bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Who's Afraid of Rural Poverty? The Story Behind America's Invisible Poor
Authors: Gurley Lauren
Published: May 2016

Rural poverty and rural issues in general remain invisible in the United States to the urban majority. Rural sociologists have tried to raise these issues, but even in the field of sociology, they have been sidelined for several generations. Progressives treat urban poverty with sympathy and rural poverty with contempt because the latter is stereotyped as a problem that afflicts only white families, who are then blamed for failings of the economy as a whole. In fact, persistent rural poverty is concentrated in pockets in Appalachia, the Mississippi Delta, and several other regions, many of which are inhabited by blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans. Nevertheless, it seems that making rural poverty as much a concern among progressive Democrats as urban poverty has been will require a different political orientation towards rural issues. Such an approach was visible briefly during Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, but it has had little influence on other candidates for high office.
The role of N‐glycosylation in high glucose‐induced upregulation of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 on bovine retinal endothelial cells
Authors: Liu Kun , Liu Haiyun , Zhang Zhihua , Ye Wen , Xu Xun
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The development of diabetic retinopathy has been implicated as a consequence of chronic inflammation. Given the role of the intercellular adhesion molecule‐1 (ICAM‐1) in inflammation, the potential effect of N‐glycosylation on the upregulated expression of ICAM‐1 at the surface of bovine retinal endothelial cells (BRECs) induced by high glucose concentrations was investigated.

Methods

Gene and protein expression of ICAM‐1 in primary BRECs cultured in medium containing increasing concentrations of mannose or glucose in the presence or absence of tunicamycin were studied with reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis, and the expression level of ICAM‐1 at the surface of BRECs was examined with an immunofluorescence analysis. A lectin blot assay with PHA‐L was performed to explore the level of N‐glycans on cell total proteins or immunoprecipitated ICAM‐1 from cells treated or untreated with high glucose.

Results

Both the mRNA and protein levels of ICAM‐1, as well as the level of ICAM‐1 on the cell surface, were significantly upregulated by increasing the concentration of glucose in the culture medium, with a peak concentration of 20 mm. Consistent with these results, a dramatic increase in the N‐glycosylation of ICAM‐1 in BRECs cultured with a high concentration of glucose was observed, which could be partially attenuated by tunicamycin treatment.

Conclusion

High glucose‐induced upregulation of ICAM‐1 on the surface of BRECs could be ascribed to the alterations in its N‐glycosylation at least in part, indicating that interference with the glycosylation of ICAM‐1 may contribute to improving the efficiency of current therapies with diabetic retinopathy.
Navigating the challenges of delivering secondary school courses by videoconference
Authors: Rehn Nicole , Maor Dorit , McConney Andrew
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this research is to unpack and learn from the experiences of teachers who deliver courses to remote secondary school students by videoconference. School districts are using videoconferencing to connect students and teachers who are separated geographically through regular live, real‐time conferences. Previous studies have shown the inadequacy of videoconferencing to create effective learning communities when used solely as a lecturing tool, but there is limited research into understanding how to mitigate the challenges in order to leverage the tool for what it affords. This collective case study uses qualitative methods to examine those challenges and propose strategies for overcoming them. Five obstacles were identified (insufficient time, feelings of isolation, scheduling and logistics, unreliable technology and limited personal connection) with the following recommendations: leverage supporting tools, intentionally build presence and prioritize the programming within the district.
Twelve‐membered macrolactones: privileged scaffolds for the development of new therapeutics
Authors: Brzozowski Richard S. , Wuest William M.
Published: May 2016

Natural products commonly produced as secondary metabolites of various plants and micro‐organisms represent a diverse chemical space of compounds. The diversity of natural products makes them an attractive target for interrogation by both chemists and biologists alike. Indeed, the study of 12‐membered macrolactones has already led to the discovery of lead drug compounds and new biological targets, which has motivated the development of diverted total synthetic routes to libraries of analogs. This review explores the discovery, biological characterization, and synthesis of several 12‐membered macrolactones, exploiting examples that underscore their importance in the drug discovery field. It is our hope that this review will motivate further interest in this class of natural products, a group of molecules that we think merit the classification of ‘privileged scaffolds’ within the medicinal chemistry community, to further investigate and develop novel compounds with promising bioactivity.
Immunohistochemical evaluation of p16 expression in cutaneous histiocytic, fibrohistiocytic and undifferentiated lesions
Authors: Smith Emily H. , Lowe Lori , Harms Paul W. , Fullen Douglas R. , Chan May P.
Published: May 2016

Background

Expression of p16 is frequently evaluated in melanocytic lesions. Expression of p16 in cutaneous histiocytic, fibrohistiocytic and undifferentiated lesions has not been well characterized.

Methods

We evaluated p16 expression in a cohort of histiocytic (reticulohistiocytoma, Langerhans cell histiocytosis, xanthogranuloma, Rosai Dorfman disease and xanthoma), fibrohistiocytic (dermatofibroma, epithelioid fibrous histiocytoma and dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans) and undifferentiated (atypical fibroxanthoma and pleomorphic undifferentiated sarcoma) lesions. A group of melanocytic lesions (Spitz nevus, ordinary nevus, spitzoid melanoma and non‐spitzoid melanoma) were also evaluated as reference. Each case was scored by the proportion of p16‐positive cells and by staining intensity.

Results

Immunoreactivity for p16 was found in almost all histiocytic (28/30, 93%) and fibrohistiocytic (22/24, 92%) lesions. About half of the undifferentiated lesions also exhibited p16 staining (9/17, 53%). Most of the melanocytic cases examined in this study expressed p16. A wide range of staining intensity and proportion of p16‐positive cells was observed in most groups.

Conclusion

Expression of p16 is common, albeit variable in proportion and intensity, amongst a wide variety of cutaneous histiocytic, fibrohistiocytic and undifferentiated lesions. Further studies are required to determine if p16 expression is useful in distinguishing benign from malignant neoplasms of these types.
Pathologic features of anogenital precancerous high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (squamous cell carcinoma in situ)
Authors: Xue Ruzeng , Elbendary Amira , Valdebran Manuel , Chaudhari Soham , Elston Dirk
Published: May 2016

Background

Precancerous high‐grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), the current consensus terminology for anogenital squamous cell carcinoma in situ (SCCIS), often presents with distinctive histopathologic findings that may be a function of anatomic site or associated human papillomavirus infection.

Methods

Fifty‐six specimens of anogenital HSIL were compared with an equal number of specimens of SCCIS from non‐anogenital sites in regard to the presence of parakeratosis, flag sign in the stratum corneum, compact stratum corneum, hypergranulosis, koilocytes, small blue cells, clonal populations of keratinocytes, pagetoid scatter of atypical keratinocytes, clear cell change, glassy red cytoplasm, pigmentation, nuclear/cytoplasmic(N/C) ratio >2/1, nuclear hyperchromasia, pleomorphic nuclei, mitotic figures, abnormal mitotic figures, dyskeratotic keratinocytes, involvement of skin appendages, acantholysis and amyloid deposition.

Results

Hypergranulosis, koilocytes, small blue cells, pigmentation, nuclear hyperchromasia, dyskeratotic keratinocytes and amyloid deposition were more frequently noted in anogenital HSIL. Parakeratosis, clear cell change, pleomorphic nuclei, skin appendages involvement and acantholysis were strongly associated with non‐anogenital location. There was no significant difference in the incidence of the remaining features.

Conclusion

The strongest predicators of an anogenital location included hypergranulosis, koilocytes, small blue cells and nuclear hyperchromasia. Pigmentation and amyloid deposition were also strongly associated with an anogenital location.
Prolonged vestibular stimulation induces homeostatic plasticity of the vestibulo‐ocular reflex in larval Xenopus laevis
Authors: Dietrich Haike , Straka Hans
Published: May 2016

Vestibulo‐ocular reflexes (VOR) stabilise retinal images during head/body motion in vertebrates by generating spatio‐temporally precise extraocular motor commands for corrective eye movements. While VOR performance is generally robust with a relatively stable gain, cerebellar circuits are capable of adapting the underlying sensory‐motor transformation. Here, we studied cerebellum‐dependent VOR plasticity by recording head motion‐induced lateral rectus and superior oblique extraocular motor discharge in semi‐intact preparations of Xenopus laevis tadpoles. In the absence of visual feedback, prolonged sinusoidal rotation caused either an increase or decrease of the VOR gain depending on the motion stimulus amplitude. The observed changes in extraocular motor discharge gradually saturated after 20 min of constant rotation and returned to baseline in the absence of motion stimulation. Furthermore, plastic changes in lateral rectus and superior oblique motor commands were plane‐specific for horizontal and vertical rotations, respectively, suggesting that alterations are restricted to principal VOR connections. Comparison of multi‐ and single‐unit activity indicated that plasticity occurs in all recorded units of a given extraocular motor nucleus. Ablation of the cerebellum abolished motoneuronal gain changes and prevented the induction of plasticity, thus demonstrating that both acquisition and retention of this type of plasticity require an intact cerebellar circuitry. In conclusion, the plane‐specific and stimulus intensity‐dependent modification of the VOR gain through the feed‐forward cerebellar circuitry represents a homeostatic plasticity that likely maintains an optimal working range for the underlying sensory‐motor transformation.
Pathways to Climate Change Adaptation: Making Climate Change Action Political
Authors: Eisenhauer David C.
Published: May 2016

Pathway approaches to adaptation highlight the uncertainty of future impacts of climate change and the ongoing, contingent nature of responses to these effects. This article reviews adaptation to climate change literature employing the notion of pathways and argues that these approaches offer a useful framework to spur meaningful adaptation action. After providing an overview of the history of pathway approaches, the paper focuses on four approaches that apply the metaphor of pathways differently: the socioeconomic pathways, dynamic adaptive policy pathways, pathways to resilience, and the social, technology, and environmental pathways to sustainability. Lessons and strengths from each of these approaches are highlighted. Utilizing multiple pathway approaches can further aid in creating useful and usable knowledge. However, the paper concludes by arguing that pathway approaches could be further strengthened by including political concerns and processes. Working to include the broader public within the coproduction of pathways would help achieve this goal.
Honey Bees and Colony Collapse Disorder: A Pluralistic Reframing
Authors: Watson Kelly , Stallins J. Anthony
Published: May 2016

Scientific narratives surrounding colony collapse disorder (CCD) are often played against one another. However, oppositional knowledge politics do not neatly segregate the materiality and causal properties of the ecological phenomena they represent. Thus the challenge with CCD is not just to describe the partisan character of how knowledge about it is socially produced. It is also about how to integrate these politics through their less antagonistic material ecologies. We review three dominant discourses underlying CCD and honey bee decline and present a synthesis that conveys how their socially embedded perceptions about ecological causality are more compatible. We invoke a theoretical framework from complexity theory to demonstrate how multiple kinds of ecological causality, from the identifiable and addressable to the more emergent and unpredictable, can align under conflicting policy positions. We argue that this continuum of ecological explanations is a more conciliatory framework for responding to CCD. It provides an alternative to the antagonistic politics that tend to reify and defend either a restrictive search for a singular cause, a paralyzing documentation of all possible permutations of CCD, or a return to a utopian agrarian past. Relating how ecological knowledge is socially produced can illuminate stakeholder positions and strategies. But it is also constructive to map out how the ecological suppositions underlying them relate and inform one under.
Negative impact of oral health conditions on oral health related quality of life of community dwelling elders in Mexico city, a population based study
Authors: Castrejón‐Pérez Roberto Carlos , Borges‐Yáñez S. Aída , Irigoyen‐Camacho Ma. Esther , Cruz‐Hervert Luis Pablo
Published: May 2016

Aim

Oral health in old persons is frequently poor; non‐functional prostheses are common and negatively affect quality of life. The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of oral health problems on oral health related quality of life in a sample of home dwelling Mexican elders.

Methods

Household survey in 655 persons 70 years old and over residing in one county in Mexico City.

Variables

Oral Health Related Quality of Life (Short version of the Oral Health Impact Profile validated in Mexico‐OHIP‐14‐sp), self‐perception of general and oral health, xerostomia, utilization of dental services, utilization and functionality of removable dental prostheses, dental and periodontal conditions, age, gender, marital status, schooling, depression, cognitive impairment and independence in activities of daily living (ADL). A negative binomial regression model was fitted.

Results

Mean age was 79.2 ± 7.1 years; 54.2% were women. Mean OHIP‐14‐Sp score was 6.8 ± 8.7, median was 4. The final model showed that men (RR = 1.30); persons with xerostomia (RR = 1.41); no utilization of removable prostheses (RR = 1.55); utilization of non‐functional removable prostheses (RR = 1.69); fair self‐perception of general health (RR = 1.34); equal (RR = 1.43) or worse (RR = 2.32) self‐perception of oral health compared with persons of the same age; and being dependent for at least one ADL (RR = 1.71) increased the probability of higher scores of the OHIP‐14‐sp. Age, schooling, depression, cognitive impairment and periodontal conditions showed no association.

Conclusions

Oral rehabilitation can improve quality of life, health education and health promotion for the elder and their caregivers may reduce the risk of dental problems. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 744–752.
State First, Then Democracy: Using Cadastral Records to Explain Governmental Performance in Public Goods Provision
Authors: D'Arcy Michelle , Nistotskaya Marina
Published: May 2016

This article presents a theoretical argument of how and why democratization at different levels of state capacity matters for public goods provision and subjects the argument to empirical tests. Building on rational choice theories of public goods production, we argue that credible enforcement before credible commitment—democratizing after the state has acquired high levels of state capacity—leads to a more efficient social order than the opposite sequence. Using a theoretically grounded and novel indicator of historical state capacity—the extent and quality of cadastral records—the analysis shows that those countries where the state developed extensive enforcement capacities before democratization exhibit, on average, better provision of essential public goods and are less corrupt.
Constraining Executive Action: The Role of Legislator Professionalization in Latin America
Authors: Shair‐Rosenfield Sarah , T. Stoyan Alissandra
Published: May 2016

What explains the failure of legislatures with strong constitutionally endowed powers to exert themselves over the executive in practice? We examine the role of legislator professionalization in strengthening the legislature's ability to constrain executive action, conceptualizing legislator professionalization as prior legislative experience and prior professional work experience. We argue that more professionalized legislators, through the skill and knowledge they bring to the policymaking process from prior experience, will be better equipped to challenge executive authority. In a sample of four Latin American countries from 1990 through 2010, we find that legislatures are more likely to curb executive decree issuance when individual legislators are strongly professionalized, controlling for constitutional powers and several other partisan and political factors. Our findings suggest that legislatures composed of more professionalized legislators can constrain executive action, especially in the context of a unified political opposition in the legislature.
NEPALESE HISTORY IN A EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE: A CASE STUDY IN TRANSCULTURAL HISTORIOGRAPHY
Authors: MICHAELS AXEL , BAJRACHARYA MANIK , GUTSCHOW NIELS , HERREN MADELEINE , SCHNEIDMÜLLER BERND , SCHWEDLER GERALD , ZOTTER ASTRID
Published: May 2016

In March 2013, a group of German, Nepalese, and Swiss historians, Indologists, and an architectural historian gathered for a workshop in Nepal to develop a new approach to the understanding of South Asian historiography, especially the Nepalese chronicles from the nineteenth century. The outcome is the present collaboratively written article. It is argued that, in the past, the analysis of South Asian historiography has been preoccupied by arguments based on an understanding of history that highlights facts and events. A transcultural and multidisciplinary approach, however, would overcome the common dichotomies of factuality and fictionality, history and myth, or evidence and truth. Recognizing the specificity of South Asian historiography, the article develops an approach to bridge asymmetries and entanglements in the academic use of the past in a way that also opens up a new perspective on Western historiography. By analyzing the religious, spatial, literary, and historical, and contemporary or context‐related aspects of a nineteenth‐century chronicle and by using “fieldwork” as a methodological tool for studying historiography, it is proposed to understand the framing of time and the making of sequences and historical periods as an open process that results in the constant and synchronic creation of chronological spaces.
CONTEXTS OF COLONIALISM
Authors: Smith Woodruff D.
Published: May 2016

The contributions to the collection under review offer a wide range of treatments of ways in which German colonialism intersected with aspects of domestic German culture and politics, with particular attention to the larger global setting in which the German colonial empire existed between 1884 and 1918—or was remembered up to 1945. The review situates and critiques the contributions in interpretive contexts based on general suggestions by one of the editors, Geoff Eley. These include a context in which “colonialism” and “imperialism” are recognized as specific discursive constructions of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, another in which the causal focus in interpreting colonial phenomena is placed on exchanges that constituted an accelerating globality with which available conceptual modes (including colonialism and imperialism) could not keep pace, a third that complicates the categorical distinctions usually made between types of imperial program, and a fourth that aims at replicating on a much broader and more flexible basis something like the concept of “social imperialism” that forty years ago dominated interpretations of German imperialism. The essay ends with a view of how such an interpretive framework might be constructed.
Getting clearer on overdiagnosis
Authors: Rogers Wendy A. , Mintzker Yishai
Published: May 2016

Overdiagnosis refers to diagnosis that does not benefit patients because the diagnosed condition is not a harmful disease in those individuals. Overdiagnosis has been identified as a problem in cancer screening, diseases such as chronic kidney disease and diabetes, and a range of mental illnesses including depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. In this paper, we describe overdiagnosis, investigate reasons why it occurs, and propose two different types. Misclassification overdiagnosis arises because the diagnostic threshold for the disease in question has been set at a level where many people without harmful disease are nonetheless diagnosed. We illustrate misclassification overdiagnosis using the example of chronic kidney disease. Misclassification occurs in diseases diagnosed using biomarkers or based on patient reported phenomena. Maldetection overdiagnosis arises because, at the time the diagnosis is made and despite the presence of a ‘gold standard’ diagnostic test, it is not possible to discriminate between harmful and non‐harmful cases of the index disease. We illustrate maldetection overdiagnosis using the example of thyroid cancer. While there is some overlap between misclassification and maldetection overdiagnosis, this conceptual analysis helps to clarify the phenomenon of overdiagnosis and is a necessary first step in developing strategies to address the problem.
Susceptibility of isogeneic ginbuna Carassius auratus langsdorfii Temminck et Schlegel to cyprinid herpesvirus‐2 (CyHV‐2) as a model species
Authors: Nanjo A , Shibata T , Saito M , Yoshii K , Tanaka M , Nakanishi T , Fukuda H , Sakamoto T , Kato G , Sano M
Published: May 2016

Herpesviral haematopoietic necrosis (HVHN), caused by cyprinid herpesvirus‐2 (CyHV‐2), has affected the commercial production of the goldfish Carassius auratus and gibelio carp Carassius auratus gibelio. High water temperature treatments are reported to reduce the mortality rate of infected goldfish and elicit immunity in the survivors. To define the mechanism by which this intervention induces resistance, clonal ginbuna Carassius auratus langsdorfii, which is closely related to both species and has been used in fish immunology, may represent a promising model species. In this study, we investigated the susceptibility of clonal ginbuna strains to CyHV‐2 and the effect of high water temperature treatment on infected ginbuna and goldfish. Experimental intraperitoneal infection with CyHV‐2 at 25 °C caused 100% mortality in ginbuna strains, which was accompanied by histopathological changes typical of HVHN. Both infected ginbuna S3n strain and goldfish, exposed to high temperature for 6 days [shifting from 25 °C (permissive) to 34 °C (non‐permissive)], showed reduced mortalities after the 1st inoculation, and subsequent 2nd virus challenge to 0%, indicating induction of immunity. It was concluded that ginbuna showed a similar susceptibility and disease development in CyHV‐2 infection compared to goldfish, suggesting that ginbuna can be a useful fish model for the study of CyHV‐2 infection and immunity.
The dentist's care‐taking perspective of dental fear patients – a continuous and changing challenge
Authors: Gyllensvärd K. , Qvarnström M. , Wolf E.
Published: May 2016

The aim was to analyse the care taking of dental fear patients from the perspective of the dentist, using a qualitative methodology. In total, 11 dentists from both the private and public dental service were selected through a purposive sampling according to their experience of treating dental fear patients, their gender, age, service affiliation and location of undergraduate education. Data were obtained using one semi‐structured interview with each informant. The interviews were taped and verbatim transcribed. The text was analysed using qualitative content analysis. The theme, ‘The transforming autodidactic process of care taking’, covering the interpretative level of data content was identified. The first main category covering the descriptive level of data was ‘The continuous and changing challenge’, with the subcategories ‘The emotional demand’ and ‘The financial stress’. The second main category identified was ‘The repeated collection of experience’, with the subcategories ‘The development of resources’ and ‘The emotional change’. The dentists′ experience of treating dental fear patients was considered a challenging self‐taught process under continuous transformation. The competence and routine platform expanded over time, parallel to a change of connected emotions from frustration towards safety, although challenges remained.
Effects of Toceranib Phosphate on Systolic Blood Pressure and Proteinuria in Dogs
Authors: Tjostheim S.S. , Stepien R.L. , Markovic L.E. , Stein T.J.
Published: May 2016

Background

Systemic hypertension and proteinuria are established adverse effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment in people.

Objective

The objective of this study was to investigate changes in systolic blood pressure and the incidence of proteinuria secondary to treatment with toceranib phosphate in dogs with cancer.

Animals

Twenty‐six control dogs and 30 dogs with cancer were evaluated for the first part of the study (baseline characteristics). For the second part (effect of toceranib phosphate treatment), 48 client‐owned dogs were evaluated, including 20 control dogs and 28 dogs with various types of neoplasia.

Methods

Prospective cohort study. Client‐owned healthy control dogs and dogs with cancer were enrolled. Blood pressure and urine protein:creatinine ratios were measured before treatment and 2 weeks after initiation of toceranib phosphate treatment.

Results

Systolic blood pressure was significantly (P= 0.0013) higher in previously normotensive treatment dogs after initiation of treatment with toceranib phosphate (152 mmHg ± 19) compared to baseline (136 mmHg ± 14). 37% of treated dogs developed SBP ≥ 160 mmHg. The prevalence of systemic hypertension (37%) and proteinuria (21%) at baseline in treatment dogs did not differ from that of age‐matched healthy controls (15% [P= 0.13] and 0% [P= 0.069], respectively).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Toceranib phosphate treatment might result in increased systolic blood pressures in dogs. Systemic hypertension should be considered a potential adverse effect of this drug in dogs. Systemic hypertension and proteinuria were detected at clinically relevant frequencies in the dogs with cancer before antineoplastic therapies suggesting that monitoring of these variables might be warranted in this population.
Volatile Sovereignty: Governing Crime through the Community in Khayelitsha
Authors: Super Gail
Published: May 2016

This paper asks what crime prevention looks like for residents in informal settlements in Khayelitsha, a black township on the outskirts of Cape Town. It engages with the idea of vigilantism and hybrid policing formations, analyzing the overlaps and intersections between legal community-based crime prevention initiatives, and local ‘punitive practices’. The focus is not on the intensely violent spectacle of ‘mob justice’, where suspects are killed, but on the more ubiquitous, hybrid formations that also fall on the vigilantism continuum. These include coercive practices such as banishment, corporal punishment, retrieval of stolen goods by local policing formations and, trials conducted by street committees. The core argument I make is that, at times, particularly in poor areas where the state is absent and encourages citizens to take responsibility for their own crime prevention, the boundary between legality and coercive illegality collapses in on itself. Thus, the notion of voluntarism, that is so important to official discourse on crime, is particularly problematic when applied in poor communities with high rates of unemployment and high crime rates. As such, the state's encouraging of citizens to take responsibility for their own safety, alongside a punitive state discourse on crime and criminality, creates the space for illegal vigilante style actions to emerge in the shadow of legal crime prevention initiatives.
Therapeutic hypothermia in patients following traumatic brain injury: a systematic review
Authors: Dunkley Steven , McLeod Anne
Published: May 2016

Background

The efficacy of therapeutic hypothermia in adult patients with traumatic brain injury is not fully understood. The historical use of therapeutic hypothermia at extreme temperatures was associated with severe complications and led to it being discredited. Positive results from animal studies using milder temperatures led to renewed interest. However, recent studies have not convincingly demonstrated the beneficial effects of therapeutic hypothermia in practice.

Aim

This review aims to answer the question: in adults with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), does the use of therapeutic hypothermia compared with normothermia affect neurological outcome?

Design

Systematic review.

Method

Four major electronic databases were searched, and a hand search was undertaken using selected key search terms. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. The studies were appraised using a systematic approach, and four themes addressing the research question were identified and
critically evaluated.

Results

A total of eight peer‐reviewed studies were found, and the results show there is some evidence that therapeutic hypothermia may be effective in improving neurological outcome in adult patients with traumatic brain injury. However, the majority of the trials report conflicting results. Therapeutic hypothermia is reported to be effective at lowering intracranial pressure; however, its efficacy in improving neurological outcome is not fully demonstrated. This review suggests that therapeutic hypothermia had increased benefits in patients with haematoma‐type injuries as opposed to those with diffuse injury and contusions. It also suggests that cooling should recommence if rebound intracranial hypertension is observed.

Conclusion

Although the data indicates a trend towards better neurological outcome and reduced mortality rates, higher quality multi‐centred randomized controlled trials are required before therapeutic hypothermia is implemented as a standard adjuvant therapy for treating traumatic brain injury.

Relevance to clinical practice

Therapeutic hypothermia can have a positive impact on patient outcome, but more research is required.
Impact of laparoscopic antireflux surgery on belching in pediatric GERD patients
Authors: Rinsma N. F. , Mauritz F. A. , van Heurn L. W. E. , Sloots C. E. J. , Siersema P. D. , Houwen R. H. J. , van der Zee D. C. , Masclee A. A. M. , Conchillo J. M. , Van Herwaarden‐Lindeboom M. Y. A.
Published: May 2016

Background

Laparoscopic antireflux surgery (LARS) is a well‐established treatment option for children with proton pomp inhibitor (PPI)‐resistant gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Besides preventing reflux of gastric fluid and solid content, LARS may also impair the ability of the stomach to vent intragastric air (i.e. gastric belching) and induce gas‐related complications, such as bloating and/or hyperflatulence. Furthermore, it was previously hypothesized that LARS induces a behavioral type of belching, not originating from the stomach, called supragastric belching. The aim of this study was to objectively evaluate the impact of LARS on gastric (GB) and supragastric belching (SGB) in children with GERD.

Methods

We performed a prospective, Dutch multicenter cohort study including 25 patients (12 males, median age 6 (range 2–18) years) with PPI‐resistant GERD who were scheduled for LARS. Twenty‐four‐hour multichannel intraluminal impedance pH monitoring (MII‐pH monitoring) was performed before and 3 months after fundoplication. Impedance pH tracings were analyzed for reflux episodes and GBs and SGBs.

Key Results

LARS reduced acid exposure time from 8.5% (6.0–16.2%) to 0.8% (0.2–2.8%), p < 0.001. The number of GBs also significantly decreased after LARS (59 [43–77] VS 5 [2–12], p < 0.001). The number of air swallows remained unchanged after LARS. SGBs were infrequent before LARS with no change in the number of SGB observed after the procedure. Postoperative belching symptoms were associated with GBs, not with SGBs.

Conclusion & Inferences

LARS significantly reduces the number of GBs in children with GERD, whereas the number of air swallows remains unchanged. Postoperative symptomatic belching is associated with GBs, but not with SGBs. These findings suggest that LARS does not induce the occurrence of SGBs in children, but longer follow‐up is required.
Novel brain‐penetrating oximes for reactivation of cholinesterase inhibited by sarin and VX surrogates
Authors: Chambers Janice E. , Meek Edward C. , Chambers Howard W.
Published: May 2016

Current oxime reactivators for organophosphate‐inhibited cholinesterase (ChE) do not effectively cross the blood–brain barrier and therefore cannot restore brain ChE activity in vivo. Our laboratories have studied highly relevant sarin and VX surrogates, which differ from their respective nerve agents only in the leaving group and thereby leave ChE phosphylated with the same chemical moiety as sarin and VX. Our laboratories have developed novel substituted phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oximes that lead to reduced ChE inhibition in the brains of rats challenged with a high sublethal dosage of the sarin surrogate, whereas 2‐PAM did not, using a paradigm designed to demonstrate brain penetration. In addition, treatment of rats with these novel oximes is associated with attenuation of seizure‐like behavior compared to rats treated with 2‐PAM, providing additional evidence that the oximes penetrate the blood–brain barrier. Further, some of the oximes provided 24‐h survival superior to 2‐PAM, and shortened the duration of seizure‐like behavior when rats were challenged with lethal dosages of the sarin and VX surrogates, providing additional support for the conclusion that these oximes penetrate the brain.
Targeted heat shock protein 72 for pulmonary cytoprotection
Authors: Parseghian Missag H. , Hobson Stephen T. , Richieri Richard A.
Published: May 2016

Heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) is perhaps the most important member of the HSP70 family of proteins, given that it is induced in a wide variety of tissues and cells to combat stress, particularly oxidative stress. Here, we review independent observations of the critical role this protein plays as a pulmonary cytoprotectant and discuss the merits of developing HSP72 as a therapeutic for rapid delivery to cells and tissues after a traumatic event. We also discuss the fusion of HSP72 to a cell‐penetrating single‐chain Fv antibody fragment derived from mAb 3E10, referred to as Fv–HSP70. This fusion construct has been validated in vivo in a cerebral infarction model and is currently in testing as a clinical therapeutic to treat ischemic events and as a fieldable medical countermeasure to treat inhalation of toxicants caused by terrorist actions or industrial accidents.
Modulation of the immune response by infection with Cryptosporidium spp. in children with allergic diseases
Authors: Guangorena‐Gómez J. O. , Maravilla‐Domínguez A. , García‐Arenas G. , Cervantes‐Flores M. , Meza‐Velázquez R. , Rivera‐Guillén M. , Acosta‐Saavedra L. C. , Goytia‐Acevedo R. C.
Published: May 2016

It has been demonstrated that the allergic response can be ameliorated by the administration of pathogen derivatives that activate Toll‐like receptors and induce a Th1‐type immune response (IR). Cryptosporidium is a parasite that promotes an IR via Toll‐like receptors and elicits the production of Th1‐type cytokines, which limit cryptosporidiosis. The aim of this study was to investigate allergy‐related immune markers in children naturally infected with Cryptosporidium. In a cross‐sectional study, 49 children with or without clinical diagnosis of allergies, oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. in the faeces were screened microscopically. We microscopically screened for leucocytes, examined T and B cells for allergy‐related activation markers using flow cytometry and evaluated serum for total IgE using chemiluminescence. Children with allergies and Cryptosporidium in the faeces had significantly lower levels of total IgE, B cells, CD19+CD23+ and CD19+CD124+ cells as well as a greater percentage of interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ+) and IL‐4+ CD4+ cells than children with allergies without Cryptosporidium. This is the first description of the modulation of the IR in children with allergic diseases in the setting of natural Cryptosporidium infection. Our findings suggest the involvement of CD4+ cells producing IL‐4 and IFN‐γ in the IR to Cryptosporidium in naturally infected children.
GROUNDHOG ORACLES AND THEIR FOREBEARS
Authors: Capper Daniel
Published: May 2016

Groundhog Day animal weather forecasting ceremonies continue to proliferate around the United States despite a lack of public confidence in the oracles. This essay probes religio‐historical and original ethnographic perspectives to offer a psychological argument for why these ceremonies exist. Employing Paul Shepard's notion of a felt loss of sacred, intimate relationships with nonhuman nature, as well as Peter Homans's concept of the monument that enables mourning, this essay argues that groundhog oracles serve as monuments that allow humans experientially to attempt to heal lost sacred relationships with animals like weather forecasting bears, hedgehogs, and badgers.
ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE
Authors: Smith Howard
Published: May 2016

We are probably alone in the universe—a conclusion based on observations of over 4,000 exoplanets and fundamental physical constraints. This article updates earlier arguments with the latest astrophysical results. Since the discovery of exoplanets, theologians have asked with renewed urgency what the presence of extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) says about salvation and human purpose, but this is the wrong question. The more urgent question is what their absence says. The “Misanthropic Principle” is the observation that, in a universe fine‐tuned for life (“Anthropic Principle”), the circumstances necessary for intelligence are rare.

Rabbis for 2,000 years discussed the existence of ETI using scriptural passages. We examine the traditional Jewish approaches to ETI, including insights on how ETI affects our perception of God, self, free‐will, and responsibility. We explore the implications of our probable solitude, and offer a Jewish response to the ethical lessons to be drawn from the absence of ETI.
Central leptin and resistin combined elicit enhanced central effects on renal sympathetic nerve activity
Authors: Habeeballah Hamza , Alsuhaymi Naif , Stebbing Martin J. , Jenkins Trisha A. , Badoer Emilio
Published: May 2016

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Leptin and resistin act centrally to increase renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). We investigated whether a combination of resistin and leptin could induce a greater response than either alone. We also used Fos protein to quantify the number of activated neurons in the brain.

What is the main finding and its importance?

A combination of leptin and resistin induced a greater increase in RSNA than either hormone alone. This was correlated with a greater number of activated neurons in the arcuate nucleus than with either hormone alone.

Leptin and resistin act centrally to increase renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA). We investigated whether a combination of resistin and leptin could induce a greater response than either alone. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate and RSNA were recorded before and for 3 h after intracerebroventricular saline (control; n = 5), leptin (7 μg; n = 5), resistin (7 μg; n = 4) and leptin administered 15 min after resistin (n = 6). Leptin alone and resistin alone significantly increased RSNA (74 ± 17 and 50 ± 14%, respectively; P < 0.0001 compared with saline). When leptin and resistin were combined, there was a significantly greater increase in RSNA (163 ± 23%) compared with either hormone alone (P < 0.0001). Maximal responses of mean arterial pressure and heart rate were not significantly different between groups. We also used Fos protein to quantify the number of activated neurons in the brain. Compared with controls, there were significant increases in numbers of Fos‐positive neurons in the arcuate and hypothalamic paraventricular nuclei when leptin or resistin was administered alone or when they were combined, and in the lamina terminalis when leptin and resistin were combined. Only in the arcuate nucleus was the increase significantly greater compared with either hormone alone. The findings show that a combination of leptin and resistin induces a greater RSNA increase and a greater number of activated neurons in the arcuate nucleus than with either hormone alone. Given that leptin makes an important contribution to the elevated RSNA observed in obese and overweight conditions, the increased concentrations of leptin and resistin may mean that the contribution of leptin to the elevated RSNA in those conditions is enhanced.
Discrete-Time Sliding-Mode Switching Control Scheme With Disturbance Observer and Its Application to Superheated Steam Temperature Systems
Authors: Yu Lei , Zhang Chun , Huang Jun , Fei Shumin
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we have addressed a sliding-mode switching control scheme with disturbance observer for a class of single-input single-output (SISO) discrete switched nonlinear systems which suffer from uncertain parameters. To overcome the influences, the external disturbances, and uncertainty, an application of the boiler steam temperature control systems has been modeled as the control plant, and a disturbance compensator observer from the sliding-mode dynamics has been proposed to enhance robustness and decrease the system chattering. With the presented control scheme, using the feedback linearizable method and average dwell time technique, the closed-loop switching system is stable such that the output tracking error converges to a small neighborhood nearby zero and the sliding-mode surface can be well obtained. Experimental results of the superheated steam temperature systems have developed the better performance of the proposed control scheme over traditional sliding control strategy, which have demonstrated good accuracy of tracking error performance.
On the Ideal Grid Resolution for Two-Dimensional Eulerian Modeling of Gas–Liquid Flows
Authors: Picardi Robert , Zhao Lei , Battaglia Francine
Published: May 2016

A study was performed to investigate the interesting observation that when using an Eulerian–Eulerian model to simulate a bubble column flow in two dimensions, accuracy did not always increase with increasing grid resolution. A correlation was found between the characteristic bubble diameter numerically specified and grid size, which identified a threshold where results lose physical meaning. An ideal relationship between grid size and bubble diameter was determined to optimize grid resolution and retain accuracy. The two-dimensional (2D) Eulerian model was validated using the experimental data of Rampure et al. (2003, “Modelling of Gas-Liquid/Gas-Liquid-Solid Flows in Bubble Columns: Experiments and CFD Simulations,” Can. J. Chem. Eng., 81(3–4), pp. 692–706). Further studies demonstrated that grid resolution could be increased to improve the numerical accuracy for three-dimensional (3D) simulations of the bubble column. The novel contributions of this study will show that the ratio of bubble diameter-to-grid cell size should equal 1/2 for the 2D simulations.
Comment on “Reconstructing surface wave profiles from reflected acoustic pulses” [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 133(5), 2597–2611 (2013)]
Authors: Choo Youngmin , Song H. C.
Published: May 2016

A computationally efficient, time-domain Helmholtz-Kirchhoff (H-K) integral was derived and applied to reconstructing surface wave profiles from reflected acoustic pulses [Walstead and Deane, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 133, 2597–2611 (2013)]. However, the final form of the integral equation incorporating a stationary phase approximation contained a complex phase term exp(iπ/4), which cannot be treated as a simple time delay. In this work, a real time-domain H-K integral is presented that includes an additional Hilbert transform of the time-derivative of the transmitted pulse. Numerical simulation with a sinusoidal surface shows good agreement between the real time-domain formulation and exact H-K integral, while achieving a significant improvement in computational speed (e.g., 2 orders of magnitude).
Speech accommodation to room acoustics: Reverberation time and clarity
Authors: Bottalico Pasquale , Graetzer Simone , Hunter Eric J.
Published: May 2016

Vocal effort is a physiological entity that accounts for changes in voice production as vocal loading increases, which can be quantified in terms of sound pressure level (SPL). This study investigates how vocal effort is affected by speaking style, room acoustics, and short-term vocal fatigue. Twenty subjects were recorded while reading a text at normal and loud volumes in anechoic, semi-reverberant, and reverberant rooms in the presence of babble noise. The acoustics in each environment were modified by increasing the strength of the early reflections in the talker position. The subjects answered questions addressing their perception of vocal effort, comfort, control, and the clarity of their own voice. SPL variation for each subject was measured per task. It was found that SPL and self-reported effort increased in the loud style and decreased when the reflective panels were present and when reverberation time increased. In contrast, self-reported comfort and control decreased in the loud style, while self-reported clarity increased when panels were present. SPL was higher for females than for males. The lowest magnitude of apparent short-term vocal fatigue was experienced by talkers in the semi-reverberant room. The results indicate that reflections may be used to reduce vocal effort without modifying reverberation time.
Electrically-evoked frequency following responses in the auditory brainstem of cochlear impaired guinea pigs
Authors: Chen Jing , Ding Xiuyong , He Wenxin , Zhang Ruxiang , Wu Xihong
Published: May 2016

It is still a difficult clinical issue to decide whether a patient is a suitable candidate for a cochlear implant and to plan postoperative rehabilitation, especially for some special cases, such as auditory neuropathy. A partial solution to these problems is to preoperatively evaluate the functional integrity of the auditory neural pathways. For evaluating the strength of phase-locking of auditory neurons, which was not reflected in previous methods using electrically evoked auditory brainstem response (EABRs), electrically evoked frequency following responses (EFFRs) recorded on normal guinea pigs have been studied in a previous study (He et al. 2014, PLoS One). To investigate the feasibility of EFFRs for clinic, a cochlear impaired model of guinea pig was used to compare the EFFRs for normal and impaired hearing, and to compare EFFRs and EABRs for the impaired hearing. Eight guinea pigs were used, and the experiment results showed that: (1) there were no significant differences of EFFRs between the normal and the cochlear impaired guinea pigs on the relative amplitudes, the latencies, the frequency ranges, and the evoked thresholds; (2) the evoked threshold of EFFRs was lower than EABRs, and the EFFRs were recorded successfully more times than EABRs.