bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Maternal Obesity and Breastfeeding on Infant Appetite- and Growth-Related Hormone Concentrations: The SKOT Cohort Studies
Authors: Larnkjær Anni , Ong Ken K. , Carlsen Emma M. , Ejlerskov Katrine T. , Mølgaard Christian , Michaelsen Kim F.
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: Exposure to obesity during pregnancy may lead to adverse changes in the offspring’s metabolic profile. We compared appetite- and growth-related hormones in a cohort of infants born to obese mothers (SKOT-II) with infants born mainly to nonobese mothers (SKOT-I). Methods: Infants from SKOT-I (n = 273) and SKOT-II (n = 132) were examined including anthropometric measurements and blood samples analyzed for glucose, insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), adiponectin, and leptin. Information on breastfeeding and parental characteristics were also collected. Results: At 9 months of age, SKOT-II infants were 3.6% heavier and 1.2% longer than SKOT-I infants even though their mothers were shorter. There was no difference in body mass index (BMI). SKOT-II infants had higher levels of insulin, adiponectin, and leptin but lower levels of IGF-I compared to SKOT-I infants (all p ≤ 0.015). These differences remained, except for leptin, when adjusted for current weight. Breastfeeding versus nonbreastfeeding at 9 months was associated with lower concentrations of all hormones (all p ≤ 0.003). In adjusted models, maternal BMI at 9 months was positively associated with insulin and adiponectin and negatively with IGF-I. Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy obesity confers symmetrically larger infant body size and higher levels of most growth- and appetite-related hormones but surprisingly lower levels of IGF-I, suggesting other possible infant growth-promoting effects through insulin.
Rationale and Design of a Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial Assessing the Renoprotective Effects of Potassium Supplementation in Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Gritter Martin , Vogt Liffert , Yeung Stanley M.H. , Wouda Rosa D. , Ramakers Christian R.B. , de Borst Martin H. , Rotmans Joris I. , Hoorn Ewout J.
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: Dietary potassium (K+) has beneficial effects on blood pressure and cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. Recently, several epidemiological studies have revealed an association between urinary K+ excretion (as proxy for dietary intake) and better renal outcomes in subjects with chronic kidney disease (CKD). To address causality, we designed the “K+ in CKD” study. Methods: The K+ in CKD study is a multicenter, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial aiming to include 399 patients with hypertension, CKD stage 3b or 4 (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR] 15–44 mL/min/1.73 m2), and an average eGFR decline > 2 mL/min/1.73 m2/year. As safety measure, all included subjects will start with a 2-week open-label phase of 40 mmol potassium chloride daily. Patients who do not subsequently develop hyperkalemia (defined as serum K+ >5.5 mmol/L) will be randomized to receive potassium chloride, potassium citrate (both K+ 40 mmol/day), or placebo for 2 years. The primary end point is the difference in eGFR after 2 years of treatment. Secondary end points include other renal outcomes (> 30% decrease in eGFR, doubling of serum creatinine, end-stage renal disease, albuminuria), ambulatory blood pressure, CV events, all-cause mortality, and incidence of hyperkalemia. Several measurements will be performed to analyze the effects of potassium supplementation, including body composition monitoring, pulse wave velocity, plasma renin and aldosterone concentrations, urinary ammonium, and intracellular K+ concentrations. Conclusion: The K+ in CKD study will demonstrate if K+ sup­plementation has a renoprotective effect in progressive CKD, and whether alkali therapy has additional beneficial effects.
The Microbiome and Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Rabb Hamid , Pluznick Jennifer , Noel Sanjeev
Published: June 2018

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a major clinical problem in native and transplanted kidneys. Bidirectional interaction between gut microbiota and kidney tissue or the “colo-renal” system is being recognized as an important modulating factor in AKI. Gut microbes appear to have a complex but yet poorly understood communication with renal cellular and molecular processes that affect normal kidney function and response to injury. There have been major recent advances in the study of the microbiome that provide an opportunity to apply this knowledge to improve our understanding and treatment of patients with AKI. This mini-review aims to focus on select general concepts about the microbiome, mechanisms by which the microbiome can modify kidney function, and data on microbiome and AKI. We have briefly touched on a few topics rather than comprehensively reviewing the role of microbiome in kidney diseases. We also propose future gut microbiota-AKI studies based on advances in gut microbiota studies in other human diseases and experimental models.
Verbascoside Inhibits Glioblastoma Cell Proliferation, Migration and Invasion While Promoting Apoptosis Through Upregulation of Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP-1 and Inhibition of STAT3 Phosphorylation
Authors: Jia Wei-Qiang , Wang Zhao-Tao , Zou Ming-Ming , Lin Jian-Hao , Li Ye-Hai , Zhang Liang , Xu Ru-Xiang
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: As a natural antioxidant, verbascoside (VB) is proved to be a promising method for the treatment of oxidative-stress-related neurodegenerative diseases. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of VB on glioblastoma cell proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion as well as the mechanism involving signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and Src homology 2 domain-containing protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 (SHP-1). Methods: U87 cells were assigned to different treatments. The MTT assay was used to test cell proliferation, flow cytometry was used to detect cell apoptosis, and a Transwell assay was used for cell migration and invasion. We analyzed the glioblastoma tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Western blot analysis was employed to determine the protein expression of related genes. Results: Glioblastoma cells exhibited decreased cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and increased apoptosis when treated with VB or TMZ. Western blot analysis revealed elevated SHP-1 expression and reduced phosphorylated (p)-STAT3 expression in glioblastoma cells treated with VB compared with controls. Correspondingly, in a xenograft mouse model treated with VB, glioblastoma tumor volume and growth were decreased. Glioblastoma xenograft tumors treated with VB showed elevated SHP-1, Bax, cleaved caspase-3, and cleaved PARP expression and reduced p-STAT3, Bcl-2, survivin, MMP-2, and MMP-9 expression. siRNA-SHP-1 inhibited the VB effects on glioblastoma. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that VB inhibits glioblastoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion while promoting apoptosis via SHP-1 activation and inhibition of STAT3 phosphorylation.
A Natural Occurring Mouse Model with Adgrv1 Mutation of Usher Syndrome 2C and Characterization of its Recombinant Inbred Strains
Authors: Yan Weiming , Long Pan , Chen Tao , Liu Wei , Yao Lu , Ren Ze , Li Xiangqian , Wang Jiancong , Xue Junhui , Tao Ye , Zhang Lei , Zhang Zuoming
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: Our laboratory discovered a Kunming mouse with enormous electroretinogram (ERG) defects. Its auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold was significantly elevated and closely resembled the features of Usher syndrome (USH). This study sought to cross these USH-like mice (named KMush/ush mice) with CBA/CaJ mice to establish recombinant inbred strains and identify their phenotypes and genotypes. Methods: KMush/ush mice were crossed with CBA/CaJ mice to establish inbred strains by sibling mating. ERG, ABR, ocular fundus morphology, histological examinations of the retina and inner ear, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, western blotting, and exon sequencing were performed to assess the phenotypes and genotypes of the offspring strains. Results: The F1 hybrids from crossing KMush/ush and CBA/CaJ mice had normal ERG and ABR responses. The F2 offspring from intercrossing the F1 mice showed a segregation of the retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and hearing loss phenotypes. The CBA-1ush/ush mice had an RP phenotype that was characterized by a vanished ERG waveform and loss of the outer nuclear layer. Their Pde6b gene had a nonsense mutation that resulted in the failure of protein production in western blotting. However, the ABR threshold of this strain of mice was normal. The CBA-2ush/ush mice had normal retinal function and architecture. Their ABR threshold was increased, with a dramatic degeneration of the stereocilia bundles in the outer hair cells of the inner ear. Whole exome sequencing and exon sequencing revealed a deletion of one base pair in exon 31 of the Adgrv1 gene, which would result in the premature termination of protein encoding. The level of Adgrv1 mRNA was reduced in the CBA-2ush/ush mice. The CBA-3ush/ush mice had phenotypes of RP, elevated ABR threshold, and degeneration of the stereocilia bundles in the outer hair cells. They were closely associated with the nonsense mutations of Pde6b and Adgrv1, respectively. Conclusion: We isolated a mouse strain with hearing loss from inbred mice with retinal degeneration and established it as a recombinant inbred strain with a spontaneous mutation in Adgrv1, the human Usher syndrome 2C gene. The retinal degeneration was cause by a mutation in Pde6b, while the hearing loss was caused by a mutation in Adgrv1.
PLAUR Confers Resistance to Gefitinib Through EGFR/P-AKT/Survivin Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhou Jian , Kwak Kwang Joo , Wu Zuoren , Yang Dawei , Li Jing , Chang Meijia , Song Yuanlin , Zeng Hengshan , Lee L. James , Hu Jie , Bai Chunxue
Published: June 2018

Background/Aims: Tyrosine kinase inhibitor gefitinib significantly improves the survival of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by inhibiting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase. However, patients eventually develop resistance to gefitinib through uncharacterized mechanisms. It is known that plasminogen activator urokinase receptor (PLAUR) plays an important role in cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis. However, the role of PLAUR, particularly exosomal PLAUR in gefitinib resistance in NSCLC has not been reported. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between PLAUR and gefitinib resistance. Methods: In this study, a tethered cationic lipoplex nanoparticle (TCLN) biochip containing molecular beacons was used as probes to detect PLAUR mRNA in plasma exosomes from patients with gefitinib-sensitive and -resistant NSCLC. In vitro, Real-time PCR was used to examine the expression of PLAUR mRNA and Western blot was applied to examine the expression of related proteins. The gene knockdown was achieved by Lentivirus based RNA silence technique. The cell counting kit-8 assay and EdU incorporation were used to examine cell proliferation. The flow cytometry was applied to determine cell apoptosis and cell cycle, while the mitochondrial membrane potential was measured by JC-1 dye assay. Signaling pathway affected by PLAUR knockdown was identified by cDNA Microarray. The effect of PLAUR knockdown on tumorigenesis was analyzed in vivo. Results: We found that the exosomal PLAUR mRNA in the plasma of gefitinib-resistant NSCLC patients was significantly increased compared to that of gefitinib-sensitive NSCLC patients. The PLAUR mRNA and soluble PLAUR protein were also significantly increased in gefitinib-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma PC9R cells compared to gefitinib-sensitive PC9 cells. Silencing PLAUR in PC9R cells impaired mitochondrial membrane potential and increased cell apoptosis via EGFR/p-AKT/survivin signaling pathway. Furthermore, EGFR was upregulated in the geftinib-resistant PC9R cells, and knockdown of EGFR significantly increased cell apoptosis. Conclusions: Taken together, our results demonstrated that PLAUR induces geftinib-resistance through EGFR/p-AKT/survivin signaling pathway in gefitinib-resistant human lung adenocarcinoma cells. PLAUR could be a novel therapeutic target for gefitinib-resistant NSCLC patients.
Reappraisal of Reported Genes for Sudden Arrhythmic Death
Authors: Hosseini S. Mohsen , Kim Raymond , Udupa Sharmila , Costain Gregory , Jobling Rebekah , Liston Eriskay , Jamal Seema M. , Szybowska Marta , Morel Chantal F. , Bowdin Sarah , Garcia John , Care Melanie , Sturm Amy C. , Novelli Valeria , Ackerman Michael J. , Ware James S. , Hershberger Ray E. , Wilde Arthur A.M. , Gollob Michael H. ,   On behalf of the National Institutes of Health Clinical Genome Resource Consortium
Published: June 2018

Background:

Implicit in the genetic evaluation of patients with suspected genetic diseases is the assumption that the genes evaluated are causative for the disease based on robust scientific and statistical evidence. However, in the past 20 years, considerable variability has existed in the study design and quality of evidence supporting reported gene-disease associations, raising concerns of the validity of many published disease-causing genes. Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an arrhythmia syndrome with a risk of sudden death. More than 20 genes have been reported to cause BrS and are assessed routinely on genetic testing panels in the absence of a systematic, evidence-based evaluation of the evidence supporting the causality of these genes.

Methods:

We evaluated the clinical validity of genes tested by diagnostic laboratories for BrS by assembling 3 gene curation teams. Using an evidence-based semiquantitative scoring system of genetic and experimental evidence for gene-disease associations, curation teams independently classified genes as demonstrating limited, moderate, strong, or definitive evidence for disease causation in BrS. The classification of curator teams was reviewed by a clinical domain expert panel that could modify the classifications based on their independent review and consensus.

Results:

Of 21 genes curated for clinical validity, biocurators classified only 1 gene (
SCN5A
) as definitive evidence, whereas all other genes were classified as limited evidence. After comprehensive review by the clinical domain Expert panel, all 20 genes classified as limited evidence were reclassified as disputed with regard to any assertions of disease causality for BrS.

Conclusions:

Our results contest the clinical validity of all but 1 gene clinically tested and reported to be associated with BrS. These findings warrant a systematic, evidence-based evaluation for reported gene-disease associations before use in patient care.
Predominant Role of Nuclear Versus Membrane Estrogen Receptor α in Arterial Protection: Implications for Estrogen Receptor α Modulation in Cardiovascular Prevention/Safety
Authors: Guivarc'h Emmanuel , Buscato Mélissa , Guihot Anne‐Laure , Favre Julie , Vessières Emilie , Grimaud Linda , Wakim Jamal , Melhem Nada‐Joe , Zahreddine Rana , Adlanmerini Marine , Loufrani Laurent , Knauf Claude , Katzenellenbogen John A. , Katzenellenbogen Benita S. , Foidart Jean‐Michel , Gourdy Pierre , Lenfant Françoise , Arnal Jean‐François , Henrion Daniel , Fontaine Coralie
Published: June 2018

Background

Although estrogen receptor α (
ER
α) acts primarily as a transcription factor, it can also elicit membrane‐initiated steroid signaling. Pharmacological tools and transgenic mouse models previously highlighted the key role of
ER
α membrane‐initiated steroid signaling in 2 actions of estrogens in the endothelium: increase in
NO
production and acceleration of reendothelialization.

Methods and Results

Using mice with
ER
α mutated at cysteine 451 (ERaC451A), recognized as the key palmitoylation site required for
ER
α plasma membrane location, and mice with disruption of nuclear actions because of inactivation of activation function 2 (ERaAF20 = ERaAF2°), we sought to fully characterize the respective roles of nuclear
versus
membrane‐initiated steroid signaling in the arterial protection conferred by
ER
α. ERaC451A mice were fully responsive to estrogens to prevent atheroma and angiotensin
II
–induced hypertension as well as to allow flow‐mediated arteriolar remodeling. By contrast,
ER
α
AF
20 mice were unresponsive to estrogens for these beneficial vascular effects. Accordingly, selective activation of nuclear
ER
α with estetrol was able to prevent hypertension and to restore flow‐mediated arteriolar remodeling.

Conclusions

Altogether, these results reveal an unexpected prominent role of nuclear
ER
α in the vasculoprotective action of estrogens with major implications in medicine, particularly for selective nuclear
ER
α agonist, such as estetrol, which is currently under development as a new oral contraceptive and for hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women.
Bioimpedance and New‐Onset Heart Failure: A Longitudinal Study of >500 000 Individuals From the General Population
Authors: Lindholm Daniel , Fukaya Eri , Leeper Nicholas J. , Ingelsson Erik
Published: June 2018

Background

Heart failure constitutes a high burden on patients and society, but although lifetime risk is high, it is difficult to predict without costly or invasive testing. We aimed to establish new risk factors of heart failure, which potentially could enable early diagnosis and preemptive treatment.

Methods and Results

We applied machine learning in
the UK
Biobank in an agnostic search of risk factors for heart failure in 500 451 individuals, excluding individuals with prior heart failure. Novel factors were then subjected to several in‐depth analyses, including multivariable Cox models of incident heart failure, and assessment of discrimination and calibration. Machine learning confirmed many known and putative risk factors for heart failure and identified several novel candidates. Mean reticulocyte volume appeared as one novel factor and leg bioimpedance another, the latter appearing as the most important new marker. Leg bioimpedance was lower in those who developed heart failure during an up to 9.8‐year follow‐up. When adjusting for known heart failure risk factors, leg bioimpedance was inversely related to heart failure (hazard ratio [95%
confidence interval
], 0.60 [0.48–0.73] and 0.75 [0.59–0.94], in age‐ and sex‐adjusted and fully adjusted models, respectively, comparing the upper versus lower quartile). A model including leg bioimpedance, age, sex, and self‐reported history of myocardial infarction showed good discrimination for future heart failure hospitalization (Concordance index [C‐index]=0.82) and good calibration.

Conclusions

Leg bioimpedance is inversely associated with heart failure incidence in the general population. A simple model of exclusively noninvasive measures, combining leg bioimpedance with history of myocardial infarction, age, and sex provides accurate predictive capacity.
A Call for a Permissible Plurality Within Theory-Building in a Time of Excess
Authors: Hermann Adrian
Published: June 2018

Theory in a Time of Excess(Equinox 2017) serves as a useful starting point to argue for a plural understanding of theory in the study of religion. While the existing conversation often implies that there is only one acceptable way of theorizing, it seems useful to distinguish between (at least) three understandings of theory—and a fourth potentially “illegitimate” one. These four forms (discourse theories, creative theories, scientific theories, and essentialist theories) are all present in the volume. Different theoretical approaches can learn from each other and expose their respective blind spots, which is the main reason to further a meta-theoretical debate about a permissible plurality within theory-building. Rather than a call to “just get along” under one big tent, this critical attitude implies that we should strive to better profile all four of these forms of theorizing in order to discuss their potential place in our discipline.
Foundlings in the Greco-Roman world: Status and the (im)possibility of adoption
Authors: Kacprzak Agnieszka , Nowak Maria
Published: June 2018

The present article offers a commentary on two passages from the Gnomon of idios logos: § 41 (BGU V 1210, ll. 115-116), which pertains to a quarter of the inheritance left by an Egyptian who adopted a child picked up from a dump-hill, and § 107 (BGU V 1210, ll. 238-239), which repeats the same rule with regard to everyone, regardless of their civic status. The following problems are subject to our investigation: 1) Which specific type of adoption was expressed by the verb υἱοποιέομαι in § 41? 2) Why does the adoption of foundlings not appear in documentary sources? 3) What was the scope of the cited provisions? The article offers a survey of the legal status of exposed children and (im)possibilities of their adoption in law and legal practices in Roman, Greek and Egyptian sources.
The scholastics on negotiatio and the just price: medieval and early modern ideas in Theologians and contract law
Authors: Bukała Marcin W.
Published: June 2018

The aim of the article is to highlight some crucial aspects of the just price concept and the differences between the medieval foundations and the late scholastic views on the topic. The paper refers especially to Wim Decock’s discourses on the ideas of ‘fairness in exchange’ in the book Theologians and contract law, The moral transformation of the ius commune (ca. 1500-1650) (Leiden 2013). The discussion concerns chiefly such issues as: role of Thomas Aquinas’s concepts (1), value in economic exchange (2), relativity in exchange (3), the distinction between furtum and turpe lucrum (4), changing views on the common good in the scholastic ethics of economic life, e.g. in the discussion of ‘Merchant of Rhodes’ casus (5).
New synonyms and national records for Lejeunea (Lejeuneaceae, Marchantiophyta) in Tropical America
Authors: REINER–DREHWALD MARIA ELENA , SCHÄFER–VERWIMP ALFONS , ILKIU–BORGES ANNA LUIZA
Published: June 2018

New synonyms, morphological characterizations and national records for three neotropical Lejeunea species, including comments on distribution and ecology, are presented. Lejeunea cristulata (Steph.) M.E.Reiner & Goda (= L. resupinata [Steph.] Steph., syn. nov.) is newly recorded for Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia. Lejeunea diversicuspis Spruce (= L. megalantha Spruce, syn. nov.; = L. erostrata M.E.Reiner & Goda, syn. nov.) is until now only known from type materials collected by Richard Spruce at the Rio Negro and is new to Venezuela. Lejeunea laeta (Lehm. & Lindenb.) Lehm. & Lindenb. (= Lejeunea diversistipa Lindenb. & Gottsche, syn. nov.) is newly recorded for Venezuela, Peru and Bolivia, and is newly lectotypified. A list of new names in Lejeunea published since the appearance of the World Checklist of Hornworts and Liverworts is presented.
Guidelines on statistics for researchers using laboratory animals: the essentials
Authors: Gosselin Romain-Daniel
Published: June 2018

There is growing concern that the omnipresence of flawed statistics and the deficient reproducibility that arises therefrom results in an unethical waste of animals in research. The present review aims at providing guidelines in biostatistics for researchers, based on observed frequent mistakes, misuses and misconceptions as well as on the specificities of animal experimentation. Twelve recommendations are formulated that cover sampling, sample size optimisation, choice of statistical tests, understanding p-values and reporting results. The objective is to expose important statistical issues that one should consider for the correct design, execution and reporting of experiments.
Regulating NGO funding: securitizing the political
Authors: Watson Scott , Burles Regan
Published: June 2018

Securitization theory (ST) has succeeded in putting the relation between politics and security at the forefront of research in security studies. Despite this success, little attention has been given to the way states themselves produce the boundaries of legitimate political activity, particularly in relation to the boundaries between civil society and the state and between the foreign and domestic. This article is concerned with how states see the boundary between the political and the non-political as a matter of security. It investigates this question by examining the international and national efforts to restrict the financing of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society actors. It demonstrates that these entities are deemed threatening to the established boundaries of legitimate political activity and thus subject to harassment, increased regulation, and eradication. This is done by the depiction of their activities as political, rather than humanitarian/cultural/social, demonstrating that the concepts of politics operative in the ST literature are already delimited through processes of securitization and depoliticization. Continued research into the relation between politics and security must therefore consider the ways that the political itself is securitized.
Cultural Capital at Work: How Cognitive and Noncognitive Skills Are Taught, Trained, and Rewarded in a Chinese Technical College
Authors: Hora Matthew T. , Blackburn Cohen Chelsea A.
Published: June 2018

Purpose: Community and technical college student employability is a pressing concern in the United States and China. Policy makers focus on developing students’ human capital in the form of credentials and cognitive skills. However, the focus on completion overlooks the role that noncognitive skills and contextual factors may play in student employability. Method: In this exploratory study, conducted among educators and employers in the manufacturing and biotechnology fields in a large eastern Chinese city, we use a cultural capital framework to address the following questions: (a) What forms of cultural capital are valued by educators and employers? (b) How are these forms of capital being cultivated in the classroom? (c) How do considerations of cultural capital influence hiring and workplace training? and (d) What contextual factors influence these phenomena? Inductive thematic analyses of interviews, classroom observation, and notes from factory tours with eight educators and two employers were completed. Results: This study revealed a shared view that both cognitive and noncognitive skills are essential. Results also reveal a cultural predisposition within Chinese classrooms to lecturing but also a growing use of active learning techniques, a commitment to general education, the importance of “cultural fit” during the hiring process, and job quality and the cultural devaluation of the skilled trades as salient contextual factors. Conclusion: Implications for research, policy, and practice are considered, particularly the need for all students to acquire both cognitive and noncognitive skills as well as a more nuanced and culturally informed perspective on student employability.
Low-molecular-weight styrene–butadiene copolymers (L-SSBR) as processing aids used for silica-filled rubber: Synthesis, functionalization and application
Authors: Robak Barbara , Rogoża Jarosław , Łapkowski Mieczysław
Published: June 2018

Three different types of low-molecular-weight solution styrene-butadiene rubbers (L-SSBRs) were synthesized by anionic polymerization. Two of them were end-capped with methoxy (M-L-SSBR) and ethoxy (E-L-SSBR) functional groups, respectively, while the other was terminated with alcohol (L-SSBR). The content of functional groups was estimated on the basis of gel permeation chromatography and proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. The influence of L-SSBR on the properties of silica-filled SSBR as an alternative for the plasticizing oil was investigated in tyre tread formulation. L-SSBRs of high vinyl content were used in place of part of oil for preparation of compound K1 enriched with linear (L-SSBR) and compound K2 and K3 enriched with two star-like liquid rubbers modified, respectively, with methoxy (M-L-SSBR) and ethoxy (E-L-SSBR) functional groups. Although particular attention was paid to the effect of polar groups on the silica dispersions, cure characteristic, compound viscosity and mechanical properties were also analyzed. Rubber with only treated distillate aromatic extract was used (K5) as the reference.
A Posterior Predictive Model Checking Method Assuming Posterior Normality for Item Response Theory
Authors: Kuhfeld Megan
Published: June 2018

This study investigated the violation of local independence assumptions within unidimensional item response theory (IRT) models. Bayesian posterior predictive model checking (PPMC) methods are increasingly being used to investigate multidimensionality in IRT models. The current work proposes a PPMC method for evaluating local dependence in IRT models that are estimated using full-information maximum likelihood. The proposed approach, which was termed as “PPMC assuming posterior normality” (PPMC-N), provides a straightforward method to account for parameter uncertainty in model fit assessment. A simulation study demonstrated the comparability of the PPMC-N and the Bayesian PPMC approach in the detection of local dependence in dichotomous IRT models.
Psychological Heterogeneity Among Honors College Students
Authors: Cross Tracy L. , Cross Jennifer Riedl , Mammadov Sakhavat , Ward Thomas J. , Neumeister Kristie Speirs , Andersen Lori
Published: June 2018

Greater knowledge of the psychology of honors college students will help to inform program administrators, counselors, residence life assistants, and faculty about how they may provide support to those with the greatest need. Via an online survey, personality, perfectionism, and suicidal ideation data were collected from honors college students ( N = 410, 73% female). Using latent profile analysis, students were classified by their responses to the Big Five Inventory personality measure into five profiles. Risk factors of high perfectionism and suicidal ideation scores were found in two of the profiles, suggesting students with these personality characteristics may need enhanced psychological support. The largest profile (35% of students) had extraversion scores above the norm, but all other profiles had introverted scores below the norm. Neuroticism scores were also higher than the norm in the introverted profiles, which represented a majority of the honors college students.
Voice, silence and social class on television
Authors: Jakobsson Peter , Stiernstedt Fredrik
Published: June 2018

The question of voice is a central and timeless political issue. Who gets to speak? Who is silenced? Who is listening? One of the main arenas for voice in modern, advanced democracies is the media. Media infrastructures, technologies, institutions and organizations are a precondition for political voice in large-scale societies, but are also an important factor in distributing the possibilities for voice among different groups and sectors of the population. In this article, we take on the question of voice in relation to social class and aim to analyse how the medium of television gives voice to people from different social classes. This study operationalizes the theoretical notion of voice by asking the following questions: who has the opportunity to appear and speak on television, to whom do they speak and under what circumstances does this communication occur? Based on a content analysis of television in Sweden, the results from this study show that voice is distributed in a highly unequal manner. It also shows that the relations enacted by television appearances conform to the social hierarchy. Whereas people from the ruling class frequently speak to people from the working and middle classes, they are rarely spoken to by members of a class that is positioned below their own. Television thus constructs a social hierarchy of voice and authority that reproduces and legitimizes already existing social hierarchies.
Unique static discharge events on two CentriMag® (2nd Gen) ECMO patients causing console failure
Authors: Wise Robert K. , Waldhausen Sherry M. , Nguyen Van T. , Palanzo David A. , Baer Larry D.
Published: June 2018

The use of ECMO for cardiovascular support continues to increase in the United States and around the world. It is not a benign endeavor as serious complications may occur.

We present our experience of two second generation CentriMag® (Abbott formerly Thoratec Inc.) console failures that occurred while transporting the patients to other areas of the hospital. In each incident, the patients were immediately placed on back-up units and the transport continued. No patient complications could be attributed to the failures.

An investigation by Abbott engineers traced the failure to a static build-up and discharge caused by a non-manufacturer-approved metal rod that was utilized to mount the external monitor. The static discharge caused a disruption of electrical continuity between the control system and the motor, stopping the motor as well as the monitoring system.

Removal of the mounting rod prevented replication of the situation in the lab. We have removed the rod from our clinical units and have not experienced any other pump failures.
Effect of inflow cannula side-hole number on drainage flow characteristics: flow dynamic analysis using numerical simulation
Authors: Goto Takeshi , Tanabe Tsubasa , Inamura Takao , Shirota Minori , Fumoto Koji , Saito Yoshiaki , Fukuda Wakako , Fukuda Ikuo , Daitoku Kazuyuki , Minakawa Masahito
Published: June 2018

Background:

Venous drainage in cardiopulmonary bypass is a very important factor for safe cardiac surgery. However, the ideal shape of venous drainage cannula has not been determined. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of side-hole number under fixed total area and venous drainage flow to elucidate the effect of increasing the side-hole numbers.

Method:

Computed simulation of venous drainage was performed. Cannulas were divided into six models: an end-hole model (EH) and models containing four (4SH), six (6SH), eight (8SH), 10 (10SH) or 12 side-holes (12SH). Total orifice area of the side-holes was fixed to 120 mm2 on each side-hole cannula. The end-hole orifice area was 36.3 mm2. The total area of the side-holes was kept constant when the number of side-holes was increased.

Result:

The mean venous drainage flow rate of the EH, 4SH, 6SH, 8SH, 10SH and 12SH was 2.57, 2.52, 2.51, 2.50, 2.49, 2.41 L/min, respectively. The mean flow rate decreased in accordance with the increased number of side-holes.

Conclusion:

We speculate that flow separation at the most proximal site of the side-hole induces stagnation of flow and induces energy loss. This flow separation may hamper the main stream from the end-hole inlet, which is most effective with low shear stress. The EH cannula was associated with the best flow rate and flow profile. However, by increasing side-hole numbers, flow separation occurs on each side-hole, resulting in more energy loss than the EH cannula and flow rate reduction.
Patient empowerment, what does it mean for adults in the advanced stages of a life-limiting illness: A systematic review using critical interpretive synthesis
Authors: Wakefield Dominique , Bayly Jo , Selman Lucy Ellen , Firth Alice M , Higginson Irene J , Murtagh Fliss EM
Published: June 2018

Background:

Patient empowerment, defined as ‘a process through which people gain greater control over decisions and actions affecting their health’ (World Health Organization) is a key theme within global health and social care strategies. The benefits of incorporating empowerment strategies in care are well documented, but little is known about their application or impact for patients with advanced, life-limiting illness(s).

Aim:

To identify and synthesise the international evidence on patient empowerment for adults with advanced, life-limiting illness(s).

Design:

Systematic review (PROSPERO no. 46113) with critical interpretive synthesis methodology.

Data sources:

Five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINHAL, PsycINFO and Cochrane) were searched from inception to March 2018. Grey literature and reference list/citation searches of included papers were undertaken. Inclusion criteria: empirical research involving patients with advanced life-limiting illness including descriptions of, or references to, patient empowerment within the study results.

Results:

In all, 13 papers met inclusion criteria. Two qualitative studies explored patient empowerment as a study objective. Six papers evaluated interventions, referencing patient empowerment as an incidental outcome. The following themes were identified from the interpretive synthesis: self-identity, personalised knowledge in theory and practice, negotiating personal and healthcare relationships, acknowledgement of terminal illness, and navigating continued losses.

Conclusion:

There are features of empowerment, for patients with advanced life-limiting illness distinct to those of other patient groups. Greater efforts should be made to progress the empowerment of patients nearing the end of their lives. We propose that the identified themes may provide a useful starting point to guide the assessment of existing or planned services and inform future research.
Advance care planning: A systematic review about experiences of patients with a life-threatening or life-limiting illness
Authors: Zwakman M , Jabbarian LJ , van Delden JJM , van der Heide A , Korfage IJ , Pollock K , Rietjens JAC , Seymour J , Kars MC
Published: June 2018

Background:

Advance care planning is seen as an important strategy to improve end-of-life communication and the quality of life of patients and their relatives. However, the frequency of advance care planning conversations in practice remains low. In-depth understanding of patients’ experiences with advance care planning might provide clues to optimise its value to patients and improve implementation.

Aim:

To synthesise and describe the research findings on the experiences with advance care planning of patients with a life-threatening or life-limiting illness.

Design:

A systematic literature review, using an iterative search strategy. A thematic synthesis was conducted and was supported by NVivo 11.

Data sources:

The search was performed in MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL on 7 November 2016.

Results:

Of the 3555 articles found, 20 were included. We identified three themes in patients’ experiences with advance care planning. ‘Ambivalence’ refers to patients simultaneously experiencing benefits from advance care planning as well as unpleasant feelings. ‘Readiness’ for advance care planning is a necessary prerequisite for taking up its benefits but can also be promoted by the process of advance care planning itself. ‘Openness’ refers to patients’ need to feel comfortable in being open about their preferences for future care towards relevant others.

Conclusion:

Although participation in advance care planning can be accompanied by unpleasant feelings, many patients reported benefits of advance care planning as well. This suggests a need for advance care planning to be personalised in a form which is both feasible and relevant at moments suitable for the individual patient.
War, Empire and the Attlee government 1945–1951
Authors: Newsinger John
Published: June 2018

In this article, adapted from a speech delivered at a conference on reparative history, the author challenges the dominant view of the progressive radicalism of the postwar Attlee government by exposing the brutality of its imperial adventures. Examining British involvement in Vietnam, Indonesia, Greece, Malaya, Kenya, India, Palestine, Iran and Korea, the piece paints a very different and bloody historical narrative from the dominant one. It argues that the welfare state was accompanied by the creation of the warfare state and that it was the Labour Party which cemented the ‘special relationship’ with the United States, which today the vast majority of the parliamentary Labour Party would still like to see hold sway in terms of foreign policy and questionable foreign interventions.
Do Internet Users Lead a Healthier Lifestyle?
Authors: Peng Yu-I , Chan Yun-Shan
Published: June 2018

Internet use has spread rapidly worldwide in recent years, but the proportion of older people who use it remains low in Taiwan. Meanwhile, due to population aging in the country, chronic diseases have become more prevalent among older people. This study explores the link between exposure to the Internet and adoption of a healthy lifestyle among the middle-aged and elderly people. Data are drawn from the Topic on Health of the 2011 Taiwan Social Change Survey. We use the logistic regression as the baseline model and apply the propensity-score weighting method to identify the effect of Internet use on exercising, vegetable and fruit eating, betel nut chewing, smoking, and heavy drinking. Our results show that people aged 40 years and older who use the Internet regularly are more likely to adopt an overall healthy lifestyle. The findings suggest that the Internet is a good channel to enhance people’s health investment.
From the Long Arm of the State to Eyes on the Street: How Poor African American Mothers Navigate Surveillance in the Social Safety Net
Authors: Hughes Cayce C.
Published: June 2018

Drawing on interviews and ethnographic observation, this article examines how poor African American mothers in Houston, Texas, experience seeking help from the safety net, focusing on mothers’ perceptions and interpretation of the application process. Compared to welfare, seeking help from nonprofits and churches involved little formal surveillance and there was no punitive mechanism involved if mothers did not adhere to the minimal conditions required for participation. Mothers framed this as a preferable option to welfare, which they characterized as intrusive and punitive. However, the absence of formal surveillance practices in nonprofits did not mitigate the need to discern between the deserving and undeserving poor, nor did it ameliorate women’s sense of stigma around seeking help. Mothers were thus ambivalent about utilizing these resources. Further, it was mothers, not welfare caseworkers, who sometimes took on a surveilling role in these settings, scrutinizing themselves and other women and distancing themselves from those they deemed as undeserving. By taking up the same cultural logics of deservingness produced through welfare surveillance and applying them elsewhere, mothers were able to shore up their own sense of personhood and moral worthiness in an environment that threatened both. Yet, the strategies mothers used to distance themselves from others they cast as undeserving may unintentionally reproduce the notion that poor people must be scrutinized when seeking assistance. This logic reinforces the rationale for the surveillance mothers lament and resist in the welfare system.
Differences Between Latino-Owned Businesses and White-, Black-, or Asian-Owned Businesses: Evidence From Census Microdata
Authors: Carpenter Craig Wesley , Loveridge Scott
Published: June 2018

Growth of the U.S. Latino population translates into policy interest of how business owner, firm, and local characteristics may be different for Latinos. To explore ethnicity and business ownership, this study merges restricted-access data from 11 million businesses. Multinomial logistic regression estimates how characteristics associate with the probability of the business being Latino-owned relative to White-owned, Black-owned, or Asian-owned. There are differences in the source and amount of start-up funds, gender, and the sector of the business. The differences depend on the group to which Latinos are being compared; for example, manufacturing firms are less likely to be Latino owned than White owned, but more likely to be Latino owned than Black owned. An exception is college education and rurality; Latino owners are consistently less likely to be college educated and more likely to locate in rural areas than the other ethnic minorities. The results should be helpful to groups attempting to improve Latino business outcomes.
Patched shaping approach to low-thrust multi-revolution transfer design
Authors: Xie Chengqing , Xu Wenfu , Zhang Gang , Zhang Yingchun
Published: June 2018

This paper proposes a patched shaping approach method for the problem of low-thrust multi-revolution transfers between coplanar elliptic orbits. A simple shape is proposed to solve the multi-revolution transfers between coplanar coaxial elliptic orbits with the same eccentricity. The cosine inverse polynomial shape is used to transfer between coplanar noncoaxial elliptic orbits with different eccentricities using three revolutions or less. Finally, the low-thrust multi-revolution trajectory between arbitrary coplanar elliptic orbits can be achieved by means of the patched shaping approximation, which is composed of the proposed shape and the cosine inverse polynomial shape, considering thrust magnitude constraints at patched points. The proposed shape, based on the equation of the radial component, which uses a Fourier expansion of the semimajor axis, can effectively model the low-thrust multi-revolution transfers. And the closed-form solutions of the Fourier series coefficients are determined by the boundary conditions and the trajectory safety constraints. Compared with only a single shape method, numerical results show that the proposed approach of patched shaping can be used with a shorter-transfer-time and lower cost to implement the design of low-thrust multi-revolution transfers.
An experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of geometric parameters on the flexible joint nonlinear behavior for thrust vector control
Authors: Ramezani Mohammad Ali , Yousefi Shahram , Fouladi Noorbakhsh
Published: June 2018

Solid-propellant motors are used in a variety of space systems. This type of motor requires a guidance system, and a thrust vector control to function properly. One of the most effective methods for thrust vector control can be achieved by utilizing a flexible joint system. The flexible joint is the most widely used device in advanced nozzle system, such as space shuttle boosters, Vega, and Ariane 5. This setup includes multiple layers of elastomers to provide the flexibility, and a few metallic or composite rings as the scaffold of the system. In this study, a nonlinear simulation of the flexible joint is investigated using finite element method. These results are verified by construction and hydrostatic test, and there is a good consistency between predictions and empirical data. To the best of our knowledge, contemporary architecture does not provide the optimum result. Therefore, we propose delicately designed configuration, which can be mentored in a variety of motors, to improve the functionality of the flexible joints. A detailed study on the alteration of geometric parameters has been done to unravel its effect on the behavior of the flexible joint.
Numerical investigation on the gas–liquid entraining and separating effects on self-priming performance in a flow-ejecting centrifugal pump
Authors: Li Guidong , Wang Yang , Mao Jieyun
Published: June 2018

To investigate the influence of entraining and separating effect of gas–liquid two-phase on self-priming performance in the flow-ejecting centrifugal pump, three different schemes of adding the baffle plate behind the guide vane were proposed. Experiments on self-priming performance for three different guide vane schemes were carried out, and numerical calculations on entraining property in the ejector and separating property in the chamber were analyzed by means of the Eulerian–Eulerian multiphase flow model. Meanwhile, the frequency domain properties of pressure pulsation and the pump performance curves were obtained to further verify the feasibility of the scheme in practical application. The results show that the simulation analysis agreed well with the test results. The area and magnitude of high velocity region and vorticities in the ejector of scheme 2 are remarkably larger than those of other schemes. Gas–liquid separation efficiency in a pump chamber also significantly improves when the baffle plate behind the guide vane is mounted at an appropriate position. Furthermore, different guide vane schemes have certain impact on the characteristics of internal and unsteady flow pulsation phenomena in model pump but are within the acceptable operation range. The head and efficiency of scheme 2 are also slightly higher than those of the prototype in the full operation range.