bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidental Treatment of a Subclinical Chronic Tension-Type Headache by Cosmetic Use of Botulinum Toxin A: A Case Report
Authors: Saltvig Iselin , Matzen Steen Henrik
Published: December 2017

Background: Headache is a common disorder of the nervous system; chronic headache in particular may affect quality of life negatively. The pathophysiology is multifactorial and not completely elucidated. Studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of botulinum toxin A on chronic migraine headaches, but failed to show the same effect on chronic tension-type headaches. Methods: We present the case of a 32-year-old woman who after receiving cosmetic injections with botulinum toxin A for fine lines of the forehead experienced relief of subclinical tension-type headaches. Conclusions: Although the effect of botulinum toxin A on chronic tension-type headaches is limited, several studies demonstrate its pain-modulating effects, and as such it is worth paying attention to this potential beneficial effect when performing cosmetic injections with botulinum toxin A.
Exendin-4 Induces Bone Marrow Stromal Cells Migration Through Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages Polarization via PKA-STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Ning , Gao Jian , Jia Min , Ma Xue , Lei Zhanxiang , Da Fei , Yan Fei , Zhang Huinan , Zhou Ying , Li Mingkai , He Gonghao , Meng Jingru , Luo Xiaoxing
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: The synthesis and degradation processes involved in bone remodeling are critically regulated by osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The GLP-1 receptor agonist Exendin-4 is beneficial for osteoblast differentiation and increases the number of osteoblasts. Methods: We constructed an ovariectomized model to evaluate the impact of Exendin-4 on bone formation in osteoporosis. A macrophage-depleted model was also created to investigate the effect of macrophages on bone formation. Thirty-two female WT C57BL/6 mice (aged 3 months) were randomly assigned to a normal control group and four ovariectomized (OVX) subgroups: OVX + vehicle group, OVX + Exendin-4 (4.2 µg/kg/day) group, OVX + chloride phosphate liposome group and OVX + chloride phosphate liposome + Exendin-4 group. Results: In this study, we found that Exendin-4 not only increased the number of osteoblasts and decreased the number of osteoclasts, but also increased the number of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) at the bone surface. Moreover, we found that OVX mice treated with Exendin-4 increased TGF-β1 levels at the bone surface compared with that in OVX mice. Besides, Exendin-4 promoted the polarization of bone marrow-derived macrophages into M2 subtype and increased TGF-β1 secretion by the M2 subtype. Finally, we found that Exendin-4 induced macrophage polarization via the cAMP-PKA-STAT3 signaling pathway. Conclusion: Exendin-4 promotes bone marrow-derived macrophage polarization to the M2 subtype and induces BMSC migration to the bone surface via PKA-STAT3 signaling.
Reduction of Uterine Perfusion Pressure Induced Redistribution of Endothelin Receptor Type-B Between the Intima and Media Contributes to the Pathogenesis of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension
Authors: Sun Yuan , Zhang Xicheng , Chen Zhaolei , Xu Miao , Ou Minghui
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: Studies have shown that a change in endothelin receptor expression in the artery is related to pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). However, the mechanism underlying this change remains unclear. Methods: To test whether the distribution of endothelin receptor type-A (ETAR) and type-B (ETBR) plays an important role in PIH, a reduction of uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat model was used to mimic some of the features of PIH; the resulting variable endothelin receptor expression was investigated in the media and intima of the aorta. Single vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were isolated from RUPP and normal pregnant (NP) rats to study the effect of ETAR and ETBR in smooth muscle cells. Results: Compared with NP rats, RUPP rats had a significant redistribution of ETBR expression in the intima and media, while there was no significant difference in ETAR expression between the two groups. ETBR upregulation in VSMCs enhanced cellular contraction and contributed to PIH. The TNF-α plasma levels in RUPP rats were two-fold higher than those of NP rats, which upregulated the expression of ETBR in VSMCS through the NF-κB pathways in RUPP rats. Conclusion: Redistribution of ETBR between the media and intima played an important role in the pathogenesis of PIH.
Exosomal MicroRNA MiR-1246 Promotes Cell Proliferation, Invasion and Drug Resistance by Targeting CCNG2 in Breast Cancer
Authors: Li Xiu Juan , Ren Zhao Jun , Tang Jin Hai , Yu Qiao
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: Treatment of breast cancer remains a clinical challenge. This study aims to validate exosomal microRNA-1246 (miR-1246) as a serum biomarker for breast cancer and understand the underlying mechanism in breast cancer progression. Methods: The expression levels of endogenous and exosomal miRNAs were examined by real time PCR, and the expression level of the target protein was detected by western blot. Scanning electron and confocal microscopy were used to characterize exosomes and to study their uptake and transfer. Luciferase reporter plasmids and its mutant were used to confirm direct targeting. Furthermore, the functional significance of exosomal miR-1246 was estimated by invasion assay and cell viability assay. Results: In this study, we demonstrate that exosomes carrying microRNA can be transferred among different cell lines through direct uptake. miR-1246 is highly expressed in metastatic breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells compared to non-metastatic breast cancer cells or non-malignant breast cells. Moreover, miR-1246 can suppress the expression level of its target gene, Cyclin-G2 (CCNG2), indicating its functional significance. Finally, treatment with exosomes derived from MDA-MB-231 cells could enhance the viability, migration and chemotherapy resistance of non-malignant HMLE cells. Conclusions: Together, our results support an important role of exosomes and exosomal miRNAs in regulating breast tumor progression, which highlights their potential for applications in miRNA-based therapeutics.
Rapamycin Promotes the Survival and Adipogenesis of Ischemia-Challenged Adipose Derived Stem Cells by Improving Autophagy
Authors: Li Chichi  , Ye Lechi , Yang Li , Yu Xiaofang , He Yucang , Chen Zhuojie , Li Liqun , Zhang Dan
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: Ischemia is one of the main causes of the high rate of absorption of transplanted autologous fat. Autophagy allows cells to survive by providing energy under starvation. Rapamycin has been found to play a role in promoting autophagy. In this study, we investigated whether rapamycin participates in the survival and adipogenesis of ischemia-challenged adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) by regulating autophagy. Methods: Before the cells were exposed to oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD), a simulated ischemic microenvironment, the level of autophagy was reduced or increased by lentiviral transfection with short hairpin RNA targeting microtubule-associated protein 1-light chain 3 gene (shRNA-LC3) or treatment with rapamycin, respectively. The level of autophagy was assessed by western blotting, transmission electron microscopythen the apoptosis ratio was determined through terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and flow cytometry. Adipogenesis was further evaluated by oil red O staining and the expressions level of some specific proteins for adipocytes. Results: shRNA-LC3 and rapamycin treatment effectively decreased and improved the level of autophagy in cells with or without OGD challenge, respectively. In addition, autophagy inhibition increased the apoptosis rate and activated caspase-3 expression level in response to OGD, and these were markedly inhibited by rapamycin preconditioning. During adipogenesis, autophagy inhibition decreased not only oil droplet accumulation but also lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) expression in cells with or without OGD challenge. However, autophagy promotion by rapamycin increased oil droplet accumulation and LPL and PPARγ expression. Conclusions: Rapamycin may promote the survival and adipogenesis of ischemia-challenged ADSCs by upregulating autophagy.
Sildenafil (Viagra®) Prevents Cox-1/ TXA2 Pathway-Mediated Vascular Hypercontractility in ApoE-/- Mice
Authors: Leal Marcos A.S. , Dias Ananda T. , Porto Marcella L. , Brun Bruna F. , Gava Agata L. , Meyrelles Silvana S. , Gil-Longo José , Campos-Toimil Manuel , Pereira Thiago M.C. , Vasquez Elisardo C 
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: The atherosclerotic apolipoprotein E-deficient (apoE-/-) mouse exhibits impaired vasodilation and enhanced vasoconstriction responsiveness. The objectives of this study were: a) to determine the relative contribution of cyclooxygenases (Cox-1 and Cox-2), thromboxane A2 (TXA2) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) to enhancing vascular hyperresponsiveness in this model of atherosclerosis and b) to investigate the beneficial effects of the phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor sildenafil on this endothelial dysfunction. Methods: Adult male apoE-/- mice were treated with sildenafil (40 mg/kg/day, for 3 weeks) and compared with non-treated ApoE-/- and wild-type mice. The beneficial effects of sildenafil on vascular contractile response to phenylephrine (PE) in aortic rings were evaluated before and after incubation with Cox-1 (SC-560) or Cox-2 (NS-398) inhibitors or the TP antagonist SQ-29548, and on contractile responsiveness to ET-1. Results: ApoE-/- mice exhibited enhanced vasoconstriction to PE (Rmax ∼35%, p<0.01), which was prevented by treatment with sildenafil. The enhanced PE-induced contractions were abolished by both Cox-1 inhibition and TP antagonist, but were not modified by Cox-2 inhibition. Aortic rings from ApoE-/- mice also exhibited enhanced contractions to ET-1 (Rmax ∼30%, p<0.01), which were attenuated in sildenafil-treated ApoE-/- mice. In addition, we observed augmented levels of vascular proinflammatory cytokines in ApoE-/- mice, which were partially corrected by treatment with sildenafil (IL-6, IL-10/IL-6 ratio and MCP-1). Conclusion: The present data show that the Cox-1/TXA2 pathway prevails over the Cox-2 isoform in the mediation of vascular hypercontractility observed in apoE-/-mice. The results also show a beneficial effect of sildenafil on this endothelial dysfunction and on the proinflammatory cytokines in atherosclerotic animals, opening new perspectives for the treatment of other endothelium-related cardiovascular abnormalities.
Pharmacologic Prevention of Incident Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Dewland Thomas A. , Soliman Elsayed Z. , Yamal Jose-Miguel , Davis Barry R. , Alonso Alvaro , Albert Christine M. , Simpson Lara M. , Haywood L. Julian , Marcus Gregory M. ,   for the ALLHAT Collaborative Research Group*
Published: December 2017

Background

Although atrial fibrillation (AF) guidelines indicate that pharmacological blockade of the renin–angiotensin system may be considered for primary AF prevention in hypertensive patients, previous studies have yielded conflicting results. We sought to determine whether randomization to lisinopril reduces incident AF or atrial flutter (AFL) compared with chlorthalidone in a large clinical trial cohort with extended post-trial surveillance.

Methods and Results

We performed a secondary analysis of the ALLHAT (Antihypertensive and Lipid-Lowering Treatment to Prevent Heart Attack Trial), a randomized, double-blind, active-controlled clinical trial that enrolled hypertensive individuals ≥55 years of age with at least one other cardiovascular risk factor. Participants were randomly assigned to receive amlodipine, lisinopril, or chlorthalidone. Individuals with elevated fasting low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also randomized to pravastatin versus usual care. The primary outcome was the development of either AF or AFL as diagnosed by serial study ECGs or by Medicare claims data. Among 14 837 participants without prevalent AF or AFL, 2514 developed AF/AFL during a mean 7.5±3.2 years of follow-up. Compared with chlorthalidone, randomization to either lisinopril (hazard ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 0.94–1.15;
P
=0.46) or amlodipine (hazard ratio, 0.93; 95% confidence interval, 0.84–1.03;
P
=0.16) was not associated with a significant reduction in incident AF/AFL.

Conclusions

Compared with chlorthalidone, treatment with lisinopril is not associated with a meaningful reduction in incident AF or AFL among older adults with a history of hypertension.

Clinical Trial Registration

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00000542.
Beyond Compliance: Law-Making through Latin American Cases before the World Court
Authors: Almeida Paula Wojcikiewicz
Published: December 2017

Departing from a contemporary approach to international adjudication, this article aims to evaluate, firstly, the limits of compliance and its residual character when assessing the effectiveness of the International Court of Justice with regards to Latin American states. Secondly, it deals with the importance of going beyond the traditional function of inter-state dispute settlement to assess the contribution of Latin American states to international law through cases submitted to the Court, independently from case-specific compliance. This is because a judgment that has not been complied with may substantially contribute to international law and produce important impacts on domestic authorities. Latin American cases constitute an example of this phenomenon.
Community and Social Interaction in Digital Religious Discourse in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon
Authors: Chiluwa Innocent
Published: December 2017

Since the advent of the Internet, religion has maintained a very strong online presence. This study examines how African Christianity is negotiated and practised on the Internet. The main objectives are to investigate to what extent online worshippers in Nigeria, Ghana and Cameroon constitute (online) communities and how interactive the social networks of the churches are. This study shows that some important criteria for community are met by African digital worshippers. However, interaction flow is more of one to many, thus members do not regularly interact with one another as they would in offline worship. Worshippers view the forums as a sacred space solely for spiritual matters and not for sharing social or individual feelings and problems. However, the introduction of social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and interactive forums is an interesting and promising new development in religious worship in Africa.
Understanding Christian Blogger Motivations: Woe Unto Me if I Blog Not the Gospel
Authors: Burgess Regina L.
Published: December 2017

Blogger motivations in general and motivations of religious bloggers have previously been studied, but there is a lack of studies specific to the motivations of bloggers who self-proclaim their Christianity to create a blog and maintain the blog. Forty-four bloggers participated in a self-administered survey questionnaire sent via email. They answered questions about their reasons to create a blog, original goals for their blog, and reasons to blog regularly. Motivations found in previous research were garnered from 11 studies, and the participants were asked to indicate which motivations resonated with them the majority of the time they blogged. They were asked to explain why the motive resonated with them. Results, not surprisingly, suggest these Christian bloggers were not motivated by the same motivations to the same degree as bloggers from previous research who are not vocal on their blogs about Christian, faith-based themes. The motivations such as community building, expressing opinions to influence others, or pouring out feelings and emotions do not seem to resonate as acutely with Christians as the motivations seem resonate with political- or corporate-oriented bloggers. Other motives such as documenting life, sharing thoughts out loud, entertaining self, or having a place to store their writings seemingly do not resonate with Christian bloggers as they do with other types of bloggers. These 44 Christians who blog are members of online Christian social, writing, and blogging groups, and are studied to see how being Christian might influence motivations for blogging, and explores reasons Christians have for creating media. This study also raises some interesting questions for future study such as why self-proclaimed Christians seem to have greater longevity for blogging than do authors of blogs with a non-religious focus.
The Digital Humanities as Cultural Capital: Implications for Biblical and Religious Studies
Authors: Schroeder Caroline T.
Published: December 2017

Although the study of the Bible was central to early Humanities Computing efforts, now Biblical Studies and Religious Studies are marginal disciplines in the emerging field known as Digital Humanities (English, History, Library Science, for example, are much more influential in DH.) This paper explores two questions: First, what does it mean for Biblical Studies to be marginal to the Digital Humanities when DH is increasingly seen as the locus of as transformation in the humanities? Second, how can our expertise in Biblical Studies influence and shape Digital Humanities for the better? Digital Humanities, I argue, constitutes a powerful emerging field with which Biblical Studies and Religious Studies must engage as critical participants or analysts. Moreover, our own field’s expertise on the history of canon, orthodoxy, and commentary can contribute to shaping a more inclusive and self-critical Digital Humanities.
Johann Jakob Wettstein. New Sources, New Problems, and New Possibilities for Digital Research
Authors: Krans Jan
Published: December 2017

Johann Jakob Wettstein (1683-1754) worked almost all his life toward the publication of his landmark 1751-52 edition of the Greek New Testament. In recent years, a large number of previously unknown sources on and by Wettstein has come to light, scattered over libraries in Europe, that provide new insights into his life and his New Testament project. This paper explores the diversity of these sources, their genres, their connections, their state of conservation and accessibility and the like. Starting from the idea that the collection offers an excellent opportunity for mapping a single scholar’s projects and international networks over time and space, it envisages a project that brings together this wealth of material. It asks what challenges and possibilities for international digital research the collection entails and formulates the desiderata concerning the necessary digital infrastructure and collaboration across traditional scholarly boundaries.
Proposing Some New Ecliptics in New Testament Studies Enabled by Digital Humanities-Based Methods
Authors: Libby James A.
Published: December 2017

“Fragmentation” is a well-worn watchword in contemporary biblical studies. But is endless fragmentation across the traditional domains of epistemology, methodology and hermeneutics the inevitable future for the postmodern exercise of biblical scholarship? In our view, multiple factors mitigate against such a future, but two command our attention here. First, digital humanities itself, through its principled use of corpora, databases and computer-based methods, seems to be remarkably capable of producing findings with high levels of face validity (interpretive agreement) across multiple hermeneutical perspectives and communities. Second, and perhaps more subversively, there is a substantial body of practitioners that, per Kearney, actively question postmodernity’s impress as the final port of call for philosophy. For these practitioners deconstruction has become both indispensable — by delegitimizing hegemonies — but, in its own way, metanarratival by stultifying all other iterative, dialectical and critical processes that have historically motivated scholarship. Sensing this impasse, Kearney (1987, pp. 43-45) proposes a reimagining that is not only critical but that also embraces ποίησις, the possibility of optimistic, creative work. Such a stance within digital humanities would affirm that poietic events emerge not only through frictions and fragmentation (e.g. Kinder and McPherson 2014, pp. xiii-xviii) but also through commonalties and convergence. Our approach here will be to demonstrate such a reimagining, rather than to argue for it, using two worked examples in the Greek New Testament (GNT). Those examples – digital humanities-enabled papyrology and digital humanities-enabled statistical linguistics – demonstrate ways in which the data of the text itself can be used to interrogate our perspectives and suggest that our perspectives must remain ever open to such inquiries. We conclude with a call for digital humanities to further leverage its notable strengths to cast new light on old problems not only in biblical studies, but across the spectrum of the humanities.
The Arabic Diatessaron Project: Digitalizing, Encoding, Lemmatization
Authors: Lancioni Giuliano , Joosse N. Peter
Published: December 2017

The Arabic Diatessaron Project (henceforth ADP) is an international research project in Digital Humanities that aims to collect, digitalise and encode all known manuscripts of the Arabic Diatessaron (henceforth AD), a text that has been relatively neglected in scholarly research.

ADP’s final goal is to provide a number of tools that can enable scholars to effectively query, compare and investigate all known variants of the text that will be encoded as far as possible in compliance with the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) guidelines.

The paper addresses a number of issues involved in the process of digitalising manuscripts included in the two existing editions (Ciasca 1888 and Marmardji 1935), adding variants in unedited manuscripts, encoding and lemmatising the text.

Issues involved in the design of the ADP include presentation of variants, choice of the standard text, applicability of TEI guidelines, automatic translation between different encodings, cross-edition concordances and principles of lemmatisation.
Species diversity of ostracods (Crustacea: Ostracoda) from rice fields in Northeast Thailand, with the description of a new Tanycypris species
Authors: SAVATENALINTON SUKONTHIP
Published: December 2017

The species diversity of ostracods in rice fields from Northeast Thailand was studied. Fifty-two samples were collected from 43 rice fields during 2010–2016. This investigation revealed 23 genera and 52 species, including one new to science (Tanycypris eugenkempfi n. sp.) and 21 endemic species: endemic to the Oriental region (14 species), Southeast Asia (two species) and Thailand (five species). In addition, two species that were restricted to rice fields in this study were recognized: Bradleytriebella tuberculata (Hartmann, 1964) and Notodromas sinensis Neale & Zhao, 1991. The most diverse genus was Pseudostrandesia, followed by Strandesia with eight and five species, respectively. The most widely distributed species were Pseudocypretta maculata Klie, 1932 and Strandesia kraepelini (G.W. Müller, 1906) occurring in 48.8 % of the total of surveyed rice fields. The number of species in individual rice fields ranged from none to 18. Most of the samples contained three species, but one rice field showed very high species richness (18 species). Most of the species recorded in this study were also found in several types of water bodies and reported from several zoogeographical regions. The main distinguishing characters between Tanycypris eugenkempfi n. sp. and other Tanycypris species are the more tumid carapace in dorsal view, the distinctly arched dorsal margin of the carapace in lateral view, the presence of a subapical dorsal seta on the first segment of the first antenna, the smooth large bristles on the third endite of the maxillula, the absence of c-seta on the first thoracopod, and the long proximal claw (Gp) of the caudal ramus.
Inpauema, a new genus of Odiniidae (Diptera) from Brazil, with description of five new species
Authors: LIMEIRA-DE-OLIVEIRA FRANCISCO , MARQUES DAYSE W. A. , REIS GENIANA A. , RAFAEL JOSÉ A.
Published: December 2017

A new genus and five new species of odiniids (Odiniidae: Traginopinae) are described from the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes: Inpauema mirador gen. nov. et sp. nov. (type species), I. catarinae sp. nov., I. gaimarii sp. nov., I. raimundoluizi sp. nov., and I. xavieri sp. nov. The genus is being characterized by a unique combination of diagnostic characters: body predominantly dark brown to black, with silvery-gray pruinose spots on inner margin of eyes, longitudinally along middle of lunule and face, on notopleuron and mesopleuron; postcranium concave from dorsal view; one pair of stout proclinate ocellar setae; postocellar setae absent; lunule shorter than frons; gena lacking upturned seta; antennae separated by a maximum distance of 2X the diameter of a single antennal socket and gonocoxal apodemes directed upward, forming an arch. A key to separate Helgreelia Gaimari, 2007 from Inpauema gen. nov. and for the new species is provided.
Taxonomic corrections on Cronion (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae)
Authors: RÉDEI DÁVID
Published: December 2017

Vollenhoven (1864) presented a preliminary report and subsequently (Vollenhoven 1865) a detailed description of a new genus of pentatomoid true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), Poseidon Vollenhoven, 1864, with a single included species, P. malayanus Vollenhoven, 1864; the species is therefore the type species of the genus by monotypy. The genus was placed into Scutelleridae by Vollenhoven (1864, 1865), but the latter taxon was defined broadly, in a way much different from the current concept of this family (see e.g. Rider et al. 2017); Stål (1876) transferred it into Plataspidae defined in the present sense. Bergroth (1891) showed that Poseidon was preoccupied by Poseidon Girard, 1825, a valid genus of ribbon worms (Nemertea), and therefore he proposed a replacement name, Cronion Bergroth, 1891, for it. Miller (1955) described another new plataspid genus, Triodocoris Miller, 1955, and designated the newly described T. cinctus Miller, 1955, as its type species. Both of these genera have remained monotypic, and no author have presented new data on them since their original descriptions.
First record of the genus Soliperla (Plecoptera: Peltoperlidae) from China with description of a new species
Authors: HUO QING-BO , DU YU-ZHOU , YUAN DAN
Published: December 2017

The genus Soliperla Ricker, 1952 has been considered endemic to western North America, is now reported from Sichuan Province of southwestern China. In this paper, we describe a new species, S. wanglanga Huo & Du, sp. nov. The new species is characterized by a large inverted trapezoid sclerite on tergum 10, a bilobed aedeagal apex, and large dark areas on the frontoclypeus in the adult male. The nymph has conspicuous pale areas on terga 4–7.
Thermal Inertia Approach Using a Heat Budget Model to Estimate the Spatial Distribution of Surface Soil Moisture over a Semiarid Grassland in Central Mongolia
Authors: Matsushima Dai , Asanuma Jun , Kaihotsu Ichirow
Published: December 2017

Thermal inertia is a physical parameter that evaluates soil thermal properties with an emphasis on the stability of the temperature when the soil is affected by heating/cooling. Thermal inertia can be retrieved from a heat budget formulation as a parameter when the time series of Earth surface temperature and forcing variables, such as insolation and air temperature, are given. In this study, a two-layer, linearized heat budget model was employed for the retrieval of thermal inertia over a grassland in a semiarid region. Application of different formulations to the aerodynamic conductance with respect to atmospheric stability significantly improved the accuracy of the thermal inertia retrieval. The retrieved values of thermal inertia were well correlated with in situ surface soil moisture at multiple ground stations. The daily time series of thermal inertia–derived soil moisture qualitatively agreed well with in situ soil moisture after antecedent rainfalls, which was found after fitting the time series to an exponentially decaying function. On the contrary, AMSR2 soil moisture mostly did not agree with in situ soil moisture. The results of the estimation showed high accuracy: the root-mean-square error was 0.038 m3 m−3 compared to the in situ data and was applied to an area of 2° × 2° in which the in situ observation locations were included. The spatiotemporal distribution of surface soil moisture was mapped at a 0.03° × 0.03° spatial resolution in the study area as 10- or 11-day averages over a vegetation growth period of 2012.
Understanding Biases in Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecast Error
Authors: Na Wei , McBride John L. , Zhang Xing-Hai , Duan Yi-Hong
Published: December 2017

The characteristics of 24-h official forecast errors (OFEs) of tropical cyclone (TC) intensity are analyzed over the North Atlantic, east Pacific, and western North Pacific. The OFE is demonstrated to be strongly anticorrelated with TC intensity change with correlation coefficients of −0.77, −0.77, and −0.68 for the three basins, respectively. The 24-h intensity change in the official forecast closely follows a Gaussian distribution with a standard deviation only ⅔ of that in nature, suggesting the current official forecasts estimate fewer cases of large intensity change. The intensifying systems tend to produce negative errors (underforecast), while weakening systems have consistent positive errors (overforecast). This asymmetrical bias is larger for extreme intensity change, including rapid intensification (RI) and rapid weakening (RW). To understand this behavior, the errors are analyzed in a simple objective model, the trend-persistence model (TPM). The TPM exhibits the same error-intensity change correlation. In the TPM, the error can be understood as it is exactly inversely proportional to the finite difference form of the concavity or second derivative of the intensity–time curve. The occurrence of large negative (positive) errors indicates the intensity–time curve is concave upward (downward) in nature during the TC’s rapid intensification (weakening) process. Thus, the fundamental feature of the OFE distribution is related to the shape of the intensity–time curve, governed by TC dynamics. All forecast systems have difficulty forecasting an accelerating rate of change, or a large second derivative of the intensity–time curve. TPM may also be useful as a baseline in evaluating the skill of official forecasts. According to this baseline, official forecasts are more skillful in RW than in RI.
‘From a sense of failure to a proactive life orientation’: First year high school dropout experiences and future life expectations in Norwegian youth
Authors: Ottosen Karl Ottar , Goll Charlotte Bjørnskov , Sørlie Tore
Published: December 2017

Employing a salutogenic perspective, we designed a qualitative study to explore experiences related to Norwegian students’ decision to leave school and their future life expectations. We identified a range of attitudes: pessimistic, discouraged participants found school to be equally lacking in care and support as their home background, whereas optimistic, proactive participants emphasized that supportive interactions with important others had made them believe in themselves and in alternative career tracks. The implications of our findings are discussed, focusing on social work that can empower marginalized young people to find new opportunities to succeed in school and employment.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy for African Immigrant Children in U.S. P-12 Schools
Authors: Ndemanu Michael Takafor , Jordan Sheri
Published: December 2017

This article sheds light on the challenges African immigrant children face in navigating through a relatively different and unfamiliar system of education in the United States. It also provides pre-emigration background information to the systems of education prevalent in Africa as well as the culturally responsive teaching strategies that support and enhance learning for the African immigrant students. Teachers of African immigrant children around the world will find this article particularly resourceful because there is limited scholarship about this segment of the public school population in the United States and in other developed countries.
Transparency performance improvement for multi-master multi-slave teleoperation systems with external force estimation
Authors: Azimifar Farhad , Ahmadkhosravi Rozi Saman , Saleh Ahmad , Afyouni Iman
Published: December 2017

Cooperative teleoperation combines two traditional areas of robotics, that is, teleoperation and collaborative manipulation. Cooperative telerobotic systems consist of multiple pairs of master and slave robotic manipulators operating in a shared environment. The most common control frameworks for nonlinear systems, that is, Proportional Derivative (PD) controllers, possess considerable deficiency in contact motion. In this paper, a novel control scheme is proposed for a nonlinear bilateral cooperative teleoperation system with time delay. In addition to position and velocity signals, force signals are employed in the control strategy. This modification significantly enhances the poor transparency when the slave robots are in collision with the environment. To cope with external forces measurement, a modified force estimation algorithm is proposed to estimate human and environment forces. The closed loop stability of the nonlinear cooperative teleoperation system with the proposed control scheme is investigated using the Lyapunov theory. The main achievement of this research is the stability of the closed loop cooperative teleoperation system in the presence of estimated operator and environmental forces. In addition, it is theoretically and experimentally proved that force reflection occurs and transparency is improved at the same time. Experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the presented control strategy in free motion as well as when the slave robots are in contact with the environment.
Heteropterys tomentosa A. Juss: Toxicological and adaptogenic effects in experimental models
Authors: Fraga Géssica Alves , Balogun Sikiru Olaitan , Pascqua Emilly Della , de Oliveira Ruberlei Godinho , Botelho Guilherme , Pavan Eduarda , da Rosa Lima Thiago , Avila Eudes Thiago Pereira , de Medeiros Amorim Krueger Clarissa , Filho Valdir Cechinel , Damazo Amílcar Sabino , de Oliveira Martins Domingos Tabajara , Voltarelli Fabrício Azevedo
Published: December 2017

Background:

The constant pursuit of improved athletic performance characterizes high-performance sport and the use of medicinal plants as dietary supplements is becoming widespread among athletes to enhance long-term endurance performance.

Aim:

The present study evaluated the toxicity of Heteropterys tomentosa (HEHt) and its acute adaptogenic effects.

Methods:

The in vitro safety profile was evaluated on CHO-k1 cells using the alamar Blue assay, at concentrations ranging from 3.125 to 200 µg/mL. In vivo acute oral toxicity was conducted in male and female mice with oral administration of graded doses of HEHt from 400 to 2000 mg/kg. A subchronic oral toxicity study was completed by oral administration of HEHt (50, 200 or 1000 mg/kg) and vehicle for 30 days in male Wistar rats. Clinical observations and toxicological related parameters were determined. Blood was collected for biochemical and hematological analyses, while histological examinations were performed on selected organs. Thereafter, an adaptogenic test consisting of progressive loads until exhaustion was conducted in rats ( n = 5/group) orally pre-treated with the vehicle and HEHt (25, 100 or 400 mg/kg).

Results:

HEHt exhibited no cytotoxic effects on the CHO-k1 cells and, apparently, no acute toxicity in mice and no subchronic toxicity in rats. An ergogenic effect was observed only at the dose of 25 mg/kg compared with the vehicle in relation to time to exhaustion and exercise load ( p = .011 and .019, respectively). HEHt is safe at up to 400 mg/kg, contains astilbin and taxifolin as the major phytochemical compounds, and exhibited a potential adaptogenic effect.

Conclusions:

These results justify its anecdotal usage as a tonic, show that the hydroethanolic maceration of the root does not cause toxicity, and provide scientific evidence of its potential as a source of new adaptogenic substance(s).
Expressive Surfaces: The Case of the Designer Vagina
Authors: Jones Meredith
Published: December 2017

In this article I set out an argument that skins and screens, once distinctly different types of surface, are merging. I show how in contemporary highly mediatized worlds skins are required to be visually expressive while also noting a parallel movement whereby screens are becoming more affective. Using the ‘designer vagina’ – specifically labiaplasty – as a case study I show how ideal bodies exist simultaneously as screen and as skin, as image and as affect. In turn, I argue that two-dimensional images and three-dimensional ‘real life’ bodies are blending in ways that parallel skin–screen mergers.
Cerebrovascular function and mitochondrial bioenergetics after ischemia-reperfusion in male rats
Authors: Rutkai Ibolya , Merdzo Ivan , Wunnava Sanjay V , Curtin Genevieve T , Katakam Prasad VG , Busija David W
Published: December 2017

The underlying factors promoting increased mitochondrial proteins, mtDNA, and dilation to mitochondrial-specific agents in male rats following tMCAO are not fully elucidated. Our goal was to determine the morphological and functional effects of ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) on mitochondria using electron microscopy, Western blot, mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR), and Ca2+ sparks activity measurements in middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) from male Sprague Dawley rats (Naïve, tMCAO, Sham). We found a greatly increased OCR in ipsilateral MCAs (IPSI) compared with contralateral (CONTRA), Sham, and Naïve MCAs. Consistent with our earlier findings, the expression of Mitofusin-2 and OPA-1 was significantly decreased in IPSI arteries compared with Sham and Naïve. Mitochondrial morphology was disrupted in vascular smooth muscle, but morphology with normal and perhaps greater numbers of mitochondria were observed in IPSI compared with CONTRA MCAs. Consistently, there were significantly fewer baseline Ca2+ events in IPSI MCAs compared with CONTRA, Sham, and Naïve. Mitochondrial depolarization significantly increased Ca2+ sparks activity in the IPSI, Sham, Naïve, but not in the CONTRA group. Our data indicate that altered mitochondrial structure and function occur in MCAs exposed to I/R and that these changes impact not only OCR but Ca2+ sparks activity in both IPSI and CONTRA MCAs.
Critique without crisis
Authors: Esposito Elena
Published: December 2017

This paper proposes an extended idea of critique, bypassing the paradox of a critique of critique. It reconstructs the semantics of critique from ancient commentary to autonomous interpretation, identifying the blindness of critical theory in the claim to detect crises and to indicate how to overcome them. The critique of critique is achieved not by rejecting critique but by moving to second-order observation. In this understanding, critique does not refuse what is normal but observes it as improbable. Critical observation is understood as reflection on normality, its opposite, and its alternatives. The debate on risk society is presented and commented on as an example.
Can social systems theory be used for immanent critique?
Authors: Procyshyn Alexei
Published: December 2017

Two trends have emerged in recent work from the Frankfurt School: the first involves a reconsideration of immanent critique’s basic commitments and viability for critical social theory, while the second involves an effort to introduce temporal considerations for social interaction into critical theorizing to help make sense of the phenomenon of social acceleration. This article contributes to these ongoing discussions by investigating whether social systems theory, in which temporal relations play a primary role, can be integrated with immanent critique. If such a synthesis were successful, it would promise to unify two distinct forms of social theorizing that have often been taken to be orthogonal or incommensurate since the debate between Luhmann and Habermas in the 1970s. The investigation proceeds in three parts: first, the article delineates immanent critique’s conditions of success; second, using these conditions, it identifies potential points of contact between social systems theorizing and immanent critical forms of analysis, while exemplifying these commonalities via a case study; finally, the article argues that, although immanent critique is not a strict method of analysis or investigation, its success conditions preclude social systems theory on the grounds that the latter approach cannot anchor itself within the context of analysis in the way ‘immanent critique’ requires.
“Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm With Papillary-Like Nuclear Features” With Focal Spindle Cell Metaplasia
Authors: Arnoux Grégoire , Pusztaszeri Marc
Published: December 2017

“Noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features” (NIFTP) is a recent reclassification of the encapsulated follicular variant of papillary thyroid carcinoma, which is supposed to reflect its indolent clinical behavior and to prevent overtreatment of patients with this neoplasm. The diagnosis of NIFTP can only be made histologically on the surgical specimen according to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, which requires the examination of the whole nodule and its capsule. Spindle cell proliferations, especially of follicular cell origin, arising within thyroid follicular neoplasms are very rare and may cause diagnostic difficulties. Few reports described spindle cell proliferations arising in follicular thyroid adenoma and papillary thyroid carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, only one case has been reported in NIFTP so far. In this article, we report a unique case of NIFTP associated with a spindle cell proliferation that was characterized immunohistochemically. Specific issues related to this case are discussed.
Clinical Characteristics of Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma and Metastasis to the Thyroid Gland
Authors: Jackson Gregory , Fino Nora , Bitting Rhonda L
Published: December 2017

Introduction:

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common malignancy to metastasize to the thyroid gland. The aims of this study are as follows: (1) to analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with thyroid involvement of RCC and (2) in patients with RCC thyroid metastasis, to determine whether RCC metastasis to glandular organs only portends a better prognosis compared with other patterns of RCC metastasis.

Methods:

Patients from Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center (WFBMC) diagnosed with thyroid metastasis from RCC were identified and medical records retrospectively examined. A systematic review of the literature for cases of RCC involving the thyroid gland was also performed. The clinical characteristics of the institutional cohort and the cases from the literature review were compared. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed, and overall survival (OS) was summarized using Kaplan-Meier methods.

Results:

The median OS for the WFBMC cohort was 56.4 months. In the literature review cohort, OS of patients with RCC thyroid metastasis was 213.6 months, and there was no statistically significant survival difference based on the site of metastasis. Median survival after thyroid metastasis from RCC for the WFBMC and literature cohort was 21.6 and 45.6 months, respectively.

Conclusions:

Metastatic RCC should be included in the differential of a new thyroid mass. Treatment directed at the thyroid metastasis results in prolonged survival in some cases. Further analysis into the genomic differences and mechanisms of thyroid metastasis is warranted.
A Double-Blind, Randomized Prospective Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Previous Therapy With Melatonin, Myo-inositol, Folic Acid, and Selenium in Improving the Results of an Assisted Reproductive Treatment
Authors: Jiménez Tuñón Juan Manuel , Trilles Paloma Piqueras , Molina Miguel Gallardo , Duvison María Hebles , Pastor Beatriz Migueles , Martín Pascual Sánchez , Martín Fernando Sánchez , Sánchez-Borrego Rafael
Published: December 2017

The objective of this study was to evaluate oral supplements with antioxidants in oocyte and embryonic quality in patients undergoing assisted reproductive treatments. A cohort of 120 patients was included in the study: 60 patients were included in the control group and 60 in the Seidivid group. The medication contained folic acid, myo-inositol, melatonin, and selenium (Seidivid) and was supplied for at least 2 months before the ovarian puncture. The results of the different cycles were compared, evaluating the number of follicles (9.67 vs 9.15, P = .584), the number of metaphase II (8.52 vs 8.53, P = .986), the number of embryos of A + B quality, the number of vitrified embryos (1.93 vs 2.26, P = .505), and biochemical (62.75% vs 66.00%, P = .83) and clinical pregnancy rates (52.94% vs 56.00%, P = .84). A significant fact in our study was that although the supplements with antioxidants were not statistically significant for some aspects, they were significant in terms of obtaining embryos of good quality (A + B).
Seismic analysis of nonlinear offshore moored floating structures
Authors: Wang Kun , Er Guo-Kang , Iu Vai Pan
Published: December 2017

This article presents a numerical model for solving the nonlinear random vibrations of offshore moored floating structures under seismic excitation. The offshore moored floating structure consists of the floating platform and mooring cables. The floating platform is considered as a rigid body with 3 degrees of freedom. The nonlinear equations of motions of the mooring cables are established using the nonlinear cable elements that are formulated based on the extended Hamilton principle. The nonlinear hydrodynamic drag forces that act on both the floating platform and cables are considered. In order to carry out the random vibrational analysis, the connection conditions between the floating structure and mooring cables are given to formulate the equations of motions of the whole system. Finally, the moored floating structure under horizontal seismic ground accelerations with Kanai–Tajimi model are analyzed using Monte Carlo simulation method. The probability density functions of the displacements of the moored floating structure and the maximum tensile force in cables are presented. The influences of different sag-to-span ratios or inclined angles of the mooring cables on the mean value and standard deviation of the displacements of the floating structure and the maximum tensile force in cables are analyzed.