poly I:C and induce multiple cellular HIV restriction factors. The treatment of primary human macrophages with supernatant (SN) from TLR3-activated End1/E6E7 cell cultures resulted in HIV inhibition. This SN-mediated HIV inhibition was mainly through the induction of interferons (IFN)-β and IFN-λs, as the antibodies to IFN-β or IFN-λs receptor could effectively block the SN-mediated anti-HIV effect. Further studies showed that the incubation of macrophages with SN from the activated cervical epithelial cell cultures induced the expression of a number of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs), including IFN-stimulated gene (ISG15), ISG56, 2′, 5′-oligoadenylate synthetase 1 (OAS 1), OAS 2, Myxovirus Resistance A (MxA), MxB, and Guanylate-binding protein 5 (GBP5). In addition, TLR3-activated cells produced the CC chemokines [regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES), Human macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha (MIP-1α), MIP-1β] the ligands of HIV entry co-receptor CCR5. These observations support further studies on HCEs as potentially crucial and alternative targets for immunological intervention to control and prevent HIV sexual transmission.
Comparison of Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy Under Regional versus General Anesthesia: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Liu Xiaocheng , Huang Guiming , Zhong Ruipeng , Hu Shifu , Deng Ruiming
Published: August 2018

The aim of the present meta-analysis was to systematically examine the literature and to identify of the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the efficacy and safety of regional anesthesia (RA) versus general anesthesia (GA) for percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). An exhaustive electronic literature search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of science was performed until March 2018. Nine prospective RCTs concluding 858 patients comparing the use of RA to GA for PCNL were included. Combined results demonstrated that PCNL under RA could reduce operative time (mean difference [MD] –6.20; 95% CI –10.39 to –2.01), hospital stay (MD –0.59; 95% CI –0.74 to –0.45), visual analgesic score on the first and third postoperative day (MD –2.62, 95% CI –3.04 to –2.19 and MD –0.38; 95% CI –0.58 to –0.18) , analgesic requirements (MD –36.84; 95% CI –55.23 to –18.45), and nausea and/or vomiting (relative risk [RR] 0.28; 95% CI 0.13–0.61). There were no significant differences between RA and GA groups in terms of stone-free rate, blood transfusion, and postoperative fever rate. The results of subgroup analysis were basically consistent with the overall findings. Current evidence suggests that RA is an available and safe option in carefully evaluated and selected patients.
An FDA-Approved Drug Screen for Compounds Influencing Craniofacial Skeletal Development and Craniosynostosis
Authors: Seda Marian , Geerlings Maartje , Lim Peggy , Jeyabalan-Srikaran Jeshmi , Cichon Ann-Christin , Scambler Peter J. , Beales Philip L. , Hernandez-Hernandez Victor , Stoker Andrew W. , Jenkins Dagan
Published: August 2018

Neural crest stem/progenitor cells (NCSCs) populate a variety of tissues, and their dysregulation is implicated in several human diseases including craniosynostosis and neuroblastoma. We hypothesised that small molecules that inhibit NCSC induction or differentiation may represent potential therapeutically relevant drugs in these disorders. We screened 640 FDA-approved compounds currently in clinical use for other conditions to identify those which disrupt development of NCSC-derived skeletal elements that form the zebrafish jaw. In the primary screen, we used heterozygous transgenic sox10:gfp zebrafish to directly visualise NCSC-derived jaw cartilage. We noted partial toxicity of this transgene in relation to jaw patterning, suggesting that our primary screen was sensitised for NCSC defects, and we confirmed 10 novel, 4 previously reported, and 2 functional analogue drug hits in wild-type embryos. Of these drugs, 9/14 and 7/14, respectively, are known to target pathways implicated in osteoarthritis pathogenesis or to cause reduced bone mineral density/increased fracture risk as side effects in patients treated for other conditions, suggesting that our screen enriched for pathways targeting skeletal tissue homeostasis. We selected one drug that inhibited NCSC induction and one drug that inhibits bone mineralisation for further detailed analyses which reflect our initial hypotheses. These drugs were leflunomide and cyclosporin A, respectively, and their functional analogues, teriflunomide and FK506 (tacrolimus). We identified their critical developmental windows of activity, showing that the severity of defects observed related to the timing, duration, and dose of treatment. While leflunomide has previously been shown to inhibit NCSC induction, we demonstrate additional later roles in cartilage remodelling. Both drugs altered expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinases. As proof-of-concept, we also tested drug treatment of disease-relevant mammalian cells. While leflunomide treatment inhibited the viability of several human NCSC-derived neuroblastoma cell lines coincident with altered expression of genes involved in ribosome biogenesis and transcription, FK506 enhanced murine calvarial osteoblast differentiation and prevented fusion of the coronal suture in calvarial explants taken from Crouzon syndrome mice.
Ethnic Conflict and Violence in Myanmar: The Exodus of Stateless Rohingya People
Authors: Mithun Mahanam Bhattacharjee
Published: August 2018

Since independence, different minority groups in Myanmar have experienced ethnic conflicts and violence. Among them, the Rohingya community face the worst challenges. Due to government-imposed restrictions and the denial of the government to grant them citizenship and constitutional rights, the Rohingya face many problems in their everyday life. This article aims at revealing the main reasons behind the ethnic conflicts in Rakhine state of Myanmar and the reasons that force the Rohingya people to flee the country to such a huge extent.
Political Severance – Secession Referenda, Their Convocation and Ratification: A Comparative Study
Authors: Walker-Nolan Lorne
Published: August 2018

Recent years have seen increases in demands for secession via referenda. Catalonia, Kurdistan, Quebec, Scotland, South Sudan and other polities have seen this process as a means of resolving sovereignty disputes. There is however, considerable academic, political and legal argument against secession and this study will explore these objections and shall ask if secession is an automatic right. It shall also investigate such referenda, comparing how they are convoked and ratified, and the legal and political aftermath once they have been held – if indeed they have been permitted.
Nation, Religion, and Theology: What Do We Mean When We Say “Being Kyrgyz Means Being Muslim?”
Authors: Artman Vincent M.
Published: August 2018

Scholars of Central Asia often view religion and ethno-national identity as being linked: “to be Kyrgyz (or Uzbek, Kazakh, etc.) is to be Muslim.” The specific ways in which the relationship between ethno-national identity and religion is constructed and understood, however, have not been adequately researched. “Being Muslim” is not merely an ethnic marker: it can imply a range of different, perhaps even competing, theologies with different relationships to national identity. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Kyrgyzstan in 2014, this article investigates the question of what it means to be Kyrgyz and to be Muslim by undertaking a comparative analysis of two Islamic discourses: Kyrgyz ethno-national traditionalism and the normative Maturidi Hanafism promoted by the Kyrgyz state and the religious authorities. What emerges is a portrait of a complex and variegated religious landscape, one in which the meaning of being Kyrgyz and Muslim is continually questioned and renegotiated.
Mediatization of Religion in Kyrgyzstan: Diffusion of Religious Authority and Changing Perceptions of Religion
Authors: Bekmurzaev Nurbek
Published: August 2018

This article explores the media’s role in facilitating religious change in Kyrgyzstan. Taking Stig Hjarvard’s theory of mediatization as its point of departure, it goes on to examine how his thesis works when applied to the case of Islam in Kyrgyzstan. It argues that the media facilitates religious transformation in Kyrgyzstan by redefining the power constellation between various religious actors and bridging the gap between ethnic and religious identities, mainly through language. By reinforcing people’s religious identities, the media creates more intricate ways for Kyrgyzstan’s Muslims to relate to each other.
The Cognitive Structure of Full-Verb Inversion and Existential Structures in English
Authors: Duffley Patrick
Published: August 2018

The goal of this study is to build on the Cognitive Grammar analysis of full-verb inversion (FVI) and existential structures proposed by Chen (2003, 2011 and 2013). Close attention will be given to two characteristics of these constructions not discussed by this author – lack of subject-verb agreement and the type of pronominal forms that occur in them – and their consequences forFVI’s cognitive structure will be worked out. Further parallels betweenFVIand the existentialthere-construction will be brought to light concerning the type of verbal predicate allowed, negation, transitivity, agreement patterns, presentational function, pronominal forms and heaviness of postverbalNPs. The cognitive structure ofFVIwith lack of S-V concord is argued to be: (1) ground-setter, (2) verb heralding presence/appearance of a generic third-person figure in the ground, (3) nominal identifying the generic figure. Chen’s Invertability Hypothesis is shown to generate false predictions with fronted adjectives and adverbials, and the claim that the preverbal element is in focus is shown to be problematic in the light of its usual status as given information.FVIis argued to be a construction in Goldberg’s (2006) sense of the term, although it does not constitute a meaning-form pairing which is completely independent of the lexical items that instantiate it.
Citizen surveil-labour: Analysing Crime Stoppers and its alliance of police, media, and publics
Authors: Lincoln Robyn , McGillivray Laura
Published: August 2018

An examination of a Crime Stoppers initiative – a weekly page published in a major city-based tabloid newspaper – afforded a rare glimpse into this understudied global entity. It also offered a means of reflecting on the co-option of CCTV images; partnerships between police, media organisations, and diverse publics; and the harnessing of citizen labour in a culture of surveillance. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted on the images, accompanying texts, and rhetoric of this feature page for a two-year period. From a media criminology perspective, the portrayals underscore the abrogation of the presumption of innocence, a focus on mundane property offences, with the potential to exacerbate fear of crime and to engender more punitive public attitudes. From a conceptual frame, this article proffers the notion of surveil-labour where the repurposing of CCTV data in the context of a Crime Stoppers scheme reinforces an alliance of police, media, and the public to enhance an infrastructure of informing.
Improved co-optimal and evaluable index of carbon sequestration and enhanced oil recovery
Authors: Zhang Chao , Wu Shouya , Li Zhaomin , Zhao Dongya , Lv Guangzhong
Published: August 2018

To satisfy the requirements of the new technology of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), it is recommended that carbon dioxide-enhanced oil recovery (CO2-EOR) projects change their design objective index by taking carbon sequestration into account, an approach that significantly differs from the traditional design. This study builds a new optimal index function for the new requirement based on the existing indices of the traditional index and the Kovscek index, which are inapplicable for co-optimization. The proposed approach improves the existing methods in terms of the weight function and representation parameters, making the method more suitable for the optimization and evaluation of the carbon sequestration and enhanced oil recovery process. This objective index can be used to obtain the optimization time point. To validate the proposed approach, a CO2-EOR simulation process has been evaluated using the proposed index, and the optimization time point obtained (the 6054th day, f = 1.001). The optimized process would have a better development effect on CO2-EOR by comparison of simulation results. Then, this optimal index was applied on a CO2-EOR project in Wasson oil field. The results suggest that the injection measures should be introduced at the 13th and 17th years, and this improved objective index can be effectively applied to the carbon sequestration and enhanced oil recovery process.
Prediction of Occult Lymph Node Metastasis in Head and Neck Cancer with CD31 Vessel Quantification
Authors: Mermod Maxime , Bongiovanni Massimo , Petrova Tatiana , Goun Elena , Simon Christian , Tolstonog Genrich , Monnier Yan
Published: August 2018

Objective

The management of occult lymph node metastasis (LNM) in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma has been a matter of controversy for decades. The vascular density within the tumor microenvironment, as an indicator of ongoing angiogenesis, could constitute an attractive predictor of LNM. The use of the panvascular endothelial antibody CD31 as a marker of occult LNM has never been reported. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of CD31 microvascular density for the detection of occult LNM in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary university hospital.

Subjects and Methods

Intra‐ and peritumoral microvascular density values were determined in 56 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (n = 50) and oropharynx (n = 6) with clinically negative necks using the CD31 marker. Statistical associations of CD31 microvascular densities with clinicopathologic data were then established.

Results

Peritumoral CD31 microvascular density was significantly associated with occult LNM in multivariate analysis (P <. 01). Recursive partitioning analysis for this parameter found a cutoff of 19.33, which identified occult LNM with a sensitivity of 91%, a specificity of 65%, a positive predictive value of 40%, a negative predictive value of 97%, and an overall diagnostic accuracy of 71%.

Conclusion

Peritumoral CD31 microvascular density in primary squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and oropharynx allows accurate prediction of occult LNM.
An Optimized Robot‐Based Technique for Cochlear Implantation to Reduce Array Insertion Trauma
Authors: Torres Renato , Jia Huan , Drouillard Mylène , Bensimon Jean‐Loup , Sterkers Olivier , Ferrary Evelyne , Nguyen Yann
Published: August 2018

Objective

To compare the intracochlear trauma induced by optimized robot‐based and manual techniques with a straight electrode array prototype inserted at different lengths.

Study Design

Experimental study.

Setting

Robot‐based otologic surgery laboratory.

Subjects and Methods

A prototype array was inserted at different insertion lengths (21 and 25 mm) in 20 temporal bones. The manual insertion was performed with a microforceps. The optimized approach consisted of an optimal axis insertion provided by a robot‐based arm controlled by a tracking system, with a constant speed of insertion (0.25 mm/s) achieved by a motorized insertion tool. The electrode position was determined at the level of each electrode by stereomicroscopic cochlea section analysis.

Results

A higher number of electrodes correctly located in the scala tympani was associated with the optimized approach (P =. 03, 2‐way analysis of variance). Regardless of the insertion technique used, the array inserted at 25 mm allowed complete insertion of the active stimulating portion of the array in all cases. Insertion depth was greater when the array was inserted to 25 mm versus 21 mm (P <. 001, 2‐way analysis of variance). The optimized insertion was associated with less trauma than that from manual insertion regardless the length of the inserted array (P =. 04, 2‐way analysis of variance).

Conclusion

Compared with a manual insertion, intracochlear trauma could be reduced with array insertion performed on an optimal axis by using motorized insertion and by applying a constant insertion speed.
Building Intelligence in Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures with Advanced Data Analytics
Authors: Huang Tingting , Poddar Subhadipto , Aguilar Cristopher , Sharma Anuj , Smaglik Edward , Kothuri Sirisha , Koonce Peter
Published: August 2018

Automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPMs) are designed to equip traffic signal controllers with high-resolution data-logging capabilities which may be used to generate performance measures. These measures allow practitioners to improve operations as well as to maintain and operate their systems in a safe and efficient manner. While they have changed the way that operators manage their systems, several shortcomings of ATSPMs, as identified by signal operators, include a lack of data quality control and the extent of resources required to use the tool properly for system-wide management. To address these shortcomings, intelligent traffic signal performance measurements (ITSPMs) are presented in this paper, using the concepts of machine learning, traffic flow theory, and data visualization to reduce the operator resources needed for overseeing data-driven ATSPMs. In applying these concepts, ITSPMs provide graphical tools to identify and remove logging errors and data from bad sensors, to determine trends in demand intelligently, and to address the question of whether or not coordination may be needed at an intersection. The focus of ATSPMs and ITSPMs on performance measures for multimodal users is identified as a pressing need for future research.
A tale of two rice varieties: Modelling the prehistoric dispersals of japonica and proto-indica rices
Authors: Silva Fabio , Weisskopf Alison , Castillo Cristina , Murphy Charlene , Kingwell-Banham Eleanor , Qin Ling , Fuller Dorian Q
Published: August 2018

We model the prehistoric dispersals of two rice varieties, japonica and proto- indica, across Asia using empirical evidence drawn from an archaeobotanical dataset of 400 sites from mainland East, Southeast and South Asia. The approach is based on regression modelling wherein goodness of fit is obtained from log–log quantile regressions of the archaeologically inferred age versus a least-cost distance from the origin(s) of dispersal. The Fast Marching method is used to estimate the least-cost distances based on simple geographical features. We explicitly test three hypotheses for the arrival of japonica rice to India where, it has been proposed, it hybridized with the indigenous proto- indica, subsequently spreading again throughout India. Model selection, based on information criteria, highlights the role of the Inner Asia Mountain Corridor in introducing japonica rice into northeast India, followed closely by a ‘mixed-route’ model, where japonica was also almost simultaneously introduced via Assam, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Finally, we estimate the impact of future archaeological work on model selection, further strengthening the importance of the Inner Asia Mountain Corridor.
The role of usnic acid-induced apoptosis and autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yurdacan B , Egeli U , Eskiler G Guney , Eryilmaz IE , Cecener G , Tunca B
Published: August 2018

Usnic acid (UA) is a multifunctional bioactive lichen secondary metabolite with potential anti-cancer properties. Although the promising therapeutic effects of UA have been investigated in different cancer cell lines, the mechanism driving UA-induced cell death has yet to be elucidated. As the type of cell death (apoptosis or autophagy) induced by UA may vary depending on the cancer cell type, we first studied the cytotoxic effects of UA in HEPG2 (HBV(−)) and SNU-449(HBV(+)) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines. HCC cell viability was considerably reduced in a dose-dependent manner at 12, 24, and 48 h after treatment with UA ( p < 0.05). However, SNU-449 cells were more sensitive to UA than HEPG2 cells. UA also induced apoptotic cell death in HCC cells with cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 and G2/M phase depending on the genetic profile of each cell type. On the other hand, we observed acidic vesicular organelles in HCC cells after 36 h of UA treatment. Taken together, these findings suggest that UA stimulates apoptosis and autophagy in HEPG2 and SNU-449 cells without damaging normal control cells. Thus, UA might be a potential therapeutic compound for HCC treatment. However, there is a need for further studies investigating the death-promoting or preventing roles for autophagy and the molecular signaling mechanisms induced by UA treatment.
Is Procalcitonin Useful in Pediatric Critical Care Patients?
Authors: Bobillo-Perez Sara , Rodríguez-Fanjul Javier , Jordan Garcia Iolanda
Published: August 2018

This review examines the use of procalcitonin in different clinical situations in the pediatric patient, with special emphasis on those requiring intensive care. We review the latest articles on its potency as a biomarker in both infectious processes at diagnosis and on the response to treatment.
Functional and structural plasticity following action observation training in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Rocca Maria A , Meani Alessandro , Fumagalli Silvia , Pagani Elisabetta , Gatti Roberto , Martinelli-Boneschi Filippo , Esposito Federica , Preziosa Paolo , Cordani Claudio , Comi Giancarlo , Filippi Massimo
Published: August 2018

Background:

Hand motor deficits contribute to multiple sclerosis (MS)-related disability. Action observation training (AOT) is promising to improve upper limb function in neurologic patients.

Objectives:

In this preliminary study, we investigated AOT effects on dominant-hand motor performance in MS patients with upper limb motor impairment and performed an explorative analysis of their anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) substrates.

Methods:

In total, 46 healthy controls (HC) and 41 MS patients with dominant-hand motor impairment were randomized to AOT (HC-AOT = 23; MS-AOT = 20; watching daily-life action videos and execution) or control-training (HC-Control = 23; MS-Control = 21; watching landscapes videos and execution). Behavioral, structural, and functional (at rest and during object manipulation) MRI scans were acquired before and after a 2-week training.

Results:

After training, MS groups improved in right upper limb functions, mainly in AOT group ( p from 0.02 to 0.0001). All groups showed regional increased and decreased gray matter volume, with specific AOT effects in fronto-temporal areas in MS-AOT ( p < 0.001), without white matter (WM) integrity modifications. Increased and reduced recruitments of the action observation matching system and its connections in MS-AOT were found ( p < 0.001). Motor improvements were correlated with volumetric and functional MRI modifications ( r from −0.78 to 0.77, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

The 10-day AOT promotes clinical improvements in MS patients through structural and functional modifications of the action observation matching system.
Sources of clinical information used in HIV care and treatment: Are providers’ choices related to their demographic and practice characteristics?
Authors: Mgbere Osaro , Khuwaja Salma , Vigil Karen J , Patel Shital M , Wang Jason , Essien Ekere James
Published: August 2018

HIV medical care providers need a wide range of evidence-based clinical information resources to manage their patients’ health. We determined whether providers’ choice of information sources for HIV care and treatment are associated with their demographic and medical practice characteristics. Data used for this study were obtained from a probability sample of HIV medical care providers in 13 outpatient HIV facilities in Houston/Harris County, Texas, surveyed between June and September 2009. The mean number of information sources used by HIV medical care providers for HIV care and treatment was 5.83 (95% confidence interval: 4.90–6.75). Antiretroviral therapy guidelines (95.6%), medical journals and textbooks (82.6%), and Internet sources (69.5%) were ranked first, second, and third as sources of clinical information. At least one of the providers’ demographic or medical practice characteristics was significantly ( p ⩽ 0.05) associated with six of the clinical information sources. Integration of these information resources into clinicians’ workflow may enhance efficiency of HIV care and treatment and facilitate improved patients’ care and health outcomes.
The Effect of Radial Shaft Dorsal Screw Prominence in Volar Locking Plate Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures
Authors: Pulos Nicholas , DeGeorge Brent R. , Shin Alexander Y. , Rizzo Marco
Published: August 2018

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine whether prominent radial shaft screws in volar locked plating of distal radius fractures increase the risk of tendon irritation, tendon rupture, or hardware removal. Methods: Patients who underwent volar locked plating of distal radius fractures from April 2002 to March 2016 with at least 6 months of follow-up were evaluated. Variables examined included demographics, extensor tendon irritation, extensor tendon rupture, and hardware removal. The most prominent cortical screws on postoperative lateral radiographs were identified and measured from the dorsal cortex of the radial shaft to the tip of the screw. Results: In all, 261 distal radius fractures in 255 patients were identified. Thirty-nine patients (14.9%) underwent subsequent hardware removal at a mean 15.8 ± 18.6 months. Nine patients (3.45%) were found to have clinically significant extensor tendon irritation including one patient (0.38%) with extensor tendon rupture. The average screw was 1.48 mm proud of the dorsal radial cortex. In all, 22.6% of screws were greater than 2 mm proud. Comparing patients who underwent hardware removal with those who did not, there was no statistically significant difference in mean screw prominence or proportion of patients with screws greater than 2 mm. There was no statistically significant difference between shaft screw prominence and extensor tendon irritation. Conclusions: The effect of dorsal screw prominence of radial shaft screws is not significant. This study does not support the downsizing of prominent screws 2 mm or less.
A novel coupling control with decision-maker and PID controller for minimizing heating energy consumption and ensuring indoor environmental quality
Authors: Wang Yang , Kuckelkorn Jens M , Li Daoliang , Du Jiangtao
Published: August 2018

Due to climate change, global energy crisis, and high-quality life requirement for people, decreasing building energy consumption and enhancing indoor environment quality through control of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems tend to be increasingly important. Therefore, favorable control methods for heating and ventilation systems are urgently necessary. In this work, a new coupling control with decision-maker was proposed, developed, and investigated; meanwhile, several demand controlled ventilation strategies combined with heating control method was compared considering heating energy consumption, thermal comfort, and indoor air quality. In order to properly model the service systems, the air change rates and thermal time constants have been first measured in a reference office installed with commonly applied bottom-hinged tilted windows in our low-energy building supplied by geothermal district heating. Then, simulations have been carried out across two typical winter days in the reference office. The results illustrate that the proposed combination of suitable heating and demand controlled ventilation coupling control methods with decision-maker and proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller could greatly reduce heating consumption in the reference room during the office time: around 52.4% (4.4 kW h energy saving) per day in winter in comparison to a commonly suggested method of intensive and brief airing. At the same time, it could ensure indoor CO2 concentration to keep within the pre-set ranges (Pettenkofer limit: 1000 ppm) as well as low variations of indoor temperature (standard deviation (SD): 0.1°C).
Cyber anomaly detection: Using tabulated vectors and embedded analytics for efficient data mining
Authors: Gutierrez Robert J , Bauer Kenneth W , Boehmke Bradley C , Saie Cade M , Bihl Trevor J
Published: August 2018

Firewalls, especially at large organizations, process high velocity internet traffic and flag suspicious events and activities. Flagged events can be benign, such as misconfigured routers, or malignant, such as a hacker trying to gain access to a specific computer. Confounding this is that flagged events are not always obvious in their danger and the high velocity nature of the problem. Current work in firewall log analysis is manual intensive and involves manpower hours to find events to investigate. This is predominantly achieved by manually sorting firewall and intrusion detection/prevention system log data. This work aims to improve the ability of analysts to find events for cyber forensics analysis. A tabulated vector approach is proposed to create meaningful state vectors from time-oriented blocks. Multivariate and graphical analysis is then used to analyze state vectors in human–machine collaborative interface. Statistical tools, such as the Mahalanobis distance, factor analysis, and histogram matrices, are employed for outlier detection. This research also introduces the breakdown distance heuristic as a decomposition of the Mahalanobis distance, by indicating which variables contributed most to its value. This work further explores the application of the tabulated vector approach methodology on collected firewall logs. Lastly, the analytic methodologies employed are integrated into embedded analytic tools so that cyber analysts on the front-line can efficiently deploy the anomaly detection capabilities.
Overcoming Compliance to Change: Dynamics of Power, Obedience, and Resistance in a Classroom Restructure
Authors: Bridgman Todd
Published: August 2018

Resistance to change is a central topic in the study of change management, with resistance by employees often portrayed as an inevitable and undesirable response to planned change that managers must attempt to overcome. While resistance can be detrimental to organizations, it can also be beneficial, by prompting deeper analysis of a change, or by preventing an ill-advised or unethical one. Yet it might be difficult for employees to voice their concerns about change, especially if implemented from the top down, because of the power relationships involved. This simple classroom activity, designed principally for undergraduate classes, simulates an organizational restructure, requiring students to reorganize themselves around the room multiple times on the order of the instructor. It provides an opportunity for students to analyze group dynamics, consider the value of resistance, and discuss how leaders can foster cultures that encourage employees to speak up.
‘Genetic loading’ or ‘evil mind’: current conceptions of depression in Myanmar from the perspective of healthcare professionals
Authors: Schödwell Steffen , Steinhäuser Theresa , Auckenthaler Anna
Published: August 2018

In Myanmar, a country that has just recently opened up to the international community, Buddhist and traditional healing methods are still widely applied to various diseases and conditions. The aim of this study was to ascertain how professionals from the biomedical healthcare system in Myanmar experience interactions with patients with depression, based on the professionals' conceptualisation of this disorder. Six problem-centred interviews were conducted and analysed with grounded theory methodology. The interviewed professionals conceptualised three ways of understanding depression, including different treatment strategies: a biomedical, a contextual and a Buddhist concept of depression. Concerning the patients' perspective, the professionals mentioned somatic, religious and supernatural explanatory models, as well as corresponding help-seeking behaviour. Our results suggest that by taking a biomedical approach, professionals risk neglecting both the needs and resources of Myanmar patients with depressive symptoms.
A Current View of the Type II Syndrome: Age of Onset, Intellectual Impairment, and the Meaning of Structural Changes in the Brain
Authors: Crow T.J.
Published: August 2018

Recent interest in positive and negative symptoms in schizophrenia is fuelled by the hope that this dichotomy will identify components with differing prognostic, therapeutic or pathogenetic significance. Correlations have been sought, and some found, in each of these areas. Yet the origin and definition of negative symptoms remain a matter of debate.
The Prognostic Significance of Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia
Authors: Pogue-Geile Michael F.
Published: August 2018

As is evidenced by this special supplement of the British Journal of Psychiatry, negative symptoms have become the focus of an increasing research effort. We have recently reviewed this overall body of research in an attempt to understand its current status and to suggest directions for future work from a broad perspective (Pogue-Geile & Zubin, 1988). In contrast, the aim of this paper is to review concisely one specific aspect of this research — namely the prognostic and longitudinal characteristics of negative symptoms. Research findings on this general topic will be reviewed by addressing a series of more specific subquestions, which are outlined below. Throughout, the potential importance of when in the course of the disorder (i.e. during an acute episode or afterward) negative symptoms are assessed will be emphasised (Kay et al, 1986b).
The Use and Applications of Single-Photon Emission Computerised Tomography in Dementia
Authors: Geaney D. P. , Abou-Saleh M. T.
Published: August 2018

The introduction of single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) has markedly enhanced the study of brain function. The development of SPECT was the culmination of a series of investigations of cerebral blood flow (CBF) pioneered by Kety and Schmidt in the late 1940s combined with the introduction of transmission computerised tomography (CT) in the early 1960s, in which three-dimensional images are derived from two-dimensional data. Positron-emission tomography (PET), in addition to providing information on cerebral blood flow, also allows the evaluation of brain metabolism and neurotransmitter receptor function. However, the technology required for PET is expensive and sophisticated, with little prospect for general clinical application. Fortunately, SPECT is relatively cheap and is widely available for clinical use. We aim to review the principles and basic techniques of SPECT, its present utility and application to clinical practice, and its future potential in the investigation of brain function.
Alcohol and Drug Misuse Among Women – An Overview
Authors: Oppenheimer Edna
Published: August 2018

Most research into substance misuse has focused on men but the problem among women is considerable and the social consequences and causation differ between the sexes. In the US, one-third of alcohol abusers are women and in the UK 1% of women are estimated to be drinking at a dangerous level. Drug and alcohol misuse holds additional problems for women since abusers tend to be of childbearing age. Rehabilitation units and prevention strategies would benefit more women substance abusers if they were tailored to suit their specific needs.
Sex Differences in Service Usage in Long-Term Psychiatric Care
Authors: Perkins Rachel E. , Rowland Len A.
Published: August 2018

There is a paucity of research concerning service usage and needs of female long-term psychiatric patients. A series of studies comparing the provisions for chronically mentally ill men and women in a south London community-focused rehabilitation and continuing care service indicate marked differences in the services received by men and women, and raise questions concerning whether the needs of female patients are adequately served. As a group the women had been in contact with services for longer, had received less intensive input from services, and it appeared that the services had been less responsive to their changing needs. Among those in high contact with the services, the functioning of men and women did not differ, yet women were over-represented in workshops designed for those functioning at a lower level. Women over 45 years of age seemed to be particularly badly served by the organised activities offered.
The Newcastle Child Depression Project Diagnosis and Classification of Depression
Authors: Kolvin Israel , Barrett Lynn M. , Bhate S. R. , Berney Thomas P. , Famuyiwa O. O. , Fundudis Trian , Tyrer S.
Published: August 2018

A total of 275 successive referrals to a university child psychiatry unit out-patient department were examined using the Child Depression Inventory. Of these, 95 children were examined further by a structured clinical interview, and the relationship between different instruments for the assessment of depression in childhood was investigated. Just over one-third of the children (35%) had significant depression, and it was found that depression may be missed unless children with other psychiatric diagnoses are examined closely. Multivariate analyses of the clinical data provided factorial validation of diagnoses when employing different clinical diagnostic schemas.
The TAPS Project. 12: Crime, Vagrancy, Death and Readmission of the Long-Term Mentally Ill During Their First Year of Local Reprovision
Authors: Dayson David
Published: August 2018

The extent of crime, vagrancy, death, and readmission in a prospective cohort of long-term mentally ill patients was measured during their first year out of hospital. All 278 long-stay psychiatric patients discharged during the first three years (1985-1988) of the closure of Friern and Claybury Hospitals were included. One patient was imprisoned, one committed suicide, and one became vagrant; five others may also have become vagrant. The mortality rate was similar for the leavers and their matched controls, who remained in hospital. There was one suicide among the matches. Mental deterioration most often caused readmission. On recovery, most patients returned to their community home. Six per cent of the cohort were readmitted and have remained in hospital for a year or more. With careful planning and a financial ‘dowry’ for each patient, the closure of large mental hospitals does not lead to a marked increase in vagrancy, crime, and mortality for the long-term mentally ill. However, the patients who have yet to leave have more problems of social behaviour and are likely to be more difficult to resettle.
Prediction in Drug Abuse: Cocaine Interactions with Alcohol and Buprenorphine
Authors: Mannelli P. , Janiri L. , Tempesta E. , Jones R. T.
Published: August 2018

We describe the limitations on studying the interactions of drugs of abuse in humans. Two ‘acute’ studies were carried out. In the first study, the administration of alcohol/placebo with cocaine showed the possibility of identifying the euphoric effect of the drugs by the EEG power spectra analysis in terms of enhancement of alpha- and beta-wave activity. The results of the second study, in which cocaine and buprenorphine were administered, show the existence of low-dose interactions and the influence of buprenorphine on craving for cocaine.
Prediction: Nonsense or Hope?
Authors: Höschl Cyril
Published: August 2018

Psychiatry and psychopharmacology are no longer aiming to make a decisive breakthrough at the end of the century. Rather than seeking explanations, research workers are looking for ‘predictions’. Three main types of prediction are emerging: a tautological, a heuristic, and an irrelevant one. Few predictions found in the recent literature can be marked as ‘logical’ ones. Nevertheless, predictions play two important roles: they generate new hypotheses that can be falsified in properly designed scientific experiments; they also may serve to falsify given hypotheses. The main recent findings on predictions in psychiatry are briefly summarised.
The Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia
Authors: Tienari Pekka , Wynne Lyman C. , Moring Juha , Lahti Ilpo , Naarala Mikko , Sorri Anneli , Wahlberg Karl-Erik , Saarento Outi , Seitamaa Markku , Kaleva Merja , Läksy Kristian
Published: August 2018

A nationwide Finnish sample of schizophrenics' offspring given up for adoption was compared blindly with matched controls, who were adopted offspring of non-schizophrenic biological parents. The adoptive families were investigated thoroughly using joint and individual interviews and psychological tests. The biological parents were also interviewed and tested. Among the 155 index offspring, the percentage of both psychoses and other severe diagnoses (borderline syndrome and severe personality disorders) was significantly higher than in the 186 matched control adoptees. This supports a genetic hypothesis. However, notable differences between these two groups only emerged in the families which were rated as disturbed. Thus the genetic effect (i.e. the differences between high and low genetic propensity) was only manifested as a psychiatric disorder in the presence of a disturbed family environment. The impact of disturbed family relations was strongest in the presence of the appropriate genotype.
From Dualism to Psychobiological Interaction A Comment on the Study by Tienari and his Co-workers
Authors: Lehtonen Johannes
Published: August 2018

Although the prevailing conception of the aetiopathogenesis of schizophrenia assumes the combined effect of a biological predisposition and of environmental stress, genetic factors have recently received more attention than environmental ones. Rather than concentrating on only one of these, Professor Tienari and his team have directed their research efforts to clarifying the joint effects of both. For that purpose, they have gathered a comprehensive body of material, starting from 19 447 schizophrenic women with 291 children given away for adoption; of the latter, 155 index children, with their biological and adoptive parents, were ultimately included in their study. A group of 185 control children was collected for comparison, and their parents (adoptive and biological) were also investigated.
Affect Logic: an Integrative Model of the Psyche and its Relations to Schizophrenia
Authors: Ciompi Luc
Published: August 2018

The integrative concept of ‘affect logic’ is based on a hypothesis concerning the laws of interaction between emotion and cognition. ”Affects“ are defined as global psychophysiological states which determine the prevailing functional ‘logic’, i.e. the specific ways in which cognitive elements are selected and linked together. This leads to an integrative psychosocio-biological evolutionary model of schizophrenia, in which a specific affective–cognitive vulnerability is built up in a first phase, through escalating interactions between unfavourable genetic–biological and psychosocial influences. In a second phase, the mental system is decompensated by psychosocial or biological stressors which induce psychosis. The great variability in long-term course (third phase) is conditioned by the complex interplay of many biological and psychosocial variables. The organising functions of affects are evident in schizophrenic core phenomena such as ambivalence, incoherence, and emotional flattening. This proposed model has numerous practical and theoretical implications.
Neuroleptic Treatment of Patients with Schizophrenia Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Significance
Authors: Wiesel Frits-axel
Published: August 2018

Neuroleptic drugs have been used in the treatment of schizophrenic patients for 40 years. In the 1960s it was proposed that the mechanism of action was a blockade of dopamine receptors; in vivo studies give strong evidence that a blockade of D2 dopamine receptors mediate the antipsychotic effect of classic neuroleptics. However, the antipsychotic effect of neuroleptics is synergistic with family treatment and social-skills training.
Working with the Families of Schizophrenic Patients
Authors: Leff Julian
Published: August 2018

As schizophrenia is a heterogeneous condition with a variety of possible causes, it is sensible to combine biological and social treatment. Neuroleptic drugs give partial protection against environmental stress, but need to be supplemented. The programme developed on the basis of research on relatives' expressed emotion begins with education about schizophrenia for patients and relatives. Family sessions in the home are run in parallel with a relatives' group, and are aimed at improving communication, teaching problem-solving skills, lowering criticism and overinvolvement, reducing social contact between patient and relatives, expanding social networks, and lowering expectations. Individual work with the patient is often undertaken alongside the family sessions, and includes social-skills training, anxiety management, and a cognitive approach to persistent psychotic symptoms. Therapists take a central role in coordinating the variety of services needed by patient and relatives.
Antidepressants: Partial Response in Chronic Depression
Authors: Fawcett Jan
Published: August 2018

Although most studies of chronic depression show significant improvements with antidepressants versus placebo, the average Hamilton Depression Rating Scale results attained in the active-treatment group range between 10 and 14, suggesting that many patients only partially responded and failed to reach premorbid levels of symptom remission. Studies on the fate of these patients suggest that they are much more vulnerable to relapse, work impairment and suicide. Thus, partial response may be one form of treatment resistance, falling between total failure of response in a minority of patients, and a tendency to relapse or recur despite adequate maintenance treatment. Further study is needed to address the problem of improving the quality of response and attempting to reduce the detrimental effects of depressive illness in terms of relapse and recurrence.
Recognition and management of anxiety syndromes
Authors: Wittchen Hans-Ulrich
Published: August 2018

The past two decades have witnessed an increasing interest in research on anxiety syndromes and disorders. Significant advances in basic and clinical research, accompanied by animated ongoing discussions about the most appropriate, reliable and valid way to classify and assess anxiety disorders, have changed our understanding of anxiety disorders and affected (or some might say confused) our research and treatment practice.