bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Holding children for procedures: An international survey of health professionals
Authors: Bray Lucy , Carter Bernie , Ford Karen , Dickinson Annette , Water Tineke , Blake Lucy
Published: January 2018

Children undergoing clinical procedures can experience pain and/or anxiety. This may result in them being unwilling to cooperate and being held still by parents or health professionals. This study aimed to capture an international perspective of health professionals’ reported practices of holding children still for clinical procedures. An online questionnaire was distributed through network sampling to health professionals working with children aged under 16 years of age. A total of 872 responses were obtained from Australia ( n = 477), New Zealand ( n = 237) and the United Kingdom ( n = 158). Responses were from nurses ( n = 651), doctors ( n = 159) and other professionals ( n = 53). Health professionals reported children as held still for clinical procedures quite often (48%) or very often (33%). Levels of holding varied significantly according to country of practice, profession, student status, length of time working within a clinical setting, training received and the availability of resources in the workplace. Health professionals who gained permissions (assent from children and/or consent from parents) before procedures were less likely to hold children still for a clinical procedure than those who did not. Holding children still for procedures is an international practice, which is influenced by training, access to guidance, country of practice and profession. Children's permission and parental consent is often not sought before a child is held for a procedure to be completed.
Towards a cognitive-sociological theory of subjectivity and habitus formation in neoliberal societies
Authors: Leyva Rodolfo
Published: January 2018

Disconcerting findings from nascent sociological research suggest that Western youth are developing subjectivities that reflect neoliberal discursive formations of self-interest, competitiveness, and materialism. However, propositions about: (1) the cognitive-affective mechanisms that explain how youth acquire and reproduce neoliberal ideology, or (2) the dispositions and behaviours that typify a neoliberal subject, remain vague. Therefore, this article provides a novel conceptualization of these two psychosocial facets that can help advance understandings and investigations of the emerging modes and societal consequences of neoliberal subjectification, Specifically, it reviews major theoretical tenets from the respective literatures on neurocognitive development, social cognition, neoliberalism, and neoliberal hegemony. It then synthesizes these tenets within a modified habitus formulation to sketch a testable cognitive-sociological model to explain and explore some of the distinct dispositional values, attitudes, and practices that youth raised in societies with institutionally and culturally prevalent neoliberal norms and discourses potentially may develop and enact.
The war powers of the British parliament: What has been established and what remains unclear?
Authors: Strong James
Published: January 2018

Britain’s parliament has historically lacked formal war powers. Since 2003, however, MPs have voted five times on military action, including famously vetoing intervention in Syria in 2013. A new convention developed that—regardless of the legal position—governments should permit the House of Commons the opportunity to veto certain military deployments. This article explores what we now know—and what we do not—about the British War Powers Convention. It identifies apparent exceptions, including non-combat, Special Forces and drone operations. It highlights areas lacking clarity: for example, who decides what constitutes an ‘emergency’? It argues that most governments probably will allow the House of Commons to have its say before using force abroad, that a government politically able to bypass MPs without punishment need not fear involving them, while one unable to win support will be punished for avoiding a vote. Finally, the article considers the implications, both positive and negative, of parliamentary war powers for Britain.
Vision-based autonomous navigation approach for unmanned aerial vehicle transmission-line inspection
Authors: Hui Xiaolong , Bian Jiang , Zhao Xiaoguang , Tan Min
Published: January 2018

This article presents an autonomous navigation approach based on a transmission tower for unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) power line inspection. For this complex vision task, a perspective navigation model, which plays an important role in the description and analysis of the flight strategy, is introduced. Based on the proposed navigation model, valuable cues are excavated from a perspective image, which enhances the capability of the perception of three-dimensional direction and simultaneously improves the safety of intelligent inspection. Specifically, for robust and continuous localization of the transmission tower, a developed detecting-tracking visual strategy—comprised tower detection based on a faster region-based convolutional neural network and tower tracking by kernelized correlation filters—is presented. Further, segmentation by fully convolutional networks is applied to the extraction of transmission lines, from which the vanishing point (VP), an important basis for determining the flight heading, can be obtained. For more robust navigation, the designed scheme addresses the scenario of a nonexistent VP. Finally, the proposed navigation approach and constructed UAV platform were evaluated in a practical environment and achieved satisfactory results. To the best of our knowledge, this article marks the first time that a navigation approach based on a transmission tower is proposed and implemented.
Development of a robust attitude control for nonidentical rotor quadrotors using sliding mode control
Authors: Promkajin Nicom , Parnichkun Manukid
Published: January 2018

This work proposes a novel development of sliding mode control (SMC) for quadrotor helicopters utilizing offset cancellation technique. Most of the works on sliding mode control for quadrotors assumed that all rotors were identical, but in fact, the rotors even from the same factory are not exactly the same in aerodynamics properties. In addition, rotor deformation due to shock or heavy usage during operation may cause changes in parameters such as lift and drag coefficients, and so on, which, lead to offset error in the responses of attitude control. By applying the proposed offset cancellation technique to the sliding mode control, the attitude error is forced to have a zero average. The proposed controller is used to control attitude and position of a quadrotor helicopter which is composed of four direct current (DC) brushless motors to generate lift forces independently. Performance comparison with the other control algorithms such as the proportional–integral–derivative controller and the conventional sliding mode control is simulated and experimented on two real quadrotor platforms and results are discussed.
The relationship between handedness and valence: A gesture study
Authors: Çatak Esra Nur , Açık Alper , Göksun Tilbe
Published: January 2018

People with different hand preferences assign positive and negative emotions to different sides of their bodies and produce co-speech gestures with their dominant hand when the content is positive. In this study, we investigated this side preference by handedness in both gesture comprehension and production. Participants watched faceless gesture videos with negative and positive content on eye tracker and were asked to retell the stories after each video. Results indicated no difference in looking preferences regarding being right- or left-handed. Yet, an effect of emotional valence was observed. Participants spent more time looking to the right (actor’s left) when the information was positive and to the left (actor’s right) when the information was negative. Participants’ retelling of stories revealed a handedness effect only for different types of gestures (representational vs beat). Individuals used their dominant hands for beat gestures. For representational gestures, while the right-handers used their right hands more, the left-handers gestured using both hands equally. Overall, the lack of significant difference between handedness and emotional content in both comprehension and production levels suggests that body-specific mental representations may not extend to the conversational level.
A prospective study on the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer using endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath and computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle aspiration
Authors: Zhu Jun , Tang Feng , Gu Ye
Published: January 2018

Background:

It is difficult to collect peripheral lung cancer samples. This study analyzed the applicability of endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) and computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle aspiration (CT-TTNA) for the diagnosis of peripheral lung cancer.

Methods:

A prospective analysis of peripheral lung cancer patients was performed. The study included 150 cases in the EBUS-GS group and 177 cases in the CT-TTNA group. The diagnostic rate, pathological type, genetic status and complications were analyzed.

Results:

The diagnosis rates were 64.0% and 97.7% in the EBUS-GS and CT-TTNA groups, respectively. The EBUS-GS group had undergone the most operations of the upper lobes of both lungs, while there was no significant difference in the operation distribution among the lobes in the CT-TTNA group. Adenocarcinoma (64 cases versus 51 cases) was most commonly observed in both groups, followed by squamous cell carcinoma. The detection rates of patients who were given a genetic test were 96.1% and 98.9% in the EBUS-GS and CT-TTNA groups, respectively. The incidence of complications in the EBUS-GS group was significantly less than that in the CT-TTNA group.

Conclusions:

EBUS-GS and CT-TTNA both had operational limitations. The diagnostic rate of EBUS-GS was lower than that of CT-TTNA, but there were fewer complications. CT-TTNA had better tolerance. According to the specific location of the lesion, we recommend EBUS-GS for lesions with a diameter ⩽30 mm and CT-TTNA for lesions with a diameter >30 mm. CT-TTNA specimens were advantageous for genetic testing.
A prospective analysis of emphysematous pyelonephritis at a tertiary care centre
Authors: Puvvada Sandeep , Arjun N , Mylarappa Prasad , Gowda Ramesh Desi
Published: January 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate the presentation and diagnostic criteria of emphysematous pyelonephritis and different modalities of their management at our instititute.

Methods:

A prospective study of 5 years in which patients who were diagnosed to have emphysematous pyelonephritis confirmed by a non contrast CT presenting at our centre were included in this study and baseline information, a brief clinical history with a written consent was collected from each patient. The course of the patient along with investigations and interventions done from admission were recorded.

Results:

72 patients were included in this study with a mean age of 55.4 +/-12.1 years (30 to 75 years ), comprising of 47 females and 25 males. Common presentation was tachycardia (94.5 %) and fever associated with burning micturition (75.3%) followed by loin pain on the affected side (71%). 31 cases which formed a majority were diagnosed to have right sided emphysematous pyelonephritis (41.9%), 28 had left sided (38.35%) and 14 bilateral (19.17%) in our series. 90.41 % of the patient were diagnosed to have diabetes mellitus of which 34 patients (46.57 %) presented with high sugars. Urine cultures were positive in only 41% of the patients with the most common organism being E. coli (68%) followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (14%). 64.8% of the patients diagnosed were treated conservatively with IV antibiotics and 34.24% by endoscopic management.

Conclusions:

In this study we have shown that a medical line of management with appropriate endoscopic intervention is the present choice of management of emphysematous pyelonephritis irrespective of the CT grade of the disease. Level of evidence: Not applicable for this multicentre audit.
Health services research
Authors: Warner Ross M , Bastianpillai Christopher , Lamb Benjamin W , Sevdalis Nick , Green James SA
Published: January 2018

Health services research (HSR) is the science of the evaluation and improvement of health care provision. HSR can be used by health care organisations to develop and understand administrative, financial and organisational processes in order to improve efficacy of clinical treatments, efficiency of their delivery, and ultimately patient outcomes. HSR applies both quantitative and qualitative methodology, utilising data collected from real-life clinical practice, rather than the confines of more controlled traditional efficacy trials. With new and developing therapies, HSR provides an opportunity to enhance the delivery of cost-effective and efficient health care.

Level of evidence: Not applicable (educational article).
Strategies to activate NK cells to prevent relapse and induce remission following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Cooley Sarah , Parham Peter , Miller Jeffrey S.
Published: January 2018

Natural killer (NK) cells are lymphocytes of innate immunity that respond to virus infected and tumor cells. After allogeneic transplantation, NK cells are the first reconstituting lymphocytes, but are dysfunctional. Manipulating this first wave of lymphocytes could be instrumental in reducing the 40% relapse rate following transplantation with reduced-intensity conditioning. NK cells express numerous activating and inhibitory receptors. Some recognize classical or nonclassical HLA class I ligands, others recognize class I–like ligands or unrelated ligands. Dominant in the NK-cell transplant literature are killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), encoded on chromosome 19q. Inhibitory KIR recognition of the cognate HLA class I ligand is responsible for NK-cell education, which makes them tolerant of healthy cells, but responsive to unhealthy cells having reduced expression of HLA class I. KIR A and KIR B are functionally distinctive KIR haplotype groups that differ in KIR gene content. Allogeneic transplant donors having a KIR B haplotype and lacking a recipient HLA-C epitope provide protection against relapse from acute myeloid leukemia. Cytomegalovirus infection stimulates and expands a distinctive NK-cell population that expresses the NKG2C receptor and exhibits enhanced effector functions. These adaptive NK cells display immune memory and methylation signatures like CD8 T cells. As potential therapy, NK cells, including adaptive NK cells, can be adoptively transferred with, or without, agents such as interleukin-15 that promote NK-cell survival. Strategies combining NK-cell infusions with CD16-binding antibodies or immune engagers could make NK cells antigen specific. Together with checkpoint inhibitors, these approaches have considerable potential as anticancer therapies.
Extracellular vesicle–mediated transfer of constitutively active MyD88L265P engages MyD88wt and activates signaling
Authors: Manček-Keber Mateja , Lainšček Duško , Benčina Mojca , Chen Jiaji G. , Romih Rok , Hunter Zachary R. , Treon Steven P. , Jerala Roman
Published: January 2018

Key Points

MyD88L265P is present in the EVs secreted by WM cancer cells and triggers signaling in the recipient cells. MyD88-containing EVs shape the proinflammatory microenvironment in the bone marrow.
An introduction to instrumental variable assumptions, validation and estimation
Authors: Lousdal Mette Lise
Published: January 2018

The instrumental variable method has been employed within economics to infer causality in the presence of unmeasured confounding. Emphasising the parallels to randomisation may increase understanding of the underlying assumptions within epidemiology. An instrument is a variable that predicts exposure, but conditional on exposure shows no independent association with the outcome. The random assignment in trials is an example of what would be expected to be an ideal instrument, but instruments can also be found in observational settings with a naturally varying phenomenon e.g. geographical variation, physical distance to facility or physician’s preference. The fourth identifying assumption has received less attention, but is essential for the generalisability of estimated effects. The instrument identifies the group of compliers in which exposure is pseudo-randomly assigned leading to exchangeability with regard to unmeasured confounders. Underlying assumptions can only partially be tested empirically and require subject-matter knowledge. Future studies employing instruments should carefully seek to validate all four assumptions, possibly drawing on parallels to randomisation.
Anti-tumor effects of ONC201 in combination with VEGF-inhibitors significantly impacts colorectal cancer growth and survival in vivo through complementary non-overlapping mechanisms
Authors: Wagner Jessica , Kline C. Leah , Zhou Lanlan , Khazak Vladimir , El-Deiry Wafik S.
Published: January 2018

Background

Small molecule ONC201 is an investigational anti-tumor agent that upregulates intra-tumoral TRAIL expression and the integrated stress response pathway. A Phase I clinical trial using ONC201 therapy in advanced cancer patients has been completed and the drug has progressed into Phase II trials in several cancer types. Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains one of the leading causes of cancer worldwide and metastatic disease has a poor prognosis. Clinical trials in CRC and other tumor types have demonstrated that therapeutics targeting the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) pathway, such as bevacizumab, are effective in combination with certain chemotherapeutic agents.

Methods

We investigated the potential combination of VEGF inhibitors such as bevacizumab and its murine-counterpart; along with other anti-angiogenic agents and ONC201 in both CRC xenograft and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. We utilized non-invasive imaging and immunohistochemistry to determine potential mechanisms of action.

Results

Our results demonstrate significant tumor regression or complete tumor ablation in human xenografts with the combination of ONC201 with bevacizumab, and in syngeneic MC38 colorectal cancer xenografts using a murine VEGF-A inhibitor. Imaging demonstrated the impact of this combination on decreasing tumor growth and tumor metastasis. Our results indicate that ONC201 and anti-angiogenic agents act through distinct mechanisms while increasing tumor cell death and inhibiting proliferation.

Conclusion

With the use of both a murine VEGF inhibitor in syngeneic models, and bevacizumab in human cell line-derived xenografts, we demonstrate that ONC201 in combination with anti-angiogenic therapies such as bevacizumab represents a promising approach for further testing in the clinic for the treatment of CRC.
Antimicrobial effect of copper alloys on Acinetobacter species isolated from infections and hospital environment
Authors: Różańska Anna , Chmielarczyk Agnieszka , Romaniszyn Dorota , Majka Grzegorz , Bulanda Małgorzata
Published: January 2018

Background

An increased proportion of Gram-negative bacteria have recently been reported among etiologic agents of infection. In Poland, Acinetobacter baumannii is a big problem for hospitals, especially intensive care units. Touch surfaces made from materials with antimicrobial properties, especially copper alloys, are recommended as a supplementary method of increasing biological safety in the hospital environment.

Aim of the study

The objective of this study is to determine the susceptibility to selected copper alloys of three clinical Acinetobacter baumannii strains, one Acinetobacter lwoffi and an A. pittii strain isolated from the hospital environment.

Material and method

The modification of the Japanese Standard, which the ISO 22196:2011 norm was used for testing antimicrobial properties of CuZn37, CuSn6 and CuNi18Zn20 and Cu-ETP and stainless steel as positive and negative control, respectively.

Results

The highest cidal efficiency, expressed as both time and the degree of reduction of the initial suspension density, against all of the tested Acinetobacter strains was found for ETP copper. But, the results of our study also confirmed effective activity (bacteriocidal or bacteriostatic) of copper alloys selected for the study, contrary to the stainless steel. The reduction in bacterial suspension density is significantly different depending on the strain and copper alloy composition.

Conslusions

The results of our study confirmed the effective antibacterial activity of copper and its selected alloys against clinical Acinetobacter baumannii and Acinetobacter lwoffii strains, and Acinetobacter pittii strain isolated from the hospital environment.
Does hyperthyroidism worsen prognosis of thyroid carcinoma? A retrospective analysis on 2820 consecutive thyroidectomies
Authors: Medas Fabio , Erdas Ernico , Canu Gian Luigi , Longheu Alessandro , Pisano Giuseppe , Tuveri Massimiliano , Calò Pietro Giorgio
Published: January 2018

Background

Hyperthyroidism is associated with high incidence of thyroid carcinoma; furthermore, tumors arisen in hyperthyroid tissue show an aggressive behavior. Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Thyroid-stimulating antibodies, present in Graves's disease, seem to play a key role in carcinogenesis and tumoral growth.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed our series of patients who underwent thyroidectomy for thyroid carcinoma. We compared pathological features and surgical outcomes of hyperthyroid versus euthyroid patients.

Results

From 2007 to 2015, 909 thyroidectomies were performed at our institution for thyroid cancer: 87 patients were hyperthyroid and 822 euthyroid. We observed, in hyperthyroid patients, a higher rate of transient hypoparathyroidism (28.1% vs 13.2%; p < 0.01) and of node metastases (12.6% vs 6.1%; p = 0.03); also local recurrence rate was higher (5.7% vs 2.5%) even if not statistically significant ( p = 0.17). Five-year disease free survival rate was significant lower in the same group (89.1% vs 96.6%; p = 0.03).

Conclusion

Thyroid cancers in hyperthyroid patients have an aggressive behavior, with high incidence of local invasion and a worse prognosis than euthyroid patients. All hyperthyroid patients should undergo a careful evaluation with ultrasound and scintigraphy; in case of suspicious nodules, an aggressive approach, including thyroidectomy and lymphectomy, is justified. In patients with toxic adenoma, thyroid cancer is uncommon, thus a loboisthmectomy can be safely performed.

Trial registration number

Research registry n. 2670 registered 19 June 2017 (retrospectively registered).
Effects of Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Metabolic Syndrome, Sarcopenic Obesity, and Circulating Biomarkers in Overweight or Obese Survivors of Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Dieli-Conwright Christina M. , Courneya Kerry S. , Demark-Wahnefried Wendy , Sami Nathalie , Lee Kyuwan , Buchanan Thomas A. , Spicer Darcy V. , Tripathy Debu , Bernstein Leslie , Mortimer Joanne E.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

Metabolic syndrome is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer recurrence in survivors of breast cancer. This randomized controlled trial assessed the effects of a 16-week combined aerobic and resistance exercise intervention on metabolic syndrome, sarcopenic obesity, and serum biomarkers among ethnically diverse, sedentary, overweight, or obese survivors of breast cancer.

Methods

Eligible survivors of breast cancer (N = 100) were randomly assigned to exercise (n = 50) or usual care (n = 50). The exercise group participated in supervised moderate-to-vigorous—65% to 85% of heart rate maximum—aerobic and resistance exercise three times per week for 16 weeks. Metabolic syndrome z-score (primary outcome), sarcopenic obesity, and serum biomarkers were measured at baseline, postintervention (4 months), and 3-month follow-up (exercise only).

Results

Participants were age 53 ± 10.4 years, 46% were obese, and 74% were ethnic minorities. Adherence to the intervention was 95%, and postintervention assessments were available in 91% of participants. Postintervention metabolic syndrome z-score was significantly improved in exercise versus usual care (between-group difference, −4.4; 95% CI, −5.9 to −2.7; P < .001). Sarcopenic obesity (appendicular skeletal mass index, P = .001; body mass index, P = .001) and circulating biomarkers, including insulin ( P = .002), IGF-1 ( P = .001), leptin ( P = .001), and adiponectin ( P = .001), were significantly improved postintervention compared with usual care. At 3-month follow-up, all metabolic syndrome variables remained significantly improved compared with baseline in the exercise group ( P < .01).

Conclusion

Combined resistance and aerobic exercise effectively attenuated metabolic syndrome, sarcopenic obesity, and relevant biomarkers in an ethnically diverse sample of sedentary, overweight, or obese survivors of breast cancer. Our findings suggest a targeted exercise prescription for improving metabolic syndrome in survivors of breast cancer and support the incorporation of supervised clinical exercise programs into breast cancer treatment and survivorship care plans.
Virtual Online Reality: Towards the Problem of Categorical Features
Authors: Негрышев Андрей , Negryshev Andrej
Published: January 2018

The article considers some methodological aspects of the concept of “virtual reality”, used in the research area of computer technologies and their interaction with the mental world of the individual. In the paper the virtual online reality is defined as the picture of the world presented in the totality of cognitive-semiotic tools on the web pages with informational and news content. The aim of this work is to describe the categorical features of the phenomenon. Theoretical background of the research consists of the works in the field of Internet linguistics and psychological virtualistics, upon those a brief overview of the approaches to the description of the properties and characteristics of virtual reality is provided. In the framework of the proposed cognitive-semiotic approach the author offers a working list of the categorical features of online virtual reality: tessellation, visual format, carnival character, mobility. The paper provides the substantiation of the described features and outlines possible directions of further linguistic and interdisciplinary research of this phenomenon.
Concepts of the Mass Consciousness Formation and Evolution: the Russian Tradition
Authors: Подгорная Л. , Podgornaya L.
Published: January 2018

The article will deal with psychological and theoretical concepts of the mass consciousness’s formation, which belong to the work of outstanding Russian scientists late XIX — early XX centuries: N. Mikhailovsky, A.A. Bogdanov, N.I. Kareyev, L. Petrazhitsky, I.A. Ilyin, P.A. Sorokin and V.M. Bechterew. These scientists created the fundamentals of the psychoanalytic mass consciousness’s theory, substantiate its basic theoretical positions. Within the framework of the socio-psychological analysis, they posed fundamental problems: on the existence of a collective consciousness of a group different from the individual consciousness, but that collective consciousness, in turn, to a certain degree is created, about the nature and essential collective consciousness’s content, about its formation’s mechanism, functioning and development. In the opinion of prominent Russian scientists, the basis for such a mechanism is mental processes suggestion, infection and imitation. They also reveal the characteristics of possible forms of communicative interaction in the conditions of the elemental masses emergence.
Harmonizing Russian-English Terminology for Better Professional Communication
Authors: Миньяр-Белоручева А. , Minyar-Belorucheva A. , Покровская М. , Pokrovskaya M.
Published: January 2018

The article is devoted to the establishment of a set of structural and conceptual correlation between English and Russian terminology of anthropology, which is important for achieving equivalence in translation that is determined by the features of a particular science and for better professional communication. As is known, an integral part of professionally oriented education is not only training a competent specialist, but also a scholar who can understand and translate academic texts. At the same time, one should pay special attention to the translation of the terms, as they contain the main information on the subject. A priori existing opinion excludes the problems of translating terms, as they relate to the conceptual apparatus, which a specialist must perfectly know in different languages. However, despite obvious sound-graphic coincidences in the native and foreign languages, their content does not coincide. As a result of the analysis it has become possible to establish conceptual differences in terms of anthropology in various national schools.
Media Image of Siberia on the Local Radio (Based on the Radio Project «About Siberia», «Radio Siberia» Station)
Authors: Сабаева Юлия , Sabaeva Yuliya
Published: January 2018

The paper focuses on the study of themedia image as one of the major concepts of medialinguistics, a developing fieldof modern linguistics. The multidimensional nature of this concept and its belonging to different humanitarian studies determines the topicality of its study in medialinguistics. The author attempts to study this phenomenon within a linguistic approach with the example of the media image of Siberia on the local radio («Radio Siberia»). The author reveals the main components of the media image of Siberia within the materials of the radio project«About Siberia», which includes a large amount of culturally significant information about the regions located in the territory of Western and Eastern Siberia. The author uses the linguistic approach to analyze the radio texts with the purpose of revealing language means (on lexical, morphological and syntactic levels) of the studied media image.
Antimicrobial Activity and Biochemical Profiling of Selected Medicinal Plants against Blood Cancer Clinical Isolates
Authors: Abdul-Jalil Farhan Afnan , Gull Munazza , Abdulaziz Rahimuddin Sawsan , Abdullah Kumosani Taha , Mahmoud Al-Hejin Ahmed , Kausar Abida , Aamer Mehmood Muhammad
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT: The need of antibiotics obviate in treated cancer patients when suppression of immune system leads to secondary infections development. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the antibacterial activity and biochemical profiling of various medicinal plants Trigonella foenum-graecum, Ocimum basilicum, Olea europaea, Mentha longifolia and Boswellia sacra against clinical isolates of blood cancer cases. Crude plant extracts in ethanol and methanol were used to test antimicrobial activity through disc diffusion method. Biochemical profiling identified the presence of Gallic acid, parahydroxy benzoic acid, vanillic acid, syringic acid and ferulic acid by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Boswellia sacra showed the maximum antibacterial activity against Streptococcus viridian with 12.4 mm inhibition zone. Trigonella foenum-graecum showed the maximum antibacterial activity against Salmonella Group B 11.8 mm with crude extracts in methanol. The antibacterial activity showed that Streptococcus viridian and Corynebacterium were more inhibited bacteria but Klebsiall pneumonia was found more resistant. Total phenolics analysis by HPLC revealed that parahydroxy benzoic acid was the major phenolic acid found in Olea europaea with 797.8 ng/g. The highest concentration of Gallic acid was found in Ocimum basilicum with 547.02 ng/g. These results indicated that these medicinal plants may serve as antimicrobial agents against clinical bacterial isolates from cancer patient successfully.
Histolopathological Alterations in the Intestines of Labeo rohita Infected with Acanthocephalan Parasite Neoechinorhynchus sp.
Authors: Langer Seema , Ahmad Fayaz , Un-Nissa Nighat
Published: January 2018

The study describes the effect of pathological manifestation of an acanthocephalan parasite Neoechinorhynchus sp. in the intestines of fish Labeo rohita of river Tawi (Chenab) of Jammu. For the histopathological investigations, tissue samples from the infected fish were fixed in Bouin’s fixative for 24 hours, processed and 6-8 micron thick sections were prepared using standard microtomy techniques. This parasite caused severe histological changes in the fish intestine like damaged villi, shortening of villi, inflammation, hyperplasia, erosion of the normal structure, widening of the intestinal lumen and increase in the number of mucus cells. In case of serious infection, damage occurs to both mucosal and submucosal layers. Compression and absence of intestinal villi was also evident.
Porous Polycaprolactone Scaffold Engineered with Naringin Loaded Bovine Serum Albumin Nanoparticles for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Sundaram Balraj , C. John Milton M.
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT: A biodegradable three-dimensional scaffolds have gathered attention and are widely studied for bone tissue engineering applications. In the present study, porous polycaprolactone scaffold entrapped with naringin loaded bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (PS-N-BSANP) has been engineered. Further, the prepared nanoparticles and interconnected porous scaffolds were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis. X- ray diffraction showed amorphization of naringin in PS-N-BSANP. In addition, sustained naringin release profile was observed from PS-N-BSANP for 12 days which showed a cumulative release of 52.54 micromolar (µM). Furthermore, conditioned medium from PS-N-BSANP showed an increased calcium deposition and collagen matrix formation under osteogenic conditions with C3H10T1/2 cell line. These results suggest that PS-N-BSANP enhanced the osteogenic differentiation potential in bone tissue engineering applications due to the controlled release of naringin.
The Effect of Environmental Conditions on the Removal of Organic Compounds from Color Sludge via Bioslurry Method
Authors: Rashidi Sharareh , Halaji Sani Ahmad , Razavi Shahab
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT: Every industrial activities resultes in the pollution of environment. This pollution could be in the shape of voice, weather, and water or earth pollution. The amount of pollution in industries is different and it depends on the type of industry. So to purify and remove pollution, should know accuracy the amount and the type of pollutants. The sewage in the automotive industry includes 2 parts: Paint sludge produced in the automotive industry has the highest pollutant capability because of weighty elements. So, the removal of it in the wrong way will cause damage to the environment. In this research, a number of experiments were carried out to identify the main pollutants in the paint sludge. In this research, the method of research and data gathering was the use of a slurry bioreactor with the capability of the regulation of the amount of aeration and mixing speed to remove organic compounds of paint sludge. The experiment was designed according to the Taguchi method, which 9 experiments were designed to achieve the desired result. The results of the two experiments showed a significant reduction in the initial COD of 76 and 80% biologically pure and it became clear that aerobic bacteria purify the paint sludge more. Also, after analyzing all the results of Mini-Soft software, optimal purification conditions for effective environmental parameters were pH = 7, stirring speed = 14 rpm, dissolved oxygen concentration = 5.5 ppm. Finally, after the activation of the reactors to filter 1 kg of paint sludge for 30 days and at ambient temperature, the result of the two experiments showed a significant reduction in the initial COD of the biological treatment of 76 and 80%, and it was found that the aerobic bacteria do more the color sludge purification. Also, after analyzing all the results with mini-tab software, the optimum refining condition for effective environmental parameters was pH = 7, active sludge = 0.5 kg, stirring speed = 14 rpm, dissolved oxygen concentration = 5.5 ppm.
Molecular Docking Studies of Phytocompounds from Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. having Anticancer Property, against an Antiapoptotic Bcl-2 Protein
Authors: Narayanan Nair Dhanya , Padmavathy S.
Published: January 2018

ABSTRACT: B-cell lymphocyte-2 (Bcl-2) is an antiapoptotic protein, which is an important member of Bcl-2 family. The current study involves molecular docking of six antineoplastic phytocompounds from Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f. against the protein Bcl-2. Docetaxel, a known inhibitor of Bcl-2 was used as a control in this study. All the studied phytocompounds bound within the same binding pocket as that of Docetaxel and thus can be considered as potential inhibitors of Bcl-2 protein. Among the six phytocompounds studied, AVG4 showed the best docking result, with a minimum pharmacological energy, -198.9 kcal/mol, followed by AVG6 and AVG3 as the second and third best phytocompound while AVL3 has the maximum pharmacological energy -103.8 kcal/mol. AVL3 is involved in cation-pi interactions with the Tyr9 residue of the Bcl-2 protein which is not considered while calculating pharmacological energy scoring function. Calculation of energy due to cation-pi interactions may result in the increase in total binding energy of AVL3, which may significantly increase the pharmacological energy, EPharma by approximately -8 kcal/mol, resulting in another potential anticancer phytocompound.
La incidencia de las pandillas en los barrios salvadoreños y su efecto en la legitimidad política
Authors: Cordova Abby
Published: January 2018

Este artículo explora cómo la incidencia de las pandillas en los barrios salvadoreños erosiona la confianza en el gobierno nacional. Los resultados muestran que los niveles de confianza en el gobierno nacional varían de un barrio a otro, dependiendo de la vulnerabilidad de sus habitantes a la inseguridad generada por las pandillas. Se demuestra que, en barrios asediados por las pandillas, víctimas y no víctimas del crimen muestran niveles similares y bajos de confianza en el gobierno nacional.
Noir, Black Comedy, and Crime
Authors: Ahmed Maaheen
Published: January 2018

The works described and analyzed here incorporate features from the noir both visually and in their stories. The first two comics, Tardi’sAdèle Blanc-Sec series and Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s From Hell, alter the conventions of crime and mystery in varying degrees. While the Adèleseries adheres to comics conventions, From Hell weaves several perspectives around the case of Jack the Ripper, bringing in a meta-fictional level that problematizes the very telling of the story. Focusing on mortal superheroes deprived of their powers, Marko Turunen and AnnemariHietanen’sDeath Walks on Its Hind Legs and Jyrki Heikkinen’sDr. Futuroincorporate thenoir elements of anti-heroes and hopeless circumstances. Black comedy, which is already rudimentarily present in Adèle, acquires a more self-reflexive facet in the last two comics by subverting the clichés attached to superheroes and underscoring the fine line between the human and the inhuman.
“Tyler Perry Presents …”: The Cultural Projects, Partnerships, and Politics of Perry’s Media Platforms
Authors: Sheppard Samantha N.
Published: January 2018

Samantha N. Sheppard provides a broad and establishing consideration of how Perry functions in and across different media industries. Sheppard analyzes Perry’s different “practices,” “partnerships,” and “politics” as she explores some of the ways in which Perry maximizes his name recognition and brand across different platforms like theater, film, television, straight to DVD, and video on demand. While Perry’s brand has been instrumental in marketing his high volume of creative projects, other directors and writers now also seek an association with him so that they might leverage their own works. In this way, Sheppard theorizes that Perry has become a media platformonto himself. In complicating and destabilizing the assumption that a partnership with Perry will naturally lead to success, the chapter concludes with an analysis of the production and marketing of one of Perry’s affiliated projects, Tina Gordon Chism’s 2013 comedy Tyler Perry Presents Peeples.
Tyler Perry, T.D. Jakes, and the Birth of Gospel Cinema
Authors: Corson Keith
Published: January 2018

Since Perry’s plays share with his film production a similar thematic focus on Christian morality, Keith Corson’s contribution to this collection charts the rise of regional theatre and the translation of the financial, aesthetic, and political model of “gospel theatre’s” urban circuit to the multiplex. In the process of identifying the evangelical influences of some contemporary African American films, which Corson calls “gospelcinema,” the chapter compares Perry’s films with televangelist T.D.Jakes’s in order to argue that their films have helped reshape notions of a Black film audience. Gospel cinema narratives often function as morality tales that align closely with the rise of the Black mega church as they express a middleclass idealism that is rooted in a doctrine of prosperity, self-help, and individualism. Yet, as Corson defines it, gospel cinema also features a unique blend of melodrama, folk humor, and camp aesthetics that complicate a simple faith-based reading.
“Who I Am Is Conflicting with This Dress I Got On”: Madea’s Intimate Public and the Possibilities and Limitations of False Disguise
Authors: Daniel Rachel Jessica
Published: January 2018

Rachel Daniel explores Madea’s popularity among Black women and also demonstrates how the character successfully functions at the center of Perry’s media output. She explores the many complicated and often contradictory layers of appeal that Perry’s performances of Madea encourage. In doing so, she grapples with some of the ideological and political limitations of this character by investigating Perry’s use of drag as a “false disguise” to perform Madea. Her exploration crests around the investigation of specific social and cultural values that motivate Perry’s unique construction of his famous character. In Daniel’s theorization, Perry’s fan base around Madea represents a powerful, critical, and vocal discourse community--an intimated public--that has supported the media mogul and his contested character despite rampant critiques of the character’s flawed presentation or of Perry’s motives in constructing her.
To Brand and Rebrand: Questioning the Futurity of Tyler Perry
Authors: Aldridge Leah
Published: January 2018

Leah Aldridge considers where things might go for Perry in this contemporary moment. She questions: Can we expect to see Perry rebrandin order to broaden his appeal to more mainstream or international markets? What might such changes mean for both his representations of blackness and for his domestic media empire? In doing so, she encourages us to think of Tyler Perry’s image as central to discussions about celebrity, branding, blackness, consumption, marketing, and (international) distribution.
Epilogue
Authors: Petty Miriam J.
Published: January 2018

Miriam J. Petty contributes a brief reflection on her personal and professional engagement with Perry’s controversial character Madea. She thinks about Madea as a figure that allows Perry the freedom to cross otherwise uncrossable lines and boundaries, and to play generically, iconographically, intertextually, cross-culturally, visually, intergenerationally and performatively. Playing in this multitude of ways allows him to bring Madea forth in all of her taboo, ideologically vexed, contradictory glory. Ultimately, the one act enables the other; their interconnectedness is at the core of Perry’s significance as contemporary cultural phenomenon.
The Flying Dialogues
Authors: de Syon Guillaume
Published: January 2018

This chapter considers the motif of airplanes and, more specifically, the ability to fly them that surfaces again and again in Hergé’s comics. The motif reveals not just an interest on the cartoonist’s part in airplanes, but the twentieth century’s slowly shifting understanding of what the airplane meant and what the skill to fly it signified.
Violence and the Tableau Vivant Effect in the Clear Line Comics of Hergé and Gene Luen Yang
Authors: Tarbox Gwen Athene
Published: January 2018

This chapter expands the scope of clear line. Most studies of clear line focus on the overwhelming influence of clear line on European comics, but this essay claims that there is a sensibility to clear line that has made its way across the Atlantic, to Yang, a Chinese-American cartoonist. By placing Yang in this tradition, the essay is able to explore the representation of violence and stereotype from a position that illuminates both Yang and Hergé.
Remembering October 19: Reconstructing a Conversation with a Young Female NJM Candidate Member about Her Recollections of October 19, 1983
Authors: Lewis Patsy
Published: January 2018

This chapter presents a narrative account of the tragic events of October 19 that led to the killing of Grenada’s Prime Minister Maurice Bishop and key members of his cabinet. It seeks to recreate the events of the day through the eyes of a junior member of the New Jewel Movement (NJM) who had been summoned to Ft. Rupert (now Ft. George) along with other members of the NJM. The narrative is based on an actual interview with a young woman in her mid-twenties a year following the tragedy. The piece is written from the perspective of the interviewee but shifts in the last paragraph to the perspective of the interviewer who provides the reader with some insight into her responses to the interview.
C. L. R. James and the Grenada Revolution: Lessons Learned and Future Possibilities
Authors: Joseph Tennyson S. D.
Published: January 2018

Many of the theoretical assumptions and tactical approaches of the Grenada revolution were rooted in the experiences of early twentieth century Russia. The internal debates within the Grenada Revolution largely ignored the pre-and post-Stalin theoretical debates within Communism, and showed little awareness of original Caribbean Marxist thought. This was reflected in the limited impact of the Caribbean’s foremost Marxist theoretician, C.L.R. James, on the revolutionary process in Grenada, despite the fact that James’ theoretical contributions addressed concerns which bore direct relevance to the later implosion of the Grenada Revolution, and to a post-Stalinist global Marxism. This chapter therefore seeks to apply the theoretical insights of C.L.R. James to understanding the lessons of the collapse of the Grenada Revolution and in pointing the way towards the possibilities of a future anti-systemic project in the Caribbean.
Preparation
Authors: Svorinich Victor
Published: January 2018

This chapter examines the preparations Miles Davis took to record Bitches Brew. Davis was obsessed with getting the right musicians and instrumentation. As a result, his final roster was mainly comprised of musicians who had limited, to no experience working with him. Bitches Brew is a study in spontaneity. Davis had no interest in exhaustive rehearsing since it would only limit his scope. There was hardly anything even written down. Most of the work was recorded in small sections, and studio playbacks of the material were at a strict minimum. His directions were minimal, essentially leaving his young players in the dark for three days. After the sessions, the musicians had mixed feelings about the experience. But after hearing the finished material, they discovered something transcendent.