bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Polarization States of Microglia in TBI: A New Paradigm for Pharmacological Intervention
Authors: Xu Hangzhe , Wang Zhijiang , Li Jianru , Wu Haijian , Peng Yucong , Fan Linfeng , Chen Jingyin , Gu Chi , Yan Feng , Wang Lin , Chen Gao
Published: February 2017

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious medical and social problem worldwide. Because of the complex pathophysiological mechanisms of TBI, effective pharmacotherapy is still lacking. The microglial cells are resident tissue macrophages located in the brain and have two major polarization states, M1 phenotype and M2 phenotype, when activated. The M1 phenotype is related to the release of proinflammatory cytokines and secondary brain injury, while the M2 phenotype has been proved to be responsible for the release of anti-inflammation cytokines and for central nervous system (CNS) repair. In animal models, pharmacological strategies inhibiting the M1 phenotype and promoting the M2 phenotype of microglial cells could alleviate cerebral damage and improve neurological function recovery after TBI. In this review, we aimed to summarize the current knowledge about the pathological significance of microglial M1/M2 polarization in the pathophysiology of TBI. In addition, we reviewed several drugs that have provided neuroprotective effects against brain injury following TBI by altering the polarization states of the microglia. We emphasized that future investigation of the regulation mechanisms of microglial M1/M2 polarization in TBI is anticipated, which could contribute to the development of new targets of pharmacological intervention in TBI.
Application of Multivariate Statistical Analysis in Evaluation of Surface River Water Quality of a Tropical River
Authors: Ling Teck-Yee , Soo Chen-Lin , Liew Jing-Jing , Nyanti Lee , Sim Siong-Fong , Grinang Jongkar
Published: February 2017

The present study evaluated the spatial variations of surface water quality in a tropical river using multivariate statistical techniques, including cluster analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA). Twenty physicochemical parameters were measured at 30 stations along the Batang Baram and its tributaries. The water quality of the Batang Baram was categorized as “slightly polluted” where the chemical oxygen demand and total suspended solids were the most deteriorated parameters. The CA grouped the 30 stations into four clusters which shared similar characteristics within the same cluster, representing the upstream, middle, and downstream regions of the main river and the tributaries from the middle to downstream regions of the river. The PCA has determined a reduced number of six principal components that explained 83.6% of the data set variance. The first PC indicated that the total suspended solids, turbidity, and hydrogen sulphide were the dominant polluting factors which is attributed to the logging activities, followed by the five-day biochemical oxygen demand, total phosphorus, organic nitrogen, and nitrate-nitrogen in the second PC which are related to the discharges from domestic wastewater. The components also imply that logging activities are the major anthropogenic activities responsible for water quality variations in the Batang Baram when compared to the domestic wastewater discharge.
Major Phytochemical as γ‐Sitosterol Disclosing and Toxicity Testing in Lagerstroemia Species
Authors: Sirikhansaeng Prapaparn , Tanee Tawatchai , Sudmoon Runglawan , Chaveerach Arunrat
Published: February 2017

Medicinal plants in genus Lagerstroemia were investigated for phytochemical contents by GC‐MS and HPLC with ethanol and hexane extracts and their toxicity MTT and comet assay on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). γ‐Sitosterol is the major component found in all species at 14.70–34.44%. All of the extracts, except for L. speciosa ethanol extract, showed high percentages of cell viability. The IC50 value, 0.24 mg/mL, of ethanol L. speciosa extract predicted an LD50 of 811.78 mg/kg, which belongs to WHO Class III of toxic chemicals. However, in‐depth toxicity evaluation by the comet assay showed that the four tested species induced significant (p < 0.05) DNA damage in PBMCs. γ‐Sitosterol was previously reported to possess antihyperglycemic activity by increasing insulin secretion in response to glucose. Nonetheless, consumers should consider its toxicity, and the amount of consumption should be of concern.
WO3-Doped TiO2Coating on Charcoal Activated with Increase Photocatalytic and Antibacterial Properties Synthesized by Microwave-Assisted Sol-Gel Method
Authors: Sangchay Weerachai
Published: February 2017

WO3-doped TiO2coating on charcoal activated (CA) was prepared by microwave-assisted sol-gel method. The samples calcined at the temperature of 500°C for 2 h with a heating rate of 10°C/min were characterized by XRD, EDS, and SEM. The photocatalytic and antibacterial activities of WO3-doped TiO2coating on CA were investigated by means of degradation of a methylene blue (MB) solution and against the bacteriaE. coli, respectively. The effects of WO3concentration were discussed. The 1% WO3-doped TiO2coated CA seems to exhibit the higher photocatalytic and antibacterial activity than other samples. The WO3-doped TiO2coated on CA are expected to be applied as a photocatalyst for water purification.
Recurrence of Postoperative Stress-Induced Cardiomyopathy Resulting from Status Epilepticus
Authors: Miller Grant A. , Ahmed Yousef M. , Tarant Nicki S.
Published: February 2017

Introduction. Classically, stress-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC), also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, displays the pathognomonic feature of reversible left ventricular apical ballooning without coronary artery stenosis following stressful event(s). Temporary reduction in ejection fraction (EF) resolves spontaneously. Variants of SIC exhibiting mid-ventricular regional wall motion abnormalities have been identified. Recent case series present SIC as a finding in association with sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). This case presents a patient who develops recurrence of nonapical cardiomyopathy secondary to status epilepticus. Case Report. Involving a postoperative, postmenopausal woman having two distinct episodes of status epilepticus (SE) preceding two incidents of SIC. Preoperative transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) confirms the patient’s baseline EF of 60% prior to the second event. Postoperatively, SE occurs, and the initial electrocardiogram exhibits T-wave inversions with subsequent elevation of troponin I. Postoperative TTE shows an EF of 30% with mid-ventricular wall akinesia restoring baseline EF rapidly. Conclusion. This case identifies the need to understand SIC and its diagnostic criteria, especially when cardiac catheterization is neither indicated nor available. Sudden cardiac death should be considered as a possible complication of refractory status epilepticus. The pathophysiology in SUDEP is currently unknown; yet a correlation between SUDEP and SIC is hypothesized to exist.
Sigmoid Volvulus Complicating Postpartum Period
Authors: Ward Kelsey E. , Blake Erin , Gonzalez Eduardo , Pieracci Frederic , Alston Meredith
Published: February 2017

Background. Sigmoid volvulus is a rare complication of pregnancy and the puerperium.Case. A 19-year-old patient, gravida 1 para 0 at 41 0/7 weeks of gestation, admitted for late-term induction of labor underwent an uncomplicated primary low transverse cesarean delivery for arrest of descent. Her postoperative period was complicated by sudden onset of abdominal pain and the ultimate diagnosis of sigmoid volvulus.Conclusion. Prompt surgical evaluation of an acute abdomen in the postpartum period is essential; delayed diagnosis and treatment can lead to significant maternal morbidity and mortality.
A Trigonometrically Fitted Block Method for Solving Oscillatory Second-Order Initial Value Problems and Hamiltonian Systems
Authors: Ngwane F. F. , Jator S. N.
Published: February 2017

In this paper, we present a block hybrid trigonometrically fitted Runge-Kutta-Nyström method (BHTRKNM), whose coefficients are functions of the frequency and the step-size for directly solving general second-order initial value problems (IVPs), including Hamiltonian systems such as the energy conserving equations and systems arising from the semidiscretization of partial differential equations (PDEs). Four discrete hybrid formulas used to formulate the BHTRKNM are provided by a continuous one-step hybrid trigonometrically fitted method with an off-grid point. We implement BHTRKNM in a block-by-block fashion; in this way, the method does not suffer from the disadvantages of requiring starting values and predictors which are inherent in predictor-corrector methods. The stability property of the BHTRKNM is discussed and the performance of the method is demonstrated on some numerical examples to show accuracy and efficiency advantages.
Early Detection of Tibial Cartilage Degradation and Cancellous Bone Loss in an Ovariectomized Rat Model
Authors: Wang Yinong , Liu Zhiwei , Wang Qing , Feng Qianjin , Chen Wufan
Published: February 2017

This study aimed to investigate degradation of the articular cartilage and loss of the cancellous bone in an ovariectomized (OVX) rat model simulating early human menopausal stage. Fourteen health female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into two groups (n=7 per group): an OVX group that underwent bilateral ovariectomy to create an OVX model with low estrogen levels and a sham group in which only the periovarian fatty tissue was exteriorized. All the animals were sacrificed at 3 weeks after ovariectomy. The left tibiae were harvested. The articular cartilage at medial tibial plateau (MTP) and lateral tibial plateau (LTP) was assessed with quantitative high-frequency ultrasound. The cancellous bone was evaluated with micro-CT. The results indicated that, in comparison with the sham rats, the OVX rats exhibited significant alterations in acoustic parameters of the articular cartilage but insignificant changes in microarchitectural parameters of the cancellous bone in early stage of low estrogen levels. The results of this study suggest that cartilage degradation induced by estrogen reduction was detected earlier with quantitative ultrasound than that of the cancellous bone loss in 3 wk OVX rats.
Contextual Impact of Neighborhood Obesogenic Factors on Postmenopausal Breast Cancer: The Multiethnic Cohort
Authors: Conroy Shannon M. , Clarke Christina A. , Yang Juan , Shariff-Marco Salma , Shvetsov Yurii B. , Park Song-Yi , Albright Cheryl L. , Hertz Andrew , Monroe Kristine R. , Kolonel Laurence N. , Marchand Loïc Le , Wilkens Lynne R. , Gomez Scarlett Lin , Cheng Iona
Published: February 2017

Background: While obesity is well-understood to increase breast cancer risk, the role of the neighborhood obesogenic environment, encompassing social and built environment attributes that influence body size, is poorly understood.

Methods: Using principal components factor analysis, five composite factors [neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES), urban, mixed-land development, unhealthy food environment, parks] on the basis of geospatial data were developed to characterize the obesogenic environment for 48,247 postmenopausal women in the Multiethnic Cohort, residing predominately in Los Angeles County. We used Cox proportional hazards regression to examine the association between neighborhood obesogenic factors and breast cancer risk (n = 2,341 cases after 17 years of follow-up), adjusting for body mass index (BMI), weight gain since age 21, education, established risk factors, other neighborhood factors, and clustering by block group.

Results: Lower nSES was associated with lower breast cancer risk [quintile 1 vs. 5: HR, 0.79; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.66–0.95], with a more pronounced association observed in Latinos (quintile 1 vs. 5: HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.43–0.85). More urban environments were associated with lower breast cancer risk in Japanese Americans (quintile 5 vs. 1: HR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.26–0.90), and lower mixed-land development was associated with higher breast cancer risk in Latinos (quintile 1 vs. 5: HR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.10–1.93).

Conclusions: Obesogenic neighborhood environment factors, especially nSES, urbanicity, and mixed-land development, were differentially and independently associated with breast cancer risk in this multiethnic population.

Impact: These findings highlight the need for additional studies of the driving contextual aspects of nSES that influence breast cancer risk. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 480–9. ©2017 AACR.

See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Geospatial Approaches to Cancer Control and Population Sciences.”
Lifetime Genistein Intake Increases the Response of Mammary Tumors to Tamoxifen in Rats
Authors: Zhang Xiyuan , Cook Katherine L. , Warri Anni , Cruz Idalia M. , Rosim Mariana , Riskin Jeffrey , Helferich William , Doerge Daniel , Clarke Robert , Hilakivi-Clarke Leena
Published: February 2017

Purpose: Whether it is safe for estrogen receptor–positive (ER+) patients with breast cancer to consume soy isoflavone genistein remains controversial. We compared the effects of genistein intake mimicking either Asian (lifetime) or Caucasian (adulthood) intake patterns to that of starting its intake during tamoxifen therapy using a preclinical model.

Experimental Design: Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an AIN93G diet supplemented with 0 (control diet) or 500 ppm genistein from postnatal day 15 onward (lifetime genistein). Mammary tumors were induced with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA), after which a group of control diet–fed rats were switched to genistein diet (adult genistein). When the first tumor in a rat reached 1.4 cm in diameter, tamoxifen was added to the diet and a subset of previously only control diet–fed rats also started genistein intake (post-diagnosis genistein).

Results: Lifetime genistein intake reduced de novo resistance to tamoxifen, compared with post-diagnosis genistein groups. Risk of recurrence was lower both in the lifetime and in the adult genistein groups than in the post-diagnosis genistein group. We observed downregulation of unfolded protein response (UPR) and autophagy-related genes (GRP78, IRE1α, ATF4, and Beclin-1) and genes linked to immunosuppression (TGFβ and Foxp3) and upregulation of cytotoxic T-cell marker CD8a in the tumors of the lifetime genistein group, compared with controls, post-diagnosis, and/or adult genistein groups.

Conclusions: Genistein intake mimicking Asian consumption patterns improved response of mammary tumors to tamoxifen therapy, and this effect was linked to reduced activity of UPR and prosurvival autophagy signaling and increased antitumor immunity. Clin Cancer Res; 23(3); 814–24. ©2017 AACR.
The “Quaker Heresy” in Siberia
Authors: Clay Eugene
Published: February 2017

In the 1670s, from his underground prison in Pustozersk, the Old Believer leader Archpriest Avvakum, misled by Anglican propaganda, equated the “Quaker heresy” with bestiality. Decades later, the Russian sought to eradicate a religious movement that it mislabeled the “Quaker heresy” (better known as the khlysty or flagellants): two special commissions in 1733–1739 and 1745–1756 arrested, imprisoned, and exiled hundreds of peasants and townsmen who had participated in secret meetings, where they prayed, danced, prophesied, and spoke in tongues. Rather than destroy the movement, however, exile only encouraged the spread of the “heresy” into Russia’s eastern frontier. By 1760 the “heresy” had appeared in Viatka and Tobol’sk dioceses, where the Ukrainian metropolitans Varfolomei (Liubarskii) and Pavel (Koniuskevich) tried to eliminate it, without much success. Using printed and archival sources, this article examines the Siberian “Quakers” and the discourse surrounding them; the portrayal of the heresy in legal documents emerged from deep conflicts about the nature and role of Orthodoxy in the Russian empire. The so-called “Quakers” insisted on their Orthodox piety, while their accusers portrayed them as practitioners of a dangerous alien faith.
Usage of Existing Meteorological Data Networks for Parameterized Road Ice Formation Modeling
Authors: Toms Benjamin A. , Basara Jeffrey B. , Hong Yang
Published: February 2017

A road ice prediction model was developed on the basis of existing data networks with an objective of providing a computationally efficient method of road ice forecasting. Icing risk was separated into three distinct road ice formation mechanisms: hoarfrost, freezing fog, and frozen precipitation. Hoarfrost parameterizations were mostly gathered as presented in previous literature, with modifications incorporated to account for diffusional ice crystal growth-rate complexity. Freezing-fog parameterizations were based on previous fog typological analyses under the assumption that fog formation mechanisms are similar in above- and subfreezing temperatures. Frozen-precipitation parameterizations were primarily unique to the developed model but were also partially based on previous research. Diagnostic analyses use a synthesis of Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS), and Oklahoma Mesonet data. Prognostic analyses utilize the National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD), a 2.5-km gridded database of forecast meteorological variables output from National Weather Service Weather Forecast Offices. A frequency analysis was performed using the diagnostic parameterizations to determine general road icing risk across the state of Oklahoma. The frequency analyses aligned well with expected temporal maxima and confirmed the viability of the developed parameterizations. Further, a fog typological analysis showed the implemented freezing-fog-formation parameterizations to capture 89% of fog events. These results suggest that the developed model, identified as the Road-Ice Model (RIM), may be implemented as a robust option for analyzing the potential for road ice development based on the background meteorological environment.
Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin is a better biomarker than cystatin C for the prediction of imminent acute kidney injury in critically ill patients
Authors: Yegenaga Itir , Kamis Fatih , Baydemir Canan , Erdem Elizade , Celebi Koray , Eren Necmi , Baykara Nur
Published: February 2017

Aims

The prevention of acute kidney injury can be lifesaving for the intensive care unit patients. However, conventional methods are not sufficient for the prediction of the risk of future acute kidney injury. In this study, the promising biomarker, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, was compared with cystatin C as an indicator for the risk of future acute kidney injury.

Methods

One hundred and eighty-three adult patients without chronic kidney disease or renal replacement therapy were included in this study. The plasma and urine concentrations of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin and cystatin C were assessed on the second day after intensive care unit admission and were followed for seven days to monitor the development of acute kidney injury. Acute kidney injury diagnosis was based on the risk, injury, failure, loss, end-stage renal failure criteria.

Results

Thirty-four per cent of the patients had acute kidney injury; 17 patients who did not fulfil criteria at the beginning, developed acute kidney injury from days 3 to 7 after admission. The mean serum creatinine on admission did not significantly differ between this and control groups (0.72 ± 0.20 and 0.83 ± 0.21; P = 0.060); however, the serum and urinary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin concentrations on the second day were significantly different (median: 75.69 [54.18–91.18] and 123.68 [90.89–166.31], P = 0.001; and median: 17.60 [8.56–34.04] and 61.37 [24.59–96.63], P = 0.001). Notably, the 48-h serum cystatin C concentration did not differ.

Conclusion

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin concentrations in the urine and serum on the second day of intensive care unit admission could be used to predict the development of acute kidney injury in the following three to seven days in the intensive care unit; however, the cystatin C concentration did not have predictive value.
Understanding the diffusion of non-evidence-based health interventions: The role of experiential evidence
Authors: Evans Rhiannon , Murphy Simon , Scourfield Jonathan , Turley Ruth
Published: February 2017

Objective:

The utilisation of evidence-based health interventions remains a challenge in educational settings. Although driving forward the scientific evidence-base may contribute to the diffusion of such approaches, abstract notions of population-level impact may not be seen as priorities in local. This paper considers the alternative forms of evidence that inform schools’ decision-making in relation to the adoption and implementation of health programmes.

Design:

Pragmatic formative process evaluation of a non-evidence-based social and emotional learning intervention, the Student Assistance Program, was conducted. Case-study methodology was used.

Setting:

Cases comprised four socio-economically contrasting secondary schools (free school meal eligibility ranging from 11.3% to 36%).

Method:

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 programme stakeholders.

Results:

The results explore (a) how school staff acquired belief in the merit of the Student Assistance Program through an intervention training course; (b) how experiential evidence gained in this course is used in the effort to secure intervention adoption; and (c) how intervention implementation may be limited by the lack of opportunities to develop experiential evidence within the educational setting.

Conclusion:

Alternative forms of evidence, specifically experiential evidence, are of importance in the diffusion of interventions within educational settings. Evidence-based approaches need to further acknowledge and accommodate these alternative forms of understanding to enhance their uptake and implementation.
A Decolonial Imagination: Sociology, Anthropology and the Politics of Reality
Authors: Savransky Martin
Published: February 2017

While the recent proliferation of sociological engagements with postcolonial thought is important and welcome, central to most critiques of Eurocentrism is a concern with the realm of epistemology, with how sociology comes to know its objects of study. Such a concern, however, risks perpetuating another form of Eurocentrism, one that is responsible for instituting the very distinction between epistemology and ontology, knowledge and reality. By developing a sustained engagement with Boaventura de Sousa Santos’s work, as well as establishing possible connections with what has been termed the ‘turn to ontology’ in anthropology, in this article I argue that in order for sociology to become exposed to the deeply transformative potential of non-Eurocentric thinking, it needs to cultivate a decolonial imagination that may enable it to move beyond epistemology, and to recognise that there is no social and cognitive justice without existential justice, no politics of knowledge without a politics of reality.
Marx and the Global South: Connecting History and Value Theory
Authors: Pradella Lucia
Published: February 2017

This article interrogates Marx’s critique of political economy in the context of the global South and southern epistemologies. It first traces the contradictory roots of a non-Eurocentric conception of history within Adam Smith. Recovering Marx’s silenced sociologies of colonialism in his writings and notebooks, it then shows that Marx incorporated colonialism and imperialism into his analysis of accumulation. The antagonism between wage-labour and capital needs to be understood as a global tendency, encompassing a hierarchy of forms of exploitation and oppression. Marx’s support for the Taiping revolution (1850–1864) played a crucial, albeit often ignored, role in his theorisation. It allowed him to recognise the living potential for anti-colonial struggles and international solidarities, thus breaking with Eurocentric accounts of history. The article concludes that it is crucial to sociology’s global futures that it reconnects with the critique of political economy, and actively learns from the anti-imperialist South.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Recidivism Among Returning Inmates
Authors: Ray Bradley , Richardson Nicholas J.
Published: February 2017

In recent years, there has been a surge in research that examines the relationship between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and involvement in the criminal justice system. However, the bulk of this research has been largely retrospective and descriptive, comparing rates of TBI in the offending population with the rates of TBI in the general population. Although findings from these studies indicate a higher prevalence of TBI in the offending population, virtually no studies have examined whether those with TBI are more likely to recidivate. To address this gap, the present study examined rearrest post release from prison among a cohort sample of Indiana inmates who were screened using the Ohio State University Traumatic Brain Injury Identification (OSU-TBI-ID) instrument. Findings indicate that, net of control variables, those with TBI were more likely to recidivate sooner than those without TBI. Policy implications and directions for future research are discussed.
“Without Which Nothing”: Public Law As the Sine Qua Non of Public Administration
Authors: Cooper Phillip J.
Published: February 2017

Without public law, there is and can be no public administration in a nation that is a constitutional republic founded on the rule and supremacy of law. Public law is the basis for authority and a foundation for discretion. It is also a basis for creativity and innovation. This article considers how public law empowers administration, why public service professionals cannot assume authority and discretion, and why they need to be alert to public law if they wish to build an innovative public administration for the future particularly in the contemporary context.
Prognosis of Olfactory Dysfunction according to Etiology and Timing of Treatment
Authors: Kim Do Hyun , Kim Sung Won , Hwang Se Hwan , Kim Byung Guk , Kang Jun Myung , Cho Jin Hee , Park Yong Jin , Kim Soo Whan
Published: February 2017

Objective

We evaluated the severity of olfactory impairment according to risk factors, compared responses with risk factors and treatment timing, and investigated prognosis according to treatments.

Study design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary referral center.

Subjects and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients complaining of loss of their sense of smell between January 2006 and May 2016. In total, 491 patients were included. We evaluated olfactory function using the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center test (threshold test) and Cross‐cultural Smell Identification Test.

Results

Post–upper respiratory infection patients showed better results than those with other risk factors (59.6% recovered). Patients with head trauma (12.5% recovered) and congenital olfactory dysfunction (0% recovered) showed poorer results. Earlier treatment showed better olfactory recovery outcomes for post–upper respiratory infection (P =. 001), head trauma (P =. 022), and nasal/sinus surgery (P =. 009). Xerostomia (P =. 73) and idiopathy (P =. 365) showed no significant difference in terms of treatment timing. The threshold test better reflected subjective recovery than the identification test. The systemic + topical steroid group and the systemic steroid treatment group both showed better smell recovery outcomes than the group with topical treatment alone (both, P <. 001). However, there was no significant difference between the systemic treatment group and the systemic + topical treatment group (P =. 978).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the duration of smell loss is important for better olfactory outcomes with most etiologies. Also, the effects of systemic steroids were better than those of topical steroids, regardless of combined treatment.
What do academic metrics do to political scientists? Theorizing their roots, locating their effects
Authors: Baele Stephane J , Bettiza Gregorio
Published: February 2017

This article argues that it is pertinent to situate academic metrics (journal, institutions and individual scholars’ rankings and ratings) within the broader logic of neoliberal government, in order to better identify and understand the impact of these metrics on political scientists’ perceptions, behaviours and identities. The results of a pilot survey conducted among political scientists in the United Kingdom and Belgium are used in order to further expose this impact. More precisely, we claim that although metrics are widely seen as a core element of a broader and undesirable political agenda, their repeated use leads to their endorsement, shapes and standardizes individual strategies, and shifts the codes of academic identity to the point of eroding academics’ sense of purpose and permeating their judgements about colleagues.
The intelligent university library
Authors: Johnson Ian M.
Published: February 2017

The aim of this short conference presentation was to highlight the importance of seeking alternative technological approaches to the optimization of university libraries’ resources and services. It discusses briefly the changes that are taking place in universities, and the importance for libraries of being seen to contribute to facilitating those changes. It explains the growing importance of research activity, and the expectations of researchers, an increasingly influential group in universities. It then goes on to outline the potential for increasing collections of electronic information by redirecting some of the effort of the libraries’ staff towards discovering and securing resources that are already available and offer data and information that may be valued by researchers. Finally, it provides a reminder that it is not enough to be good at what you do unless this is recognised, and stresses the importance of networking and advocacy as a means of providing a constant reminder to the influential and decision makers. An earlier version of this paper was presented at ‘Los Sistemas Bibliotecarios – Desarrollo y Perspectivas’ [Library Systems – Development and Perspectives]: 14th International Conference on University Libraries organised by Dirección General de Bibliotecas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 16th to 18th November, 2016.
Identification of neurovascular changes associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy from subject-specific hemodynamic response functions
Authors: Williams Rebecca J , Goodyear Bradley G , Peca Stefano , McCreary Cheryl R , Frayne Richard , Smith Eric E , Pike G Bruce
Published: February 2017

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a small-vessel disease preferentially affecting posterior brain regions. Recent evidence has demonstrated the efficacy of functional MRI in detecting CAA-related neurovascular injury, however, it is unknown whether such perturbations are associated with changes in the hemodynamic response function (HRF). Here we estimated HRFs from two different brain regions from block design activation data, in light of recent findings demonstrating how block designs can accurately reflect HRF parameter estimates while maximizing signal detection. Patients with a diagnosis of probable CAA and healthy controls performed motor and visual stimulation tasks. Time-to-peak (TTP), full-width at half-maximum (FWHM), and area under the curve (AUC) of the estimated HRFs were compared between groups and to MRI features associated with CAA including cerebral microbleed (CMB) count. Motor HRFs in CAA patients showed significantly wider FWHM ( P = 0.006) and delayed TTP ( P = 0.03) compared to controls. In the patient group, visual HRF FWHM was positively associated with CMB count ( P = 0.03). These findings indicate that hemodynamic abnormalities in patients with CAA may be reflected in HRFs estimated from block designs across different brain regions. Moreover, visual FWHM may be linked to structural MR indications associated with CAA.
Usability of mobile shower commodes for adults with spinal cord injury
Authors: Friesen Emma L , Theodoros Deborah , Russell Trevor G
Published: February 2017

Introduction

This paper describes the usability of mobile shower commodes for adults with spinal cord injury, as measured by the new electronic Mobile Shower Commode Assessment Tool Version 1.0 (eMAST 1.0).

Method

A retrospective analysis of data collected for a cross-sectional validation study with adults aged 18 years or older, living with spinal cord injury, who use mobile shower commodes for toileting and/or showering ( n = 32), was conducted. Usability was measured using the eMAST 1.0. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data were analysed using directed content analysis.

Results

Overall usability on both the features and performance subscales was rated as high to very high. Ratings of very low to low usability were reported for portability/foldability/packability (41%, n = 13), mobile shower commode stability (25%, n = 8), positioning and repositioning (25%, n = 8), seat cushioning (25%, n = 8), and lower leg supports (22%, n = 7). Items receiving the highest number of qualitative comments included lower leg supports, seating, propelling and manoeuvring, cleaning and maintenance, and stability.

Conclusion

Results across the eMAST 1.0’s subscales showed high to very high usability. However, analysis of individual items and qualitative comments showed specific areas of reduced usability for individual users. Item-level responses and qualitative comments suggest research is urgently needed in the areas of stability, portability, durability, and seating. Studies exploring use of the eMAST 1.0 during initial provision, and after short- and long-term mobile shower commode use, are also needed.
Therapeutic potential and ownership of commercially available consoles in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Farr William , Green Dido , Male Ian , Morris Christopher , Bailey Sarah , Gage Heather , Speller Sandra , Colville Val , Jackson Mandy , Bremner Stephen , Memon Anjum
Published: February 2017

Introduction

We conducted a survey amongst families of children with cerebral palsy to ascertain the ownership and therapeutic use and potential of commercial games consoles to improve motor function.

Method

Three hundred families in South East England were identified through clinical records, and were requested to complete an anonymised questionnaire.

Results

A total of 61 families (20% response) returned a completed questionnaire with 41 (68%) identified males and 19 (32%) identified females with cerebral palsy, with a mean age of 11 years 5 months (SD 3Y 7M). The large majority of families, 59 (97%), owned a commercial console and the child used this for 50–300 minutes a week. Returns by severity of motor impairment were: Gross Motor Function Classification System I (22%), II (32%), III (13%), IV (15%), V (18%). Consoles were used regularly for play across all Gross Motor Function Classification System categories.

Conclusion

The potential of games consoles, as home-based virtual reality therapy, in improving the motor function of children with cerebral palsy should be appropriately tested in a randomised controlled trial. Wide ownership, and the relative ease with which children engage in the use of commercially-based virtual reality therapy systems, suggests potential as a means of augmenting therapy protocols, taking advantage of interest and participation patterns of families.
From Sin to Science: Fighting the Stigmatization of Mental Illnesses
Authors: Arboleda-Flórez Julio , Stuart Heather
Published: February 2017

Our paper provides an overview of current stigma discourse, the origins and nature of the stigma associated with mental illnesses, stigmatization by health providers, and approaches to stigma reduction. This is a narrative review focusing on seminal works from the social and psychological literature, with selected qualitative and quantitative studies and international policy documents to highlight key points. Stigma discourse has increasingly moved toward a human rights model that views stigma as a form of social oppression resulting from a complex sociopolitical process that exploits and entrenches the power imbalance between people who stigmatize and those who are stigmatized. People who have a mental illness have identified mental health and health providers as key contributors to the stigmatization process and worthy targets of antistigma interventions. Six approaches to stigma reduction are described: education, protest, contact-based education, legislative reform, advocacy, and stigma self-management. Stigma denigrates the value of people who have a mental illness and the social and professional support systems designed to support them. It creates inequities in funding and service delivery that undermine recovery and full social participation. Mental health professionals have often been identified as part of the problem, but they can redress this situation by becoming important partners in antistigma work.
A dual sensor signal fusion approach for detection of faults in rotating machines
Authors: Saimurugan M , Ramprasad R
Published: February 2017

The growing industrial sector utilizes machinery that needs to be monitored continuously by proficient experts and robust software to ensure a proper maintenance strategy. Condition monitoring using vibration signal analysis is one of the chief methods used in predictive maintenance strategy for rotating machinery. Generally, sound signal analysis is considered as secondary as it involves noise. In this paper, the signals for various rotating machinery faults are studied by simulating them in a machine fault simulator at various speeds and the best features are fused to obtain more efficiency in the fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. The vibration signal data obtained from accelerometers and sound signal data from a microphone is extracted for features using wavelet transform. The best features from vibration and sound signals are selected using the decision tree algorithm and are fused. Further, the features are classified using an artificial neural network and the corresponding efficiency at various motor speeds is found. The results of this paper imply that the signal fusion of vibration and sound by the decision tree algorithm is effective in machine fault diagnosis methodologies.
Beyond the matrix of oppression: Reframing human smuggling through instersectionality- informed approaches
Authors: Sanchez Gabriella
Published: February 2017

What are the challenges and the advantages of using an intersectionality-informed approach in criminological research? In this essay I raise that question via an analysis of human smuggling discourses. Tragic events involving the deaths of irregular migrants and asylum seekers in transit are most often attributed to the actions of the human smuggler— constructed as the violent, greed-driven, predator racialized, and gendered as a male from the global South. Most academic engagements with smuggling often failing to notice the discursive fields they enter, have focused on documenting in detail the victimization and violence processes faced by those in transit, in the process reinscribing often problematic narratives of irregular migration, like those reducing migrants to naïve and powerless creatures and smugglers as inherently male, foreign and criminal bodies. I argue that essentialized notions of identity prevalent in neoliberal discourses have permeated engagements with migration, allowing for human smuggling’s framing solely as an inherently exploitative and violent practice performed by explicitly racialized, gendered Others. In what follows I start to articulate the possibility of reframing human smuggling, shifting the focus from the mythified smugglers to the series of social interactions and sensorial experiences that often facilitated as demonstrations of care and solidarity ultimately lead to the mobility, albeit precarious, of irregular migrants. Through a critical engagement with the concept of intersectionality I explore how smuggling—as one of multiple irregular migration strategies—can be unpacked as constituting much more than the quintessential predatory practice of late modernity performed by criminal smugglers preying on powerless victims, to be instead acknowledged as an alternative, contradictory, highly complex if often precarious path to mobility and safety in and from the margins.
The competitive consumption and fetishism of wildlife trophies
Authors: Simon Alexander
Published: February 2017

This article argues that trophy hunting is not an ahistorical phenomenon. Hunting for sport became popular among US elites in the late 1800s. Since this time, in addition to animal trophies being displayed as evidence of one’s economic and cultural capital, these commodities have served as symbolic evidence of their owner’s courage, skill, and fortitude. Currently, the hunting industry (i.e. sporting goods retailers, weapons manufacturers, and advertising supported media) seeks to perpetuate and expand these perceptions. Displaying animal trophies is unlike many other forms of competitive consumption, such as displaying expensive jewelry, in that the hunting industry has attempted to create the often false perception that these commodities required their owners to conquer dangerous and cunning opponents. Trophy hunting is unlike many other sports, in that economic resources, as opposed to skill, are often the primary factor in determining one’s success. Therefore, the use values of animal trophies are fetishized.
Comparing Curriculum-Based Measures and Extant Datasets for Universal Screening in Middle School Reading
Authors: Stevenson Nathan A.
Published: February 2017

As a school-wide framework, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) relies on the prevention and early identification of students at risk of academic failure. Approaches to early identification of students in need of support include the administration of universal screening assessments and the analysis of existing student data such as attendance, grades, office discipline referrals, and prior performance on statewide assessments. However, there is little research that directly compares the accuracy and reliability of these approaches, particularly in middle grades. This investigation provides a direct comparison of curriculum-based measures in reading and the examination of archival data at the middle school level for the identification of students at risk for academic failure. Data were collected for students in Grades 7 ( n = 197) and 8 ( n = 237). Data were analyzed through hierarchical logistic regression using statewide reading achievement tests as the dependent variable. Results inform how data from universal screening assessments and existing sources can be used to accurately and efficiently identify students in need of academic support.
Establishing the State of Affairs for Evidence-Based Practices in Students With Severe Disabilities
Authors: Spooner Fred , McKissick Bethany R. , Knight Victoria F.
Published: February 2017

The use of evidence-based practices (EBPs) was mandated with the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), and continues with the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Accordingly, all children, including those with severe disabilities, must be taught both daily living and academic skills using EBPs. In this article, we synthesize, report, and establish the state of affairs for teaching EBPs to students with severe disabilities; examine established practices and considerations for the future of EBPs; and describe the relevance of the EBP movement to advocacy and intervention research for this population. Leading organizations dedicated to improving the lives of people with severe disabilities must continue to place emphasis on practices and research that have provided empirical demonstrations of effect and standards of proof.
TGF-β1 protects intestinal integrity and influences Smads and MAPK signal pathways in IPEC-J2 after TNF-α challenge
Authors: Xiao Kan , Cao Shuting , Jiao Lefei , Song Zehe , Lu Jianjun , Hu Caihong
Published: February 2017

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of TGF-β1 on intestinal epithelial barrier, as well as canonical Smad and MAPK signal pathways involved in these protection processes by a IPEC-J2 model stimulated with TNF-α. IPEC-J2 monolayers were treated without or with TNF-α in the absence or presence of TGF-β1. The results showed that TGF-β1 pretreatment ameliorated TNF-α-induced intestinal epithelial barrier disturbances as indicated by decrease of transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) and increase of paracellular permeability. TGF-β1 also dramatically alleviated TNF-α-induced alteration of TJ proteins ZO-1 and occludin. Moreover, TGF-β1 pretreatment increased TβRII protein expression in IPEC-J2 monolayers challenged with TNF-α. In addition, a significant increase of Smad4 and Smad7 mRNA was also observed in the TGF-β1 pretreatment after TNF-α challenge compared with the control group. Furthermore, TGF-β1 pretreatment enhanced smad2 protein activation. These results indicated that the canonical Smad signaling pathway was activated by TGF-β1 pretreatment. Finally, TGF-β1 pretreatment decreased the ratios of the phosphorylated to total JNK and p38 (p-JNK/JNK and p-p38/p38) and increased the ratio of ERK (p-ERK/ERK). Anti-TGF-β1 Abs reduced these TGF-β1 effects. These results indicated that TGF-β1 protects intestinal integrity and influences Smad and MAPK signal pathways in IPEC-J2 after TNF-α challenge.
Iowa Dependent Adult Abuse Prosecutions From 2006 Through 2015: Health Care Providers’ Concern
Authors: Daly Jeanette M. , Xu Yinghui , Jogerst Gerald J.
Published: February 2017

Background: In most states, health care providers are required to report abuse. Some states provide investigation feedback/findings to the reporter. The reporters rarely know if the perpetrator is convicted. The purposes of this study are to determine the incidence of Iowa dependent adult abuse prosecutions from 2006 through 2015, the incidence of convictions, and the association between dependent adult abuse prosecutions with county census and government characteristics. Design and Methods: Through the Iowa Court Information Systems, dependent adult abuse prosecution data were purchased for a 10-year time period. County demographics were obtained through the US Census and government data were Iowa State Association of Counties and the US Department of Agriculture. Results: During 2006-2015, there were 368 dependent adult abuse prosecution cases accounting for 482 original charges. Exploitation greater than $100 was the dependent adult abuse charge most frequently cited. Within the 10 years, it accounted for 60% of the original charges. Of the 482 disposed charges, 251 (52%) of the charges were dismissed. A total of 122 (14%) counts resulted in probation, 73 resulted in prison, and 37 in jail. Conclusions: For the first time, information about dependent adult abuse prosecutions in Iowa is available. The latter 5 years, 2011 to 2015, of dependent adult abuse prosecutions are significantly higher than the first 5 years, 2006 to 2010. This project encourages health care providers to report dependent adult abuse to law enforcement if appropriate as well as adult protective services.
The use of three-dimensional printing technology in orthopaedic surgery
Authors: Wong Tak Man , Jin Jimmy , Lau Tak Wing , Fang Christian , Yan Chun Hoi , Yeung Kelvin , To Michael , Leung Frankie
Published: February 2017

Three-dimensional (3-D) printing or additive manufacturing, an advanced technology that 3-D physical models are created, has been wildly applied in medical industries, including cardiothoracic surgery, cranio-maxillo-facial surgery and orthopaedic surgery. The physical models made by 3-D printing technology give surgeons a realistic impression of complex structures, allowing surgical planning and simulation before operations. In orthopaedic surgery, this technique is mainly applied in surgical planning especially revision and reconstructive surgeries, making patient-specific instruments or implants, and bone tissue engineering. This article reviews this technology and its application in orthopaedic surgery.