bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spinale Muskelatrophien: Klinik und Therapie
Authors: Walter Maggie C. , Stauber Anne Julia
Published: September 2018

Die spinale Muskelatrophie (SMA) ist eine fortschreitende autosomal rezessive Motoneuronerkrankung mit einer Inzidenz von 1 in 10.000 Lebendgeburten, die durch den Verlust des Survial Motor Neuron 1 Gens (SMN1) verursacht wird, und stellt die häufigste neurodegenerative Erkrankung im Kindesalter dar. Mit besserem Verständnis der molekularen Basis der SMA in den letzten beiden Jahrzehnten verdichtete sich der Fokus therapeutischer Entwicklungen auf eine Erhöhung des Anteils an funktionsfähigem SMN Protein, entweder durch Einschluss von Exon 7 in SNM2 Transkripte, Erhöhung der SMN2 Genexpression, oder durch direkten Genersatz von SMN1. Auch wenn sich die therapeutischen Möglichkeiten bei SMA mit den zahlreichen neuen Therapieansätzen deutlich verbessert haben, bleiben dennoch zahlreiche Fragen wie der richtige Zeitpunkt für eine optimale therapeutische Intervention ungeklärt. Bestimmend für den Therapieerfolg wird die frühzeitige Erkennung der Erkrankung sein – es ist davon auszugehen, dass ein früher, nach Möglichkeit präsymptomatischer Therapiebeginn das Outcome im Vergleich zu einem späteren Therapiebeginn entscheidend verbessert. Ziel muss daher die präsymptomatische Diagnosestellung durch ein molekulargenetisches Neugeborenenscreening auf SMA sein, um eine Behandlung vor dem Untergang der Motoneurone einleiten zu können.
Dystrophische und nicht-dystrophische Myotonien
Authors: Montagnese Federica , Schoser Benedikt
Published: September 2018

Myotone Syndrome sind seltene Erkrankungen der Skelettmuskulatur die mit einer klinischen und elektrischen Myotonie einhergehen. Die genetischen Defekte betreffen primär oder sekundär muskuläre Ionenkanäle und führen zu einer Übererregbarkeit der muskulären Membran. Zu den dystrophischen Myotonien gehören die myotone Dystrophie Typ 1 (DM1) und die myotone Dystrophie Typ 2 (DM2). Es handelt sich bei beiden um multisystemische Erkrankungen, bei denen neben der Myotonie und dystrophischen Veränderungen der Muskulatur (z. B. Muskelatrophie, Muskelschwäche) auch eine Beteiligung verschiedener anderer Organe (Katarakt, Diabetes, Herzerkrankungen, endokrine Störungen) vorhanden ist. Zu den nicht-dystrophischen Myotonien gehören u. a. die Chlorid- und Natriumkanal-Myotonie. Bei diesen steht das Symptom Myotonie im Vordergrund und gelegentlich werden andere muskuläre Auffälligkeiten (Muskelhypertrophie, transiente Muskelschwäche) beobachtet. Die Differentialdiagnose ist oft eine Herausforderung und die zeitliche Verzögerung bis zur endgültigen Diagnosestellung weiterhin sehr lang. In dieser Übersicht werden Hauptaspekte der klinischen Symptome, der Diagnosestellung und der symptomatischen Therapie der dystrophischen und nicht-dystrophischen Myotonien dargestellt.
Pilotstudie zur Erwachsenensexualität in Deutschland – Erste Ergebnisse zu Machbarkeit und Methodenvergleich
Authors: Matthiesen Silja , Dekker Arne , Briken Peer
Published: September 2018

Einleitung: Für Deutschland liegen bisher keine repräsentativen Daten zum sexuellen Verhalten und zur sexuellen Gesundheit der erwachsenen Bevölkerung
vor. Solche Daten sind dringend erforderlich für die evidenzbasierte Präventionsarbeit und Gesundheitsförderung sowie für länderübergreifende Vergleiche zur
Entwicklung des Sexualverhaltens in Europa.

Forschungsziele: Ziel der Pilotstudie ist es, die Machbarkeit einer Bevölkerungsbefragung zum Thema Sexualität in Deutschland zu testen sowie einen
Methodenvergleich (Face-to-Face-Interviews versus postversandte Papierfragebögen) vorzunehmen.

Methoden: Im Rahmen einer Zufallsstichprobe von Adressen über Einwohnermeldeämter (25 Sample Points, zweistufiges probabilistisches Verfahren)
wurden N = 1 155 Personen im Alter von 18 bis 75 Jahren zu ihren Erfahrungen mit Sexualität, Partnerschaft und ihrer sexuellen Gesundheit befragt.

Ergebnisse: Eine Sexualbefragung der Erwachsenenbevölkerung in Deutschland ist durchführbar; es ist gelungen, alle Bevölkerungs- und Altersgruppen zu
erreichen, auch wenn ältere Menschen seltener teilgenommen haben. Im Vergleich der beiden Erhebungsmethoden zeigt sich, dass die Interviews (CAPI/CASI) den
postversandten Fragebögen überlegen sind. Dies bezieht sich einerseits auf die doppelt so hohe Rücklaufquote (9 % bei postversandten Fragebögen, 18 % bei
Face-to-Face-Interviews) und andererseits auf die Stichprobenqualität: Die Face-to-Face-Erhebung bildet die Bevölkerungen bezüglich wichtiger
soziodemografischer Merkmale besser ab und sie erlaubt eine bessere Kenntnis des Ausfallgeschehens (Verweigerndenbefragung).

Schlussfolgerung: Angesichts der geringen Teilnahmequote lassen sich selbst mit der vorgenommenen Gewichtung der Daten nur vorsichtige Aussagen treffen.
Darüber hinaus ist die Stichprobe zu klein, um Fragestellungen zu behandeln, die nur bestimmte Teilgruppen betreffen. Weitergehende Analysen sind dringend
erforderlich, sie sollten im Rahmen einer Hauptstudie mit einer deutlich größeren Stichprobe durchgeführt werden.
Meta-analysis on Copaiba Oil: Its Functions in Metabolism and Its Properties as an Anti-inflammatory Agent
Authors: Ferro Marcelo , Masso S. , Souza R. , Moreno M. , Moreira E.
Published: September 2018

Many medicinal plants are sought as alternative therapies for various conditions, as opposed to synthetic alternatives. The Brazilian Amazon provides a plethora of plants with various therapeutic and medicinal properties. One of them is copaiba oil, a natural product of the biodiversity of the Amazon. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties of copaiba oil have been drawing the attention of the scientific community as a great alternative in the treatment of illnesses associated with inflammatory and infectious processes. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and analyze the latest publications on the use of copaiba oil in the PubMed/Medline database from 2014 to 2017. Forty-two articles were collected, verifying anti-inflammatory activity, antimicrobial activity, healing, and antitumor activity. The results found on researches with copaiba oil according to publication dates were 11.9% in 2014, 38.1% in 2015, 16.7% in 2016, and 33.3% in 2017. In the analyzed studies, the proposed administration of copaiba oil was 50% topical, 28.6% oral, 9.5% enteral, 4.8% subcutaneous, and 7.1% others. In the objectives of the presente study in relation to the administration of copaiba oil, the result was 31% antimicrobial, 28.6% anti-inflammatory, 9.5% antitumor, 9.5% healing, and 21% others. Regarding the types of research, we have found 50% in vitro, 40.4% in vivo animals, 2.4% in vivo human, 2.4% review and 4.8% others. Regarding the significance factor evaluation, the result was 100% positive in antitumor activity, 84% positive in infection and inflammation pathology, 62% positive in others, like dental processes, food technology application support and as a drug absorption vehicle, and 50% in healing. The results presented in the current meta-analysis show that copaiba oil is an effective alternative to treatments of illnesses such as chronic inflammation, infectious diseases, various types of cancer, autoimmune diseases, and as a vehicle for the absorption of other drugs. Thus, more studies regarding the benefits of copaiba oil could provide a great contribution to the medical community in the treatment of the aforementioned illnesses.
A suite-level review of the neutron single-crystal diffraction instruments at Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Authors: Coates L. , Cao H. B. , Chakoumakos B. C. , Frontzek M. D. , Hoffmann C. , Kovalevsky A. Y. , Liu Y. , Meilleur F. , dos Santos A. M. , Myles D. A. A. , Wang X. P. , Ye F.
Published: September 2018

The nascent suite of single-crystal neutron diffractometers at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has no equal at any other neutron scattering facility worldwide and offers the potential to re-assert single-crystal diffraction using neutrons as a significant tool to study nuclear and magnetic structures of small unit cell crystals, nuclear structures of macromolecules, and diffuse scattering. Signature applications and features of single-crystal neutron diffraction are high resolution nuclear structure analysis, magnetic structure and spin density determinations, contrast variation (particularly D2O/H2O) for nuclear structural studies, lack of radiation damage when using crystals of biological molecules such as proteins, and the fidelity to measure nuclear and magnetic diffuse scattering with elastic discrimination.
Time filtering of event based neutron scattering data: A pathway to study the dynamic structural responses of materials
Authors: Fancher C. M. , Hoffmann C. , Sedov V. , Parizzi A. , Zhou W. , Schultz A. J. , Wang X. P. , Long D.
Published: September 2018

Time-resolved diffraction has become a vital tool for probing dynamic responses to an applied stimulus. Such experiments traditionally use hardware solutions to histogram measured data into their respective bin. We will show that a major advantage of event-based data acquisition, which time-stamps measured diffraction data with 100 ns accuracy, is much preferred over hardware histogramming of the data by enabling postprocessing for advanced custom binning using a software solution. This approach is made even more powerful by coupling measured diffraction data with metadata about the applied stimuli and material response. In this work, we present a time-filter approach that leverages the power of event-based diffraction collection to reduce stroboscopic data measured over many hours into equally weighted segments that represent subsets of the response to a single cycle of the applied stimulus. We demonstrate this approach by observing ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain wall motion during electric field cycling of BaTiO3. The developed approach can readily be expanded to investigate other dynamic phenomena using complex sample environments.
Exploring orbital dynamics and trapping with a generalized pilot-wave framework
Authors: Tambasco Lucas D. , Bush John W. M.
Published: September 2018

We explore the effects of an imposed potential with both oscillatory and quadratic components on the dynamics of walking droplets. We first conduct an experimental investigation of droplets walking on a bath with a central circular well. The well acts as a source of Faraday waves, which may trap walking droplets on circular orbits. The observed orbits are stable and quantized, with preferred radii aligning with the extrema of the well-induced Faraday wave pattern. We use the stroboscopic model of Oza et al. [J. Fluid Mech. 737, 552–570 (2013)] with an added potential to examine the interaction of the droplet with the underlying well-induced wavefield. We show that all quantized orbits are stable for low vibrational accelerations. Smaller orbits may become unstable at higher forcing accelerations and transition to chaos through a path reminiscent of the Ruelle-Takens-Newhouse scenario. We proceed by considering a generalized pilot-wave system in which the relative magnitudes of the pilot-wave force and drop inertia may be tuned. When the drop inertia is dominated by the pilot-wave force, all circular orbits may become unstable, with the drop chaotically switching between them. In this chaotic regime, the statistically stationary probability distribution of the drop’s position reflects the relative instability of the unstable circular orbits. We compute the mean wavefield from a chaotic trajectory and confirm its predicted relationship with the particle’s probability density function.
Low temperature flow lithography
Authors: Lee H. , Roh Y. H. , Kim H. U. , Bong K. W.
Published: September 2018

Flow lithography (FL) is a microfluidic technique distinguished for its ability to produce hydrogel microparticles of various geometrical and chemical designs. While FL is typically performed in room temperature, this paper reports a new technique called low temperature flow lithography that uses low synthesis temperature to increase the degree of polymerization of microparticles without compromising other aspects of flow lithography. We suggest that decreased oxygen diffusivity in low temperature is responsible for the increase in polymerization. Microparticles that exhibit a higher degree of polymerization display a more developed polymer network, ultimately resulting in a more defined morphology, higher incorporation of materials of interest, and improved functional performance. This work demonstrates the increase in the degree of polymerization by examining the temperature effect on both the physical and chemical structures of particles. We show applications of this technique in synthesizing thin microparticles and enhancing microparticle-based detection of microRNA. Low temperature FL offers a simple and easy method of improving the degree of polymerization, which can be implemented in a wide range of FL applications.
Analysis of the electromagnetic scattering characteristics in two-dimensional time-varying and spatially non-uniform plasma sheath
Authors: Ren Yi , Guo Li-xin , Chen Wei , Liu Song-hua
Published: September 2018

Hypersonic vehicles are affected by plasma sheath, which influences information transmission and target recognition. This study analyzes the scattering characteristics of different parameters of electromagnetic (EM) waves in a time-varying plasma sheath. The finite-difference time-domain algorithm is applied. An empirical formula of plasma collision frequency is used, and the electron density is assumed to vary with time, causing the plasma frequency to also vary with time and rise exponentially. Different time-varying laws on EM scattering are compared. Radar cross section of different parameters, including the flight altitude, flight Mach number, attack angle, cyclotron frequency of the electron, incident EM wave frequency, and incident EM wave angle, is calculated and analyzed in time-varying plasma.
Simulation of health care and related costs in people with dementia in Australia
Authors: Standfield Lachlan , Comans Tracy , Scuffham Paul A.
Published: September 2018

Objectives The aim of this study was to develop a validated model to predict current and future Australian costs for people with dementia to help guide decision makers allocate scarce resources in the presence of capacity constraints. Methods A hybrid discrete event simulation was developed to predict costs borne in Australia for people with dementia from 2015 to 2050. The costs captured included community-based care, permanent and respite residential aged care, hospitalisation, transitional care, pharmaceuticals, aged care assessments, out of hospital medical services and other programs. Results The costs borne for people with dementia in Australia are predicted to increase from A$11.8 billion in 2015 to A$33.6 billion in 2050 at 2013–14 prices, ceteris paribus. If real per capita health and social expenditure increased by 1.0% annually, these costs are predicted to increase by around A$14.2 billion to a total of around A$47.8 billion by 2050. Conclusions This simulation provides useful estimates of the potential future costs that will be borne for people with dementia and allows the exploration of the effects of capacity constraints on these costs. The model demonstrates that the level of real annual per capita growth in health and social expenditure has significant implications for the future sustainability of dementia care in Australia. What is known about the topic? With the aging of the Australian population, the number of people living with dementia is predicted to rise markedly in the next four decades. As the number of people living with dementia increases, so too will the financial burden these debilitating and degenerative diseases place on private and public resources. These increases are likely to challenge the efficiency and sustainability of many health systems in the developed world. What does this paper add? This research provides a validated model to predict current and future Australian costs for people with dementia to help guide decision makers allocate scarce resources in the presence of capacity constraints (i.e. where the supply of resources does not meet demand). The model predicts an increase in costs for people with dementia from A$11.8 billion in 2015 to A$33.6 billion in 2050 at 2013–14 prices. If real per capita health and social expenditure increased by 1.0% annually, these costs are predicted to increase by around A$14.2 billion to a total of around A$47.8 billion by 2050. What are the implications for practitioners? This simulation provides useful estimates of the potential future costs that will be borne for people with dementia and allows the exploration of the effects of capacity constraints on these costs. The model demonstrates that the level of real annual per capita growth in health and social expenditure has significant implications for the future sustainability of dementia care in Australia.
Improving health information to address low health literacy for patients with multimorbidity
Authors: Jessup Rebecca L. , Putrik Polina , Beauchamp Alison
Published: September 2018

A letter to the editor in response to the recently published article by Hill and Sofra (AHR, vol. 42, no. 2, pp. 134–9) on improving health information.
Stimulation of AMPK prevents degeneration of photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium
Authors: Xu Lei , Kong Li , Wang Jiangang , Ash John D.
Published: September 2018

Significance

In this paper, we show that stimulation of adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by metformin is able to protect photoreceptors and the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE) in three different mouse models of retinal degeneration, including acute bright light damage,
Pde6b

rd10

inherited retinitis pigmentosa, and sodium iodate-induced RPE injury. The study suggests that activators of AMPK can have broad-spectrum protection in the retina to prevent loss of vision from acute injury, inherited retinal degeneration, and age-related macular degeneration.
Small molecule inhibits α-synuclein aggregation, disrupts amyloid fibrils, and prevents degeneration of dopaminergic neurons
Authors: Pujols Jordi , Peña-Díaz Samuel , Lázaro Diana F. , Peccati Francesca , Pinheiro Francisca , González Danilo , Carija Anita , Navarro Susanna , Conde-Giménez María , García Jesús , Guardiola Salvador , Giralt Ernest , Salvatella Xavier , Sancho Javier , Sodupe Mariona , Outeiro Tiago Fleming , Dalfó Esther , Ventura Salvador
Published: September 2018

Significance

Parkinson’s disease is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid deposits in dopaminergic neurons, mainly composed of the protein α-synuclein. The disordered nature of α-synuclein and its complex aggregation reaction complicate the identification of molecules able to prevent or revert the formation of these inclusions and the subsequent neurodegeneration. By exploiting a recently developed high-throughput screening assay, we identified SynuClean-D, a small compound that inhibits α-synuclein aggregation, disrupts mature amyloid fibrils, prevents fibril propagation, and abolishes the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in an animal model of Parkinson’s disease.
Identity and novelty in the avian syrinx
Authors: Kingsley Evan P. , Eliason Chad M. , Riede Tobias , Li Zhiheng , Hiscock Tom W. , Farnsworth Michael , Thomson Scott L. , Goller Franz , Tabin Clifford J. , Clarke Julia A.
Published: September 2018

In its most basic conception, a novelty is simply something new. However, when many previously proposed evolutionary novelties have been illuminated by genetic, developmental, and fossil data, they have refined and narrowed our concept of biological “newness.” For example, they show that these novelties can occur at one or multiple levels of biological organization. Here, we review the identity of structures in the avian vocal organ, the syrinx, and bring together developmental data on airway patterning, structural data from across tetrapods, and mathematical modeling to assess what is novel. In contrast with laryngeal cartilages that support vocal folds in other vertebrates, we find no evidence that individual cartilage rings anchoring vocal folds in the syrinx have homology with any specific elements in outgroups. Further, unlike all other vertebrate vocal organs, the syrinx is not derived from a known valve precursor, and its origin involves a transition from an evolutionary “spandrel” in the respiratory tract, the site where the trachea meets the bronchi, to a target for novel selective regimes. We find that the syrinx falls into an unusual category of novel structures: those having significant functional overlap with the structures they replace. The syrinx, along with other evolutionary novelties in sensory and signaling modalities, may more commonly involve structural changes that contribute to or modify an existing function rather than those that enable new functions.
Commercial AHAS-inhibiting herbicides are promising drug leads for the treatment of human fungal pathogenic infections
Authors: Garcia Mario D. , Chua Sheena M. H. , Low Yu-Shang , Lee Yu-Ting , Agnew-Francis Kylie , Wang Jian-Guo , Nouwens Amanda , Lonhienne Thierry , Williams Craig M. , Fraser James A. , Guddat Luke W.
Published: September 2018

Significance

Human fungal pathogens resistant to conventional therapeutics pose a major threat to global human health. Thus, there is an urgent need to discover new antifungal drugs that act via novel mechanisms of action. Here, we show that commercial herbicides that inhibit acetohydroxyacid synthase (AHAS) have potent and broad-spectrum antifungal activity in vitro and that chlorimuron ethyl, a member of the sulfonylurea herbicide family, has antifungal activity in a mouse model. Thus, this study shows that AHAS inhibitors have strong potential to be developed into potent antifungal therapeutic agents.
Stable Frank–Kasper phases of self-assembled, soft matter spheres
Authors: Reddy Abhiram , Buckley Michael B. , Arora Akash , Bates Frank S. , Dorfman Kevin D. , Grason Gregory M.
Published: September 2018

Significance

Formation of complex Frank–Kasper phases in soft matter systems confounds intuitive notions that equilibrium states achieve maximal symmetry, owing to an unavoidable conflict between shape and volume asymmetry in space-filling packings of spherical domains. Here we show the structure and thermodynamics of these complex phases can be understood from the generalization of two classic problems in discrete geometry: the Kelvin and Quantizer problems. We find that self-organized asymmetry of Frank–Kasper phases in diblock copolymers emerges from the optimal relaxation of cellular domains to unequal volumes to simultaneously minimize area and maximize compactness of cells, highlighting an important connection between crystal structures in condensed matter and optimal lattices in discrete geometry.
Chemistry and biology for the small molecules targeting characteristics of cancer cells
Authors: Imoto Masaya
Published: September 2018

Despite the marked progress of cancer research, cancer is the predominant cause of death in Japan, and therefore development of effective therapeutic drugs is expected.

Chemical biology is a research field utilizing small molecules to investigate biological phenomena. One of the most important aims of chemical biology is to find the small molecules, and natural products are ideal screening sources due to their structural diversity. Therefore, natural product screening based on the progress of chemical biology prompted us to find small molecules targeting cancer characteristics. Another contribution of chemical biology is to facilitate the target identification of small molecule. Therefore, among a variety of methods to uncover protein function, chemical biology is a remarkable approach in which small molecules are used as probes to elucidate protein functions related to cancer development.

Abbreviations: EGF: Epidermal growth factor; PDGF: Platelet-derived growth factor; CRPC: Castration-resistant prostate cancer; AR: Androgen receptor; FTase: Farnesyl transferase; 5-LOX: 5-Lipoxygenase; LT: Leukotriene; CysLT1: Cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1; GPA: Glucopiericidin A; PA: Piericidin A; XN: Xanthohumol; VCP: Valosin-containing protein; ACACA: Acetyl-CoA carboxylase-α.
Bilipschitz equivalence of trees and hyperbolic fillings
Authors: Lindquist Jeff
Published: September 2018

We show that quasi-isometries between uniformly discrete bounded geometry spaces that satisfy linear isoperimetric inequalities are within bounded distance to bilipschitz equivalences. We apply this result to regularly branching trees and hyperbolic fillings of compact, Ahlfors regular metric spaces.
Fibroblast Growth Factor-23, Heart Failure Risk, and Renin–Angiotensin–Aldosterone-System Blockade in Hypertension: The MESA Study
Authors: Akhabue Ehimare , Vu Thanh-Huyen T , Vaidya Anand , Michos Erin D , de Boer Ian H , Kestenbaum Bryan , Allison Matthew , Szklo Moyses , Ouyang Pamela , Yancy Clyde W , Wolf Myles , Isakova Tamara , Carnethon Mercedes R
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Higher fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF23) concentrations have been found to be associated with incident heart failure (HF). Experimental data suggest FGF23 directly stimulates myocardial hypertrophy. FGF23 may also enhance renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system activity. Whether FGF23 is associated with increased HF risk in populations with hypertension and whether this association is weaker in the presence of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) or angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) therapy is unknown.

METHODS

We studied 2,858 adults with hypertension free of cardiovascular disease at baseline (65.6 ± 9.5 years, 46.2% male) participating in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). We investigated the association of baseline serum intact FGF23 with incident HF over a 14-year median follow-up and whether ACEI/ARB therapy modified this risk. We also investigated the relationship of FGF23 with aldosterone and plasma renin activity in a random subgroup of the entire MESA cohort with available assays (N = 1,642).

RESULTS

In adjusted Cox regression models, higher FGF23 was associated with a 63% greater hazard of incident HF (hazard ratio: 1.63, 95% confidence interval: [1.13–2.36] per 1-unit increase in log-transformed FGF23), which persisted after exclusion of participants with chronic kidney disease (hazard ratio: 1.94 [1.10–3.43]). There was no heterogeneity by ACEI/ARB use (Pinteraction = 0.438). FGF23 improved model fit over covariables (likelihood ratio χ2 = 6.67, P = 0.010). In multivariable linear regression models, there was no association between FGF23 and aldosterone or plasma renin activity.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher FGF23 concentrations are associated with a significantly increased risk of HF in hypertension but this risk did not differ by ACEI/ARB treatment status. FGF23 may be a useful biomarker for HF risk in hypertensive populations.
Comparing Self to Peers in Percentile Equivalents during Cognitive Testing: More Accurate Self-Appraisal Estimates are Associated with Greater Ability and Less Reliance on the Representativeness Heuristic
Authors: Rothlind Johannes , Kraybill Matthew , Dukarm Paul
Published: September 2018

Objective

For individuals with neurologic disorders, self-awareness of cognitive impairment is associated with indicators of better treatment course and clinical outcomes. Lower self-appraisal accuracy has been found to be associated with impairments in neuropsychological test performance, but individuals who perform unusually well may be equally vulnerable to inaccurate self-ratings. The mixed pattern of cognitive strengths and deficits in individuals with neurologic disorders complicates development of formal metrics for assessment of self-awareness. It remains unclear to what extent distortions in self-appraisal represent a deficit associated with impaired cognitive functioning, or a normal reliance on the “representativeness-heuristic” that results in greater bias in self-ratings in both strong and poor performers.

Method

The present study investigated these hypotheses using a common-metric approach (Rothlind, Dukarm, and Kraybill, 2016). Participants included 199 adults, recruited from community sources, including healthy adult volunteers and individuals at-risk for neuropsychological impairment secondary to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive status or active heavy alcohol consumption or both. Immediately following completion of standardized neuropsychological tests, participants estimated their own performance percentile ranking.

Results

Both high and low-scoring examinees displayed a conservative bias in ranking their own neuropsychological performance. However, lower scores were associated with least accurate self-appraisals overall.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that cognitive impairments are associated with lower accuracy in self-rating of cognitive ability, but also that normal biases complicate interpretation of self-appraisal ratings across the spectrum of neuropsychological functioning. The importance of recognizing these biases in clinical research and practice is emphasized, and directions for future research are discussed.
Increasing Inequality in Experience of Victimization During the Crime Drop: Analysing Patterns of Victimization in Scotland from 1993 to 2014–15
Authors: McVie Susan , Norris Paul , Pillinger Rebecca
Published: September 2018

Research on the international crime drop has predominantly focused on the nature and extent of overall crime or changes in specific crime types, but less attention has been paid to how equally the crime drop has been distributed across society. Applying a novel quasi-longitudinal approach to Scottish victimization data, this article examines changes in the prevalence, frequency and type of victimization experienced. We argue that the crime drop has resulted in an increase in inequality between those at most and least risk of being a victim of crime, especially violence. The article contributes to theoretical debates on the crime drop, crime inequality and distributive justice, and provides policy recommendations on the importance of crime reduction strategies that target repeat victimization.
Patient-Important Adverse Events of β-blockers in Frail Older Adults after Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zullo Andrew R , Olean Matthew , Berry Sarah D , Lee Yoojin , Tjia Jennifer , Steinman Michael A
Published: September 2018

Background

We evaluated the burden of adverse events caused by β-blocker use after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in frail, older nursing home (NH) residents.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study used national Medicare claims linked to Minimum Data Set assessments. The study population was individuals aged ≥65 years who resided in a U.S. NH for ≥30 days, had a hospitalized AMI between May 2007 and March 2010, and returned to the NH. Exposure was new use of β-blockers versus nonuse post-AMI. Orthostasis, general hypotension, falls, dizziness, syncope, and breathlessness outcomes were measured over 90 days of follow-up. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for outcomes were estimated using multinomial logistic regression models after 1:1 propensity score-matching of β-blocker users to nonusers.

Results

Among the 10,992 NH propensity score-matched residents with an AMI, the mean age was 84 years and 70.9% were female. β-blocker users were more likely than nonusers to be hospitalized for hypotension (OR = 1.20, 95% CI 1.03–1.39) or experience breathlessness (OR = 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.20) after AMI. With the exception of falls, other outcome estimates, though imprecise, were compatible with a potential elevated risk of orthostasis (OR = 1.14, 95% CI 0.96–1.35), syncope, (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 0.55–2.77), and dizziness (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.82–1.99) among β-blocker users.

Conclusions

Considered alongside prior evidence that β-blockers may worsen functional outcomes in NH residents with poor baseline functional and cognitive status, our results suggest that providers should exercise caution when prescribing for these vulnerable groups, balancing the mortality benefit against the potential for causing adverse events.
Bezafibrate induces autophagy and improves hepatic lipid metabolism in glycogen storage disease type Ia
Authors: Waskowicz Lauren R , Zhou Jin , Landau Dustin J , Brooks Elizabeth D , Lim Andrea , Yavarow Zollie A , Kudo Tsubasa , Zhang Haoyue , Wu Yajun , Grant Stuart , Young Sarah P , Huat Bay Boon , Yen Paul M , Koeberl Dwight D
Published: September 2018

Glucose-6-phosphatase α (G6Pase) deficiency, also known as von Gierke’s Disease or Glycogen storage disease type Ia (GSD Ia), is characterized by decreased ability of the liver to convert glucose-6-phosphate to glucose leading to glycogen accumulation and hepatosteatosis. Long-term complications of GSD Ia include hepatic adenomas and carcinomas, in association with the suppression of autophagy in the liver. The G6pc−/− mouse and canine models for GSD Ia were treated with the pan-peroxisomal proliferator-activated receptor agonist, bezafibrate, to determine the drug’s effect on liver metabolism and function. Hepatic glycogen and triglyceride concentrations were measured and western blotting was performed to investigate pathways affected by the treatment. Bezafibrate decreased liver triglyceride and glycogen concentrations and partially reversed the autophagy defect previously demonstrated in GSD Ia models. Changes in medium-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase expression and acylcarnintine flux suggested that fatty acid oxidation was increased and fatty acid synthase expression associated with lipogenesis was decreased in G6pc−/− mice treated with bezafibrate. In summary, bezafibrate induced autophagy in the liver while increasing fatty acid oxidation and decreasing lipogenesis in G6pc−/− mice. It represents a potential therapy for glycogen overload and hepatosteatosis associated with GSD Ia, with beneficial effects that have implications for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
A fully discrete approximation of the one-dimensional stochastic heat equation
Authors: Anton Rikard , Cohen David , Quer-Sardanyons Lluis
Published: September 2018

A fully discrete approximation of the one-dimensional stochastic heat equation driven by multiplicative space–time white noise is presented. The standard finite difference approximation is used in space and a stochastic exponential method is used for the temporal approximation. Observe that the proposed exponential scheme does not suffer from any kind of CFL-type step size restriction. When the drift term and the diffusion coefficient are assumed to be globally Lipschitz this explicit time integrator allows for error bounds in $L^q(\varOmega )$, for all $q\geqslant 2$, improving some existing results in the literature. On top of this we also prove almost sure convergence of the numerical scheme. In the case of nonglobally Lipschitz coefficients, under a strong assumption about pathwise uniqueness of the exact solution, convergence in probability of the numerical solution to the exact solution is proved. Numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the theoretical results.
Musical Traces’ Retraceable Paths
Authors: Lancefield Robert C.
Published: September 2018

Archival collections of ethnomusicological recordings can be valuable to people in the communities whose practices they document. Repatriating these sounds can raise complex ethical questions—some similar to those entailed in the repatriation of unique objects from museums, others specific to recorded sounds as replicable replicas of evanescent events. These questions can involve histories of collecting, repositories’ social roles, identity, translocality, ethical and legal affordances and constraints, and case-specific constellations of these and other factors. This chapter of the Oxford Handbook of Musical Repatriation focuses on questions central to musical repatriation, questionnaire responses from archives in eighteen countries, and an ethnographic case study of the return of certain recordings of Navajo music. First published in 1998, it considers repatriation as enacting an ethic founded in responsibility to the creators of music documented in many collections for which archives care, and as emblematic of changing relationships among researchers, institutions, and communities.
Audiovisual Archives
Authors: Gray Judith
Published: September 2018

This chapter provides an account of several audiovisual dissemination activities of the Federal Cylinder Project and the American Folklife Center since the 1970s. Institutional protocols, developed in consultation with tribal advisors, shaped early outreach by the archive to Native communities, as did cooperative efforts with other federal agencies. More recently, as communities and individuals develop their own expertise, the dynamic has sometimes changed: the active role of outreach is now often made by Native and nontribal organizations and individuals, who come to the Center in search of relevant recordings. This mutual process allows both entities to learn about the collections that have been cared for by the archive. Dissemination via collaboration is now a characteristic archival practice—one that preserves elements of the past while working to achieve goals in the present and future, always in consultation with those whose intellectual property is contained in the recordings.
Dietary Patterns that Value People and the Planet
Authors: Burke Joanne
Published: September 2018

Nourishing food and water are essential for human survival, as are the people who labour in the food system and the planetary ecosystems that underpin foraging, farming, and fishing. Our countries share one planet, woven together by inextricably linked natural and social systems. Global demand for food and water is increasing, while ecosystem decline, poverty, food insecurity, sociopolitical injustice, and racial inequities persist. Meeting food needs exerts tremendous pressure on planetary systems, yet fragmented social, political, economic, and environmental policies continue to threaten food system integrity and sustainability. Global food systems that reflect dietary patterns designed to promote food and water equity while respecting planetary limits, will require embracing values-informed, place-based policies and practices. Food system transformation represents an underutilized but very tangible avenue through which human and planetary well-being can be simultaneously reenvisioned and redirected toward a more health promoting, sustainable, equitable, and resilient future.
Israel’s Policy in and toward the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Authors: Barak Oren
Published: September 2018

This chapter discusses Israel’s policy in and toward the West Bank (and East Jerusalem) and the Gaza Strip from the Six-Day War (1967), when Israel occupied these areas, to the present. Although the focus here is on the political-security realm, other spheres (e.g., economic, social, and cultural-discursive) are also addressed. The first part of the chapter discusses Israel’s policy in and vis-à-vis the Territories in the first decade after 1967, which in retrospect was the policy’s formative period. It then examines the four decades that followed, identifying elements of continuity and change in Israel’s policy. This is followed by a discussion of the major challenges to Israel’s policy since 1967: the first Palestinian intifada, the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the second intifada, and Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. The concluding section tries to assess the cumulative impact of Israel’s policy in and toward the Territories.
Political Communication and Israeli Politics
Authors: Markowitz-Elfassi Dana , Sheafer Tamir , Tsfati Yariv , Weimann Gabriel , Wolfsfeld Gadi
Published: September 2018

This chapter presents a critical discussion of the symbiosis between media and politics in Israel. Theoretically, the Israeli media operate in a pluralistic, democratic, and advanced sociopolitical climate, but in fact most of the media suffer from fragmentation, economic instability, and heavy political pressures. These elements are reflected, for example, in homogeneous news supply, massive cross-ownership, and recently by increasing governmental intervention. These elements have rapidly invaded social and online media as well. The first section of this chapter offers an overview of the structural, political, and economic characteristics of the Israeli news media. The second part outlines characteristics of the Israeli media coverage of political news, election campaigns, and political satire, such as framing, mediatization, negativity, personalization, and political bias.
Experience and Knowledge in the Baroque
Authors: Cascardi Anthony J.
Published: September 2018

Experience and knowledge in the baroque are inseparable from the question of style. But whereas style is generally linked to the use of ornamentation in principally decorative ways, style in the baroque is essential. It is essential to the construction of objects and it is likewise essential to our experience of them. Two areas to which this is key are figures of force and figures of form. Figures of force describe instances in which style and ornament are part of a dynamic ontology. Figures of form describe instances in which doubles and duplications are part of the essentially twinned nature of things. These instances and our experiences of them require forms of knowledge that defy the Cartesian wish to reduce things to their simple essences. They establish a materialist ontology that supports the project of self-invention through the resources of language and wit (ingenio).
Trauma Exposure in Posttraumatic Stress and Acute Stress Disorders
Authors: La Greca Annette M. , Danzi BreAnne A. , Marchante-Hoffman Ashley N. , Tarlow Naomi
Published: September 2018

This chapter reviews the literature on the association between traumatic stress exposure and rates of both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and acute stress disorder (ASD) among children and adults. It begins by reviewing current definitions of PTSD and ASD, which vary substantially across diagnostic systems. The chapter highlights research linking large-scale events, such as natural disasters and acts of terrorism, with the emergence of PTSD and ASD, as well as the literature on the impact of individual traumatic events, such as sexual assault, child sexual abuse, and medical trauma. The chapter concludes by noting several important directions for future research in the area of trauma exposure and traumatic stress.
Quantitative Modeling of Stress and Coping
Authors: Neufeld Richard W. J. , Grant Bryan
Published: September 2018

Forms of modeling in the field are described in nontechnical terms. Included are analytical (mathematical), computational (computer simulation, mainly of connectionist networks), and statistical (generic, transcontent data theory, and methods) modeling. Distinctions among modeling forms are stipulated, and each is exposited through the method of illustration, with exemplary prototypes. Potential avenues of integration among complementing types of analytical modeling are identified. Emphasized throughout is the demonstrable need to invoke formal modeling to rigorously address the long-held dynamical nature of the topic domain. It is noted that analytical modeling can disclose otherwise intractable information, including that with implications for stress-related intervention; it can also prescribe its own empirical tests and measures, resembling theory-assessment technology found in longer established scientific disciplines.
Conceptual Approaches to Managing in Emerging Markets
Authors: Grosse Robert , Meyer Klaus E.
Published: September 2018

This chapter raised two issues as a basis for structuring our thinking about international business in emerging markets. First, the question is raised regarding whether new theory is needed to study IB in emerging markets, or if existing theories can be extended to cover these geographic and institutional environments adequately. Second, the chapter presents the perspective of emerging markets fitting into global value chains, demonstrating how they fit into both supply chains and demand patterns. So, thinking about strategies for operating a foreign MNE in an emerging market and fitting an EM firm into an international network are both enhanced by looking at the firm(s) in the context of global value chains.
Risk Management for Companies Operating in Emerging Markets
Authors: Lessard Donald
Published: September 2018

This chapter frames risk management for firms operating in emerging markets by addressing three sets of questions: What are the (drivers of) risks? How does the incidence of these risks depend on the nature of the investment at risk? How should these risks be managed? The answers to these questions are framed in terms of (i) an “inside-out” classification of risks, (ii) specific measures to manage risks, and (iii) the principle of comparative advantage in bearing risk. These then are traced through the risk profiles and risk management possibilities facing “traditional multinational corporations” with operations in emerging markets, as well as MNCs whose global value chains include emerging markets.
Managing Multinationals in Brazil
Authors: Carneiro Jorge
Published: September 2018

Brazil portrays a successful integration of a melting pot of cultures (European, African, Asian, and, of course, American) that entails challenges to multinationals. The idiosyncratic nature of Brazil’s institutional environment—resulting from the still ongoing interplay of so many influences—has led to particular ways of doing business and creative business models. This chapter presents an overview of Brazil’s history, natural environment endowments, cultural traits, and sociodemographic profile, as well as politics and legislation, economy, and infrastructure. Interviews with (foreign and Brazilian) businesspersons reveal opportunities to be exploited and challenges to be dealt with by multinationals that invest in Brazil.
Emerging Markets and the International Investment Law and Policy Regime
Authors: Sauvant Karl P.
Published: September 2018

Multinational enterprises, including those headquartered in emerging markets, operate within the confines of the international investment law and policy regime. On the one hand, this regime prescribes the extent to which these firms can invest abroad, and it provides various protections for their investments. On the other hand, the regime prescribes increasingly that the operations of these firms need to be conducted in a responsible manner. The relevant standards are formulated by governments. The chapter discusses the rise of the international investment regime, its substantive and procedural content, and how and why the regime has changed over time, paying special attention to issues relating to emerging markets. Accordingly, the focus of this chapter is on the actions of governments, illustrating in the process of the discussion how emerging market multinational enterprises can benefit both from the regime and how they are constrained by it.
Historical Materialism
Authors: Blackledge Paul
Published: September 2018

Marx’s theory of history is often misrepresented as a mechanically deterministic and fatalistic theory of change in which the complexity of the real world is reduced to simple, unconvincing abstractions. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though Stalin attempted to transform Marxism into something akin to this caricature to justify Russia’s state-capitalist industrialization after 1928, neither Marx nor his most perceptive followers understood historical materialism in this way. This chapter shows that Marx’s theory of history, once unpicked from its misrepresentations, allows us to comprehend social reality as a non-reductive, synthetic, and historical totality. This approach is alive to the complexity of the social world without succumbing to the descriptive eclecticism characteristic of non-Marxist historiography. And by escaping the limits of merely descriptive history, Marxism offers the possibility of a scientific approach to revolutionary practice as the flipside to comprehending the present, as Georg Lukács put it, as a historical problem.