bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transarterial Chemoembolization in Combination with a Molecular Targeted Agent: Lessons Learned from Negative Trials (Post-TACE, BRISK-TA, SPACE, ORIENTAL, and TACE-2)
Authors: Kudo Masatoshi , Arizumi Tadaaki
Published: December 2017

The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib is the first oral molecular targeted agent with proven prognostic benefit in unresectable advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, as with other drugs, sorafenib has its limitations, and various clinical trials have been conducted to develop novel molecular targeted agents for use alone or in combination with existing locoregional therapies. Despite this, clinical trials of molecular targeted agents combined with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) have not reported major treatment outcomes to date. In this review, we describe previous clinical trials of combination therapy with TACE and a molecular targeted agent in patients with unresectable HCC.
Immune Privilege Collapse and Alopecia Development: Is Stress a Factor
Authors: Azzawi Soraya , Penzi Lauren R. , Senna Maryanne M.
Published: December 2017

Hair is a defining mammalian feature that serves as a hallmark of human communication. Given the critical significance of hair in social, religious, and political contexts, it is important to understand factors that play a role in hair loss disorders. The hair follicle is an immune privileged site, and mounting evidence suggests that the collapse of immune privilege contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune hair loss disorders, including alopecia areata and lichen planopilaris. This review comprehensively appraises the current literature to shed light on mechanisms for immune privilege collapse, and examines the role of neurogenic stress in triggering this process.
Systems Neuroscience of Psychosis: Mapping Schizophrenia Symptoms onto Brain Systems
Authors: Strik Werner , Stegmayer Katharina , Walther Sebastian , Dierks Thomas
Published: December 2017

Schizophrenia research has been in a deadlock for many decades. Despite important advances in clinical treatment, there are still major concerns regarding long-term psychosocial reintegration and disease management, biological heterogeneity, unsatisfactory predictors of individual course and treatment strategies, and a confusing variety of controversial theories about its etiology and pathophysiological mechanisms. In the present perspective on schizophrenia research, we first discuss a methodological pitfall in contemporary schizophrenia research inherent in the attempt to link mental phenomena with the brain: we claim that the time-honored phenomenological method of defining mental symptoms should not be contaminated with the naturalistic approach of modern neuroscience. We then describe our Systems Neuroscience of Psychosis (SyNoPsis) project, which aims to overcome this intrinsic problem of psychiatric research. Considering schizophrenia primarily as a disorder of interindividual communication, we developed a neurobiologically informed semiotics of psychotic disorders, as well as an operational clinical rating scale. The novel psychopathology allows disentangling the clinical manifestations of schizophrenia into behavioral domains matching the functions of three well-described higher-order corticobasal brain systems involved in interindividual human communication, namely, the limbic, associative, and motor loops, including their corticocortical sensorimotor connections. The results of several empirical studies support the hypothesis that the proposed three-dimensional symptom structure, segregated into the affective, the language, and the motor domain, can be specifically mapped onto structural and functional abnormalities of the respective brain systems. New pathophysiological hypotheses derived from this brain system-oriented approach have helped to develop and improve novel treatment strategies with noninvasive brain stimulation and practicable clinical parameters. In clinical practice, the novel psychopathology allows confining the communication deficits of the individual patient, shifting attention from the symptoms to the intact resources. We have studied this approach and observed important advantages for therapeutic alliances, personalized treatment, and de-escalation strategies. Future studies will further conjoin clinical definitions of psychotic symptoms with brain structures and functions, and disentangle structural and functional deficit patterns within these systems to identify neurobiologically distinct subsyndromes. Neurobiologically homogeneous patient groups may provide new momentum for treatment research. Finally, lessons learned from schizophrenia research may contribute to developing a comprehensive perspective on human experience and behavior that integrates methodologically distinct, but internally consistent, insights from humanities and neuroscience.
Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura Masking Hodgkin Disease: A Paraneoplastic Syndrome or Simply a Mere Association
Authors: Poponea Nicholas , Suede Mohanad , Muhsin Chisti Mohammad
Published: December 2017

We report a 74-year-old female who presented to the emergency department complaining of bruising and stroke-like symptoms. She underwent a negative stroke work-up but was found to have profoundly low platelets and splenomegaly on examination. An abdominal CT scan was ordered, showing pelvic lymphadenopathy. Lymphoma was suspected. However, subsequent bone marrow and lymph node biopsies showed no evidence of this. She was treated for immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) to no avail while a lymphoma work-up continued. Months later, a third and final lymph node biopsy yielded evidence of Hodgkin disease (HD) and she began treatment shortly thereafter. She is currently undergoing standard treatment for this malignancy and her platelet counts have normalized. The case not only outlines the importance of the physician’s gestalt in arriving at the proper diagnosis, but it also posits the thought that perhaps ITP should be considered a paraneoplastic syndrome of HD.
Subclinical Hypothyroidism Impact on the Characteristics of Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. A Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: de Medeiros Sebastião Freitas , de Medeiros Matheus Antônio Souto , Ormond Cinthia Marenza , Barbosa Jacklyne Silva , Yamamoto Márcia Marly Winck
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: Definitive polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) diagnosis should exclude thyroid dysfunctions. The purpose of the study is to examine the impact of subclinical hypothyroidism on the characteristics of PCOS patients. Methods: A meta-analysis of the published observational studies was conducted. Medline, Scopus, and Cochrane database search was performed to identify the studies that compared euthyroid PCOS and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH)-PCOS patients. A total of 9 studies were selected, totalizing the inclusion of 1,537 euthyroid PCOS and 301 SCH-PCOS. The data were expressed as raw mean difference and standard error, using the random-effects model. Heterogeneity among studies was examined using the Cochran’s test (Q) and I2 statistics. Results: Anthropometrical parameters were similar in both groups. Total cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) were higher in SCH-PCOS (p = 0.036 and p = 0.012). High-density lipoprotein cholesterol was lower in the SCH-PCOS group (p = 0.018). Fasting glucose was lower in euthyroid PCOS (p = 0.022). All androgen levels were similar in both group (p > 0.05 for all). Conclusion: TC, TG and fasting glucose were higher in SCH-PCOS patients. Because of the heterogeneity among studies, some summarized results should be interpreted with caution. Consistent data for future studies addressing PCOS diagnosis are provided.
Social Dimensions of Personal Growth following Widowhood: A Three-Wave Study
Authors: Recksiedler Claudia , Loter Katharina , Klaas Hannah S. , Hollstein Betina , Perrig-Chiello Pasqualina
Published: December 2017

Background: Losing one’s spouse is one of the most stressful life events in old age, yet research on positive consequences of overcoming critical life events describes experiences of personal growth for survivors. Objective: Because prior studies conceptualized personal growth as a stable accomplishment of an individual, our study challenges this assumption by examining trajectories of personal growth and its links to two aspects of social support. We assume that personal growth is boosted by heightened levels of loss-related social support seeking during early years of widowhood. However, toward the later stages in the bereavement process, we expect personal growth to be fostered by perceived social embeddedness. Data and Method: Data stem from a survey on relationships in later life conducted in 2012, 2014, and 2016 in Switzerland. The final analytical sample consisted of 508 individuals aged 50+ years, who were on average 73 years old and widowed for about 3 years at baseline. Longitudinal explorative factor analyses yielded a 3-factorial solution for personal growth. Random-effects group-specific growth curves were used to examine the trajectories of personal growth and its subdimensions, by different levels of loss-related social support seeking and embeddedness in a supportive network, over the first 8 years of widowhood. Our analyses included time-invariant and time-varying covariates. Results: On average, our findings point to a stable trajectory of personal growth after having become widowed in later life. Group-specific analyses, however, showed different courses in the trajectories for specific subdimensions of personal growth – particularly for spiritual change and appreciation of life. Average marginal effects also yielded group differences by loss-related support seeking in the level of personal growth over time, which highlight the importance of social support seeking, rather than social embeddedness, at all stages of the bereavement process. Conclusion: Findings underline the importance of a longitudinal and linked-lives perspective on personal growth and point to different pathways regarding its various subdimensions. Future research should further examine the validity of personal growth scales for other populations and consider the possibility to experience personal growth already during the anticipation of a traumatic event (e.g., in the case of long-term caretaking).
MiRNA and mRNA Profiling in Systemic Lupus Reveals a Novel Set of Cytokine - Related miRNAs and their Target Genes in Cases With and Without Renal Involvement
Authors: Jafari Ghods Farinaz , Topal Sarikaya Aysegul , Arda Nazli , Hamuryudan Vedat
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: MiRNAs transpire as promising elements in molecular medicine for the identification of new diagnostic, prognostic and targeting therapeutic biomarkers. This study consisted of four steps: First, to investigate one or a group of specific diagnostic miRNAs for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) disease in patients with and without renal involvement, second, to identify cytokines genes’ expression profiling, third, comparing the profiles with related amounts in the serum and finally, to study target-gene-mediated functional roles of miRNAs, which have been correlated to disease development and progression. Methods: In order to use in microarray assays total RNA and miRNAs were isolated from blood and serum samples that were obtained from 16 SLE patients (9 with renal involvement and 7 without renal involvement). Taking coexistence of factors such as hypocomplementemia, positive ANA and anti-DNA into account, obtained data were processed. For each differentially expressed miRNA, potential target genes were predicted by microRNAorg, TargetScan and PITA prediction tools. Obtained mRNA profiling data were interrogated for the target genes. MiRNA and mRNA microarray results were confirmed by QRT-PCR. Finally, the amounts of cytokines were measured by multiplex ELISA method. Results: The results of study showed that among differentially expressed miRNAs in SLE patients with renal involvement compared to those without renal involvement, hsa-miR-766-3p, may play pivotal roles in PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway. In addition according to the obtained data it is suggested that blood-borne proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-4, IL-6 and TNF-α alongside with disease stage and severity may contribute to this differential expression of these miRNA which may be leading to insulin resistance. Finally, hsa-miR-621, which was differentially expressed in hypertensive SLE patients without renal involvement and a positive ANA test with its predicted target gene “Kallikrein-related peptidase 9” may play a role in the pathophysiology of hypertension in SLE. Conclusions: We reported some human miRNAs which were differentially expressed in SLE patients according to disease activity and renal involvement. Larger studies are necessary to confirm our findings and detect further biomarkers.
Multiple MicroRNAs Ameliorate Hepatocyte Steatosis and Injury by Suppressing FABP1 Expression
Authors: Wu Yun-li , Zhu Yi-Bing , Huang Rong-dong , Peng Xian-e , Lin Xu
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: Liver fatty acid–binding protein (FABP1) is a key regulator of hepatic lipid metabolism. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are thought to be involved in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and the underlying mechanism is largely unclear. We investigated whether miRNAs influence hepatocyte steatosis by regulating the FABP1 gene. Methods: Candidate FABP1-targeting miRNAs were evaluated using luciferase reporter assay. FABP1 expression was measured using western blotting and quantitative reverse transcription–PCR. Intracellular lipid accumulation was measured based on Oil Red O staining and intracellular triglyceride content. Hepatocyte injury was evaluated based on culture supernatant levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and intracellular adenosine triphosphate, and mitochondrial membrane potential. Results: Dicer1 knockdown significantly elevated FABP1 expression. In total, 68 miRNAs potentially targeting FABP1 were selected; of these, miR-3941, miR-4517, and miR-4672 directly targeted the FABP1 3ʹ untranslated region. Mimics of the three miRNAs substantially repressed FABP1 expression at translational level and led to HepG2 cell resistance to steatosis and cell injury induced by free fatty acids mixture, which rescue of FABP1 overexpression reversed. Conclusion: Our findings identify a novel mechanism by which miRNAs protect against hepatocyte steatosis and injury by downregulating FABP1 expression.
Rsf-1 Influences the Sensitivity of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer to Paclitaxel by Regulating NF-κB Pathway and Its Downstream Proteins
Authors: Chen Xitao , Sun Xiaodi , Guan Jingqian , Gai Junda , Xing Jilin , Fu Lin , liu Shuli , Shen Feifei , Chen Keyan , Li Wenya , Han Libo , Li Qingchang
Published: December 2017

Background/Aims: The therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel is hampered by chemotherapeutic resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Rsf-1 enhanced paclitaxel resistance via nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in ovarian cancer cells and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This study assessed the function of Rsf-1 in the modulation of the sensitivity of NSCLC to paclitaxel via the NF-κB pathway. Methods: The mRNA and protein levels of the related genes were quantified by RT-PCR and Western blotting. Rsf-1 silencing was achieved with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing. Cell cycle, migration and proliferation were tested with flow cytometry, transwell test and CCK8 test. Cell apoptosis was analyzed with flow cytometry and quantification of C-capase3. The parameters of the tumors were measured in H460 cell xenograft mice. Results: Rsf-1 was highly expressed in H460 and H1299 cells. Rsf-1 knockout caused cell arrest at the G1 phase, increased cell apoptosis, and decreased migration and cell proliferation. Rsf-1 knockout increased the inhibition of cell proliferation, the reduction in cell migration and the augment in cell apoptosis in paclitaxel treated H460 and H1299 cells. Rsf-1 knockout further enhanced the paclitaxel-mediated decrease in the volume and weight of the tumors in H460 cell xenograft mice. Helenalin and Rsf-1 knockout decreased the protein levels of p-P65, BcL2, CFLAR, and XIAP; hSNF2H knockout decreased the protein level of NF-κB p-P65 without altering Rsf-1 and p65 protein levels, while Rsf-1 and hSNF2H double knockout decreased the level of NF-κB p-P65, in H1299 and H460 cells. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that Rsf-1 influences the sensitivity of NSCLC to paclitaxel via regulation of the NF-κB pathway and its downstream genes.
Football scout analysis models (based in the 2013/2014 Champions League)
Authors: Soncin Rafael , Pennone Juliana , Pinho João Pedro , Diniz Maraiza Campos , Claudino João Gustavo , Amadio Alberto Carlos , Serrão Júlio Cerca , Mezêncio Bruno
Published: December 2017

Conquistar as primeiras posições em competições de futebol é apenas para alguns times. Assim, um melhor entendimento do jogo se torna crucial mediante essa competitividade. O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar variáveis de scout que melhor descrevem as características técnicas e táticas dos times que participaram de Liga dos Campeões na temporada 2013/2014. Todos os jogos acessíveis das fases de classifi cação e das fi nais da Liga dos Campeões da UEFA (32 times e 126 partidas) foram analisados usando o scout dos dados disponíveis para domínio publico. As variáveis analisadas foram gols marcados, saldo de gols, fi nalizações totais, fi nalizações a gol, desarmes, escanteios, tiros de meta, passes certos, passes errados, número de faltas cometidas e posse de bola. As variáveis mais relevantes para descrever uma partida, apontadas pela analise de regressão múltipla foram as fi nalizações totais (r²=0.815), posse de bola (r²=0.748), passes certos (r²=0.742) e gols marcados (r²=0.699). O presente estudo foi capaz de mostrar como as informações obtidas pelo scout podem ser agrupadas para fácil aplicação pelos treinadores.
The european hegemony on International Olympic Committee
Authors: Giglio Sérgio Settani , Rubio Katia
Published: December 2017

Ao longo de mais de um século de existência o Comitê Olímpico Internacional (COI) teve apenas nove presidentes em sua história. Embora o fundador do COI, o barão Pierre de Coubertin, tenha procurado internacionalizar a entidade o Movimento Olímpico historicamente apresentou um predomínio europeu na gestão do esporte olímpico. A proposta desse artigo é fazer uma análise comparativa das biografi as ofi ciais dos presidentes do COI disponibilizadas no site da instituição com os documentos ofi ciais do COI (o Boletim Olímpico e o site ofi cial) e os jornais de época (Folha da Manhã, Folha de S. Paulo e O Estado de S. Paulo). Por meio da análise dessas diferentes fontes identifi camos críticas da gestão de cada presidente para além das imagens construídas pelo discurso ofi cial.
Selective Attention to Faces in a Rapid Visual Stream: Hemispheric Differences in Enhancement and Suppression of Category-selective Neural Activity
Authors: Quek Genevieve , Nemrodov Dan , Rossion Bruno , Liu-Shuang Joan
Published: December 2017

In daily life, efficient perceptual categorization of faces occurs in dynamic and highly complex visual environments. Yet the role of selective attention in guiding face categorization has predominantly been studied under sparse and static viewing conditions, with little focus on disentangling the impact of attentional enhancement and suppression. Here we show that attentional enhancement and suppression exert a differential impact on face categorization supported by the left and right hemispheres. We recorded 128-channel EEG while participants viewed a 6-Hz stream of object images (buildings, animals, objects, etc.) with a face image embedded as every fifth image (i.e., OOOOFOOOOFOOOOF…). We isolated face-selective activity by measuring the response at the face presentation frequency (i.e., 6 Hz/5 = 1.2 Hz) under three conditions: Attend Faces, in which participants monitored the sequence for instances of female faces; Attend Objects, in which they responded to instances of guitars; and Baseline, in which they performed an orthogonal task on the central fixation cross. During the orthogonal task, face-specific activity was predominantly centered over the right occipitotemporal region. Actively attending to faces enhanced face-selective activity much more evidently in the left hemisphere than in the right, whereas attending to objects suppressed the face-selective response in both hemispheres to a comparable extent. In addition, the time courses of attentional enhancement and suppression did not overlap. These results suggest the left and right hemispheres support face-selective processing in distinct ways—where the right hemisphere is mandatorily engaged by faces and the left hemisphere is more flexibly recruited to serve current tasks demands.
A new record in Argentina and lectotypification of Stromanthe boliviana K. Schum. (Marantaceae)
Authors: ZANOTTI CHRISTIAN A. , OSPINA JUAN C. , MARTÍN CLAUDIA M.
Published: December 2017

Stromanthe boliviana is recorded for the first time in northwestern Argentina. This species is lectotypified, and a complete morphological description, illustration, and pictures are provided
An Automated Baseline Correction Method Based on Iterative Morphological Operations
Authors: Chen Yunliang , Dai Liankui
Published: December 2017

Raman spectra usually suffer from baseline drift caused by fluorescence or other reasons. Therefore, baseline correction is a necessary and crucial step that must be performed before subsequent processing and analysis of Raman spectra. An automated baseline correction method based on iterative morphological operations is proposed in this work. The method can adaptively determine the structuring element first and then gradually remove the spectral peaks during iteration to get an estimated baseline. Experiments on simulated data and real-world Raman data show that the proposed method is accurate, fast, and flexible for handling different kinds of baselines in various practical situations. The comparison of the proposed method with some state-of-the-art baseline correction methods demonstrates its advantages over the existing methods in terms of accuracy, adaptability, and flexibility. Although only Raman spectra are investigated in this paper, the proposed method is hopefully to be used for the baseline correction of other analytical instrumental signals, such as IR spectra and chromatograms.
Electroconvulsive therapy in the continuation and maintenance treatment of depression: Systematic review and meta-analyses
Authors: Elias Alby , Phutane Vivek H , Clarke Sandy , Prudic Joan
Published: December 2017

Objective:

Acute course of electroconvulsive therapy is effective in inducing remission from depression, but recurrence rate is unacceptably high following termination of electroconvulsive therapy despite continued pharmacotherapy. Continuation electroconvulsive therapy and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy have been studied for their efficacy in preventing relapse and recurrence of depression. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to examine the efficacy of continuation electroconvulsive therapy and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy in preventing relapse and recurrence of depression in comparison to antidepressant pharmacotherapy alone.

Methods:

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, clinicaltrials.gov and Cochrane register of controlled trials from the database inception to December 2016 without restriction on language or publication status for randomized trials of continuation electroconvulsive therapy and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy. Two independent Cochrane reviewers extracted the data in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The risk of bias was assessed using four domains of the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool. Outcomes were pooled using random effect model. The primary outcome was relapse or recurrence of depression.

Results:

Five studies involving 436 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Analysis of the pooled data showed that continuation electroconvulsive therapy and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy, both with pharmacotherapy, were associated with significantly fewer relapses and recurrences than pharmacotherapy alone at 6 months and 1 year after a successful acute course of electroconvulsive therapy (risk ratio = 0.64, 95% confidence interval = [0.41, 0.98], p = 0.04, risk ratio = 0.46, 95% confidence interval = [0.21, 0.98], p = 0.05, respectively). There was insufficient data to perform a meta-analysis of stand-alone continuation electroconvulsive therapy or maintenance electroconvulsive therapy beyond 1 year.

Conclusion:

There are only a few randomized trials of continuation electroconvulsive therapy and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy. The preliminary and limited evidence suggests the modest efficacy of continuation electroconvulsive therapy and maintenance electroconvulsive therapy with concomitant pharmacotherapy in preventing relapse and recurrence of depressive episodes for 1 year after the remission of index episode with the acute course of electroconvulsive therapy.
The Influence of Hazard Maps and Trust of Flood Controls on Coastal Flood Spatial Awareness and Risk Perception
Authors: Houston Douglas , Cheung Wing , Basolo Victoria , Feldman David , Matthew Richard , Sanders Brett F. , Karlin Beth , Schubert Jochen E. , Goodrich Kristen A. , Contreras Santina , Luke Adam
Published: December 2017

Understanding the impact of digital, interactive flood hazard maps and flood control systems on public flood risk perception could enhance risk communication and management. This study analyzed a survey of residents living near California’s Newport Bay Estuary and found that self-rated nonspatial perceptions of dread or concern over future flood impacts were positively associated with spatial awareness of flood-prone areas. Trust in flood control systems was associated with greater spatial flood hazard awareness but weaker nonspatial dread or concern, suggesting residents who witnessed and trust flood control systems developed a confident sense of flood-prone areas and that this confidence reduced the overall nonspatial sense of flood dread and concern. Viewing a flood hazard map eliminated differences in spatial hazard awareness between subgroups that existed prior to viewing a map, and viewing a map with estimated flood depth and greater spatial differentiation was associated with higher levels of postmap spatial awareness.
Intergenerational Mobility and Changes in Drug Use Across the Life Course
Authors: Dennison Christopher R.
Published: December 2017

The consequences of “falling from grace”—or experiencing downward intergenerational mobility—are indeed becoming an abrupt reality for many entering the labor force. Scholars of social mobility speculate that such life course trajectories can result in antisocial behavior, but few have examined whether these trajectories lead to drug use. Thus, with the United States in the midst of a drug epidemic, as well as recovering from an economic recession, the study of social mobility may contribute to a better understanding of what causes individuals to turn to drugs. Using data from The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) and a series of logistic diagonal reference models, this study examines the association between intergenerational social mobility and drug use. Overall, I find evidence that downward mobility is associated with increases in drug use, with the relationship strongest among those experiencing the greatest loss in status.
Conscientious Objection and the State
Authors: Livny Adi
Published: December 2017

The abundant writing on conscientious objection (CO) had kept one significant actor rather neglected—the state. Relatively unexplored is the question of how democracies shape their policies toward CO. This article wishes to address this gap, focusing in particular on states that maintain conscription, and examining what accounts for their different responses to CO. Based on the Israeli case study, while drawing on comparative insights from The Federal Republic of Germany and Switzerland during the Cold War, I argue that states’ treatment of CO depends primarily on the military’s status and the type of roles assigned to conscription. States in which these roles are mainly functional, and the military does not enjoy, accordingly, a high symbolic status will be more inclined to formally recognize CO than states in which the military fulfills civilian–social roles and enjoys a high symbolic status. Lack of recognition, however, does not necessarily imply harshness; states of the latter sort might nonetheless accommodate CO through unofficial means. Thus, when discussing the policy towards CO a distinction is ought to be made between accommodation and recognition.
Raman spectroscopic characterization of cracking and hydrolysis of n-pentane and n-octadecane at 300–375℃ with geological implications
Authors: Wang Xiaolin , Song Yucai , Chou I-Ming , Qiu Ye
Published: December 2017

Hydrous and anhydrous isothermal experiments on n-pentane and n-octadecane were conducted at 300–375℃ for durations up to 1094 h to evaluate the cracking and hydrolysis of hydrocarbons, using fused silica capillary capsules as micro-reactors. The chemical compositions of the gaseous products during cracking of n-octadecane at 350 and 375℃ were methane, ethane, propane, and n-butane. The aqueous product in the hydrolysis of n-pentane and n-octadecane at 300–375℃ was alcohol. Alkenes and hydrogen were not detected throughout all the isothermal experiments. Results showed that the gaseous yields were characterized by higher contents of wet gas than those in natural gas accumulations. Mechanisms regulating the enrichment of methane in reservoirs should be further studied. The hydrolysis and oxidation of hydrocarbon were relatively limited in the absence of iron-bearing mineral buffers, suggesting that hydrocarbons might be more stable in iron-poor reservoirs (e.g. carbonate and quartz arenite) than in iron-bearing-mineral-rich ones (e.g. mudstone and arkose) under deep burial conditions. The absence of hydrogen was ascribed to its high diffusion rate in fused silica than in gold tube; any hydrogen produced in the reaction tends to diffuse out of the fused silica capsule with no or limited hydrogen accumulation, similar to those in geological environment. The diffusion of hydrogen should be considered during calculating the volume and pressure changes in the thermal cracking of oil to gas in reservoirs, because the loss of hydrogen would result in a decrease in the conversion rate of oil to gas.
And Labor Came to Us: Making Use of an Opportune Workforce—Enhancing Migrant Integration into British Economy
Authors: Hack-Polay Dieu , Mendy John
Published: December 2017

This article considers the opportunities presented by the availability of migrant labor in the U.K. employment market and its utilization. The research found that despite their qualifications, migrant labor is underutilized, thereby resulting in a readily available workforce being shunned and excluded from participative integration. This raises economic and ethical questions whose exploration revealed structural barriers (individually, communally, and institutionally) that impeded migrants’ fulfillment of citizenship obligations to host communities and U.K. businesses. The article’s key contribution is to highlight a skills mismatch and the persistent absence of institutional, communal, and strategic frameworks to support migrants’ integration.
Normative engagement across difference
Authors: Chin Clayton
Published: December 2017

This article addresses the problem of inter-normative engagement, of constructing dialogical interaction across substantive normative difference. Focusing on how this affects democratic and pluralistic contexts, it argues that a social-practice-based approach to normativity and reasoning offers unique resources to understand and frame such encounters. It specifically draws on pragmatism and the work of Richard Rorty to reframe normativity, authority, identity, and reason, linking these understandings to recent trends to deliberative political inclusivism in democratic theory. The upshot is that framing inter-normative engagement as calls to responsive engagement between diverse systems of normative authority offers real insights for constructing and maintaining ongoing democratic engagements in a non-hierarchical manner. This, the article argues, extends emerging methodological trends in the broader literature while overcoming the morass between conflict- and consensus-oriented approaches in democratic theory.
Stock raising and winter sheep camps in south-central Wyoming (1880–1957): An ethnoarchaeological example
Authors: Miller Mark E
Published: December 2017

Winter sheep camp locations on one ranch in south-central Wyoming are strongly influenced by particular landscape and topographic attributes. A patterned distribution of camps is suggested from both archaeological and ethnohistoric evidence. Sheep camps are one of the most ubiquitous archaeological sites in the region and offer valuable insights into the transhumant settlement pattern of the nineteenth and early twentieth century sheep industry. Our knowledge of this site type owes much to the growth of Cultural Resource Management over the last 40 years. The present study incorporates both participant interviews and Cultural Resource Management archaeology to offer a testable model for site location and content on sheep range in Carbon County, Wyoming.
Hold Or take Optimal Plan (HOOP): A quadratic programming approach to multi-robot trajectory generation
Authors: Tang Sarah , Thomas Justin , Kumar Vijay
Published: December 2017

In this work, we present Hold Or take Optimal Plan (HOOP), a centralized trajectory generation algorithm for labeled multi-robot systems operating in obstacle-free, two-dimensional, continuous workspaces. Given a team of N robots, each with nth-order dynamics, our algorithm finds trajectories that navigate vehicles from their start positions to non-interchangeable goal positions in a collision-free manner. The algorithm operates in two phases. In the motion planning step, a geometric algorithm finds a collision-free, piecewise-linear trajectory for each robot. In the trajectory generation step, each robot’s trajectory is refined into a higher-order piecewise polynomial with a quadratic program. The novelty of our method is in this problem decomposition. The motion plan, through abstracting away robots’ dynamics, can be found quickly. It is then subsequently leveraged to construct collision avoidance constraints for N decoupled quadratic programs instead of a single, coupled optimization problem, decreasing computation time. We prove that this method is safe, complete, and generates smooth trajectories that respect robots’ dynamics. We demonstrate the algorithm’s practicality through extensive quadrotor experiments.
Prognostic value of the maximum standardized uptake value of pre-treatment primary lesions in small-cell lung cancer on 18F-FDG PET/CT: a meta-analysis
Authors: Zhu Dongyong , Wang Yanfang , Wang Lisha , Chen Jie , Byanju Sama , Zhang Hanfei , Liao Meiyan
Published: December 2017

Background

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) has been widely used in clinical practice. However, the prognostic value of the pre-treatment standardized uptake value (SUV) for patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) remains controversial.

Purpose

To investigate the prognostic role of pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET on SCLC patients by meta-analysis.

Material and Methods

Extensive literature searches of the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were conducted to identify literature published until 5 May 2017. Comparative analyses of the pooled hazard ratios (HRs) for event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) were performed to assess their correlations with the pre-treatment maximum SUV (SUVmax). Either the fixed- or the random-effects model was adopted, depending on the heterogeneity observed across the studies. Subgroup analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the results.

Results

Twelve studies with 1062 patients were included. The pooled HR for OS of 11 studies was 1.13 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05–1.22; P = 0.001; I2 = 0%) and the pooled HR for EFS of nine studies was 1.09 (95% CI = 1.02–1.17; P = 0.014; I2 = 0%), indicating that patients with high SUVs may have poorer prognoses. Begg’s test detected no significant publication bias. The prognostic role of the SUVmax remained similar in the subgroup analyses.

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis indicated that the pre-treatment SUVmax of primary lesions can be an important prognostic factor for OS and EFS in patients with SCLC. A high SUVmax may indicate poorer prognosis.
Lymphocyte Subsets in the Adrenal Glands of Dogs With Primary Hypoadrenocorticism
Authors: Friedenberg S. G. , Brown D. L. , Meurs K. M. , Law J. McHugh
Published: December 2017

Primary hypoadrenocorticism, or Addison’s disease, is an autoimmune condition common in certain dog breeds that leads to the destruction of the adrenal cortex and a clinical syndrome involving anorexia, gastrointestinal upset, and electrolyte imbalances. Previous studies have demonstrated that this destruction is strongly associated with lymphocytic-plasmacytic inflammation and that the lymphocytes are primarily T cells. In this study, we used both immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization to characterize the T-cell subtypes involved. We collected postmortem specimens of 5 dogs with primary hypoadrenocorticism and 2 control dogs and, using the aforementioned techniques, showed that the lymphocytes are primarily CD4+ rather than CD8+. These findings have important implications for improving our understanding of the pathogenesis and in searching for the underlying causative genetic polymorphisms.
Rhodococcus equi Infections in Goats: Characterization of Virulence Plasmids
Authors: Stranahan Lauren W. , Plumlee Quinci D. , Lawhon Sara D. , Cohen Noah D. , Bryan Laura K.
Published: December 2017

Rhodococcus equi is an uncommon cause of systemic pyogranulomatous infections in goats with macroscopic similarities to caseous lymphadenitis caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis. Caprine cases have previously been reported to be caused by avirulent R. equi strains. Six cases of R. equi infection in goats yielding 8 R. equi isolates were identified from 2000 to 2017. Lesions varied from bronchopneumonia, vertebral and humeral osteomyelitis, and subcutaneous abscesses, to disseminated infection involving the lungs, lymph nodes, and multiple visceral organs. Isolates of R. equi from infected goats were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction for R. equi virulence-associated plasmid ( vap) genes. Seven of 8 isolates carried the VapN plasmid, originally characterized in bovine isolates, while 1 isolate lacked virulence plasmids and was classified as avirulent. The VapN plasmid has not been described in isolates cultured from goats.
Tell El-Amarna, 2010*
Authors: Kemp Barry
Published: December 2017

This report on the 2010 season at Tell el-Amarna mostly summarises the findings of excavations at the South Tombs Cemetery (where a further new excavation area was begun) and the study of the Christian remains associated with the tomb of Panehsy (no. 6).
The Ptolemaic-Roman Cemetery at the Quesna Archaeological Area*
Authors: Rowland Joanne , Inskip Sarah , Zakrzewski Sonia
Published: December 2017

In the cemetery at Quesna, the 2009 spring season concentrated on the completion of Trench 1 in the southwest of the site and the opening of Trench 4 at the eastern limit of the concentration of subsurface deposits highlighted through geophysical survey. In addition, Trench 3 was opened in order to explore the north-western extent of the sacred falcon necropolis. The spring 2010 season focused on test trenches at Quesna and the continued reconstruction of ceramic coffins excavated in previous seasons. The trenches on the northern edge of the gezira yielded further information relating to the Ptolemaic to Roman cemetery, with a pit burial and further ceramic coffin burials, and for the first time at the site Old kingdom contexts were located. The trench in the falcon necropolis focused on the north-western corner of the structure at the western end of the falcon necropolis and revealed a sequence of robbing episodes that had occurred in the past.
On Some Fake Hieratic Ostraca
Authors: Hagen Fredrik
Published: December 2017

Three modern forgeries imitating a single genuine Eighteenth Dynasty ostracon are discussed: one is currently in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, another is in the IFAO archives in Cairo, together with the original, and a third is in private hands. The forger is not known but was probably someone working in Egypt during the first half of the twentieth century: all copies seem to predate the Second World War.
A Further Investigation of the Cairo Dahshur Boats*
Authors: Creasman Pearce Paul
Published: December 2017

Based on primary data and direct observation, a re-examination of two boats excavated by Jacques De Morgan outside Senwosret III's pyramid complex at Dahshur, and now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo, is offered. The original excavation report is reconciled with subsequent scholarly records, and the boats' construction techniques are evaluated. De Morgan's account has previously been dismissed due to discrepancies between his descriptions and the findings of modern examinations of two other boats from the same cache now located in the United States. Unique features found on the two Cairo Dahshur boats explain the discrepancies and permit a new interpretation of the boats' construction.
Four Middle Kingdom stelae from the National Archaeological Museum, Athens*
Authors: Stefanović Danijela
Published: December 2017

Publication of the Middle Kingdom stelae National Museum, Athens L128, L131, L132, and L155 including comments on style, iconography, palaeography, and dating criteria.
Mummies for export? The Repatriation of a corpse from Alexandria to Ancyra in the Roman Imperial Period
Authors: Bennett Julian
Published: December 2017

An inscription on a sarcophagus of the mid- or late second century AD found at Ancyra (modern Ankara, Turkey) indicates that it contained the repatriated body of an Ancyran who died in Alexandria. While absolute proof is lacking, it seems likely that his body had been mummified to allow for its return. As such, this sarcophagus and its inscription provide a rare reference to a mummy being sent out of Egypt for burial elsewhere.
A note on the origin of the toponym al-Barshā*
Authors: Willems Harco , Muḥammad Walā’ Muṣṭafā
Published: December 2017

The Ancient Egyptian toponym Pr-šs, ‘Alabaster House’, is argued to be the ancestor of the modern place name al-Barshā. It may have designated a recently discovered industrial site at the mouth of the Wādī Zabayda, close to the al-Shaykh Sa‘īd tombs, where calcite alabaster was worked. This lies about 2 km south of modern al-Barshā. However, the presence of another calcite alabaster quarry even nearer to al-Barshā itself suggests Pr-šs may rather have been the original designation of this village.
The Shedshed of Wepwawet: An Artistic and Behavioural Interpretation*
Authors: Evans Linda
Published: December 2017

The shedshed, a curious balloon-shaped object associated with the canine god Wepwawet, has yet to be identified conclusively. Through a comparison of the shedshed with Ancient Egyptian representations of animal burrows, and a consideration of the natural behaviour of canine species, a new interpretation of the symbol as a canid den is offered. Wepwawet's role in Egyptian mythology is reassessed in the light of this hypothesis.
A Twelfth Dynasty Stela Workshop Possibly from Saqqara
Authors: Ilin-Tomich Alexander
Published: December 2017

An early Twelfth Dynasty stela workshop is identified, represented by five stelae datable to the reign of Amenemhat II. Three come from the collection of Thédenat-Duvent and were probably found at either Abydos or Thebes, though the workshop itself may have been located at Saqqara. Twelfth Dynasty false doors with wḏ3t-eyes on the crossbar were probably produced in the Memphis–Fayum region (and in Beni Hasan), with some afterwards being erected at Abydos. Geminating forms of rdj cease being written with after the reign of Amenemhat II.
Curious Names of Some Old Kingdom Royal Women*
Authors: Callender V. G.
Published: December 2017

The names of certain Old Kingdom royal females are discussed, particularly those with programmatic names compounded with the element nbty ‘the Two Ladies’, and with other elements relating to royal ideology. It is suggested that these women were named (or re-named) to add prestige to the reigning monarch who had perhaps in some cases acceded to the throne unexpectedly.
Weitere Demotische und Bilingue Stelen Aus Tell Nebesheh und Aus Kom El-Hisn
Authors: Moje Jan
Published: December 2017

Publication of three further new demotic and bilingual stelae from el Husseiniya, the ancient town of Imet/Tell Nebesheh in the Delta, adding to the analysis of four Tell Nebesheh stelae previously published by the author in this journal. The gender of the owners of this class of stela is discussed. In an appendix, a new bilingual hieroglyphic/demotic tomb stela from Kom el-Hisn is presented, being the third known stela from this region.
A limestone ear from an unexcavated area at Amarna
Authors: Thompson Kristin
Published: December 2017

Publication of a surface find from Amarna, an over life-size limestone ear which was possibly a sculptor's practice piece. This may point to the existence of an unexcavated sculptor's workshop, as well as providing further evidence for colossal statuary at Amarna.
The hieratic dockets on the cuneiform tablets from Amarna
Authors: Hagen Fredrik
Published: December 2017

A new reading is proposed for a hieratic sign found on several cuneiform tablets at Amarna, which indicates that scribes annotated certain letters received by the administration as ‘processed’ (spẖr).
A sun-shade temple of Princess Ankhesenpaaten in Memphis?
Authors: Pasquali Stéphane
Published: December 2017

Publication of the Amarna period block MRAH inv. 4491, part of a sloping balustrade perhaps from a sun-shade temple of Princess Ankhesenpaaten in Memphis. The inscription is noteworthy for containing a unique instance of the re-carving of the name of Aten from form IIa to either IIb or III. There follows an excursus on the Memphite ‘Horizon of Aten’.
New evidence for King Tutankhamen's death: his bizarre embalming*
Authors: Harer W. Benson
Published: December 2017

Analysis of the 2005 computed tomography studies of the mummy of King Tutankhamen permit the analysis of the process by which the body was embalmed. The startling conclusion is that the embalmers started with a corpse from which the heart and anterior chest wall were missing.
Userkaf's birds unmasked*
Authors: Evans Linda
Published: December 2017

A pair of birds represented on a relief fragment from the Fifth Dynasty mortuary complex of Userkaf is identified as masked shrikes, a species only otherwise attested in Egyptian art from the Middle Kingdom.