bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental research on the fire performance of a special cross-shaped composite column with a high-strength concrete-filled steel tubular core
Authors: Yang Yong , Zhang Lin , Xue Yicong , Zhao Dengpan , Deng Hui , Wu Bo
Published: January 2018

To improve the mechanical performance of specially shaped reinforced concrete columns, which are widely applied in China, an innovative specially shaped composite column with high-strength concrete-filled steel tubular core was developed. To investigate the fire performance of this specially shaped composite column, two series of fire tests, including the fire resistance test series and the post-fire test series, were conducted on five full-scale specimens. The test parameters include the axial load level, the spacing of stirrups, and the fire exposure time. Compared to the test result of a controlled specimen that was axially compressed to fail without exposure to any fire, both the fire resistance under fire and the residual capacity after fire of this specially shaped composite column were analyzed and studied. The results indicated that the inner concrete-filled steel tubular core plays an important role in both the fire resistance and the post-fire performance, and that the post-fire residual capacities of three post-fire testing specimens were also largely increased.
Journalists as radio advertising endorsers in news or talk radio stations
Authors: Muela-Molina Clara , Martín-Santana Josefa D , Reinares-Lara Eva
Published: January 2018

This exploratory investigation studies the presence of journalists as advertising endorsers in news or talk radio stations when a mention or testimonial is embedded within programme, the characteristics of these advertisements, and the degree of their involvement with the message and the product and brand. The research analysed all programming contents from a sample of national stations, focusing on type, subject and length of endorsement, role of endorser, and frequency of brand mention and call to action. The results show that many cases do not respect the codes of conduct of the sector and bypass the distinction between editorial and commercial contents.
The Politics of Choice Reconsidered: Partisanship, Ideology, and Minority Politics in Washington's Charter School Initiative
Authors: Collingwood Loren , Jochim Ashley , Oskooii Kassra A. R.
Published: January 2018

Charter schools enjoy support among Republican and Democratic lawmakers in states and Congress, but little research has examined their support among the electorate. We take advantage of Washington's 2012 charter school ballot initiative—the first voter-approved charter initiative in the United States—to shed light on the politics of school choice at the mass level. Because in-depth, individual-level voter data are often unavailable in state-level elections, we leverage extensive precinct- and district-level data to examine patterns of support and opposition toward the charter school initiative, focusing on how partisanship, ideology, and demographic factors serve to unify or divide voters. Our analysis reveals that the coalition of supporters cut across usual partisan and demographic cleavages, producing somewhat strange bedfellows. This finding has important implications for the strategies advocacy groups may consider as they seek to expand or limit school choice programs via ballot initiatives as opposed to the statehouse, and provides suggestive evidence regarding the evolving shapers of voter support for school choice and ballot initiatives more generally.
Evidence for Training-Dependent Structural Neuroplasticity in Brain-Injured Patients: A Critical Review
Authors: Caeyenberghs Karen , Clemente Adam , Imms Phoebe , Egan Gary , Hocking Darren R. , Leemans Alexander , Metzler-Baddeley Claudia , Jones Derek K. , Wilson Peter H.
Published: January 2018

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is associated with a range of cognitive and motor deficits, and poses a significant personal, societal, and economic burden. Rehabilitation programs are available that target motor skills or cognitive functioning. In this review, we summarize the existing evidence that training may enhance structural neuroplasticity in patients with ABI, as assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)–based techniques that probe microstructure or morphology. Twenty-five research articles met key inclusion criteria. Most trials measured relevant outcomes and had treatment benefits that would justify the risk of potential harm. The rehabilitation program included a variety of task-oriented movement exercises (such as facilitation therapy, postural control training), neurorehabilitation techniques (such as constraint-induced movement therapy) or computer-assisted training programs (eg, Cogmed program). The reviewed studies describe regional alterations in white matter architecture and/or gray matter volume with training. Only weak-to-moderate correlations were observed between improved behavioral function and structural changes. While structural MRI is a powerful tool for detection of longitudinal structural changes, specific measures about the underlying biological mechanisms are lacking. Continued work in this field may potentially see structural MRI metrics used as biomarkers to help guide treatment at the individual patient level.
A probabilistic robust mixed H2/H∞ fuzzy control method for hypersonic vehicles based on reliability theory
Authors: Yin Xiaomeng , Li Xinming , Liu Lei , Wang Yongji , Wei Xing
Published: January 2018

Achieving balance between robustness and performance is always a challenge in the hypersonic vehicle flight control design. In this research, we focus on dealing with uncertainties of the fuzzy control system from the viewpoint of reliability. A probabilistic robust mixed H2/ H∞ fuzzy control method for hypersonic vehicles is presented by describing the uncertain parameters as random variables. First, a Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model is employed for the hypersonic vehicle nonlinear dynamics characteristics. Next, a robust fuzzy controller is developed by solving a reliability-based multi-objective linear matrix inequality optimization problem, in which the H2/ H∞ performance is optimized under the condition that the system is robustly reliable to uncertainties. By this method, the system performance and reliability can be taken into account simultaneously, which reduces the conservatism in the robust fuzzy control design. Finally, simulation results of a hypersonic vehicle demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the presented method.
CCR2 upregulation in DRG neurons plays a crucial role in gastric hyperalgesia associated with diabetic gastropathy
Authors: Aye-Mon Aye , Hori Kiyomi , Kozakai Yu , Nakagawa Tatsuki , Hiraga Shinichiro , Nakamura Tsuneo , Shiraishi Yoshitake , Okuda Hiroaki , Ozaki Noriyuki
Published: January 2018

Background

Diabetic gastropathy is a complex neuromuscular dysfunction of the stomach that commonly occurs in diabetes mellitus. Diabetic patients often present with upper gastrointestinal symptoms, such as epigastric discomfort or pain. The aim of this study was to assess gastric sensation in streptozocin-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rats and to determine the contribution of C-C motif chemokine receptor 2 (CCR2) signaling to gastric hyperalgesia.

Results

DM rats showed signs of neuropathy (cutaneous mechanical hyperalgesia) from two weeks after streptozocin administration until the end of the experiment. Accelerated solid gastric emptying was observed at two weeks after streptozocin administration compared to the controls. Intense gastric hyperalgesia also developed in DM rats at two weeks after streptozocin administration, which was significantly reduced after intrathecal administration of the CCR2 antagonist INCB3344. Immunochemical analysis indicated that CCR2 expression was substantially upregulated in small and medium-sized dorsal root ganglia neurons of DM rats, although the protein level of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, the preferred ligand for CCR2, was not significantly different between the control and DM groups.

Conclusions

These data suggest that CCR2 activation in nociceptive dorsal root ganglia neurons plays a role in the pathogenesis of gastric hyperalgesia associated with diabetic gastropathy and that CCR2 antagonist may be a promising treatment for therapeutic intervention.
Secondary use of hospital information system data for safe bedside radiography in terms of patient factors
Authors: Sasaki Masashi , Uto Yumiko , Yoshida Takuma , Iwaanakuchi Takashi , Muranaga Fuminori , Saigo Yasumasa , Kumamoto Ichiro
Published: January 2018

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to use patient data gathered by a hospital information system (HIS) to improve the safe performance of bedside radiography.

Method:

Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to investigate the factors of hospitalised patients who had undergone radiography in the X-ray room or at the bedside. Logistic regression analysis was then performed to quantify patient factors and calculate the probability of undergoing general radiography or bedside radiography.

Results:

Patients were grouped into six clusters by hierarchical cluster analysis on the basis of their factors. We found a remarkable difference between clusters for the ratio of bedside radiography. Results indicated that “types of transportation” and “level of mobility” related to the ratio of bedside radiography. Logistic regression analysis of the associations between the probability of undergoing bedside radiography and patient factors indicated that type of transportation and level of mobility were highly correlated with bedside radiography or general radiography.

Conclusion:

Our results suggested that the secondary use of HIS data for the quantitative evaluation of patient factors and implementation of those quantitative values in medical records may be useful for the safe performance of bedside radiography as well as providing a method of decision support for doctors to order bedside radiography.
The antipsychotic landscape: dopamine and beyond
Authors: Morrison Paul D. , Murray Robin M.
Published: January 2018

Until recently, the actions of antipsychotic and pro-psychotic drugs have largely been evaluated in the framework of neuronal doctrine – namely, that neurons communicate by releasing transmitters, and that psychiatric disorders are caused by neurotransmitter imbalances. Moreover, the majority of studies have focused on single transmitter systems – neglecting the fact that in the nervous system, different transmitter systems work in concert and impact on not only their immediate receptors but also downstream pathways that shape structural plasticity. In this review, we discuss the history of understanding the antipsychotic and pro-psychotic actions of drugs, recent developments and future perspectives.
Change of BNP between admission and discharge after ST-elevation myocardial infarction (Killip I) improves risk prediction of heart failure, death, and recurrent myocardial infarction compared to single isolated measurement in addition to the GRACE score
Authors: Carvalho Luiz Sergio F , Bogniotti Lauro Afonso C , de Almeida Osorio Luis Rangel , e Silva Jose C Quinaglia , Nadruz Wilson , Coelho Otavio Rizzi , Sposito Andrei C
Published: January 2018

Objective:

In ST-elevation myocardial infarction, 7–15% of patients admitted as Killip I will develop symptomatic heart failure or decreased ejection fraction. However, available clinical scores do not predict the risk of severe outcomes well, such as heart failure, recurrent myocardial infarction, and sudden death in these Killip I individuals. Therefore, we evaluated whether one vs two measurements of BNP would improve prediction of adverse outcomes in addition to the GRACE score in ST-elevation myocardial infarction/Killip I individuals.

Methods:

Consecutive patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction/Killip I ( n=167) were admitted and followed for 12 months. The GRACE score was calculated and plasma BNP levels were obtained in the first 12 h after symptom onset (D1) and at the fifth day (D5).

Results:

Fifteen percent of patients admitted as Killip I developed symptomatic heart failure and/or decreased ejection fraction in 12 months. The risk of developing symptomatic heart failure or ejection fraction <40% at 30 days was increased by 8.7-fold (95% confidence interval: 1.10–662, p=0.046) per each 100 pg/dl increase in BNP-change. Both in unadjusted and adjusted Cox-regressions, BNP-change as a continuous variable was associated with incident sudden death/myocardial infarction at 30 days (odds ratio 1.032 per each increase of 10 pg/dl, 95% confidence interval: 1.013–1.052, p<0.001), but BNP-D1 was not. The GRACE score alone showed a moderate C-statistic=0.709 ( p=0.029), but adding BNP-change improved risk discrimination (C-statistic=0.831, p=0.001). Net reclassification confirmed a significant improvement in individual risk prediction by 33.4% (95% confidence interval: 8–61%, p=0.034). However, GRACE +BNP-D1 did not improve risk reclassification at 30 days compared to GRACE ( p=0.8). At 12 months, BNP-change was strongly associated with incident sudden death/myocardial infarction, but not BNP-D1.

Conclusions:

Only BNP-change following myocardial infarction was associated with poorer short- and long-term outcomes. BNP-change also improves risk reclassification in addition to the GRACE score.
Does length of time spent on the waiting list for TURP influence the outcome?
Authors: Parsons Sian R , Carey Michelle M , Jenkins James ET , Davenport Kim
Published: January 2018

With an ever increasing demand for operative procedures within the NHS but little increase in capacity, waiting lists are lengthening, particularly for benign procedures. We sought to determine whether increasing time on a waiting list influences the outcome from a transurethral resection of prostate (TURP), with a primary outcome measure of success at inpatient trial without catheter (TWOC) and pre-operative, peri-operative and post-operative secondary outcome measures.

Data was collected from four separate retrospective TURP audits performed between 2009-2015. A total of 379 TURP procedures were included with the time on the waiting list ranging from 8 to 384 days. In patients who were not catheterised pre-operatively success at in patient TWOC by 30 day intervals (in 30 day intervals from 1-30 days to over 151 days) was 79%, 83%, 88%, 87%, 100% and 83%; in those with a catheter, success was 46%, 71%, 75%, 100%, 50% and 86%. In conclusion waiting longer for a TURP does not adversely affect the outcome of inpatient TWOC.

Level of evidence: Not applicable – this is a single centre audit over multiple time points.
Total knee arthroplasty in a knee with triple deformity of femur–tibia–extensor mechanism
Authors: Fan Jason CH , Kwok KB , Hung YW
Published: January 2018

By analyzing a case of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in a knee with complex deformity and secondary osteoarthritis, we demonstrated the rationale of preoperative planning and the detail of intraoperative execution. The lady had right TKA with combined medial closing wedge femoral osteotomy, neutral wedge valgus derotational tibial osteotomy, fibular osteotomy, and quadriceplasty. Four months later, she had left TKA. Osteotomies healed well and she was pain-free at 18 months after right TKA. Combination of intra-articular and extra-articular correction of deformity was the key to achieve a well-aligned TKA with good soft tissue balancing in both coronal and sagittal planes. The choice of osteotomy fixation method should follow the principles of bone healing. Fibular osteotomy should have been made at the level of tibial osteotomy with caution. Use of appropriate TKA prosthesis could have enhanced the osteotomy fixation while decreasing the complication.
A Look at the Past, Present, and Future of Rural Secondary Transition
Authors: Test David W. , Fowler Catherine H.
Published: January 2018

Depending on which date is attributed to the birth of secondary transition, it can be considered anywhere from 27 to 57 years old. No matter which date is used, it has been a while since the field “took stock” of itself. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to (a) briefly summarize where the field of secondary transition has been; (b) briefly summarize where we think the field of secondary transition now stands in terms of student postschool outcomes and barriers to successful outcomes in rural communities; and (c) conclude with some thoughts on what is next, how we might get there, and what this means for secondary transition in rural areas.
Early Chemotherapy Intensification With Escalated BEACOPP in Patients With Advanced-Stage Hodgkin Lymphoma With a Positive Interim Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Scan After Two ABVD Cycles: Long-Term Results of the GITIL/FIL HD 0607 Trial
Authors: Gallamini Andrea , Tarella Corrado , Viviani Simonetta , Rossi Andrea , Patti Caterina , Mulé Antonino , Picardi Marco , Romano Alessandra , Cantonetti Maria , La Nasa Giorgio , Trentin Livio , Bolis Silvia , Rapezzi Davide , Battistini Roberta , Gottardi Daniela , Gavarotti Paolo , Corradini Paolo , Cimminiello Michele , Schiavotto Corrado , Parvis Guido , Zanotti Roberta , Gini Guido , Ferreri Andrés J.M. , Viero Piera , Miglino Maurizio , Billio Atto , Avigdor Abraham , Biggi Alberto , Fallanca Federico , Ficola Umberto , Gregianin Michele , Chiaravalloti Agostino , Prosperini Giuseppe , Bergesio Fabrizio , Chauvie Stephane , Pavoni Chiara , Gianni Alessandro Massimo , Rambaldi Alessandro
Published: January 2018

Purpose

To investigate the progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with advanced Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) after a risk-adapted treatment strategy that was based on a positive positron emission tomography scan performed after two doxorubicin, vinblastine, vincristine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) cycles (PET2).

Patients and Methods

Patients with advanced-stage (IIB to IVB) HL were consecutively enrolled. After two ABVD cycles, PET2 was performed and centrally reviewed according to the Deauville five-point scale. Patients with a positive PET2 were randomly assigned to four cycles of escalated bleomycin, etoposide, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone (BEACOPP) followed by four cycles of standard BEACOPP with or without rituximab. Patients with a negative PET2 continued ABVD, and those with a large nodal mass at diagnosis (≥ 5 cm) in complete remission with a negative PET at the end of chemotherapy were randomly assigned to radiotherapy or no further treatment. The primary end point was 3-year PFS.

Results

Of 782 enrolled patients, 150 (19%) had a positive and 630 (81%) a negative PET2. The 3-year PFS of all patients was 82%. The 3-year PFS of those with a positive and negative PET2 was 60% and 87%, respectively ( P < .001). The 3-year PFS of patients with a positive PET2 assigned to BEACOPP with or without rituximab was 63% versus 57% ( P = .53). In 296 patients with both interim and post-ABVD–negative PET who had a large nodal mass at diagnosis, radiotherapy was randomly added after chemotherapy without a significant PFS improvement (97% v 93%, respectively; P = .29). The 3-year overall survival of all 782 patients was 97% (99% and 89% for PET2 negative and positive, respectively).

Conclusion

The PET-driven switch from ABVD to escalated BEACOPP is feasible and effective in high-risk patients with advanced-stage HL.
An ancient conserved role for prion protein in learning and memory
Authors: Leighton Patricia L. A. , Nadolski Nathan J. , Morrill Adam , Hamilton Trevor J. , Allison W. Ted
Published: January 2018

The misfolding of cellular prion protein (PrPC) to form PrP Scrapie (PrPSc) is an exemplar of toxic gain-of-function mechanisms inducing propagated protein misfolding and progressive devastating neurodegeneration. Despite this, PrPC function in the brain is also reduced and subverted during prion disease progression; thus understanding the normal function of PrPC in healthy brains is key. Disrupting PrPC in mice has led to a myriad of controversial functions that sometimes map onto disease symptoms, including a proposed role in memory or learning. Intriguingly, PrPC’s interaction with amyloid beta (Aβ) oligomers at synapses has also linked its function to Alzheimer's disease and dementia in recent years. We set out to test the involvement of PrPC in memory using a disparate animal model, the zebrafish. Here we document an age-dependent memory decline in prp2−/− zebrafish, pointing to a conserved and ancient role of PrPC in memory. Specifically, we found that aged (3-year old) prp2−/− fish performed poorly in an object recognition task relative to age-matched prp2+/+ fish or 1-year old prp2−/− fish. Further, using a novel object approach (NOA) test, we found that aged (3-year old) prp2−/−fish approached the novel object more than either age-matched prp2+/+fish or 1-year old prp2−/− fish, but did not have decreased anxiety when we tested them in a novel tank diving test. Taken together, the results of the novel object approach and novel tank diving tests suggest an altered cognitive appraisal of the novel object in the 3-year old prp2−/−fish. The learning paradigm established here enables a path forward to study PrPC interactions of relevance to Alzheimer's disease and prion diseases, and to screen for candidate therapeutics for these diseases. The findings underpin a need to consider the relative contributions of loss- vs. gain-of-function of PrPC during Alzheimer's and prion diseases, and have implications upon the prospects of several promising therapeutic strategies.
Hepatic metabolomic profiling changes along with postnatal liver maturation in breeder roosters
Authors: Wu Shengru , Liu Yanli , Zhu Liqin , Han Di , Bello Bodinga Musa , Yang Xiaojun
Published: January 2018

To understand the hepatic metabolic changes during postnatal liver maturation process in breeder roosters, we investigated the hepatic metabolites composition of 1-day-old, 42-day-old, and 35-week-old breeder roosters using gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Comprehensive multivariate data analyses were applied to identify the distinguishing metabolites of liver. 84 different kinds of distinguishing metabolites were identified between the livers of 1-day-old and 42-day-old breeder roosters, and 58 different kinds of distinguishing metabolites were identified between the livers from 42-day-old and 35-week-old breeder roosters. Further pathway annotations revealed that the hepatic metabolism was extensively remodeled during the postnatal liver maturation process. The antioxidant capacity of the liver and metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins, amino acids, fats, cholesterols, nucleic acids, and vitamins were all significantly changed at different growing periods after birth. Specifically, we found that the hepatic amino acid metabolic function was continuously enhanced from 1-day-old to 35-week-old roosters. However, the glucose and lipid metabolic functions were weakened from 1-day-old to 42-day-old roosters and then elevated from 42-day-old to 35-week-old roosters. In conclusion, the present study revealed that the metabolomic changes are related to the adaption of liver functions in breeder roosters.
Functional analysis of thyroid hormone receptor beta in Xenopus tropicalis founders using CRISPR-Cas
Authors: Sakane Yuto , Iida Midori , Hasebe Takashi , Fujii Satoshi , Buchholz Daniel R. , Ishizuya-Oka Atsuko , Yamamoto Takashi , Suzuki Ken-ichi T.
Published: January 2018

Amphibians provide an ideal model to study the actions of thyroid hormone (TH) in animal development because TH signaling via two TH receptors, TRα and TRβ, is indispensable for amphibian metamorphosis. However, specific roles for the TRβ isoform in metamorphosis are poorly understood. To address this issue, we generated trβ-disrupted Xenopus tropicalis tadpoles using the CRISPR-Cas system. We first established a highly efficient and rapid workflow for gene disruption in the founder generation (F0) by injecting sgRNA and Cas9 ribonucleoprotein. Most embryos showed severe mutant phenotypes carrying high somatic mutation rates. Utilizing this founder analysis system, we examined the role of trβ in metamorphosis. trβ-disrupted pre-metamorphic tadpoles exhibited mixed responsiveness to exogenous TH. Specifically, gill resorption and activation of several TH-response genes, including trβ itself and two protease genes, were impaired. On the other hand, hind limb outgrowth and induction of the TH-response genes, klf9 and fra-2, were not affected by loss of trβ. Surprisingly, trβ-disrupted tadpoles were able to undergo spontaneous metamorphosis normally, except for a slight delay in tail resorption. These results indicate TRβ is not required but contributes to the timing of resorptive events of metamorphosis.
The hematopoietic stem cell niche: from embryo to adult
Authors: Gao Xin , Xu Chunliang , Asada Noboru , Frenette Paul S.
Published: January 2018

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) develop in discrete anatomical niches, migrating during embryogenesis from the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region to the fetal liver, and finally to the bone marrow, where most HSCs reside throughout adult life. These niches provide supportive microenvironments that specify, expand and maintain HSCs. Understanding the constituents and molecular regulation of HSC niches is of considerable importance as it could shed new light on the mechanistic principles of HSC emergence and maintenance, and provide novel strategies for regenerative medicine. However, controversy exists concerning the cellular complexity of the bone marrow niche, and our understanding of the different HSC niches during development remains limited. In this Review, we summarize and discuss what is known about the heterogeneity of the HSC niches at distinct stages of their ontogeny, from the embryo to the adult bone marrow, drawing predominantly on data from mouse studies.
Stereotypical architecture of the stem cell niche is spatiotemporally established by miR-125-dependent coordination of Notch and steroid signaling
Authors: Yatsenko Andriy S. , Shcherbata Halyna R.
Published: January 2018

Stem cell niches act as signaling platforms that regulate stem cell self-renewal and sustain stem cells throughout life; however, the specific developmental events controlling their assembly are not well understood. Here we show that during Drosophila ovarian germline stem cell niche formation, the status of Notch signaling in the cell can be reprogrammed. This is controlled via steroid-induced miR-125, which targets a negative regulator of Notch signaling, Tom. Thus, miR-125 acts as a spatiotemporal coordinator between paracrine Notch and endocrine steroid signaling. Moreover, a dual security mechanism for Notch signaling activation exists to ensure the robustness of niche assembly. Particularly, stem cell niche cells can be specified either via lateral inhibition, in which a niche cell precursor acquires Notch signal-sending status randomly, or via peripheral induction, whereby Delta is produced by a specific cell. When one mechanism is perturbed due to mutations, developmental defects, or environmental stress, the remaining mechanism ensures that the niche is formed, perhaps abnormal but still functional. This guarantees that the germline stem cells will have their residence, thereby securing progressive oogenesis, thus, organism reproduction.
Podoplanin regulates mammary stem cell function and tumorigenesis by potentiating Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Bresson Laura , Faraldo Marisa M. , Di-Cicco Amandine , Quintanilla Miguel , Glukhova Marina A. , Deugnier Marie-Ange
Published: January 2018

Stem cells (SCs) drive mammary development, giving rise postnatally to an epithelial bilayer composed of luminal and basal myoepithelial cells. Dysregulation of SCs is thought to be at the origin of certain breast cancers; however, the molecular identity of SCs and the factors regulating their function remain poorly defined. We identified the transmembrane protein podoplanin (Pdpn) as a specific marker of the basal compartment, including multipotent SCs, and found Pdpn localized at the basal-luminal interface. Embryonic deletion of Pdpn targeted to basal cells diminished basal and luminal SC activity and affected the expression of several Wnt/β-catenin signaling components in basal cells. Moreover, Pdpn loss attenuated mammary tumor formation in a mouse model of β-catenin-induced breast cancer, limiting tumor-initiating cell expansion and promoting molecular features associated with mesenchymal-to-epithelial cell transition. In line with the loss-of-function data, we demonstrated that mechanistically Pdpn enhances Wnt/β-catenin signaling in mammary basal cells. Overall, this study uncovers a role for Pdpn in mammary SC function and, importantly, identifies Pdpn as a new regulator of Wnt/β-catenin signaling, a key pathway in mammary development and tumorigenesis.
Disembodying the invisible: electrocommunication and social interactions by passive reception of a moving playback signal
Authors: Worm Martin , Kirschbaum Frank , Emde Gerhard von der
Published: January 2018

Mormyrid weakly electric fish have a special electrosensory modality that allows them to actively sense their environment and to communicate with conspecifics by emitting sequences of electric signals. Electroreception is mediated by different types of dermal electroreceptor organs for active electrolocation and electrocommunication, respectively. During electrocommunication, mormyrids exhibit stereotyped discharge sequences and locomotor patterns, which can be induced by playback of electric signals. This raises the question, what sensory information is required to initiate and sustain social interactions, and which electrosensory pathway mediates such interactions. By experimentally excluding stimuli from vision and the lateral line system, we show that Mormyrus rume proboscirostris can rely exclusively on its electrosensory system to track a mobile source of electric communication signals. Detection of electric playback signals induced discharge cessations, followed by double-pulse patterns. The animals tried to interact with the moving signal source and synchronized their discharge activity to the playback. These behaviors were absent in control trials without playback. Silencing the electric organ in some fish did not impair their ability to track the signal source. Silenced fish followed on trajectories similar to those obtained from intact animals, indicating that active electrolocation is no precondition for close-range interactions based on electrocommunication. However, some silenced animals changed their strategy when searching for the stationary playback source, which indicates passive sensing. Social interactions among mormyrids can therefore be induced and mediated by passive reception of electric communication signals without the need for perception of the location of the signal source through other senses.
Kinetic Asymmetry during Running at Preferred and Nonpreferred Speeds
Authors: FURLONG LAURA-ANNE M. , EGGINTON NATALIE L.
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of altering preferred running speed by ±20% on kinetic asymmetry.

Methods

Three-dimensional motion analysis and force data were acquired from 15 healthy males (age, 27 ± 4.6 yr; height, 1.81 ± 0.09 m; mass, 80.4 ± 12.4 kg) during their preferred running speed and at ±20% of this speed. Three-tesla magnetic resonance images were used to measure Achilles tendon cross-sectional area and moment arm, for use in calculation of tendon stress. Kinetic and tendon stress asymmetry were subsequently calculated in each condition using the symmetry index.

Results

Across all joints and conditions, the average asymmetry of peak moments was between ±6%, but higher individual values were observed. There was no effect of speed on the magnitude of asymmetry. Ground contact times, vertical ground reaction forces, and support and ankle moments (maximum absolute asymmetry, 9%) were more symmetrical than hip and knee moments (up to 18%). Individual joint contribution to support moment and positive work were similar in both limbs, and ankle and hip compensatory interactions were observed with alterations in running speed. Achilles tendon stress increased with increased running speed, with higher stress in the preferred limb; asymmetry in tendon stress was not related to asymmetry in vertical ground reaction forces.

Conclusion

Results show small effects of altering running speed on kinetic asymmetry, but responses are individual specific with interactions occurring between joints to maintain overall movement symmetry. Further research is needed to understand the mechanical and neuromuscular mechanisms underpinning these compensations.
Regulation of plasma von Willebrand factor
Authors: Desch Karl C
Published: January 2018

Von Willebrand factor (VWF) is a multimeric plasma glycoprotein that plays a central role in the initiation of blood coagulation. Through interactions between its specific functional domains, the vascular wall, coagulation factor VIII, and platelet receptors, VWF maintains hemostasis by binding to platelets and delivering factor VIII to the sites of vascular injury. In the healthy human population, plasma VWF levels vary widely. The important role of VWF is illustrated by individuals at the extremes of the normal distribution of plasma VWF concentrations where individuals with low VWF levels are more likely to present with mucocutaneous bleeding. Conversely, people with high VWF levels are at higher risk for venous thromboembolic disease, stroke, and coronary artery disease. This report will summarize recent advances in our understanding of environmental influences and the genetic control of VWF plasma variation in healthy and symptomatic populations and will also highlight the unanswered questions that are currently driving this field of study.
Newly qualified health visitor: Physical activity in the under-5s
Authors: Smith Marie Anne
Published: January 2018

As the new year beds in, it's time to work on our goals and resolutions, one of which, suggests Marie Anne Smith, could be to get more active. Her own resolutions include focusing on families with very young children and assessing their exercise habits
Reforming the regulation of health professionals: Join the consultation
Authors: Thurtle Val
Published: January 2018

The government is proposing to bring all professions together under a single governing body. Val Thurtle wonders why such an important issue has had such a short discussion period and urges health visitors to contribute and follow subsequent developments
Addressing perineal issues post-delivery to improve maternal wellbeing: A qualitative inquiry
Authors: Morton Amy
Published: January 2018

This study explored perineal morbidity, health visitors' understanding of the subject and their role in supporting the women affected. The literature suggests that, although many women experience such health complications, few seek help as these are accepted as a normal part of giving birth. Women report feeling dismissed and devalued when they raise the issue, and this is not an area that professionals routinely address. The findings of the study suggest that practitioners are aware of the detrimental effects that perineal complications can have on women and their families, but they are hesitant to explore them. This is an area that merits further exploration to enable women and health visitors to feel confident about discussing the issue, in order to improve the health outcomes of women experiencing perineal problems.
Research roundup: January 2018
Authors: Thurtle Val , Lally Sheila , Brook Judy
Published: January 2018

In this section, a range of brief synopses of recently published articles that may be of interest to health visitors is presented. The aim of this roundup is to provide an overview, rather than a detailed summary, of the research papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided
Becoming a People
Authors: Erikson Kai
Published: January 2018

This chapter focuses on pseudospeciation, the process by which we come to view other persons who we know to be fellow human beings as if they were so unlike us in form or thought or spirit that they can be treated as though they are of a different order of being altogether. The chapter starts by considering the origins of war and fighting from a sociological perspective, with particular emphasis on feelings of difference and otherness—even of hostility and antipathy—that lie at the heart of what is generally meant by nationalism. It then examines how the process of becoming a people is linked to the idea of nations before explaining the concept of social speciation and how it differs from genetic speciation. It concludes by proposing a few minor changes to the notion of pseudospeciation, offering it as a contribution to sociology, anthropology, and psychoanalysis.
The Ecosystem Concept in Biology
Authors: Burch William R. , Machlis Gary E. , Force Jo Ellen
Published: January 2018

This chapter analyzes the genealogy of the Human Ecosystem Model (HEM), which includes portions of ecosystem biology and the roots of human ecology. The initial and repeated efforts at taxonomy (identification of component parts) were followed by efforts to understand processes (identification and measurement of flows) as well as issues of agency, efficacy, and evolutionary change. All are foundations for understanding the structure and dynamics of human ecosystems. Studies of the patterns and processes in ecosystems emphasize the diversity and complexity of the elements affecting these systems. This complexity has generally enabled biologists to exclude human behavior from their models and social scientists to remain largely at the level of metaphor when applying ecological concepts to human behavior.
Key Components and Variables for Analyzing Human Ecosystems
Authors: Burch William R. , Machlis Gary E. , Force Jo Ellen
Published: January 2018

This chapter draws on lessons learned from prior application of the HEM and includes those lessons in a modest revision of the early work. It details each component and variable by providing a general definition and description, suggesting ways that the variable can be measured, and giving selected examples of how a variable may influence other variables of the human ecosystem. The passage of time and the application of the model in many situations have left most of those early components and variables intact, with only a few key additions and deletions. The chapter aims to provide the HEM user with an integrated set of social, economic, and ecological measures that can be collected over time.
Leaning Forward
Authors: Burch William R. , Machlis Gary E. , Force Jo Ellen
Published: January 2018

This chapter maintains that there are many ways to examine human ecosystems. The most enduring results occur when social and biophysical professionals share a common language for describing and analyzing the system and when there are core concepts whose meaning and units of measurement are mutually respected. The HEM identifies the most likely possible connections between the relevant trends and their interdependent connections and permits a general estimate of the lag between these events and the most likely biosocial responses. The chapter also shows how trends in social institutions may be overlooked yet critical to the issues that concern many resource managers and conservationists. It argues that three of these institutions are more important and will be key factors in the future: justice institutions, sustenance institutions, and faith institutions.
The Birth of Christian History
Authors: Becker Eve-Marie , Collins John J.
Published: January 2018

When the Gospel writings were first produced, Christian thinking was already cognizant of its relationship to ancient memorial cultures and history-writing traditions. Yet, little has been written about exactly what shaped the development of early Christian literary memory. This book explores the diverse ways in which history was written according to the Hellenistic literary tradition, focusing specifically on the time during which the New Testament writings came into being: from the mid-first century until the early second century CE. While acknowledging cases of historical awareness in other New Testament writings, the book traces the origins of this historiographical approach to the Gospel of Mark and Luke—Acts. The book shows how the earliest Christian writings shaped Christian thinking and writing about history.
Martyrs and Matrimony
Authors: Marshall Peter
Published: January 2018

This chapter examines Henry VIII's frustrated desire to secure an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Whether Henry's desire for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon preceded, or proceeded from, his attraction to Anne Boleyn will never be certainly known. Most likely, the growing infatuation crystallized doubts Henry already harboured about the status of his marriage. In 1529, the legates summoned Henry and Catherine to appear before them at Blackfriars. The trial was brief, and — from Henry and Wolsey's viewpoint — an unmitigated disaster. The chapter considers how Henry's desire for a divorce became entangled with the evangelical yearning for sweeping reform of the Church of England as well as his decision to seek the opinions of universities regarding the matter. It also explores how the spectre of heresy haunted the spaces between lay and ecclesiastical notions of legitimate authority, due process and necessary reform.
Epilogue
Authors: Kurlander Eric
Published: January 2018

This epilogue argues that the Nazi movement had closer ties to occult, border scientific, and pagan-mythological ideas and doctrines than any mass political party. To be sure, Hitler and the Nazi Party may have broken with the Thule Society that helped inspire National Socialism. Yet the Society's border scientific doctrines persisted within the Nazi supernatural imaginary. Not all Germans who shared elements of this supernatural imaginary were fascists, racist imperialists, or anti-Semites. But that is precisely why the Nazis' exploitation of the supernatural imaginary was so effective in attracting and maintaining support from a broad cross section of the German population. The NSDAP's appeal to such ideas helped the party transcend the thorny social and political reality of Depression-era Germany. It allowed a party with no clear political or economic programme to supersede the materialist, class-based rhetoric of the left, the pragmatic republicanism of the liberal centre, and the more traditional conservatism of the Catholic and Protestant centre right.
American Religion, American Politics
Authors: Butler Jon
Published: January 2018

Despite the centrality of separation of church and state in American government, religion has played an important role in the nation's politics from colonial times through the present day. This essential anthology provides a fascinating history of religion in American politics and public life through a wide range of primary documents. It explores contentious debates over freedom, tolerance, and justice, in matters ranging from slavery to the nineteenth-century controversy over Mormon polygamy to the recent discussions concerning same-sex marriage and terrorism. Bringing together a diverse range of voices from Protestant, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, and secular traditions and the words of historic personages, from Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Frances Willard to John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., this collection is an invaluable introduction to one of the most important conversations in America's history.
Spaceflight in the Shuttle Era and Beyond
Authors: Neal Valerie
Published: January 2018

This book examines the principal texts, images, and icons that convey the meaning, and transformation of meaning, of human spaceflight in the space shuttle era from the 1970s into the early 2000s. Various themes and metaphors, consciously promoted by NASA and the media, refreshed the meaning of spaceflight in response to evolving agendas and challenges. Advocates and critics, participants and reporters, contributed to the ongoing redefinition of the purpose and value of human spaceflight. NASA promotional materials and planning documents, the changing character of the astronaut corps, media reportage and opinion pieces, editorial cartoons, program logos and insignia, and photographs are the source materials for this study of spaceflight ideology and iconography and their place in American culture. Inspired by the analytical disciplines of history, rhetoric, media and visual culture studies, and strategic planning, the author takes a broad and novel approach to spaceflight as a cultural text resonant with American traditions and civic values. The ambitious space endeavour that is one of America’s signal technical accomplishments is also one of its most persistent and resilient imaginaries.
Memory: Preserving Meaning
Authors: Neal Valerie
Published: January 2018

The last chapter, “Memory: Preserving Meaning,” considers what the end of the shuttle era meant. With the orbiters retired to museums, the International Space Station assembled, the astronaut corps dwindled, the future-oriented Constellation program canceled, and NASA’s Orion spacecraft and industry’s commercial space transportation still under development in 2016, the future of U.S. human spaceflight was uncertain. Prospects for new human spaceflight rationales are unsettled, but museums that preserve the relics of the shuttle era are busy shaping public memory and the meaning of the past. Might there be some constructive dialogue between future planners and past explainers?
Legislation, Incentivization, and a New System of Oversight
Authors: Lockwood Matthew
Published: January 2018

Although the locus of oversight had shifted to the localities in the late-seventeenth century, this move did not spell the end of effective oversight of the violent death. In response to a perceived crisis of crime and violence, legislation was enacted in the mid-eighteenth century which reinvigorated the surveillance of the English coroner system. The decision in 1752 to alter the payment structure for coroners not only spurred coroners to greater activity than in the previous decades, but it also provided new opportunities and sources for monitoring the regulation of violence. Chapter 8 highlights the social and political context of the mid-eighteenth century reforms and argues that the measures introduced to pay coroners by the inquest and by the mile in 1752 both reduced inaction among coroners and allowed new avenue for control of the system by producing a new set of competing economic interests and new written sources of surveillance.
Violence, Vengeance, and a Glimpse of Victory (Iliad 10–24)
Authors: Anhalt Emily Katz
Published: January 2018

This chapter examines how the Iliad's emphasis on the essential equality of all human beings in their mortality and suffering devalues vengeance and promotes empathy. The theme of vengeance dominates the story in the final third of the Iliad. We see that Achilles begins to suspect that his rage has not served him well thus far, for he wishes that strife and anger would vanish entirely from the lives of gods and mortals. The chapter shows the Iliad's focus on the essential mortality and humanity of warriors on both sides of the conflict. The Iliad, it argues, reminds its audience that indulging in rage and violent revenge is self-destructive. By devaluing rage and promoting empathy as a more therapeutic alternative, Homer's epic reveals the possibility that verbal debate might replace physical combat.