bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neural Integration in Body Perception
Authors: Ramsey Richard
Published: June 2018

The perception of other people is instrumental in guiding social interactions. For example, the appearance of the human body cues a wide range of inferences regarding sex, age, health, and personality, as well as emotional state and intentions, which influence social behavior. To date, most neuroscience research on body perception has aimed to characterize the functional contribution of segregated patches of cortex in the ventral visual stream. In light of the growing prominence of network architectures in neuroscience, the current article reviews neuroimaging studies that measure functional integration between different brain regions during body perception. The review demonstrates that body perception is not restricted to processing in the ventral visual stream but instead reflects a functional alliance between the ventral visual stream and extended neural systems associated with action perception, executive functions, and theory of mind. Overall, these findings demonstrate how body percepts are constructed through interactions in distributed brain networks and underscore that functional segregation and integration should be considered together when formulating neurocognitive theories of body perception. Insight from such an updated model of body perception generalizes to inform the organizational structure of social perception and cognition more generally and also informs disorders of body image, such as anorexia nervosa, which may rely on atypical integration of body-related information.
Trabeculae in Patagonian mountain cypress (Austrocedrus chilensis) associated with Phytophthora austrocedri infection
Authors: Troncoso Oscar , Greslebin Alina
Published: June 2018

Phytophthora austrocedriis a straminipilous (heterokonta) organism that causes mortality ofAustrocedrus chilensis, an endemic Cupressaceae from the Patagonian Andes forest in temperate South America. This soil pathogen colonizes and kills the roots and extends up to the stem causing necrosis of cambium, phloem and xylem ray parenchyma. An anatomical study of affected tissues was conducted in order to better understand the process of pathogen colonization and tree response. It was found that tracheids of the xylem of affected trees showed large numbers of trabeculae, both rod- and plate-shaped. The occurrence of these structures was clearly associated with the necrotic lesion area, since the trabeculae were rare in healthy tissues above the necrotic lesion. Trabeculae occurred in a variety of arrangements: solitary or in long files, single, double or triple. Our results could indicate that trabeculae proliferation in tracheids ofA. chilensistrees is induced by the stress generated by theP. austrocedriinvasion. Whether this is triggered by a nonspecific stress response or in direct response to the pathogen remains to be tested.
Catalogue of oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) from South Tyrol (Prov. Bolzano, Italy)
Authors: SCHATZ HEINRICH
Published: June 2018

A checklist of the oribatid mites reported in South Tyrol (Italy) is presented, covering all published records until 2017. Numerous unpublished records are added. Several species were revised, doubtful and erroneous records from previous publications are discussed and corrected if necessary. A total of 397 described species in 71 families are listed, complemented by two subspecies and 15 undetermined or undescribed species. The list includes all records of each species in South Tyrol, their known distribution in the Italian Alps sorted to provinces, the distribution in Italy, occurrence in the neighbouring countries Austria and Switzerland, and their general distribution. Occasional additional remarks give taxonomic information. A historical overview of the exploration of the oribatid mites in South Tyrol is outlined. The general distribution of the oribatid mite fauna of South Tyrol is analysed. Beside species with a wide distribution the region includes many “Mediterranean” species, species with their main distribution in Central Europe, and species restricted to the Alps, the latter mainly in higher mountainous regions.
A Climatology of Strong Large-Scale Ocean Evaporation Events. Part I: Identification, Global Distribution, and Associated Climate Conditions
Authors: Aemisegger Franziska , Papritz Lukas
Published: June 2018

This paper presents an object-based, global climatology (1979–2014) of strong large-scale ocean evaporation (SLOE) and its associated climatic properties. SLOE is diagnosed using an “atmospheric moisture uptake efficiency” criterion related to the ratio of surface evaporation and integrated water vapor content in the near-surface atmosphere. The chosen Eulerian identification procedure focuses on events that strongly contribute to the available near-surface atmospheric humidity. SLOE is particularly frequent along the warm ocean western boundary currents, downstream of large continental areas, and at the sea ice edge in polar regions with frequent cold-air outbreaks. Furthermore, wind-driven SLOE occurs in regions with topographically enforced winds. On a global annual average, SLOE occurs only 6% of the time but explains 22% of total ocean evaporation. An analysis of the past history and fate of air parcels involved in cold season SLOE in the North Atlantic and south Indian Oceans shows that cold-air advection is the main mechanism that induces these events. Extratropical cyclones thereby play an important role in setting the necessary equatorward synoptic flow. Consequently, the interannual variability of SLOE associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation and the southern annular mode reveals a very high sensitivity of SLOE with respect to the location of the storm tracks. This study highlights the strong link between transient synoptic events and the spatiotemporal variability in ocean evaporation patterns, which cannot be deduced from thermodynamic steady-state and climate mean state considerations alone.
Insights into the Zonal-Mean Response of the Hydrologic Cycle to Global Warming from a Diffusive Energy Balance Model
Authors: Siler Nicholas , Roe Gerard H. , Armour Kyle C.
Published: June 2018

Recent studies have shown that the change in poleward energy transport under global warming is well approximated by downgradient transport of near-surface moist static energy (MSE) modulated by the spatial pattern of radiative forcing, feedbacks, and ocean heat uptake. Here we explore the implications of downgradient MSE transport for changes in the vertically integrated moisture flux and thus the zonal-mean pattern of evaporation minus precipitation (E − P). Using a conventional energy balance model that we have modified to represent the Hadley cell, we find that downgradient MSE transport implies changes in E − P that mirror those simulated by comprehensive global climate models (GCMs), including a poleward expansion of the subtropical belt where E > P, and a poleward shift in the extratropical minimum of E − P associated with the storm tracks. The surface energy budget imposes further constraints on E and P independently: E increases almost everywhere, with relatively little spatial variability, while P must increase in the deep tropics, decrease in the subtropics, and increase in middle and high latitudes. Variations in the spatial pattern of radiative forcing, feedbacks, and ocean heat uptake across GCMs modulate these basic features, accounting for much of the model spread in the zonal-mean response of E and P to climate change. Thus, the principle of downgradient energy transport appears to provide a simple explanation for the basic structure of hydrologic cycle changes in GCM simulations of global warming.
Convective Storm Life Cycle and Environments near the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina
Authors: Mulholland Jake P. , Nesbitt Stephen W. , Trapp Robert J. , Rasmussen Kristen L. , Salio Paola V.
Published: June 2018

Satellite observations have revealed that some of the world’s most intense deep convective storms occur near the Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina, South America. A C-band, dual-polarization Doppler weather radar recently installed in the city of Córdoba in 2015 is now providing a high-resolution radar perspective of this intense convection. Radar data from two austral spring and summer seasons (2015–17) are used to document the convective life cycle, while reanalysis data are utilized to construct storm environments across this region. Most of the storms in the region are multicellular and initiate most frequently during the early afternoon and late evening hours near and just east of the Sierras de Córdoba. Annually, the peak occurrence of these storms is during the austral summer months of December, January, and February. These Córdoba radar-based statistics are shown to be comparable to statistics derived from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission Precipitation Radar data. While generally similar to storm environments in the United States, storm environments in central Argentina tend to be characterized by larger CAPE and weaker low-level vertical wind shear. One of the more intriguing results is the relatively fast transition from first storms to larger mesoscale convective systems, compared with locations in the central United States.
Restraints of Trade in Ancient Athens
Authors: Lowenstein Asher T.
Published: June 2018

Ancient Athens enacted what can be considered an early form of competition law in which grain retailers were banned from certain activities. The conventional understanding is that Athens was attempting to prevent grain hoarding. Careful analysis of the Athenian sources, however, suggests that the ban did not involve hoarding and addressed only the act of buying large quantities of grain. Athens may have been motivated to enact such a ban for a couple of reasons: 1) a perception that retailers violated moral concerns by raising prices and 2) pressure from more powerful groups to reduce the capabilities of the retailers. Grain storage was an important method of managing the city’s food supply, so Athens may not have wanted to ban hoarding. This resembles the modern notion that commercial behavior should not be banned if doing so will impede beneficial activities.
Notes on Competition and Justum Pretium Theory and Practice in Medieval Italy
Authors: Corradi Marco Claudio
Published: June 2018

Medieval Italian Comuni are often considered as one of the cradles of the modern capitalist spirit. Comuni introduced economic legislation in an attempt to counteract restrictions to competition on the one hand and to control the price of certain goods and services on the other. Price control of basic commodities was often motivated by reasons of public order – such as preventing commoners’ riots. Despite some loose analogies with the modern European Union competition law approach to pricing – namely in the area of excessive pricing – the Italian medieval Comuni pricing theory and practice substantially differed from the modern European Union one. Medieval theory struggled in reconciling market mechanisms with costs analysis and missed the distinction between efficiency and distribution. Moreover, medieval Comuni market variables were substantially divergent from the modern European ones. Despite Comuni being the wealthiest areas in Europe in those days, their consumers had significantly lower buying power, they were affected by different cognitive biases than modern consumers and they were highly segmented from a gender perspective. Medieval producers, that is artisans, did not enjoy the degree of market power that characterizes modern oligopolists. Artisans produced goods for merchants who were the main promoters of trade and economic development. Merchants often succeeded in squeezing artisans’ profits, granting consumers lower prices for manufactured goods, at times also thanks to free trade policies pursued by Comuni administrations.
Application of Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry to the Determination of Copper, Manganese, Zinc, and Sulfur in Grass (Lolium perenne) in Grazed Agricultural Systems
Authors: Daly Karen , Fenelon Anna
Published: June 2018

Conventional methods for the determination of major nutrients and trace elements in grass rely on acid digestion followed by analysis using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), which can be both time consuming and costly. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry offers a rapid alternative that can determine multiple elements in a single scan. Copper, Mn, Zn, and S in grass samples were determined using EDXRF with a number of different calibration approaches using both empirical standards and the theoretical relationships between concentrations and intensities. Using an existing archive of 467 grass samples of known concentrations, a suite of 30 samples was selected as empirical grass standards to build a calibration set between sample concentrations and EDXRF intensities. The theoretical or standardless approach used the fundamental parameters method to determine element concentrations. To validate the two calibration methods, 59 samples were randomly selected from the same archive and database and analyzed by EDXRF. The measurements of Cu, Mn, Zn, and S were compared with the ICP-OES values using agreement statistics. An excellent correlation was observed between the concentrations determined by EDXRF and ICP-OES ( R > 0.90) regardless of the calibration approach. However, agreement and closeness to the true value varied and were assessed using agreement statistics. Across all elements, the empirically calibrated samples were in excellent agreement with the values determined by ICP-OES. The theoretical calibrations provided excellent agreement for Mn and Zn, but a degree of fixed and proportional bias was observed in the Cu and S values. Fixed bias was corrected by subtracting the computed bias from the EDXRF concentrations and improved the overall agreement. Similarly, proportional bias was corrected using the linear regression model to predict the corrected EDXRF values. This improved the overall agreement with the ICP-OES values for both Cu and S using corrected fundamental parameters calibrations. This study provides a practical basis for the use of EDXRF to determine Cu, Mn, Zn, and S in grass samples to monitor forage quality in grazed systems without the need for sample digestion. The observed fixed and proportional bias in the theoretical calibrations can be corrected provided that a good correlation exists between EDXRF and conventional methods.
Development of a novel fluorescent activity assay for lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase
Authors: Sakurai Toshihiro , Sakurai Akiko , Vaisman Boris L , Nishida Takafumi , Neufeld Edward B , Demosky Stephen J , Sampson Maureen L , Shamburek Robert D , Freeman Lita A , Remaley Alan T
Published: June 2018

Background

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) is a plasma enzyme that esterifies cholesterol. Recombinant human LCAT (rhLCAT) is now being developed as an enzyme replacement therapy for familial LCAT deficiency and as a possible treatment for acute coronary syndrome. The current ‘gold standard’ assay for LCAT activity involves the use of radioisotopes, thus making it difficult for routine clinical use.

Methods

We have developed a novel and more convenient LCAT activity assay using fluorescence-labelled cholesterol (BODIPY-cholesterol), which is incorporated into proteoliposomes as a substrate instead of radiolabelled cholesterol.

Results

The apparent Km and Vmax were 31.5  µmol/L and 55.8 nmol/h/nmoL, rhLCAT, respectively, for the 3H-cholesterol method and 103.1  µmol/L and 13.4 nmol/h/nmol rhLCAT, respectively, for the BODIPY-cholesterol method. Although the two assays differed in their absolute units of LCAT activity, there was a good correlation between the two test assays ( r = 0.849, P < 1.6 × 10−7, y = 0.1378x + 1.106). The BODIPY-cholesterol assay had an intra-assay CV of 13.7%, which was superior to the intra-assay CV of 20.8% for the radioisotopic assay. The proteoliposome substrate made with BODIPY-cholesterol was stable to storage for at least 10 months. The reference range ( n = 20) for the fluorescent LCAT activity assay was 4.6–24.1 U/mL/h in healthy subjects.

Conclusions

In summary, a novel fluorescent LCAT activity assay that utilizes BODIPY-cholesterol as a substrate is described that yields comparable results to the radioisotopic method.
Serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein is associated with dietary intakes in diabetic patients with and without hypertension: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Bagherniya Mohammad , Khayyatzadeh Sayyed Saeid , Heidari Bakavoli Ali reza , Ferns Gordon A , Ebrahimi Mahmoud , Safarian Mohammad , Nematy Mohsen , Ghayour-Mobarhan Majid
Published: June 2018

Background

Serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) concentrations independently predict the development of diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. However, the impact of dietary factors on serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein concentrations in diabetic patients has received limited attention. We aimed to investigate the association between dietary factors and high-sensitive C-reactive protein , among diabetic patients with and without hypertension and healthy subjects.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, diabetics with ( n = 325) and without hypertension ( n = 599) and healthy individuals ( n = 1220) were recruited in Mashhad, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h recall. Biochemical parameters including serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein were measured using standard protocols. Stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to predict whether serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein concentration was associated with dietary constituents.

Results

High-sensitive C-reactive protein was significantly higher among hypertensive and non-hypertensive diabetic patients compared with healthy subjects ( P < 0.001). The dietary intake of zinc + 6.4% and calcium −3.4% and body mass index +3.9% explained approximately 13.7% of the variation in serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein among diabetic hypertensive patients. Approximately 9.7% of the variation in serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein in diabetic non-hypertensive patients could be explained by body mass index, and intake of sodium, iron and cholesterol. In the healthy subjects, approximately 4.4% of the total variation in serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein concentration could be explained by cholesterol consumption and waist circumference.

Conclusion

Serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein concentrations were found to be a significant predictor for hypertensive and non-hypertensive diabetic subjects. There was a significant association between dietary factors include zinc, iron, sodium and cholesterol and serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein, while there was an inverse association between dietary calcium and serum high-sensitive C-reactive protein in diabetic hypertensive individuals.
Evaluation of the revised Schwartz creatinine-based glomerular filtration rate estimating equation in Black African children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Authors: Rampursat Yashna , Bhimma Rajendra , Naicker Elaene , Peer Fozy , Gounden Verena
Published: June 2018

Background

The use of serum creatinine equations for estimating glomerular filtration rate is well known in adults and children. We evaluated the revised Schwartz creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate prediction equation in Black African children in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Methods

Review of medical records of all Black African patients aged 2–18 years old who have had glomerular filtration rate determined by intravenous Technetium-99 m-diethylene-triamine-pentaacetate, for the period 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2014 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital, Durban, South Africa was performed. Estimated glomerular filtration rate result obtained using the revised Schwartz equation was compared to Technetium-99 m-diethylene-triamine-pentaacetate plasma clearance measured glomerular filtration rate. Accuracy of the estimated glomerular filtration rate equations within 10% (P10) and 30% (P30) of the measured glomerular filtration rate, sensitivity and specificity for predicting glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2 was determined.

Results

Results from 148 African children between 2 and 18 years old were analysed. P10 and P30 values were 16 and 49%, respectively. Sensitivity of 92.9% (95% CI: 80.5–85), specificity of 95.3 (95% CI: 89.3–98.5) and AUC of 0.96 (95% CI 0.92–0.99) were obtained for measured estimated glomerular filtration rate < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Sensitivity of 88.2% (95% CI: 63.6–98.5), specificity of 90.8 (95% CI: 84.5–95.2) and area under the curve of 0.93 (95% CI 0.88–0.96) were obtained for measured estimated glomerular filtration rate < 30 mL/min/1.73 m2.

Conclusions

The revised Schwartz equation did not meet the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines of 90% of estimated glomerular filtration rate results within 30% of measured glomerular filtration rate.
Serum α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone may act as a protective biomarker for non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head
Authors: Mao Zheng , Liu Gang , Chen Jing-Jie , Liu Dan , Xu Min-Peng , Zhao Chang , Yang Hai-Tao , Yue Yong-Bin
Published: June 2018

Background

The α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH), an endogenous neuropeptide derived from proopiomelanocortin (POMC), has been identified to suppress inflammation and prevent osteoblast damage.

Objective

The present study was aimed to investigate the role of serum α-MSH in non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH).

Methods

Seventy-nine patients diagnosed with non-traumatic ONFH and 79 sex- and age-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum α-MSH concentrations were examined with a double antibody radioimmunoassay. The radiographic progression of ONFH was assessed by X-ray plain film according to the FICAT grading system. The symptomatic severity was evaluated by visual analogue scale scores, Harris hip scores and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores. The serum concentrations of protective marker adiponectin and bone necrosis inflammation factor IL-33 concentrations were also examined. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis curve was performed to explore the diagnostic value of α-MSH, adiponectin and IL-33 for radiographic progression.

Results

Serum α-MSH concentrations were significantly lower in ONFH patients than in healthy controls. The case group included 29 non-traumatic ONFH patients with FICAT grade I/II, 27 with grade III and 23 with grade IV. ONFH patients with grade I/II had significantly higher α-MSH concentrations in serum compared with those with FICAT grades III and IV. ONFH patients with FICAT grade III showed significantly elevated concentrations of α-MSH in serum compared with those with FICAT grade IV. Serum α-MSH concentrations were negatively associated with radiographic progression by FICAT grading system, and symptomatic severity defined by visual analogue scale scores, Harris hip scores and WOMAC scores. In addition, serum α-MSH concentrations were positively related to the expression of adiponectin and negatively associated with IL-33. ROC analysis curve demonstrated that α-MSH exhibited the equal value for the diagnosis of ONFH radiographic progression compared with IL-33.

Conclusions

Serum α-MSH may act as a protective biomarker for non-traumatic ONFH. Systematic application of α-MSH serving as an adjunctive therapy for treating non-traumatic ONFH deserves further investigation.
A combined liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry assay for the quantification of urinary oxalate and citrate in patients with nephrolithiasis
Authors: Marshall David J , Adaway Joanne E , Keevil Brian G
Published: June 2018

Background

Analysis of citrate and oxalate in a 24-h urine sample is important in the screening and monitoring of patients with nephrolithiasis. To streamline the analytical process, it was decided to combine oxalate and citrate and analyse them simultaneously in the same assay.

Objective

A highly sensitive and specific assay for analysis of urine citrate and oxalate was developed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a simple weak anion exchange solid phase extraction (WAX SPE) clean-up procedure.

Method

Premixed calibrator/acidified urine (50  µL) was combined with mixed internal standard (13C2 oxalate/citrate-d4) and 5% v/v formic acid in water and passed through a Waters WAX SPE plate. After clean-up steps, the plate was eluted with 5% NH3 in methanol, the eluent was dried down and re-constituted with 100  µL distilled water. Separation was then performed on an HSS T3 2.1 × 50 mm column (Waters, Manchester, UK), flow rate of 0.5 mL/min using a gradient of aqueous and organic mobile phases. We detected multiple reaction monitoring transitions m/z citrate 191.1>110.9, citrate IS 195.1>112.9, oxalate 88.9>60.85, oxalate IS 90.9>61.9 using a Waters TQD in electrospray-negative mode.

Results

Oxalate and 13C2 oxalate were eluted at 0.29 min; citrate and citrate-d4 were eluted at 0.52 min. Mean recovery was 100% for oxalate and 103% for citrate; lower limit of quantification of oxalate was 60  µmol/L and 50  µmol/L for citrate. Oxalate was linear up to 1388  µmol/L; citrate was linear up to 4762.5  µmol/L. Oxalate was found to be affected by ion suppression (matrix effect: −23 to +65%) but was compensated for by the internal standard used in all cases. The coefficient of variation of the assay in urine for oxalate was <7% for oxalate and 5% for citrate.

Discussion

We have developed a rapid assay for LC-MS/MS measurement of urinary oxalate and citrate in a routine clinical laboratory. It is simple, reproducible and easy to perform.
Performance of autotaxin as a serum marker for liver fibrosis
Authors: Ikeda Hitoshi , Kobayashi Mariko , Kumada Hiromitsu , Enooku Kenichiro , Koike Kazuhiko , Kurano Makoto , Sato Masaya , Nojiri Takahiro , Kobayashi Tamaki , Ohkawa Ryunosuke , Shimamoto Satoshi , Igarashi Koji , Aoki Junken , Yatomi Yutaka
Published: June 2018

Background

Because autotaxin reportedly has a better performance than hyaluronic acid as a marker for liver fibrosis for the prediction of cirrhosis caused by hepatitis C, we aimed to further evaluate the role of autotaxin in liver fibrosis of other aetiologies.

Methods

Autotaxin antigen was measured in serum samples from 108 patients with chronic hepatitis B and 128 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease who had undergone a liver biopsy as well as healthy subjects and patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiac dysfunction.

Results

When evaluated using receiver operator characteristics curves, the performance of autotaxin for the prediction of significant fibrosis (F2–F4) in chronic hepatitis B patients was better than that of hyaluronic acid or type IV collagen 7S. In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients, however, the performance of autotaxin for the prediction of significant fibrosis was poorer than that of hyaluronic acid or type IV collagen 7S. The increase in the serum autotaxin concentrations was less notable than that of hyaluronic acid or type IV collagen in patients with chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis or cardiac dysfunction. Food intake did not affect the serum autotaxin concentrations.

Conclusions

Autotaxin is useful as a serum marker for liver fibrosis caused by not only chronic viral hepatitis C but also by hepatitis B, although it was less useful in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The increase in serum autotaxin concentrations is fairly specific for liver fibrosis, and the serum autotaxin concentrations can be analysed without consideration of food intake before blood collection.
Dysregulation of serum microRNA-574-3p and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Shen Xianjuan , Xue Yajing , Cong Hui , Wang Xudong , Ju Shaoqing
Published: June 2018

Objectives

To explore microRNA-574-3p expression in serum of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and investigate correlations between serum microRNA-574-3p expression and the development and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Design and methods

Serum samples were collected from 70 patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma, 40 patients with cirrhosis and 45 healthy controls. Serum microRNA-574-3p expression levels were detected by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The linearity, specificity and reproducibility were evaluated. In addition, the diagnostic value of microRNA-574-3p and its correlations with clinicopathologic features were assessed.

Results

The relative expression of microRNA-574-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma patients, cirrhosis patients and healthy controls was 2.306 (1.801–3.130), 1.362 (0.994–1.665) and 1.263 (0.765–1.723), respectively, indicating that it was significantly higher in hepatocellular carcinoma patients than that in the other two groups ( U = 439.5, 514.5, both P < 0.0001) and was significantly correlated with hepatitis B virus DNA copies ( U = 383.0, P = 0.018). In hepatitis B virus-positive hepatocellular carcinoma patients, the relative expression of microRNA-574-3p was significantly correlated with hepatitis B virus DNA concentration ( r = 0.348, P = 0.022). Compared with healthy control group, AUCROC of serum microRNA-574-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma group was 0.837 with 95% CI: 0.763–0.910. Combining microRNA-574-3p, AFU and alpha-fetoprotein together, the sensitivity was highest compared with other markers alone or combined.

Conclusions

The relative expression of serum microRNA-574-3p in hepatocellular carcinoma patients was significantly higher than that in cirrhosis patients and healthy controls, and it may be an important biomarker in the auxiliary diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Falsely elevated plasma metanephrine in patients taking midodrine
Authors: Emms Holly , Farah George , Shine Brian , Boot Chris , Toole Barry , McFadden Martin , Lam Leo , Ou Zong-Quan , Woollard Gerald , Madhavaram Hima , Kyle Campbell , Grossman Ashley B
Published: June 2018

Plasma metanephrines have become the biochemical test of choice for suspected phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas in many institutions. We encountered two separate cases of significantly elevated plasma metanephrines in patients taking midodrine, a sympathomimetic drug used in the treatment of severe postural hypotension, in the absence of a diagnosis of phaeochromocytomas and paragangliomas. Upon stopping midodrine treatment, plasma metanephrine concentrations returned to normal in both patients. To explore the hypothesis that midodrine or its metabolite desglymidodrine might interfere with the metanephrines assay, we tested the interaction of midodrine with metanephrine assays from two different centres. High-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry on plasma samples and on methanolic extract of midodrine demonstrated co-elution of the metabolite desglymidodrine with metanephrine. We conclude that patients taking midodrine may have falsely elevated plasma metanephrine as a result of analytical interference, and clinicians need to be aware of this problem.
Quel che resta di pulp in Stabat Mater di Tiziano Scarpa
Authors: Romanelli Claudia
Published: June 2018

Nel 2008 Tiziano Scarpa pubblica Stabat Mater con il quale vincerà prima il Premio Mondello e poi lo Strega. La critica ha definito questo romanzo sorprendente, visto che non ha molto a che vedere con l'interesse di Scarpa per la narrativa cannibale, dando ragione a chi di recente ha notato l’affermarsi di una nuova letteratura dell’impegno in Italia. Tuttavia, un’attenta analisi del romanzo mette in luce una serie di tecniche predilette dai cannibali che rendono l’opera meno convenzionale di quanto si possa credere. Stabat Mater, diario spietato di un’adolescente abbandonata dalla madre nella Venezia del 1700, rappresenta personaggi alienati, scene di sangue e secrezione corporea, ricorre alla frammentarietà ed alla ripetizione lessicale, alla sperimentazione linguistica tesa alla produzione di un linguaggio orale e performativo, trovando ispirazione in vari generi e mezzi espressivi, quali il romanzo, il diario, la pittura, la musica e la poesia sacra. Con quest’opera Scarpa continua a voler suscitare nei lettori una reazione alla parola scritta, dimostrando di non mancare né d’immaginazione a livello espressivo, né d’essere indifferente al tema dell’ engagement, come gli è stato spesso rimproverato. Stabat Mater si misura con questioni che coinvolgono i rapporti tra arte, vita e cultura anche grazie a quel che di pulp in esso rimane.
Museo, De l’amor di Leandro et di Hero Volgarizzamento dal greco di Pietro Angèli Bargeo
Authors: Cardillo Angelo
Published: June 2018

L’articolo presenta il volgarizzamento cinquecentesco inedito dell’epillio di Museo ad opera di Pietro Angèli Bargeo, tradotto in un Manoscritto della Biblioteca Panizzi di Reggio Emilia risalente alla seconda metà del XVI secolo; presenta, inoltre, un excursus sulla circolazione latina e volgare del testo greco fino alla fine del Cinquecento. La traduzione è parte della feconda attività del Bargèo di divulgatore di testi classici ed ulteriore conferma dell’interesse che autori coevi, Bernardo Tasso, Giovanni Falgano e Bernardino Baldi, hanno mostrato nei confronti di Museo e della lirica amorosa greca e latina pervenuta nel tardo Medioevo grazie anche ad Ovidio e diffusasi in Italia e in Europa nel corso del pieno e tardo Rinascimento.
Harnessing Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) Communication Technology: Sending Traffic Warnings to Texting Pedestrians
Authors: Rahimian Pooya , O’Neal Elizabeth E. , Zhou Shiwen , Plumert Jodie M. , Kearney Joseph K.
Published: June 2018

Objective:

We examined how sending mobile-device warnings to texting pedestrians when they initiate an unsafe road crossing influences their decisions and actions.

Background:

Pedestrian texting has been identified as a key risk factor in pedestrian–vehicle collisions. Advances in sensing and communications technology offer the possibility of providing pedestrians with information about traffic conditions to assist them in safely crossing traffic-filled roadways. However, it is unclear how this information can be most effectively communicated to pedestrians.

Method:

We examined how texting and nontexting pedestrians crossed roads with continuous traffic in a large-screen, immersive pedestrian simulator using a between-subjects design with three conditions: texting, warning, and control. Texting participants in the warning condition received an alarm on their cell phone when they began to cross a dangerously small gap.

Results:

The results demonstrate the detrimental influence of texting on pedestrians’ gap selection, movement timing, and gaze behavior, and show the potential of warnings to improve decision making and safety. However, the results also reveal the limits of warning texting participants once they initiate a crossing and possible overreliance on technology that may lead to reduced situation awareness.

Conclusion:

Mobile devices and short-range communication technologies offer enormous potential to assist pedestrians, but further study is needed to better understand how to provide useful information in a timely manner.

Application:

The technology for communicating traffic information to pedestrians via mobile devices is on the horizon. Research on how such information influences all aspects of pedestrian behavior is critical to developing effective solutions.
Hybrid affairs: Cultural histories of the East India companies
Authors: Subrahmanyam Sanjay
Published: June 2018

Danna Agmon, A Colonial Affair: Commerce, Conversion and Scandal in French India, Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2017, xvi + 217pp.

Anna Winterbottom, Hybrid Knowledge in the Early East India Company World, Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies Series, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016, xii + 324pp.
Design of a system solution that modernizes legacy supervisory control and data acquisition systems as an early detection system
Authors: Demir Beşir , Tumay Ahmet , Ozbek Mehmet Efe , Cavus Enver
Published: June 2018

Background

In industrial disasters, early detection of problems and crisis management are critical for saving the lives of people and reducing the impact of disasters.

Purpose

In this study, we design a special gateway system that bridges the gap between different communication protocols and enables legacy supervisory control and data acquisition systems to function early detection systems for potential industrial disasters.

Methods

The system uses a new queue mechanism to substantially improve the problem of data loss found in conventional supervisory control and data acquisition systems and utilizes identification (ID) prioritization to enable early detection of problems. The proposed system is implemented and tested on a Linux-based, 3G-capable Modbus gateway system. Modbus is used as the communication protocol and 3G technology is utilized to provide high-speed wireless data transfer components. The Modbus gateway device uses an ARM-based EP9302 processor and has digital input/output, relay outputs, and RS485 outputs.

Conclusion

This study is significant as it is the first work to show the application of the priority query execution method for Modbus gateway devices.
Public sociology, social justice and struggles in the era of austerity-and-crises
Authors: Trimikliniotis Nicos
Published: June 2018

This article examines the potential for dialogic engagement between the academic disciplines of sociology and social work, on the one hand, and political/social struggles for equality and social justice, on the other. Particular strands of sociology engage with, connect to and articulate struggles of marginalised, oppressed or exploited communities. The article draws on global debates to examine the potential for a public sociology of social justice and equality, which is intimately connected to social work. It illustrates how knowledge from struggles and what is labelled as mobile commons can and must inform sociology, social work and emancipatory praxis.
Sense Making and Professional Identity in the Implementation of edTPA
Authors: Cohen Julie , Hutt Ethan , Berlin Rebekah L. , Mathews Hannah M. , McGraw Jillian P. , Gottlieb Jessica
Published: June 2018

edTPA is designed to strengthen teacher professionalization and provide a framework for program redesign. However, using a national assessment to shift the content of local programs is challenging because of their inherent organizational complexity. In this article, we focus on this complexity, using a systems lens to analyze edTPA implementation at a large, public university. Employing a mixed-methods case study design, we survey 250 teacher educators and candidates to understand how they interpret the demands of edTPA and how their varied perspectives impact each other. We interview a stratified, purposive subset of participants to explore mechanisms underlying quantitative findings. We find substantial internal variation in edTPA implementation that translates into differential support for candidates. This variation could not be explained by duration of implementation of edTPA. Varied perspectives may stem from distinct perceptions of teacher educators’ professional roles and the role they see edTPA playing in teacher professionalization.
Orthography-Induced Length Contrasts in the Second Language Phonological Systems of L2 Speakers of English: Evidence from Minimal Pairs
Authors: Bassetti Bene , Sokolović-Perović Mirjana , Mairano Paolo , Cerni Tania
Published: June 2018

Research shows that the orthographic forms (“spellings”) of second language (L2) words affect speech production in L2 speakers. This study investigated whether English orthographic forms lead L2 speakers to produce English homophonic word pairs as phonological minimal pairs. Targets were 33 orthographic minimal pairs, that is to say homophonic words that would be pronounced as phonological minimal pairs if orthography affects pronunciation. Word pairs contained the same target sound spelled with one letter or two, such as the /n/ in finish and Finnish (both /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ in Standard British English). To test for effects of length and type of L2 exposure, we compared Italian instructed learners of English, Italian-English late bilinguals with lengthy naturalistic exposure, and English natives. A reading-aloud task revealed that Italian speakers of EnglishL2 produce two English homophonic words as a minimal pair distinguished by different consonant or vowel length, for instance producing the target /ˈfɪnɪʃ/ with a short [n] or a long [nː] to reflect the number of consonant letters in the spelling of the words finish and Finnish. Similar effects were found on the pronunciation of vowels, for instance in the orthographic pair scene-seen (both /siːn/). Naturalistic exposure did not reduce orthographic effects, as effects were found both in learners and in late bilinguals living in an English-speaking environment. It appears that the orthographic form of L2 words can result in the establishment of a phonological contrast that does not exist in the target language. Results have implications for models of L2 phonological development.
The Role of Context in Processing Chinese Three-Character Verb–Object Metaphors: An Event-Related Potential Study
Authors: Wang Xiaolu , Zheng Wei , Zhao Lingxuan , Liu Yuqiu , Huang Binyao , Zhang John X.
Published: June 2018

Whether and how context plays a role in metaphor processing remains a controversial issue. One major theory on metaphor comprehension, the graded salience hypothesis (GSH) model, emphasizes salience as the key factor determining the precedence of semantic access. Using event-related potential technique, the present study examined Chinese metaphors to investigate whether the salient meaning is always processed first regardless of context. The experiment employed a Prime-Target-Probe paradigm. Three-character Chinese verb–object metaphors were used as the Target proceeded by one of the three contexts (the Prime): (1) metaphorical context priming the Target’s metaphorical meaning, (2) literal context priming the Target’s literal meaning, and (3) irrelevant context as the control condition. The Target was then followed by the Probe, which was always related to the Target (except in the filler condition). Forty participants were asked to judge whether the Target and the following Probe were semantically related. The N400 elicited by the Target showed no contextual effect. The N400 amplitude elicited by the Probe was smaller in the metaphorical priming condition compared with the literal priming condition, while the N400 in the irrelevant control condition was between the other two conditions, demonstrating a clear context effect. In addition, an unexpected P240 component also showed the similar graded pattern. Our results mostly support the GSH model, indicating that the salient meaning invariantly gets activated first before the activation of the nonsalient meaning at the lexical access stage. However, context does play a role in a parallel way either facilitating or suppressing this interpretation in the latter meaning integration stage.
Shadowing: What is It? How to Use It. Where Will It Go?
Authors: Hamada Yo
Published: June 2018

Twenty-five years have passed since a teaching technique, called shadowing, was introduced in Japanese EFL contexts. Recently, this technique has gradually been recognized around the world. Given that many studies have been published about shadowing, the time is ripe to summarize the results of the studies and to propose how shadowing should be used. This article introduces shadowing, first referring to theoretical explanations provided so far, especially in terms of attention, cognitive process, and listening process.The article then summarizes past studies on the effects of shadowing on listening and speaking. Next, it discusses challenges in research and also introduces shadowing variations for further use of shadowing. As a classroom teaching tool, this article suggests that beginner level learners should start from shadowing for listening and proceed to shadowing for speaking.
Taking leave of Damanhur. Deconversion from a magico-esoteric community
Authors: Cardano Mario , Pannofino Nicola
Published: June 2018

This article deals with an aspect of religious behavior that has remained in the shadows, both in the scientific literature and in public discourse: deconversion from New Religious Movements. The article analyses the deconversion from a magico-esoteric community located in Northern Italy: Damanhur. Founded in the 1970s, Damanhur is one of Europe’s major spiritual communities that counts about 400 devotees. The article starts with an outline of the process of deconversion, followed by a brief description of the religious organization studied. Lastly, the process of disaffiliation from Damanhur, is reconstructed, through the close reading of twenty narratives of deconversion of former Damanhurians interviewed in 2010. The process of deconversion is analysed, distinguishing four ideal-typical steps that repropose the main results of the research in this field. They are the coming out of a vague and unfocused discomfort; the attempt to deconstruct the discomfort; the opening of a reflexive instance; and the departure from the community.
Understanding the role of life events on residential mobility for low-income, subsidised households
Authors: Wang Ruoniu , Walter Rebecca , Arafat Abdulnaser , Song Jie
Published: June 2018

While the role of life events on residential mobility for the general population is well documented, little is known for low-income, subsidised households. Insights into this line of inquiry are instrumental for improving housing policies and programmes that aim for a more equal distribution of residents across the economic spectrum. The present study draws on a unique data set that covers the entire low-income population participating in the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) programme from 2007 to 2013 in the state of Florida, USA. Results show that life events are strongly and significantly related to mobility decisions, while the relationship between life events and changes in neighbourhood poverty is less prominent. In light of this, a full understanding of residential mobility requires the consideration of life events by accounting for housing assistance, given its compounding effect on the mobility process and outcomes for low-income households.
The effects of physical restructuring on the socioeconomic status of neighbourhoods: Selective migration and upgrading
Authors: Zwiers Merle , van Ham Maarten , Kleinhans Reinout
Published: June 2018

In the last few decades, many governments have implemented urban restructuring programmes with the main goal of combating a variety of socioeconomic problems in deprived neighbourhoods. The main instrument of restructuring has been housing diversification and tenure mixing. The demolition of low-quality (social) housing and the construction of owner-occupied or private rented dwellings was expected to change the population composition of deprived neighbourhoods through the in-migration of middle- and high-income households. Many studies have been critical with regard to the success of such policies in actually upgrading neighbourhoods. Using data from the 31 largest Dutch cities for the 1999 to 2013 period, this study contributes to the literature by investigating the effects of large-scale demolition and new construction on neighbourhood income developments on a low spatial scale. We use propensity score matching to isolate the direct effects of policy by comparing restructured neighbourhoods with a set of control neighbourhoods with low demolition rates, but with similar socioeconomic characteristics. The results indicate that large-scale demolition leads to socioeconomic upgrading of deprived neighbourhoods as a result of attracting and maintaining middle- and high-income households. We find no evidence of spillover effects to nearby neighbourhoods, suggesting that physical restructuring only has very local effects.