bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Giant colonic lipoma arising from the ileocecal valve and causing cecal‐transverse colonic intussusception
Authors: Hu Ching‐Chih , Chien Rong‐Nan , Lin Chih‐Lang , Liu Ching‐Jung
Published: October 2015

Intussusception is rare in adults, representing only 1% of bowel obstruction and 5% of all intussusceptions. Previous reports have shown that > 90% of adults diagnosed with intussusception had an identifiable pathological leading point—a malignant tumor in 43–63% of the cases. Colonic lipomas are rare nonepithelial neoplasms, but represent the most common benign tumors in the large intestine. Most colonic lipomas present as submucosal, sessile polypoid masses with intact mucosa, and they rarely produce symptoms when < 2 cm in diameter. However, all the intussuscepted lipomas in the literature had a tumor size > 4 cm in diameter. As the clinical presentations of adult intussusception are not pathognomonic and the image study may not provide a typical presentation, a precise preoperative diagnosis of whether a benign or malignant tumor is causing the colon intussusception can be difficult. Here, we report the case of a 50‐year‐old man who presented with abdominal pain and lower gastrointestinal bleeding and was diagnosed postoperatively with ileocecal valve lipoma with cecal‐transverse colon intussusception. This report emphasizes colonic lipomas > 4 cm in diameter should receive surgical resection before intussusception develops. However, if the nature of the tumor causing colon intussusception cannot be identified before the operation, en bloc resection is recommended as there is a high risk of malignancy spreading.
Successful Implementation of an Enhanced Recovery Pathway: The Nurse's Role
Authors: Brady Karen M. , Keller Deborah S. , Delaney Conor P.
Published: October 2015

Enhanced recovery pathways (ERPs) are standardized, multidisciplinary approaches to caring for patients with a goal of decreasing length of stay and care costs without negatively affecting patient outcomes. One facility successfully implemented ERPs for patients undergoing abdominal surgery. For implementation to be successful, nurses were found to be key in providing education, perioperative care, and postoperative evaluation, as well as cost containment. The implementation team collaborated to define, design, implement, and audit an ERP for surgical services. Initial audits demonstrated an increase in compliance with order set use (61% to 93%) and use of ERPs more than standardized order sets (< 1% to 27%), as well as decreased use of daily laboratory orders (94% to 62%) and elimination of automatically ordered laboratory tests (38% to 0%). These results led to the conclusion that the nurse's role is essential for education and successful use of the pathways and that best practices for developing ERPs requires consistency across the care team, diligence to ensure compliance, and use of an audit tool for quality improvement.
The Clinical Use of Intravenous Acetaminophen Postoperatively on Patients Who Have Undergone Bowel Surgery
Authors: Ziolkowski Kristi , Kaufman Jessica , Jambunathan Jaya , Berge Jon , Menet Luke , Chappy Sharon , Messerschmidt Marci
Published: October 2015

The purpose of this quality improvement project was to determine the effect of using IV acetaminophen postoperatively for 48 hours or until a return to a general diet in adult patients who have undergone bowel surgery at a Midwestern hospital. The sample included 50 adults who underwent bowel surgery and a comparison group of 50 adult patients of the same surgeons who received usual care before the intervention period. Outcome measures included the number of narcotic requests after surgery and the number of hours from the end surgical time to (1) first bowel movement, (2) return to a general diet, (3) first hallway ambulation, and (4) discharge. The data analysis revealed a significant improvement in the time to ambulation (acetaminophen group, 14.46 hours versus 30.51 hours; P = .036). The results of this project inform current postoperative care management at the Midwestern hospital in which the project was conducted.
Complementariedad de las inversiones a largo plazo y de capital de trabajo ante oportunidades de negocios y consideraciones de liquidez en países latinoamericanos
Authors: Valencia Herrera Humberto
Published: October 2015

El objetivo del estudio es analizar la relación entre la inversión a largo plazo y la inversión de capital de trabajo, para lo cual se utiliza el método de mínimos cuadrados generalizados para paneles con corrección de errores por hetercedasticidad y autocorrelación específica por panel. A partir de lo anterior se encuentra que la inversión en activos a largo plazo en las empresas que cotizan en la bolsa de 7 de los principales países latinoamericanos está precedida por aumentos en el capital de trabajo, lo que fortalece la hipótesis de que se da en respuesta a mejoras en las oportunidades de negocios. Esta relación es estadísticamente significativa en lo general y en empresas que tienen alto o mediano apalancamiento, más no en las de bajo.
Emphasis on Diversity of Religious Views in Social Studies: A National Survey of Social Studies Teachers
Authors: Hartwick James M.M. , Hawkins Jeffrey M. , Schroeder Mark P.
Published: October 2015

Based on a national social studies survey that included over 10,000 respondents from 44 states, this study examined the emphasis on diversity of religious view (EDRV) in public school P-12 social studies classrooms. This article addresses the following research questions: (1) how do teachers of different subjects (economics, history, and civics) or courses (e.g., U.S. history and world history) compare in their relative EDRV; and (2) what is the association—if any—between the relative importance of cultivating critical thinking/decision-making skills as a primary purpose for teaching social studies and EDRV? Teachers of different social studies subject areas differed ( F [6, 499]=13.83, p<0.001, η2=0.13), on their relative EDRV. There was also a positive relationship ( F [4, 10,072]=115.83, p<0.001) between teachers who believe that the primary purpose for teaching social studies is the cultivation of critical thinking/decision-making skills and the frequency with which they emphasize diversity of religious views (EDRV). The article discusses these findings and their implications on teacher education.
Allo‐reactive T cells for the treatment of hematological malignancies
Authors: Falkenburg J.H.F. , Jedema I.
Published: October 2015

Several mechanisms can be responsible for control of hematological tumors by allo‐reactive T cells. Following allogeneic stem cell transplantation (alloSCT) donor T cells recognizing genetic disparities presented on recipient cells and not on donor cells are main effectors of tumor control, but also of the detrimental graft versus host disease (GVHD). Since after transplantation normal hematopoiesis is of donor origin, any T cell response directed against polymorphic antigens expressed on hematopoietic recipient cells but not on donor cells will result in an anti‐tumor response not affecting normal hematopoiesis. After fully HLA‐matched alloSCT, T cells recognizing polymorphic peptides derived from proteins encoded by genes selectively expressed in hematopoietic lineages may result in anti‐tumor responses without GVHD. Due to the high susceptibility of hematopoietic cells for T cell recognition, a low amplitude of the overall T cell response may also be in favor of the anti‐tumor reactivity in hematological malignancies. A mismatch between donor and patient for specific HLA‐alleles can also be exploited to induce a selective T cell response against patient (malignant) hematopoietic cells. If restricting HLA class II molecules are selectively expressed on hematopoietic cells under non‐inflammatory circumstances, allo HLA class‐II responses may control the tumor with limited risk of GVHD. Alternatively, T cells recognizing hematopoiesis‐restricted antigens presented in the context of mismatched HLA alleles may be used to treat patients with hematological cancers. This review discusses various ways to manipulate the allo‐immune response aiming to exploit the powerful ability of allo‐reactive T‐cells to control the malignancies without causing severe damage to non‐hematopoietic tissues.
Bypassing the blood–brian barrier using established skull base reconstruction techniques
Authors: Miyake Marcel M. , Bleier Benjamin S.
Published: October 2015

Background

Neurological disorders represent a profound healthcare problem accounting for 6.3% of the global disease burden. Alzheimer's disease alone is expected to impact over 115 million people worldwide by 2050 with a cost of over $1 trillion per year to the U.S. economy. Despite considerable advances in our understanding of the pathogenesis and natural history of neurological disorders, the development of disease modifying therapies have failed to keep pace. This lack of effective treatments is directly attributable to the presence of the blood–brain and blood–cerebrospinal fluid barriers (BBB and BCSFB) which prevent up to 98% of all potential neuropharmaceutical agents from reaching the central nervous system (CNS). These obstacles have thereby severely limited research and development into novel therapeutic strategies for neurological disease. Current experimental methods to bypass the BBB, including pharmacologic modification and direct transcranial catheter implantation, are expensive, are associated with significant complications, and cannot be feasibly scaled up to meet the chronic needs of a large, aging patient population.

Transmucosal drug delivery

An innovative method of direct CNS drug delivery using heterotopic mucosal grafts was described. This method is based on established endoscopic skull base nasoseptal flap reconstruction techniques. The model has successfully demonstrated CNS delivery of chromophore‐tagged molecules 1000 times larger than those typically permitted by the BBB.

Conclusions

This innovative technique represents the first described method of permanently bypassing the blood–brain barrier using purely autologous tissues. This has the potential to dramatically improve the current treatment of neurological disease by providing a safe and chronic transnasaldelivery pathway for high molecular weight neuropharmaceuticals.
Clinicopathological significance of p16, cyclin D1, Rb and MIB‐1 levels in skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma
Authors: Liu Jun‐qi , Zhang Qiu‐hang , Wang Zhen‐lin
Published: October 2015

Objective

To investigate the expression of p16, cyclin D1, retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (Rb) and MIB‐1 in skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma tissues, and to determine the clinicopathological significance of the above indexes in these diseases.

Methods

A total of 100 skull base chordoma, 30 chondrosarcoma, and 20 normal cartilage tissue samples were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The expression levels of p16, cyclinD1, Rb and MIB‐1 proteins were assessed for potential correlation with the clinicopathological features.

Results

As compared to normal cartilage specimen (control), there was decreased expression of p16, and increased expression of cyclin D1, Rb and MIB‐1 proteins, in both skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma specimens. MIB‐1 LI levels were significantly increased in skull base chordoma specimens with negative expression of p16, and positive expression of cyclin D1 and Rb (P < 0.05). Significantly elevated MIB‐1 LI was also detected in skull base chondrosarcoma tissues, while there was negative expression of p16, cyclin D1 and Rb (P < 0.05). In skull base chordoma, p16 negatively correlated with cyclin D1 and Rb, while cyclin D1 positively correlated with Rb. Additionally, p16, cyclin D1, Rb, or MIB‐1 expression showed no correlation with age, gender, or pathological classification of patients with skull base chordoma (P > 0.05). However, p16 and MIB‐1 levels correlated with the intradural invasion, and expression of p16, Rb and MIB‐1 correlated with the number of tumor foci (P < 0.05). Further, the expression of p16 and MIB‐1 appeared to correlate with the prognosis of patients with skull base chordoma.

Conclusions

The abnormal expression of p16, cyclin D1 and Rb proteins might be associated with the tumorigenesis of skull base chordoma and chondrosarcoma.
Salvage surgery for nasopharyngeal cancer
Authors: Tsang Raymond K. , Wei William I.
Published: October 2015

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a special type of head and neck cancer with a widely variable geographical variation in incidence. The central location of the tumor inside the head coupled with the radiosensitivity of the tumor to radiation made radiation therapy the first choice in primary treatment of NPC. Advances in radiotherapy and chemotherapy have markedly improved the local control of NPC. Unfortunately, a small but significant number of patients still suffered from loco‐regional failures that would be amenable to re‐treatment. Traditional form of retreatment was to employ a second course of radiation. The efficacy of re‐irradiation to treat local of regional recurrent NPC has been suboptimal. Moreover, the local tissue had already received a high dose of radiation and the second radiation could result in radiation toxicities to the local tissue, leading to significant complications.

Surgical salvage, on the other hand, could spare the patients from complications of re‐treatment. Due to the difficult access of the nasopharynx, various surgical approaches had been devised for nasopharyngectomy. The maxillary swing approach had the largest published experience with over 300 cases from various centers. In the recent decade, the endoscopic approach with or without robotic assistance had gained popularity for resecting small, centrally located recurrences. This minimally invasive approach further reduced the morbidity for treating locally recurrent NPC.

Nodal recurrences had been a rare entity after the introduction of modern radiotherapy technique and concurrent chemotherapy. Treatment of nodal failure with second radiation has dismal results. Surgical removal of the lymph node harboring the recurrence should be in the form of a formal radical neck dissection. In cases of extensive nodal recurrence where microscopic disease may be present after a formal neck dissection, additional radiotherapy can be delivered with after‐loading brachytherapy.

Surgical treatment played a definitive role in salvage of loco‐regional failures of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.
Age of Mammuthus trogontherii from Kostolac, Serbia, and the entry of megaherbivores into Europe during the Late Matuyama climate revolution
Authors: Muttoni Giovanni , Scardia Giancarlo , Dimitrijević Vesna , Kent Dennis V. , Monesi Edoardo , Mrdjić Nemanja , Korać Miomir
Published: October 2015

At the Drmno open-pit coal mine near Kostolac in Serbia, a nearly complete skeleton of Mammuthus trogontherii (nicknamed Vika) was discovered in a fluvial deposit overlain by a loess–paleosol sequence where a second paleontological level named Nosak with remains of M. trogontherii was found. We studied the magnetostratigraphy of the Kostolac sedimentary sequence and found that the Vika layer dates to ~ 0.8 Ma, shortly before the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary. In addition, according to our age model and previously reported optically stimulated luminescence and electron spin resonance dates, the Nosak fossils have an estimated age of 0.19 Ma and lived during the earliest part of Marine Isotope Stage 6. It appears therefore that at Kostolac, M. trogontherii is preserved both at its earliest occurrence at ~ 0.8 Ma and close to its latest occurrence at 0.19 Ma, and may well have been present in between, albeit not yet found. We speculate that megaherbivores such as M. trogontherii entered Europe along a conjunct Danube–Po River migration conduit connecting western Asia-Levant with central-southern Europe where vast and exploitable ecosystems, particularly suited for steppe- or savanna-adapted megaherbivores from Asia and Africa, developed during the late early Pleistocene climate revolution at around 0.8 Ma.
Diabetes and Risk of Surgical Site Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Martin Emily T. , Kaye Keith S. , Knott Caitlin , Nguyen Huong , Santarossa Maressa , Evans Richard , Bertran Elizabeth , Jaber Linda
Published: October 2015

OBJECTIVE

To determine the independent association between diabetes and surgical site infection (SSI) across multiple surgical procedures.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS

Studies indexed in PubMed published between December 1985 and through July 2015 were identified through the search terms “risk factors” or “glucose” and “surgical site infection.” A total of 3,631 abstracts were identified through the initial search terms. Full texts were reviewed for 522 articles. Of these, 94 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Standardized data collection forms were used to extract study-specific estimates for diabetes, blood glucose levels, and body mass index (BMI). A random-effects meta-analysis was used to generate pooled estimates, and meta-regression was used to evaluate specific hypothesized sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

The primary outcome was SSI, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention surveillance criteria. The overall effect size for the association between diabetes and SSI was odds ratio (OR)=1.53 (95% predictive interval [PI], 1.11–2.12; I2, 57.2%). SSI class, study design, or patient BMI did not significantly impact study results in a meta-regression model. The association was higher for cardiac surgery 2.03 (95% PI, 1.13–4.05) compared with surgeries of other types (P=.001).

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the consideration of diabetes as an independent risk factor for SSIs for multiple surgical procedure types. Continued efforts are needed to improve surgical outcomes for diabetic patients.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol.2015;37(1):88–99
A novel heat transfer switch using the yield stress
Authors: Karimfazli I. , Frigaard I. A. , Wachs A.
Published: October 2015

We explore the feasibility of a novel method for the regulation of heat transfer across a cavity, by using a controllable yield stress in order to suppress the convective heat transfer. Practically, this type of control can be actuated with electro-rheological or magneto-rheological fluids. We demonstrate that above a given critical yield stress value only static steady regimes are possible, i.e. a purely conductive unyielded fluid fills the cavity. We show that this limit is governed by a balance of yield stress and buoyancy stresses, here described by $B$. With proper formulation the critical state can be described as a function of the domain geometry, and is independent of other dimensionless flow parameters (Rayleigh number, $\mathit{Ra}$, and Prandtl number, $\mathit{Pr}$). On the theoretical side, we examine the conditional stability of the static regime. We derive conservative conditions on disturbance energy to ensure that perturbations from a static regime decay to zero. Assuming stability, we show that the kinetic energy of the perturbed field decays to zero in a finite time, and give estimates for the stopping time, $t_{0}$. This allows us to predict the response of the system in suppressing advective heat transfer. The unconditional stability is also considered for the first time, illustrating the role of yield stress. We focus on the hydrodynamic characteristics of Bingham fluids in transition between conductive and convective limits. We use computational simulations to resolve the Navier–Stokes and energy equations for different yield stresses, and for different imposed controls. We show that depending on the initial conditions, a yield stress less than the critical value can result in temporary arrest of the flow. The temperature then develops conductively until the fluid yields and the flow restarts. We provide estimates of the hydrodynamic timescales of the problem and examples of flow transitions. In total, the theoretical and computational results establish that this methodology is feasible as a control, at least from a hydrodynamic perspective.
Citibank, Credit Cards, and the Local Politics of National Consumer Finance, 1968–1991
Authors: Vanatta Sean H.
Published: October 2015

Within the postwar financial regulatory system, state-level regulations—particularly interest rate limits—constrained the profitability of bank credit card plans. But differences in law among the states allowed motivated institutions to circumvent local laws using these mobile financial instruments. Eventually, banks themselves became mobile, placing irresistible pressure on states to eliminate local restrictions on consumer finance. The critical moment came when Citibank relocated its credit card business to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1981. By examining this move in its longer context, this essay provides a new perspective on the rise of consumer finance in the late twentieth century, one that emphasizes strategic manipulation of local law by firms pursuing a national customer base.
Social Influence in the Housing Market
Authors: Pan Carrie H. , Pirinsky Christo A.
Published: October 2015

We utilize the decennial U.S. Census to study social effects in housing consumption across 4 million households from 126 ethnic groups and 2,071 geographic locations in the United States. We find that the homeownership decisions within ethnic groups are locally correlated, after controlling for the homeownership rates within the group and the region. Social influence is stronger for younger, less educated, and lower-income individuals; immigrants; and Americans with ancestors from more unequal, uncertainty-avoiding, and collectivistic cultures. Our results suggest that both status and information considerations play an important role in the social comparison process in capital markets.
Conservation of snow leopards: spill-over benefits for other carnivores?
Authors: Alexander Justine S. , Cusack Jeremy J. , Pengju Chen , Kun Shi , Riordan Philip
Published: October 2015

In high-altitude settings of Central Asia the Endangered snow leopard Panthera uncia has been recognized as a potential umbrella species. As a first step in assessing the potential benefits of snow leopard conservation for other carnivores, we sought a better understanding of the presence of other carnivores in areas occupied by snow leopards in China's Qilianshan National Nature Reserve. We used camera-trap and sign surveys to examine whether other carnivores were using the same travel routes as snow leopards at two spatial scales. We also considered temporal interactions between species. Our results confirm that other carnivores, including the red fox Vulpes vulpes, grey wolf Canis lupus, Eurasian lynx Lynx lynx and dhole Cuon alpinus, occur along snow leopard travel routes, albeit with low detection rates. Even at the smaller scale of our camera trap survey all five carnivores (snow leopard, lynx, wolf, red fox and dhole) were observed. Kernel density estimates suggested a high degree of temporal overlap between the snow leopard and the fox, and the snow leopard and the lynx, as indicated by high overlap coefficient estimates. There is an opportunity to consider protective measures at the local scale that would benefit various species simultaneously. However, it should also be recognized that snow leopard conservation efforts could exacerbate human–wildlife conflicts through their protective effect on other carnivore species.
Randomized controlled trial of group cognitive behavioral therapy compared to a discussion group for co-morbid anxiety and depression in older adults
Authors: Wuthrich V. M. , Rapee R. M. , Kangas M. , Perini S.
Published: October 2015

Background

Co-morbid anxiety and depression in older adults is associated with worse physical and mental health outcomes and poorer response to psychological and pharmacological treatments in older adults. However, there is a paucity of research focused on testing the efficacy of the co-morbid treatment of anxiety and depression in older adults using psychological interventions. Accordingly, the primary objective of the current study was to test the effects of a group cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) program in treating co-morbid anxiety and depression in a sample of older age adults.

Method

A total of 133 community-dwelling participants aged ⩾60 years (mean age = 67.35, s.d. = 5.44, male = 59) with both an anxiety disorder and unipolar mood disorder, as assessed on the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule (ADIS), were randomly allocated to an 11-week CBT group or discussion group. Participants with Mini-Mental State Examination scores <26 were excluded. Participants were assessed pre-treatment, post-treatment and at 6 months follow-up on the ADIS, a brief measure of well-being, Geriatric Anxiety Inventory and Geriatric Depression Scale.

Results

Both conditions resulted in significant improvements over time on all diagnostic, symptom and wellbeing measures. Significant group × time interaction effects emerged at post-treatment only for diagnostic severity of the primary disorder, mean severity of all anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and all disorders, and recovery rates on primary disorder.

Conclusion

Group CBT produced faster and sustained improvements in anxiety and depression on diagnostic severity and recovery rates compared to an active control in older adults.
Who are gynandromorphophilic men? Characterizing men with sexual interest in transgender women
Authors: Hsu K. J. , Rosenthal A. M. , Miller D. I. , Bailey J. M.
Published: October 2015

Background

Gynandromorphophilia (GAMP) is sexual interest in gynandromorphs (GAMs; colloquially, shemales). GAMs possess a combination of male and female physical characteristics. Thus, GAMP presents a challenge to conventional understandings of sexual orientation as sexual attraction to the male v. female form. Speculation about GAMP men has included the ideas that they are homosexual, heterosexual, or especially, bisexual.

Method

We compared genital and subjective sexual arousal patterns of GAMP men with those of heterosexual and homosexual men. We also compared these groups on their self-ratings of sexual orientation and sexual interests.

Results

GAMP men had arousal patterns similar to those of heterosexual men and different from those of homosexual men. However, compared to heterosexual men, GAMP men were relatively more aroused by GAM erotic stimuli than by female erotic stimuli. GAMP men also scored higher than both heterosexual and homosexual men on a measure of autogynephilia.

Conclusions

Results provide clear evidence that GAMP men are not homosexual. They also indicate that GAMP men are especially likely to eroticize the idea of being a woman.
Lifecourse transitions, gender and drinking in later life
Authors: HOLDSWORTH CLARE , FRISHER MARTIN , MENDONÇA MARINA , DE OLIVEIRIA CESAR , PIKHART HYNEK , SHELTON NICOLA
Published: October 2015

Older people consume less alcohol than any other adult age group. However, in recent years survey data on alcohol consumption in the United Kingdom have shown that while younger age groups have experienced a decline in alcohol consumption, drinking behaviours among the elderly have not reduced in the same way. This paper uses data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing to analyse both the frequency and quantity of older adult's alcohol consumption using a lifecourse approach over a ten-year period. Overall drinking declined over time and the analysis examined how socio-economic characteristics, partnership, employment and health statuses were associated with differences in drinking behaviours and how these changed over time. Higher wealth and level of education were associated with drinking more and drinking more frequently for men and women. Poorer self-rated health was associated with less frequent consumption and older people with poor and deteriorating health reported a steeper decline in the frequency of alcohol consumption over time. Men who were not in a partnership drank more than other men. For women, loss of a partner was associated with a steeper decline in drinking behaviours. These findings have implications for programmes to promote responsible drinking among older adults as they suggest that, for the most part, characteristics associated with sustaining wellbeing in later life are also linked to consuming more alcohol.
Positive definite *-spherical functions, property (T) and C*-completions of Gelfand pairs
Authors: LARSEN NADIA S. , PALMA RUI
Published: October 2015

The study of existence of a universal C*-completion of the *-algebra canonically associated to a Hecke pair was initiated by Hall, who proved that the Hecke algebra associated to (SL2($\mathbb{Q}$p), SL2($\mathbb{Z}$p)) does not admit a universal C*-completion. Kaliszewski, Landstad and Quigg studied the problem by placing it in the framework of Fell–Rieffel equivalence, and highlighted the role of other C*-completions. In the case of the pair (SLn($\mathbb{Q}$p), SLn($\mathbb{Z}$p)) for n ⩾ 3 we show, invoking property (T) of SLn($\mathbb{Q}$p), that the C*-completion of the L1-Banach algebra and the corner of C*(SLn($\mathbb{Q}$p)) determined by the subgroup are distinct. In fact, we prove a more general result valid for a simple algebraic group of rank at least 2 over a $\mathfrak{p}$-adic field with a good choice of a maximal compact open subgroup.
The role of the opioid system in binge eating disorder
Authors: Giuliano Chiara , Cottone Pietro
Published: October 2015

Binge eating disorder is characterized by excessive, uncontrollable consumption of palatable food within brief periods of time. Excessive intake of palatable food is thought to be driven by hedonic, rather than energy homeostatic, mechanisms. However, reward processing does not only comprise consummatory actions; a key component is represented by the anticipatory phase directed at procuring the reward. This phase is highly influenced by environmental food-associated stimuli, which can robustly enhance the desire to eat even in the absence of physiological needs. The opioid system (endogenous peptides and their receptors) has been strongly linked to the rewarding aspects of palatable food intake, and perhaps represents the key system involved in hedonic overeating. Here we review evidence suggesting that the opioid system can also be regarded as one of the systems that regulates the anticipatory incentive processes preceding binge eating hedonic episodes.
In-situ TEM Study of Optical and Mechanical Effects on Electrical Properties of CuO Nanowires
Authors: Kim S.J. , Jokisaari J.R. , Kargar A. , Wang D. , Pan X.
Published: October 2015

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, August 4 – August 8, 2013.
Risk, Resource, Redemption? The Parenting and Custodial Experiences of Young Offender Fathers
Authors: Ladlow Linzi , Neale Bren
Published: October 2015

Drawing on an ESRC funded qualitative longitudinal study of young fatherhood, this article explores the experiences of young offender fathers, the complex intersection of offender and fatherhood pathways for young men and the impact of professional support and tailored intervention programmes on these processes. The article challenges the axiom of young offender fathers as inherently ‘risky’, and suggests the utility of a dynamic, life course approach to criminal policy and practice that recognises the fluidity of their life journeys, and brings ideas of redemption more centrally into the picture.
PERIODS OF AUTOMORPHIC FORMS: THE TRILINEAR CASE
Authors: Yamana Shunsuke
Published: October 2015

Following Jacquet, Lapid and Rogawski, we regularize trilinear periods. We use the regularized trilinear periods to compute Fourier–Jacobi periods of residues of Eisenstein series on metaplectic groups, which has an application to the Gan–Gross–Prasad conjecture.
Formulation as intervention: case report and client experience of formulating in therapy
Authors: Thew Graham R. , Krohnert Nadja
Published: October 2015

Formulation is widely considered a critical component of psychological therapies, and is thought to have a number of benefits both for the therapeutic process and the client directly. However, the evidence base supporting formulation and its possible interventive capacity is limited, and there is little empirical evidence exploring how clients perceive formulation as part of therapy. Work with the client described in this single case report provided an opportunity to explore the use of formulation as intervention and evaluate ways in which it may or may not prove helpful by interviewing the client directly about her experience of the process. Implications for further research on the use and outcomes of formulation are discussed.
Childhood obesity: a (re) programming disease?
Authors: Paes S. T. , Gonçalves C. F. , Terra M. M. , Fontoura T. S. , Guerra M. de O. , Peters V. M. , Mathias P. C. de F. , Andreazzi A. E.
Published: October 2015

The aim of our article was to review the current literature on the effects of metabolic (re) programming on childhood obesity. PubMed/MEDLINE was the data source used to track the studies. Descriptors applied: children obesity, epigenetic, metabolic programming, exercise and nutrition. The focus was to analyze and discuss the international findings on the theme. The gathering of the papers was performed between June and August 2014. The search of articles with the descriptors used found 33.054 studies. In all, 5.709 studies were selected by crossing chosen keywords. Among these, after careful reading of the titles, 712 papers were considered potential as references. After applying inclusion/exclusion criteria, 50 studies were selected from 132 eligible abstracts. Most studies linked the development and treatment of obesity from epigenetically stimulated metabolic programming during the early stages of pregnancy and life. This review provides theoretical basis to the understanding that the programmed development of childhood obesity may be linked to early exposure to environmental factors, such as (nutrition and regular practice of exercise) and stimulus can epigenetically alter the modulation of the obesogenic metabolic behavior during pregnancy and the developmental stages of children and/or postpone the pathophysiologic disease stage to adulthood.
Supranational public reason: On legitimacy of supranational norm-producing authorities
Authors: SADURSKI WOJCIECH
Published: October 2015

The emergence of strong authorities beyond the nation state has raised questions about the absence of democratic legitimacy at the supranational level. The usual response to this dilemma has been an attempt to uncouple the strict link between national statehood and democracy, and in the process, to confer a degree of legitimacy on supranational authorities. This article argues that such an uncoupling is unconvincing, and that within the legitimacy-democracy-statehood triangle, the uncoupling of legitimacy and democracy is a more promising strategy. The legitimacy of supranational authorities is grounded in their appeal to ‘public reason’ – a legitimacy-conferring device well-suited to supranational authorities, as illustrated in this article by the examples of the European Court of Human Rights and the WTO dispute settlement system. On this basis, the article argues that we should not see the relationship between statehood legitimacy (based optimally on electoral democracy) and supranational legitimacy (based on public reason) as mutually antagonistic and engaged in zero-sum competition. Rather, this relationship allows scope for synergy, with supranational authorities often playing an important role in supporting democracy at the nation-state level.
Local anesthetics induce autophagy in young permanent tooth pulp cells
Authors: Zhuang H , Hu D , Singer D , Walker J V , Nisr R B , Tieu K , Ali K , Tredwin C , Luo S , Ardu S , Hu B
Published: October 2015

Pulp cells are essential for tooth development, and dentin repair and regeneration. In addition these cells have been identified as an important stem cell source. Local anesthetics are widely used in dental clinics, as well as the other clinical disciplines and have been suggested to interfere with human permanent tooth development and induce tooth agenesis through unknown mechanisms. Using pig model and human young permanent tooth pulp cells, our research has identified that the local anesthetics commonly used in clinics can affect cell proliferation. Molecular pathway profiling suggested that LC3II is one of the earliest molecules induced by the agents and p62 is the only common downstream target identified for all the drugs tested. The effect of the drugs could be partially recovered by V-ATPase inhibitor only if early intervention is performed. Our results provide novel evidence that local anesthetics could affect tooth cell growth that potentially can have impacts on tooth development.
High-performing nonlinear visualization of terahertz radiation on a silicon charge-coupled device
Authors: Shalaby Mostafa , Vicario Carlo , Hauri Christoph P.
Published: October 2015

Photoinduced electron transitions can lead to significant changes of the macroscopic electronic properties in semiconductors. This principle is responsible for the detection of light with charge-coupled devices. Their spectral sensitivity is limited by the semiconductor bandgap which has restricted their visualization capabilities to the optical, ultraviolet, and X-ray regimes. The absence of an imaging device in the low frequency terahertz range has severely hampered the advance of terahertz imaging applications in the past. Here we introduce a high-performing imaging concept to the terahertz range. On the basis of a silicon charge-coupled device we visualize 5–13 THz radiation with photon energy under 2% of the sensor’s band-gap energy. The unprecedented small pitch and large number of pixels allow the visualization of complex terahertz radiation patterns in real time and with high spatial detail. This advance will have a great impact on a wide range of terahertz imaging disciplines.
A simple optimization approach for improving target dose homogeneity in intensity-modulated radiotherapy for sinonasal cancer
Authors: Lu Jia-Yang , Zhang Ji-Yong , Li Mei , Cheung Michael Lok-Man , Li Yang-Kang , Zheng Jing , Huang Bao-Tian , Zhang Wu-Zhe
Published: October 2015

Homogeneous target dose distribution in intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for sinonasal cancer (SNC) is challenging to achieve. To solve this problem, we established and evaluated a basal-dose-compensation (BDC) optimization approach, in which the treatment plan is further optimized based on the initial plans. Generally acceptable initial IMRT plans for thirteen patients were created and further optimized individually by (1) the BDC approach and (2) a local-dose-control (LDC) approach, in which the initial plan is further optimized by addressing hot and cold spots. We compared the plan qualities, total planning time and monitor units (MUs) among the initial, BDC, LDC IMRT plans and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans. The BDC approach provided significantly superior dose homogeneity/conformity by 23%–48%/6%–9% compared with both the initial and LDC IMRT plans, as well as reduced doses to the organs at risk (OARs) by up to 18%, with acceptable MU numbers. Compared with VMAT, BDC IMRT yielded superior homogeneity, inferior conformity and comparable overall OAR sparing. The planning of BDC, LDC IMRT and VMAT required 30, 59 and 58 minutes on average, respectively. Our results indicated that the BDC optimization approach can achieve significantly better dose distributions with shorter planning time in the IMRT for SNC.
The influence of red pepper powder on the density of Weissella koreensis during kimchi fermentation
Authors: Kang Bo Kyoung , Cho Min Seok , Ahn Tae-Young , Lee Eui Seok , Park Dong Suk
Published: October 2015

Weissella koreensis is a psychrophilic bacterium that is the dominant species found in kimchi and exhibits anti-obesity effects via its production of ornithine. In this study, we mined the genome of W. koreensis KACC15510 to identify species-specific genes that can serve as new targets for the detection and quantification of W. koreensis in kimchi. A specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer set for the membrane protein-encoding gene of W. koreensis KACC15510 was designed and investigated to quantify its sensitivity and specificity for detecting the bacterium in kimchi. The specificity of the primer set was evaluated using genomic DNA from eight isolates of W. koreensis, 11 different species of Weissella and 13 other reference lactic acid bacterium (LAB) strains. In addition, red pepper powder was observed to strongly influence the density of W. koreensis during kimchi fermentation.
Global hotspots in the present-day distribution of ancient animal and plant lineages
Authors: Procheş Şerban , Ramdhani Syd , Perera Sandun J. , Ali Jason R. , Gairola Sanjay
Published: October 2015

The current distribution of biotic lineages that emerged in the deep time has both theoretical and practical implications, in particular for understanding the processes that have forged present-day biodiversity and informing local and regional-scale conservation efforts. To date however, there has been no examination of such patterns globally across taxa and geological time. Here we map the diversity of selected extant seed plant and tetrapod vertebrate lineages that were already in existence either in the latest Triassic or latest Cretaceous. For Triassic-age linages, we find concentrations in several regions – both tropical and temperate – parts of North America, Europe, East and South-east Asia, northern South America and New Zealand. With Cretaceous-age lineages, high values are relatively uniformly distributed across the tropics, with peak the values along the Andes, in South-east Asia and Queensland, but also in the temperate Cape Mountains. These patterns result from a combination of factors, including land area, geographic isolation, climate stability and mass extinction survival ability. While the need to protect many of these lineages has been long recognised, a spatially-explicit approach is critical for understanding and maintaining the factors responsible for their persistence and this will need to be taken forward across finer scales.
Three dimensional imaging of gold-nanoparticles tagged samples using phase retrieval with two focus planes
Authors: Ilovitsh Tali , Ilovitsh Asaf , Weiss Aryeh , Meir Rinat , Zalevsky Zeev
Published: October 2015

Optical sectioning microscopy can provide highly detailed three dimensional (3D) images of biological samples. However, it requires acquisition of many images per volume and is therefore time consuming and may not be suitable for live cell 3D imaging. We propose the use of the modified Gerchberg-Saxton phase retrieval algorithm to enable full 3D imaging of gold-particle tagged samples using only two images. The reconstructed field is free space propagated to all other focus planes using post processing and the 2D z-stack is merged to create a 3D image of the sample with high fidelity. Because we propose to apply the phase retrieving on nano particles, the regular ambiguities typical to the Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm, are eliminated. The proposed concept is presented and validated both on simulated data as well as experimentally.
Endogenously elevated bilirubin modulates kidney function and protects from circulating oxidative stress in a rat model of adenine-induced kidney failure
Authors: Boon Ai-Ching , Lam Alfred K. , Gopalan Vinod , Benzie Iris F. , Briskey David , Coombes Jeff S. , Fassett Robert G. , Bulmer Andrew C.
Published: October 2015

Mildly elevated bilirubin is associated with a reduction in the presence and progression of chronic kidney disease and related mortality, which may be attributed to bilirubin’s antioxidant properties. This study investigated whether endogenously elevated bilirubin would protect against adenine-induced kidney damage in male hyperbilirubinaemic Gunn rats and littermate controls. Animals were orally administered adenine or methylcellulose solvent (vehicle) daily for 10 days and were then monitored for 28 days. Serum and urine were assessed throughout the protocol for parameters of kidney function and antioxidant/oxidative stress status and kidneys were harvested for histological examination upon completion of the study. Adenine-treated animals experienced weight-loss, polyuria and polydipsia; however, these effects were significantly attenuated in adenine-treated Gunn rats. No difference in the presence of dihydroadenine crystals, lymphocytic infiltration and fibrosis were noted in Gunn rat kidneys versus controls. However, plasma protein carbonyl and F2-isoprostane concentrations were significantly decreased in Gunn rats versus controls, with no change in urinary 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine or kidney tissue F2-isoprostane concentrations. These data indicated that endogenously elevated bilirubin specifically protects from systemic oxidative stress in the vascular compartment. These data may help to clarify the protective relationship between bilirubin, kidney function and cardiovascular mortality in clinical investigations.
Astroglial β-Arrestin1-mediated Nuclear Signaling Regulates the Expansion of Neural Precursor Cells in Adult Hippocampus
Authors: Tao Yezheng , Ma Li , Liao Zhaohui , Le Qiumin , Yu Jialing , Liu Xing , Li Haohong , Chen Yuejun , Zheng Ping , Yang Zhengang , Ma Lan
Published: October 2015

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis is crucial for preserving normal brain function, but how it is regulated by niche cells is uncertain. Here we show that β-arrestin 1 (β-arr1) in dentate gyrus (DG) regulates neural precursor proliferation. β-arr1 knockout (KO) mice show reduced neural precursor proliferation in subgranular zone (SGZ) which could be rescued by selective viral expression of β-arr1 but not its nuclear-function-deficient mutants under control of hGFAP promotor in DG. Compared with wild type astrocytes, β-arr1 KO astrocytes nurture less neurospheres and this may be attributed to changed activity of soluble, heat-sensitive excretive factors, such as BMP2. RNA-sequencing reveals that β-arr1 KO DG astrocytes exhibit an aberrant gene expression profile of niche factors, including elevated transcription of Bmp2. Taken together, our data suggest that β-arr1 mediated nuclear signaling regulates the production of excretive factors derived from niche astrocytes and expansion of neural precursors in DG, thus maintaining homeostasis of adult hippocampal neurogenesis.
Surface soil phytoliths as vegetation and altitude indicators: a study from the southern Himalaya
Authors: An Xiaohong , Lu Houyuan , Chu Guoqiang
Published: October 2015

Phytoliths represent one of the few available altitudinal vegetation proxies for mountain ecosystems. This study analyzed 41 topsoil phytolith samples collected from five altitudinal zones in the southern Himalaya as far as and beyond, the timberline, from tropical forest (up to 1,000 m a.s.l.) to subtropical forest (1,000–2,000 m a.s.l.), to temperate forest (2,000–3,000 m a.s.l.), to subalpine forest (3,000–4,100 m a.s.l.) and finally to alpine scrub (4,100–5,200 m a.s.l.). The statistical results show a good correlation between phytolith assemblages and these five altitudinal vegetation zones: the five phytolith assemblages identified effectively differentiated these five altitudinal vegetation zones. In particular, coniferous phytoliths accurately indicated the timberline. Additionally, we tested the phytolith index Ic (a proxy for estimating the percentage of Pooideae vis-à-vis the total grass content) as a quantifier of phytolith variety versus altitude. Ic increased along altitude, as expected. An investigation of phytoliths provided an initial basis for the analysis of the composition of gramineous vegetation. Furthermore, redundancy analysis and discriminant analysis also suggested a significant correlation between phytolith assemblages and altitude. Our research therefore provides an up-to-date analogue for the reconstruction of changes to palaeovegetation and palaeoaltitude in mountainous areas.