bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
White Matter Changes May Precede Gray Matter Loss in Elderly with Subjective Memory Impairment
Authors: Hong Yun Jeong , Kim Chan-Mi , Jang Eun Hye , Hwang Jihye , Roh Jee Hoon , Lee Jae-Hong
Published: October 2016

Background/Aims: A limited number of studies addressed MRI-based neurodegenerative changes in subjective memory impairment (SMI). We investigated changes in white matter (WM) microstructures as well as gray matter (GM) macrostructures in subjects with SMI of high and low risk for progression. Methods: A modeling scale (score range, 0-6) developed for prediction of SMI progression was used to divide SMI subjects (n = 46) into two groups: a high risk of progression (score ≥3; n = 19) and a low risk of progression (score ≤2; n = 27). Cross-sectional comparisons were performed using a region-of-interest-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis, cortical thickness analysis, and hippocampal volumetry. Results: The high-risk group had more microstructural disruption shown by lower fractional anisotropy in the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and parts of frontotemporal lobes. On the other hand, GM macrostructural changes did not differ between the groups and were not associated with modeling scale scores. Conclusion: SMI subjects with a high risk of progression had more WM microstructural disruption than those with a low risk, and the changes were not explained by GM atrophy. Our findings suggest that the degree of microstructural alterations in SMI may be distinctive according to the risk factors and may precede GM atrophy.
Out-Patient Management of Mild or Uncomplicated Diverticulitis: A Systematic Review
Authors: Balasubramanian Ishwarya , Fleming Christina , Mohan Helen M. , Schmidt Karl , Haglind Eva , Winter Des C.
Published: October 2016

Background: Management of diverticular disease has undergone a paradigm shift, with movement towards a less invasive management strategy. In keeping with this, outpatient management of uncomplicated diverticulitis (UD) has been advocated in several studies, but concerns still remain regarding the safety of this practice. Aim: To assess outcomes of out-patient management of acute UD. Methods: A comprehensive search for published studies using the search terms ‘uncomplicated diverticulitis', ‘mild diverticulitis' and ‘out-patient' was performed. The primary outcomes were failure of medical treatment. Secondary outcomes were recurrence rate at follow up and medical cost savings. Results: The search yielded 192 publications. Of these, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria including 1 randomized controlled trial, 6 clinical controlled trials and 3 case series. There was no difference in failure rates of medical treatment (6.5 vs. 4.6%, p = 0.32) or in recurrence rates (13.0 vs. 12.1%, p = 0.81) between those receiving ambulatory care and in-patient care for UD. Ambulatory treatment is associated with an estimated daily cost savings of between 600 and 1,900 euros per patient treated. Meta-analysis of data was not possible due to heterogeneity in study designs and inclusion criteria. Conclusion: Ambulatory management of acute UD is reasonable in selected patients.
Astrocytes Contribute to Angiotensin II Stimulation of Hypothalamic Neuronal Activity and Sympathetic Outflow
Authors: Stern Javier E. , Son Sookjin , Biancardi Vinicia C. , Zheng Hong , Sharma Neeru , Patel Kaushik P.
Published: October 2016

Angiotensin II (AngII) is a key neuropeptide that acting within the brain hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus regulates neurohumoral outflow to the circulation. Moreover, an exacerbated AngII action within the paraventricular nucleus contributes to neurohumoral activation in hypertension. Although AngII effects involve changes in paraventricular nucleus neuronal activity, the precise underlying mechanisms, cellular targets, and distribution of AngII receptors within the paraventricular nucleus remain largely unknown. Thus, whether AngII effects involve direct actions on paraventricular neurons, or whether it acts via intermediary cells, such as astrocytes, is still controversial. To address this important gap in our knowledge, we used a multidisciplinary approach combining patch-clamp electrophysiology in presympathetic paraventricular neurons and astrocytes, along with in vivo sympathetic nerve recordings and astrocyte-targeted gene manipulations. We present evidence for a novel mechanism underlying central AngII actions, which involves astrocytes as major intermediary cellular targets. We found that AngII type 1 receptor mRNA is expressed in paraventricular astrocytes. Moreover, we report that AngII inhibited glutamate transporter function, increasing in turn extracellular glutamate levels. This resulted in the activation of neuronal extrasynaptic NMDA (
N
-methyl-
d
-aspartate) receptors, increased presympathetic neuronal activity, enhanced sympathoexcitatory outflow, and increased blood pressure. Together, our studies support astrocytes as critical intermediary cell types mediating brain AngII regulation of the circulation and indicate that AngII-mediated neuronal and sympathoexcitatory effects are dependent on a unique neuroglial signaling modality involving nonsynaptic glutamate transmission.
Resting Afferent Renal Nerve Discharge and Renal Inflammation
Authors: Banek Christopher T. , Knuepfer Mark M. , Foss Jason D. , Fiege Jessica K. , Asirvatham-Jeyaraj Ninitha , Van Helden Dusty , Shimizu Yoji , Osborn John W.
Published: October 2016

Renal sympathetic denervation (RDNx) has emerged as a novel therapy for hypertension; however, the therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. Efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity has recently been implicated in trafficking renal inflammatory immune cells and inflammatory chemokine and cytokine release. Several of these inflammatory mediators are known to activate or sensitize afferent nerves. This study aimed to elucidate the roles of efferent and afferent renal nerves in renal inflammation and hypertension in the deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) salt rat model. Uninephrectomized male Sprague–Dawley rats (275–300 g) underwent afferent-selective RDNx (n=10), total RDNx (n=10), or Sham (n=10) and were instrumented for the measurement of mean arterial pressure and heart rate by radiotelemetry. Rats received 100-mg DOCA (SC) and 0.9% saline for 21 days. Resting afferent renal nerve activity in DOCA and vehicle animals was measured after the treatment protocol. Renal tissue inflammation was assessed by renal cytokine content and T-cell infiltration and activation. Resting afferent renal nerve activity, expressed as a percent of peak afferent nerve activity, was substantially increased in DOCA than in vehicle (35.8±4.4 versus 15.3±2.8 %Amax). The DOCA–Sham hypertension (132±12 mm Hg) was attenuated by ≈50% in both total RDNx (111±8 mm Hg) and afferent-selective RDNx (117±5 mm Hg) groups. Renal inflammation induced by DOCA salt was attenuated by total RDNx and unaffected by afferent-selective RDNx. These data suggest that afferent renal nerve activity may mediate the hypertensive response to DOCA salt, but inflammation may be mediated primarily by efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity. Also, resting afferent renal nerve activity is elevated in DOCA salt rats, which may highlight a crucial neural mechanism in the development and maintenance of hypertension.
Mnk1 (Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase–Interacting Kinase 1) Deficiency Aggravates Cardiac Remodeling in Mice
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Yan Ling , Wu Qing-Qing , Zhou Heng , Jin Ya-Ge , Bian Zhou-Yan , Deng Wei , Yang Zheng , Shen Di-Fei , Zeng Xiao-Feng , Wang Sha-Sha , Li Hongliang , Tang Qi-Zhu
Published: October 2016

Identifying the key factor involved in cardiac remodeling is critically important for developing novel strategies to protect against heart failure. Here, the role of Mnk1 (mitogen-activated protein kinase–interacting kinase 1) in cardiac remodeling was clarified. Cardiac remodeling was induced by transverse aortic constriction in Mnk1-knockout mice and their wild-type control mice. After 4 weeks of transverse aortic constriction, Mnk1-knockout mice developed exaggerated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, dysfunction, and cardiomyocyte apoptosis and showed increased ERK1/2 (extracellular signal–regulated kinase 1/2) activation along with reduced sprouty2 expression. In line with the in vivo studies, Mnk1 knockdown by Mnk1 siRNA transfection induced exaggerated angiotensin II–induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs). Moreover, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of Mnk1 in NRVMs protected cardiomyocytes from angiotensin II–induced hypertrophy. In addition, overexpression of sprouty2 rescued NRVMs with Mnk1 knockdown from angiotensin II–induced hypertrophy. In accordance with the in vivo studies, as compared with the control group, Mnk1 knockdown led to hyperphosphorylation of ERK1/2 and suppression of the sprouty2 expression in angiotensin II–treated NRVMs; furthermore, Mnk1 overexpression led to hypophosphorylation of ERK1/2 in angiotensin II–treated NRVMs. In addition, sprouty2 overexpression suppressed the activation of ERK1/2 in angiotensin II–treated NRVMs with Mnk1 knockdown. Impressively, MnK1-knockout mice with overexpression of sprouty2 exhibited signs of a blunted cardiac hypertrophic response. Mnk1 likely carries out a suppressive function in cardiac hypertrophy via regulating the sprouty2/ERK1/2 pathway. It implicates Mnk1 in the development of cardiac remodeling.
A Probabilistic Reformulation of No Free Lunch: Continuous Lunches Are Not Free
Authors: Lockett Alan J. , Miikkulainen Risto
Published: October 2016

No Free Lunch (NFL) theorems have been developed in many settings over the last two decades. Whereas NFL is known to be possible in any domain based on set-theoretic concepts, probabilistic versions of NFL are presently believed to be impossible in continuous domains. This article develops a new formalization of probabilistic NFL that is sufficiently expressive to prove the existence of NFL in large search domains, such as continuous spaces or function spaces. This formulation is arguably more complicated than its set-theoretic variants, mostly as a result of the numerous technical complications within probability theory itself. However, a probabilistic conceptualization of NFL is important because stochastic optimization methods inherently need to be evaluated probabilistically. Thus the present study fills an important gap in the study of performance of stochastic optimizers.
The Death and Lives of hitchBOT: The Design and Implementation of a Hitchhiking Robot
Authors: Smith David Harris , Zeller Frauke
Published: October 2016

In the early morning hours of 1 August 2015, as it waited for its next ride on a Philly park bench, unknown assailants destroyed hitchBOT. Arms torn from its body, legs broken, gutted of its electronics, it was left discarded in a park, minus its smiley-face LED head. Around the world headlines announced the death of a much-loved robot, children and adults shed tears, haters hated on Philadelphia, cartoonists and musicians paid tribute, journalists wrote obituaries and the publicly minded rallied to support a rebuild. The authors share the story of the life and times of their creation, hitchBOT the hitchhiking robot.
Epic as Elegy
Authors: Antoniadis Theodoros
Published: October 2016

This article contributes to the discussion on the significance of the Latin Love Elegy, with regard to its language, themes and conventions, as a means of generic innovation in Valerius Flaccus’Argonautica. In particular, it will be demonstrated that in the scenes of lament and separation that take place in books 2 and 3, Valerius incorporates a selection of elegiac themes and motifs to enhance the effect and sensationalism of these episodes as well as the pathos in the rhetoric of his female protagonists (in particular the Lemnian wives and Hypsipyle as well as Clite, the wife of king Cyzicus). At the same time he will be seen to take a step further by inverting and/or refashioning some of these topoi and tropes so as to leave his own metapoetic comment on his negotiations with other genres in theArgonautica.
A review of the genus Minthodes Brauer & Bergenstamm (Diptera: Tachinidae) in Iran, with the description of a new species
Authors: GILASIAN EBRAHIM , ZIEGLER JOACHIM , PARCHAMI-ARAGHI MEHRDAD
Published: October 2016

Minthodes susae Gilasian & Ziegler sp. nov. (Diptera: Tachinidae), from southwestern Iran, is described and illustrated, and compared with M. brevipennis (Brauer & Bergenstamm) from Turkey. A lectotype is recognised for Pseudomintho brevipennis Brauer & Bergenstamm (currently a species of Minthodes) and its designation is attributed to Mesnil. Minthodes pictipennis Brauer & Bergenstamm is newly recorded from Iran and Turkey, and M. latifacies Herting is reported from Iran for the first time. An identification key to the four Minthodes Brauer & Bergenstamm species known to occur in Iran is provided. Finally, new data are given on the intraspecific variation of Minthodes atra (Kugler).
Prediction of Energy Dissipation Rates for Aviation Turbulence. Part I: Forecasting Nonconvective Turbulence
Authors: Sharman R. D. , Pearson J. M.
Published: October 2016

Current automated aviation turbulence forecast algorithms diagnose turbulence from numerical weather prediction (NWP) model output by identifying large values in computed horizontal or vertical spatial gradients of various atmospheric state variables (velocity; temperature) and thresholding these gradients empirically to indicate expected areas of “light,” “moderate,” and “severe” levels of aviation turbulence. This approach is obviously aircraft dependent and cannot accommodate the many different aircraft types that may be in the airspace. Therefore, it is proposed to provide forecasts of an atmospheric turbulence metric: the energy dissipation rate to the one-third power (EDR). A strategy is developed to statistically map automated turbulence forecast diagnostics or groups of diagnostics to EDR. The method assumes a lognormal distribution of EDR and uses climatological peak EDR data from in situ equipped aircraft in conjunction with the distribution of computed diagnostic values. These remapped values can then be combined to provide an ensemble mean EDR that is the final forecast. New mountain-wave-turbulence algorithms are presented, and the lognormal mapping is applied to them as well. The EDR forecasts are compared with aircraft in situ EDR observations and verbal pilot reports (converted to EDR) to obtain statistical performance metrics of the individual diagnostics and the ensemble mean. It is shown by one common performance metric, the area under the relative operating characteristics curve, that the ensemble mean provides better performance than forecasts from individual model diagnostics at all altitudes (low, mid-, and upper levels) and for two input NWP models.
Surface Roughness Changes by Finescale Current Gradients: Properties at Multiple Azimuth View Angles
Authors: Rascle Nicolas , Nouguier Frederic , Chapron Bertrand , Mouche Alexis , Ponte Aurélien
Published: October 2016

At times, high-resolution images of sea surface roughness can provide stunning details of submesoscale upper-ocean dynamics. As interpreted, transformations of short-scale wind waves by horizontal current gradients are responsible for those spectacular observations. Those observations could prove particularly useful to validate numerical ocean models that reach increasingly high resolutions. Focusing on surface roughness at optical wavelengths, two steps have recently been performed in that direction. First, it was shown in a previous paper by Rascle et al. that surface roughness variations not only trace surface current divergence but also other characteristics of the current gradient tensor, mainly the strain in the wind direction. The wind direction with respect to the current gradient thus stands out as an important interpretative parameter. The second step is the purpose of the present paper, where the effect of the viewing direction is investigated. To this end, the authors discuss pairs of quasi-simultaneous sun-glitter images, taken from different satellite positions, to provide different viewing configurations, namely, quasi-orthogonal azimuth angles at similar zenith angles. As evidenced, upwind and crosswind viewing observations can be markedly different. As further confirmed with idealized numerical simulations, this anisotropy well traces anisotropic surface current areas, while more isotropic contrasts likely trace areas dominated by surface divergence conditions. These findings suggest the potential to directly separate divergence from other deformations by using high-resolution roughness observations at multiple azimuth view angles.
Ultraviolet–Visible (UV-Vis) Microspectroscopic System Designed for the In Situ Characterization of the Dehydrogenation Reaction Over Platinum Supported Catalytic Microchannel Reactor
Authors: Suarnaba Emee Grace Tabares , Lee Yi Fuan , Yamada Hiroshi , Tagawa Tomohiko
Published: October 2016

An ultraviolet visible (UV-Vis) microspectroscopic system was designed for the in situ characterization of the activity of the silica supported platinum (Pt) catalyst toward the dehydrogenation of 1-methyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene carried out in a custom-designed catalytic microreactor cell. The in situ catalytic microreactor cell (ICMC) with inlet/outlet ports was prepared using quartz cover as the optical window to facilitate UV-Vis observation. A fabricated thermometric stage was adapted to the UV-Vis microspectrophotometer to control the reaction temperature inside the ICMC. The spectra were collected by focusing the UV-Vis beam on a 30 × 30 µm area at the center of ICMC. At 393 K, the sequential measurement of the spectra recorded during the reaction exhibited a broad absorption peak with maximum absorbance at 260 nm that is characteristic for gaseous toluene. This result indicates that the silica supported Pt catalyst is active towards the dehydrogenation of 1-methyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene at the given experimental conditions. The onset of coke formation was also detected based on the appearance of absorption bands at 300 nm. The UV-Vis microspectroscopic system developed can be used further in studying the mechanism of the dehydrogenation reaction.
Trend of homicide–suicide in Kanagawa Prefecture (Japan): Comparison with western countries
Authors: Satoh Fumiko , Osawa Motoki
Published: October 2016

We examined 169 deceased persons and 76 homicide–suicide cases reported in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture from 1999 to 2011. The relationships between homicide–suicide perpetrators and homicide victims; the numbers of victims; their age, sex, causes and places of death; motivation; and the presence or absence of a suicide note were extracted and examined. The relationship between homicide–suicide perpetrators and homicide victims was examined based on findings from the following: 24 married couples (31%), 22 parents and children aged ≥18 years (29%), 19 parents and children aged ≤17 years (25%), seven families (9%), two couples (3%) and two miscellaneous relationships (3%). The perpetrators comprised 39 men and 40 women, with a mean age of 51.6 years. The victims comprised 39 men and 51 women, with a mean age of 35.4 years. In our study, approximately half of the perpetrators were female, which differed greatly from the reports from Western countries, where most perpetrators were male. Homicide–suicides among married couples accounted for a higher proportion of overall homicide–suicide deaths in Western countries. In Japan, homicide–suicide occurred more frequently with parents and children. Cases in which a mother committed suicide after having killed her young children accounted for a high proportion of these deaths. Because these events occur so frequently in Japan, we recommend making particular efforts to reduce homicide–suicides among mothers and children.
Reflections on the Relation Between Sociology and Social Policy
Authors: Banton Michael
Published: October 2016

The study of social policy is sometimes separated from the study of sociology on grounds of convenience. The two disciplines can be differentiated on intellectual grounds if a distinction is drawn between practical knowledge and theoretical knowledge. The study of social policy centres upon the development and application of practical knowledge, in which ordinary language is employed. The study of sociology centres upon the pursuit of theoretical knowledge, and this requires the development of a technical language.
Towards a Sociology of Fashion Micro-Enterprises: Methods for Creative Economy Research
Authors: McRobbie Angela
Published: October 2016

This article argues that the emerging field of creative industry studies, for reasons of its inter-disciplinary origins, has tended to sidestep questions of method. Sociology can play a role in rectifying this deficit for three reasons; first, the long-standing attention to qualitative, interview and observation-based research is useful, especially for scholars investigating the experience of work and labour in the creative sector, second because recent sociological attention to the whole terrain of big data has repercussions even for small-scale studies such as the one outlined here, and third because well-known sociological studies of creative professionals offer value and insight into the conduct of re-differentiated cultural sectors, in this case fashion design. By providing details of a funded study of this sector in three cities (London, Berlin and Milan), the article also proposes a utilising of the recent role of the so-called entrepreneurial university as creative hub, so as to develop a more radical idea of ‘knowledge transfer’. In addition, the article encourages a two-way exchange between sociology and creative industry studies to develop a better understanding of cultural goods, items and works of art. Such a focus on the material object or outcome of creative practice also opens up the possibility for a more collaborative exchange with the cultural producers.
On Legitimacy: Is Public Administration Stigmatized?
Authors: Moura David P. , Miller Hugh T.
Published: October 2016

Public administration scholarship has a long-standing tradition of examining the legitimacy of public administration. One of the motives behind this literature is the necessity to defend against constant criticisms directed toward public administration research, theory, and practice. In this article, we shift the focus from defending public administration by conceptualizing and accepting it as an illegitimate and stigmatized institution—one that cannot and should not rid itself of this label. Accepting and presupposing this label of illegitimacy, independent from any particular definition of legitimacy, allows scholars and practitioners to focus on creating new knowledge and performing professional responsibilities.
Biochemical Markers of Nutrition Support in Critically Ill Trauma Victims
Authors: Parent Brodie , Seaton Max , O’Keefe Grant E.
Published: October 2016

Background: In critically ill patients, plasma serum albumin and transthyretin concentrations are thought to reflect the effects of acute illness, including resuscitation and inflammation. Their use as markers for preexisting nutrition status is, therefore, not recommended. Whether they can be used to assess subsequent effectiveness of artificial nutrition support is unclear. We sought to determine if these biomarkers are associated with enteral caloric intake in critically ill trauma patients. Materials and Methods: We analyzed data from adult trauma victims who required ≥2 days of mechanical ventilation and ≥7 days of intensive care. We categorized patients into low, middle, or high enteral calorie delivery groups (2, 9, or 17 kcal/kg/d during the first week). We compared serial concentrations of serum albumin, transthyretin, and C‐reactive protein. Multiple linear and Poisson regression were used to determine relationships between calorie intake and nutrition biomarkers. Results: In total, 1056 patients were analyzed. Their median age was 44 (interquartile range [IQR], 28–57) years, and median injury severity score was 34 (IQR, 26–41). Calorie intake during the first week was not related to biomarkers during the first or second week. However, by the beginning of the third week, the highest calorie group showed greater changes in concentrations of transthyretin (+3.0 mg/dL relative to initial concentration, P = .01) and serum albumin (+0.17 g/dL, P = .05) compared with the lowest calorie group. Conclusions: In trauma patients requiring 1 or more weeks of intensive care, changes in transthyretin were associated with enteral caloric intake. Our data suggest that transthyretin could be used to monitor nutrition support after 2 weeks in intensive care.
Political inertia and social acceleration
Authors: Zantvoort Bart
Published: October 2016

There is a complicated relation between social and political inertia – the failure of institutions to respond adequately to social, technological and environmental change – and social acceleration – the tendency of social change to go faster and faster. Social stasis and acceleration are not simply opposed but also causally related. This article contrasts two theories of political and social inertia. Francis Fukuyama argues that political inertia is a result of a cognitive and institutional rigidity which is ultimately grounded in human nature, and that therefore inertia is a feature inherent in political systems. Hartmut Rosa, by contrast, sees inertia as a specifically modern phenomenon, which is the result of the inability of political institutions to cope with the accelerating rate of change in other social systems. It will be argued that a broad approach combining historical, institutional and normative perspectives is needed to explain political inertia.
Ambition Is Priceless
Authors: Carroll Kristen
Published: October 2016

Within the representative bureaucracy literature, there are a variety of individual or professional incentives that may discourage movement from passive to active representation. This study presents two of these incentives by explaining the potential effects of professional socialization and individual career ambition. Using 3 years of survey and performance data from public schools, this research explores how professional socialization and ambitions of career advancement may promote specific behaviors that potentially support or discourage effective representation. The results indicate that professional socialization actually promotes representation by African American and Latino bureaucrats. The impact of Latino representation across values of professional socialization is also significantly different from that of White managers. The results also demonstrate varying effects for bureaucratic career ambition, as the effect of Latino administrators on student performance is minimized for administrators with higher levels of ambition. For African American administrators, the opposite is true as Black administrators with high levels of ambition are related to increasingly positive student performance. These results add to our understanding of representative bureaucracy by exploring how different values will interact with a minority bureaucrat’s decision to represent the interests of minority clients.
Tyrosine Kinase Receptor Expression in Canine Liposarcoma
Authors: Avallone G. , Pellegrino V. , Roccabianca P. , Lepri E. , Crippa L. , Beha G. , De Tolla L. , Sarli G.
Published: October 2016

The expression of tyrosine kinase receptors is attracting major interest in human and veterinary oncological pathology because of their role as targets for adjuvant therapies. Little is known about tyrosine kinase receptor (TKR) expression in canine liposarcoma (LP), a soft tissue sarcoma. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of the TKRs fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor–β (PDGFRβ); their ligands, fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) and platelet-derived growth factor B (PDGFB); and c-kit in canine LP. Immunohistochemical labeling was categorized as high or low expression and compared with the mitotic count and MIB-1–based proliferation index. Fifty canine LPs were examined, classified, and graded. Fourteen cases were classified as well differentiated, 7 as myxoid, 25 as pleomorphic, and 4 as dedifferentiated. Seventeen cases were grade 1, 26 were grade 2, and 7 were grade 3. A high expression of FGF2, FGFR1, PDGFB, and PDGFRβ was identified in 62% (31/50), 68% (34/50), 81.6% (40/49), and 70.8% (34/48) of the cases, respectively. c-kit was expressed in 12.5% (6/48) of the cases. Mitotic count negatively correlated with FGF2 ( R = –0.41; P < .01), being lower in cases with high FGF2 expression, and positively correlated with PDGFRβ ( R = 0.33; P < .01), being higher in cases with high PDGFRβ expression. No other statistically significant correlations were identified. These results suggest that the PDGFRβ-mediated pathway may have a role in the progression of canine LP and may thus represent a promising target for adjuvant cancer therapies.
A Common Mechanism for Perceptual Reversals in Motion-Induced Blindness, the Troxler Effect, and Perceptual Filling-In
Authors: Devyatko Dina , Appelbaum L. Gregory , Mitroff Stephen R.
Published: October 2016

Several striking visual phenomena involve a physically present stimulus that alternates between being perceived and being “invisible.” For example, motion-induced blindness, the Troxler effect, and perceptual filling-in all consist of subjective alternations where an item repeatedly changes from being seen to unseen. In the present study, we explored whether these three specific visual phenomena share any commonalities in their alternation rates and patterns to better understand the mechanisms of each. Data from 69 individuals revealed moderate to strong correlations across the three phenomena for the number of perceptual disappearances and the accumulated duration of the disappearances. Importantly, these effects were not correlated with eye movement patterns (saccades) assessed through eye tracking, differences in motion sensitivity as indexed by dot coherence and speed perception thresholds, or simple reaction time abilities. Principal component analyses revealed a single component that explained 67% of the variance for the number of perceptual reversals and 60% for the accumulated duration of the disappearances. The temporal dynamics of illusory disappearances was also compared for each phenomenon, and normalized durations of disappearances were well fit by a gamma distribution with similar shape parameters for each phenomenon, suggesting that they may be driven by a single oscillatory mechanism.
Strategies of conditional cash transfers and the tactics of resistance
Authors: Garmany Jeff
Published: October 2016

This article examines how poor people negotiate obligations placed on them by social welfare initiatives. More specifically, it considers conditional cash transfer programs (CCTs), and the ways beneficiaries harness program conditionalities to make demands on authorities, in some cases even enacting subtle forms of resistance to state governance. Drawing from Michel de Certeau, it argues that while CCT conditionalities function as strategies of state development, they are not always/already under exclusive state control. Marginalized groups like CCT recipients can tactically harness these conditionalities. Through such tactics, poor people make demands on the state and deflect program obligations, but in calculated ways that avoid exposing them to greater vulnerability. Drawing from empirical data collected as part of a case study in rural northeastern Brazil, this article contributes to existent bodies of literature on CCTs, governance, and critical development studies in the 21st century.
Does Demographic Dissimilarity Matter for Perceived Inclusion? Evidence From Public Sector Employees
Authors: Bae Kwang Bin , Sabharwal Meghna , Smith Amy E. , Berman Evan
Published: October 2016

This study examines the relationship between individual dissimilarity and perceptions of organizational inclusion. Data from a national survey of public agencies conducted in Florida and Texas show that gender dissimilarity is negatively associated with perceptions of inclusion and the negative relationship is more acute for men than for women. In contrast, tenure dissimilarity is positively related to perceptions of inclusion and this positive association is more acute for those with longer tenure than for those with shorter tenure. These results suggest that the effect of dissimilarity on the perception of inclusion depends on both the observability of individual-level characteristics and the status of the demographic group. In particular, dissimilarity along characteristics that are easily observable (such as gender) is more likely to influence perceptions of inclusion and dissimilarity is more influential for higher status groups (such as men or long-tenured employees).
Concurrent spindle-cell thymoma and thymic cysts in a Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia)
Authors: Li Wen-Ta , Chang Hui-Wen , Jeng Chian-Ren , Liu Chen-Hsuan , Wang Fun-In , Chang Li-Jen , Pang Victor Fei
Published: October 2016

An ~21-year-old female Barbary sheep ( Ammotragus lervia) died spontaneously following a lengthy episode of difficulty in walking. An ~6 × 3 × 3 cm, unilocular cystic growth was found in the cranioventral thorax. The fibrotic cystic wall, lined by a single layer of flattened to cuboidal epithelial cells, was invaginated and partially encircled solid masses of fusiform neoplastic cells with multiple intratumoral cystic structures. The fusiform neoplastic cells were intensely positive for cytokeratin (CK) and partially positive for α–smooth muscle actin and vimentin, but negative for thyroid transcription factor–1 (TTF-1) and neuron-specific enolase (NSE). The intratumoral cysts were lined by CK-positive but TTF-1– negative, NSE-negative, flattened, cuboidal to columnar epithelial cells, suggestive of cystically dilated medullary duct epithelium-derived structures. Based on the location and histopathologic findings of the growth, concurrent spindle-cell thymoma and thymic cysts was diagnosed. We also discuss the correlation between thymic cysts and thymoma and review the literature of thymomas in ovine and wildlife species.
Side Effects of CV Medications Following Hospitalization for ACS Are Associated With More Frequent Health-Care Contacts
Authors: Le Rachel J. , Cullen Michael W. , Lahr Brian D. , Wright R. Scott , Kopecky Stephen L.
Published: October 2016

Background:

Patients hospitalized for first acute coronary syndrome (ACS) are frequently discharged on multiple new medications. The short-term tolerability of these medications is unknown.

Methods:

This single-center cohort study assessed 30-day health-care utilization and how it may be impacted by medication prescribing trends. We included Olmsted County patients presenting with ACS and previously undiagnosed coronary artery disease in 2008 to 2009. All health-care contacts were reviewed 30 days after index hospital discharge for potential adverse medication effects including documented hypotension or bradycardia, or symptoms likely attributed to the medications.

Results:

The study included 86 patients; their mean age was 63 (standard deviation: 15.5 years). Antianginal or antihypertensive cardiovascular (CV) medications were prescribed to 98% of patients at discharge; 76% were prescribed 2 or more. There were 233 health-care contacts in 30 days; 90 (39%) of these contacts were unscheduled. More CV medications tended to be prescribed to patients with unscheduled contacts, both pre-ACS ( P = .045) and upon hospital discharge ( P = .051). Hypotension and/or bradycardia at follow-up occurred in 52 patients (60%). Surprisingly, there was no association between hypotension and/or bradycardia at follow-up and increased health-care utilization ( P = .12). Potential adverse drug effects were reported in 34 (40%) patients. These patients had significantly more total health-care contacts ( P < .001) and unscheduled health-care contacts (median 0 vs 1.5; P < .001).

Conclusions:

Symptoms of adverse drug effects were associated with more frequent health-care utilization after ACS. Clinicians need to consider this while striving to increase patient compliance with post-ACS medications and optimize care transitions.
Antitumor Activity of the Chinese Medicine JC-001 Is Mediated by Immunomodulation in a Murine Model of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Chuang Meng-Hsien , Chang Jinghua Tsai , Hsu Li-Jin , Jan Ming-Shiou , Lu Fung-Jou
Published: October 2016

JC-001 is a Chinese medicine that has been used to treat liver disease; however, its significance in cancer treatment has not been characterized. In this study, we used an immunocompetent tumor model to characterize the antitumor activity of JC-001. A total of 48 Hepa 1-6 tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice were randomly grouped into 4 groups and treated with H2O or JC-001 via oral administration. After hepatoma cell lines, including HepG2, Hep3B, SK-Hep-1, and Hepa 1-6, underwent 96 hours of JC-001 treatment, a low cytotoxic effect was observed. In contrast, no direct cytotoxic effect of JC-001 on a normal human liver cell line, THLE-3, was observed under the same incubation conditions. Using a murine tumor model, we found that tumor growth could be inhibited by JC-001 in C57BL/6 mice but not in immunodeficient mice. Histopathological analysis of tumors from C57BL/6 mice revealed immune cell infiltration in tumors from the JC-001–treated group, as observed by hematoxylin and eosin staining; in addition, Ki67, hypoxia-inducible factor-1-α, and high mobility group box 1 expression levels were suppressed in the tumors. Both the coculture assay and murine spleen mRNA quantitative PCR analyses demonstrated that JC-001 could suppress Th17 immunity. Our data suggest that JC-001 is a Chinese medicine with low cytotoxicity that can significantly suppress tumor growth by immune regulation. This herbal remedy has great potential for future clinical application in hepatoma therapy.
Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life During Rehabilitation in Patients With Operable Lung Cancer: A Feasibility Study (PROLUCA)
Authors: Sommer Maja S. , Trier Karen , Vibe-Petersen Jette , Christensen Karl B. , Missel Malene , Christensen Merete , Larsen Klaus R. , Langer Seppo W. , Hendriksen Carsten , Clementsen Paul F. , Pedersen Jesper H. , Langberg Henning
Published: October 2016

Introduction: Surgical resection in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) may be associated with significant morbidity, functional limitations, and decreased quality of life. Objectives: The objective is to present health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes over time before and 1 year after surgery in patients with NSCLC participating in a rehabilitation program. Methods: Forty patients with NSCLC in disease stage I to IIIa, referred for surgical resection at the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery RT, Rigshospitalet, were included in the study. The rehabilitation program comprised supervised group exercise program, 2 hours weekly for 12 weeks, combined with individual counseling. The study endpoints were self-reported HRQoL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Lung, European Organization for Research and Treatment in Cancer–Quality of Life Questionnaire-QLQ-C30, Short-Form-36) and self-reported distress, anxiety, depression, and social support (National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), measured presurgery, postintervention, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Results: Forty patients were included, 73% of whom completed rehabilitation. Results on emotional well-being ( P < .0001), global quality of life ( P = .0032), and mental health component score ( P = .0004) showed an overall statistically significant improvement during the study. Conclusion: This feasibility study demonstrated that global quality of life, mental health, and emotional well-being improved significantly during the study, from time of diagnosis until 1 year after resection, in patients with NSCLC participating in rehabilitation.
Wrong-Bone Excision in Hand Surgery
Authors: Caggiano Nicholas M. , Nelson David L. , Kaplan Saul J. , Matullo Kristofer S.
Published: October 2016

Background: The incidence of wrong-bone excision in hand surgery is not known. The wrist offers a unique challenge in that a single surgical incision yields access to multiple potential surgical sites, thus rendering site marking less effective. Mistaken identification of structures in the wrist is a real and potentially troublesome phenomenon. This study is designed to evaluate the occurrence of wrong-bone excision and to identify any risk factors and preventative measures that may help to prevent this complication in the future. Methods: We designed an anonymous online survey to determine the occurrence, risk factors, medicolegal outcomes, and preventative measures of wrong-bone excision. We distributed the survey to 777 hand surgeons via email. Results: Ninety-nine surgeons responded to our survey. Twenty-three respondents had participated in an excision of the incorrect bone in the wrist. The most common error was partial or complete excision of the scaphoid during a planned excision of the trapezium. Respondents indicated that inadequate visualization, inadequate localization, and teaching of a resident or fellow contributed to the error. There was only 1 case of legal action. Conclusions: The results of our survey indicate that there exists a non-zero incidence of wrong-bone excision in hand surgery. The most common mistake is incorrect excision of the scaphoid during a planned trapeziectomy. Most surgeons feel that their patients were pleased with their outcome despite this complication, and legal action is rare. Deliberate identification of known landmarks was identified as the most useful strategy in preventing wrong-bone excision.
The Implications of Wood Exploitation for Fish Smoking on Mangrove Ecosystem Conservation in the South West Province, Cameroon
Authors: Feka Njisuh Zebedee , Manzano Mario G.
Published: October 2016

In this study we investigated how the use of mangrove wood for fish smoking by local people in some localities of the South West (SW) Province of Cameroon may be in conflict with the conservation and sustainability of mangrove ecosystems. With the use of socio-economic surveys, from February to July 2006, we established that the amount of the annual fuel-wood harvest for five study sites was about 102,650 m3 (i.e., an amount equivalent to clearing about 205.3 ha of mangrove forests annually). It is estimated that approximately 62% of this total is used to smoke most of the fish (i.e., about 90.7% of the fish landings) across the five study sites. The quantities of wood seemed to vary proportionately with fish landings across sites, hence indicating a probable direct correlation between mangrove wood harvested and its use in fish smoking. The different uses of mangrove wood were similar in all sites, but the quantities of wood extracted from different sites varied, with sites of high fish landings registering the highest fuel-wood turnover. It seemed that local people were unaware of the need to maintain ecosystem functions despite the close relationship between wood and fish harvesting, and their importance in ensuring the livelihood for local population in the study areas. From the revision of current management policies and field observations, we propose the development of adaptive management strategies aimed at improving policy, creating public awareness, and integrating local communities in the development of a sustainable management plan for the mangrove resources of Cameroon.
Será a palmeira de óleo a próxima ameaça emergente á Amazônia?
Authors: Butler Rhett A. , Laurance William F.
Published: October 2016

A Bacia Amazônica parece sofrer a experiencia da rápida expansão da agricultura de palmeiras de óleo. Quase metade da Amazonia é apropriada para o cultivo de palmeira de óleo, e corporações da Malásia estão agora se mudando para a região para estabelecer novas plantações enquanto o governo Brasileiro está considerando uma lei que contaria as plantações de palmeira de óleo como “florestas” em relação á exigencia de reserva florestal nas terras do proprietário. São prováveis fortes incentivos econômicos para uma grande industria de palmeira de óleo Amazonensse, dadas as crescentes demandas globais por óleos comestíveis, produtos baseados em óleo e combustiveis. Temos duas grandes preocupações. Primeira, as plantações de palmeira de óleo são ecologicamente pobres, suportanto pouquissima vida selvagem que depende da floresta. Segunda, nós desacreditamos em afirmações políticas e corporativas que sugerem que as plantações de palmeiras de óleo estarão concentradas em terras previamente desflorestadas da Amazônia. Na realidade, produtores de palmeiras de óleo sao fortemente a favor de desmatar florestas primárias para plantações porque assim eles podem obter lucros imediatos da produção de madeira. Esses lucros são vitais para compensar os gastos com custos do estabelecimento da plantação e manutenção dos 3–5 anos iniciais até que as plantações se tornem rentáveis. Portanto, a agricultura de palmeiras de óleo poderiam em breve emergir como uma nova grande ameaça para o meio ambiente da Amazônia.
Conservation Status of the White-Lipped Peccary (Tayassu Pecari) Outside the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve in Campeche, Mexico: A Synthesis
Authors: Reyna-Hurtado Rafael
Published: October 2016

The white-lipped peccary is a social ungulate that forms the largest groups documented for any other ungulate species living in tropical forests. White-lipped peccaries have become increasingly rare in Mexico and Central America in the last 50 years. Here I suggest some management actions for conservation of this endangered species in the Calakmul region based on a synthesis of ecological and social data coming mainly from a two-years' field study conducted in the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (CBR) and three human communities (ejidos) that surround it in Southeastern Mexico. Group size and breeding season were recorded in the CBR and in four adjacent hunted sites. Home range, habitat use, and population density were estimated only for the CBR, and hunting patterns were recorded for the three adjacent villages. Home range was among the largest reported anywhere for this species. White-lipped peccary groups were larger in the CBR than in the hunted areas, but groups were generally smaller than those reported in other forests. These smaller group sizes signal a conservation concern for this species in the Calakmul region. Hunting occurs mainly in the dry season when the breeding season is at the peak and peccary groups are visiting water bodies where they are more easily hunted. To conserve the white-lipped peccary in the Calakmul region we need to reduce hunting pressure and preserve large forested areas outside the CBR.