bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MicroRNA-449a Inhibition Protects H9C2 Cells Against Hypoxia/Reoxygenation-Induced Injury by Targeting the Notch-1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Cheng Jing , Wu Qianfu , Lv Rong , Huang Li , Xu Banglong , Wang Xianbao , Chen Aihua , He Fei
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims: The present study aimed to detect the expression of miR-449a and investigate the effect of miR-449a on cell injury in cardiomyocytes subjected to hypoxia/ reoxygenation (H/R) and its underlying mechanisms. Methods: The expression of miR-449a was determined using reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction in both neonatal rat ventricular myocytes and H9C2 cells. For gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies, H9C2 cells were transfected with either miR-449a mimics or miR-449a inhibitor. The target gene of miR-449a was confirmed by a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Apoptosis was analyzed by both flow cytometry using Annexin V and propidium iodide and transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL). Necrosis was confirmed by the detection of lactate dehydrogenase release. The cell viability was measured using the methylthiotetrazole method. The protein levels of Notch-1, Notch-1 intracellular domain, hairy and enhancer of split-1 (Hes-1), and apoptosis-related genes were measured by Western blot analysis. Results: MiR-449a was significantly upregulated in both neonatal rat ventricular myocytes and H9C2 cells subjected to H/R. However, H/R-induced cell apoptosis and necrosis were markedly reduced by miR-449a inhibition. By targeting Notch-1, miR-449a regulated the Notch-1/ Hes-1 signaling pathway. The blockade of the Notch signaling pathway partly abolished the protective effect of miR-449a suppression against H/R injury, whereas the overexpression of Notch-1 intracellular domain partly reversed the effect of miR-449a overexpression on H/R-induced cell injury. Conclusions: The present study suggested that miR-449a inhibition protected H9C2 cells against H/R-induced cell injury by targeting the Notch-1 signaling pathway, providing a novel insight into the molecular basis of myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury and a potential therapeutic target.
Role of Dipyrone in the High On-Treatment Platelet Reactivity amongst Acetylsalicylic Acid-Treated Patients Undergoing Peripheral Artery Revascularisation
Authors: Hartinger Jan , Novotny Robert , Bilkova Jana , Kvasnicka Tomas , Mitas Petr , Sima Martin , Hlubocky Jaroslav , Kvasnicka Jan , Slanar Ondrej , Lindner Jaroslav
Published: May 2018

Objective: To evaluate the effects of dipyrone on sensitivity to aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid [ASA]) in patients who underwent peripheral artery vascular reconstruction. Subjects and Methods: Impedance aggregometry and light transmission aggregometry were used to determine the effects of dipyrone on ASA treatment in 21 patients. Blood samples were drawn in a 7-day period after the surgery. The cut-off value for high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HTPR) was set at < 65% of aggregation inhibition for impedance aggregometry. For light transmission aggregometry the cut-off value for arachidonic acid-induced aggregation was set at > 20% of aggregating platelets, and the cut-off value for epinephrine-induced aggregation was > 44% of aggregating platelets. The cut-off value for each method was derived from a large number of patients treated with a daily dose of 100 mg of ASA. Results: We found HTPR in 14 (67%) of the 21 patients. None had primary resistance to ASA, i.e., after the addition of ASA in vitro all samples showed antiplatelet efficacy. Regression analysis showed a possible correlation between lower efficacy of ASA treatment and higher daily doses of dipyrone (p = 0.005 for impedance aggregometry, p = 0.04 for light transmission aggregometry), higher platelet count (p = 0.005 for impedance aggregometry), and shorter time from surgery (p = 0.03 for impedance aggregometry). Conclusion: HTPR occurs in 67% of ASA-treated patients after lower limb vascular surgery. The occurrence of HTPR correlates with the daily dose of dipyrone. Therefore, dipyrone should not be used as a postoperative analgesic in ASA-treated patients after peripheral artery revascularisation due to its influence on the effectiveness of ASA.
Socioeconomic Status and Cardiovascular Outcomes
Authors: Schultz William M. , Kelli Heval M. , Lisko John C. , Varghese Tina , Shen Jia , Sandesara Pratik , Quyyumi Arshed A. , Taylor Herman A. , Gulati Martha , Harold John G. , Mieres Jennifer H. , Ferdinand Keith C. , Mensah George A , Sperling Laurence S.
Published: May 2018

Socioeconomic status (SES) has a measurable and significant effect on cardiovascular health. Biological, behavioral, and psychosocial risk factors prevalent in disadvantaged individuals accentuate the link between SES and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Four measures have been consistently associated with CVD in high-income countries: income level, educational attainment, employment status, and neighborhood socioeconomic factors. In addition, disparities based on sex have been shown in several studies. Interventions targeting patients with low SES have predominantly focused on modification of traditional CVD risk factors. Promising approaches are emerging that can be implemented on an individual, community, or population basis to reduce disparities in outcomes. Structured physical activity has demonstrated effectiveness in low-SES populations, and geomapping may be used to identify targets for large-scale programs. Task shifting, the redistribution of healthcare management from physician to nonphysician providers in an effort to improve access to health care, may have a role in select areas. Integration of SES into the traditional CVD risk prediction models may allow improved management of individuals with high risk, but cultural and regional differences in SES make generalized implementation challenging. Future research is required to better understand the underlying mechanisms of CVD risk that affect individuals of low SES and to determine effective interventions for patients with high risk. We review the current state of knowledge on the impact of SES on the incidence, treatment, and outcomes of CVD in high-income societies and suggest future research directions aimed at the elimination of these adverse factors, and the integration of measures of SES into the customization of cardiovascular treatment.
Maternal Exposure to Ambient Particulate Matter ≤2.5 µm During Pregnancy and the Risk for High Blood Pressure in Childhood
Authors: Zhang Mingyu , Mueller Noel T. , Wang Hongjian , Hong Xiumei , Appel Lawrence J. , Wang Xiaobin
Published: May 2018

Exposure to ambient air pollution has been associated with greater risk of elevated blood pressure (BP) in adults and children. Recent evidence suggests that air pollution exposure in pregnancy may also portend increased risk for the next generation; however, few studies have examined this relationship. We conducted a prospective study of 1293 mothers in the Boston Birth Cohort (enrolled 1998–2012) and their children who had follow-up visits between 3 and 9 years of age and complete exposure and outcome data. Our primary exposure, ambient particulate matter ≤2.5 µm (PM
2.5
) concentration during pregnancy, was estimated by matching mother’s residential address to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s air quality monitors. We defined our primary outcome child systolic BP (SBP) percentile according to US reference (Fourth Report) and classified elevated BP as SBP ≥90th percentile. Our multivariable-adjusted cubic spline showed a sharp increase in offspring SBP percentile and risk for elevated BP when third-trimester PM
2.5
concentration was ≥13 μg/m
3
. The highest versus lowest tertile of third-trimester PM
2.5
exposure was associated with a 4.85 (95% confidence interval: 1.38–8.37) percentile increase in child SBP or a 1.61 (95% confidence interval: 1.13–2.30) times higher risk of child elevated BP. A 5-μg/m
3
increment in PM
2.5
during the third trimester was associated with a 3.49 (95% confidence interval: 0.71–6.26) percentile increase in child SBP or a 1.47 (95% confidence interval: 1.17–1.85) times higher risk of elevated BP. Our findings suggest that exposure to ambient PM
2.5
during the third trimester of pregnancy is associated with elevated BP in children, ages 3 to 9 years.
Early Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption in Ischemic Stroke Initiates Multifocally Around Capillaries/Venules
Authors: Hoffmann Angelika , Dege Tassilo , Kunze Reiner , Ernst Anne-Sophie , Lorenz Holger , Böhler Laura-Inés , Korff Thomas , Marti Hugo H. , Heiland Sabine , Bendszus Martin , Helluy Xavier , Pham Mirko
Published: May 2018

Background and Purpose—

Detection and localization of the early phase of blood–brain barrier disruption (BBBD) in vivo during cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury remain a major challenge but may be a relevant outcome parameter in stroke.

Methods—

We studied early BBBD in mice after transient middle cerebral artery occlusion by multimodal, high-field (9.4T) in vivo magnetic resonance imaging, including the contrast agent gadofluorineM as an albumin-binding tracer. GadofluorineM contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was performed to determine BBBD at 2, 6, and 24 hours after reperfusion. BBBD was confirmed and localized along the microvascular tree by using fluorescent gadofluorineM and immunofluorescence stainings (cluster of differentiation 31, ephrin type-B receptor 4, alpha smooth muscle actin, ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1).

Results—

GadofluorineM contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging revealed a multifocal spatial distribution of early BBBD and its close association with the microvasculature at a resolution of 40 μm. GadofluorineM leakage was closely associated with ephrin type-B receptor 4-positive but not alpha smooth muscle actin-positive vessels. The multifocal pattern of early BBBD (already at 2 hours after reperfusion) thus occurred in the distal capillary and venular microvascular bed. These multifocal zones showed distinct imaging signs indicative of early vasogenic edema. The total volume of multifocal early BBBD accurately predicted infarct size at 24 hours after reperfusion.

Conclusions—

Early BBBD in focal cerebral ischemia initiates multifocally in the distal capillary and venular bed of the cerebral microvasculature. It is closely associated with perimicrovascular vasogenic edema and microglial activation and predicts the extent of final infarction.
Praise of the Prophet and Praise of Self: Sīrat Banī Hilāl and Epic Narrative in Performance
Authors: Slyomovics Susan
Published: May 2018

How does an epic begin in performance and in narration? Questions surrounding the beginning of an Arab oral epic performance differ from those surrounding the origins of the text. This essay explores several levels of beginning in the Sīrat Banī Hilāl epic, a cycle of heroic tales recited throughout the Arabic and Amazigh-speaking world, with reference to versions by the oral epic poet ʿAwaḍ Allāh ʿAbd al-Jalīl ʿAlī that I collected in Upper Egypt in the 1980s. By drawing on the writings of Pierre Cachia, a pioneering scholar in the study, transcription, and English translation of vernacular Arabic literature, I ask how the epic poet begins reciting an epic in performance and how the epic hero is born in text, performance, and scholarly histories. Answers may be found both in the history of Egyptian folklore studies and the tradition of praise-poetry (madīḥ) sung or recited by poets and storytellers to initiate oral epic performance.
Applying Effective Control to the Conduct of UN Forces
Authors: Ekanayake Charuka , Rimmer Susan Harris
Published: May 2018

Responsibility is a notion that is central to all legal systems. Its operation in international law, however, has been complicated by (inter alia) the complexity of the operative rules, as well as the intricate factual dynamics on which it is called upon to operate. Such complications often create confusion, mistrust and even accountability gaps in important areas. This article deals with one such area: responsibility for the conduct of United Nations (‘UN’) troops. It commences with an analysis of the notion of responsibility in international law before elaborating the factual dynamics underpinning the relevant legal discussion comprised, inter alia, of the troop contribution frameworks, command and control structures, and the execution of UN orders. The article will then proceed to its core issue: how responsibility for acts directly perpetrated by UN forces (in contrast to other forms of responsibility pertaining to, for instance, aiding and assisting or directing the acts of another) should be apportioned.
Secrets on the Muhammadan Way: Transmission of the Esoteric Sciences in 18th Century Scholarly Networks
Authors: Wright Zachary
Published: May 2018

The eighteenth century witnessed a flurry of Islamic scholarly exchange, connecting North and West Africa to the Middle East and even India. The Islamic sciences transmitted through these networks have had lasting resonance in Africa, particularly in chains transmitting Ḥadīth and Sufi affiliations. Academics have been justly skeptical as to the actual content of these often short meetings between scholars, suggesting such meetings tell us little about shared scholarly understandings. Study of unpublished manuscripts detailing the acquisition of “secrets” (asrār), apparently widespread in these eighteenth-century networks, can add new understanding to the affinities between scholarly legacies emerging in the period. This paper considers such questions in relationship to Aḥmad al-Tijānī (d. 1815, Fez), the founder of the Tijāniyya Sufi order prominent in West Africa today.
“An Oriental Orientalist”: Aḥmad Zakī Pasha (1868-1934), Egyptian Statesman and Philologist in the Colonial Age
Authors: Ryad Umar
Published: May 2018

The article sheds light on an important episode of the Arab-Orientalist encounter in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century by highlighting the role of the Egyptian scholar Aḥmad Zakī Pasha (1868-1934) in Orientalist circles, his travels to Europe, and his contributions to Arabic linguistic and cultural revival as well as politics. The study looks at his contribution as a member of the international scholarly circles of Arabic and Islamic studies. It will be shown that his engagement with European Orientalists was inseparable from his endeavors to ‘revive’ the Arabic heritage (iḥyā’ al-turāth), an engagement that was rooted in his discourse of ‘Arabism’ (al-‘urūba).
Early Pleistocene and Holocene bryozoans from Indonesia
Authors: DI MARTINO EMANUELA , TAYLOR PAUL D.
Published: May 2018

This paper describes 40 bryozoan species, comprising one cyclostome and 39 cheilostomes (8 anascan- and 31 ascophoran-grade), obtained from early Pleistocene and Holocene samples from two localities in Indonesia. Five of the cheilostomes are described as new species: Acanthodesia variegata n. sp., Pleurocodonellina javanensis n. sp., Calyptotheca sidneyi n. sp., Characodoma wesselinghi n. sp., and Turbicellepora yasuharai n. sp. All of the remaining species are extant and characterized by a tropical to subtropical Indo-West Pacific distribution.
When the Fed Speaks: Arguments, Emotions, and the Microfoundations of Institutions
Authors: Harmon Derek J.
Published: May 2018

This study investigates what happens when a prominent leader explicitly reaffirms the taken-for-granted assumptions underlying an institution. While such efforts are usually made to reinforce the institution, I theorize that they actually destabilize the institution and create collective uncertainty by reopening the very considerations that people take for granted. Using speeches made by the chair of the United States Federal Reserve from 1998 to 2014, I demonstrate that reaffirming the taken-for-granted assumptions underlying the monetary policy framework creates uncertainty in the broader financial market. This market reaction is also influenced by emotions present at the time of the speech that shape how the event is interpreted. Speeches conveyed in an overall more positive tone suppress this reaction, while more fear in the business media amplifies it. Moreover, supplementary analyses conducted on speeches during the financial crisis suggest that when the taken-for-grantedness of these assumptions has weakened, reaffirming them no longer creates uncertainty to the same extent. This study expands our understanding of the consequences of communication in market contexts, raises important questions about the trade-offs between public transparency and market stability, and contributes new insights to research on the cognitive and emotional microfoundations of institutions.
Foundations in Germany: A Portrait
Authors: Anheier Helmut K. , Förster Sarah , Mangold Janina , Striebing Clemens
Published: May 2018

The article presents the findings of a research project on the roles and positioning of foundations in Germany, with a focus on the fields of education, higher education, social services, and arts and culture. Results show that fields as well as differences in size and mode of operation are key to understanding the roles and positioning of foundations. Germany is a coordinated market economy with a conservative welfare regime and a corporatist nonprofit sector. However, especially the latter of the two characteristics is gradually changing, and foundations are moving away from a state orientation toward a greater civil society focus.
Foundations in the United States: Dimensions for International Comparison
Authors: Hammack David C. , Smith Steven Rathgeb
Published: May 2018

The United States offers a challenging case for the comparative study of philanthropic foundations. Depending on definition, foundation numbers total 80,000 or 130,000. They hold comparatively large assets per capita, though they vary enormously in assets; most are quite small, and compared with government and profit-seeking business, their wealth and their influence are very limited. Public controversies shape and confuse much of the discussion about them: the increasing inequality in the distribution of wealth, the continuing subordination of people of color and women, the impact of money on elections and on public policies and international relations, the prominence of the largest endowed, nonprofit universities and hospitals. Seeking to evaluate the critiques as well as the foundations’ positive contributions, the U.S. researcher encounters all “the combined complexities” that bedevil comparative international studies of foundations. Deriving their corporate charters from the states, they operate under diverse legal environments and vary in self-understanding and operations. American foundations prize their autonomy, though regulation denies them the privacies and choices available to business firms and the superrich. Historically close affiliations with religion brings many funds under constitutional provisions that restrict public access to information. Although the data are incomplete and superficial, high-quality nonprofit websites and archives do provide much federally mandated and other data. Focusing more on change and the protection of values than on relief of basic need, they underwrite highly diverse and competing purposes; many of them promote the leading universities, hospitals, and arts organizations in their home regions. Recent donors, determined to achieve defined outcomes, have increasingly used community foundation or commercial advised funds rather than independent foundations. Finding that their resources are too limited to advance favored policy or social changes, a number of celebrated funds have recently sought to increase their influence through expertise, collaboration with communities and other organizations including businesses, supplementing grants with loans, and other initiatives.
Tracheoesophageal Prosthesis Use Is Associated With Improved Overall Quality of Life in Veterans With Laryngeal Cancer
Authors: Patel Ramya S. , Mohr Tiffany , Hartman Christine , Stach Carol , Sikora Andrew G. , Zevallos Jose P. , Sandulache Vlad C.
Published: May 2018

Objectives:

Veterans have an increased risk of laryngeal cancer, yet their oncologic and functional outcomes remain understudied. We sought to determine the longitudinal impact of tracheoesophageal puncture and voice prosthesis on quality-of-life measures in veterans following total laryngectomy (TL).

Methods:

We performed a cross-sectional analysis of TL patients (n = 68) treated at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center using the Voice Handicap Index (VHI), MD Anderson Dysphagia Index (MDADI), and University of Washington Quality of Life Index (UW-QOL).

Results:

Using tracheoesophageal (TE) speech was associated with significantly better VHI, MDADI, and UW-QOL scores compared to other forms of communication. The association between TE speech use on VHI, MDADI, and UQ-QOL persisted even when the analysis was limited to patients with >5-year follow-up and was maintained on multivariate analysis that accounted for a history of radiation and laryngectomy for recurrent laryngeal cancer.

Conclusions:

Using tracheoesophageal speech after total laryngectomy is associated with durable improvements in quality of life and functional outcomes in veterans. Tracheoesophageal voice restoration should be attempted whenever technically feasible in patients that meet the complex psychosocial and physical requirements to appropriately utilize TE speech.
Development of Quantitative Analysis Techniques for Saccharification Reactions Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Maharadika Anggara , Andriana Bibin B. , Susanto AB , Matsuyoshi Hiroko , Sato Hidetoshi
Published: May 2018

A technique for the analysis of saccharification reactions by a specific enzyme was developed on the basis of Raman spectroscopy using multivariate analysis. It is a microvolume, quantitative, and in situ technique, which can be used for studying saccharification processes in plant tissues. Prediction models for quantitative analysis of maltose, glucose, and starch were built with partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis to monitor the saccharification process caused by α-amylase. We examined the reliability of the prediction models built using seven test samples. The spectral regions used to build the models were optimized for each sugar and were selected in such a manner that they did not overlap with strong protein and lipid bands that generally exist in plant tissues. The models were validated by monitoring the composition of reduced sugars and starch in a reactor and by comparing the results with those obtained by a conventional method. The results of Raman analysis and the conventional method showed good agreement for the reaction with α-amylase; however, it is not perfect for reactions with a different enzyme, especially β-amylase. The results suggest that the present Raman technique is reliable and useful for sugar analysis. However, the prediction model built for a specific enzyme is valid only for that enzyme.
Innovation in the public sector: Towards an open and collaborative approach
Authors: Bekkers Victor , Tummers Lars
Published: May 2018

Innovation in the public sector is high on the agenda of politicians, civil servants and societal organizations. This attention in practice is mirrored in an increasing number of scholarly articles. In this introduction to the special issue on public sector innovation, we discuss how the scholarly perspectives on innovation have changed. Previously, it was assumed that innovation could be organized within organizations: if your organization had the necessary resources, innovation could happen. Nowadays, innovation in the public sector is seen as an open process of collaboration between stakeholders across various organizations. This change towards open and collaborative approaches has consequences for studies on innovation, for instance, it becomes important to analyse how to activate stakeholders to join the innovation process. Next to this, scholars interested in innovation should connect their research with other literature streams, such as those focused on network governance, leadership and design thinking. In such ways, innovation scholars can develop research that is relevant to society.
Stuttering Frequency, Speech Rate, Speech Naturalness, and Speech Effort During the Production of Voluntary Stuttering
Authors: Davidow Jason H. , Grossman Heather L. , Edge Robin L.
Published: May 2018

Purpose:

Voluntary stuttering techniques involve persons who stutter purposefully interjecting disfluencies into their speech. Little research has been conducted on the impact of these techniques on the speech pattern of persons who stutter. The present study examined whether changes in the frequency of voluntary stuttering accompanied changes in stuttering frequency, articulation rate, speech naturalness, and speech effort.

Method:

In total, 12 persons who stutter aged 16–34 years participated. Participants read four 300-syllable passages during a control condition, and three voluntary stuttering conditions that involved attempting to produce purposeful, tension-free repetitions of initial sounds or syllables of a word for two or more repetitions (i.e., bouncing). The three voluntary stuttering conditions included bouncing on 5%, 10%, and 15% of syllables read. Friedman tests and follow-up Wilcoxon signed ranks tests were conducted for the statistical analyses.

Results:

Stuttering frequency, articulation rate, and speech naturalness were significantly different between the voluntary stuttering conditions. Speech effort did not differ between the voluntary stuttering conditions. Stuttering frequency was significantly lower during the three voluntary stuttering conditions compared to the control condition, and speech effort was significantly lower during two of the three voluntary stuttering conditions compared to the control condition.

Conclusions:

Due to changes in articulation rate across the voluntary stuttering conditions, it is difficult to conclude, as has been suggested previously, that voluntary stuttering is the reason for stuttering reductions found when using voluntary stuttering techniques. Additionally, future investigations should examine different types of voluntary stuttering over an extended period of time to determine their impact on stuttering frequency, speech rate, speech naturalness, and speech effort.
Load transfer mechanism and reinforcement effect of segmentally yieldable anchorage in weakly consolidated soft rock
Authors: Zhao Zenghui , Ma Qing , Tan Yunliang , Gao Xiaojie
Published: May 2018

Mine disasters, such as large deformation, floor heave, and roof fall, occur extremely easily in weakly consolidated soft rock strata in western China, posing enormous challenges to traditional anchorage support design. To avoid tensile failure of bolts as a result of the superposition effect of stress accumulation, a segmentally yieldable anchorage support, taking into consideration the different failure zones in surrounding rock, is presented in this paper. First, load transfer mechanisms and the process of anchorage failure are analyzed for end anchorage, full-length anchorage, and segmentally yieldable anchorage based on numerical pull-out tests. Results show that the load transfer follows a multipeak chain-like trend in the case of multipoint segmental anchorage, and that the peaks of stress attenuate slowly. Therefore, the proposed anchorage type can leverage the shear strength effectively. Furthermore, numerical models for the applications of the aforementioned three different anchoring modes to weakly consolidated soft strata are established. Results indicate that segmentally yieldable anchorage can withstand larger tensile deformation and surrounding rock deformation. Moreover, the bolt shows higher strength reservation. A combination of these characteristics is conducive to controlling deformation and damage during roadway excavation.
Anything Lorenz Curves Can Do, Top Shares Can Do: Assessing the TopBot Family of Inequality Measures
Authors: Jasso Guillermina
Published: May 2018

Newly precise evidence of the trajectory of top incomes in the United States and around the world relies on shares and ratios, prompting new inquiry into their properties as inequality measures. Current evidence suggests a mathematical link between top shares and the Gini coefficient and empirical links extending as well to the Atkinson measure. The work reported in this article strengthens that evidence, making several contributions: First, it formalizes the shares and ratios, showing that as monotonic transformations of each other, they are different manifestations of a single inequality measure, here called TopBot. Second, it presents two standard forms of TopBot, which satisfy the principle of normalization. Third, it presents a new link between top shares and the Gini coefficient, showing that properties and results associated with the Lorenz curve pertain as well to top shares. Fourth, it investigates TopBot in mathematically specified probability distributions, showing that TopBot is monotonically related to classical measures such as the Gini, Atkinson, and Theil measures and the coefficient of variation. Thus, TopBot appears to be a genuine inequality measure. Moreover, TopBot is further distinguished by its ease of calculation and ease of interpretation, making it an appealing People’s measure of inequality. This work also provides new insights, for example, that, given nonlinearities in the (monotonic) relations among inequality measures, Spearman correlations are more appropriate than Pearson correlations and that weakening of correlations signals differences and shifts in distributional form, themselves signals of income dynamics.
Personality Traits Differentiate Subgroups of Criminal Offenders With Distinct Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Profiles
Authors: Dargis Monika , Koenigs Michael
Published: May 2018

Mental illness and substance use disorder are prominent among jail and prison inmates. Developing more effective mental and behavioral health treatment approaches for incarcerated criminal offenders is a critical step toward reducing rates of recidivism and relapse following release. Specifying subgroups of offenders who differ in cognitive, affective, behavioral, and demographic characteristics could facilitate more targeted and effective treatment approaches. Accordingly, this study utilized model-based cluster analysis to identify subgroups of offenders in a large sample of incarcerated male offenders ( n = 2,388) using broad personality traits. Six subgroups of offenders emerged based on personality scales related to positive affect, negative affect, and behavioral control. Subsequent analyses revealed significant differences between groups on measures of cognitive ability, affect dysregulation, antisociality, substance use, and impulsivity. These findings provide insight into potential treatment and intervention strategies to target the specific needs of distinct subgroups of incarcerated offenders.
The Legal Significance of Christ’s Risen Life: Union with Christ and Justification in Galatians 2.17-20
Authors: Cowan J. Andrew
Published: May 2018

This article addresses the relationship between Paul’s reference to justification ‘in Christ’ in Gal. 2.17 and the description of Paul’s relation to Christ in Gal. 2.19-20. Interpreters typically suggest that these verses bear no direct relation to each other or that they demonstrate that Paul understands justification to entail more than a forensic declaration. There is, however, an old but often neglected interpretation of this passage maintaining that Gal. 2.19-20 should be understood in forensic terms. This view suggests that the phrase ‘Christ lives ἐν ἐμοί’ (Gal. 2.20) does not refer to the indwelling of Christ but rather depicts Christ’s reception of resurrection life as a representative event into which believers are incorporated. The central argument of this article is that several lines of evidence support the viability of this proposal.
The Completion of King Saul in Acts
Authors: French Blaire A.
Published: May 2018

The thesis of this article is that Acts’ account of Paul is intended to subsume and revise the story of King Saul to show that spiritual transformation is only possible after Jesus. This objective is achieved by three means: Paul’s name change from Saul to Paul (Acts 13.9), an allusion to a doublet in Samuel (1 Sam. 24 and 26; cf. Acts 9, 22, 26) and the narrative’s treatment of Saul’s reign (Acts 13.21-22). King Saul in the book of Acts, contrary to the predominant view (Augustine; S. Chapman; R. Pervo), does not prefigure the rejection of Jesus but serves as a crucial illustration of the limits of rejuvenation in the time before Christ.
Tasting the Kingdom: Wine-Drinking and Audience Inference in Mark 15.36
Authors: Whitenton Michael R.
Published: May 2018

This article explores ancient and modern reflection on inference generation and its implications for potential audience inferences concerning the Markan Jesus and whether he drinks the wine the bystander offers him while crucified (15.36). By examining this logical possibility from the perspective of hearing, rather than silent reading, this article sets forth previously underappreciated evidence that Mark’s narrative is intentionally vague at this point, prompting listeners to decide the matter for themselves. Moreover, I argue that the flow and rhetoric of the narrative both suggest that hearers were meant to infer that Jesus does indeed drink – and in so doing enjoy an ironic foretaste of Mark’s vision for the kingdom of God.
Divine Love and the Constitution of the Self
Authors: Eastman Susan G.
Published: May 2018

In this response I discuss some of the key remarks and suggestions in the foregoing reviews of Paul and the Person. These include questions of methodology in interdisciplinary engagements between science and theology, the tension and connection between cosmology and the structure of the self, imitation and transformation, ontological change, the continuity and discontinuity of the self, sin and the self, and personhood as gifted and sustained by divine love.
Discerning the Body of Christ: Paul, Poverty and the Powers
Authors: Moses Robert
Published: May 2018

For Paul, the powers pervade all aspects of human existence. Yet attempting to trace the connection between economic arrangements and the powers in Paul’s thought is not an easy task. This article will first show how the concepts of weakness and powerlessness serve as the hinge that holds together poverty and the powers in Paul’s thought. Christ’s confrontation with the powers on the cross is possible because Christ adopted a weak and powerless state. The very same concepts of weakness and powerlessness provide Paul with the linguistic and theological resources needed to sketch his economic vision for believers. In this vision the body of Christ (crucified and gathered) becomes the space where the powers are unmasked and defeated.
Three decades of the International Political Science Review (IPSR): A map of the methodological preferences in IPSR articles
Authors: Lima Enzo , Morschbacher Melina , Peres Paulo
Published: May 2018

Where does the International Political Science Review (IPSR) stand in relation to the hierarchies of knowledge in the discipline? IPSR is the journal of the International Political Science Association and a well-established journal in the discipline of Political Science. The journal has been published since 1980 and in 2016 ranked 54 out of 163 journals in the field. Mapping IPSR’s profile can help us understand the changing thematic, epistemological and methodological preferences within the world of political science. This report maps the distribution of methodological techniques across 152 issues of IPSR, by analysing the abstracts of every article published between 1980 and 2015. In doing so, it aims to provide a clearer picture of the methodological approaches used by political scientists and endorsed by the political science community as acceptable scientific modes of knowledge making.
Effects of wind ensemble seating configurations on college instrumentalists’ perceptions of ensemble sound
Authors: Silvey Brian A. , Regier Bradley J. , Wacker Aaron T.
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of wind ensemble seating configurations on college instrumentalists’ ratings of ensemble sound. Members of a university wind ensemble ( N = 40) were recorded while performing a 1-minute excerpt of Only Light by Aaron Perrine in one of four ensemble configurations. At the conclusion of the recording session, the performers wrote free-response comments to “In which of the four configurations did you feel the ensemble sounded their best?” and “Why?” Another set of participants, college ensemble members ( N = 121), listened to the four audio recordings and rated the ensemble tone quality, ensemble balance, and ensemble blend of each performance. Performers mentioned that ensemble balance and ensemble blend were important factors that influenced their decision as to why the ensemble sounded their best in a particular configuration. An analysis of the composite ratings revealed a significant main effect for ensemble configuration. However, there was a significant ensemble configuration × order interaction signifying that participants’ ratings were influenced by the order in which they heard the excerpts. Our results may suggest that ensemble configurations produce different listening environments for performers and audience members.
Transforming probation services in Magistrates’ courts
Authors: Robinson Gwen
Published: May 2018

This article presents findings from an exploratory study of court work in two English Magistrates’ courts which was conducted in 2017. The study involved two principal research methods: observation of the daily activities of court team members and semi-structured interviews with 21 members of the two teams, which took place towards the end of the research. The aim of this article is to provide an insight into contemporary probation work in Magistrates’ courts, in the wake of two major reform programmes: Transforming Rehabilitation and Transforming Summary Justice. The findings of this study raise questions about the contemporary relevance of the ‘narrative of decline’ that has featured in previous research and commentary on court work, and further suggests that – whilst it is early days – the creation of specialist court teams has not inevitably led to the ‘incorporation’ of probation workers into the dominant court culture.
Self-directed therapy programmes for arm rehabilitation after stroke: a systematic review
Authors: Da-Silva Ruth H , Moore Sarah A , Price Christopher I
Published: May 2018

Aim:

To investigate the effectiveness of self-directed arm interventions in adult stroke survivors.

Methods:

A systematic review of Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, SCOPUS and IEEE Xplore up to February 2018 was carried out. Studies of stroke arm interventions were included where more than 50% of the time spent in therapy was initiated and carried out by the participant. Quality of the evidence was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Results:

A total of 40 studies ( n = 1172 participants) were included (19 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 21 before–after studies). Studies were grouped according to no technology or the main additional technology used (no technology n = 5; interactive gaming n = 6; electrical stimulation n = 11; constraint-induced movement therapy n = 6; robotic and dynamic orthotic devices n = 8; mirror therapy n = 1; telerehabilitation n = 2; wearable devices n = 1). A beneficial effect on arm function was found for self-directed interventions using constraint-induced movement therapy ( n = 105; standardized mean difference (SMD) 0.39, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.00 to 0.78) and electrical stimulation ( n = 94; SMD 0.50, 95% CI 0.08–0.91). Constraint-induced movement therapy and therapy programmes without technology improved independence in activities of daily living. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated arm function benefit for patients >12 months poststroke ( n = 145; SMD 0.52, 95% CI 0.21–0.82) but not at 0–3, 3–6 or 6–12 months.

Conclusion:

Self-directed interventions can enhance arm recovery after stroke but the effect varies according to the approach used and timing. There were benefits identified from self-directed delivery of constraint-induced movement therapy, electrical stimulation and therapy programmes that increase practice without using additional technology.
Use of negative pressure wound therapy in a chronic leg wound with coexisting rheumatoid arthritis: a case study
Authors: Bazaliński Dariusz , Więch Paweł , Barańska Beata , Binkowska-Bury Monika
Published: May 2018

We present a case of a 69-year-old woman with rheumatoid arthritis. The patient’s condition was managed with steroid therapy for more than 12 years. She had a coexisting infected chronic ulceration in the left leg, which was treated with negative pressure wound therapy for 52 days. Use of this therapy within the wound reduced exudate and the bacterial count, which dramatically accelerated the process of wound healing.
Evaluation of the relationship between loneliness and medication adherence in patients with diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Kusaslan Avci Dilek
Published: May 2018

Objective

The emotional status of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is important in the course of treatment. The present study aimed to determine the level of loneliness among patients with DM and to evaluate the relationship between the patients’ level of loneliness and medication adherence.

Method

This cross-sectional study used a semi-structured questionnaire and the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale to collect data from 325 patients who were diagnosed with DM.

Results

We found that loneliness scores were significantly elevated in individuals with a low level of education, unmarried individuals, and students. Furthermore, these scores were elevated in patients diagnosed with type 1 DM, patients on insulin therapy, patients diagnosed with diabetic foot syndrome, patients who did not exercise regularly, and patients who reported being disturbed by reminders from their families or spouses to take their medications or they did not feel anything after such reminders.

Conclusions

Individuals with DM may encounter various problems in their daily lives. Evaluating the emotional status in these individuals, including loneliness and treatment adherence, is important in ensuring that their needs are being met.
Sevoflurane exerts brain-protective effects against sepsis-associated encephalopathy and memory impairment through caspase 3/9 and Bax/Bcl signaling pathway in a rat model of sepsis
Authors: Bedirli Nurdan , Bagriacik Emin Umit , Yilmaz Guldal , Ozkose Zerrin , Kavutçu Mustafa , Cavunt Bayraktar Aslı , Bedirli Abdulkadir
Published: May 2018

Objective

We compared the effects of sevoflurane and isoflurane on systemic inflammation, sepsis-associated encephalopathy, and memory impairment in a rat sepsis model of cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced polymicrobial peritonitis.

Methods

Twenty-four rats were assigned to sham, CLP, CLP + sevoflurane, and CLP + isoflurane groups. At 72 hours after CLP, the rats underwent behavior tests. Serum cytokines were evaluated. Brain tissue samples were collected for determination of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase; the wet/dry weight ratio; myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA); apoptotic gene release; and histologic examinations.

Results

The MPO level, wet/dry weight ratio, and histopathology scores were lower and the Bcl2a1 and Bcl2l2 expressions were upregulated in both the CLP + sevoflurane and CLP + isoflurane groups compared with the CLP group. The interleukin-6, interleukin-1β, MDA, and caspase 3, 8, and 9 levels were lower; the GPX, SOD, Bax, Bcl2, and Bclx levels were higher; and non-associative and aversive memory were improved in the CLP + sevoflurane group compared with the CLP + isoflurane group.

Conclusion

Sevoflurane decreased apoptosis and oxidative injury and improved memory in this experimental rat model of CLP. Sevoflurane sedation may protect against brain injury and memory impairment in septic patients.
Modeling Stress-Dependent Anisotropic Elastoplastic Unbound Granular Base in Flexible Pavements
Authors: Zhang Yuqing , Gu Fan , Luo Xue , Birgisson Bjorn , Lytton Robert L.
Published: May 2018

Unbound granular base (UGB) has a cross-anisotropic and nonlinear (stress-dependent) modulus with a plastic behavior. Existing UGB models address nonlinear cross-anisotropy and plasticity separately. It is unknown how the two characteristics are coupled into a finite element model (FEM) and how this will affect the pavement responses. This study presents a coupled nonlinear cross-anisotropic elastoplastic (NAEP) constitutive model for the UGB and implements it in a weak form equation-based FEM. No material subroutine is needed to address the circular dependence between the stress-dependent anisotropic modulus, structural stress responses, and elastoplastic deformation. The NAEP model was calibrated by triaxial resilient modulus and strength tests and validated using laboratory measurements in a large-scale soil-tank pavement structural test. It is found that the NAEP model is valid and effective in predicting the UGB responses in flexible pavements. The model predicted less horizontal tensile stresses at the base bottom and introduced compressive stresses in the middle and top of the base course. This is caused by an increasing confinement resulting from a horizontal plastic dilation in the base course, which cannot be modeled without considering plasticity. The stress-dependent modulus for the UGB material decreases with depth and the distance from loading centerline. Compared with a nonlinear anisotropic elastic model, the NAEP model predicted the same tensile strain at asphalt layer bottom, a higher base modulus, and a higher subgrade compressive strain. Thus, the nonlinear anisotropic elastic UGB model results in the same fatigue life as the NAEP model but may riskily under-predict rutting damage.
Situation Awareness Fast-Tracking, Including Identifying Escape Routes (SAFER): Evaluation of the Impact of SAFER on Learner Driver Situation Awareness Skills
Authors: Scott-Parker Bridie , Wilks Leigh , Huang Bonnie
Published: May 2018

Despite a plethora of education, engineering, and enforcement-related intervention, the pernicious problem that is young driver road safety remains of global interest. Compared with more experienced drivers, young novice drivers have been found to have deficits in situation awareness skills (SAS), which is an essential repertoire of knowledge and abilities in perceiving, comprehending, and appropriately responding to a breadth of driving risks (projection). Current practice requirements in Queensland, Australia, do not incorporate SAS-specific training for parents, the most common supervisor of novice drivers. This study evaluates the impact of SAFER, a SAS-acquisition acceleration “game” in which parents foster SAS in their child during the period before licensure, on novice driver SAS at learner licensure. Sixty parent–pre-learner dyads were recruited from the Sunshine Coast and randomly allocated to intervention ( n = 30) and control ( n = 29). Using a SAS-based coding taxonomy, SAS was measured via simulator-based verbal commentary protocol at learner licensure as part of a larger longitudinal project. Intervention learners exhibited significantly greater SAS (perception/comprehension/projection of breadth of driving risks), than control learners. Intervention learners exhibited significantly less perception, and considerably greater perception/comprehension/projection SAS than intervention parents. Currently, in Queensland’s licensing program there is limited support for parents/other supervisors of learner drivers, and no SAS-focused intervention is available. SAFER is an innovative SAS-acquisition acceleration intervention that has been shown to build SAS even before the young novice is licensed to drive. A larger state-wide pilot is in development to explore the merit of incorporating SAFER within Queensland’s graduated driver licensing program.