bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prenatal Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin Complex 1 (m TORC1) Inhibition by Rapamycin Treatment of Pregnant Mice Causes Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Alters Postnatal Cardiac Growth, Morphology, and Function
Authors: Hennig Maria , Fiedler Saskia , Jux Christian , Thierfelder Ludwig , Drenckhahn Jörg‐Detlef
Published: August 2017

Background

Fetal growth impacts cardiovascular health throughout postnatal life in humans. Various animal models of intrauterine growth restriction exhibit reduced heart size at birth, which negatively influences cardiac function in adulthood. The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (m
TORC
1) integrates nutrient and growth factor availability with cell growth, thereby regulating organ size. This study aimed at elucidating a possible involvement of m
TORC
1 in intrauterine growth restriction and prenatal heart growth.

Methods and Results

We inhibited m
TORC
1 in fetal mice by rapamycin treatment of pregnant dams in late gestation. Prenatal rapamycin treatment reduces m
TORC
1 activity in various organs at birth, which is fully restored by postnatal day 3. Rapamycin‐treated neonates exhibit a 16% reduction in body weight compared with vehicle‐treated controls. Heart weight decreases by 35%, resulting in a significantly reduced heart weight/body weight ratio, smaller left ventricular dimensions, and reduced cardiac output in rapamycin‐ versus vehicle‐treated mice at birth. Although proliferation rates in neonatal rapamycin‐treated hearts are unaffected, cardiomyocyte size is reduced, and apoptosis increased compared with vehicle‐treated neonates. Rapamycin‐treated mice exhibit postnatal catch‐up growth, but body weight and left ventricular mass remain reduced in adulthood. Prenatal m
TORC
1 inhibition causes a reduction in cardiomyocyte number in adult hearts compared with controls, which is partially compensated for by an increased cardiomyocyte volume, resulting in normal cardiac function without maladaptive left ventricular remodeling.

Conclusions

Prenatal rapamycin treatment of pregnant dams represents a new mouse model of intrauterine growth restriction and identifies an important role of m
TORC
1 in perinatal cardiac growth.
Birth Weight, Postnatal Weight Gain, and Childhood Adiposity in Relation to Lipid Profile and Blood Pressure During Early Adolescence
Authors: Hulst Andraea Van , Barnett Tracie A. , Paradis Gilles , Roy‐Gagnon Marie‐Hélène , Gomez‐Lopez Lilianne , Henderson Mélanie
Published: August 2017

Background

Different pathways likely underlie the association between early weight gain and cardiovascular disease risk. We examined whether birth weight for length relationship and weight gain up to 2 years of age are associated with lipid profiles and blood pressure (
BP
) in early adolescence and determined whether childhood adiposity mediates these associations.

Methods and Results

Data from QUALITY (Quebec Adipose and Lifestyle Investigation in Youth), a cohort of white children with parental history of obesity, were analyzed (n=395). Sex‐specific weight for length
z
scores from birth to 2 years were computed. Rate of postnatal weight gain was estimated using individual slopes of weight for length
z
‐score measurements. Percentage of body fat was measured at 8 to 10 years. Fasting lipids and
BP
were measured at 10 to 12 years. Using path analysis, we found indirect effects of postnatal weight gain, through childhood adiposity, on all outcomes: Rate of postnatal weight for length gain was positively associated with childhood adiposity, which in turn was associated with unfavorable lipid and
BP
levels in early adolescence. In contrast, small beneficial direct effects on diastolic
BP
z
scores, independent of weight at other time points, were found for birth weight for length (β=−0.05, 95%
CI
, −0.09 to −0.002) and for postnatal weight gain (β=−0.02, 95%
CI
, −0.03 to −0.002).

Conclusions

Among children with at least 1 obese parent, faster postnatal weight gain leads to cardiovascular risk factors in early adolescence through its effect on childhood adiposity. Although heavier newborns may have lower
BP
in early adolescence, this protective direct effect could be offset by a deleterious indirect effect linking birth weight to later adiposity.
ALDH2 modulated changes in cytokine levels and cognitive function in bipolar disorder: A 12-week follow-up study
Authors: Lee Sheng-Yu , Wang Tzu-Yun , Chen Shiou-Lan , Chang Yun-Hsuan , Chen Po-See , Huang San-Yuan , Tzeng Nian-Sheng , Wang Liang-Jen , Lee I-Hui , Chen Kao-Chin , Yang Yen Kuang , Yang Yi-Hsin , Chen Cheng-Sheng , Lu Ru-Band
Published: August 2017

Objectives:

We investigated the association of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 ( ALDH2) polymorphism (rs671), which is involved with the dopaminergic function, and with changes in cytokine levels and cognitive function, in a 12-week follow-up study in patients with bipolar disorder.

Methods:

Patients with a first diagnosis of bipolar disorder were recruited. Symptom severity and levels of plasma cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, C-reactive protein, interleukin 6 and transforming growth factor β1) were examined during weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12. Neurocognitive function was evaluated at baseline and endpoint. The ALDH2 polymorphism genotype was determined.

Results:

A total of 541 patients with bipolar disorder were recruited, and 355 (65.6%) completed the 12-week follow-up. A multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant ( p = 0.000226) association between the ALDH2 polymorphism and changes in C-reactive protein levels. Different aspects of cognitive function improved in patients with different ALDH2 genotypes. Only patients with the ALDH2*1*1 genotype showed significant correlations between improvement of cognitive function and increased transforming growth factor -β1.

Conclusion:

The ALDH2 gene might influence changes in cytokine levels and cognitive performance in patients with bipolar disorder. Additionally, changes in cytokine levels and cognitive function were correlated only in patients with specific ALDH2 genotypes.
Exploring Within-Rater Category Ordering: A Simulation Study Using Adjacent-Categories Mokken Scale Analysis
Authors: Wind Stefanie A. , Schumacker Randall E.
Published: August 2017

The interpretation of ratings from educational performance assessments assumes that rating scale categories are ordered as expected (i.e., higher ratings correspond to higher levels of judged student achievement). However, this assumption must be verified empirically using measurement models that do not impose ordering constraints on the rating scale category thresholds, such as item response theory models based on adjacent-categories probabilities. This study considers the application of an adjacent-categories formulation of polytomous Mokken scale analysis (ac-MSA) models as a method for evaluating the degree to which rating scale categories are ordered as expected for individual raters in performance assessments. Using simulated data, this study builds on the preliminary application of ac-MSA models to rater-mediated performance assessments, in which a real data analysis suggested that these models can be used to identify disordered rating scale categories. The results suggested that ac-MSA models are sensitive to disordered categories within individual raters. Implications are discussed as they relate to research, theory, and practice for rater-mediated educational performance assessments.
Subversive responses to oppression in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s Purple Hibiscus
Authors: Nwokocha Sandra
Published: August 2017

Focusing on Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s critically acclaimed Purple Hibiscus (2003), this article argues that subversion, an aggressive performance that aimed at overthrowing and displacing patriarchal institutions which initially impact on the choices and activities of the oppressed, is the hallmark of the fictional figures’ responses to oppression. The essay contends that such forceful reactions to repression expand our understanding of twenty-first century Nigerian female-authored narratives. This argument I contrast with earlier critical readings, observing that while critics are eager to expose and endorse a female presence in the text, the readings often undermine its revolutionary suggestions. Through a radical feminist approach, my analysis of the novel highlights the heroines in order to demonstrate subversive behaviours in their drive to establish female agency, and notes such defiance to be necessary considering their repressive milieu. In doing so, I conclude with the notion that dissidence is a remarkable feature of the novel, and that the radical feminist paradigm is useful in widening awareness to this groundbreaking tenor.
Pre-university Students’ Voice Construction in Argumentative Essays
Authors: Cheung Yin Ling , Low Tze Hui
Published: August 2017

This article examines how writer’s voice is constructed in argumentative essays written at the pre-university level. The study focusses on the student writers’ control over evaluative resources that influence the realization of voice in the high-scoring and low-scoring scripts. Using the APPRAISAL system in Systemic Functional Linguistics, the study shows how voice is construed through APPRAISAL theory in the high-scoring and low-scoring general paper essays, respectively. The differences between the two categories of essays can be seen in the application of ENGAGEMENT, ATTITUDE, and GRADUATION resources. Findings indicated that the high scoring essays used richer ENGAGEMENT and ATTITUDE resources to accomplish more mature and sophisticated argumentative voices. These opportunities to make full use of the APPRAISAL resources were missed by the low-scoring students in their argumentative writing. The findings are pedagogically useful for writing teachers who find the notion of voice too abstract to teach but accept its significance in producing a good essay.
The Unintended Effects of Financial Accounting Standard 123R on Stock Repurchase and Dividend Activity
Authors: Golden Joanna , Kohlbeck Mark
Published: August 2017

We investigate whether Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) 123R, which requires a firm to recognize its stock-based compensation at fair value, affects the firm’s stock repurchase activity. Specifically, we examine the effect of the standard on the incentive to substitute stock repurchases for dividends. As stock-option holdings increase, firms alter their payout composition; rather than offering dividends, they increase their stock repurchases to return cash to their shareholders. Prior research also indicates that stock repurchases are used to manage earnings per share (EPS). Managers are likely concerned that FAS 123R negatively impacts earnings, as firms must now record stock-based compensation at fair value. Overall, we find that FAS 123R is associated with an increase in stock repurchases and that this effect is greater the higher the level of management stock options; the impact on dividend yields, however, is less pronounced. Our study reveals the unintended economic consequences of a change in accounting by demonstrating its effects on how firms return cash to their shareholders.
Signaling Versus Free Cash Flow Theory: What Does Earnings Management Reveal About Dividend Initiation?
Authors: Smith Deborah Drummond , Pennathur Anita K.
Published: August 2017

We examine earnings manipulation via discretionary accruals and real earnings management prior to the release of cash reserves back to shareholders. Previous research indicates that firms manage earnings upward when they increase dividends, creating a coordinated signal to the market. We study earnings management surrounding dividend initiation to determine whether management is manipulating earnings downward to avoid the discipline imposed by dividends in the years ahead or whether they are signaling to the market. We suggest that the aim of earnings management is not to reduce earnings but that earnings are more likely managed to preserve financial flexibility, create earnings reserves, and postpone shareholders’ expectations for initiating recurring dividends. Rather than signaling with upward earnings management, we find that dividend initiating firms manage earnings downward, consistent with the free cash flow theory. Our results explain findings in prior literature for the surprisingly stable earnings performance and accrual quality in the period just after dividend initiation. Furthermore, the market day stock price reaction is inversely related to earnings management, contradicting the purpose of signaling. We provide evidence that the managerial inertia for initiating dividends represents unique agency concerns compared with an increase in existing dividend payout and to the extent that downward real earnings management does not reverse, we identify a cost to shareholders for the quasi contract of recurring dividend payout.
Managing the Moral Accountability of Stereotyping
Authors: Whitehead Kevin A.
Published: August 2017

This article addresses some ways in which stereotypes and stereotyping are treated as morally accountable by social psychologists, their research participants, and participants in everyday interactions. I focus in particular on closely examining some deployments and responses to stereotypes in everyday interactions by applying conversation analytic and discursive psychological approaches to recorded interactions from radio call-in shows. My analysis considers the different interactional trajectories that follow the production of (possible) racial stereotypes, demonstrating how participants treat their “inaccuracy” as a central basis for the production of challenges and moral sanctioning in response to their deployment. In addition, the analysis demonstrates some cases in which apparent stereotypes are accepted or aligned with, including those grounded in personal experiences, “self-stereotypes,” and humorous uses of stereotypes. I conclude by considering the implications of attending to the social–moral contexts in which stereotypes are produced, and the participant-administered accountability associated with these contexts.
Extremely deformable morphing leading edge: Optimization, design and structural testing
Authors: Rudenko Anton , Hannig André , Monner Hans Peter , Horst Peter
Published: August 2017

The future generation of high-lift devices needs to be improved to reduce the noise footprint and increase the performance for takeoff and landing of transport aircraft. To contribute to these goals, an active blown Coandă flap-based high-lift system is being investigated within the German national Collaborative Research Center 880 as an alternative to the state-of-the-art flaps. A key part of this system is an adaptive gapless droop nose with extremely large morphing deformation. The design and construction of this component are based on a structural optimization framework. The framework consists of two hierarchical design steps: an optimization of the hybrid composite skin layout with integral T-stringers, acting as joints to the inner actuation mechanism, and the kinematic optimization of the latter. A hybrid skin structure allows a large curvature to rupture in the morphing direction, while providing high stiffness in the transverse direction. This article describes a full-scale hybrid composite morphing droop nose and its structural tests. The results of these tests are finally compared to the finite element simulation and applied for validation of the optimization framework. A sensitivity analysis is provided to evaluate the influence of modelling and manufacturing uncertainties to the shape quality.
The Effects of Cognitive-Behavioral Model-Based Intervention on Depression, Anxiety, and Self-Efficacy in Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Can Gür Ganime , Okanli Ayşe
Published: August 2017

Exercise is constantly gaining attention as adjuvant treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD), supplementing classical pharmacological and psychotherapeutic approaches. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of cognitive-behavioral model-based (CBM-based) intervention on the depression, anxiety, and self-efficacy levels in AUD. This quasi-experimental study was conducted using pre- and posttests and repeated measurements with a control group; it was completed between February 2015 and August 2015 in Turkey. Participants were 41 individuals with AUD, 20 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group. The individuals in the experimental group performed aerobic exercise 3 days a week as well as attended the psychoeducation provided 1 day a week. The difference between mean scores of the individuals in the experimental and control groups taken in posttest and 4-month follow-up test in the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as well as the difference between mean posttest scores in the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Self-Efficacy Scale (SES) were found to be statistically significant ( p < .05). In the intragroup comparisons, a significant difference was found between the “BDI,” “BAI,” and “SES” measurement times ( p < .05). It was concluded that CBM-based intervention was effective in reducing depression and anxiety, increasing self-efficacy in individuals with AUD. Appropriate nurse-managed CBM-based intervention for individuals with AUD can promote their health.
Deliberate with the Enemy? Polarization, Social Identity, and Attitudes toward Disagreement
Authors: Strickler Ryan
Published: August 2017

As of late, political theory, research, and practice have taken a deliberative turn, extolling the benefits of idealized public discourse. This paper explores how mass polarization impacts the preconditions for such discourse. Drawing from social identity theory, partisanship is conceptualized as having distinct, yet interrelated social and ideological dimensions. Through both online and telephone-based survey experiments, the paper then examines how these two dimensions affect attitudes toward discussion that theorists prioritize. Strong social attachments to one’s party consistently drive antideliberative attitudes toward disagreement; ideological partisan attachment, however, does not have this effect. The results suggest that the rise of social identity polarization has driven the public away from discursive norms that would support a deliberative democratic system.
The sacred king as a waste heap in northern Cameroon
Authors: Guitard Emilie
Published: August 2017

In this article, the author considers waste (bodily excreta, the remains of daily activities, discarded artefacts) as the result of a process whereby material items are disembodied or excorporated. In the ancient kingdom of the Guiziga Bui Marva in northern Cameroon, the waste produced by each subject ended up on a large waste heap accumulated by the king. The bodily conducts of the king and his subjects were such as to identify the monarch with the heap according to the tenets of African sacred kingship. Contemporary ethnographic evidence sheds light on the history of the region and vice versa. It documents enduring bodily practices over the last couple of centuries, and the significant changes that affected them in regard to the production of given religious subjectivities.
Materials as temporally specific phenomena: Specialization and compromise in bioplastics production
Authors: Tonuk Damla
Published: August 2017

This article concerns itself with the ‘materials’ – matter, substance – of material culture. More specifically, it explores the making of bioplastics, by taking account of bioplastics’ relationships with the products into which they are made. The author focuses on the processes of bioplastics’ industrial production and manufacturing into bioplastic products, in and through which bioplastics come to be as they are in our daily lives, and as places where material–product relationships are formed. Her analysis of these processes shows that making of bioplastics is a specialization towards products by achieving compromises among the capacity of materials, conventions about the particular product and its production route, and various interests of the stakeholders involved. As such, she conceptualizes materials as temporally specific phenomena and aims to show that attending to material–product relationships points out new sets of relationships in the make-up of materiality and opens up new pathways of enquiry for material culture studies.
The effects of collaborative testing on higher order thinking: Do the bright get brighter?
Authors: Mahoney John W , Harris-Reeves Brooke
Published: August 2017

Collaborative testing has been shown to enhance student performance compared to individual testing. It is suggested that collaborative testing promotes higher order thinking, but research has yet to explore this assumption directly. The aim of this study was to explore the benefits of collaborative testing on overall performance, as well as performance on higher order thinking questions. It was hypothesised that, compared to individual test results, students would perform better overall and on higher order thinking questions under collaborative testing conditions. It was expected that these differences would be equal when comparing students of different academic abilities (i.e. ‘upper’, ‘middle’ and ‘lower’ performers). Undergraduate students completed an individual followed by a collaborative test as part of summative assessment. Analyses revealed that with the exception of upper performers, students performed better overall on the collaborative test. Additionally, regardless of their academic abilities, students performed better on the higher order thinking questions under collaborative conditions. This improvement was equal across different academic abilities, suggesting that collaborative testing promotes higher order thinking even when taking into account previous academic achievement. The acceptability and application of collaborative testing is discussed.
Regional design: Discretionary approaches to regional planning in The Netherlands
Authors: Balz Verena Elisabeth
Published: August 2017

In recent decades, The Netherlands has seen an increase in the use of regional design-led practices in national indicative planning. Despite this, the interrelations between design and planning decision making are not well understood, and attempts to involve the expertise and ambition of designers in planning have had unclear outcomes. This article elaborates on the role and position of regional design in indicative planning. It is argued that design in this realm resembles discretionary action, implying that design both influences, and is influenced by, prevailing planning rationales. An analytical framework is developed on these grounds and applied to a set of regional design initiatives that evolved in the context of Dutch national plans between 1988 and 2012. Significantly, the analysis reveals forms of discretional control that shape the creative design practice, of particular importance being the flexibility of planning guidance and the resulting room for interpretation. In theoretical terms, the article contributes to the discussion of how design – as an explorative search for solutions to problems in a particular spatial context – and design theory can contribute to an understanding of the multiple planning experiments emerging in this post-regulative era.
Colony on Main: history and the ruins of imperialism in Vancouver’s restaurant frontier
Authors: Peyton Jonathan , Dyce Matt
Published: August 2017

Vancouver’s ‘revitalization’ has been characterized by the influx of upper-end restaurants and bars into parts of the city home to marginalized communities. We argue that some of these establishments code Vancouver’s complex racial and colonial present as a benevolent remembrance of things past. We employ and compare three modes of analysis to underscore the relationship between the historical geography of colonialism/imperialism and its modern guise in Vancouver. First, critical toponymy looks at the connection between place names and meaning. We then take a postmodern framework to explore the production of authenticity and heritage in bars emphasizing a colonial era decor. Finally, we draw from Stoler’s notion of ‘imperial debris’ to argue that these places are literally the detritus of empire revitalized as the material markings of nostalgia. In each part of the article, we demonstrate the critique offered by a different means of historical analysis. We conclude that the deployment of historical markers in the gentrification of Vancouver ultimately demonstrates the use of history as a claim to locality.
Internal Delorme’s Procedure for Treating ODS Associated With Impaired Anal Continence
Authors: Liu Weicheng , Sturiale Alessandro , Fabiani Bernardina , Giani Iacopo , Menconi Claudia , Naldini Gabriele
Published: August 2017

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the medium-term outcomes of internal Delorme’s procedure for treating obstructed defecation syndrome (ODS) patients with impaired anal continence. Patients and Methods: In a retrospective study, 41 ODS patients who underwent internal Delorme’s procedure between 2011 and 2015 were divided into 3 subgroups according to their associated symptoms of impaired continence, as urgency, passive fecal incontinence and both, before study. Then the patients’ preoperative statuses, perioperative complications, and postoperative outcomes were investigated and collected from standardized questionnaires, including Altomare ODS score, Fecal Incontinence Severity Index (FISI), Patient Assessment of Constipation–Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAC-QoL), and Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life Scale (FIQLS). All results with a 2-tailed P < .05 were considered statistically significant. Results: At an average 2.8 years of follow-up, there were significant improvements ( P < .01) in Altomare ODS score, FISI, PAC-QoL, and FIQLS in all patients when comparing scores from before the operation with those at the final follow-up. Similar results were also observed in both the urgency subgroup and passive fecal incontinence subgroup, but there were no statistically significant improvements ( P > .05) in Altomare ODS score, FISI, PAC-QoL, or FIQLS in the urgency and passive fecal incontinence subgroups. Anorectal manometry showed the mean value of anal resting pressure increased 20%. Additionally, no major complications occurred. Conclusion: Internal Delorme’s procedure is effective without major morbidity for treating ODS associated with urgency or passive fecal incontinence, but it may be less effective for treating ODS associated with both urgency and passive fecal incontinence.
Missing focus on Human Factors – organizational and cognitive ergonomics – in the safety management for the petroleum industry
Authors: Johnsen Stig O , Kilskar Stine Skaufel , Fossum Knut Robert
Published: August 2017

More attention has recently been given to Human Factors in petroleum accident investigations. The Human Factors areas examined in this article are organizational, cognitive and physical ergonomics. A key question to be explored is as follows: To what degree are the petroleum industry and safety authorities in Norway focusing on these Human Factors areas from the design phase? To investigate this, we conducted an innovative exploratory study of the development of four control centres in Norwegian oil and gas industry in collaboration between users, management and Human Factors experts. We also performed a literature survey and discussion with the professional Human Factors network in Norway. We investigated the Human Factors focus, reasons for not considering Human Factors and consequences of missing Human Factors in safety management. The results revealed an immature focus and organization of Human Factors. Expertise on organizational ergonomics and cognitive ergonomics are missing from companies and safety authorities and are poorly prioritized during the development. The easy observable part of Human Factors (i.e. physical ergonomics) is often in focus. Poor focus on Human Factors in the design process creates demanding conditions for human operators and impact safety and resilience. There is lack of non-technical skills such as communication and decision-making. New technical equipment such as Closed Circuit Television is implemented without appropriate use of Human Factors standards. Human Factors expertise should be involved as early as possible in the responsible organizations. Verification and validation of Human Factors should be improved and performed from the start, by certified Human Factors experts in collaboration with the workforce. The authorities should check-back that the regulatory framework of Human Factors is communicated, understood and followed.
A risk model for autonomous marine systems and operation focusing on human–autonomy collaboration
Authors: Thieme Christoph Alexander , Utne Ingrid Bouwer
Published: August 2017

Autonomous marine systems, such as autonomous ships and autonomous underwater vehicles, gain increased interest in industry and academia. Expected benefits of autonomous marine system in comparison to conventional marine systems are reduced cost, reduced risk to operators, and increased efficiency of such systems. Autonomous underwater vehicles are applied in scientific, commercial, and military applications for surveys and inspections of the sea floor, the water column, marine structures, and objects of interest. Autonomous underwater vehicles are costly vehicles and may carry expensive payloads. Hence, risk models are needed to assess the mission success before a mission and adapt the mission plan if necessary. The operators prepare and interact with autonomous underwater vehicles to carry out a mission successfully. Risk models need to reflect these interactions. This article presents a Bayesian belief network to assess the human–autonomy collaboration performance, as part of a risk model for autonomous underwater vehicle operation. Human–autonomy collaboration represents the joint performance of the human operators in conjunction with an autonomous system to achieve a mission aim. A case study shows that the human–autonomy collaboration can be improved in two ways: (1) through better training and inclusion of experienced operators and (2) through improved reliability of autonomous functions and situation awareness of vehicles. It is believed that the human–autonomy collaboration Bayesian belief network can improve autonomous underwater vehicle design and autonomous underwater vehicle operations by clarifying relationships between technical, human, and organizational factors and their influence on mission risk. The article focuses on autonomous underwater vehicle, but the results should be applicable to other types of autonomous marine systems.
An assessment of current maximum impact force models for anti-ram bollard systems subjected to truck impact
Authors: Hu Bo
Published: August 2017

Anti-ram bollard systems, which maintain a sufficient standoff in front of a protected area, can prevent vehicle bombs from approaching the area and thus reduce the damage from blast and debris. This article collects the current maximum impact force models for the collision between a vehicle and a barrier and presents an assessment of the applicability of these models for a truck crashing into an anti-ram bollard system. A database, which contains four available crash test results and 63 numerical simulation results, has been established for the evaluation. The assessment results show most of the current models have a poor accuracy and two existing models present a better performance for predicting the maximum impact forces. Further comparison indicates that the predictions by one better-performing model based on energy balance are more accurate, whereas the other better-performing model based on vehicle crush is more conservative. Therefore, the model based on vehicle crush is suggested for the design of anti-ram bollard systems.
Blackness as Burden? The Lived Experience of Black Africans in Australia
Authors: Mapedzahama Virginia , Kwansah-Aidoo Kwamena
Published: August 2017

Skin color is broadly accepted as a conspicuous marker of difference and racial belonging. Yet while the body is understood as a given, it is also socially inscribed: heavily sexualized, gendered, and even “colored.” This article is about African bodies that are colored Black. It critically discusses the experiences of black embodiment for African diaspora bodies that are coded “black” and inscribed with blackness in Australia. The article is written from a black African experience perspective to call into question current distorted and problem-centered narratives of African Blackness in Australia. Adopting standpoint theory and critical race theory’s unique voice of color thesis as conceptual framework for making sense of focus group data with black African migrants living in New South Wales and Victoria, the article’s main contention is that black African embodiment is experienced as a (symbolic and material) burden; what we call the “the burden of Blackness.” We discuss four dimensions of this burden: problematic stereotypes and social constructions, the paradox of in/visibility, burden of racial “two-ness,” and burden of minimization.
The Role of Trauma-Related Injustice in Pathways to Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Among Conjugal Couples: A Multilevel, Dyadic Analysis in Postconflict Timor-Leste
Authors: Tay Alvin Kuowei , Rees Susan J. , Tam Natalino , Savio Elisa , Costa Zelia Maria Da , Silove Derrick
Published: August 2017

It is widely acknowledged that the survivor’s psychological response to the traumas of mass conflict can affect adversely other family members. Yet, the focus of past epidemiological studies in the field has been confined to the individual survivor’s posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) response. We report the first study of its kind in a postconflict country, in which we examine the effects of trauma exposure in one member of conjugal couples on the PTSS of the other. The study involved 677 conjugal couples drawn from a community survey ( n = 1,354) in postconflict Timor-Leste. We used culturally adapted and psychometrically tested measures of traumatic events (TEs), preoccupations with injustice, explosive anger, family conflict, and PTSS. A multilevel actor–partner interdependence model (ML-APIM) demonstrated individual pathways involving exposure to murder and atrocities, preoccupations with injustice, explosive anger, and family conflict, leading to PTSS in both men and women when examined separately, with minor variations in paths by gender. Preoccupations with injustice in male survivors contributed to PTSS in the female partner, but not vice versa. Women may have a gender-specific propensity to identify with the male partner’s preoccupations with injustice following exposure to murder and atrocities. Our findings offer novel clues to the possible factors contributing to the higher rates of PTSS among women.
Novel nonsense gain-of-function NFKB2 mutations associated with a combined immunodeficiency phenotype
Authors: Kuehn Hye Sun , Niemela Julie E. , Sreedhara Karthik , Stoddard Jennifer L. , Grossman Jennifer , Wysocki Christian A. , de la Morena M. Teresa , Garofalo Mary , Inlora Jingga , Snyder Michael P. , Lewis David B. , Stratakis Constantine A. , Fleisher Thomas A. , Rosenzweig Sergio D.
Published: August 2017

Key Points

NFKB2 GOF mutations are associated with CID without endocrine or ectodermal manifestations. As most autosomal-dominant primary immunodeficiencies, NFKB2 GOF changes have incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity.
Restless Legs Syndrome and Sleep-Related Movement Disorders
Authors: Trotti Lynn Marie
Published: August 2017

Purpose of Review: This article provides an update on six sleep-related movement disorders: restless legs syndrome (RLS), periodic limb movement disorder, sleep-related leg cramps, bruxism, rhythmic movement disorder, and propriospinal myoclonus, with an emphasis on RLS.

Recent Findings: RLS is a common sensorimotor disorder that impairs quality of life. RLS is frequently comorbid to neurologic, psychiatric, vascular, and inflammatory diseases. Accumulating evidence implicates the pathophysiology of RLS as a state of dopamine dysfunction and iron deficiency that occurs on a background of genetic susceptibility conferred by 6 gene polymorphisms. Multiple treatments approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are available. Dopamine agonists and α2δ calcium channel ligands are considered first-line treatments, but these treatments have very different side effect profiles that should be taken into consideration.

Summary: Sleep-related movement disorders are frequently encountered in clinical practice. For some disorders, particularly RLS and periodic limb movement disorder, our understanding of biology, epidemiology, and treatment is advanced. For others, much work is needed to determine optimal treatment strategies.
Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior Disorder and Other Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Parasomnias
Authors: Ho¨gl Birgit , Iranzo Alex
Published: August 2017

Purpose of Review: The most common rapid eye movement (REM) parasomnia encountered by neurologists is REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), and nightmares are so frequent that every neurologist should be able to differentiate them from the dream enactment of RBD. Isolated sleep paralysis is relatively common and is often mistaken for other neurologic disorders. This article summarizes the current state of the art in the diagnosis of RBD, discusses the role of specific questionnaires and polysomnography in the diagnosis of RBD, and reviews recent studies on idiopathic RBD as an early feature of a synucleinopathy, secondary RBD, and its management. Recent diagnostic criteria and implications of nightmares and isolated sleep paralysis are also reviewed.

Recent Findings: Idiopathic RBD can now be considered as part of the prodromal stage of a synucleinopathy. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is mandatory, and this implies detection of REM sleep without atonia. The polysomnography montage, including EMG of the submentalis and flexor digitorum superficialis muscles, provides a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis. The exact diagnosis is important for patient counseling and for future neuroprotective trials.

Summary: REM parasomnias include RBD, sleep paralysis, and nightmares, which have distinct clinical characteristics and different implications regarding diagnostic procedures, management, and prognosis.
Driving Safety and Fitness to Drive in Sleep Disorders
Authors: Tippin Jon , Dyken Mark Eric
Published: August 2017

Driving an automobile while sleepy increases the risk of crash-related injury and death. Neurologists see patients with sleepiness due to obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, and a wide variety of neurologic disorders. When addressing fitness to drive, the physician must weigh patient and societal health risks and regional legal mandates. The Driver Fitness Medical Guidelines published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) provide assistance to clinicians. Drivers with obstructive sleep apnea may continue to drive if they have no excessive daytime sleepiness and their apnea-hypopnea index is less than 20 per hour. Those with excessive daytime sleepiness or an apnea-hypopnea index of 20 per hour or more may not drive until their condition is effectively treated. Drivers with sleep disorders amenable to pharmaceutical treatment (eg, narcolepsy) may resume driving as long as the therapy has eliminated excessive daytime sleepiness. Following these guidelines, documenting compliance to recommended therapy, and using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale to assess subjective sleepiness can be helpful in determining patients’ fitness to drive.
Narcolepsy and Other Central Hypersomnias
Authors: Dauvilliers Yves , Barateau Lucie
Published: August 2017

Purpose of Review: This article focuses on the clinical presentation, pathophysiology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and management of narcolepsy type 1 and narcolepsy type 2, idiopathic hypersomnia, Kleine-Levin syndrome, and other central disorders of hypersomnolence, as defined in the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Third Edition (ICSD-3).

Recent Findings: In ICSD-3, the names of some central disorders of hypersomnolence have been changed: narcolepsy with cataplexy and narcolepsy without cataplexy have been renamed narcolepsy type 1 and narcolepsy type 2, respectively. A low level of hypocretin-1/orexin-A in the CSF is now theoretically sufficient to diagnose narcolepsy type 1, as it is a highly specific and sensitive biomarker. Conversely, other central hypersomnias are less well-defined disorders with variability in the phenotype, and few reliable biomarkers have been discovered so far. The epidemiologic observation that influenza A (H1N1) infection and vaccination are potential triggering factors of narcolepsy type 1 (discovered during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic) has increased interest in this rare disease, and progress is being made to better understand the process (highly suspected to be autoimmune) responsible for the destruction of hypocretin neurons. Treatment of narcolepsy remains largely symptomatic, usually initially with modafinil or armodafinil or with higher-potency stimulants such as methylphenidate or amphetamines. Several newer wake-promoting agents and psychostimulants have also been developed, including sodium oxybate, which has a role in the treatment of cataplexy and as an adjunctive wake-promoting agent, and pitolisant, a selective histamine H3 receptor inverse agonist that is currently only available in Europe.

Summary: Although far less common than many other sleep disorders, central hypersomnias are among the most severe and disabling diseases in the field of sleep medicine, and their early recognition is of major importance for patients, especially children, to maximize their quality of life and functioning in activities of daily living.
Shared Medical Decision Making in Consideration of Opioid Therapy in a Patient With Restless Legs Syndrome
Authors: Rubin Michael
Published: August 2017

Treating patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) may pose a significant challenge to the clinician if those with intractable disease worsen with chronic treatment. Opioids are established as effective treatment for refractory RLS; however, some patients may be reluctant to try opioids because of the risk of dependency. Understanding the physician’s duty to the patient through the framework of a shared decision-making model allows the neurologist to propose opioid therapy despite possible initial reluctance by the patient when the neurologist believes that this therapy is the most medically reasonable approach to optimizing the patient’s well-being.
Comorbid Sleep Disturbances in Neurologic Disorders
Authors: Ju Yo-El S. , Videnovic Aleksandar , Vaughn Bradley V.
Published: August 2017

Purpose of Review: This article provides a review of disturbances of sleep comorbid with common neurologic disorders.

Recent Findings: A wide variety of neurologic disorders are frequently complicated by comorbid sleep disturbances. In many cases, a bidirectional relationship appears to occur between sleep function and the neurologic disease, such that treatment of comorbid sleep disturbances may improve the symptoms of the neurologic disease.

Summary: Neurologic disorders are often associated with abnormalities of sleep. Sleep influences the severity of both epilepsy and headache, and treatment of comorbid sleep disorders may improve seizure and headache frequency. Alzheimer disease is characterized by circadian phase delay and poor nighttime sleep and is strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea. Parkinson disease is associated with several sleep disorders, including insomnia, restless legs syndrome, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, daytime hypersomnia, and sleep-disordered breathing. Hypoventilation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other neuromuscular disorders often presents initially with sleep problems, and treatment with noninvasive ventilation improves survival and quality of life.
Fundamentals of Research Data and Variables: The Devil Is in the Details
Authors: Vetter Thomas R.
Published: August 2017

Designing, conducting, analyzing, reporting, and interpreting the findings of a research study require an understanding of the types and characteristics of data and variables. Descriptive statistics are typically used simply to calculate, describe, and summarize the collected research data in a logical, meaningful, and efficient way. Inferential statistics allow researchers to make a valid estimate of the association between an intervention and the treatment effect in a specific population, based upon their randomly collected, representative sample data. Categorical data can be either dichotomous or polytomous. Dichotomous data have only 2 categories, and thus are considered binary. Polytomous data have more than 2 categories. Unlike dichotomous and polytomous data, ordinal data are rank ordered, typically based on a numerical scale that is comprised of a small set of discrete classes or integers. Continuous data are measured on a continuum and can have any numeric value over this continuous range. Continuous data can be meaningfully divided into smaller and smaller or finer and finer increments, depending upon the precision of the measurement instrument. Interval data are a form of continuous data in which equal intervals represent equal differences in the property being measured. Ratio data are another form of continuous data, which have the same properties as interval data, plus a true definition of an absolute zero point, and the ratios of the values on the measurement scale make sense. The normal (Gaussian) distribution (“bell-shaped curve”) is of the most common statistical distributions. Many applied inferential statistical tests are predicated on the assumption that the analyzed data follow a normal distribution. The histogram and the Q–Q plot are 2 graphical methods to assess if a set of data have a normal distribution (display “normality”). The Shapiro-Wilk test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test are 2 well-known and historically widely applied quantitative methods to assess for data normality. Parametric statistical tests make certain assumptions about the characteristics and/or parameters of the underlying population distribution upon which the test is based, whereas nonparametric tests make fewer or less rigorous assumptions. If the normality test concludes that the study data deviate significantly from a Gaussian distribution, rather than applying a less robust nonparametric test, the problem can potentially be remedied by judiciously and openly: (1) performing a data transformation of all the data values; or (2) eliminating any obvious data outlier(s).
A GEF activity-independent function for nuclear Net1 in Nodal signal transduction and mesendoderm formation
Authors: Wei Shi , Ning Guozhu , Li Linwei , Yan Yifang , Yang Shuyan , Cao Yu , Wang Qiang
Published: August 2017

Net1 is a well-characterized oncoprotein with RhoA-specific GEF activity. Oncogenic Net1, which lacks the first 145 amino acids, is present in the cytosol and contributes to the efficient activation of RhoA and the formation of actin stress fibers in a number of tumor cell types. Meanwhile, wild-type Net1 is predominantly localized in the nucleus at steady state due to its N-terminal nuclear localization sequences, where the function of nuclear Net1 has not been fully determined. Here, we find that zebrafish net1 is expressed specifically in mesendoderm precursors during gastrulation. Endogenous Net1 is located in the nucleus during early embryonic development. Gain- and loss-of-function experiments in zebrafish embryos and mammalian cells demonstrate that, regardless of its GEF activity, nuclear Net1 is critical for zebrafish mesendoderm formation and Nodal signal transduction. Detailed analyses of protein interactions reveal that Net1 associates with Smad2 in the nucleus in a GEF-independent manner, and then promotes Smad2 activation by enhancing recruitment of p300 (also known as EP300) to the transcriptional complex. These findings describe a novel genetic mechanism by which nuclear Net1 facilitates Smad2 transcriptional activity to guide mesendoderm development.