bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infection in neurological post-operation patients: a best practice implementation project
Authors: Liang Ching-Chuan , Huang Tzyy-Jen , Yang Shu-Hua , Su Jui Yuan , Mu Pei-Fan , Curia Marianne
Published: April 2019

Objective:

The objective of this evidence based implementation project was to promote evidence based practice in the prevention of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) in the neurology and neurosurgery units of a Taipei hospital.

Introduction:

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection has been associated with increased morbidity, mortality, hospital costs and length of stay. Urinary drainage systems are often reservoirs of infection in patients, thus effective prevention of CAUTI requires an evidence-based approach. The CAUTI incidence in the neurosurgery units of the hospital was 1.86–2.69% urinary catheter days, which ranked as medium when compared to the entire hospital.

Method:

A clinical audit was undertaken using the Joanna Briggs Institute Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System tool, based on eight audit criteria that represented best practice recommendations for CAUTI. A baseline audit of the neurology and neurosurgery units was performed, followed by the implementation of multiple strategies throughout a 20-week period. A follow-up audit was undertaken after this to assess changes in practice.

Results:

The post strategy implementation audit results indicated that compliance with clinical guideline recommendations improved considerably. Proper utilization of an appropriate closed drainage system and training of persons maintaining catheters achieved 100% compliance. The guideline recommendation that catheter and drainage bags be changed only when clinically indicated reached 94% compliance. Catheters removed within 24 hours postoperatively improved by more than 50% compliance. Compliance with systemic antimicrobials being clinically indicated and their use justified improved by 25% and documentation on a clinically appropriate indication for ongoing urinary catheterization improved by almost 33.3%.

Conclusions:

The implementation project was successful in improving nurses’ knowledge and skills related to the prevention of CAUTI. A variety of strategies, such as an education program, simple and clear instruments, collaboration with physicians in caring for patients with a high risk of CAUTI, and multiple educational materials can facilitate implementation of evidence based procedures in clinical practice.
Combined treatment of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor and exercise training improves lipid profile in KK/Ta mice
Authors: Tanimura Yuko , Aoi Wataru , Mizushima Katsura , Higashimura Yasuki , Naito Yuji
Published: April 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Exercise for type 2 diabetes patients treated with insulin therapy involves the risk of hypoglycaemia. Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors can be effective in combination with exercise because they reduce the incidence of hypoglycaemia. We evaluated the effect of this combination of treatments on hepatic lipid metabolism in diabetic KK/Ta mice.

What is the main finding and its importance?

The combination of a DPP‐4 inhibitor and exercise, which lowers the risk of hypoglycaemia, is useful for improving insulin resistance by inhibiting excess insulin secretion and decreasing hepatic lipid accumulation, validated by downregulated CD36.

The role of exercise training in prevention of diabetes and/or dyslipidaemia has been firmly established. Dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors improve insulin sensitivity and have attracted attention as therapeutics for hepatic lipid accumulation. The effect of a combination of DPP‐4 inhibitor and exercise training on the prevention and treatment of hepatic lipid accumulation is unclear. Here, we investigated whether alogliptin, a DPP‐4 inhibitor, enhances the preventive effect of exercise‐induced hepatic lipid accumulation in diabetic mice. Balb/c and KK/Ta mice were fed a high‐fat diet. Mice were divided into the following five groups: B, Balb/c mice; K, KK/Ta mice; K‐A, KK/Ta mice with alogliptin (0.01%); K‐Ex, KK/Ta mice with exercise training (3 days week−1, 15–20 m min−1 for 30 min); and K‐Ex+A, KK/Ta mice with alogliptin and exercise training (n = 8 or 9 mice per group). After 8 weeks, glucose, insulin and triglyceride concentrations in the blood and triglyceride levels in the liver were significantly lower in the K‐Ex+A group than in the K group. The liver expression level of PPAR‐γ in the K group was significantly higher than that in the other groups. Additionally, the liver CD36 expression level was significantly lower in the K‐Ex+A and B groups than in the K group. Thus, combined therapy of a DPP‐4 inhibitor with exercise training was effective against high‐fat diet‐induced hepatic lipid accumulation in KK/Ta mice. The results of this study provide useful support for the practice of safe exercise therapy even in diabetic patients who require treatment with a DPP‐4 inhibitor.
Long‐term depression of presynaptic cannabinoid receptor function at parallel fibre synapses
Authors: Yang Ying , Kreko‐Pierce Tabita , Howell Rebecca , Pugh Jason R.
Published: April 2019

Key points

Inhibition of synaptic responses by activation of presynaptic cannabinoid type‐1 (Cb1) receptors is reduced at parallel fibre synapses in the cerebellum following 4 Hz stimulation.

Activation of adenylyl cyclase is necessary and sufficient for down‐regulation of Cb1 receptors induced by 4 Hz stimulation.

4 Hz stimulation reduces Cb1 receptor function by (i) increasing the rate of endocannabinoid clearance from the synapse and (ii) decreasing expression of Cb1 receptors.

Cannabinoid type‐1 receptors (Cb1R) are expressed in the presynaptic membrane of many synapses, including parallel fibre‐Purkinje cell synapses in the cerebellum, where they are involved in short‐ and long‐term plasticity of synaptic responses. We show that Cb1R expression itself is a plastic property of the synapse regulated by physiological activity patterns. We made patch clamp recordings from Purkinje cells in cerebellar slices and assessed Cb1R activity by measuring depolarization‐induced suppression of excitation (DSE). We find that DSE is normally stable at parallel fibre synapses but, following 4 Hz stimulation, DSE is persistently reduced and recovers more rapidly. Using a combination of electrophysiology, pharmacology and biochemistry, we show that changes in DSE are a result of the reduced expression of Cb1Rs and increased degradation of endocannabinoids by monoacylglycerol lipase. Long‐term changes in presynaptic Cb1R expression may alter other forms of Cb1R‐dependent plasticity at parallel fibre synapses, priming or inhibiting the circuit for associative learning.
Concerns about ties to China prompt firings
Authors: Hvistendahl Mara
Published: April 2019

MD Anderson's moves stoke fear of ethnic profiling among Asian American scientists.
TED offers funding path, not just stage, for ‘audacious’ ideas
Authors: Price Michael
Published: April 2019

Organization picks several science projects and helps them raise tens of millions of dollars from a network of donors.
Sticky pesticide could prevent harmful runoff
Authors: Stokstad Erik
Published: April 2019

Designer proteins kill soybean rust, a major threat that requires heavy fungicide use.
The overworld
Authors: Kintisch Eli
Published: April 2019

A new NASA mission will probe threats to the ozone layer over the United States.
SciLine expands scientific resources offered to U.S. journalists
Authors: Hoy Anne Q.
Published: April 2019

“Genomics for Journalists” is first in a series of free science boot camps for journalists
CASE in point: Graduate science students seek public policy training
Authors: Hoy Anne Q.
Published: April 2019

Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering grows with student interest in public policy-making
Nitrogen isotope evidence for expanded ocean suboxia in the early Cenozoic
Authors: Kast Emma R. , Stolper Daniel A. , Auderset Alexandra , Higgins John A. , Ren Haojia , Wang Xingchen T. , Martínez-García Alfredo , Haug Gerald H. , Sigman Daniel M.
Published: April 2019

Circulation more than temperature

Changes in continental configuration and sea level affected the ocean's oxygen levels and the rate of denitrification between 70 and 30 million years ago. That finding by Kast
et al.
shows a fundamental difference from the modern ocean, in which the extent of suboxia is controlled primarily by global temperature. Changes in the nitrogen isotopic composition of marine organic matter correlate with the collision of India and Asia and the circulation changes that occurred as a result. Later, isotopic composition changed further in response to a fall in sea level as global cooling caused ice sheets to grow.

Science
, this issue p.
386
Probing magnetism in 2D materials at the nanoscale with single-spin microscopy
Authors: Thiel L. , Wang Z. , Tschudin M. A. , Rohner D. , Gutiérrez-Lezama I. , Ubrig N. , Gibertini M. , Giannini E. , Morpurgo A. F. , Maletinsky P.
Published: April 2019

A detailed look into 2D magnetism

The van der Waals material chromium triiodide (CrI
3
) is a ferromagnet in the bulk but appears to become antiferromagnetic when thinned to a few atomic layers. Thiel
et al.
used a local magnetometry technique based on diamond nitrogen-vacancy centers to study the magnetism of these thin films at the nanoscale (see the Perspective by Fernández-Rossier). In agreement with previous results, films with odd numbers of layers had magnetization values consistent with that of a single layer, indicating antiferromagnetic coupling. But when the researchers' probe caused an accidental puncture, the magnetization of a nine-layer film increased approximately ninefold to a value expected in a ferromagnetic material. Further characterization suggested that the puncture had caused a structural transition, linking the structural and magnetic properties of this enigmatic system.

Science
, this issue p.
973
; see also p.
935
PAC, an evolutionarily conserved membrane protein, is a proton-activated chloride channel
Authors: Yang Junhua , Chen Jianan , del Carmen Vitery Maria , Osei-Owusu James , Chu Jiachen , Yu Haiyang , Sun Shuying , Qiu Zhaozhu
Published: April 2019

A new protein channel family

Exposure of cells to acidic conditions outside the cell activates chloride-conducting channels that influence physiological and pathological processes. Yang
et al.
used an unbiased RNA interference screen to identify the channel protein that allows such proton-activated ion conductance. The protein, called PAC for proton-activated channel, has two predicted transmembrane domains and is unlike any previously identified channel. Identification of the channel should advance studies of its physiological roles, which range from tissue injury after stroke to adaptation of Tibetan natives to a high-altitude environment.

Science
, this issue p.
395
Antibiotic Killing of Diversely Generated Populations of Nonreplicating Bacteria
Authors: McCall Ingrid C. , Shah Nilang , Govindan Adithi , Baquero Fernando , Levin Bruce R.
Published: April 2019

Nonreplicating bacteria are known to be (or at least commonly thought to be) refractory to antibiotics to which they are genetically susceptible. Here, we explore the sensitivity to killing by bactericidal antibiotics of three classes of nonreplicating populations of planktonic bacteria: (i) stationary phase, when the concentration of resources and/or nutrients are too low to allow for population growth; (ii) persisters, minority subpopulations of susceptible bacteria surviving exposure to bactericidal antibiotics; and (iii) antibiotic-static cells, bacteria exposed to antibiotics that prevent their replication but kill them slowly if at all, the so-called bacteriostatic drugs.
Benzalkonium Chlorides: Uses, Regulatory Status, and Microbial Resistance
Authors: Merchel Piovesan Pereira Beatriz , Tagkopoulos Ilias
Published: April 2019

Benzalkonium chlorides (BACs) are chemicals with widespread applications due to their broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This review provides an overview of the market for BACs, as well as regulatory measures and available data on safety, toxicity, and environmental contamination.
Established Cotton Stainer Gut Bacterial Mutualists Evade Regulation by Host Antimicrobial Peptides
Authors: Onchuru Thomas Ogao , Kaltenpoth Martin
Published: April 2019

Animal immune systems are central for the protection of hosts against enemies by preventing or eliminating successful infections. However, in the presence of beneficial bacterial mutualists, the immune system must strike a balance of not killing the beneficial symbionts while at the same time preventing enemy attacks. Here, using the cotton stainer bug, we reveal that its long-term associated bacterial symbionts are insensitive to the host’s immune effectors, suggesting adaptation to the host’s defenses, thereby strengthening the stability of the symbiotic relationship. The ability of the symbionts to elicit host immune responses but remain insensitive themselves may be a mechanism by which the symbionts prime hosts to fight future pathogenic infections.
Transcription of
cis
Antisense Small RNA MtlS in
Vibrio cholerae
Is Regulated by Transcription of Its Target Gene,
mtlA
Authors: Zhang Mark G. , Liu Jane M.
Published: April 2019

Vibrio cholerae
is a bacterial pathogen that relies on genetic tools, such as regulatory RNAs, to adapt to changing extracellular conditions. While many studies have focused on how these regulatory RNAs function, fewer have focused on how they are themselves modulated.
V. cholerae
expresses the noncoding RNA MtlS, which can regulate mannitol transport and use, and here we demonstrate that MtlS levels are controlled by the level of transcription occurring in the antisense direction. Our findings provide a model of regulation describing how bacteria like
V. cholerae
can modulate the levels of an important regulatory RNA. Our work contributes to knowledge of how bacteria deploy regulatory RNAs as an adaptive mechanism to buffer against environmental flux.
Characterization of Zoospore Type IV Pili in Actinoplanes missouriensis
Authors: Kimura Tomohiro , Tezuka Takeaki , Nakane Daisuke , Nishizaka Takayuki , Aizawa Shin-Ichi , Ohnishi Yasuo
Published: April 2019

Bacterial zoospores are interesting cells in that their physiological state changes dynamically: they are dormant in sporangia, show temporary mobility after awakening, and finally stop swimming to germinate in niches for vegetative growth. However, the cellular biology of a zoospore remains largely unknown. This study describes unprecedented zoospore type IV pili in the rare actinomycete
Actinoplanes missouriensis
. Similar to the case for the usual bacterial type IV pili, zoospore pili appeared to be retractable. Our findings that the zoospore pili have a functional role in the adhesion of zoospores to hydrophobic solid surfaces and that the zoospores use both pili and flagella properly according to their different purposes provide an important insight into the cellular biology of the zoospore.
Incidental finding of synchronous pleomorphic salivary adenoma and Warthin’s tumour within a parotid gland
Authors: Horisk Neil , Stephenson Eleanor , Sayers Craig , Reid Jonathon
Published: April 2019

The presence of two histologically distinct lesions within the same salivary gland is rare. The majority of lesions detected in salivary glands are benign and unifocal. Ultrasound scans and MRI imaging may not detect separate lesions that are in close proximity and this presents a challenge for radiologists and surgeons in the diagnosis of salivary gland lesions. We present a case when incidentally two distinct lesions were discovered during extracapsular dissection of a suspected pleomorphic salivary adenoma. We aim to highlight the difficulty in diagnosing these rare entities using existing investigative techniques.
Non-accidental harms (‘abuse’) in athletes with impairment (‘para athletes’): a state-of-the-art review
Authors: Tuakli-Wosornu Yetsa A , Sun Qisi , Gentry Mark , Ona Ayala Kimberly E , Doolan Fiona C , Ottesen Taylor D , Caldwell Blake , Naushad Nida , Huang Patrick , Kirby Sandi
Published: April 2019

Objective

Para athletes reap significant health benefits from sport but are vulnerable to non-accidental harms. Little is known about the types and impacts of non-accidental harms Para athletes face. In this literature review, we summarise current knowledge and suggest priorities for future research related to non-accidental harms in Para athletes.

Design

Six electronic databases were searched between August and September 2017. 2245 articles were identified in the initial title/abstract review, and 202 records were selected for full-text review following preliminary screening. Two independent examiners evaluated each full text, and eight citations were selected based on inclusion/exclusion criteria.

Data sources

MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus and Academic Search Premier.

Eligibility criteria for selecting studies

Inclusion criteria: (A) human participants; (B) written in English; (C) descriptive, cohort and case series, case–control, qualitative, mixed methods studies and all clinical trials; and (D) data pertain to harassment/abuse of youth, recreational, collegiate, national-level and/or elite-level athletes with a physical and/or intellectual impairment.

Results

Most studies focused on young, visually impaired athletes and approximately half of all studies described high rates of bullying and its social implications. One study confirmed remarkably high rates of psychological, physical and sexual harms in Para athletes, compared with able-bodied peers.

Conclusions

Bullying in young, visually impaired athletes is described most commonly in the available literature. Due to the limited amount of data, the prevalence of non-accidental harms in Para athletes remains unclear and information on trends over time is similarly unavailable.
Imaging with ultrasound in physical therapy: What is the PT’s scope of practice? A competency-based educational model and training recommendations
Authors: Whittaker Jackie L , Ellis Richard , Hodges Paul William , OSullivan Cliona , Hides Julie , Fernandez-Carnero Samuel , Arias-Buria Jose Luis , Teyhen Deydre S , Stokes Maria J
Published: April 2019

Physical therapists employ ultrasound (US) imaging technology for a broad range of clinical and research purposes. Despite this, few physical therapy regulatory bodies guide the use of US imaging, and there are limited continuing education opportunities for physical therapists to become proficient in using US within their professional scope of practice. Here, we (i) outline the current status of US use by physical therapists; (ii) define and describe four broad categories of physical therapy US applications (ie, rehabilitation, diagnostic, intervention and research US); (iii) discuss how US use relates to the scope of high value physical therapy practice and (iv) propose a broad framework for a competency-based education model for training physical therapists in US. This paper only discusses US imaging—not ‘therapeutic’ US. Thus, ‘imaging’ is implicit anywhere the term ‘ultrasound’ is used.
Radiofrequency ablation of genicular nerves prior to total knee replacement has no effect on postoperative pain outcomes: a prospective randomized sham-controlled trial with 6-month follow-up
Authors: Walega David , McCormick Zachary , Manning David , Avram Michael
Published: April 2019

Background and objectives

Refractory chronic knee pain from osteoarthritis (OA) is commonly treated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA). TKA can be associated with severe postoperative pain and persistent postsurgical knee pain. Poorly controlled postoperative pain can negatively effect functional outcomes following TKA, and effective opioid-sparing analgesia is key to the ideal recovery. Genicular nerve radiofrequency ablation (GN-RFA) has been shown in several trials to be clinically effective in patients with severe refractory knee pain from OA. We aimed to assess if preoperative GN-RFA would improve postoperative pain outcomes following TKA.

Methods

This was a sham-control prospective clinical trial in which blinded participants were randomized to image-guided GN-RFA or a simulated sham procedure 2-6 weeks prior to elective TKA. Outcomes were assessed at 48 hours and 1, 3 and 6 months following TKA.

Results

Seventy participants enrolled in this study. As compared with sham controls, GN-RFA had no treatment effect on postoperative opioid consumption, pain or functional measures at any time point.

Conclusions

Cooled RFA of the superior lateral, superior medial and inferomedial genicular nerves, when performed 2–6 weeks prior to elective TKA as part of a multimodal postoperative pain management regime, had no measurable effect on postoperative opioid use, analgesia use or function in the 48 hours following surgery. In addition, we found no longer term effect on outcome measures 1, 3 and 6 months after TKA.

Trial registration number

NCT02746874.
Comment on “Fractional topological charges and the lowest Dirac modes”
Authors: Altarawneh Derar , Höllwieser Roman
Published: April 2019

We comment on a recent paper published in Phys. Rev. D 98, 094513 (2018), arXiv:1811.09029 , pointing out severe problems in the numerical investigation leading to questionable results and misleading conclusions during their interpretation.
Rapid in situ remediation of glass fiber wind turbine blades in low temperature environment
Authors: Chen Zixuan , Yu Tianyu , Park Soo-Jeong , Hong Jeong-Hyo , Kim Yun-Hae
Published: April 2019

The objective of this study was to investigate a novel remediation methodology for GFRP manufactured wind turbine blades for improving their maintenance under different environment and loading conditions. The fundamental specimens that were fabricated using wet prepreg manufacture technic were pre-damaged then repaired by attaching external glass fiber patches. The repair patches were penetrated by epoxy or UV resin, followed by ambient, [Formula: see text] curing or ultraviolet irradiation curing, respectively. Tensile, flexure, short beam shear tests and end notch flexure (ENF) test were conducted both in room and low temperature according to ASTM standards. The UV cured resin repaired specimens revealed better properties than epoxy in low temperature. The higher external-fundamental laminate interfacial bonding strength and lower velocity of crack diffusion, as well as the initiation of thermal residual stress, resulted in better mechanical properties under low temperature environment. In addition, the outstanding performance of UV resin was thought as the high crystallinity content curing by ultraviolet irradiation and the great inherent strength of itself.
High energy hadron production as self-organized criticality
Authors: Castorina Paolo , Satz Helmut
Published: April 2019

In high energy nuclear collisions, production rates of light nuclei as well as those of hadrons and hadronic resonances agree with the predictions of an ideal gas at a temperature [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]MeV. In an equilibrium hadronic medium of this temperature, light nuclei cannot survive. We propose that the observed behavior is due to an evolution in global non-equilibrium, leading to self-organized criticality. At the confinement point, the initial quark-gluon medium becomes quenched by the vacuum, breaking up into all allowed free hadronic and nuclear mass states without formation of any subsequent thermal hadronic medium.
Genioglossal response to mechanical vibrations of the mandible and the submandibular muscles
Authors: Erdogan Ferhat , Sahin Mesut
Published: April 2019

The extrinsic tongue muscles are activated in coordination with pharyngeal muscles to dilate the airways as needed during breathing. The genioglossus (GG) activity is known to be modulated by several reflexes evoked via the mechanoreceptors of the upper airways. The primary objective of this paper was to investigate the effectiveness of activating these reflex pathways using mechanical stimulation of the mandible or the submandibular muscles. In eight healthy subjects, 3-s long, 5-mm vertical mechanical vibrations were delivered at 8 and 12 Hz to the lower jaw in a seated position, while the GG EMG was recorded using a custom-made sublingual electrode, along with the activity of the masseter (MS) and mylohyoid (MH). All three muscle activities were significantly higher during stimulation compared with the baseline ( P < 0.02), and the increase was larger at 12 Hz versus 8 Hz ( P < 0.02). All three muscle responses had components that synchronized with the mechanical stimuli, but those of MS were much more strongly phase-locked to the vibrational cycle. In 10 healthy subjects, we also applied mechanical vibrations to the submandibular muscles at three different stimulation intensities, while subjects were lying in a supine position. The GG activity increased significantly above the baseline ( P = 0.026) in 9 out of 10 subjects, and the elevated activity persisted after termination of the stimulus for a few seconds. The results demonstrate that GG muscle responses can be evoked with mechanical vibrations applied to the lower jaw or the submandibular muscles in healthy subjects during wakefulness.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The evoked responses observed in the genioglossus (GG) activity during mechanical vibrations of the lower jaw or the submandibular muscles may lead to therapeutic applications for improving the patency of airways during sleep. The presence of these GG reflexes may also explain a mechanism by which the vibrations produced during snoring can help the airways stay open in individuals who may otherwise have obstructed airways in sleep.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of natural birth and elective C-section in supplemental health
Authors: Entringer Aline Piovezan , Pinto Márcia , Gomes Maria Auxiliadora de Souza Mendes
Published: April 2019

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of natural childbirth and elective C-section for normal risk pregnant women. METHODS: The study was conducted from the perspective of supplemental health, a health subsystem that finances private obstetric care, represented in Brazil by health plan operators. The reference populations were normal risk pregnant women, who could undergo natural childbirth or elective C-section, subdivided into primiparous and multiparous women with previous uterine scar. A decision analysis model was constructed including choice of delivery types and health consequences for mother and newborn, from admission for delivery to maternity hospital discharge. Effectiveness measures were identified from the scientific literature, and cost data obtained by consultation with health professionals, health plan operators’ pricing tables, and pricing reference publications of health resources. RESULTS: Natural childbirth was dominant compared with elective C-section for primiparous normal risk pregnant women, presenting lower cost (R$5,210.96 versus R$5,753.54) and better or equal effectiveness for all evaluated outcomes. For multiparous women with previous uterine scar, C-section presented lower cost (R$5,364.07) than natural childbirth (R$5,632.24), and better or equal effectiveness; therefore, C-section is more efficient for this population. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to control and audit C-sections without clinical indication, especially with regard to primiparous women, contributing to the management of perinatal care
Trouble With Tribbles-1
Authors: Jadhav Kavita S. , Bauer Robert C.
Published: April 2019

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of genomic loci in humans that are significantly associated with plasma cholesterol, triglycerides, and coronary artery disease. Although some loci contain genes with known regulatory roles in lipid metabolism and atherosclerosis, the majority were being implicated for the first time. The 8q24 locus, containing the gene
TRIB1
(
Tribbles-1
), is the only novel GWAS locus that associates with all 4 plasma lipid traits and coronary artery disease, an observation that has spurred immense interest in this locus. Subsequent in vivo loss and gain of function studies confirmed that Trib1 plays a role in hepatic lipid metabolism, validating the initial genetic observation. Yet, many challenges remain in discerning the nature of the association between the
TRIB1
locus and cardiometabolic phenotypes. Is
TRIB1
the causal gene at the 8q24 locus and what is the functional consequence of the associated noncoding variation? Is the relationship between TRIB1 and the transcription factor C/EBPα (CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein alpha) the primary molecular mechanism governing the genetic association or could it be an as yet unknown function for this interesting pseudokinase? Is hepatic TRIB1 the sole regulator of lipid metabolism or could extrahepatic TRIB1 play a role as well? The following review summarizes key findings related to these questions and highlights both the challenges and excitement in pursuing translational research of a novel gene in the post-GWAS era.
Unreliable Estimation of Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity Provided by the Mobil‐O‐Graph Algorithm‐Based System in Marfan Syndrome
Authors: Salvi Paolo , Furlanis Giulia , Grillo Andrea , Pini Alessandro , Salvi Lucia , Marelli Susan , Rovina Matteo , Moretti Francesco , Gaetano Raffaella , Pintassilgo Inês , Faini Andrea , Fabris Bruno , Carretta Renzo , Parati Gianfranco
Published: April 2019

Background

Several devices have been proposed to assess arterial stiffness in clinical daily use over the past few years, by estimating aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) from a single measurement of brachial oscillometric blood pressure, using patented algorithms. It is uncertain if these systems are able to provide additional elements, beyond the contribution carried by age and blood pressure levels, in the definition of early vascular damage expressed by the stiffening of the arterial wall.

Methods and Results

The aim of our study was to compare the estimated algorithm‐based PWV values, provided by the Mobil‐O‐Graph system, with the standard noninvasive assessment of aortic PWV in patients with Marfan syndrome (ie, in subjects characterized by premature aortic stiffening and low blood pressure values). Aortic stiffness was simultaneously evaluated by carotid‐femoral PWV with a validated arterial tonometer and estimated with an arm cuff–based ambulatory blood pressure monitoring Mobil‐O‐Graph device on 103 patients with Marfan syndrome (50 men; mean±
SD
age, 38±15 years). Aortic PWV, estimated by the Mobil‐O‐Graph, was significantly (
P
<0.0001) lower (mean±
SD,
6.1±1.3 m/s) than carotid‐femoral PWV provided by arterial tonometry (mean±
SD
, 8.8±3.1 m/s). The average of differences between
PWV
values provided by the 2 methods (±1.96×SD) was −2.7±5.7 m/s.

Conclusions

The Mobil‐O‐Graph provides PWV values related to an ideal subject for a given age and blood pressure, but it is not able to evaluate early vascular aging expressed by high PWV in the individual patient. This is well shown in patients with Marfan syndrome.
The Development of Thanatology in Japan and its Position in East Asia, with a Focus on Thanatology’s Relationship to Religion
Authors: Ikezawa Masaru
Published: April 2019

This article deals with the religiosity of thanatology in Japan, which was introduced under the name shiseigaku (death and life studies) in the 1980s. Although many religious believers and scholars of religious studies have been connected with this field in Japan, religions are not necessarily highlighted by studies of Japanese thanatology. The Japanese pioneers of thanatology did not have clear ideas on the positioning of religion in this field, but they unconsciously merged their own faith into their discipline. Later, other scholars tried to re-construct this field by weakening its religious orientation. The Japanese case is in contrast to Taiwanese thanatology, in which the pioneers tried to position religious beliefs as the essential element of the field. Indeed, this difference was partially influenced by the religious traditions of both societies, but other factors such as the historical processes of this academic field and the private beliefs of researchers were important causes of that difference.
“Looking for the Zohar in the New Testament”: The Lost Messias puer of Christian Knorr von Rosenroth between Kabbalah and Biblical Studies
Authors: Vileno Anna M. , Wilkinson Robert J.
Published: April 2019

Christian Knorr von Rosenroth was the author of a work called Messias puer, which universally has been considered lost. This article seeks to demonstrate that a manuscript currently catalogued as Historiæ evangelicæ initium is, in fact, this lost work of Knorr. Knorr’s involvement in the study of the Jewish mystical tradition enabled him to develop new and original insights in his reading of the New Testament. Furthermore, his use of comparative philology points to him as a significant precursor in the development of biblical studies.
A Missed Opportunity? Unilateral Declarations by the European Union and the European Court of Justice’s Venezuelan Fisheries Judgment
Authors: Kassoti Eva , Vatsov Mihail
Published: April 2019

The EU has entered into many binding undertakings (international agreements) with third States on access to fisheries resources. In the Venezuelan Fisheries case, the ECJ was, for the first time, confronted with an EU unilateral declaration granting fishing opportunities in EU waters to Venezuela-flagged vessels. We argue, contrary to ECJ’s conclusion, that the declaration is a binding unilateral act and not an international agreement. This case is important for the burgeoning debate on the ECJ’s approach to international law. It represents a missed opportunity for the ECJ to clarify its previous case-law on the broad concept of ‘international agreement’ and align it with relevant international jurisprudence and doctrine. More fundamentally, it is a missed opportunity for the ECJ to truly develop and shape international law practice and doctrine on unilateral acts by international organisations – an omission that does not comport with the EU’s self-projection as an internationally engaged polity.
The Tightrope to Tomorrow: Reputational Security, Collective Vision and the Future of Public Diplomacy
Authors: Cull Nicholas J.
Published: April 2019

A global crisis exists today, driven by a toxic mix of populist politics and disruptive social media. For public diplomacy to respond, it must remain true to its core principles: 1) begin by listening; 2) connect to policy; 3) do not perform for domestic consumption; 4) look for credibility and partnership; as 5) the most credible voice is not your own. 6) Public diplomacy is not always ‘about you’; but 7) is everyone’s business. These core principles must now be supplemented by the following future needs: 1) reframing soft power as a new category of reputational security, relevant to the survival of vulnerable states; 2) contest disinformation and engage in information disarmament; 3) counter victim narratives; and 4) articulate a compelling vision of the future. This article refuses to abandon an element of optimism and continues to see hope in the ability of humans to connect effectively with one another.
Not Dusk, but Dawn: The Cultural Turn and German Social History After 1990
Authors: Bauerkämper Arnd
Published: April 2019

This article focuses on the evolution of social history in pre- 1989 West Germany and the GDR and, on the basis of this overview, identifies new, innovative historiographical trends on (re-)writing social history in unified Germany. It is argued that, for many decades, West German historiography had been characterized by sharp debates between the more established advocates of investigations into social structures and processes, on the one hand, and the grass-roots historians of everyday life, on the other. Since the early 1990s, however, this antagonism has considerably receded in favour of synthetic perspectives. At the same time, interest in the history of East European states and regions has considerably increased. This article highlights these new analytical trends in recent German historiography by taking as example studies of the social history of the GDR. In the unified Germany, the history of the GDR has received particular attention. Access to new sources has also enabled historians to link the histories of Eastern and Western Europe, either by employing comparative perspectives or investigating cross-border entanglements.
ECE DEBATE on David Ost, The Defeat of Solidarity: Anger and Politics in Postcommunist Europe
Authors: East Central Europe Editors
Published: April 2019

The nature of labor movements and their political involvement and impact has recently been a matter of academic as well as political concern, at global level. In this respect, post-communist transformation in Eastern Europe offers an interesting case study. In the second half of 2007, the journal East Central Europe organized a debate on political scientist David Ost’s pioneering book The Defeat of Solidarity: Anger and Politics in Postcommunist Europe. A study on socialist and postsocialist political culture, the book focuses on the evolution of Solidarność (Solidarity) in Poland over two decades, 1980–2000. While accounting for the Polish postsocialist path to what might be called “popular illiberalism,” Ost also tackles wider issues concerning processes of democratization in times of crisis. This debate includes five short polemical essays written by three graduate students (Kacper Pobłocki, Tibor T. Meszmann, and Gábor Halmai), one junior scholar (Eszter Bartha) and one senior scholar (Don Kalb). The authors are trained in different disciplines (anthropology, political science, and history) and are specializing in the history of different countries (Poland, Hungary, Serbia, and Slovenia), thus adding to the debate a variety of disciplinary and national perspectives. The reviewers acknowledge the paramount importance of Ost’s book, calling it “a mustread” for all scholars interested in East European politics and labor movements. They commend the author for bringing the concept of class back to postsocialist analyses, and for addressing a set of important interdisciplinary theoretical and methodological questions. At the same time, the reviewers question Ost’s eclectic methodology on various grounds, criticizing it mainly for a lack of “temporal tracking,” for placing too much “causal weight” on “elite discourses” in producing the turn to illiberalism at the expense of anthropological research at grass-roots level, and for assigning too little agency to non-elites and the “worker-citizens.” In his response, David Ost clarifies the theoretical framework and main arguments of his book and further elaborates on his position, both conceptually and empirically. He advances a normative argument for consolidating democracy in Eastern Europe, arguing that “political entrepreneurs must rethink, reimagine, recontextualize the concept of class, and must try to make conflicts over interests more appealing to the populace than conflicts over identities.”
The Journal Korall and Hungarian Social History: Between International and National Contexts
Authors: Blomqvist Anders
Published: April 2019

This review essay evaluates the evolution of the Hungarian journal of social history, Korall társadalomtörténeti folyóirat (Coral: A journal of social history), founded in 1999 as a new forum of social history research. Korall promoted two distinct understandings of social history, stated only implicitly in the first years of the journal, but later elaborated more explicitely by the editors, as core definitions of their research programme. A first, narrow acceptation places social history within the field of (historical) sociology and favours structural approaches and concepts specific to the social sciences rather than the actual historical context. A second definition is wider, including a variety of topics such as environmental history, cultural history, economic, and demographic history, being meant to function as a powerful counter-discourse against positivistic, traditional and political-orientated history, still dominant in contemporary Hungarian historiography. Based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative content analysis, the review essay argues that, during its eight years of existance to date, Korall has undergone a process of internationalization. Although most articles published in the journal continue to focus on topics pertaining to the history of Hungary—especially during the “dualist period,” 1867-1918—references to international events, authors, and theories have lately acquired a greater importance.
Mirroring Post-1989 Historiography in Romania: Revista de Istorie Socială (The Review of Social History)
Authors: Oancea Claudiu
Published: April 2019

Social history is a relatively new field in Romanian historiography. In this context, Revista de Istorie Socială has attempted, since 1996, to contribute to the development of this field of studies and to bridge the gap between various historical schools and generations, opening new fields of research and reinterpreting old ones. This review essay provides an overview of the Review’s editorial policy, its publications, structure and content, in order to evaluate its impact on the development of social history in post-communist Romania. It is argued that the Review exhibits various historiographical influences, ranging from 19th century historicism to 20th century national schools of social history, most importantly the French Annales.
Social History in Serbia: The Association for Social History
Authors: Vučetić Radina , Pintar Olga Manojlović
Published: April 2019

This review essay provides a brief overview of the research and publication activity of the Udruženje za društvenu istoriju/Association for Social History, an innovative scholarly organization established in 1998 in Belgrade, Serbia. The association promotes research on social history in modern South-Eastern Europe, with a focus on former Yugoslavia, and publishes scientific works and historical documents. The driving force behind the activity of the association is a group of young social historians gathered around Professor Andrej Mitrović, at the University of Belgrade. Prof. Mitrović’s work on the “social history of culture” has provided a scholarly framework for a variety of new works dealing with issues of modernization, history of elites, history of ideas, and the diffuse relationship between history and memory. Special attention is given to the Association’s journal, Godišnjak za društvenu istoriju/Annual for Social History, which published studies on economic history, social groups, gender issue, cultural history, modernization, and the history of everyday life in the nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. Methodologically routed in social history, these research projects are interdisciplinary, being a joint endeavor of sociologists, art historians, and scholars of visual culture.
Introduction to the Special Issue on Journalism, Media and Religion: How News Media Ascribe Meanings to the Terms “Sacred”, “Secular” and “Authority”
Authors: Zeiler Xenia , Radde-Antweiler Kerstin
Published: April 2019

Religious topics are increasingly addressed in journalism worldwide, including newspapers, television, radio and Internet news. The high visibility of religion in society and, inseparably connected to this, the increasing reappearance of religious themes in news media have come to the attention of recent academic research as well.

This special issue offers new research material on the topic but also a new design and system of organizing the field. The novel approach of this special issue is threefold: (1) it focuses specifically and only on journalistic media; (2) it discusses a variety of religious and geographical contexts through case studies; and (3) it introduces a new structure of discussing journalism and religion by analyzing the three key concepts “sacred”, “secular” and “authority” through the lens of Laclau’s (1996, pp. 36) approach to terms as empty signifiers. The articles analyze how news media ascribe meanings to these terms.
Secular Voices on Air: The British Debate on Thought for the Day
Authors: Karis Tim
Published: April 2019

The term ‘secular’ has long been interpreted in academia either as opposition towards religion or as a neutral position. As a Western concept deeply entangled with Christianity, its application to non-Christian and non-Western societies is highly contested. In our first case study, we analyse the British debate about including non-religious belief groups in the radio segment Thought for the Day. The bbc conceives secular as opposition to or absence of religion, whereas secularist groups argue secular worldviews should be treated on par with religious ones.
Introduction: Religious Authority: Ascribing Meaning to a Theoretical Term
Authors: Radde-Antweiler Kerstin , Grünenthal Hannah
Published: April 2019

Critical voices in the press argue that with digital media religious authority is weakened or endangered. Moreover, not only the press, but also academic researchers are convinced that the way the construction of religious authority is changing is crucial because it is the base and the backbone of religious organizations and their structures and function. However, there is by no means consensus on the definition of the term authority. Not only religious actors, but researchers as well ascribe different meanings to academic terms such as authority. Therefore, we have to ask critically what actually authority is. In other words, what meaning is ascribed to the concept or term author by the different researchers in their respective disciplines? Based on these reflections, the aim of this report is to analyze how the term authority is 'filled' with meaning in the academic discourse.
From Pansophia to Panorthosia: The Evolution of Comenius’s Pansophic Conception
Authors: Čížek Jan
Published: April 2019

The aim of this paper is to present a systematic reconstruction of the development of the pansophic idea in the work of Jan Amos Comenius. The concept of pansophia, rooted already in the ancient philosophical thinking, became a very popular topic of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century discussions, and it is one of the central topics of Comenius’s philosophy. It is assumed that Comenius elaborated the formulation of the pansophic program—i.e., the program for creating a universal science incorporating the findings of both the profane and the divine—at the end of 1630s. This study therefore aims to analyse all relevant Comenius’s treatises and attempts to identify the individual development phases of Comenius’s pansophic idea until its transformation into the idea of the universal reform, panorthosia. The analysis of Comenius’s treatises is complemented with a reflection on Comenius’s correspondence, which facilitates the understanding of the author’s more private motives.