bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of Na+/H+ Exchanger With EMD 87580 does not Confer Greater Cardioprotection Beyond Preconditioning on Ischemia–Reperfusion Injury in Normal Dogs
Authors: Kingma J.G.
Published: March 2018

Postischemic accumulation of intracellular Na+ promotes calcium overload and contributes to cellular necrosis. Cardioprotection afforded by pharmacologic blockade of the sodium–hydrogen exchanger subtype 1 (NHE1) is thought to be more remarkable than that obtained by ischemic conditioning (IC). The window of protection provided by IC pretreatment is maintained even when performed up to 48 hours before ischemia. In addition, the perception exists that combined NHE1 inhibition plus IC produces greater than additive protection against ischemic injury. The current study compared the efficacy of NHE1 blockade by N-[2-methyl-4,5-bis(methylsulfonyl)-benzoyl]-guanidine (EMD 87580 5 mg/kg) combined with first- or second-window IC on ischemic tolerance in dogs subject to 90-minute acute ischemia and 180-minute reperfusion. Infarct size (tetrazolium staining), vascular responses, and myocardial perfusion (microspheres) were assessed. EMD 87580 given before ischemia or before reperfusion did not reduce infarct size (compared to vehicle-treated group). Significant protection against tissue necrosis was obtained by both first- and second-window IC, but additive cardioprotection (ie, greater than that afforded by IC) was not observed by treatment with EMD 87580. Vascular reactivity in the infarct-related artery was not preserved after ischemia–reperfusion in any of the experimental groups. Likewise, either the pharmacologic or the nonpharmacologic interventions did not modify myocardial perfusion. These data demonstrate that EMD 87580 did not protect against ischemia–reperfusion injury regardless of the time of drug administration. Combined EMD 87580 and IC did not antagonize protection that was achieved by either first- or second-window IC alone; no additive protection beyond preconditioning was obtained. Further study is necessary to assess the value of NHE1 blockers as protective agents against myocardial injury.
Sensitivity and Specificity of an Executive Function Screener at Identifying Children With ADHD and Reading Disability
Authors: Karr Justin E. , Kibby Michelle Y. , Jagger-Rickels Audreyana C. , Garcia-Barrera Mauricio A.
Published: March 2018

Objective: This study evaluated the sensitivity/specificity of a global sum score (GSS) from the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, Executive Function screener (BASC-2-EF) at classifying children with/without ADHD and/or reading disability (RD). Method: The BASC-2 Teacher/Parent Rating Scales (TRS/PRS) were completed for children (8-12 years old; 43.1% female) with no diagnosis ( n = 53), RD ( n = 34), ADHD ( n = 85), co-morbid RD/ADHD ( n = 36), and other diagnoses ( n = 15). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses evaluated the sensitivity/specificity of the BASC-2-EF GSS at discriminating between children with/without ADHD or RD. Results: Area under the curve (AUC) scores indicated the sensitivity/specificity of the BASC-2-EF GSS at discriminating between children with/without ADHD (TRS: AUC = .831, p < .001; PRS: AUC = .919, p < .001), with/without RD (TRS: AUC = .724, p = .001; PRS: AUC = .615, p = .101), and with ADHD or RD through post hoc analysis (TRS: AUC = .674, p = .006; PRS: AUC = .819, p < .001). Conclusion: The findings support utilizing the BASC-2-EF GSS when differentiating ADHD from RD and typical development.
Long-term outcome of internal limiting membrane peeling with and without foveal sparing in myopic foveoschisis
Authors: Elwan Mohammed Mamdouh , Abd Elghafar Ayman Elsayed , Hagras Sherein Mahmoud , Abou Samra Waleed Ali , Saleh Sameh Mohamed
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

To compare between vitrectomy with internal limiting membrane peeling over the whole macula and preservation of the epi-foveal internal limiting membrane in myopic foveoschisis.

Patients and methods:

A prospective controlled non- randomized comparative study included patients with myopic foveoschisis recruited between 2013 and 2017. Patients were allocated into two groups: group A included patients who underwent vitrectomy with complete macular internal limiting membrane peeling and group B included those who underwent preservation of the epi-foveal membrane. Pre- and postoperative best corrected visual acuity and macular optical coherence tomography were obtained and compared.

Results:

There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the preoperative baseline data. The difference between the two groups was insignificant as regard postoperative best corrected visual acuity (p = 0.18) and central foveal thickness (p =0.504). There was statistically significant improvement in final best corrected visual acuity within each group (p < 0.0001). Central foveal thickness significantly decreased postoperatively within each group (p < 0.001). No macular holes or other visual-threatening complications were recorded in either group.

Conclusion:

Vitrectomy with complete internal limiting membrane peeling resulted in comparable outcomes to those achieved with preservation of the epi-foveal membrane in treating cases with myopic foveoschisis. There was no statistically significant difference in final visual acuity between the two groups. No macular holes were recorded in either group.
Real-time ultrasound-guided placement of peripherally inserted central venous catheter without fluoroscopy
Authors: Nakamuta Soshi , Nishizawa Toshihiro , Matsuhashi Shiori , Shimizu Arata , Uraoka Toshio , Yamamoto Masato
Published: March 2018

Background and aim:

Malposition of peripherally inserted central catheters placed at the bedside is a well-recognized phenomenon. We report the success rate of the placement of peripherally inserted central catheters with ultrasound guidance for tip positioning and describe the knacks and pitfalls.

Materials and methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the medical case charts of 954 patients who received peripherally inserted central catheter procedure. Patient clinical data included success rate of puncture, detection rate of tip malposition with ultrasonography, adjustment rate after X-ray, and success rate of peripherally inserted central catheter placement.

Results:

The success rate of puncture was 100% (954/954). Detection rate of tip malposition with ultrasonography was 82.1% (78/95). The success rate of ultrasound-guided tip navigation was 98.2% (937/954). The success rate of ultrasound-guided tip location was 98.0% (935/954). Adjustment rate after X-ray was 1.79% (17/952). The final success rate of peripherally inserted central catheter placement was 99.8% (952/954).

Conclusion:

Ultrasound guidance for puncturing and tip positioning is a promising option for the placement of peripherally inserted central catheters. Ultrasound guidance could dispense with radiation exposure and the transfer of patients to the X-ray department.
The impact of the difficult vascular access, fear, and anxiety level in children on the success of first-time phlebotomy
Authors: Gerçeker Gülçin Özalp , Ayar Dijle , Özdemir Emine Zahide , Bektaş Murat
Published: March 2018

Purpose:

This study aimed to investigate the success of first-time phlebotomy and the affecting factors in children between 4 and 10 years of age.

Methods:

This descriptive, comparative, and cross-sectional study was conducted on 155 children who underwent phlebotomy. The Sociodemographic Data Form, the Children’s Anxiety Meter–State, the Children’s Fear Scale, and the Difficult Intravenous Access score were used to collect the data for the study. The relationship between the success of first-time phlebotomy, mean pre-phlebotomy fear and anxiety score, and Difficult Intravenous Access score were examined. The variables affecting the success of first-time phlebotomy were assessed by regression analysis.

Results:

Phlebotomies failed in 18.1% of children. A statistically significant relationship was found between the success of first-time phlebotomy, Children’s Anxiety Meter–State, Children’s Fear Scale mean scores assessed by the researchers, and Difficult Intravenous Access score. Factors affecting the success of first-time phlebotomy include difficult vascular access, age, mean Children’s Anxiety Meter–State score, mean Difficult Intravenous Access score, and duration of the last phlebotomy performed. These factors explain 42% of the total factors affecting the success of first-time phlebotomy.

Conclusion:

Child’s fear, anxiety before phlebotomy, and difficult vascular access affects the first-time phlebotomy success.
Social identity motivations and intergroup media attractiveness
Authors: Joyce Nick , Harwood Jake
Published: March 2018

In this experiment we manipulated three features (intergroup social comparison, outgroup character stereotypicality, intergroup intimacy) of an intergroup TV pilot proposal. We examined how two underlying social identity motivations (social enhancement, social uncertainty reduction) were gratified by the aforementioned features, and whether this gratification predicted media attractiveness. Findings indicate that when social comparison was manipulated to advantage the ingroup, intergroup media gratified existing social enhancement motivations and led to audiences rating the show as more entertaining and attractive. This finding was most clearly evident in the absence of intergroup romance. The gratification of social uncertainty reduction motivations was also shown to increase audience perceptions of intergroup media attractiveness, but outgroup stereotypicality was weakly associated with the gratification of this motivation. These results are discussed in terms of both theoretical implications as well as applications to media campaigns.
The impact of traumatic injury in the oil and gas industry
Authors: Dang Jerry T , Lester Erica , Sun Warren , Fawcett Vanessa , Widder Sandy , Tsang Bonnie
Published: March 2018

Introduction

The oil and gas industry employs approximately 390,000 people in Canada and these workers are often exposed to substantial workplace risks. Trauma centres treat a significant number of industry-related injuries; however, studies characterizing these traumatic events are lacking.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted of workers in the oil and gas industry admitted to major trauma centres in Edmonton, Alberta from January 2009 to December 2014. Patients were identified from Alberta Trauma Registry and Worker's Compensation Board data. Inclusion criteria were: age ≥16 years, trauma occurring in the oil and gas industry, and Injury Severity Score (ISS) ≥ 12 or Modified Abbreviated Injury Scale (MAIS) ≥ 3. Descriptive analysis and cost estimation were performed.

Results

There were 182 major traumas occurring primarily in young males. Blunt trauma was the primary mechanism (90.1%), and alcohol levels were positive in 4.8% of patients. The overall complication rate was 32.4% with a mortality rate of 6%. The majority of patients were discharged home (64.3%), however a large proportion (29.7%) required further care at another facility post-acute care. The median days missed from work were 85 (IQR 7–214.5). Total cost of injury from the societal perspective ranged from $109 965 to $332 098 USD per person.

Conclusion

Oil and gas industry trauma has a high economic and societal cost. Strategies to prevent injuries in this field should be undertaken including promotion and support of drug-free programmes given the rate of positive alcohol screening in this population.
Wind characteristics at a long-span sea-crossing bridge site based on monitoring data
Authors: Zhou Yi , Sun Limin , Xie Mowen
Published: March 2018

Six years of wind data are used to investigate the statistical characteristics of general and strong winds acting on the Donghai Bridge, a sea-crossing bridge in China. The general wind at the bridge site shows a relatively stable annual repeatability, and the discrepancies are found between the measured wind field parameters and those suggested by the design code. For strong winds, both the 10-min mean wind speed and the turbulent variance greatly exceed those of general winds, while the turbulence intensity, integral length scale, and gust factor do not exhibit any noticeable quantitative trends. The measured wind spectra of both general and strong winds show a shift toward the high-frequency range compared with Simiu’s spectrum (along-wind direction). The wind measurements at the bridge site are easily interfered with the bridge structure itself, resulting in a greater turbulence along the bridge axis and a higher turbulent kinetic energy in the high-frequency range, which needs to be considered in designing structural health monitoring systems in the future. This study provides field evidence for the wind-resistant design and evaluation of long-span sea-crossing bridges.
Structural health and usage monitoring of an unmanned turbojet target drone
Authors: Terroba Felix , Frövel Malte , Atienza Ricardo
Published: March 2018

Aerial target drones are an important tool for the training of anti-air batteries and missiles for defense and homeland protection. These target drones are highly loaded structures that require a reliable inspection after each flight. A health and usage monitoring system based on load path changes has been developed. These changes are measured with fiber optic Bragg grating sensors which have been implemented in high loaded structural parts of the fuselage of the DIANA I-A, which is operated by the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology. The health and usage monitoring system has been tested and calibrated by destructive tests, introducing defined damages in fuselage stringers and evaluating the structural damage by the measured strain distribution. The tests have shown that a simple system based on four fiber optic Bragg grating sensors is able to detect barely visible structural damages in the entire high loaded front fuselage of the drone. The health and usage monitoring system requires only on-ground equipment and enables a fast turnaround of the drone after each flight. Two DIANAs have been instrumented for their application in service. First flight tests have been performed and the performance of the health and usage monitoring system has been evaluated.
Evaluation of shaft forces in a vertical canned motor through local hydraulic loss analysis
Authors: Guo Miao , Liu Shu-Hong , Tang Xue-Lin , Zuo Zhi-Gang , Li Xiao-Qin
Published: March 2018

In order to improve the stability and the lifespan of rotating components in a canned motor of a centrifugal pump, a local hydraulic loss analysis has been performed based on detailed flow field analysis by Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes–based re-normalization group k-ε turbulence model simulation. An energy balance equation was applied to analyze the local hydraulic loss distribution. The stator flow channel in the motor was modeled as a porous medium, by utilizing the Ergun equation. Due to the complex structure and the velocity gradient in the complicated flow field, a strong circulation flow exists in the thrust bearing outer ring. Moreover, circumferentially asymmetric Taylor vortices in the vicinity of the hydrodynamic bearing and unsymmetrical Taylor vortices in the transitional region after the thrust bearing were predicted. Dean vortices in the distributary pipes are also captured. These complex vortices are accompanied with high dissipations. A strong increase in hydraulic losses are observed in the corresponding canned motor parts (x/xmax = (0.03, 0.23), (0.87, 1)). Moreover, a strong increase in the radial force and the axial force are predicted in the relative parts of canned motor ( x/xmax = (0.84, 0.97), x/xmax = (0.24, 0.17), (0.84, 0.97), respectively).
Eye care in the intensive care unit
Authors: Hearne Benjamin J , Hearne Elewys G , Montgomery Hugh , Lightman Susan L
Published: March 2018

Ocular surface disease is common in the intensive care population with 20–42% of patients developing corneal epithelial defects. The ocular surface is normally protected by the ability to produce tears, to blink and to close the eyes with rest or sleep. All of these mechanisms can be disrupted in the intensive care population, increasing the risk of developing ocular surface disease. Despite the scale of the problem, eye-care protocols are commonly not instigated and documentation of eye care is often poor. This review details the risk factors for developing ocular surface disease. It also provides evidence-based guidance on protecting the eyes in vulnerable patients, identifying diseases affecting the eye in intensive care patients and delivering the best treatment to the eye. There is growing evidence that adherence to a correctly performed eye-care guideline prevents the majority of corneal problems encountered in the intensive care unit.
Quantifying and reducing statistical uncertainty in sample-based health program costing studies in low- and middle-income countries
Authors: Rivera-Rodriguez Claudia L , Resch Stephen , Haneuse Sebastien
Published: March 2018

Objectives:

In many low- and middle-income countries, the costs of delivering public health programs such as for HIV/AIDS, nutrition, and immunization are not routinely tracked. A number of recent studies have sought to estimate program costs on the basis of detailed information collected on a subsample of facilities. While unbiased estimates can be obtained via accurate measurement and appropriate analyses, they are subject to statistical uncertainty. Quantification of this uncertainty, for example, via standard errors and/or 95% confidence intervals, provides important contextual information for decision-makers and for the design of future costing studies. While other forms of uncertainty, such as that due to model misspecification, are considered and can be investigated through sensitivity analyses, statistical uncertainty is often not reported in studies estimating the total program costs. This may be due to a lack of awareness/understanding of (1) the technical details regarding uncertainty estimation and (2) the availability of software with which to calculate uncertainty for estimators resulting from complex surveys. We provide an overview of statistical uncertainty in the context of complex costing surveys, emphasizing the various potential specific sources that contribute to overall uncertainty.

Methods:

We describe how analysts can compute measures of uncertainty, either via appropriately derived formulae or through resampling techniques such as the bootstrap. We also provide an overview of calibration as a means of using additional auxiliary information that is readily available for the entire program, such as the total number of doses administered, to decrease uncertainty and thereby improve decision-making and the planning of future studies.

Results:

A recent study of the national program for routine immunization in Honduras shows that uncertainty can be reduced by using information available prior to the study. This method can not only be used when estimating the total cost of delivering established health programs but also to decrease uncertainty when the interest lies in assessing the incremental effect of an intervention.

Conclusion:

Measures of statistical uncertainty associated with survey-based estimates of program costs, such as standard errors and 95% confidence intervals, provide important contextual information for health policy decision-making and key inputs for the design of future costing studies. Such measures are often not reported, possibly because of technical challenges associated with their calculation and a lack of awareness of appropriate software. Modern statistical analysis methods for survey data, such as calibration, provide a means to exploit additional information that is readily available but was not used in the design of the study to significantly improve the estimation of total cost through the reduction of statistical uncertainty.
Effectiveness and impact of networked communication interventions in young people with mental health conditions: A rapid review
Authors: Verran Alice , Uddin Ayesha , Court Rachel , Taggart Frances , Sutcliffe Paul , Sturt Jackie , Griffiths Frances , Atherton Helen
Published: March 2018

Objective

To describe the latest evidence of effectiveness and impact of networked communication interventions for young people with mental health conditions.

Methods

Searching five databases from 2009 onwards, we included studies of any design investigating two-way communication interventions for the treatment of young people (mean age 12–25) with a chronic mental health disorder. The data were synthesised using narrative summary.

Results

Six studies met the inclusion criteria, covering a range of mental health conditions (depression, psychosis, OCD). Interventions included an online chat room ( n = 2), videoconferencing ( n = 3) and telephone ( n = 1). Where studies compared two groups, equivalence or a statistically significant improvement in symptoms was observed compared to control. Views of patients and clinicians included impact on the patient-clinician interaction. Clinicians did not feel it hindered their diagnostic ability.

Conclusion

Networked communication technologies show promise in the treatment of young people with mental health problems but the current available evidence remains limited and the evidence base has not advanced much since the previous inception of this review in 2011.

Practice implications

Although the available research is generally positive, robust evidence relating to the provision of care for young persons via these technologies is lacking and healthcare providers should be mindful of this.
Beyond Big Bird, Binders, and Bayonets: Humor and Visibility Among Connected Viewers of the 2012 US Presidential Debates
Authors: Driscoll Kevin , Leavitt Alex , Guth Kristen L. , Bar François , Mehta Aalok
Published: March 2018

During the 2012 US presidential debates, more than five million connected viewers turned to social media to respond to the broadcast and talk politics with one another. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examines the prevalence of humor and its relationship to visibility among connected viewers live-tweeting the debates. Based on a content analysis of tweets and accounts, we estimate that approximately one-fifth of the messages sent during the debates consisted of strictly humorous content. Using retweet frequency as a proxy for visibility, we found a positive relationship between the use of humor and the visibility of individual tweets. Not only was humor widespread in the discourse of connected viewers, but humorous messages enjoyed greater overall visibility. These findings suggest a strategic use of humor by political actors seeking greater shares of attention on social media.
Followers, Spread the Message! Predicting the Success of Swiss Politicians on Facebook and Twitter
Authors: Keller Tobias R. , Kleinen-von Königslöw Katharina
Published: March 2018

Politicians have been criticized for not exploiting the deliberative potential of social media platforms. We complement previous definitions of politicians’ success on social media through the lens of network media logic: Despite the lack of deliberation, some succeed in building large digital followerships, which spread their messages via reactions through the network. Analyzing a data set of personal, structural, and social media characteristics of Swiss politicians, we used path analysis to determine which predict their success on Facebook ( n = 63) and Twitter ( n = 108). Politicians, who are active in parliament, represent urban regions and receive substantial amounts of traditional media coverage also have larger digital followerships on both platforms. Digital followership in turn influences the average number of digital reactions on Facebook, but not on Twitter. Thus, politicians’ success on social media depends on their personal background, political activity, and media coverage, and also their followership and the platform.
Hazardous Drugs: Handling in Health Care Settings
Authors: Randolph Susan A.
Published: March 2018

Occupational and environmental health nurses can play a key role in the implementation of the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP) <800> guidelines to protect the health and safety of all workers who handle hazardous drugs.
Localization and functional consequences of a direct interaction between TRIOBP-1 and hERG proteins in the heart
Authors: Jones David K. , Johnson Ashley C. , Roti Roti Elon C. , Liu Fang , Uelmen Rebecca , Ayers Rebecca A. , Baczko Istvan , Tester David J. , Ackerman Michael J. , Trudeau Matthew C. , Robertson Gail A.
Published: March 2018

Reduced levels of the cardiac human (h)ERG ion channel protein and the corresponding repolarizing current IKr can cause arrhythmia and sudden cardiac death, but the underlying cellular mechanisms controlling hERG surface expression are not well understood. Here, we identified TRIOBP-1, an F-actin-binding protein previously associated with actin polymerization, as a putative hERG-interacting protein in a yeast-two hybrid screen of a cardiac library. We corroborated this interaction by performing Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) in HEK293 cells and co-immunoprecipitation in HEK293 cells and native cardiac tissue. TRIOBP-1 overexpression reduced hERG surface expression and current density, whereas reducing TRIOBP-1 expression via shRNA knockdown resulted in increased hERG protein levels. Immunolabeling in rat cardiomyocytes showed that native TRIOBP-1 colocalized predominantly with myosin-binding protein C and secondarily with rat ERG. In human stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes, TRIOBP-1 overexpression caused intracellular co-sequestration of hERG signal, reduced native IKr and disrupted action potential repolarization. Ca2+ currents were also somewhat reduced and cell capacitance was increased. These findings establish that TRIOBP-1 interacts directly with hERG and can affect protein levels, IKr magnitude and cardiac membrane excitability.
Ki-67 and condensins support the integrity of mitotic chromosomes through distinct mechanisms
Authors: Takagi Masatoshi , Ono Takao , Natsume Toyoaki , Sakamoto Chiyomi , Nakao Mitsuyoshi , Saitoh Noriko , Kanemaki Masato T. , Hirano Tatsuya , Imamoto Naoko
Published: March 2018

Although condensins play essential roles in mitotic chromosome assembly, Ki-67, a protein localizing to the periphery of mitotic chromosomes, had also been shown to make a contribution to the process. To examine their respective roles, we generated a set of HCT116-based cell lines expressing Ki-67 and/or condensin subunits that were fused with an auxin-inducible degron for their conditional degradation. Both the localization and the dynamic behavior of Ki-67 on mitotic chromosomes were not largely affected upon depletion of condensin subunits, and vice versa. When both Ki-67 and SMC2 (a core subunit of condensins) were depleted, ball-like chromosome clusters with no sign of discernible thread-like structures were observed. This severe defective phenotype was distinct from that observed in cells depleted of either Ki-67 or SMC2 alone. Our results show that Ki-67 and condensins, which localize to the external surface and the central axis of mitotic chromosomes, respectively, have independent yet cooperative functions in supporting the structural integrity of mitotic chromosomes.
Effectiveness of tomotherapy v
s linear accelerator image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy for localized pharyngeal cancer treated with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy: a Taiwanese population-based propensity score-matched analysis
Authors: Wang Yao-Ching , Li Chia‑Chin , Chien Chun-Ru
Published: March 2018

Objective:

This study used a population-based propensity score (PS)-matched analysis to compare the effectiveness of tomotherapy-based image-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (referred to as T-IMRT) with that of linear accelerator based (referred to as L-IMRT) for clinically localized pharyngeal cancer (LPC, divided into nasopharyngeal cancer and non-nasopharyngeal cancer) with definitive concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT).

Methods:

Eligible LPC patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2014 were identified among all citizens in Taiwan from the Health and Welfare Data Science Center database. A PS-matched sample based on the PS estimated from the covariables of interest was constructed to compare the effectiveness of T-IMRT with L-IMRT. In the primary analysis, overall survival (OS) was compared for assessment of effectiveness. We also evaluated freedom from local regional recurrence and pharyngeal cancer-specific survival and performed supplementary analyses.

Results:

The study population included 960 patients equally divided into two groups. OS did not differ significantly between the T-IMRT and L-IMRT groups (hazard ratio for death: 0.82, p = 0.15, 5-year OS rate: 79 and 74% for T-IMRT and L-IMRT, respectively), and there were no significant differences in the other endpoints or supplementary analyses.

Conclusion:

For LPC patients treated with definitive CCRT, we found no significant difference in disease control or survival between the T-IMRT and L-IMRT groups. However, further studies, especially randomized trials or studies focusing on other dimensions, such as quality of life, are needed.

Advances in knowledge:

We provide the first population-based study, as well as the largest study, on the clinical effectiveness of T-IMRT compared with L-IMRT in conjunction with CCRT in LPC patients.
Vascular malformations
Authors: Becker-Köhnlein J. , Poetke M. , Berlien H.-P.
Published: March 2018

Together with the vascular tumours the vascular malformations form the group of congenital vascular anomalies. However, they have to be clearly separated from each other in diagnosis. This is supported by the current ISSVAClassification, which recently included embryological aspects of the Hamburg Classification.
Model for de novo mutation propagation depending on paternal age at conception and associated neurological disorders
Authors: Lawen Johannes , Wang Ena
Published: March 2018

This paper presents a computational model for simulating the propagation of de novo mutations and paternal age effects in populations. The model uses data for paternal de novo mutation rates depending on age and demographic data such as age distributions, birth distributions versus age, varying life expectancy, and correlations with fertility. The number of paternal de novo mutations in children increases with the paternal age at conception. This might be of interest considering that the average paternal age has risen significantly in many societies throughout the last century. The model introduced below can superimpose and extrapolate different effects based on demographic dynamics. This includes the assessment of statistically associated neurological disorders in offspring, particularly IQ decay depending on the paternal age and other medical phenotypes which constitute paternal age effects.

Yearly paternal mutation rates and correlations with paternal age were used to simulate both, de novo mutation propagation and probabilities for correlating conditions such as IQ decay. The extrapolated effect after several generations of persistently elevated paternal age appears to be drastic. To account for possibly mitigating factors, the paternal age effect has been super-positioned with the Flynn effect in simulated cases. The model automatically generates distributions for varying paternal ages, not just single cases, in convenient 3D distributions. The model simulates each person’s individual reproductive incidents through a particle type approach which is more rigorous than insufficiently adaptive, continuum models based on partial differential equations. The model is not only applicable to humans and yields many valuable conclusions for a wide array of topics including the paternal age effect, correlations with intelligence, evolution, bottlenecks in evolution, as well as the role of de novo mutation.
Wybrane aspekty konwersji semantycznej – przypadek tolerancji
Authors: Stoiński Andrzej
Published: March 2018

Selected Aspects of Semantic Conversion – The Case of Toleration

The text refers to the selected aspects of semantic conversion defined as the process of transformation of the meaning of the terms. This paper deals with the notion of “toleration”. The classic negative tolerance was described as a lack of intolerance. Otherwise, the positive tolerance is often characterized as acceptance, esteem, or affirmation for differences. Such distinction between them has the effect that in the face of the negative theory positive tolerance appears paradoxical. On the other hand, in perspective of the positive theory the classic idea seems to be intolerance. Basing on positive concept may lead to a reductionist alternative: acceptance (esteem, affirmation) – intolerance. In the article the Author also considers the problem of connections between toleration and the power of individual. Furthermore, the paper examines simple and complex objects of tolerance and the problem of the person as a subject of toleration.
Specyfika konstytucjonalizmu stanowego w USA
Authors: Stolicki Dariusz
Published: March 2018

Peculiarities of American State Constitutionalism The article summarizes major peculiarities of American state constitutionalism, understood as a set of general principles governing form, legal nature, and content of state constitutions. It focuses primarily on the areas in which state constitutions differ from the federal Constitution. With the large difference in length as its starting point, the article analyzes such features of state constitutions as greater level of detail, broader catalog of constitutional subject matters, frequent incidence of constitutional legislation, plenary as opposed to enumerated character of state governmental powers, and relative ease of constitutional change at state level. It concludes that the foregoing features of state constitutions primarily reflect distrust in state governments (particularly legislatures) and willingness of political actors to treat constitutions as ordinary policy instruments as opposed to fundamental law. The article further examines the influence of those features on state constitutional interpretation, noting that the greater specificity and elasticity of state constitutions on one hand diminishes importance of originalism, but on the other hand – promotes strict textualism and is one of the leading causes of lesser incidence on informal constitutional changes (especially judge‑made) in the states.
Conflicting Narratives? Geopolitical and Normative Power Narratives in the EU Eastern Partnership
Authors: Crombois Jean F.
Published: March 2018

Since its inception, the EU’s Eastern Partnership has given rise to two seemingly conflicting narratives. The first one, the normative power narrative emphasizes the use of norms expansion as the main objectives of the European Union vis‑a‑vis its Eastern Partners. The second narrative, i.e. the geopolitical one, emphasizes the need for the EU to develop a geopolitical orientation in its relations with its Eastern neighbours based on interests rather than values. This paper will look at these two narratives, how they originated and how they developed in the EU discourses related to the making of EU foreign policy and more particularly as far as the EU’s Eastern Partnership is concerned.
Indispensable Partner or Significant Other? German and French Media Portrayals of Poland after 25 Years of Weimar Triangle
Authors: Sender Anna-Lena
Published: March 2018

With the intention of the German, French and Polish foreign ministers to bring their countries closer together after the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Weimar Triangle was founded in 1991. This setting has enabled an institutionalised regional cooperation on the governmental level as well as between the respective civil societies. However today, in a Europe of permanent crises and protracted uncertainty, a risky divergence between Germany, France and Poland seems to emerge. Since the Polish national elections in October 2015 has brought the right‑wing, nationalist Law‑and‑Justice‑party (PiS) into power, we are also witnessing a rising relevance of domestic political determinants for mutual contacts. Facing this new period of tension, where more closeness and trust would be required, discursive attitudes and strategies of ‘othering’ might gain ground and lead to increasing alienation. Based on the assumption that the portrayal of a country could be both the first step towards creating and obtaining a more inclusive or exclusive identity, this paper aims to find out the following: in how far are German and French media about to pre‑cook patterns of asymmetry and alienation? Or follow they rather an inclusive and comprehensible approach towards Poland? These questions are exemplified by the biggest centre‑left and centre‑right German and French daily newspapers Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Le Monde and Le Figaro, whereas the corpus of data is limited to the period of the year 2016. By making use of the critical discourse analysis, this paper provides information about to what extent Poland is considered to be a close and indispensable partner as well as to where we can identify mechanisms of putting the country aside as a significant other.
Birthing modernity: The BBC’s Count Dracula (1977)
Authors: Hopkins Lisa
Published: March 2018

The BBC’s 1977 Count Dracula is cast firmly in the mould of a BBC classic serial, privileging fidelity, frocks and location shots. However, a surprising amount of cultural work is done by the adaptation’s few but striking deviations from its general principle of fidelity, such as the total omission of Arthur Holmwood, the turning of Lucy and Mina into sisters rather than friends and Dracula’s speech in defence of vampirism, coupled with the absence of any suggestion that vampirism might be a metaphor for something other than itself. This adaptation’s focus, I suggest, is to precipitate the arrival of modernity, as a half-glimpse of the Simone Martini Annunciation in the crypt of Carfax leads into Dracula materializing in Mina’s bedroom as white smoke like an Unholy Ghost, suggesting that a new era is about to dawn and that sexuality is out of the coffin in which the Victorians sought to imprison it.
Curating a fan history of vampires: ‘What We Vid in the Shadows’ at VidUKon 2016
Authors: Stevens E. Charlotte
Published: March 2018

At the 2016 fan convention VidUKon, I curated and screened a vidshow themed around vampires. A vidshow is a curated programme of fanvids, fan-made video art pieces that adapt television and film sources into short videos, which is shown at media fan conventions. To plan this, I first selected vampire-related examples from my research collection, and then drafted a list of screen vampires to guide my search for other vids to address gaps. From there, my curation was guided by a series of questions about how these pocket-sized adaptations would contribute to the vidshow’s representation of screen vampires. How do these act as a history of media fandom’s relationship with screen vampires? Vids are works of textual analysis that offer critical and creative responses to their source texts. What would my selection argue about how we watch vampires? I propose that vidshows are a site of negotiating fan-favourite and cult canons of vampire shows and characters.
Beware of polar nights: The vampire figure in Nordic cinematography
Authors: Wajda Piotr
Published: March 2018

This article aims to identify the traces of vampire presence in Nordic cinematography. The author examines examples from traditional literature and points to the fact that even Viktor Rydberg’s Vampyren – for many years, the only representative of Nordic vampiric literature – does not depict a ‘canonic’ vampire. Wajda tries to answer a question: is it possible to find a vampire figure among rare examples of Nordic horror films from the twentieth century? In 1932, Carl Theodor Dreyer depicted the figure of a vampire in an unorthodox way. The author of this article indicates that vampirism was not a source of superpower as in American cinema. The presented study advances an understanding of vampire presence in Nordic cinema and proposes an analysis of selected films that can be deciphered as examples of ‘a vampire unseen’on-screen. Furthermore, the author compares ‘vampire unseen’ creations with the modern approach to vampires.
A teacher’s perspective on the interactions between the United Nations’ SDGs
Authors: Lardjane Salim , Laveuve Françoise
Published: March 2018

Heads of State and Government, senior UN officials and representatives of the civil society met in September 2015 as part of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, and adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). By 2030, these objectives form a program of Sustainable, Universal and ambitious Development, a program "of the people, by the people and for the people", conceived with the active participation of UNESCO.
Maximal arcs in projective planes of order 16 and related designs
Authors: Gezek Mustafa , Tonchev Vladimir D. , Wagner Tim
Published: March 2018

The resolutions and maximal sets of compatible resolutions of all 2-(120,8,1) designs arising from maximal (120,8)-arcs, and the 2-(52,4,1) designs arising from previously known maximal (52,4)-arcs, as well as some newly discovered maximal (52,4)-arcs in the known projective planes of order 16, are computed. It is shown that each 2-(120,8,1) design associated with a maximal (120,8)-arc is embeddable in a unique way in a projective plane of order 16. This result suggests a possible strengthening of the Bose–Shrikhande theorem about the embeddability of the complement of a hyperoval in a projective plane of even order. The computations of the maximal sets of compatible resolutions of the 2-(52,4,1) designs associated with maximal (52,4)-arcs show that five of the known projective planes of order 16 contain maximal arcs whose associated designs are embeddable in two nonisomorphic planes of order 16.
Existence of Three Positive Solutions for a Nonlocal Singular Dirichlet Boundary Problem
Authors: Giacomoni Jacques , Mukherjee Tuhina , Sreenadh Konijeti
Published: March 2018

In this article, we prove the existence of at least three positive solutions for the following nonlocal singular problem:

{(-Δ)s⁢u=λ⁢f⁢(u)uq,u>0⁢ in ⁢Ω,u=0in ⁢ℝn∖Ω,\left\{\begin{aligned} \displaystyle(-\Delta)^{s}u&\displaystyle=\lambda\frac{% f(u)}{u^{q}},&&\displaystyle u>0\text{ in }\Omega,\\ \displaystyle u&\displaystyle=0&&\displaystyle\phantom{}\text{in }\mathbb{R}^{% n}\setminus\Omega,\end{aligned}\right.

where(-Δ)s{(-\Delta)^{s}}denotes the fractional Laplace operator fors∈(0,1){s\in(0,1)},n>2⁢s{n>2s},q∈(0,1){q\in(0,1)},λ>0{\lambda>0}and Ω is a smooth bounded domain inℝn{\mathbb{R}^{n}}. Heref:[0,∞)→[0,∞){f:[0,\infty)\to[0,\infty)}is a continuous nondecreasing map satisfying

limu→∞⁡f⁢(u)uq+1=0.\lim_{u\to\infty}\frac{f(u)}{u^{q+1}}=0.

We show that under certain additional assumptions onf, the above problem possesses at least three distinct solutions for a certain range of λ. We use the method of sub-supersolutions and a critical point theorem by Amann [H. Amann, Fixed point equations and nonlinear eigenvalue problems in ordered Banach spaces, SIAM Rev. 18 1976, 4, 620–709] to prove our results. Moreover, we prove a new existence result for a suitable infinite semipositone nonlocal problem which played a crucial role to obtain our main result and is of independent interest.
Optimization of freeform surfaces using intelligent deformation techniques for LED applications
Authors: Isaac Annie Shalom , Neumann Cornelius
Published: March 2018

For many years, optical designers have great interests in designing efficient optimization algorithms to bring significant improvement to their initial design. However, the optimization is limited due to a large number of parameters present in the Non-uniform Rationaly b-Spline Surfaces. This limitation was overcome by an indirect technique known as optimization using freeform deformation (FFD). In this approach, the optical surface is placed inside a cubical grid. The vertices of this grid are modified, which deforms the underlying optical surface during the optimization. One of the challenges in this technique is the selection of appropriate vertices of the cubical grid. This is because these vertices share no relationship with the optical performance. When irrelevant vertices are selected, the computational complexity increases. Moreover, the surfaces created by them are not always feasible to manufacture, which is the same problem faced in any optimization technique while creating freeform surfaces. Therefore, this research addresses these two important issues and provides feasible design techniques to solve them. Finally, the proposed techniques are validated using two different illumination examples: street lighting lens and stop lamp for automobiles.
Gracilaria microcarpasp. nov. (Gracilariaceae, Rhodophyta) from the southwestern Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Dreckmann Kurt M. , Núñez Resendiz María Luisa , Sentíes Abel
Published: March 2018

Although the genusGracilariais well represented on the Mexican coasts, there are few studies focused on the taxonomic aspects and the clarification of the relationships between species. The high morphological plasticity exhibited by several of its representatives could underestimate the true species richness. In the present study, a group of cylindrical specimens ofGracilariafrom the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, previously identified asG. cornea, was collected. Based on COI-5P andrbcL sequences, these samples formed an independent group closely related toG. ferox, a flat species. Morphologically, our specimens differed fromG. feroxand the other species ofGracilariaby the presence of very small cystocarps and a thick pericarp composed of many layers of cells. We proposeGracilaria microcarpasp. nov. as the name for this group of cylindrical specimens from the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico.
“No one can escape God”. A filicidal beneficial tale from early Byzantium
Authors: Vasileiou Fotis
Published: March 2018

John Moschos includes the story of a female filicide in his Spiritual Meadow. After exploring the authorial self of Moschos, this article discusses the relation between this beneficial story and the biblical book of Jonah on the one hand, and Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis and Medea on the other. Finally, the story is examined in the wider framework of the seventh century, in an attempt to understand John Moschos’ viewpoint on his own time.
Trefftz Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Friedrichs Systems with Linear Relaxation: Application to the P
1 Model
Authors: Morel Guillaume , Buet Christophe , Despres Bruno
Published: March 2018

This work deals with the first Trefftz Discontinuous Galerkin (TDG) scheme for a model problem of transport with relaxation. The model problem is written as a

P
N

{P_{N}}

or

S
N

{S_{N}}

model, and we study in more details the

P
1

{P_{1}}

model in dimension 1 and 2. We show that the TDG method provides natural well-balanced and asymptotic preserving discretization since exact solutions are used locally in the basis functions. High-order convergence with respect to the mesh size in two dimensions is proved together with the asymptotic property for

P
1

{P_{1}}

model
in dimension one. Numerical results in dimensions 1 and 2 illustrate the theoretical properties.