bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nonspecific binding as a source of error in thyrotropin radioimmunoassay with polyethylene glycol as separating agent.
Authors: Chen I W , Heminger L , Maxon H R , Tsay J Y
Published: February 2020

We investigated the effects of nonspecific binding on thyrotropin values obtained by radioimmunoassay in which polyethylene glycol is used as precipitant. Differences in nonspecific binding among individual samples were significant (F-test, p less than 0.001, range 5.5 to 14.1%). Non-specific binding and total serum protein were directly correlated (r = 0.472, n = 59; p less than 0.001). Nonspecific binding increased with increasing concentrations of globulins but showed no relation to albumin concentration. If globulin concentration was less than 15 g/L, precipitation of the antigen—antibody complex by polyethylene glycol was incomplete. The mean value for thyrotropin in sera from 67 healthy subjects was 2.7 (SD 0.3) milli-international units per liter (milli-int. unit/L) without individual serum nonspecific binding correction, significantly (p less than 0.005) higher than that with nonspecific binding correction (1.6, SD 0.1, milli-int. unit/L). Evidently, inter-sample variations in nonspecific binding may cause significant errors under these conditions, which can be minimized by taking into account the individual nonspecific binding of each serum sample.
Enzymic color development of urinary 3 alpha-hydroxysteroids on thin-layer chromatograms.
Authors: Yamaguchi Y
Published: February 2020

I describe the use of 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.50) for enzymic color development of 3 alpha-hydroxysteroids. Urinary 3 alpha-hydroxysteroids are converted to 3-ketosteroids by the enzyme, and the NADH formed is reacted with 2-p-iodophenyl-3-p-nitrophenyl-5-phenyl-tetrazolium chloride and "diaphorase" to form the colored formazan. The dye so formed on a thin layer chromatographic plate is measured by densitometoric scanning. I illustrate use of this method by showing results for urinary excretion of 3 alpha-hydroxysteroids by some various sorts of patients.
125I-labeled gonadoliberin and high specific activity and immunoreactivity: method of iodination and rapid separation.
Authors: Sarda A K , Barnes M A , Nair R M
Published: February 2020

We describe optimum conditions for iodinating gonadoliberin with use of relatively large proportions of Na 125I. Products of the iodination are separated on an anion-exchange resin (Amberlite IRA-400). The 125I-labeled gonadoliberin thus obtained has a high specific activity (1400 to 1590 Ci/g); because of the conditions of iodination, we believe that the predominant species of the labeled decapeptide is the mono-iodinated one. Our separation and purification of the labeled substance on ion-exchange resin is rapid, economical, and less cumbersome than the use of a Biogel P-2 column. There is no adsorption of the labeled hormone onto the resin, as evidenced by analytical recovery studies with tritium-labeled gonadoliberin. Paper-strip chromatoelectrophoresis showed no free Na 125I or radiolabeled damaged peptide fragments after purification on the resin. When antiserum was used at a concentration 32-fold that used in the regular assay procedure, only 4% of the radioactivity remained in the free form, indicating the high immunoreactivity of the labeled hormone.
Determination of urinary amino acids by liquid chromatography with “dabsyl chloride".
Authors: Lin J K , Wang C H
Published: February 2020

We describe a “high-performance” liquid-chromatographic procedure for measuring amino acids in 0.5 mL of urine. The procedure includes direct derivatization of amino acids in urine samples with “dabsyl chloride" (4-dimethylaminoazobenzene-4’-sulfonyl chloride). An aliquot of this dabsylated amino acid solution is analyzed on a muBondapak C18 column with ethanol/sodium acetate (20 mmol/L, pH 4.0) 4/6 (by vol.), as mobile phase. Dabsylated amino acids are detected by their absorbance at 425 nm and quantitated by measuring peak heights. The procedure allows for the reliable analysis of amino acids in urine at concentrations near 16 mg/L. The sensitivity of this analysis on column approaches 5 ng/sample. Higher urinary tryptophan concentrations were found in the urines of some cancer patients, whereas we saw no significant difference in urinary glycine between cancer patients and control subjects. The present method was shown to be a straightforward procedure for detecting phenylalanine in phenylketonuric urine. Extension of this procedure to screening for other inborn errors of aminoaciduria is recommended.
Amniotic fluid alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and 5’-nucleotidase activity from 13 to 40 weeks’ gestation, and alkaline phosphatase as an index of fetal lung maturity.
Authors: Brocklehurst D , Wilde C E
Published: February 2020

Reference ranges for amniotic fluid alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, and 5-nucleotidase are described from 13 to 40 weeks’ gestation. Gamma-glutamyltransferase and 5-nucleotidase activities peak early in the second trimester and then decrease to low values. Alkaline phosphatase shows a similar pattern of activity from 13 to 29 weeks’ gestation, but thereafter activity increases to term; this late increase is mainly related to the heat-labile particulate form of alkaline phosphatase. Total and heat-labile alkaline phosphatase alone or expressed as a ratio with gamma-glutamyltransferase can be used with or as an alternative to lecithin/sphingomyelin ratios in the investigation of fetal lung maturity. A total alkaline phosphatase activity of 0.36 mukat/L and an alkaline phosphatase/gamma-glutamyltransferase ratio greater than 2 indicate pulmonary maturity.
Reference values for cerebrospinal fluid glutamine concentration in infants.
Authors: Boeckx R L , Iosefsohn M , Hicks J M
Published: February 2020

We measured cerebrospinal fluid glutamine concentration in a reference group of 85 newborn to 30-month-old infants. All of the spinal taps were performed for the diagnosis of illnesses unrelated to hyperammonemia or hepatic encephalopathy. We also analyzed samples from patients with meningitis or cerebral hemorrhage, or who were receiving total parenteral nutrition. The mean glutamine concentration in cerebrospinal fluid in the reference group was somewhat lower than values reported for older children and adults. Values were significantly higher in patients with meningitis or cerebral hemorrhage and in those infants receiving total parenteral nutrition.
Microencapsulated antibodies in radioimmunoassay. III. Determination of cortisol.
Authors: Bordens R W , Halpern E P
Published: February 2020

We describe a method for directly measuring total plasma cortisol by use of a microencapsulated antibody. The antibody microcapsules were incubated with plasma and 125I-labeled cortisol in a competitive reaction at 37 degrees C for 15 min, then separated by centrifugation; the radioactivity of the pellet was counted for 1 min. Analytical recovery of cortisol from three plasma pools was 97.6% (SD 8.5%) and was unaffected by triglyceridemia, hemolysis, or icterus. The standard curve was linear to 500 microgram/L and the sensitivity was 10 microgram/l. Recovery of cortisol added as the hemisuccinate was 102% (SD 10.6%), whereas that of the conjugate cortisol hemisuccinate/bovine serum albumin was 4.3% (SD 3.5%). This confirmed that the microcapsule excludes large molecules. The within-day CV for two control pools was 9.8 and 12.8%, the day-to-day variation 13.4 and 13.8%.
Fluorometric quantitation of glutamine in cerebrospinal fluid.
Authors: Liu T Z , Khayam-Bashi H
Published: February 2020

We describe a rapid, relatively simple-procedure for fluorometry of glutamine in cerebrospinal fluid. Glutamine is de-aminated with diluted sulfuric acid at 100 °C. The ammonia liberated is then reacted with a buffered o-phthalaldehyde—mercaptoethanol solution, pH 7.4, to form a fluorochrome. Fluorescence is linearly related to the concentration of glutamine from 0.10 to 0.60 g/L (0.68 to 4.10 mmol/l). To prevent interference by endogenous ammonia, each specimen was corrected for its own background fluorescence. The mean analytical recovery was 99.8%. Within-day variation (CV) for pooled, enriched cerebrospinal fluid controls at 0.33 g/L (2.22 mmol/L) and 0.53 g/L (3.63 mmol/L) were 2.2 and 5.1%. Day-to-day variation (CV) for the same controls was 4.4 and 4.8%, respectively. Data obtained by our method correlate excellently (r = 0.980) with those by an established procedure based on the Berthelot (phenol—hypochlorite) reaction.
Graphical determination of specific activity, binding constants, and antibody-site concentrations for radioimmunoassays, with application to thymopoietin.
Authors: Verhoff F H , Lisi P J , Fischer C D , Teipel J W , Goldstein G , Schiffman M B
Published: February 2020

A graphical procedure for determining the specific activity of radiolabeled ligands has been developed for use with radioimmunoassays. Although with this procedure we utilize the same experimental information required for displacement analysis, we are also able to determine both the specific activity and the binding constants of the labeled and unlabeled materials without assuming that these constants are equal; the concentration of antibody-binding sites can also be calculated. Thus, this graphical technique permits calculation of additional information without additional experimentation. We applied this procedure to the labeled materials used in a thymopoietin assay, testing two different preparations of radiolabeled material, and saw negligible differences between the two. The specific activity determined from the displacement analysis correlated well with that calculated by the graphical procedure.
Cortisol directly determined in serum by fluoroimmunoassay with magnetizable solid phase.
Authors: Pourfarzaneh M , White G W , Landon J , Smith D S
Published: February 2020

We developed a direct fluoroimmunoassay for cortisol in serum. This method involves cortisol labeled at the 3 position with fluorescein, and antibodies to cortisol coupled to magnetizable cellulose/iron oxide particles. Sodium salicylate is used as a blocking agent to prevent interference from endogenous binding proteins in serum. Serum sample and labeled cortisol are incubated with the antibody-coupled solid phase for 30 min. The solid phase is then separated and washed to remove free labeled cortisol and endogenous fluorophores of the sample. Finally we elute the antibody-bound fraction of the labeled cortisol into an alkaline methanolic medium and measure its fluorescence. The separation, wash, and elution steps are facilitated by magnetic sedimentation. The assay is sufficiently sensitive, specific, and reliable for routine use and correlates acceptably (r = 0.92) with an established radioimmunoassay. Precision (CV) ranged from 4 to 10% in experiments on three pooled sera; analytical recovery for sera supplemented with as much as 360 μg of cortisol per liter was 91 to 109%.
Enzyme-linked immunoassay for placental lactogen in human serum.
Authors: MacDonald D J , Nicol K M , Belfield A , Shah M M , Mack D S
Published: February 2020

We describe an enzyme-linked immunoassay for measuring human placental lactogen (HPL) in serum. After suitable dilution, sera are pipetted into the wells of polyvinyl microtitre plates previously coated with anti-HPL. After incubation the sera are decanted, and replaced by a conjugate of horseradish peroxidase and anti-HPL. An amount of enzyme proportional to the concentration of HPL in the serum is bound to the wells via an antibody—HPL—antibody bridge. Peroxidase activity is measured by oxidation of o-phenylenediamine, the resulting color being related to the concentration of HPL. Results correlate well with those by radioimmunoassay (r = 0.96). Our between-assay coefficient of variation was 13%; no discernible effect of protein was observed. This 4-h assay can be used to monitor placental function in pregnancy.
Interference by the 4-hydroxylated metabolite of propranolol with determination of metanephrines by the Pisano method.
Authors: Chou D , Tsuru M , Holtzman J L , Eckfeldt J H
Published: February 2020

Measurements of urinary metanephrines by the Pisano procedure (Clin. Chim. Acta 5: 406, 1960) are unreliable in patients who are taking propranolol owing to the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol in the urine. Three properties of this propranolol metabolite lead to interference: (a) it is absorbed and eluted from ion-exchange resins under the conditions Pisano used for metanephrine isolation, (b) at high pH it absorbs at 350 to 360 nm, and (c) it is oxidized by periodate to a substance with negligible absorption in this region. Because 350 to 360 nm is the wavelength used to quantitate vanillin, the product formed from periodate oxidation of metanephrines, and because the unoxidized eluate is used as a specimen blank, the presence of 4-hydroxypropranolol spuriously decreases the measured urinary metanephrines; this has special significance because patients being tested for increased metanephrines are also likely to be receiving propranolol for hypertension.
Decreasing sample volume used in the “Sequential Multichannel Analyzer Computerized” (SMAC).
Authors: Stamper R , Robertshaw D M
Published: February 2020

We describe modifications to two cartridges, those for alkaline phosphatase and creatinine, on an 18-channel SMAC (Sequential Multichannel Analyzer Computerized), which allow all 18 tests to be run with a commonly prediluted sample. This decreases the required sample size and eliminates the problem of fibrin clots in the stream-splitter on the main sample line. The modifications can be made rapidly and require few new components. Accuracy, precision, linearity, and carryover are acceptable after these modifications, as judged by comparison with premodification data. Some financial savings ensue from the decreased consumption of reagents and the fewer repeat analyses necessitated by clotting problems.
Mechanized amidolytic technique for determination of factor X and factor-X antigen, and its application to patients being treated with oral anticoagulants.
Authors: van Wijk E M , Kahlé L H , ten Cate J W
Published: February 2020

We describe a mechanized chromogenic assay for factor X, the results of which correlate well with those for the one-stage clotting assays for factor X in which it is activated either via the extrinsic pathway by thromboplastin or directly by Russell's viper venom. We purified human factor X and raised monospecific antibodies to it in rabbits. We used our chromogenic assay for factor X to develop a factor-X-inhibitor neutralization assay for determination of factor-X antigen. Patients receiving oral anticoagulant treatment had significantly different factor-X activities after activation via thromboplastin or with Russell's viper venom. The concentration of factor-X antigen, although decreased, significantly exceeded factor-X clotting activity or chromogenic activity in this group of patients. Results of the chromogenic assay for factor X correlated well with results of "Thrombotest," a clotting test introduced by Owren (Lancet ii: 754, 1959) to control anticoagulant therapy. For patients taking oral anticoagulant drugs, the therapeutic range by our assay is 180 to 300 units/L.
Acid Phosphatase in Gaucher's Disease
Authors: Robinson Douglas B , Glew Robert H
Published: February 2020

Vol. 26

p 374: Second column, line 1: "designated," not "designed."

p 457: First line of abstract: correct number is "2.7.3.2"; second paragraph under "Serum Samples": "mammary artery," not "mammary vein."

p 458: Under "Column Chromatography," line 9 to read "buffer (200 mmol/L NaCl, 50 mmol/L Tris-HCl)..." Sublegend to Figure 1: add "a, concentration gel; b, separation gel." Under "Isoelectric Focusing," line 6 should read "7 mg of ammonium persulfate, 0.1 mL of pH 4-6 carrier ampholyte, and 0.1 mL of pH 5-7 ampholyte."

p 485:last paragraph: insert "98" before "(29.4%)," delete "low value," change "(6.5%)," to "(6.3%)," and change "µ/L" to "µg/L."
Human conjugated bilirubin--isolation, biosynthesis, and direct molecular characterization.
Authors: Wu T W , Zumbulyadis N , Gross S , Gohlke R S
Published: February 2020

We prepared human conjugated bilirubin by isolation from fresh gall bladder bile and by biosynthesis using liver homogenates. The isolation protocol was modified after Lucassen (doctoral thesis, Univ. Utrecht, 1961), and the in vitro synthesis was done with fresh liver homogenates in the presence of D-glucaro-1,4-lactone (a glucuronidase inhibitor). From direct analyses of these preparations with 270-MHz proton nuclear magnetic resonance and field-desorption mass spectrometry, we deduced that a major conjugated bilirubin species in bile is a diglucuronide, whereas in liver biosynthesis it is a diconjugate containing glucuronic acid and possibly glucuronolactone co-esterified to the bilirubin backbone. If the glucuronolactone is indeed present in the native biosynthetic material, we do not know whether it derives from glucuronic acid and, if so, whether lactonization occurs before or after the acid has been esterified to form the conjugate.
Photoelectroanalytical chemistry: possible interferences in serum and the selective detection of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(II) in the presence of interferents.
Authors: Weber S G , Morgan D M , Elbicki J M
Published: February 2020

Photoelectroanalytical chemistry, the application of photoelectrochemistry to analysis, as reported here, is based on the amperometric detection of tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(III) after its production from the corresponding Ru(II) complex in an excited state and quenching by electron transfer. The Ru(II) complex is detectable in concentrations less than 10(-10) mol/L injected into a flow stream in 100 microL. The selectivity of the detection is based upon several competitive reactions and their rates. The complex can be detected accurately in the presence of at least 10(4) molar excess of the potent interferents uric acid and oxalic acid. We anticipate that this complex will be used in assays that involve the use of labels.
Combined stress of ocean acidification and warming influence survival and drives differential gene expression patterns in the Antarctic pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica
Authors: Johnson Kevin M , Hofmann Gretchen E
Published: February 2020

The ecologically important thecosome pteropods in the Limacina spp. complex have recently been the focus of studies examining the impacts global change factors – e.g., ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming (OW) – on their performance and physiology. This focus is driven by conservation concerns where the health of pteropod populations is threatened by the high susceptibility of their shells to dissolution in low aragonite saturation states associated with OA and how coupling of these stressors may push pteropods past the limits of physiological plasticity. In this manipulation experiment, we describe changes in the transcriptome of the Antarctic pteropod, Limacina helicina antarctica, to these combined stressors. The conditions used in the laboratory treatments met or exceeded those projected for the Southern Ocean by the year 2100. We made two general observations regarding the outcome of the data: (1) Temperature was more influential than pH in terms of changing patterns of gene expression, and (2) these Antarctic pteropods appeared to have a significant degree of transcriptomic plasticity to respond to acute abiotic stress in the laboratory. In general, differential gene expression was observed amongst the treatments; here, for example, transcripts associated with maintaining protein structure and cell proliferation were up-regulated. To disentangle the effects of OA and OW, we used a weighted gene co-expression network analysis to explore patterns of change in the transcriptome. This approach identified gene networks associated with OW that were enriched for transcripts proposed to be involved in increasing membrane fluidity at warmer temperatures. Together these data provide evidence that L.h.antarctica has a limited capacity to acclimate to the combined conditions of OA and OW used in this study. This reduced scope of acclimation argues for continued study of how adaptation to polar aquatic environments may limit the plasticity of present-day populations in responding to future environmental change.
Intestinal Epithelial Cells Express Immunomodulatory ISG15 During Active Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Østvik Ann Elisabet , Svendsen Tarjei Dahl , Granlund Atle van Beelen , Doseth Berit , Skovdahl Helene Kolstad , Bakke Ingunn , Thorsvik Silje , Afroz Wahida , Walaas Gunnar Andreas , Mollnes Tom Eirik , Gustafsson Björn Inge , Sandvik Arne Kristian , Bruland Torunn
Published: February 2020

Background and Aims

Intestinal epithelial cells [IECs] secrete cytokines that recruit immune cells to the mucosa and regulate immune responses that drive inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease [IBD]. However, experiments in patient-derived IEC models are still scarce. Here, we aimed to investigate how innate immunity and IEC-specific pattern recognition receptor [PRR] signalling can be involved in an enhanced type I interferon [IFN] gene signature observed in colon epithelium of patients with active IBD, with a special focus on secreted ubiquitin-like protein ISG15.

Methods

Gene and protein expression in whole mucosa biopsies and in microdissected human colonic epithelial lining, in HT29 human intestinal epithelial cells and primary 3D colonoids treated with PRR-ligands and cytokines, were detected by transcriptomics, in situ hybridisation, immunohistochemistry, western blots, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA]. Effects of IEC-secreted cytokines were examined in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells [PBMCs] by multiplex chemokine profiling and ELISA.

Results

The type I IFN gene signature in human mucosal biopsies was mimicked in Toll-like receptor TLR3 and to some extent tumour necrosis factor [TNF]-treated human IECs. In intestinal biopsies, ISG15 expression correlated with expression of the newly identified receptor for extracellular ISG15, LFA-1 integrin. ISG15 was expressed and secreted from HT29 cells and primary 3D colonoids through both JAK1-pSTAT-IRF9-dependent and independent pathways. In experiments using PBMCs, we show that ISG15 releases IBD-relevant proinflammatory cytokines such as CXCL1, CXCL5, CXCL8, CCL20, IL1, IL6, TNF, and IFNγ.

Conclusions

ISG15 is secreted from primary IECs upon extracellular stimulation, and mucosal ISG15 emerges as an intriguing candidate for immunotherapy in IBD.
The Murder of Jamal Khashoggi: Immunities, Inviolability and the Human Right to Life
Authors: Milanovic Marko
Published: February 2020

On 2 October 2018, Jamal Khashoggi, a dissident Saudi journalist residing in the United States of America, where he was a columnist for the Washington Post newspaper, was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. This article analyses Khashoggi’s killing from the standpoint of the human right to life. It examines not only the obligation of Saudi Arabia to respect Khashoggi’s right to life, but also the obligations of Turkey and the United States to protect Khashoggi’s right to life from third parties, and to ensure respect through an effective investigation of his killing and mutual cooperation for the purpose of that investigation. It also looks at the extraterritorial scope of these various obligations. Finally, the article examines possible norm conflicts between state obligations under human rights law and their obligations under diplomatic and consular law, such as the inviolability of diplomatic and consular premises, agents and means of transportation.
Beyond ‘find and fix’: improving quality and safety through resilient healthcare systems
Authors: Anderson J E , Ross A J , Back J , Duncan M , Snell P , Hopper A , Jaye P
Published: February 2020

Objective

The aim was to develop a method based on resilient healthcare principles to proactively identify system vulnerabilities and quality improvement interventions.

Design

Ethnographic methods to understand work as it is done in practice using concepts from resilient healthcare, the Concepts for Applying Resilience Engineering model and the four key activities that are proposed to underpin resilient performance—anticipating, monitoring, responding and learning.

Setting

Accident and Emergency Department (ED) and the Older People’s Unit (OPU) of a large teaching hospital in central London.

Participants

ED—observations 104 h, and 14 staff interviews. OPU—observations 60 h, and 15 staff interviews.

Results

Data were analysed to identify targets for quality improvement. In the OPU, discharge was a complex and variable process that was difficult to monitor. A system to integrate information and clearly show progress towards discharge was needed. In the ED, patient flow was identified as a complex high-intensity activity that was not supported by the existing data systems. The need for a system to integrate and display information about both patient and organizational factors was identified. In both settings, adaptive capacity was limited by the absence of systems to monitor the work environment.

Conclusions

The study showed that using resilient healthcare principles to inform quality improvement was feasible and focused attention on challenges that had not been addressed by traditional quality improvement practices. Monitoring patient and workflow in both the ED and the OPU was identified as a priority for supporting staff to manage the complexity of the work.
A case-controlled study of relatives’ complaints concerning patients who died in hospital: The role of treatment escalation/limitation planning
Authors: Taylor D Robin , Bouttell Janet , Campbell Jonathan N , Lightbody Calvin J
Published: February 2020

Objectives

To independently assess quality of care among patients who died in hospital and whose next-of-kin submitted a letter of complaint and make comparisons with matched controls. To identify whether use of a treatment escalation limitation plan (TELP) during the terminal illness was a relevant background factor.

Design

The study was an investigator-blinded retrospective case-note review of 42 complaints cases and 72 controls matched for age, sex, ward location and time of death.

Setting

The acute medical and surgical wards of three District General Hospitals administered by NHS Lanarkshire, Scotland.

Participants

None.

Intervention

None.

Outcome measures

Quality of care: clinical ‘problems’, non-beneficial interventions (NBIs) and harms were evaluated using the Structured Judgment Review Method. Complaints were categorized using the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool.

Results

The event frequencies and rate ratios for clinical ‘problems’, NBIs and harms were consistently higher in complaint cases compared to controls. The difference was only significant for NBIs (P = 0.05). TELPs were used less frequently in complaint cases compared to controls (23.8 versus 47.2%, P = 0.013). The relationship between TELP use and the three key clinical outcomes was nonsignificant.

Conclusions

Care delivered to patients at end-of-life whose next-of-kin submitted a complaint was poorer overall than among control patients when assessed independently by blinded reviewers. Regular use of a TELP in acute clinical settings has the potential to influence complaints relating to end-of-life care, but this requires further prospective study.
Effect of nonuniform heat source/sink, and viscous and Joule dissipation on 3D Eyring–Powell nanofluid flow over a stretching sheet
Authors: Thumma Thirupathi , Mishra S R
Published: February 2020

The aim of this paper is to explore the effect of heat source/sink, and space- and temperature-dependent viscous and Joule dissipation on 3D magnetohydrodynamic radiating Eyring–Powell nanofluid streamline flow with convective conditions past a stretching sheet. The coupled nonlinear flow, thermal, and species phenomena equations are transformed into a system of coupled nonlinear ordinary differential equations through suitable similarity transformations with corresponding boundary conditions. The transformed dimensionless equations are then solved analytically with the Adomian decomposition method. A comprehensive study is conducted on the influence of sundry physical dimensionless parameters governing the flow velocity, temperature, and concentration distributions. For parameters of engineering interest, the computed numerical results are presented with the aid of tables. Furthermore, the present solutions agree with the earlier reported results in specific cases, and an excellent correlation is witnessed. The present analysis is of great interest germane to cooling of metallic plates, polishing of artificial heart valves, oil pipeline friction reduction in the oil industry, flow tracers, enhanced oil recovery, and separation processes in chemical industries and petroleum extraction.
A Bigger Pie: The Effects of High-Speed Internet on Political Behavior
Authors: Lelkes Yphtach
Published: February 2020

The impact of broader media choice on political behavior is central to the study of political communication. The availability of high-speed Internet, which allows for high bandwidth media on demand, has given consumers virtually unlimited information choices. Most research assumes that the time spent online is fixed; therefore, broader media choice decreases news consumption, political knowledge, and turnout, especially among the politically uninterested. In this article, I explore another possibility: as Internet quality improves, we spend more time online and consume more information, which subsequently increases knowledge and turnout. To test this possibility, I link geocoded Internet download speed data with survey data. A series of studies indicate that higher quality Internet increases political information search, news consumption, and political knowledge, although perhaps not turnout. This work suggests that our assumption of trade-offs between news consumption and entertainment may need reconsideration.
Privacy Management and Self-Disclosure on Social Network Sites: The Moderating Effects of Stress and Gender
Authors: Zhang Renwen , Fu Jiawei Sophia
Published: February 2020

A plethora of research has examined the effects of privacy concerns on individuals' self-disclosure on social network sites (SNSs). However, most studies are based on the rational choice paradigm, without taking into account the influence of individuals' emotional states. This study examines the roles of stress in influencing the relationship between privacy concerns and self-disclosure on SNSs, as well as gender differences in the effects of stress. Results from a survey of 556 university students in Hong Kong suggest that privacy concerns are negatively related to the amount, intimacy, and honesty of self-disclosure on SNSs. Yet a person's level of stress dampens the association between privacy concerns and disclosure amount and intimacy, suggesting that people may worry less about privacy when highly stressed. Moreover, the moderating effect of stress varies based on gender. This study provides insights into the emotional component of privacy management online.
Case C-723/17 Craeynest: New Developments for the Right to Clean Air in the EU
Authors: Taddei Ugo
Published: February 2020

This analysis considers and reviews the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-723/17 Lies Craeynest and Others v Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest and Brussels Instituut voor Milieubeheer [2019] ECLI:EU:C:2019:533, which followed a preliminary reference by the Nederlandstalige rechtbank van eerste aanleg Brussel (Dutch-language Court of First Instance of Brussels) concerning the interpretation of Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe. The Craeynest judgment strengthens the right to clean air in the European Union, offering new tools for citizens to hold authorities accountable before national courts. It also provides key clarifications about the intensity of judicial review of scientifically complex assessments. In this regard, the Craeynest case has the potential to strengthen access to justice beyond air quality issues in other environmental matters.
Simultaneous changes in expression levels of BAALC and miR-326: a novel prognostic biomarker for childhood ALL
Authors: Ghodousi Elaheh Sadat , Aberuyi Narges , Rahgozar Soheila
Published: February 2020

Objective

Multidrug resistance and consequent relapse are two major obstacles for treating children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, the most frequent childhood malignancy. MicroRNAs have potential regulatory roles in response to chemotherapy. The goal of this study was to determine the microRNA that may have effects on the expression level of brain and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (BAALC) and to investigate the in vitro and ex vivo association between their expression levels.

Methods

In silico tools were utilized to determine a putative miRNA targeting BALLC. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate expression levels of BAALC and its predicted microRNA, miR-326, in bone marrow samples of 30 children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and 13 controls, in addition to the resistant and parental CCRF-CEM cell lines. To assess the status of response to therapy, minimal residual disease was measured using single-strand conformation polymorphism.

Results

MiR-326 was selected due to the strong possibility of its interaction with BAALC according to the obtained in silico results. Statistical analysis showed a significant downregulation of miR-326 and overexpression of BALLC in drug-resistant acute lymphoblastic leukemia cell line and patients compared with the parental cell line and drug-sensitive patients, respectively (P = 0.015, 0.005, 0.0484 and 0.0005, respectively). The expression profiles of miR-326 and BAALC were inversely correlated (P = 0.028).

Conclusions

The results introduced the inversely combined expression levels of miR-326 and BAALC as a novel, independent prognostic biomarker for pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (P = 0.007). Moreover, bioinformatics data showed a possible regulatory role for miR-326 on BAALC mRNA, which may possibly contribute to the development of drug resistance in patients with childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Behavioral Action of Deltamethrin and Cypermethrin in Pyrethroid-Resistant Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae): Implications for Control Strategies in Thailand
Authors: Sathantriphop Sunaiyana , Paeporn Pungasem , Ya-umphan Phubeth , Mukkhun Pongsakorn , Thanispong Kanutcharee , Chansang Chitti , Bangs Michael J , Chareonviriyaphap Theeraphap , Tainchum Krajana
Published: February 2020

Contact irritant (locomotor excitation) and noncontact spatial repellent avoidance behavior to deltamethrin and cypermethrin at dosages 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 g/m2 impregnated on papers were evaluated in the laboratory against deltamethrin- and cypermethrin-resistant field populations of female Aedes aegypti (L.) from Rayong and Chanthaburi Provinces, Thailand. Pyrethroid-resistant populations were compared with a susceptible laboratory strain (NIH-Thai) using an ‘excito-repellency’ (ER) test system. Both NIH-Thai and field mosquitoes had stronger contact irritancy responses compared to the relatively weak noncontact repellency effects. Contact assays with deltamethrin and cypermethrin at 0.1 g/m2 showed high escape rates for Rayong (80.1 and 83.4%, respectively) and Chanthaburi (84.6 and 73.1%, respectively) mosquitoes. Cypermethrin produced significantly different (P < 0.05) percent escape responses in contact tests between NIH-Thai and field mosquitoes. Only deltamethrin contact at 0.05 g/m2 produced a significant escape response (P < 0.001) between NIH-Thai and Rayong mosquitoes. These results suggest that there may not be an overall significant effect of background pyrethroid resistance on escape response, and the differences by comparisons may reflect inherent individual variation when using the ER bioassay system. The results show that pyrethroid resistance in Ae. aegypti does not appear to influence or reduce contact avoidance responses with the compounds tested. In particular, deltamethrin at 0.1 g/m2 was an effective contact irritant and toxic compound against pyrethroid-resistant populations of Ae. aegypti. Therefore, 0.1 g/m2 deltamethrin could be considered for residual applications of either fixed surfaces or materials (e.g., curtains) as a supplemental control measure against adult dengue vectors.
Population-level performance of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh in dense monocultures
Authors: Vain Susanna , Gielen Iris , Liira Jaan , Zobel Kristjan
Published: February 2020

Aims

Very little is known about the performance of non-agricultural plant species in monocultures, even though nearly all agricultural species have experienced the transition from multi-species environments to dense monospecific stands during the breeding process. In the light of recent work that highlighted the possibility that the weedy species Arabidopsis thaliana can offer novel insight into crop breeding, we aimed to test the effect of sowing density on group and individual performance in different photoperiod environments in A. thaliana.

Methods

We studied the performance of A. thaliana Cvi-0 ecotype. The choice of Cvi-0 was based on a preliminary experiment in which plants of Cvi-0 ecotype exhibited high competitive performance. Sowing densities used were 17.6, 8.8, 4.4, 2.2 and 1.1 cm2 per plant and photoperiod environments 12 or 16 h of day light.

Important Findings

In this experiment, populations attained constant total seed yield for all densities. Some interaction effect occurred, as at high sowing density and at longer day length plants produced heavier seeds, whereas at shorter day length seed weight was negatively related to plant density. These results shed light on different strategies that annual plants can adopt when they face intense intraspecific competition, and could help to offer new perspectives for breeding crops with enhanced group performance.
Design as the Missing Variable in Trauma-Informed Schools
Authors: Kopec Dak , Harte J. Davis
Published: February 2020

Trauma-informed school models are making important headway in the ability of properly trained and motivated teachers and staff to address the complex needs of traumatized students. However, there is a new and related avenue in the need for the school’s built and ambient environment to be able to support these trauma-informed practices and policies. This chapter provides context and insight to better understand the connection between the mental, emotional, and physiological responses of students with trauma histories and the built environment. With a theoretical lens of architectural psychology, the authors discuss how the physical environment may perpetuate students’ stress loads or, conversely, how school spaces can be thoughtfully designed so as to facilitate lower stress levels and increase perceived control and opportunities for reregulation, as well as support the teachers and staff implementing trauma-informed practices. The built environment can foster dignity, respect, and personal autonomy, which can support the development of self-regulation skills, healthy coping mechanisms, and, ideally, healing.
Communication in Palliative Nursing
Authors: Wittenberg Elaine , Goldsmith Joy V. , Ragan Sandra L. , Parnell Terri Ann
Published: February 2020

Communication in Palliative Nursing presents the COMFORT Model, a theoretically-grounded and empirically-based model of palliative care communication. Built on over a decade of communication research with patients, families, and interdisciplinary providers, and reworked based on feedback from hundreds of nurses nationwide, the chapters outline a revised COMFORT curriculum: Connect, Options, Making Meaning, Family caregivers, Openings, Relating, and Team communication. Based on a narrative approach to communication, which addresses communication skill development, this volume teaches nurses to consider a universal model of communication that aligns with the holistic nature of palliative care. This work moves beyond the traditional and singular view of the nurse as patient and family educator, to embrace highly complex communication challenges present in palliative care—namely, providing care and comfort through communication at a time when patients, families, and nurses themselves are suffering. In light of the vast changes in the palliative care landscape and the increasingly pivotal role of nurses in advancing those changes, this second edition provides an evidence-based approach to the practice of palliative nursing. This book integrates communication theory and health literacy constructs throughout, and provides clinical tools and teaching resources to help nurses enhance their own communication and create comfort for themselves, as well as for patients and their families.
O—Openings
Authors: Wittenberg Elaine , Goldsmith Joy V. , Ragan Sandra L. , Ann Parnell Terri
Published: February 2020

Openings offers specific tools to assist the nurse in traversing the challenging yet profoundly rewarding moments of transition that require the clinical practice of intimate openings with the patient/family. Replacing evasion with an opportunity to move into tension and avoidance is essential in helping a patient/family receive palliative care. Observations of tension might be clear indications of a needed transition in care. Complex interactions with patients and families coincide with transitions in care and require intimate and disclosive exchanges among patient/family and nurses. Communication privacy management theory helps us understand more about private information and how that information depends on the relationship people share. Communicating a transition to palliative care from hospital to home or to end-of-life care and hospice requires nurses to address a patient’s/family’s fears and feelings of hopelessness and to provide education about palliative care and its services. Facilitating appropriate access to private health information, creating intimate openings to process transitions in life and care, and understanding the impact of disclosure on patient/family relationships all play an important role.
Dyskinesia, Motor Stereotypies, and Tics
Authors: Shibasaki Hiroshi , Hallett Mark , Bhatia Kailash P. , Reich Stephen G. , Balint Bettina
Published: February 2020

Dyskinesia is characterized by complex, irregular involuntary movements involving lips, tongue, extremities, and/or trunk. The term “dyskinesia” is often used to encompass complex involuntary movements that do not fit into another category of involuntary movements. Focal dyskinesia is commonly seen in the lips and tongue (orolingual dyskinesia or oral dyskinesia). Drug side effects are the most common cause of generalized dyskinesia, usually those that influence dopamine such as L-dopa and neuroleptics (drug-induced dyskinesia, tardive dyskinesia). Motor stereotypies are repetitive occurrences of the same movements; movements commonly encountered in this condition range from simple movements like shaking arms and nodding to complex movements. Motor stereotypies are commonly observed in children with Asperger syndrome, Rett syndrome and other automatisms, and mental retardation. In adults, stereotyped movements are seen in cases of severe infectious encephalitis, autoimmune encephalitis (e.g., limbic encephalitis), cerebrovascular diseases involving the frontal lobe, and neurodegenerative diseases like frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Tics are irregular, typically brisk movements ranging from shock-like simple movements resembling myoclonus (simple tic) to complex movements (complex tic). Patients with tics tend to repeat certain movements like blinking or grimacing, but in the patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, tics appear as a variety of movements including vocalization (vocal tic). These patients can stop the movements for several seconds, but it is often followed by rebound; they often feel an urge to move before a bout of tics and feel release after the bout.
Sleep-Related Movement Disorders
Authors: Shibasaki Hiroshi , Hallett Mark , Bhatia Kailash P. , Reich Stephen G. , Balint Bettina
Published: February 2020

Some movement disorders and behavioral disorders appear specifically during sleep or in relation to sleep. These are rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorders (RBD); restless legs syndrome; periodic limb movement in sleep (PLMS); cataplexy, which manifests itself as sudden falling, head dropping, or jaw dropping due to sudden loss of muscle tone triggered by emotions (laughing in particular); hypnic jerks or hypnagogic myoclonus; fragmentary myoclonus in children; autosomal dominant nocturnal frontal lobe epilepsy; sleep walking and sleep terrors; head banging, and bruxism (grinding of the teeth). Careful history taking or reviewing a home video provides valuable clues, but the gold standard remains video polysomnography (PSG). Some sleep-related movements do not represent “disorders” as such but are harmless, physiological motor phenomena, and are discussed because of their frequency and relevance in differential diagnostic considerations.
Concussion Two Weeks Later
Authors: Hainline Brian , Gurin Lindsey J. , Torres Daniel M.
Published: February 2020

Although most individuals recover from concussion within 7 to 10 days, a sizable minority have prolonged concussion symptoms, especially those who also suffered loss of consciousness, post-traumatic amnesia, many acute symptoms, and immediate dizziness. Thus, someone could remain symptomatic from concussion more than two weeks following the injury. At that point, however, the discerning clinician must differentiate prolonged concussion symptoms from the evolution of persistent symptoms from comorbid neurologic conditions or emerging mental health symptoms or disorders. Too often, prolonged or persistent symptoms are not considered in the context of initial concussion injury and symptoms, proper return to activity, or emerging comorbid conditions that can also lead to persistent symptoms.
Return to Play Following Concussion
Authors: Hainline Brian , Gurin Lindsey J. , Torres Daniel M.
Published: February 2020

Return-to-play protocols have existed for many years, and have evolved over time. Current guidelines mandate that an athlete cannot return to play on the same day as a suspected concussion. Although physical and cognitive rest are recommended in the immediate aftermath of concussion, athletes should begin to engage in some type of activity in 24–48 hours after a concussion. A more formal stepwise increase in activity should occur once the athlete has returned to his or her baseline symptoms. Ultimately, return-to-play is a balance between ensuring player safety and avoiding concussion symptoms that persist because of inactivity.
Depression Following Concussion
Authors: Hainline Brian , Gurin Lindsey J. , Torres Daniel M.
Published: February 2020

Depressive symptoms are common following concussion, and persistent depression symptoms must be differentiated from the underlying concussion injury. When individuals develop depressive symptoms, it is important to rule out a major depressive disorder. Depression symptoms or major depressive disorder following concussion will lead to persistent post-concussive symptoms that may be misinterpreted as a more severe brain injury. Persistent depressive symptoms and major depressive disorder require specific nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic management, as warranted.