bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TNF Tolerance in Monocytes and Macrophages: Characteristics and Molecular Mechanisms
Authors: Huber René , Bikker Rolf , Welz Bastian , Christmann Martin , Brand Korbinian
Published: November 2017

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) tolerance in monocytes and macrophages means that preexposure to TNF reduces the sensitivity in these cells to a subsequent restimulation with this cytokine. Differential effects arise following preincubation with both low and high doses of TNF resulting in absolute as well as induction tolerance affecting specific immunologically relevant gene sets. In this review article, we summarize the relevance of TNF tolerancein vivoand the molecular mechanisms underlying these forms of tolerance including the role of transcription factors and signaling systems. In addition, the characteristics of cross-tolerance between TNF and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as well as pathophysiological aspects of TNF tolerance are discussed. We conclude that TNF tolerance may represent a protective mechanism involved in the termination of inflammation and preventing excessive or prolonged inflammation. Otherwise, tolerance may also be a trigger of immune paralysis thus contributing to severe inflammatory diseases such as sepsis. An improved understanding of TNF tolerance will presumably facilitate the implementation of diagnostic or therapeutic approaches to more precisely assess and treat inflammation-related diseases.
Akute Uveitis Anterior bei einem mit Fingolimod (FTY720) behandelten Patienten mit multipler Sklerose
Authors: Mack Heather Gwen , Tien Melissa Chih-Hui , White Owen Bruce
Published: November 2017

Fingolimod ist ein oral einzunehmender Modulator des Sphingosin-1-Phosphat-(S1P-)Rezeptors und die erste orale Therapie für schubförmige multiple Sklerose. Als Komplikation tritt bei einem geringen Anteil der Patienten ein zystoides Makulaödem auf, meist in den ersten 3 Monaten nach Therapiebeginn. Wir berichten hier über den Fall eines 34-jährigen männlichen Patienten mit schubförmiger multipler Sklerose, bei dem an Tag 5 der Behandlung mit Fingolimod eine akute Uveitis anterior auftrat. Entsprechende Behandlungsmaßnahmen und Absetzen des Arzneimittels zeigten zunächst Wirkung, im weiteren Verlauf entwickelte sich jedoch eine geringgradige chronische Uveitis anterior ohne zystoides Makulaödem. Wir diskutieren mögliche Entstehungsmechanismen der Uveitis in dieser Patientengruppe. Bei Patienten, die mit Fingolimod behandelt werden und bei denen innerhalb von 5 Tagen nach Behandlungsbeginn Schmerzen und Rötung des Auges auftreten, wird eine sofortige augenärztliche Untersuchung empfohlen. Übersetzung aus Case Rep Ophthalmol 2016;7:284-288 (DOI: 10.1159/000453392)
Speech Production Quality of Cochlear Implant Users with Respect to Duration and Onset of Hearing Loss
Authors: Ruff Suzan , Bocklet Tobias , Nöth Elmar , Müller Joachim , Hoster Eva , Schuster Maria
Published: November 2017

Purpose: To assess whether postlingual onset and shorter duration of deafness before cochlear implant (CI) provision predict higher speech intelligibility results of CI users. Methods: For an objective judgement of speech intelligibility, we used an automatic speech recognition system computing the word recognition rate (WR) of 50 adult CI users and 50 age-matched control individuals. All subjects were recorded reading a standardized text. Subjects were divided into three groups: pre- or perilingual deafness (A), both >2 years before implantation, postlingual deafness <2 years before implantation (B), or postlingual deafness >2 years before implantation (C). Results: CI users with short duration of postlingual deafness (B) had a significantly higher WR (median 74%) than CI users with long duration of postlingual deafness (C; 68%, p < 0.001) or pre-/perilingual onset (A; 56%, p < 0.001). Compared to their control groups only CI users with short duration of postlingual deafness reached similar WR, others showed significantly lower WR. Other factors such as hearing loss onset, duration of CI use, or duration of amplified hearing showed no consistent influence on speech quality. Conclusions: The speech production quality of adult CI users shows dependencies on the onset and duration of deafness. These features need to be considered while planning rehabilitation.
Morphologisches und funktionelles Frühansprechen des Dexamethasonimplantas bei diabetischem Makulaödem
Authors: Omri Wafa
Published: November 2017

Zweck: Beurteilung der frühen Wirkung eines Dexamethason-Implantats bei Patienten mit diabetischem Makulaödem (DMÖ). Methoden: Augen mit DMÖ wurden prospektiv in die Studie eingeschlossen. Eine Messung der besten korrigierten Seh- schärfe (Visus c. c.), eine umfassende augenärztliche Untersuchung und eine optische Kohärenztomographie (Spektraldomäne) erfolgten jeweils zu Studienbeginn sowie 1, 2, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28, 60 und 90 Tage nach der Behandlung. Ergebnisse: 23 Augen von 20 Patienten wurden in die Studie eingeschlossen. Die mittlere zentrale Netzhautdicke (CRT) nahm nach der Behandlung rasch ab (p < 0,0001; Varianzanalyse der wiederholten Messungen); von 511 μm bei Studienbeginn auf 469 μm nach 1 Tag (p < 0,05) und 275 μm (p < 0,01) am Ende der Nachbeobachtung. Der Visus c. c. verbesserte sich (p < 0,0001, Varianzanalyse der wiederholten Messungen) durchschnittlich um +2 ETDRS-Buchstaben an Tag 1 (nicht signifikant) und um +9 Buchstaben von Tag 28 bis Tag 90 (p < 0,01). Schlussfolgerung: Das intravitreale Dexamethason-Implantat zeigte eine früh einsetzende, rasche Wirkung hinsichtlich der Verringerung der CRT und der Verbesserung des Visus c. c bei Patienten mit DMÖ.
Nail Sarcoidosis Presenting with Longitudinal Erythronychia
Authors: van Lümig Paula P.M. , Pasch Marcel C.
Published: November 2017

A 37-year-old woman presented with progressive longitudinal erythronychia and onychorrhexis of the toenails. She had a history of sarcoidosis of the lung and nose, which was silent without treatment at the time of presentation. Histopathological examination of a nail matrix biopsy revealed granulomas with palisading histiocytes in the connective tissue and a lymphocytic infiltrate in and around the granulomas without necrosis. Based on the clinical presentation, medical history, and histopathological examination, the diagnosis of nail sarcoidosis was made. Treatment with triamcinolone acetonide 40 mg/mL resulted in the disappearance of the onychorrhexis and a significant improvement of erythronychia. To our knowledge, a clinical presentation with longitudinal erythronychia as seen in our patient has not been previously described. Bone involvement of the underlying distal phalanges and systemic involvement can be paucisymptomatic but are present in most patients with sarcoidosis of the nails. Nail and bone involvement are both regarded as features of chronic and systemic sarcoidosis. Screening for bone and systemic involvement should be performed in all patients with nail sarcoidosis, as this may influence decisions on treatment and follow-up. Therefore, it is important to recognize longitudinal erythronychia as a possible clinical sign of nail sarcoidosis.
Prenatal Screening for 22q11.2 Deletion Using a Targeted Microarray-Based Cell-Free DNA Test
Authors: Schmid Maximilian , Wang Eric , Bogard Patrick E. , Bevilacqua Elisa , Hacker Coleen , Wang Susie , Doshi Jigna , White Karen , Kaplan Jennifer , Sparks Andrew , Jani Jacques C. , Stokowski Renee
Published: November 2017

Objective: To determine the performance of a targeted microarray-based cell-free DNA (cfDNA) test (Harmony Prenatal Test®) for the identification of pregnancies at increased risk for 22q11.2 deletion. Methods: Test performance was determined in 2 steps including a total of 1,953 plasma samples. Analytical validation was performed in 1,736 plasma samples. Clinical verification of performance was performed in an additional 217 prospectively ascertained samples from pregnancies with fetal deletion status determined by diagnostic testing. Results: Analytical sensitivity was 75.4% (95% CI: 67.1–82.2%) based on 122 samples with deletions ranging from 1.96 to 3.25 Mb. In 1,614 presumed unaffected samples, specificity was determined to be at least 99.5% (95% CI: 99.0–99.7%). In the clinical cohort, 5 of 7 samples from pregnancies affected with 22q11.2 deletion were determined to have a high probability of deletion. There were no false positive results in the 210 unaffected samples in this cohort. These clinical data are consistent with the performance demonstrated in the analytical validation. Conclusions: cfDNA testing using a targeted microarray-based technology is able to identify pregnancies at increased risk for 22q11.2 deletions of 3.0 Mb and smaller while maintaining a low false positive rate.
Levin, Susan. Plato’s rivalry with medicine: a struggle and its dissolution
Authors: Conque João Gabriel
Published: November 2017

Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014; US $ 69.00; ISBN: 978-0-19-991980-2, p. xiv + 299.
Power, Getting What You Want, and Happiness: Gorgias 466A4-472D7
Authors: Campbell Ian
Published: November 2017

Interpreters of Socrates’ argument at Gorgias 466A4-468E5 that rhetoricians and tyrants have little power because they do almost nothing they want tend either to think the argument invalid, or that Socrates relies upon peculiar uses of the terms ‘power’ and ‘want.’ By examining this passage within its larger dialectical context, I show that Socrates’ argument is valid and relies only on his interlocutor’s conventional use of the terms ‘power’ and ‘want.’
Geriatrics: Medicine of the 21st Century ?
Authors: Gorzoni Milton Luiz
Published: November 2017

Study model: an analytical study on progress in the area of Brazilian Geriatrics in the period between the end of the 20th century and the present moment. Objective: narrate facts and significant data for the implementation of this medical specialty in the routine of clinical practice in Brazil. Results: Geriatrics services and disciplines added to the university environment promoted concurrently the production of dissertations and theses, medical residency programs in Geriatrics, increase in the number of Geriatricians by the Brazilian Society of Geriatrics and Gerontology (Sociedade Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia) / Brazilian Medical Association (Associação Médica Brasileira) and Publications (books and articles) of good quality and with the peculiarities of caring for the elderly in Brazil. Conclusion: The study and attention to the elderly in Brazil has grown positively in the last three decades. Considering that a critical mass of professionals has been reached and quality research is being produced Gerontology & Geriatrics has become an area of knowledge typical in the country.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumor of gastric origin: case report
Authors: Vivi Ayder Anselmo Gomes , Antoniassi Ana Carolina Domingos , Coelho Ana Carolina Taveira Engler Raiz , Garetti Bruna , Barbisan Guilherme Giacomello
Published: November 2017

Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are rare, with unpredictable behavior, most of them asymptomatic or nonspecific symptoms. They may arise in any place of digestive tube, and the standard treatment is the complete surgical resection, however recurrences and metastases are frequent. The following case is a report from an elderly patient with growing and painful abdominal mass on physical examination, and the result of complementary imaging tests suggests that this is GIST. Submitted to surgical therapy for resection of the lesion and follow-up with imatinib mesylate (Glivec®).
MicroRNA‐130a, a Potential Antifibrotic Target in Cardiac Fibrosis
Authors: Li Li , Bounds Kelsey R. , Chatterjee Piyali , Gupta Sudhiranjan
Published: November 2017

Background

Cardiac fibrosis occurs because of disruption of the extracellular matrix network leading to myocardial dysfunction. Angiotensin
II
has been implicated in the development of cardiac fibrosis. Recently, micro
RNA
s have been identified as an attractive target for therapeutic intervention in cardiac pathologies; however, the underlying mechanism of micro
RNA
s in cardiac fibrosis remains unclear. Micro
RNA
‐130a (miR‐130a) has been shown to participate in angiogenesis and cardiac arrhythmia; however, its role in cardiac fibrosis is unknown.

Methods and Results

In this study, we found that miR‐130a was significantly upregulated in angiotensin
II
‐infused mice. The in vivo inhibition of miR‐130a by locked nucleic acid– based anti‐miR‐130a in mice significantly reduced angiotensin
II
‐induced cardiac fibrosis. Upregulation of miR‐130a was confirmed in failing human hearts. Overexpressing miR‐130a in cardiac fibroblasts promoted profibrotic gene expression and myofibroblasts differentiation, and the inhibition of miR‐130a reversed the processes. Using the constitutive and dominant negative constructs of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ 3‐′untranslated region (UTR), data revealed that the protective mechanism was associated with restoration of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ level leading to the inhibition of angiotensin
II
‐induced cardiac fibrosis.

Conclusions

Our findings provide evidence that miR‐130a plays a critical role in cardiac fibrosis by directly targeting peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ. We conclude that inhibition of miR‐130a would be a promising strategy for the treatment of cardiac fibrosis.
Resistance of the S1 layer in kempas heartwood fibers to soft rot decay
Authors: Singh Adya P. , Wong Andrew H.H. , Kim Yoon Soo , Wi Seung Gon
Published: November 2017

Naturally durable heartwoods, where available, continue to be used as support structures in environments considered hazardous, particularly in ground contact. However, durability of heartwoods against wood decay microorganisms varies. Therefore, it is important to evaluate heartwood products for their in-service performance in order to maximise benefits derived from this valuable natural resource of limited supply. In the work presented, wood pieces from a kempas (Koompassia malaccensis) utility pole that had been placed in service in an acidic soil in Malaysia, and in time had softened at the ground-line position, were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy to evaluate the cause of deterioration.

Light microscopy (LM) provided evidence of extensive attack on fibre cell walls by cavity-producing soft rot fungi. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed in greater detail the distribution and micromorphologies of cavities as well as their relationships to the fine structure of fibre cell walls, which consisted of a highly electron dense middle lamella, a moderately dense S1 layer and a multilamellar S2 layer with variable densities, reflecting differences in lignin concentration. The resistance of the moderately dense S1 layer to soft rot was a feature of particular interest and is the main focus of the work presented. The resistance appeared to be correlated with high lignification of the outermost region of the S2 wall, interfacing with the S1 layer, an unusual cell wall feature not previously described for normal wood.
Review of the comb-tailed spider genus Hahnia C.L. Koch 1841 (Hahniidae) from Gaoligong Mountains in Yunnan, China
Authors: HUANG GUI-QIANG , ZHANG ZHI-SHENG , LIU YING-HONG
Published: November 2017

Gaoligong Mountains in Yunnan, China are famous for the biodiversity and are part of Indo-Burmese hotspot. We present a review on the comb-tailed spider genus Hahnia C.L. Koch 1841 based on newly collected specimens. Four new species of Hahnia are described: H. biapophysis sp. nov. (male), H. dongi sp. nov. (male), H. subsaccata sp. nov. (male, female) and H. wangi sp. nov. (male, female). Two additional known species are redescribed: H. himalayaensis Hu & Zhang, 1990 and H. musica Brignoli, 1978. Hahnia musica previously known from Bhutan is recorded from China for the first time. Photos of habitus and genitalia of all species and additionally illustrations of new species are given.
Hypostomus velhochico, a new keeled Hypostomus Lacépède, 1803 (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio São Francisco basin in Brazil
Authors: ZAWADZKI CLÁUDIO H. , OYAKAWA OSVALDO T. , BRITSKI HERALDO A.
Published: November 2017

Hypostomus velhochico sp. n., is described from the rio São Francisco basin, in the states of Minas Gerais and Bahia, Brazil. The new species is mainly distinguished from its congeners by a combination of characters such as slender bicuspid teeth, dentaries angled more than 90 degrees, conspicuous keels along lateral series of plates, small roundish dark spots, one plate bordering supraoccipital, spots aligned along lateral series of plates, and by attaining small to medium size. Hypostomus velhochico is widespread in the rio São Francisco basin and has a more similar general pattern of external morphology to species from the Northeastern Brazilian Coastal drainages than to species of the rio São Francisco basin. Aspects about its ecology and its putative relationship are discussed.
The first record of Ia io Thomas, 1902 (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Sundaic Subregion, with a description of a new subspecies from peninsular Thailand
Authors: SOISOOK PIPAT , SRIBUAROD KRIANGSAK , KARAPAN SUNATE , SAFOOWONG MONGKOL , BILLASOY SAWWALAK , THONG VU DINH , CHANG YANG , GONG LIXIN , LIN AIQING , SZTENCEL-JABŁONKA ANNA , BOGDANOWICZ WIESŁAW , BATES PAUL J. J.
Published: November 2017

The Great evening bat Ia io Thomas, 1902, previously considered as an endemic to the Indochinese subregion, is reported from the Sundaic subregion for the first time based on specimens collected from three localities in Surat Thani Province and Phang Nga Province, peninsular Thailand. It is described herein as a new subspecies based on its substantially larger body and skull size. The mitochondrial COI and cytochrome b genes reveal that the new subspecies has a genetic distance of 1.89% and 1.65%, respectively, from the nominate subspecies. Echolocation calls comprise four harmonics, with the maximum energy in the first harmonic (fmaxe) of 23.6–27.4 kHz. Notes on the population size as well as roosting and foraging behaviour are also provided.
Raised Fibrinogen Levels and Outcome in Outpatients With Peripheral Artery Disease
Authors: Altes Pere , Perez Paulina , Esteban Carlos , Sánchez Muñoz-Torrero Juan Francisco , Aguilar Eduardo , García-Díaz Ana María , Álvarez Lorenzo Ramón , Jiménez Pedro Enrique , Sahuquillo Joan Carles , Monreal Manuel ,   FRENA Investigators
Published: November 2017

The influence of raised fibrinogen levels on outcome in stable outpatients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has not been consistently investigated. We used data from the Factores de Riesgo y ENfermedad Arterial (FRENA) registry to compare ischemic events, major bleeding, and mortality in stable outpatients with PAD, according to their baseline plasma fibrinogen levels. Of 1363 outpatients with PAD recruited in FRENA, 558 (41%) had fibrinogen levels >450 mg/100 mL. Over 18 months, 43 patients presented with acute myocardial infarction, 37 had an ischemic stroke, 51 underwent limb amputation, 19 had major bleeding, and 90 died. Compared to patients with normal levels, those with raised fibrinogen levels had an over 2-fold higher rate of ischemic stroke (rate ratio [RR]: 2.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-4.59), limb amputation (RR: 2.58; 95% CI: 1.46-4.67), or death (RR: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.49-3.51) and an over 3-fold higher rate of major bleeding (RR: 3.90; 95% CI: 1.45-12.1). On multivariate analysis, patients with raised fibrinogen levels had an increased risk of developing subsequent ischemic events (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.61; 95% CI: 1.11-2.32) and major bleeding (HR: 3.42; 95% CI: 1.22-9.61). Stable outpatients with PAD and raised plasma fibrinogen levels had increased rates of subsequent ischemic events and major bleeding.
Young people’s perceptions of the objective physical activity monitoring process: A qualitative exploration
Authors: Scott Joseph J , Hansen Vibeke , Morgan Philip J , Plotnikoff Ronald C , Lubans David R
Published: November 2017

Objective:

To explore young people’s perceptions of pedometers and investigate behaviours exhibited while being monitored.

Design:

Qualitative design using six focus groups with participants (mean age 14.7 years).

Setting:

Study participants ( n = 24) were randomly selected from a previous study of 123 young people aged 14–15 years from three secondary schools in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Methods:

Participants wore pedometers (Yamax CW700) and accelerometers (ActiGraph GT3X+) simultaneously for 7 days. Accelerometer output was used to categorise participants into one of six focus groups (three boys groups and three girls groups): (1) low active (<30 minutes moderate to vigorous physical activity [MVPA]/day), (2) medium active (30–60 minutes MVPA/day), and (3) high active (≥60 minutes MVPA/day). Participants were questioned on their perceptions of the monitoring process and the behaviours that they exhibited while wearing pedometers. A hybrid approach to data analysis identified key concepts, which were thematically analysed.

Results:

The two main themes identified were (1) participants’ perceptions of the monitoring process and (2) behaviour exhibited while being monitored. Overall, participants’ attitudes towards objective monitoring were positive. A large proportion reported changing their levels of physical activity during the monitoring process, and 87.5% of focus group participants reported shaking their pedometers to increase their step counts. The medium and high active groups reported changing their activity patterns more than the low active groups.

Conclusion:

Our findings are consistent with previous quantitative studies that suggest reactivity and tampering are commonplace among young people. Pedometers may have more utility as an intervention strategy for increasing activity rather than as a method for assessing habitual activity levels.
Antibiotics in Development for the Treatment of Resistant Bacterial Disease
Authors: Kidd Ryan , Walker Scot
Published: November 2017

Many bacterial infections can be treated with the use of antibiotics. These medications continue to reduce morbidity and mortality; unfortunately, their use has brought about drug-resistant pathogens that produce difficult-to-treat infections, which require more extreme treatments. New antibiotics are needed to combat this ever-evolving resistance pathogenesis.
A New Primacy of Conscience? Conscientious Objection, French Catholicism and the State during the Algerian War
Authors: Johnston-White Rachel M.
Published: November 2017

This article explores how the Roman Catholic Church in France re-evaluated its traditional condemnation of conscientious objection in the closing years of the Algerian War. In contrast to the French Protestant Churches after 1948, the Catholic Church continued to proclaim objection to be detrimental to the principles of state sovereignty and obedience to legitimate authority. Despite this, cases of Catholic conscientious objectors like Jean le Meur and Jean Pezet brought contentious Church debates into the public sphere, dramatized in the press and the courtroom. The article traces how the moral dilemmas of the Algerian War created a space for new theological ideas that challenged the hierarchical, corporatist structure of the French Catholic Church and opened the way for a new emphasis on individual conscience that came to fruition with Vatican II. By focusing on Catholic activism during the war itself, the article also challenges the idea that support for conscientious objection emerged spontaneously after the end of the Algerian War. More broadly, the article addresses the wider narrative of the emergence of human rights by illustrating how the Algerian War proved to be a turning point in the relationship between individuals and authority.
Sanity of Addiction: Contemplative and Humanistic Reflections on the Surgeon General’s Report on Drugs
Authors: Ciovacco Lauren A. , Hughes Shannon
Published: November 2017

The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health authoritatively situated addiction as a brain disease and called for increased research into its underlying neurobiological mechanisms. While the Surgeon General’s Report makes strides toward destigmatizing addiction and rightfully rejecting addiction-as-moral-weakness, it adopts addiction-as-disease as another oversimplified conceptualization of a complex human experience. Inspired by Eastern philosophy, we argue that addiction is a sane, protective response to suffering. We highlight evidence suggesting that so-called addictive substances are not powerful culprits that compel persons to action, as framed in the Report. Rather, we discuss addiction as a dysfunctional relationship with substances, developed out of sane attempts to escape the inevitable and universal truth of our own suffering. The compulsive use of a substance is the struggle of trying to escape pain, blame, shame, and loss. Rather than a choice between false dichotomies, then, addiction is normalized as part of the spectrum of human experience, enabled but not determined by either biology or so-called addictive substances. Viewing addiction as a process of the human experience, the therapeutic relationship remains the greatest practice tool at our disposal. We provide a clinical vignette to illustrate the application of humanistic and contemplative principles in addictions counseling.
Improving Mental Health in Prisons Through Biophilic Design
Authors: Söderlund Jana , Newman Peter
Published: November 2017

Increasing nature and natural elements within a prison offers the potential to destress residents, improve mental health, cognitive functioning and learning; reduce recidivism and increase receptivity for behavioral change and restorative justice opportunities. Biophilic design is outlined as a set of principles, attributes and practices for cities to bring nature into urbanites’ daily life. The role of nature in restorative initiatives is traced back to the early work of innovative psychoanalyst, Eric Fromm, illustrating how his framework of human psychological pathways overlaps with biophilic design principles. Together, these approaches should provide new ways to improve the prison experience.
Preference Reversals Between Joint and Separate Evaluations With Multiple Alternatives and Context Effects
Authors: Cheng Yin-Hui , Yu Annie P. , Huang Molly Chien-Jung , Dai Chia-Jung
Published: November 2017

Most research on preference reversal (PR) focuses on the evaluability hypothesis with one or two alternatives. However, people normally encounter more than two options in daily life. In this research, a third option was added to the PR effect choice sets in the traditional joint–separate evaluations mode to create a context effect. Three studies were conducted. Studies 1 and 2 showed that adding a third option to the choice sets changed the PR effect; either the attributes were both important or one was important and the other was not. Study 3 showed that the PR effect reappeared when a third option was added to the choice sets that had no PR effect with just two attributes that were difficult to evaluate independently in traditional evaluations modes. The three studies confirmed that preferences changed in multi-alternative evaluation modes, contradicting Hsee’s (1996) work and showing that the context effect is stronger than that of the attribute’s importance in the PR effect.
Ordering power? The politics of state-led housing delivery under authoritarianism – the case of Luanda, Angola
Authors: Croese Sylvia , Pitcher M Anne
Published: November 2017

The urban studies literature has extensively analysed the modernist, developmental or neoliberal drivers of urban restructuring in the global South, but has largely overlooked the ways in which governments, particularly those with authoritarian characteristics, try to reinforce their legitimacy and assert their political authority through the creation of satellite cities and housing developments. From Ethiopia to Singapore, authoritarian regimes have recently provided housing to the middle class and the poor, not only to alleviate housing shortages, or bolster a burgeoning real estate market, but also to ‘order power’ and buy the loyalty of residents. To evaluate the extent to which authoritarian regimes realise their political objectives through housing provision, we survey nearly 300 poor and middle class respondents from three new housing projects in Luanda, Angola. Alongside increasing social and spatial differentiation brought about by state policies, we document unintended beneficiaries of state housing and uneven levels of citizen satisfaction. We explain that internal state contradictions, individual agency and market forces have acted together to re-shape the government’s efforts to order power.
Cautious occupiers and restrained bureaucrats: Schwarzwohnen in the German Democratic Republic. Somewhat different from squatting
Authors: Grashoff Udo
Published: November 2017

Throughout the history of the German Democratic Republic (GDR), thousands of East Germans lived in flats occupied without state permission. What factors enabled and what practices shaped both the emergence and the persistence of informal housing in an East European dictatorship? The socialist authorities did not tolerate informality but contrary to the totalitarian rhetoric of state and party officials, local bureaucrats endeavoured to transform the grey zone of unauthorised housing dubbed ‘Schwarzwohnen’ into black (illegal) or white (legal). The high frequency of legalisation highlights the relative autonomy of these ‘social gatekeepers’. A partial identity of interests between informal occupiers of flats (Schwarzwohner) and the state led to the blurring of boundaries between formal and informal practices. A substantial proportion of Schwarzwohner, however, had little or no contact with authorities, which is indicative of a partly dysfunctional dictatorship. At the same time, Schwarzwohnen developed several unique features different from the squatting of buildings in the Global North-West and from informal settlements in the Global South, most notably a far-reaching compliance with the law which sometimes included unsolicited rent payments. In addition, Schwarzwohner used specific tactics to achieve legalisation such as ‘consentful contention’. The effect of the informality was ambiguous as it undermined the state’s authority but alleviated the housing shortage and thus (unintentionally) stabilised the state at the same time. Schwarzwohnen vanished with the GDR but has been partly revitalised by the ‘Guardian House’ scheme in several East German cities.
Finite-time disturbance observer via continuous fractional sliding modes
Authors: Muñoz-Vázquez Aldo-Jonathan , Parra-Vega Vicente , Sánchez-Orta Anand , Romero-Galván Gerardo
Published: November 2017

Recently, a great deal of effort has been devoted to the design of robust control techniques that compensate for lumped disturbances in mechanical robots and general electromechanical systems through disturbance observers. In this paper, assuming the Hamiltonian structure of Euler–Lagrange systems subject to a wider class of disturbances, and by exploiting some essential properties of fractional-order integro-differential operators, such as heritage and memory, a disturbance observer that is theoretically exact is proposed based on continuous fractional sliding modes, where exactness is understood in the sense of equality, in contrast to simple equivalence. The novelty of the proposal arises from the fact that the continuous fractional sliding-mode disturbance observer is exact, assuring finite-time disturbance estimation, in contrast with a classical integer-order sliding motion that is equivalent. Consequently, there arises a disturbance observer in finite time, including exact observation of continuous but not necessarily differentiable Hölder disturbances, as well as a clear compromise between regularity and robustness, which stands for a quite important issue overlooked in the conventional integer-order case. Representative simulations are discussed to highlight the reliability of the proposed method.
Referential choice in narratives of Mandarin-speaking children with autism spectrum disorder: Form, function, and adequacy
Authors: Sah Wen-hui
Published: November 2017

This study investigates the referential choice of Mandarin-speaking children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The data consist of narratives from 16 children with ASD and 16 typically-developing (TD) children. The narratives were elicited using the wordless picture book Frog, where are you? Participants’ referential expressions were coded in terms of referential form, function, and adequacy. The results revealed that, compared with the IQ- and language-matched TD children, the children with ASD used significantly more pronominal forms for subsequent mentions, showed insufficient ability to use definite and indefinite noun phrases to mark the information status of referents, and made fewer adequate reintroductions. Additionally, this study demonstrated the potential of the three-category classification to advance our understanding of referential choice in ASD. The outcomes underscore the importance of analyzing referential adequacy across referential functions, and suggest that referential functions are not equally difficult.
Neuronal Control of Bone Remodeling
Authors: Corr Alexander , Smith James , Baldock Paul
Published: November 2017

Although the brain is well established as a master regulator of homeostasis in peripheral tissues, central regulation of bone mass represents a novel and rapidly expanding field of study. This review examines the current understanding of central regulation of the skeleton, exploring several of the key pathways connecting brain to bone and their implications both in mice and the clinical setting. Our understanding of central bone regulation has largely progressed through examination of skeletal responses downstream of nutrient regulatory pathways in the hypothalamus. Mutations and modulation of these pathways, in cases such as leptin deficiency, induce marked bone phenotypes, which have provided vital insights into central bone regulation. These studies have identified several central neuropeptide pathways that stimulate well-defined changes in bone cell activity in response to changes in energy homeostasis. In addition, this work has highlighted the endocrine nature of the skeleton, revealing a complex cross talk that directly regulates other organ systems. Our laboratory has studied bone-active neuropeptide pathways and defined osteoblast-based actions that recapitulate central pathways linking bone, fat, and glucose homeostasis. Studies of neural control of bone have produced paradigm-shifting changes in our understanding of the skeleton and its relationship with the wider array of organ systems.
Using Facebook and LinkedIn to Recruit Nurses for an Online Survey
Authors: Stokes Yehudis , Vandyk Amanda , Squires Janet , Jacob Jean-Daniel , Gifford Wendy
Published: November 2017

Social media is an emerging tool used by researchers; however, limited information is available on its use for participant recruitment specifically. The purpose of this article is to describe the use of Facebook and LinkedIn social media sites in the recruitment of nurses for an online survey, using a 5-week modified online Dillman approach. Within 3 weeks, we exceeded our target sample size ( n = 170) and within 5 weeks recruited 267 English-speaking nurses ( n = 172, Facebook; n = 95, LinkedIn). Advantages included speed of recruitment, cost-efficiency, snowballing effects, and accessibility of the researcher to potential participants. However, an analysis of the recruited participants revealed significant differences when comparing the sociodemographics of participants recruited through Facebook and LinkedIn, specifically relating to the characteristics of sex, age, and level of education. Differences between Facebook and LinkedIn as recruitment platforms should be considered when incorporating these strategies.
Engaging Children With Pleasure Reading: The E-Reading Experience
Authors: Ghalebandi S. Ghazal , Noorhidawati A.
Published: November 2017

Traditional definitions of reading seem inadequate in today’s world as children encounter and interact with electronic screen-based reading using handheld devices such as tablets, smart phones, and so on. This study builds upon the context of reading engagement for pleasure and targets Malaysian bilingual children at the early stage of learning to read in English as their second most important language. The following research questions are put forward: (a) What drives children engagement with reading apps? and (b) how do children exhibit their e-reading experience? First- and second-grade children from primary school who had previously shown high achievement in English subject were selected for this study. Field observations and interviews were employed to capture children’s reading activity for pleasure in individual or shared reading settings using e-storybooks and educational reading apps. The findings indicate that children’s e-reading experience encompasses both motivational constructs and behavioral engagements. Children exhibit their e-reading experience through reading aloud or reading in silence along with screen manipulation.
Combined delivery of bone morphogenetic protein-2 and insulin-like growth factor-1 from nano-poly (γ-glutamic acid)/β-tricalcium phosphate-based calcium phosphate cement and its effect on bone regeneration in vitro
Authors: Shu Xiulin , Feng Jin , Feng Jing , Huang Xiaomo , Li Liangqiu , Shi Qingshan
Published: November 2017

In this study, nano-doped calcium phosphate cement delivery systems (poly (γ-glutamic acid)/β-tricalcium phosphate/calcium phosphate ceramics and nano (γ-glutamic acid)/β-tricalcium phosphate/calcium phosphate ceramic) were fabricated, and low doses (10 µg/g) of two growth factors, insulin-like growth factor-1 and bone morphogenetic protein-2, were encapsulated then sequentially released. We characterized the delivery systems using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction and measured washout resistance and compressive strength, and thus optimized the most appropriate proportioning of delivery systems for the two growth factors. One of the growth factors was absorbed by the nano-poly (γ-glutamic acid)/β-tricalcium phosphate, which was then mixed into the calcium phosphate ceramic solid phase to create a new solid phase calcium phosphate ceramic. Nano-poly (γ-glutamic acid)/β-tricalcium phosphate/calcium phosphate ceramic carriers were then prepared by blending the new calcium phosphate ceramic solid phase powder with a solution of the remaining growth factor. The effects of different release patterns (studying sequential behavior) of insulin-like growth factor-1 and bone morphogenetic protein-2 on osteogenic proliferation and differentiation of the MC3t3-E1 mouse osteoblast cell were investigated. This combinational delivery system provided a controlled release of the two growth factors, in which nano-doping significantly affected their release kinetics. The incorporation of dual growth factors could potentially stimulate bone healing and promoting bone ingrowth processes at a low dose.
Effective Sampling From Social Media Sites and Search Engines for Web Surveys
Authors: Stern Michael J. , Bilgen Ipek , McClain Colleen , Hunscher Brian
Published: November 2017

With proliferation of web surveys, the relative affordability of recruitment, and increasing nonresponse in other survey modes, nonprobability methods are increasingly being considered by researchers and government offices alike. However, research needs to more fully understand how the demographic characteristics of respondents may depend heavily on the source of sample, mode of recruitment, and context of the survey experience. As a first step in exploring the potential implications of recruitment source on response quality, we use data from a web survey fielded in 2013 to compare data quality indicators in survey data from the two recruitment platforms (Google and Facebook advertisements). In so doing, taking into account demographic differences that may arise from various steps in the recruitment process, we explore the effect of demographics, device and technology usage, incentives, and recruitment platform on data quality and response strategy. Our results show differences between platforms in comparability to national benchmarks, breakoffs, completion time, nonsubstantive answers, and numeric response strategies. Importantly, some variation in substantive responses was explained by demographic differences related to mobile device usage, which varied by recruitment platform. With the use of nonprobability samples on the rise, future work should build from these results to more directly assess the role of recruitment source in data quality.
Financing Decisions in Family Businesses: A Review and Suggestions for Developing the Field
Authors: Michiels Anneleen , Molly Vincent
Published: November 2017

Motivated by the growing attention to the financing decisions of family firms, this review brings together the two highly relevant research fields of family business and finance. This study critically reviews 131 articles on financing decisions in family businesses, published between 1977 and 2016 in 64 finance and management journals. We develop a state of the art on family business financing literature and present a model to guide extant and future research by identifying gaps across the theoretical perspectives and across context-specific elements such as family business heterogeneity and country-specific factors.
Assessment of stable cutting zone in CNC turning based on empirical mode decomposition and genetic algorithm approach
Authors: Shrivastava Yogesh , Singh Bhagat
Published: November 2017

Assessment of optimum stable cutting zone is the key requirement to maintain high productivity with enhanced surface quality of work-piece. Tool chatter is one of the factors responsible for deviation from these features. Despite the immense work done within this domain, still many aspects related to regenerative chatter remains unexplored. Usually, the chatter signals recorded from sensors are contaminated by background noise. Analysis of these contaminated signals results in faulty information regarding the identification of tool chatter. So, it becomes imperative that these signals should be denoised before further processing. In the present work, empirical mode decomposition technique has been adopted to pre-process the acquired raw chatter signals, which have been overlooked by the previous researchers. Initially, acoustic signals have been recorded by performing experiments at different combinations of cutting parameters. The preprocessed signals have been used to evaluate a new output parameter i.e. chatter index. Material removal rate has also been measured for each experiment. For estimating the dependence of output on input cutting parameters, mathematical models have been developed using response surface methodology. Moreover, the optimum cutting zone has been assessed by adopting multi-objective genetic algorithm. Finally, more experiments have been conducted to validate the obtained cutting zone. It has been found that the acquired cutting zone is capable of producing work pieces with good surface finish and acceptable material removal rate.
Analytical and experimental approaches to study elastic deflection of thin strip in ultrasonic-assisted drilling process
Authors: Teimouri Reza , Amini Saeid
Published: November 2017

During machining of thin material, workpiece endures deflection due to cutting forces that negatively influence dimensional tolerances and machined surface quality. An applicable method for the restriction of such problems is machining in the presence of ultrasonic vibration. However, understanding of how this improvement is caused by this type of vibration needs extensive studies. This paper presents a workpiece deflection model for conventional drilling and ultrasonic-assisted drilling of 1 mm thickness aluminum 7075. The workpiece considered was a thin beam and the deflection was determined by the use of beam vibration theory in continuous system. The deflection of workpiece during both the conventional and ultrasonic-assisted drilling processes were determined by means of developed model and compared with those derived from experiments. It was found that the average prediction error in worst case was less than 20%. Also, it is observed from both the experimental and theoretical approaches that applying ultrasonic vibration to drilling tool significantly reduces the workpiece deflection. Furthermore, from both approaches, it is identified that increase in vibration amplitude causes a decrease in beam deflection. Restriction of beam deflection by exerting high-amplitude ultrasonic vibration causes elimination of cap burr in the exit hole due to enhancement in the rigidity of workpiece.
Behavioural and organisational interventions to prevent trespass and graffiti vandalism on railway property
Authors: Havârneanu Grigore M
Published: November 2017

Trespassing behaviour is a problem for railway operations because it leads to train–pedestrian collisions and important delays. Trespassing incidents result from the violation of the rail track access rules by pedestrians. In many cases, this behaviour is driven by vandalism intentions. Various measures have been developed and implemented to reduce trespass and vandalism on railway premises, but to date there is no publication to show which of these measures are more effective. This paper aims to review the good practices and recommendations on the prevention of railway trespass and vandalism and to provide a summary of the most promising preventive measures that involve human factors namely collaborative measures, enforcement, staff training, public education and environmental measures, which are likely to influence people’s behaviour. Physical measures (e.g. fencing) and purely technical ones (e.g. detection systems) are not within the scope of this paper, since there is consistent literature indicating the effectiveness of these interventions. The method included a systematic review of the literature on the topic, as well as a collection of prevention practices from the railway operating community. Both the procedures were conducted during the EU-funded projects RESTRAIL (REduction of Suicides and Trespasses on the RAILway property) and GRAFFOLUTION (Awareness and prevention solutions against graffiti vandalism in public areas and transport). Although the results reveal promising preventive measures, very few studies show evidence for their effectiveness. We discuss how measures can be combined to increase their efficiency for trespass and vandalism prevention in the background of a behavioural theoretical framework applied to the rail context.