bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Contribution of self‐compassion to positive mental health among Korean university students
Authors: Shin Na Young , Lim Young‐Jin
Published: September 2018

Although evidence suggests self‐compassion can serve as an important predictor of positive mental health, few studies have examined the contribution of self‐compassion to mental health. This study examined the relations between six components of self‐compassion and three dimensions of positive mental health (Psychological, Emotional and Social Well‐being) in young Korean adults. A sample of 689 Korean college students were administered the Self‐Compassion Scale (SCS) and the Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC‐SF) to evaluate self‐compassion and positive mental health. A multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) analysis revealed that Self‐Kindness significantly predicted all dimensions of positive mental health. Additionally, Over‐Identification significantly contributed to Emotional Well‐being, Common Humanity to Social Well‐being and Isolation to Psychological Well‐being. These results suggest Self‐Kindness is a key predictor of positive mental health and that specific components of self‐compassion are strongly related to specific dimensions of mental health in Koreans.
Excited‐State Reactivity of [Mn(im)(CO)3(phen)]+: A Structural Exploration
Authors: Fumanal Maria , Harabuchi Yu , Gindensperger Etienne , Maeda Satoshi , Daniel Chantal
Published: September 2018

The electronic excited state reactivity of [Mn(im)(CO)3(phen)]+ (phen = 1,10‐phenanthroline; im = imidazole) ranging between 420 and 330 nm have been analyzed by means of relativistic spin–orbit time‐dependent density functional theory and wavefunction approaches (state‐average‐complete‐active‐space self‐consistent‐field/multistate CAS second‐order perturbation theory). Minimum energy conical intersection (MECI) structures and connecting pathways were explored using the artificial force induced reaction (AFIR) method. MECIs between the first and second singlet excited states (S1/S2‐MECIs) were searched by the single‐component AFIR (SC‐AFIR) algorithm combined with the gradient projection type optimizer. The structural, electronic, and excited states properties of [Mn(im)(CO)3(phen)]+ are compared to those of the Re(I) analogue [Re(im)(CO)3(phen)]+. The high density of excited states and the presence of low‐lying metal‐centered states that characterize the Mn complex add complexity to the photophysics and open various dissociative channels for both the CO and imidazole ligands. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Revisit of large‐gap Si16 clusters encapsulating group‐IV metal atoms (Ti, Zr, Hf)
Authors: Wu Xue , Zhou Si , Huang Xiaoming , Chen Maodu , Bruce King R. , Zhao Jijun
Published: September 2018

Doped clusters by Si16 cage encapsulating group‐IV metal atoms (M@Si16, M = Ti, Zr and Hf) are computationally investigated by both density functional theory (DFT) and high‐level CCSD(T) method. Their low‐energy structures are globally searched using a genetic algorithm based on DFT. The ground state structures of neutral and anionic M@Si16 are determined by calculating the vertical and adiabatic detachment energies and comparing them with the experimental data. For neutral Ti@Si16, the Frank‐Kasper (FK) deltahedron with T
d symmetry and distorted FK isomer with C3v symmetry are nearly degenerate as the ground state and may coexist in laboratory, while the distorted FK isomer is the most probable structure for Ti@Si16− anion. For neutral and anionic Zr@Si16 and Hf@Si16 clusters, the ground states at finite temperatures up to 300 K are the fullerene‐like D
4d bitruncated square trapezohedron. These theoretical results establish a more complete picture for the most stable structures of M@Si16 clusters, which possess large gaps and may serve as building blocks for electronic and optoelectronic applications.
Reducing ultrafiltration membrane fouling during recycled paper mill wastewater treatment using pretreatment technologies: a comparison between coagulation and Fenton
Authors: Xu Yanmei , Li Youming , Hou Yi
Published: September 2018

BACKGROUND

Ultrafiltration (UF) technology is efficient in treating wastewater. However, membrane fouling during filtration process affects the performance of UF to a large extent. Pretreatment prior to UF is important for enhancing membrane performance, reducing membrane fouling and extending the membrane lifetime.

RESULTS

In this study, two pretreatment technologies, including coagulation and Fenton, were applied individually before UF for treating secondary effluent (SE) from recycled paper mill. Results exhibited that direct membrane filtration got the highest flux loss and worst membrane fouling compared with performances of those conducting pretreatments. Compared to coagulation + UF, Fenton + UF had superior performance in reducing dissolved organics with a COD rejection of 91.81%, and mitigating membrane fouling with a stable flux of 133 J m−2 h−1. GPC results further showed that Fenton pretreatment degraded macromolecules into smaller organic compounds. In addition, the classical blocking filtration laws were employed to scrutinize the fouling alleviation mechanism of pretreatments.

CONCLUSION

Pretreatments prolonged the transition from pore blocking to cake filtration, thereby reducing fouling. Among them, Fenton was a promising pretreatment method prior to UF for treating recycled paper SE. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Obituary: Dr. Andrei Medvedev
Authors: Vella Anthony T
Published: September 2018

Obituary Dr. Andrei Medvedev.
The Use of Ultrasound Simulators to Strengthen Scanning Skills in Medical Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Le Cathie‐Kim , Lewis John , Steinmetz Peter , Dyachenko Alina , Oleskevich Sharon
Published: September 2018

Objectives

This study evaluates the use of ultrasound simulators for retaining and improving ultrasound skills acquired in undergraduate ultrasound training.

Methods

Fourth‐year medical students (n = 19) with prior training in point‐of‐care sonography for shock assessment were recruited for this study. Students were randomly assigned to a study group (n = 10) that followed an undergraduate ultrasound training curriculum, then used a simulator to complete 2 self‐directed practice ultrasound sessions over 4 weeks. The control group (n = 9) followed the same undergraduate ultrasound training curriculum and received no additional access to a simulator or ultrasound training. A blinded assessment of the students was performed before and after the 4‐week study period to evaluate their image acquisition skills on standardized patients (practical examination). To evaluate the student's clinical understanding of pathological ultrasound images, students watched short videos of prerecorded ultrasound scans and were asked to complete a 22‐point questionnaire to identify their findings (visual examination).

Results

All results were adjusted to pretest performance. The students in the study group performed better than those in the control group on the visual examination (80.1% versus 58.9%; P = .003) and on the practical examination (77.7% versus 57.0%; P = .105) after the 4‐week study period. The score difference on the postintervention practical examinations was significantly better for the study group compared to the control group (11.6% versus –9.9%; P = .0007).

Conclusion

The use of ultrasound simulators may be a useful tool to help previously trained medical students retain and improve point‐of‐care ultrasound skills and knowledge.
Diagnostic Value of Arrival Time Parametric Imaging Using Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasonography in Superficial Enlarged Lymph Nodes
Authors: Yin Shan‐shan , Cui Qiu‐li , Fan Zhi‐Hui , Yang Wei , Yan Kun
Published: September 2018

Objective

The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of arrival‐time parametric imaging for differential diagnosis of superficial enlarged lymph nodes.

Methods

Patients with lymphadenopathy who received contrast‐enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and biopsy were included in this study. Following CEUS, a prototype software of the arrival‐time parametric imaging system was used to analyze the video footage. Arrival‐time patterns during the arterial phase were evaluated. The quantitative parameters including arrival time of periphery, arrival time of center, and the travel time (△T) were calculated.

Results

A total of 145 lymph nodes were analyzed. Arrival‐time parametric imaging showed that 80.3% of metastatic lymph nodes and 68.4% of lymphoid tuberculosis presented a centripetal perfusion pattern, 76.5% of lymphoma showed complete homogeneous enhancement, and 81.2% of reactive lymph nodes had centrifugal patterns. The arrival time of periphery (sec) of metastatic lymph nodes was substantially earlier than that of lymphoma (11.0 ± 3.1 versus 12.6 ± 3.6; P < .05). The arrival time of center (sec) of metastatic lymph nodes was obviously later than that of lymphoma and reactive lymph nodes (13.4 ± 3.3 versus 10.5 ± 2.9 and 10.6 ± 1.5; P < .05). The travel time (△T) (sec) in metastatic lymph nodes was substantially longer than in reactive lymph nodes and lymphoma (4.2 ± 2.1 versus 2.3 ± 1.6 and 2.9 ± 2.5; P < .05). At a △T cutoff value of 2.75 seconds (using the receiver operating characteristic curve), the sensitivity and specificity in differentiating metastatic lymph nodes from benign lymph nodes (lymphoid tuberculosis and reactive lymph nodes) were 78.9% and 64.7%, respectively.

Conclusions

Enhanced patterns and parameters of arrival‐time parametric imaging during CEUS could provide more information for the differential diagnosis of enlarged superficial lymph nodes.
Accessible Personal Ultrasound Training Simulator
Authors: Gunabushanam Gowthaman , Nautsch Felix , Mills Ian , Scoutt Leslie M.
Published: September 2018

Objectives

Ultrasound simulators are increasingly used for teaching and training purposes, but development has been limited by the need for dedicated and often expensive hardware. The objective of this study was to develop and deploy an accessible and very low‐cost personal ultrasound training simulator and obtain trainee feedback.

Methods

An ultrasound simulator software program that uses a smartphone as a “mock‐probe” and a laptop computer as a “mock ultrasound machine” was created. Spatial positional data is acquired from the smartphone's inbuilt accelerometer and gyroscope and transmitted to the laptop computer for processing and display of simulated ultrasound images in real time by the software program. After obtaining institutional review board approval and informed consent, all first‐year radiology residents at our institution were provided access to the simulator program during the “bootcamp” introductory conference series, and a written survey was conducted to obtain feedback.

Results

A personal ultrasound training simulator software program (Persimus) that reliably performs motion sensing along 2 axes and displays simulated ultrasound images was developed. Nine of 12 (75%) first‐year residents at our institution participated in the written survey. Residents’ scored values were 8.44 ± 1.33 and 8.44 ± 1.33 (mean + standard deviation) for perceived utility and overall impression and satisfaction, respectively, of the simulator on the Likert scale (1–10, with 10 being the highest score).

Conclusion

Personal ultrasound simulators are technically feasible. These are well received by first‐year radiology residents and perceived as useful to their education.
Endoscopic Posterior Cricoid Split With Graft in an Adult With Posterior Cricoid Fracture
Authors: Zhou Albert H. , Patel Varesh R. , Hsueh Wayne D. , Paskhover Boris , Kaye Rachel
Published: September 2018

A 45‐year‐old man presented with bilateral vocal fold immobility (BVFI) following a remote history of assault. He was found to have a comminuted, telescoped, and ossified posterior cricoid fracture on imaging. Electromyography revealed normal cricothyroid and thyroarytenoid muscle function, but moderate chronic denervation of bilateral posterior cricoarytenoid muscles. The patient underwent endoscopic posterior cricoid split with rib graft (EPCS/RG), and he regained moderate vocal abduction and full vocal adduction, resolution of dysphonia, and was decannulated. This report describes the only case of an adult with BVFI due to a posterior cricoid fracture that was successfully treated with EPCS/RG. Laryngoscope, 128:2864–2866, 2018
Histone Variants as Stem Cell Biomarkers for Long‐Term Injection Medialization Laryngoplasty
Authors: Voss Stephen , San‐Marina Serban , Oldenburg Michael S. , Ekbom Dale , Madden Benjamin J. , Charlesworth Mary Cristine , Janus Jeffrey R.
Published: September 2018

Objectives/Hypothesis

Vocal fold (VF) paralysis by sectioning the recurrent laryngeal nerve dramatically impacts the life of thyroidectomy patients. Volume‐expanding materials can temporarily restore VF medialization. To prolong this benefit, adipose mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) and micronized acellular dermis (MACD) were co‐injected in a rabbit model of injection medialization laryngoplasty. Biomarkers of in situ proliferation were identified by mass spectrometry proteomics and pathway analysis to guide future efforts to increase the length of benefit.

Methods

ADSCs were expanded and/or differentiated into chondrocytes (CHON) as collagen microspheres. After VF paralysis rabbits received MACD, MACD + undifferentiated ADSC, or MACD+CHON, ADSCs differentiated into chondrocytes. After 12 weeks, animals were sacrificed and 5‐µm paraffin‐embedded cryosections were prepared from larynges for hematoxylin and eosin visualization and nanoflow liquid chromatography electrospray‐ionization tandem‐mass spectrometry analysis of tissue collections. Validated proteins were processed by Venn subtraction and gene ontology (GO) overrepresentation analysis to identify unique pathways and biomarkers.

Results

Confirmed proteins numbered 147 (MACD), 1,243 (MACD+ADSC), and 1,033 (MACD+CHON). Totally, 333 proteins were uniquely found in the MACD+ADSC group, including mesenchymal surface markers CD9, CD44, fibronectin, and vimentin. Over 70% of proteins belonged to catalytic activity and binding GO categories, with the histone (H) family being overrepresented (P < 0.05). Histone variants H3.3, H2A.V, and H2A.Z (associated with open chromatin states) were overrepresented in the MACD+ADSC group, whereas structural histones H2A, H2B, and H4 were not.

Conclusion

Biomarkers, including atypical histones, are associated with in vivo proliferation of ADSCs and an expanded VF medialization volume.

Level of Evidence

NA Laryngoscope, 128:E402–E408, 2018
Longitudinal Pure‐Tone Threshold Changes in the Same Subjects: Analysis of Factors Affecting Hearing
Authors: Kim Hantai , Lee Jung‐Jun , Moon Yeorae , Park Hun Yi
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To investigate the change of hearing threshold over time and analyze factors that could affect hearing, this longitudinal study of pure‐tone threshold changes in the same subjects at a 9‐year interval was performed.

Study Design

Retrospective longitudinal study in a single center (n = 1,978).

Methods

A total of 1,978 subjects were included; they received pure‐tone audiometry at a 9‐year interval. The degree of the threshold changes was examined and compared between age groups. The subjects' data, such as the level of cholesterol, were analyzed to find risk factors on hearing.

Results

The average of the threshold changes was 3.35 dB in the 20s to 30s; 4.38 dB in the 30s to 40s; 5.75 dB in the 40s to 50s; 7.21 dB in the 50s to 60s; and 10.00 dB in the 60s to 70s (all P < 0.05). If the low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐C) was maintained below 100 mg/dl, the difference in the weighted four‐frequency average was 5.45 dB, whereas it was 6.15 dB in the subjects whose LDL‐C was over 100 mg/dl (P = 0.032, age‐adjusted). In current smokers, the thresholds increased more than in never‐ or ex‐smokers (P = 0.026 in the weighted four‐frequency average and P = 0.011 at 8,000 Hz, age‐adjusted).

Conclusion

The degree of the threshold changes exhibited an exponential increase with age. Cessation of smoking is advisable to prevent increased aggravation of hearing. Strict management of the low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol may have a positive effect on hearing.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 129:470–476, 2019
Ultrasound Guidance for Implantation of Hypoglossal Nerve Stimulator in a Breast Implant Patient
Authors: Jonas Rachel , Bradford‐Bell Elizabeth , Sebelik Merry , Dedhia Raj C.
Published: September 2018

The hypoglossal nerve stimulator (HGNS) is an effective treatment for obstructive sleep apnea in qualified patients. The implantation is typically performed without direct visualization or image guidance. A surgical approach utilizing ultrasound guidance has proved useful for patients with silicone breast implants, which may be at risk of rupture during insertion of the device. This surgical modification expands the population that can benefit from HGNS to now include patients with breast implants. Laryngoscope, 2651–2653, 2018
CEST MRI of 3‐O‐methyl‐D‐glucose uptake and accumulation in brain tumors
Authors: Sehgal Akansha Ashvani , Li Yuguo , Lal Bachchu , Yadav Nirbhay N. , Xu Xiang , Xu Jiadi , Laterra John , van Zijl Peter C.M.
Published: September 2018

Purpose

3‐O‐Methyl‐D‐glucose (3‐OMG) is a nonmetabolizable structural analog of glucose that offers potential to be used as a CEST‐contrast agent for tumor detection. Here, we explore it for CEST‐detection of malignant brain tumors and compare it with D‐glucose.

Methods

Glioma xenografts of a U87‐MG cell line were implanted in five mice. Dynamic 3‐OMG weighted images were collected using CEST‐MRI at 11.7 T at a single offset of 1.2 ppm, showing the effect of accumulation of the contrast agent in the tumor, following an intravenous injection of 3‐OMG (3 g/kg).

Results

Tumor regions showed higher enhancement as compared to contralateral brain. The CEST contrast enhancement in the tumor region ranged from 2.5‐5.0%, while it was 1.5‐3.5% in contralateral brain. Previous D‐glucose studies of the same tumor model showed an enhancement of 1.5‐3.0% and 0.5‐1.5% in tumor and contralateral brain, respectively. The signal gradually stabilized to a value that persisted for the length of the scan.

Conclusions

3‐OMG shows a CEST contrast enhancement that is approximately twice as much as that of D‐glucose for a similar tumor line. In view of its suggested low toxicity and transport properties across the BBB, 3‐OMG provides an option to be used as a nonmetallic contrast agent for evaluating brain tumors.
Effectiveness of Ultrasonic Imaging for Evaluating Presence and Maturity of Eggs in Fishes in Remote Field Locations
Authors: Brizendine Morgan E. , Ward David L. , Bonar Scott A.
Published: September 2018

Ultrasonic imaging is an effective, nonlethal method used to determine sex and maturity in a variety of fishes. However, many previous studies of this technique have been performed in laboratory environments. Using Common Carp Cyprinus carpio, we developed a standardized method for ultrasonically scanning cyprinids, and we accurately sexed 78% (N = 58) of those individuals. We then applied this method to endangered Humpback Chub Gila cypha and obtained 751 scans of Humpback Chub in remote field locations within the Grand Canyon, Arizona. Ultrasonic scanning took less than 1 min per fish to perform, and we identified females containing eggs based on two jpeg images and one 10-s video clip. Using ImageJ software to evaluate ultrasonic scans of ovulatory, captive Humpback Chub, we determined that female fish were potentially ovulatory when scanned eggs exhibited an ImageJ brightness value within the range of 32–44. Although we could successfully evaluate egg maturity, we were unable to estimate egg mass. Fisheries managers can use this noninvasive scanning method or a similar technique in remote field locations to collect ultrasonic scans from cyprinids to determine their reproductive status.
Synthesis and characterization of polypropylene‐graft‐poly(l‐lactide) copolymers by CuAAC click chemistry
Authors: Acik Gokhan , Altinkok Cagatay , Tasdelen Mehmet Atilla
Published: September 2018

The syntheses of polypropylene‐graft‐poly(l‐lactide) copolymers (PP‐g‐PLAs) via copper (I)‐catalyzed azide‐alkyne cycloaddition “click” reaction (CuAAC) using azide side‐chain functionalized polypropylene (PP‐N3) and alkyne end‐functionalized poly(l‐lactide) (PLA‐Alkyne) were reported. The CuAAC was then applied to azide and different feeding ratios of alkyne functional polymers to give PP‐g‐PLAs that were characterized by FTIR, 1H‐NMR, GPC, DSC, and WCA measurements. The CuAAC click reaction was achieved by two different feeding ratio (PP‐N3:PLA‐Alkyne = 1:5 and 1:10) and thermal, biodegradable, and surface properties of obtained graft copolymers were investigated. The molar ratio of PLA were calculated as 72.7 (PP‐g‐PLA‐1) and 78.4% (PP‐g‐PLA‐2) by 1H‐NMR spectroscopy. The water contact angle (WCA) values of PP‐g‐PLA‐1 (81o ± 1.3) and PP‐g‐PLA‐2 (75o ± 1.6) copolymers were compared with commercial chlorinated polypropylene (PP‐Cl) (90o ± 1.0), suggesting a more hydrophilic nature of desired graft copolymers produced. Conversely, the enzymatic biodegradation studies revealed that the weight losses of graft copolymers were determined as 13.6 and 22.1%, which is about 4% for commercial PP‐Cl sample. Thus, it was clear that this simple and facile method was effective in promoting biodegradation of commercial polypropylene and attractive particularly for worldwide environmental remediation goals. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2018, 56, 2595–2601
Elevated 4β‐hydroxycholesterol/cholesterol ratio in anorexia nervosa patients
Authors: Hole Kristine , Heiberg Petra L. , Gjestad Caroline , Mehus Lise L. , Rø Øyvind , Molden Espen
Published: September 2018

Recent studies have shown that the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A phenotype marker 4β‐hydroxycholesterol/cholesterol (4βOHC/C) ratio is negatively correlated with body weight in healthy volunteers, and that obese patients have lower 4βOHC levels than healthy controls. However, 4βOHC/C ratio in underweight patients has yet to be reported. The aim of this study was to examine potential differences in CYP3A activity between underweight patients with anorexia nervosa and normal‐weight volunteers by measuring plasma 4βOHC/C ratio. Furthermore, we wished to describe any association between body mass index (BMI) and 4βOHC/C ratio in underweight patients. A total of 20 underweight patients and 16 normal‐weight volunteers were included in the study, all females. Underweight patients had a median 4βOHC/C ratio (molar ratio × 10−5) of 2.52 (range, 0.90–11.3) compared to 1.29 (0.56–2.09) in normal‐weight subjects (Mann‐Whitney P = 0.0005). 4βOHC/C ratio was negatively correlated with BMI in underweight patients (r = −0.56, P = 0.011), and in the whole study population (r = −0.67, P < 0.0001). This suggests that the negative correlation between 4βOHC/C and BMI, which has previously been reported between 4βOHC/C and body weight in healthy volunteers, extends to underweight patients. The findings indicate that CYP3A activity increases with decreasing BMI, resulting in higher CYP3A activity in underweight patients compared to normal‐weight subjects. The potential clinical relevance of this needs to be studied further by comparing pharmacokinetics of drugs subjected to CYP3A‐mediated metabolism in underweight vs. normal‐weight individuals.
Corrosion behavior and optimization of air‐entrained reinforced concrete, incorporating microsilica
Authors: Ghanei Anis , Eskandari‐Naddaf Hamid , Davoodi Ali
Published: September 2018

Nowadays, corrosion evaluation of steel embedded in reinforced concrete (RC) plays an important role in repair, protection and maintenance of RC structures. Air‐entraining agent (AEA) and microsilica (MS) are among the most important admixtures, which affect the corrosion rate (CR) of RC. Specifically, 12 mix designs incorporating different contents of AEA (ie, 0, 0.7, 1.4, 2.1, 2.9, and 3.6% by weight), half with 10% MS, were constructed. The corrosion behavior of RC specimens after exposure to 3.5% NaCl environment was investigated using half‐cell potential (HCP) and electrical resistance (ER) as conventional tests and Tafel polarization as a more powerful corrosion test. Moreover, an optimization process was conducted on the mix design parameters using Taguchi and Factorial methods to analyze the effective factors and sensitivity of CR to each factor. The results of Tafel test indicate that they are noticeably more reliable and reasonable as compared to HCP and ER tests. Moreover, the results show that incorporating a low content of AEA (up to 0.7%) effectively improves the corrosion behavior of RC specimens, while the mix design containing 0.7% AEA together with 10% MS is the optimal design in terms of a decreased CR. The results also show that Factorial is a more applicable method in the field of corrosion evaluation of RC, due to the yield of more accurate findings as compared to Taguchi.
Drug Design Concepts for LSD1‐Selective Inhibitors
Authors: Ota Yosuke , Suzuki Takayoshi
Published: September 2018

Lysine‐specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is one of the flavin‐dependent oxidases and is involved in many cellular processes by controlling the methylation of histone H3. Recently, it has been reported that LSD1 is associated with several diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorders, and psychiatric diseases. Thus, LSD1 is an attractive molecular target for the treatment of these diseases, and its inhibitors are predicted as therapeutic agents. Although a variety of LSD1 inhibitors have been reported to date, many of them show insufficient activities and selectivity toward LSD1. Meanwhile, we identified several LSD1‐selective inhibitors using target‐guided synthesis strategies based on our original ideas. Our LSD1 inhibitors show not only potent LSD1‐selective inhibitory activities, but also unique bioactivities both in vitro and in vivo. This account highlights our drug design concepts for and identification of LSD1‐selective inhibitors.
Role of fetal intertwin difference in middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity in predicting neonatal twin anemia–polycythemia sequence
Authors: Tavares de Sousa M. , Fonseca A. , Hecher K.
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To evaluate the relationship between the fetal intertwin difference in middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA‐PSV) and intertwin difference in hemoglobin (Hb) concentration at birth in monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies in order to assess its potential role in the prediction of twin anemia–polycythemia sequence (TAPS).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study of MCDA twin pregnancies delivered between January 2012 and January 2018. All pregnancies with measurements of MCA‐PSV within 7 days prior to delivery and in which neonatal Hb concentration was available were included. The correlation between fetal intertwin difference in MCA‐PSV, expressed in multiples of the median (MoM), and neonatal intertwin difference in Hb concentration was investigated. Receiver–operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the performance of fetal intertwin difference in MCA‐PSV for predicting intertwin difference in Hb > 90th centile at birth.

Results

A total of 154 out of 256 MC twin pregnancies fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Fetal intertwin difference in MCA‐PSV MoM correlated positively with neonatal intertwin difference in Hb concentration (r = 0.79; P < 0.001). The 90th centile for intertwin difference in Hb was 7.25 g/dL. There were 15 (9.7%) cases with a Hb difference ≥ 7.25 g/dL at birth. ROC curve analysis showed a high accuracy of fetal intertwin MCA‐PSV MoM difference for the prediction of neonatal intertwin Hb difference ≥ 7.25 g/dL at birth (area under the ROC curve, 0.976 (95% CI, 0.935–0.993); P = 0.012). The optimal cut‐off for intertwin MCA‐PSV MoM difference was 0.373, with a sensitivity of 93.3% (95% CI, 68.1–99.8%) and a specificity of 95.7% (95% CI, 90.8–98.4%). The positive predictive value was 70% (95% CI, 45.7–88.1%) and the negative predictive value was 99.3% (95% CI, 95.9–100%).

Conclusion

Our findings show that fetal intertwin MCA‐PSV MoM difference is a good predictor of neonatal intertwin Hb concentration difference > 90th centile and potentially of TAPS. Copyright © 2018 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
One Cannot Promote Free Movement of EU Citizens and Restrict Their Political Participation
Authors: Kostakopoulou Dora
Published: September 2018

The EU legal norms should reflect social practices and EU citizens’ lived encounters. National electoral participation should therefore be made available to all those EU citizens who are emmeshed in the member states of their residence and have been sharing their burdens without complaint for so many years.
Mobile Union Citizens Should Have Portable Voting Rights Within the EU
Authors: Barbulescu Roxana
Published: September 2018

When it comes to the problem of disenfranchisement of mobile EU citizens, naturalisation solves too little too late. Because of the specificity of the situation of EU citizens, alternative ways of political inclusion are preferable to naturalisation. I propose an argument for portable political rights for mobile EU citizens.
Concluding Remarks: Righting Democratic Wrongs
Authors: Cayla Philippe , Seth Catriona
Published: September 2018

The different cases made in this debate for or against our ECI have only strengthened our resolve. There is broad consensus that the current situation is untenable. Let us do all we can to right democratic wrongs and endow European citizens with voting rights wherever they choose to reside in the EU.
Freedom of Movement Needs to Be Defended as the Core of EU Citizenship
Authors: De Witte Floris
Published: September 2018

Freedom of movement is under attack politically, legally, and conceptually. There is more than one reason to defend it. I argue that EU citizenship should be primarily about free movement as it (a) emancipates the individual from the nation state; (b) it serves to recalibrate questions of justice and democracy in a more appropriate manner; and (c) it lacks the ties to a homogenous political ‘community of fate’ that perpetuate significant exclusionary practices.
EU-Citizens Should Have the Right to Vote in National Elections
Authors: Cayla Philippe , Seth Catriona
Published: September 2018

Should being European in Europe not entitle you to have a say in the way the part of Europe in which you live, work and pay taxes is governed? EU nationals have the right to vote in European and local elections, wherever they live within the EU. Should they not also be entitled to vote in national elections even if they reside in an EU nation other than their home country?
Free Movement as a Means of Subject-Formation: Defending a More Relational Approach to EU Citizenship
Authors: Neuvonen Päivi Johanna
Published: September 2018

Should EU citizenship ‘be primarily about free movement’? According to Floris de Witte, free movement as the core of EU citizenship can contribute to emancipation, justice, and the distinction between the ‘nation’ and the ‘state’ within the EU. I share his view that these objectives ought to be important to European integration in general and to EU citizenship in particular. But I am not fully convinced that free movement as ‘the central thing that EU citizenship should be about’ will automatically result in more just and emancipated relations between EU citizens.
The New Cleavage Between Mobile and Immobile Europeans
Authors: Bauböck Rainer
Published: September 2018

Floris de Witte’s spirited defence of free movement focuses on EU integration through law. But there is something important missing in his story. The battle for freedom of movement and European integration is no longer fought primarily in the courts where individual rights trump majority preferences; it is increasingly fought in polling statioins, parliaments and the mass media. In order to survive, European integration through law will have to be complemented with integration through democracy, by winning the hearts and minds not only of mobile Europeans, but of immobile ones as well.
Whose Freedom of Movement Is Worth Defending?
Authors: Fine Sarah
Published: September 2018

As long as the EU continues to present refugees as a problem to be kept at bay, with repeated promises to strengthen its borders against unwanted arrivals, those of us who wish to defend freedom of movement as a core component of EU citizenship have to ask ourselves not just about Europe’s ‘immobile’ citizens who associate free movement with unpalatable costs, but about the people on the wrong side of the territorial and civic borders who are paying the ultimate price.
What to Say to Those Who Stay? Free Movement is a Human Right of Universal Value
Authors: Oberman Kieran
Published: September 2018

Free movement is under attack, both within Europe and at the frontier. How to defend it? In these comments, I show that there is no need for complex and controversial arguments regarding the superiority of a cosmopolitan identity. The best defence is simpler and, in one important sense, less controversial. We start with a set of basic liberties that are widely recognised and show how free movement is a prerequisite to their realisation. We also note something too often overlooked: freedom of movement is valuable for everyone, including those who never migrate.
Union Citizenship for UK Citizens
Authors: Morgan Glyn
Published: September 2018

With Brexit, UK citizens will lose freedom of movement, and Europeans resident in Britain will lose the protection afforded by Union citizenship. More worrying still, Brexit threatens to unravel the postwar achievements of European integration. The EU must act to ensure that Brexit is a failure. It can do this by crafty deployment of a carrot and stick strategy. The stick should come in the form of refusing the UK any privileged access to the Single Market without accepting freedom of movement. The carrot comes in the form of citizenship-based freedom of movement. One step in the right direction would be for the EU to move towards a form of Union citizenship unmediated by any prior national citizenship. Many UK citizens will jump at the opportunity.
‘Migrants’, ‘Mobile Citizens’ and the Borders of Exclusion in the European Union
Authors: Ruhs Martin
Published: September 2018

I argue that we need to connect debates about the ‘free movement’ of EU citizens with discussions about EU member states’ ‘immigration policies’ toward people from outside Europe. This is exactly the opposite approach to the one traditionally taken and advocated by the European Commission and many other European policy-makers who have insisted on a clear distinction between the ‘mobility’ of EU citizens on the one hand, and the ‘immigration’ of third-country nationals on the other. To develop my argument, I first outline some of the key differences between how ‘migrants’ and ‘mobile EU citizens’ are debated and regulated in the European Union. This is followed by a brief explanation of why I think the current distinctions may be considered problematic from both a moral and political perspective.
EU Citizenship, Free Movement and Emancipation: A Rejoinder
Authors: De Witte Floris
Published: September 2018

As was to be expected on a topic such as the relationship between free movement and Union citizenship, the discussion above has been both fruitful and wide-ranging, not in the least due to the decision of the British electorate to leave the EU that took place half-way through this EUDO forum debate (and that throws in doubt the rights of residence of Union citizens in the UK, as well as that of UK citizens in the EU). In my rejoinder I address three themes that transcend the various points of view expressed in our debate. Is my defence of Union citizenship as being primarily about free movement insufficiently sensitive to its exclusionary potential? Is my account precariously perched between nation state and cosmopolitanism? Does the link between free movement and citizenship that is central to my account make for a normatively and institutionally impoverished vision of justice?
The Impact and Political Accountability of EU Citizenship
Authors: Sindbjerg Martinsen Dorte
Published: September 2018

Maurizio Ferrera’s essay on how to take EU citizenship forward is an inspiring and welcome contribution to a heated, politicised debate. In my contribution I focus on the tension between the ‘small constituency of mobile citizens’ and those who stay. As researcher we need to engage in fact-finding missions. And there is empirical evidence that mobile EU citizens are net contributors to the public purse. There are still negative externalities of EU free movement that need to be confronted politically. The question then becomes: at what regulatory level and with which means? I suggest that some forms of differentiated integration in this respect may disturb the uniformity of EU rules, but could at the same time increase its domestic support.
Balancing the Rights of European Citizenship with Duties Towards National Citizens: An Inter-National Perspective
Authors: Bellamy Richard
Published: September 2018

Ferrera offers his proposal as a way of reconciling national citizens to the trans- and supra-national citizenship regime promoted by the EU. This chapter argues that his proposal is better seen as part of the EU’s inter-national regime, in which the national citizenship regimes of each of the member states are balanced against each other in order to adress the moral and functional challenges posed by interdependence in a globalising world.
Towards a ‘Holding Environment’ for Europe’s (Diverse) Social Citizenship Regimes
Authors: Hemerijck Anton
Published: September 2018

The postwar expansion of the national welfare state produced – as a by-product – a sense of national community on the basis of social citizenship rights. European integration, also taking shape over the period of postwar reconstruction, lacked the accompanying moral force of deepening European community integrity. More perversely, the operational logic of intensified market and currency integration from the 1980s on was intent to ensure that member states held their ‘wasteful’ welfare state in check through economic liberalization, monetarism and balanced budgets. The aftermath of Euro crisis (and Brexit) has exposed that the ‘permissive consensus’ of relegating social policy to the nation state and market and monetary discipline to the EU is past its prime. However, I doubt that adding substance to EU social citizenship is a viable strategy in times of resurgent nationalism. I am also not so sanguine that ‘adding stuff’ to EU citizenship would strengthen any sense of European community. Rather, I suggest a more assertive and transformative institutional role for the EU in backing and bolstering the problem-solving capacities of semi-sovereign national welfare states. The EU should transform its modus operandi from a ‘disciplining device’ to a ‘holding environment’ for national welfare states to prosper, making the EU a proud and tangible union of national welfare states.
Social Citizenship, Democratic Values and European Integration: A Rejoinder
Authors: Ferrera Maurizio
Published: September 2018

This Forum debate has gone way beyond my expectations and hopes. I thought that commentators would mainly address my proposals on enhancing rights and introducing duties. The conversation has instead extended to my diagnosis as well, to the rationale which lies at the basis of my prescriptive ideas. By focusing on starting points, the forum has thus brought into light different perspectives and styles of reasoning around citizenship and even broader political questions. With hindsight, I should have spelled out more carefully my basic assumptions. But there is time to remedy this now – and not just for the sake of this particular discussion. I am in fact convinced that a closer and more systematic dialogue between empirical, normative, legal and social theorists would be a welcome and beneficial innovation, a way to contrast excessive disciplinary perspectivism and the related risks of analytical lock-ins.
Testing the Bonds of Solidarity in Europe’s Common Citizenship Area
Authors: Shaw Jo
Published: September 2018

The European Citizens’ Initiative proposing the extension of voting rights for resident non-national EU citizens to all elections in the host state is an important and timely initiative. The EU struggles with the challenges posed by the question of ‘who should vote in which election where’ because it is nestled somewhere between the ‘truly’ federalised polity and the ‘purely’ intergovernmental association. The creation of EU citizenship and the remodelling of the treaties according to the ‘Lisbon’ schema do not provide a definitive normative answer to the question of how voting rights should be organised within this mixed polity in which the states remain significant actors. At the same time clearly the practical consequences of the exercise of free movement demand some sort of response – from the EU institutions and from the member states – to the ‘democratic wrong’ (as Owen puts it) that arises because many of those who exercise their right to free movement end up, in one way or another, being disenfranchised in relation to all of the elections not covered by Article 22 TFEU, unless they choose the often costly and cumbersome route of acquiring the citizenship of the host state or are lucky enough to have the citizenship of one of the member states which impose no conditions upon the exercise of external voting rights.
Summary: Global, European and National Questions About the Price of Citizenship
Authors: Bauböck Rainer
Published: September 2018

The forum debate ‘Should citizenship be for Sale?’ collected comments representing a wide range of views and some highly original arguments. They can be summarised by distinguishing global, European and national perspectives.
If You Do not Like Selling Passports, Give Them for Free to Those Who Deserve Them
Authors: Paskalev Vesco
Published: September 2018

While it is difficult to disagree with most of the arguments against monetisation of citizenship, in my view they all aim at the wrong target. It is not the sale of citizenship per se which violates principles of justice and democracy; it is the existing international system of inclusion and exclusion of third country nationals which is deeply skewed and denigrates the value of citizenship. A condition under which anyone would give huge amounts of money for a travel document is deeply troubling. It is not membership but mobility which is at issue.
Retain Ius Sanguinis, but Don’t Take it Literally!
Authors: Ersbøll Eva
Published: September 2018

Costica Dumbrava has raised an important question about whether to abandon ius sanguinis citizenship. His arguments are that ius sanguinis is historically tainted and unfit to deal with contemporary issues such as developments in reproductive technologies and changes in family practices and norms. He also claims that ius sanguinis is normatively unnecessary, as it is possible to deliver its advantages by other means. In my response I argue that – from a human rights perspective – children need their parents’ citizenship – or rather, the citizenship of their primary caretakers, be they biological parents or not. Consequently, although I concur with the argument that ius sanguinis, if taken literally, is unfit to deal with some new family arrangements, I do not endorse the viewpoint that it is time to abandon ius sanguinis. Rather, ius sanguinis should be translated into ius filiationis by entitling children to their social parents’ citizenship. In order to achieve mutual understanding about this, states should engage in international cooperation with a view to adopting common guidelines on the recognition of the legal parent-child relationship –as happens already with regard to adoption.
It’s Not About Their Citizenship, it’s About Ours
Authors: Paskalev Vesco
Published: September 2018

Today’s rush to strip terrorist suspects of their citizenship should arouse suspicion. One is easily tempted to think that we are living in extraordinarily dangerous times, which warrant a return to what the US Supreme Court considered to be ‘cruel punishment’ half a century ago. Yet as a matter of statistics, and despite our contrary impressions, violence of all kinds in the world is actually declining. On the other hand, the capacity of law enforcement agencies for surveillance and control, especially in the OECD countries, has increased dramatically, so the return to practices which have long been abandoned is difficult to justify. This is not to say that that citizenship is a sacred cow and any return to abandoned practices is excluded by some historic laws of human progress. But it does follow that the proponents of banishment must provide a more subtle justification than we have seen so far.
You Can’t Lose What You Haven’t Got:Citizenship Acquisition and Loss in Africa
Authors: Manby Bronwen
Published: September 2018

This chapter outlines the legal provisions on loss and deprivation of nationality in Africa, and the way in which they are implemented in practice. It highlights differences from the European and North American context for most discussion around nationality deprivation on security grounds.
Beware States Piercing Holes into Citizenship
Authors: Gibney Matthew J.
Published: September 2018

It is possible to imagine carefully fashioned cases where denationalisation seems a morally appropriate response as long as a range of guarantees are met. However, while this realisation might help us identify the terms on which the denationalisation of a particular individual is permissible, it tells us little about the broader consequences of piercing the norm of unconditional citizenship for punitive reasons. Once we are realistic about the political dangers of conceding to the state powers to withdraw citizenship, we’re brought back to a position compatible with Audrey Macklin’s ban on denationalisation.
Deprivation of Citizenship: Is There an Issue of EU Law?
Authors: Shaw Jo
Published: September 2018

The purpose of this short intervention in the debate on The Return of Banishment initiated by Audrey Macklin, where the pros and cons of various forms of deprivation policies pursued by, or sought by, liberal states have been fully debated, is to add an element of EU law. Specifically, in the light of the judgments of the European Court of Justice in Rottmann and Ruiz Zambrano, how – if at all – are Member States’ laws and procedures on involuntary loss of citizenship affected by EU law, given that the primary competence to determine the rules on the acquisition and loss of citizenship remains with Member States?
The Separation of Territory and State: a Digital French Revolution?
Authors: Al Tamimi Yussef
Published: September 2018

The contributions on cloud communities and citizenship in this blog raise both hopes and fears. The reality of an idea initially as outlandish as citizens of a digital cloud is materialising as we ponder and debate its practices. Political theory and the law must attempt to keep up with these rapidly changing circumstances. This comment raises some questions regarding three assumptions in this debate: (1) Cloud states have no territory; (2) Cloud states cannot exert violence; (3) Cloud state membership is based on choice.
D-type fiber-base duality
Authors: Haghighat Babak , Kim Joonho , Yan Wenbin , Yau Shing-Tung
Published: September 2018

Abstract

M5 branes probing D-type singularities give rise to 6d (1,0) SCFTs with SO × SO flavor symmetry known as D-type conformal matter theories. Gauging the diagonal SO-flavor symmetry leads to a little string theory with an intrinsic scale which can be engineered in F-theory by compactifying on a doubly-elliptic Calabi-Yau manifold. We derive Seiberg-Witten curves for these little string theories which can be interpreted as mirror curves for the corresponding Calabi-Yau manifolds. Under fiber-base duality these models are mapped to D-type quiver gauge theories and we check that their Seiberg-Witten curves match. By taking decompactification limits, we construct the curves for the related 6d SCFTs and connect to known results in the literature by further taking 5d and 4d limits.