bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pentraxin-3 vs C-reactive protein and other prognostic biomarkers in acute coronary syndrome: A substudy of the Platelet Inhibition and Patients Outcomes (PLATO) trial
Authors: Kontny Frederic , Andersen Thomas , Ueland Thor , Åkerblom Axel , Lakic Tatevik G , Michelsen Annika E , Aukrust Pål , Bertilsson Maria , Becker Richard C , Himmelmann Anders , James Stefan K , Siegbahn Agneta , Storey Robert F , Wallentin Lars ,   for the PLATO Investigators
Published: April 2019

Aims:

We investigated the dynamics, associations with patient characteristics, other biomarkers, and clinical outcomes of pentraxin 3 in acute coronary syndrome.

Methods and results:

In multivariate analyses, pentraxin 3 measured in 5154 patients randomised in the Platelet Inhibition and Patients Outcomes (PLATO) trial (NCT00391872) was compared with leukocytes, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, cystatin C, N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T and growth differentiation factor 15 concerning prediction of clinical outcome. Pentraxin 3 peaked earlier than high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and was more strongly correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T than with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. The frequency of cardiovascular death, spontaneous myocardial infarction or stroke by quartiles of pentraxin 3 at admission was 6.1%, 7.3%, 9.7% and 10.7%, respectively ( p<0.0001). The hazard ratio per 50% increase of pentraxin 3 was 1.13 (95% confidence interval: 1.07–1.19), p<0.0001. This association remained significant after stepwise adjustments for leukocytes/high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (1.09 (1.02–1.15)), p=0.009, interleukin-6 (1.07 (1.01–1.14)), p=0.026, and cystatin C (1.07 (1.00–1.13)), p=0.044, but not after adjustment for N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity troponin T and growth differentiation factor 15. Admission pentraxin 3 was also associated with several of the individual endpoint components (cardiovascular death/spontaneous myocardial infarction; p=0.008, cardiovascular death; p=0.026, and spontaneous myocardial infarction; p=0.017), but not with stroke. Pentraxin 3 measured in the chronic phase (i.e. at one month) was still predictive of the composite endpoint in univariate analysis (1.12 (1.04–1.20) per 50% increase) p=0.0024, but not after adjustment for the other biomarkers.

Conclusion:

Admission level of pentraxin 3 is a modestly stronger predictor than high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, but not than N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide or high-sensitivity troponin T, concerning cardiovascular outcome in acute coronary syndrome. Pentraxin 3 is more strongly correlated with N-terminal prohormone brain natriuretic peptide and high-sensitivity troponin T than with high-sensitivity C-reactive protein.
Behavioral trials in the Arab Gulf States: A scoping review
Authors: Saquib Nazmus , Ibrahim Ayman Yousif , Saquib Juliann
Published: April 2019

The leading chronic conditions in Arab Gulf States are modifiable by lifestyle change. Available evidence suggests a paucity of experimental studies on these conditions. We aimed to review the published randomized controlled trials on behavioral modification in the Arab Gulf States. Three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane) were searched for related keywords, and the records were screened for eligible studies; data were abstracted on trial characteristics (e.g. publication year, study population, primary outcome, intervention, control, follow-up, and outcome results), and a quality assessment of the trials was made. A total of 16 trials were eligible; 50% did not provide sample size calculation, and 31% did not designate a primary outcome. A majority of the trials did not explain randomization or allocation concealment (50%), did not blind outcome assessors (69%) or adopt an intention-to-treat analysis (56%); and 82% of trials found a significant intervention effect. More behavioral trials should be conducted overall and specifically for conditions for which there are no trials (e.g. respiratory tract infection and road injury).
Chemical exposure in garage workers and related health risks on the biochemical levels: A comparative study in Harar town, eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Ataro Zerihun , Geremew Abraham , Urgessa Fekadu
Published: April 2019

Objectives:

Occupational exposure to chemicals causes a wide range of biological effects depending on the level and duration of exposure. The current study is intended to determine the differences in biochemical levels among garage workers compared with occupationally nonexposed participants in Harar town, eastern Ethiopia.

Methods:

A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Harar town, eastern Ethiopia. Thirty (30) garage workers were selected and compared with 30 age- and sex-matched control group of teachers and students. Demographic and occupational data were collected using a structured questionnaire by trained data collector. Biochemical levels were measured by automated clinical chemistry analyzer (Autolab 18, Boehringer-Mannheim Diagnostics, the United States). Data were analyzed using STATA Version 13.

Results:

All of the included garage workers were male. A statistically significant increase were found in alanine aminotransferase (35.60 ± 7.93 vs 19.17 ± 0.91 U/L; P value = 0.0440), aspartate aminotransferase (47.23 ± 4.89 vs 27.03 ± 1.13 U/L; P value = 0.0002), total protein (85.83 ± 1.16 vs 76.40 ± 0.86 g/l; P value < 0.0001), uric acid (7.34 ± 0.29 vs 5.19 ± 0.21 mg/dl; P value < 0.0001), glucose (85.13 ± 3.92 vs 75.60 ± 2.40 mg/dl; P value = 0.0425); total cholesterol (199.40 ± 13.11 vs 140.37 ± 3.81 mg/dl; P value = 0.0001) and triglyceride (143.40 ± 5.79 vs 110.60 ± 8.98 mg/dl; P value = 0.0033) in garage workers compared with control group. On the contrary, a statistically significant decrease were found in albumin (39.37 ± 1.78 vs 46.37 ± 0.56 g/l; P value = 0.0004) and urea (21.63 ± 1.04 vs 27.60 ± 1.69 mg/dl; P value = 0.0039) among garage workers compared with the control group.

Conclusion:

Our finding indicates that working in the garage changes most of the biochemical levels. Therefore, appropriate and effective safety measures need to be implemented to prevent possible chemical exposure during routine work.
P. N. Haksar and Indira’s India: A Glimpse of the Domestic Sphere, 1967–1976
Authors: Ankit Rakesh
Published: April 2019

This article presents four episodes from the political period 1969 to 1976 in India, focusing on the views and actions of P. N. Haksar, Principal Secretary and Advisor to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi (1967–1973). Unlike the ‘national/international politics’ hitherto under focus from then, that is, the Congress split (1969), birth of Bangladesh (1971) and the JP Movement/Emergency (1974–1975), the aspects under consideration in this article are of subterranean existence. First of these aspects is the provincial reverberations of the Congress split, the case considered here being that of the Bombay Pradesh Congress Committee. Second is the attitude of the Congress Party towards left opposition, the Communist Party of India Marxist (CPI [M]) in West Bengal, as revealed through the anxieties of Governor Shanti Dhavan. The third aspect under consideration is a glimpse of centre–states relations, as shown through New Delhi’s interactions with the EMS Namboodiripad-led and CPI (M)-dominated United Front Government of Kerala. Finally, the article looks at Haksar’s attempts at planning and development for the state of Bihar. Each of these four themes was among the ‘wider range of functions’ that Mrs Gandhi wished to be performed by her Secretariat and to allow us to test how successful each of it was. Each of these provides a context for contemporary issues.
Nurses' Experiences in Caring for Older Adults With Responsive Behaviors of Dementia in Acute Care
Authors: Yous Marie-Lee , Ploeg Jenny , Kaasalainen Sharon , Martin Lori Schindel
Published: April 2019

Introduction: Approximately 56,000 individuals with dementia were admitted to Canadian hospitals in 2016, and 75% of them experience responsive behaviors. Responsive behaviors are words or actions used to express one's needs (e.g., wandering, yelling, hitting, and restlessness). Health-care professionals perceive these behaviors to be a challenging aspect in providing care for persons with dementia.

Aims: This study explores the perceptions of nurses about (a) caring for older adults with dementia experiencing responsive behaviors in acute medical settings and (b) recommendations to improve dementia care.

Methods: Thorne's interpretive description approach was used. In-person, semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 nurses and 5 allied health professionals from acute medical settings in an urban hospital in Ontario. Interviews were conducted with allied health professionals to understand their perspectives regarding care delivery for persons with responsive behaviors of dementia. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's experiential thematic analysis.

Findings: Themes related to caring for individuals with responsive behaviors included (a) delivering care is a complex experience, (b) using pharmacological strategies and low investment nonpharmacological strategies to support older adults with responsive behaviors, (c) acute medical settings conflicted with principles of dementia care due to a focus on acute care priorities and limited time, and (d) strong interprofessional collaboration and good continuity of care were facilitators for care.

Conclusions: Findings provide guidance for improved support for nurses who provide care for individuals experiencing responsive behaviors in acute medical settings such as increasing staffing and providing educational reinforcements (e.g., annual review of dementia care education and in-services).
Chronic Nicotine Exposure Alters Uninjured Tendon Vascularity and Viscoelasticity
Authors: Gittings Daniel , Riggin Corinne , Boorman-Padgett James , Weiss Stephanie , Fryhofer George , Farber Daniel , Steinberg David , Soslowsky Louis J.
Published: April 2019

Background:

Although nicotine and tobacco use are well established to have adverse health effects, the effects on tendons are less well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic nicotine exposure on Achilles tendon (AT) and supraspinatus tendon (SS) physiologic and mechanical properties in a rodent model.

Methods:

Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 20) were exposed to either 0.9% saline or 36 mg/mL nicotine through an implantable osmotic pump for 12 weeks. At 12 weeks, the AT was imaged in vivo with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CE-US) to assess vascularity. Bilateral AT and SS were then harvested for ex vivo biomechanical analysis. Statistical analysis was performed using Student t test and Mann Whitney U test.

Results:

AT CE-US demonstrated a significantly increased wash-in rate in the nicotine group compared to the saline group, indicating an increase in tissue perfusion rate in the nicotine group. AT percent stress relaxation, a measure of tendon viscoelasticity, was significantly increased in the nicotine group compared to the saline group. Similarly, there was a trend toward increased SS percent stress relaxation in the nicotine group compared to the saline group. No differences in other mechanical properties were observed.

Conclusion:

AT perfusion rate increased and both AT and SS viscoelasticity were altered with chronic nicotine exposure at a clinically relevant dose that models the average smoker in the United States (14 cigarettes per day). Further studies are necessary to link these properties with tendon degeneration and injury.

Clinical Relevance:

Chronic nicotine exposure affects tendon health. Patients should be counseled as such.
Evidence-Based Guidelines for Management of Diabetic Macular Edema
Authors: Bakri Sophie J. , Wolfe Jeremy D. , Regillo Carl D. , Flynn Harry W. , Wykoff Charles C.
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

The purpose of this article is to provide a data-driven set of best practices to consider in the management of diabetic macular edema (DME).

Methods:

The current discussion and recommendations represent the authors’ interpretations of data from selected references based on perceived relevance and study design.

Results:

DME is a common cause of visual impairment globally. The underlying progressive retinal microvascular damage is associated with upregulation of VEGF and a multitude of other inflammatory pathways. Three clinically relevant subcategories of DME can be identified: central-involved DME (CIDME) with preserved visual acuity, CIDME with associated visual loss, and non-CIDME. Management approaches may include observation, laser photocoagulation, intravitreal pharmacotherapy with anti-VEGF agents or corticosteroids, or a combination of these, and may vary depending on the specific type of DME and associated severity of diabetic retinopathy. Additional factors to consider in the management of patients with DME include the appropriate use of imaging and recognition of the chronic nature of the underlying disease process in many eyes.

Conclusions:

DME management is complex. Intravitreal pharmacotherapies are the current cornerstone of treatment for CIDME and appear poised to remain so for the foreseeable future.
Automated Segmentation Measurements of the Outer Nuclear Layer in Determining Cases of Hydroxychloroquine Toxicity: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Jain Akshay , Livnat Itamar , Tsipursky Michael S. , Almasov Alexandra Y. , Garwood Kathleen Campbell , Labriola Leanne T.
Published: April 2019

Purpose:

The purpose of this article is to investigate automated segmentation measurements of the outer nuclear layer to differentiate patients with hydroxychloroquine toxicity from healthy individuals.

Methods:

A 5-year retrospective, case-controlled, interventional study of hydroxychloroquine toxicity patients was conducted. Measurements of the outer nuclear layer were obtained with use of commercially available segmentation software and compared with controls.

Results:

Seven participants (13 eyes) with toxicity and 16 controls (16 eyes) were included. The data comparing the parafoveal, perifoveal, foveal, and overall regions were significant both in thickness ( P < .0001, P < .0001, P = .0029, and P < .0001, respectively) and volume ( P < .0001, P < .0001, P < .0001, and P < .0001, respectively). The CI indicates there is 95% confidence that toxicity patients have between 147 μm and 201 μm less thickness (average 174 μm) and between 0.39 mm3 and 0.55 mm3 less volume (average 0.47 mm3).

Conclusions:

The automated segmentation function can correctly differentiate thinner outer nuclear layer measurements in patients with toxicity. This study is the first to establish the ranges of thickness and volume of the outer nuclear layer with commercially available segmentation. These results provide the first step in determining whether automated segmentation measurements of the outer nuclear layer can be used as an objective screening tool for hydroxychloroquine toxicity.
Growth and properties of fluorine-doped tin oxide films deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis
Authors: Liu Rui , Ren Anping , Yang Zhen , Tian Song , Tong Yanqiu , Xia Chuanhui , Wang Feng
Published: April 2019

We used low-cost ultrasonic spray pyrolysis to prepare fluorine-doped tin oxide film from 470 to 590°C in 30°C increments with air and nitrogen as carrier gas. The film had 86.4% optical transparency and 16.8 Ω/□ electrical resistivity. The quality factor was defined as average optical transmittance to the 10th power divided by square resistance. The quality factor for one film fabricated at 590°C was 139 × 10−4/Ω, which is acceptable for many commercial applications. Detailed analysis indicates that the optical and electrical properties are greatly influenced by the film microstructure which is a function of temperature.
Clinical and immunological features in a cohort of patients with partial DiGeorge syndrome followed at a single center
Authors: Giardino Giuliana , Radwan Nesrine , Koletsi Patra , Morrogh Deborah M. , Adams Stuart , Ip Winnie , Worth Austen , Jones Alison , Meyer-Parsonson Imke , Gaspar H. Bobby , Gilmour Kimberly , Davies E. Graham , Ladomenou Fani
Published: April 2019

DiGeorge syndrome (DGS) is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by various degrees of T-cell deficiency. In partial DGS (pDGS), other risk factors could predispose to recurrent infections, autoimmunity, and allergy. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of different factors in the development of infections, autoimmunity, and/or allergy in patients with pDGS. We studied 467 pDGS patients in follow-up at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Using a multivariate approach, we observed that palatal anomalies represent a risk factor for the development of recurrent otitis media with effusion. Gastroesophageal reflux/dysphagia and asthma/rhinitis represent a risk factor for the development of recurrent upper respiratory tract infections. Allergy and autoimmunity were associated with persistently low immunoglobulin M levels and lymphopenia, respectively. Patients with autoimmunity showed lower levels of CD3+, CD3+CD4+, and naïve CD4+CD45RA+CD27+ T lymphocytes compared with pDGS patients without autoimmunity. We also observed that the physiological age-related decline of the T-cell number was slower in pDGS patients compared with age-matched controls. The age-related recovery of the T-cell number depended on a homeostatic peripheral proliferation of T cells, as suggested by an accelerated decline of the naïve T lymphocytes in pDGS as well as a more skewed T-cell repertoire in older pDGS patients. These evidences suggest that premature CD4+ T-cell aging and lymphopenia induced spontaneous peripheral T-cell proliferation might contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmunity in patients with pDGS. Infections in these patients represent, in most of the cases, a complication of anatomical or gastroenterological anomalies rather than a feature of the underlying immunodeficiency.
Sexuality in Males With Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia Resulting From 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency
Authors: Gehrmann Katharina , Engels Manon , Bennecke Elena , Bouvattier Claire , Falhammar Henrik , Kreukels Baudewijntje P C , Nordenstrom Anna , Reisch Nicole , Gehrmann Nicole , Stikkelbroeck Nike M M L , Quinkler Marcus , Claahsen-van der Grinten Hedi L ,   dsd-LIFE group
Published: April 2019

Purpose

Although sexuality has been reported to be impaired in females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) resulting from 21-hydroxylase deficiency, sexuality in males with CAH so far has remained largely unconsidered.

Patients

One of the largest European male cohorts of patients with CAH in which sexuality in male patients with CAH was assessed.

Methods

Sexuality was evaluated in 91 sexually active male patients with CAH using questionnaires investigating sexual orientation, age at sexual initiation, sexual activity, satisfaction with sex life, and sexual problems, such as fears or dislike of sexual activity, lack or excessive sexual desire, difficulties getting aroused or reaching an orgasm, premature ejaculation, and no or incomplete erection.

Results

Sexuality in male patients with CAH was similar to European reference populations. If sexuality problems were present, they were less frequently reported by the most severely affected CAH males. Adducing a holistic perspective, sexual problems showed substantial association to psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression.

Conclusions

Sexuality in male patients with CAH in general was unaffected and sexuality problems seemed to be associated in particular with psychological problems. Because sexual health is a key factor of general health, we recommend that sexuality as well as psychological issues explicitly should be addressed in health care of patients with a CAH diagnosis, independent of sex.
Weekly Enlightenment
Authors: Tulchin Allan A.
Published: April 2019

Previous studies of the Affiches, a genre of newspaper in late eighteenth-century France, have stressed that they were fundamentally conservative and circumspect. The Affiches ignored the philosophes, and on the rare occasions that they were mentioned, they were generally condemned. In the early years of the Affiches de Bordeaux, however, quite the opposite was true. It regularly covered all sorts of supposedly forbidden subjects, including detailed military and political news, it consistently praised philosophes by name, and it published banned literature. Even anodyne-sounding pieces were sometimes extracts from banned works. The articles in the Affiches de Bordeaux were frequently copied from other newspapers, including illegal foreign ones. Some of its articles were of a relatively conservative cast, but a wide eighteenth-century public in Bordeaux had easy access to Enlightenment ideas.

Les recherches sur les Affiches, un genre journalistique important du dix-huitième siècle, ont souligné leur conservatisme et leur prudence. Les philosophes ne paraissaient dans leurs pages que rarement et pour être condamnés. Cependant, dès ses premiers numéros les Affiches de Bordeaux étaient une exception à cette règle. Elles publiaient des articles sur toute une gamme de sujets interdits, par exemple des affaires militaires ou politiques. Les philosophes y étaient les bienvenus ainsi que la littérature clandestine. Même un article à titre apparemment anodin pourrait être extrait d'une œuvre interdite. Les Affiches de Bordeaux copiaient souvent des textes d'autres journaux, y compris étrangers. Certains articles étaient assez conservateurs, mais à travers les Affiches un large public bordelais avait un accès facile aux Lumières.
The Spirit of Speculation
Authors: Coleman Charly
Published: April 2019

This article traces the surprising influence of sacramental theology on the reception of John Law's campaign to reform public finances and colonial trade during the regency of Philippe d'Orléans (1715–23). Allusions to the mysteries of transubstantiation and transmutation abounded in the cultural productions of the period, which depicted Law's banknotes and company shares as giving rise to previously unfathomable riches. The essay argues that a Eucharistic-alchemical complex lent itself to describing these instruments and their myriad effects. Like the consecrated host and the philosopher's stone, paper's efficacy followed from its dual nature as both visible and transparent, that is, as a means of exchange that not only passively reflected wealth but also brought it into being. The spiritual desideratum of boundlessness underwrote participation in Law's “System,” emboldening investors to place their faith in accumulation without limit.

Cet article suit l'influence étonnante de la théologie sacramentelle sur la réception de la campagne dirigée par John Law de réformer les finances publiques et le commerce colonial pendant la régence de Philippe d'Orléans (1715–23). A cette époque, les allusions aux mystères de la transsubstantiation et de la transmutation se multipliaient dans les productions culturelles, qui présentaient les billets de banque et les actions de la compagnie de Law comme capables de générer des richesses jusque-là inimaginables. Je constate qu'un complexe eucharistique-alchimique s'est prêté à décrire ces instruments et leurs divers effets. Comme l'hostie consacrée et la pierre philosophale, l'efficacité du papier dérivait de sa double nature à la fois visible et transparente—c'est-à-dire, comme un moyen d'échange qui non seulement reflétait, mais aussi engendrait, la création des richesses. Le desideratum spirituel de l'infinité soutenait la participation au Système de Law, encourageant les actionnaires à placer leur confiance dans l'accumulation sans bornes.
Maternal exercise before and during gestation modifies liver and muscle mitochondria in rat offspring
Authors: Siti Farida , Dubouchaud Hervé , Hininger Isabelle , Quiclet Charline , Vial Guillaume , Galinier Anne , Casteilla Louis , Fontaine Eric , Batandier Cécile , Couturier Karine
Published: April 2019

It is now well established that the intrauterine life environment is of major importance for health during later life. Endurance training during pregnancy is associated with positive metabolic adjustments and beneficial effects on the balance between pro and antioxidant (redox state) in the offspring. Our hypothesis is that these changes could rely on mitochondrial adaptations in the offspring due to modifications of the fetal environment induced by maternal endurance training.

Therefore, we compared the liver and skeletal muscle mitochondrial function and the redox status of young rats whose mothers underwent moderate endurance training (treadmill running) before and during gestation (T) to those of young rats from untrained mothers (C).

Our results show a significant reduction in the spontaneous H2O2 release by liver and muscle mitochondria in the T vs. C rats (p<0.05). These changes are accompanied by alterations in oxygen consumption. Moreover, the percentage of short chain fatty acids increased significantly, in liver mitochondria from T rats. This may lead to improve the fluidity and the flexibility of the membrane.

In plasma, GPX activity and protein oxidation are significantly higher in T rats compared to C rats (p<0.05). Such changes in plasma could represent an adaptive signal transmitted from mothers to their offspring.

We demonstrated for the first time, to our knowledge, that it is possible to act on the bioenergetic functionning including alterations of the mitochondrial function in the offspring by modifying maternal physical activity before and during pregnancy. These changes could be crucial for the future health of the offspring.
Dim-light vision in jumping spiders (Araneae, Salticidae): identification of prey and rivals
Authors: Cerveira Ana M. , Jackson Robert R. , Nelson Ximena J.
Published: April 2019

Jumping spiders (family Salticidae) are known for their intricate vision-based behavior during encounters with prey and conspecific individuals. This is achieved using eyes specialized for discerning fine detail, but there has been minimal research on the capacities that salticids might have for visual performance under low ambient light levels. Here we investigate the capacity of two salticid species, Cyrba algerina from Portugal and C. ocellata from Kenya, to perform two specific visual tasks under low ambient light levels. We used lures made from spiders and midges in prey-identification experiments and mirror images (virtual conspecifics) in rival-identification experiments. These experiments were implemented under a range of ambient light levels (234 cd m−2, 1.35 cd m−2, 0.54 cd m−2, 0.24 cd m−2). In most instances, C. algerina and C. ocellata were proficient at performing both of these visual tasks when ambient light was 234 cd m−2 and 1.35 cd m−2, and a minority performed these tasks at 0.54 cd m−2, but none succeeded when light level was 0.24 cd m−2. C. algerina and C. ocellata made vision-based discriminations under low ambient light levels previously associated with nocturnal species.
Vision is highly sensitive to oxygen availability in marine invertebrate larvae
Authors: McCormick Lillian R. , Levin Lisa A. , Oesch Nicholas W.
Published: April 2019

For many animals, evolution has selected for complex visual systems despite the high energetic demands associated with maintaining eyes and their processing structures. The metabolic demands of visual systems therefore make them highly sensitive to fluctuations in available oxygen. In the marine environment, oxygen changes over daily, seasonal, and inter-annual time scales and there are large gradients of oxygen with depth. Vision is linked to survival in many marine animals, particularly among the crustaceans, cephalopods, and fish, and early life stages of these groups rely on vision for prey capture, predator detection, and their distribution in the water column. Using in vivo electroretinogram recordings, we show that there is a decrease in retinal sensitivity to light in marine invertebrates when exposed to reduced oxygen availability. We found a 60-100% reduction in retinal responses in the larvae of cephalopods and crustaceans: the market squid (Doryteuthis opalescens), two-spot octopus (Octopus bimaculatus), tuna crab (Pleuroncodes planipes), and brachyuran crab (Metacarcinus gracilis). A decline in oxygen also decreases the temporal resolution of vision in D. opalescens. These results are the first demonstration that vision in marine invertebrates is highly sensitive to oxygen availability and that the thresholds for visual impairment from reduced oxygen are species-specific. Oxygen-impaired retinal function may change the visual behaviors crucial to survival in these marine larvae. These findings may impact our understanding of species’ vulnerability to ocean oxygen loss and suggest that researchers conducting electrophysiology experiments should monitor oxygen levels, as even small changes in oxygen may affect the results.
2′-O-methylation within prokaryotic and eukaryotic tRNA inhibits innate immune activation by endosomal Toll-like receptors but does not affect recognition of whole organisms
Authors: Freund Isabel , Buhl Daniel K. , Boutin Sébastien , Kotter Annika , Pichot Florian , Marchand Virginie , Vierbuchen Tim , Heine Holger , Motorin Yuri , Helm Mark , Dalpke Alexander H. , Eigenbrod Tatjana
Published: April 2019

Bacterial RNA has emerged as an important activator of innate immune responses by stimulating Toll-like receptors TLR7 and TLR8 in humans. Guanosine 2′-O-methylation at position 18 (Gm18) in bacterial tRNA was shown to antagonize tRNA-induced TLR7/8 activation, suggesting a potential role of Gm18 as an immune escape mechanism. This modification also occurs in eukaryotic tRNA, yet a physiological immune function remained to be tested. We therefore set out to investigate the immune modulatory role of Gm18 in both prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms, Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and in human cells. Using RiboMethSeq analysis we show that mutation of trmH in E. coli, trm3 in S. cereviase, and CRISPR/Cas9-induced knockout of TARBP1 in H. sapiens results in loss of Gm18 within tRNA. Lack of Gm18 across the kingdoms resulted in increased immunostimulation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells when activated by tRNA preparations. In E. coli, lack of 2′-O-methyltransferase trmH also enhanced immune stimulatory properties by whole cellular RNA. In contrast, lack of Gm18 in yeasts and human cells did not affect immunostimulation by whole RNA preparations. When using live E. coli bacteria, lack of trmH did not affect overall immune stimulation although we detected a defined TLR8/RNA-dependent gene expression signature upon E. coli infection. Together, these results demonstrate that Gm18 is a global immune inhibitory tRNA modification across the kingdoms and contributes to tRNA recognition by innate immune cells, but as an individual modification has insufficient potency to modulate recognition of the investigated microorganisms.
Learning a Mixture of Gaussians via Mixed-Integer Optimization
Authors: Bandi Hari , Bertsimas Dimitris , Mazumder Rahul
Published: April 2019

We consider the problem of estimating the parameters of a multivariate Gaussian mixture model (GMM) given access to n samples that are believed to have come from a mixture of multiple subpopulations. State-of-the-art algorithms used to recover these parameters use heuristics to either maximize the log-likelihood of the sample or try to fit first few moments of the GMM to the sample moments. In contrast, we present here a novel mixed-integer optimization (MIO) formulation that optimally recovers the parameters of the GMM by minimizing a discrepancy measure (either the Kolmogorov–Smirnov or the total variation distance) between the empirical distribution function and the distribution function of the GMM whenever the mixture component weights are known. We also present an algorithm for multidimensional data that optimally recovers corresponding means and covariance matrices. We show that the MIO approaches are practically solvable for data sets with n in the tens of thousands in minutes and achieve an average improvement of 60%–70% and 50%–60% on mean absolute percentage error in estimating the means and the covariance matrices, respectively, over the expectation–maximization (EM) algorithm independent of the sample size n. As the separation of the Gaussians decreases and, correspondingly, the problem becomes more difficult, the edge in performance in favor of the MIO methods widens. Finally, we also show that the MIO methods outperform the EM algorithm with an average improvement of 4%–5% on the out-of-sample accuracy for real-world data sets.
Markov Decision Processes with Exogenous Variables
Authors: Bray Robert L.
Published: April 2019

I present two algorithms for solving dynamic programs with exogenous variables: endogenous value iteration and endogenous policy iteration. These algorithms are always at least as fast as relative value iteration and relative policy iteration, and they are faster when the endogenous variables converge to their stationary distributions sooner than the exogenous variables.

This paper was accepted by Yinyu Ye, optimization.
O viés funcional do pareamento simbólico função < > forma na abordagem construcional da gramática
Authors: Oliveira Mariangela Rios de , Arena Ana Beatriz
Published: April 2019

Com base na Linguística funcional centrada no uso, nos termos de Traugott e Trousdale (2013) e Bybee (2010; 2015), entre outros, este artigo se volta para o eixo funcional do pareamento função-forma, tal como postulado na abordagem construcional da gramática, com base em Goldberg (1995; 2006) e Croft (2001). Além de discutir acerca dos termos função, significado e sentido no contexto desse viés teórico, propomos que esses termos sejam refinados, a fim de contemplarem a seguinte hierarquia disposta em gradiente: esquema > subesquema > microconstrução > constructo. Assumimos que: a) o termo função deve ser utilizado na referência ao nível do esquema, o mais alto da hierarquia construcional; b) o termo significado seja usado para o nível do subesquema e da microconstrução; c) o termo sentido, por sua maior especificidade contextual, deve ser usado no plano do uso linguístico efetivo, do token. Para ilustrar tal proposição, que vincula o refinamento terminológico do eixo funcional da construção à hierarquização já referida, utilizamos os dados de Arena (2015), em sua pesquisa acerca da construcionalização gramatical que derivou na construção conectora lógica [daí que]cla em português.
Entrevista com Graeme Trousdale (tradução)
Authors: Lopes Monclar Guimarães
Published: April 2019

Graeme Trousdale é professor de Linguística e Língua Inglesa na Faculdade de Filosofia, Psicologia e Ciências da Linguagem da Universidade de Edimburgo. É mestre em Ciências (Universidade de Edimburgo), doutor em Filosofia (Universidade de Edimburgo) e bacharel em Artes (Universidade de Manchester). Seus principais interesses de pesquisa envolvem os campos da construcionalização e mudanças construcionais, Linguística Histórica da Língua Inglesa e Linguística Cognitiva, especialmente a Gramática de Construções. Nesta entrevista, o pesquisador discute várias questões teóricas, como a construcionalização e mudanças construcionais em perspectiva sincrônica, níveis esquemáticos de uma construção, domínio funcional, função e significado, metodologia, variação construcional, construções atômicas e, finalmente, desafios, dificuldades e perspectivas futuras do modelo da construcionalização.
The role of participatory arts in addressing the loneliness and social isolation of older people: A conceptual review of the literature
Authors: Dadswell Anna , Wilson Ceri , Bungay Hilary , Munn-Giddings Carol
Published: April 2019

Loneliness and social isolation are pertinent issues for older people due to the life transitions and loss often experienced in later life. Research points towards the potential for participatory arts with older people to address loneliness and social isolation; however, there is little conceptualization of the mechanisms through which this can be promoted. This conceptual review brings together selected literature that reports on the social impacts of participatory arts with older people to develop a conceptual framework of themes that respond specifically to understandings of the experience of loneliness and social isolation. First, participatory arts can strengthen existing relationships and build new relationships by facilitating social interaction and promoting social capital, thus promoting social embeddedness in the community. Second, participatory arts can address the discrepancies between expected or desired relationships and reality by enhancing well-being, self-worth and a sense of belonging that helps older people to feel more content with their social lives. Third, participatory arts can be accessible and inclusive of everyone and enables older people to make a valued contribution towards the community, which facilitates meaningful social participation. This conceptual framework is a useful resource for those advocating for the value of older people participating in the arts. Key factors raised across the literature are discussed along with avenues for future research. Ultimately, the potential for participatory arts in reducing loneliness and social isolation is evident, but this potential needs further investigation and promotion to make a real difference.
Book Review
Authors: Dunphy Kim
Published: April 2019

Cultural Mapping as Cultural Inquiry, N. Duxbury, W. Garrett-Petts and D. MACLENNAN (EDS) (2015) New York: Routledge, 378 pp., ISBN: 978-1-138-82186-6, h/bk, $252, ISBN: 978-1-315-74306-6, e/bk, $35.46
The Art of Songwriting, Andrew West (2016)
Authors: Stuart Chapman Hill
Published: April 2019

The author reviews The Art of Songwriting, written by veteran songwriter Andrew West, who oversees a postgraduate course at Leeds College of Music. The book benefits greatly from the author’s encyclopaedic knowledge of songs and songwriters, and a rich variety of examples permeates the book. As a result, the book is not a simple ‘how-to’ volume, but rather captures the rich diversity of approaches and techniques professional songwriters employ. A different, tighter organizational scheme might help the book’s wisdom be digestible for the reader to consolidate and retain all the knowledge the book has to offer. Still, the book is a welcome contribution to an understudied field, especially as music education scholars seek to diversify the musics that define school music teaching and learning.
Concomitant in Vivo Voltammetric and Electrophysiological Analysis Indicate that Nociceptin/Orphanin FQ Affects Dopamine and then Serotonin Activities in Brain Substancia Nigra.
Authors: Crespi Francesco
Published: April 2019

Nociceptin/orphanin-FQ (NOCI) together with its receptor NOP are widely expressed in cortical and subcortical motor areas and it is known that NOCI acts as an anxiolytic attenuating the behavioral inhibition of animals acutely exposed to stressful/anxiogenic conditions.

Influence of NOCI upon the dopaminergic system has been observed in the ventral tegmental area and in the nucleus accumbens as well as an inhibitory action of NOCI is described upon serotoninergic mechanisms at cells and terminal levels. In particular, it is known that serotoninergic fibers from the raphe system project to the substancia nigra (SN) and that this modulation is behaviourally relevant.

In the present work, the effect of exogenous NOCI injected into the SN upon DA and 5-HT levels have been analyzed by means of differential pulse voltammetry and nafion-carbon fiber microelectrodes. Electrophysiological monitoring of multicell activity was concomitantly performed with the same microsensor.

It appeared that both levels of these biogenic amines were specularly altered, with possibly a driving influence of the DA activity upon the serotoninergic function(s).
TRIBUTO A NINA SIMONE: arte, política, o corpo e a questão racial/sexual nos Estados Unidos da América em dois atos
Authors: Ribeiro Junior Florisvaldo Paulo , Carneiro Maria Elizabeth Ribeiro
Published: April 2019

Resumo O artigo é um extrato de duas leituras críticas realizadas sobre o filme What Happened, Miss Simone? de Liz Garbus, documentário produzido nos EUA em 2015, que explora a trajetória biográfica, a atuação e a sensibilidade artística, profissional, política, amorosa da cantora, pianista, ativista e compositora Nina Simone (EUA, 2015). Duas abordagens permitem acompanhar a construção de perspectivas analíticas do pesquisador e da pesquisadora que priorizam, por um viés, a conjuntura político-social, e por outro, a materialidade histórico-discursiva, buscando recompor um outro conjunto de elementos constitutivos do documentário. A reflexão histórica/historiográfica resulta no exercício de recepção da obra em algumas de suas possibilidades interpretativas. As comunicações foram objeto de debate realizado na mesa-redonda do Projeto Educação e Cinema, promovida pelo PPGE/FACED, na Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, em 16 de junho de 2016. Palavras-chave: Nina Simone. Arte. Corpo. Política. Raça. Sexo-Gênero. EUA. TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE: art, politics, the body and the racial / sexual issueÂ in the United States of America in two actsAbstract This article is an extract of two critical reviews on the documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? (EUA, 2015), by Liz Garbus. Life, art, profession, love, a biography of Nina Simone was builded with video and film fragments, interviews, speeches, concerts, materials by and about that woman, activist, and the fabulous composer, piano player and singer. Different views elaborated by two historians exhibit approaches to that source: in one hand, a historical-political analysis, in the other hand, a discourse analysis based on gender studies and the body theory. Both historical and historiographical approaches together seek to enlarge possibilities for the work of thought, interpretation and reception. The papers were extracts of a debate within Education and Movie Project, promoted by PPGE/FACED, at Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, in June 16, 2016. Keywords: Nina Simone. Art. Body. Politics. Race. Sex-Gender. USA.Â
NOVAS REPRESENTAÇÕES â€˜FEMENINAS' DE CRIANÇAS EM GUIMARÃES ROSA
Authors: Rodrigues Camila
Published: April 2019

Resumo Na década de 1960, a representação de crianças na obra literária de João Guimarães Rosa sofreu modificação e nela, além de tratar dos meninos, o autor passou a escrever estórias em que protagonistas são as meninas. Esse destaque da mulher quando criança pode esboçar um desenho do novo papel social assumido pelo feminino na década seguinte. Palavras-chave: Meninas. Guimarães Rosa. Protagonismo feminino. NEW FEMALE REPRESENTATIONS OF CHILDREN IN GUIMARÃES ROSA Abstract In the 1960s the representation of children in the literary work of João Guimarães Rosa suffered modification and in it, in addition to treating the boys, the author started to write stories whose protagonists are the girls. This highlight of the woman as a child can draw a design of the new social role played by women in further decade. Keywords: Girls. Guimarães Rosa. Female Protagonists.Â
Memória e diferença
Authors: Paixão Luciano De Pontes , Farias Francisco Ramos de
Published: April 2019

RESUMO

 Este artigo investigou por meio de pesquisa qualitativa, caracterizada como um estudo de caso, a construção de identidade homossexual em uma pessoa com cegueira. Percebemos que esse processo identitário é complexo, dinâmico, composto por uma série de fatores importantes, marcado por um duplo preconceito e experimentado por outros sentidos.  

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:Homossexualidade. Deficiência Visual. Identidades. Memória. Diferença.
Sexy sem ser vulgar
Authors: Bonizol Ferrari Fernanda , Murilho da Silva Elisabeth
Published: April 2019

RESUMO:Este artigo trata da relação entre moda e sexualidade a partir de conceitos como elegância e vulgaridade, ultrapassando a materialidade da roupa e se tornando um indicativo comportamental feminino, abordados em uma perspectiva histórica e social, na construção e perpetuação de estereótipos femininos desiguais e estigmatizantes.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Moda. Gênero. Sexualidade.
Chamuyar e ficar
Authors: Gonçalves Antônio Augusto Oliveira
Published: April 2019

RESUMO

Neste artigo, relato algumas trajetórias afetivas de intercambistas latino-americanos/as que vêm a Belo Horizonte (MG) e residem nas moradias da UFMG. Por meio das trocas sociais e afetivas neste contexto de coabitação, aos poucos, os/as intercambistas conformam novos significados e práticas em vivenciar as suas sexualidades num lugar além-fronteiras.   

PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Intercâmbio Acadêmico. Panóptico. Dádivas. Individualização.
Honra, Moralidade e Defloramento em Mallet –PR (1940-1951)
Authors: Stachuk Angelica , De Oliveira Oséias
Published: April 2019

Resumo: O presente artigo tem como intuito analisar os processos criminais de defloramento na região de Mallet, no período de 1940 e 1951, buscando interpretar os diálogos presentes, a fim de perceber os ideais de moral e honra feminina implícitos nos mesmos, assim como entender valores e condutas entre homens e mulheres.

Palavras-Chave:Defloramento; Moralidade; Processos-Crimes; Promessas Casamento, Mallet-PR.
Entre o Brasil e Portugal
Authors: Braga Paulo Drumond
Published: April 2019

Notas
Movimento Higienista
Authors: Silva Poliana Moreira , Giuliani Carla Denari
Published: April 2019

RESUMO

compreender e analisar como as revistas femininas e os Manuais de Saúde foram influenciados pelo Movimento Higienista e como esse influenciou na formulação de regras, normas e condutas para as mulheres viverem e se comportarem em sociedade. MÉTODOS: estudo qualitativo, descritivo, documental e de caráter retrospectivo, realizado por meio da leitura das revistas “O Cruzeiro” e “Jornal das Moças” da década de 50 e de Manuais de Saúde dos anos 60. Os periódicos utilizados na pesquisa foram consultados via Web. Os volumes das revistas foram selecionados para pesquisa de forma aleatória, por meio de um sorteio simples, em que foram escolhidos cinco volumes de cada uma das revistas de acordo com cada ano da década de 50. Já os Manuais de Saúde, são documentos de domínio público que foram confeccionados na disciplina de Ciências por alunas que fizeram o curso Magistério. Posteriormente a leitura das fontes pesquisadas, analisou-se os textos e as imagens utilizando a análise de conteúdo.

RESULTADOS:as revistas femininas dos anos 50 eram fontes de informação importante para as mulheres. Revelavam transformações e permanências nos costumes, nas relaçõesfamiliares, nas normas sociais e regras de comportamento e nos papéis atribuídos a homens e às mulheres. Os Manuais de Saúde apesar de terem sido confeccionados por alunas retratam praticamente os mesmos temas das revistas pesquisadas. Assim, notá-se a influencia do Movimento Higienista nas fontes pesquisadas. CONCLUSÃO: as revistas femininas e os Manuais de Saúde utilizados na pesquisa serviram como guias de comportamento social, familiar e religioso, reforçando o papel idealizado ou esperado da mulher na sociedade. O Movimento Higienista no Brasil contribuiu para formulação de regras, normas e condutas para as mulheres viverem e se comportarem em sociedade, assim como para a construção do modelo feminino por grande influencia das revistas femininas e dos Manuais de Saúde.

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:Mulheres. Feminismo. Imprensa. Revistas Eletrônicas.