bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence and Risk Factors for Prolonged Hospitalization and Readmission after Transsphenoidal Pituitary Surgery
Authors: Bur Andrés M. , Brant Jason A. , Newman Jason G. , Hatten Kyle M. , Cannady Steven B. , Fischer John P. , Lee John Y. K. , Adappa Nithin D.
Published: May 2016

Objective

To evaluate the incidence and factors associated with 30‐day readmission and to analyze risk factors for prolonged hospital length of stay following transsphenoidal pituitary surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective longitudinal claims analysis.

Setting

American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program.

Subjects and Methods

The database of the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried for patients who underwent transsphenoidal pituitary surgery (Current Procedural Terminology code 61548 or 62165) between 2005 and 2014. Patient demographic information, indications for surgery, and incidence of hospital readmission and length of stay were reviewed. Risk factors for readmission and prolonged length of stay, defined as >75th percentile for the cohort, were identified through logistic regression modeling.

Results

A total of 1006 patients were included for analysis. Mean hospital length of stay after surgery was 4.1 ± 0.2 days. Predictors of prolonged length of stay were operative time (P <. 001, odds ratio [OR] = 1.7, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 1.5‐2.0), bleeding disorder (P =. 049, OR = 3.1, 95% CI = 1.0‐9.5), insulin‐dependent diabetes (P =. 007, OR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.3‐4.4), and reoperation (P <. 001, OR = 10.3, 95% CI = 4.7‐23.9). In a subset analysis of 529 patients who had surgery between 2012 and 2014, 7.2% (n = 38) required hospital readmission. History of congestive heart failure (CHF) was a predictor of hospital readmission (P = 0.03, OR = 12.7, 95% CI = 1.1‐144.0).

Conclusion

This review of a large validated surgical database demonstrates that CHF is an independent predictor of hospital readmission after transsphenoidal surgery. Although CHF is a known risk factor for postoperative complications, it poses unique challenges to patients with potential postoperative pituitary dysfunction.
Does the Press Ganey Survey Correlate to Online Health Grades for a Major Academic Otolaryngology Department?
Authors: Ryan Timothy , Specht Jessica , Smith Sarah , DelGaudio John M.
Published: May 2016

Objectives

Analyze the correlation between online‐based review websites and the Press Ganey Patient Satisfaction Survey (PGPSS) in an academic otolaryngology department.

Study Design

Retrospective cross sectional.

Setting

Tertiary academic institution.

Methods

All available data were collected for Vitals.com and Healthgrades.com, along with PGPSS data for 16 otolaryngology attending physicians from 2012 to 2014. A mean rating was calculated for each topic category for online websites and compared with 7 PGPSS content questions using zero‐order correlations. A paired t test was used to analyze the difference between the PGPSS and online scores.

Results

There were no statistically significant correlations between time spent with the patient (r = 0.391, P =. 208) and overall provider scores (r = 0.193, P =. 508) when compared between Vitals.com and the PGPSS. The correlations were not statistically significant when Healthgrades.com was compared with the PGPSS in the items “probability of recommending the provider” (r = −0.122, P =. 666) and “trust in provider” (r = −0.025, P =. 929). The most important factors in a patient recommending the provider were as follows, per resource: time spent with the patient for Vitals.com (r = 0.685, P =. 014), listening for Healthgrades.com (r = 0.981, P ≤. 001), and trust in the provider for the PGPSS (r = 0.971, P ≤. 001).

Conclusion

This study suggests that online‐based reviews do not have statistically significant correlations with the widely used PGPSS and may not be an accurate source of information for patients. Patients should have access to the most reliable and least biased surveys available to the public to allow for better‐informed decisions regarding their health care.
Antipsychotics decrease response confidence
Authors: Moritz Steffen , Kolbeck Katharina , Andreou Christina
Published: May 2016

Antipsychotics represent the first-choice treatment for schizophrenia. However, the cognitive and emotional pathways through which symptom reduction is achieved have remained unclear. We recently proposed that the induction of doubt is a core mechanism of action of antipsychotics. In the framework of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 39 nonclinical participants filled out a questionnaire tapping into cognitive and emotional changes (Effect of Antipsychotic Medication on Emotion and Cognition-revised (EAMEC-r)) each time they had received one of three substances (haloperidol, placebo, L-dopa). Participants reported more doubt under haloperidol than under L-dopa lending support to the theory that antipsychotics decrease delusional conviction via the reduction of confidence. Key points from this study are: (a) antipsychotics induce doubt, and (b) doubt may represent a core mechanism of action for the reduction of delusional ideas
Female Offenders, HIV Peer Programs, and Attachment: The Importance of Prison-Based Civilian Staff in Creating Opportunities to Cultivate Prosocial Behaviors
Authors: Collica-Cox Kimberly
Published: May 2016

As women commit to a conventional lifestyle, the bond of attachment becomes a fundamental component in sustaining the desistance process. If weak attachments in the community cannot be replaced or enhanced with the cultivation of strong conventional attachments while incarcerated, female offenders will leave prison without a supportive network. Strong social networks and a high level of social capital are essential for female offenders to reintegrate successfully; if social bonds are constructed before release, there is a greater chance of maintaining a crime-free lifestyle. One way to cultivate strong bonds of attachment during incarceration is through prison-based programming. This qualitative study, based on the narratives of 49 female offenders, examines the potential for inmates to form prosocial attachments with staff in two HIV prison-based peer programs in New York State. Strong attachments were formed between the inmates and civilian staff during incarceration, maintained upon release, and served to reinforce the establishment of bourgeoning conventional identities. The dedication and commitment of the civilian staff, and the support they provided to the inmates, was essential to achieving both rehabilitative and reintegrative goals.
Correlates of Worry About Health Care Costs Among Older Adults
Authors: Choi Namkee G. , DiNitto Diana M.
Published: May 2016

Although older adults in the United States incur more health care expenses than younger adults, little research has been done on their worry about health care costs. Using data from the 2013 National Health Interview Survey ( n = 7,253 for those 65+ years), we examined factors associated with older adults’ health care cost worries, defined as at least a moderate level of worry, about ability to pay for normal health care and/or for health care due to a serious illness or accident. Bivariate analyses were used to compare worriers and nonworriers. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association of income, health status, health care service use, and insurance type with worry status. Older age and having Medicaid and Veterans Affairs (VA)/military health benefits were associated with lower odds of worry, while low income, chronic pain, functional limitations, psychological distress, and emergency department visits were associated with higher odds. Practice and policy implications for the findings are discussed.
Functional Contributions of Strong and Weak Cellular Oscillators to Synchrony and Light-shifted Phase Dynamics
Authors: Roberts Logan , Leise Tanya L. , Welsh David K. , Holmes Todd C.
Published: May 2016

Light is the primary signal that calibrates circadian neural circuits and thus coordinates daily physiological and behavioral rhythms with solar entrainment cues. Drosophila and mammalian circadian circuits consist of diverse populations of cellular oscillators that exhibit a wide range of dynamic light responses, periods, phases, and degrees of synchrony. How heterogeneous circadian circuits can generate robust physiological rhythms while remaining flexible enough to respond to synchronizing stimuli has long remained enigmatic. Cryptochrome is a short-wavelength photoreceptor that is endogenously expressed in approximately half of Drosophila circadian neurons. In a previous study, physiological light response was measured using real-time bioluminescence recordings in Drosophila whole-brain explants, which remain intrinsically light-sensitive. Here we apply analysis of real-time bioluminescence experimental data to show detailed dynamic ensemble representations of whole circadian circuit light entrainment at single neuron resolution. Organotypic whole-brain explants were either maintained in constant darkness (DD) for 6 days or exposed to a phase-advancing light pulse on the second day. We find that stronger circadian oscillators support robust overall circuit rhythmicity in DD, whereas weaker oscillators can be pushed toward transient desynchrony and damped amplitude to facilitate a new state of phase-shifted network synchrony. Additionally, we use mathematical modeling to examine how a network composed of distinct oscillator types can give rise to complex dynamic signatures in DD conditions and in response to simulated light pulses. Simulations suggest that complementary coupling mechanisms and a combination of strong and weak oscillators may enable a robust yet flexible circadian network that promotes both synchrony and entrainment. A more complete understanding of how the properties of oscillators and their signaling mechanisms facilitate their distinct roles in light entrainment may allow us to direct and augment the circadian system to speed recovery from jet lag, shift work, and seasonal affective disorder.
The challenges facing further education college governors in England
Authors: Hill Ron , James Chris , Forrest Colin
Published: May 2016

‘Further education’ (FE) is a substantial sector in the education system in England. It has funding of approximately £8 billion annually and educates close to three million students. Within the sector are 231 FE colleges which provide a range of courses that are typically vocational/skills-based. They vary in scale and scope with the largest colleges having a turnover in excess of £100 million and over 15,000 students. For a variety of reasons, the FE sector is experiencing various pressures which are presenting FE college governors with a range of significant, substantial, simultaneous and synergistic challenges. In this article we describe and analyse the challenges and the implications. We make the point that these challenges are in addition to FE governors’ ongoing governing work. For FE governing bodies, the challenges may prove to be overwhelming and so they may proceed with undue caution. On the other hand, they may be an opportunity for governing bodies to strengthen college governance and leadership creatively and to enhance opportunities for their learners – again creatively - for the benefit of their communities.
The relationship between elementary school principals’ transformational leadership and spiritual well-being
Authors: Mehdinezhad Vali , Nouri Fatemeh
Published: May 2016

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between transformational leadership and spiritual well-being among elementary school principals. A correlational research or ex post facto method was used in this study. The sample population comprised 141 subjects, of which 69 were male and 72 were female. Bass and Avolio’s Transformational Leadership Questionnaires and Ellison’s Spiritual Well-Being Scale were used. The results obtained indicated that the assessment of domains related to transformational leadership style would show, relatively, the importance of a ‘without intervention’ leadership style; however, values for passive avoidant leadership, management-by-exception and contingent reward were greater than the other dimensions used. There was a positive correlation between spiritual well-being and its dimensions, as well as transformational leadership and its dimensions, excluding the religious dimension and intellectual stimulation, contingent reward, management-by-exception and passive avoidant leadership, and between dimensional being and leadership without intervention in other dimensions (though low). The results of this study also showed that the spiritual well-being dimension can predict 12.7% of the behavior of transformational leadership of principals.
The impact of tabalumab on the kidney in systemic lupus erythematosus: results from two phase 3 randomized, clinical trials
Authors: Rovin B H , Dooley M A , Radhakrishnan J , Ginzler E M , Forrester T D , Anderson P W
Published: May 2016

Introduction

Tabalumab is a monoclonal antibody that neutralizes membrane and soluble B-cell activating factor. Two 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled phase 3 trials evaluated the safety and efficacy of tabalumab in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Methods

Patients with moderate to severe active systemic lupus erythematosus (without severe active lupus nephritis) were randomly assigned 1:1:1 to receive tabalumab (120 mg subcutaneously every 2 or 4 weeks) or placebo for 52 weeks. Serum creatinine concentration, estimated glomerular filtration rate, urine protein/creatinine ratio, renal flares and renal adverse events were determined monthly. Data were analyzed for the intent-to-treat population and for intent-to-treat patients with baseline urine protein/creatinine ratio >20 mg/mmol (intent-to-treat plus urine protein/creatinine ratio).

Results

The trials enrolled 2262 patients. At baseline, demographics, systemic lupus erythematosus disease activity, serum creatinine concentration, estimated glomerular filtration rate and urine protein/creatinine ratio were similar among the treatment arms (with the exception of disease duration). In the intent-to-treat and intent-to-treat plus urine protein/creatinine ratio populations, there were no differences between the arms in the baseline-to-endpoint change in serum creatinine concentration, glomerular filtration rate, urine protein/creatinine ratio, or renal flare rates. Tabalumab resulted in a significant B-cell reduction and decreased immunoglobulin G levels at both doses.

Conclusions

Compared to placebo, tabalumab did not significantly affect the serum creatinine concentration, glomerular filtration rate, urine protein/creatinine ratio, or renal flare rates over 1 year in intent-to-treat or intent-to-treat plus urine protein/creatinine ratio patients. There were no significant renal safety signals. ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers: NCT01205438 and NCT01196091 Lupus (2016) 25, 1597–1601.
Nurses’ narratives of moral identity: Making a difference and reciprocal holding
Authors: Peter Elizabeth , Simmonds Anne , Liaschenko Joan
Published: May 2016

Background:

Explicating nurses’ moral identities is important given the powerful influence moral identity has on the capacity to exercise moral agency.

Research objectives:

The purpose of this study was to explore how nurses narrate their moral identity through their understanding of their work. An additional purpose was to understand how these moral identities are held in the social space that nurses occupy.

Research design:

The Registered Nurse Journal, a bimonthly publication of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, Canada, features a regular column entitled, ‘In the End … What Nursing Means to Me …’ These short narratives generally include a story of an important moment in the careers of the authors that defined their identities as nurses. All 29 narratives published before June 2015 were analysed using a critical narrative approach, informed by the work of Margaret Urban Walker and Hilde Lindemann, to identify a typology of moral identity.

Ethical considerations:

Ethics approval was not required because the narratives are publicly available.

Findings:

Two narrative types were identified that represent the moral identities of nurses as expressed through their work: (1) making a difference in the lives of individuals and communities and (2) holding the identities of vulnerable individuals.

Discussion:

Nurses’ moral identities became evident when they could see improvement in the health of patients or communities or when they could maintain the identity of their patients despite the disruptive forces of illness and hospitalization. In reciprocal fashion, the responses of their patients, including expressions of gratitude, served to hold the moral identities of these nurses.

Conclusion:

Ultimately, the sustainability of nurses’ moral identities may be dependent on the recognition of their own needs for professional satisfaction and care in ways that go beyond the kind of acknowledgement that patients can offer.
Managing Consumer Loyalty through Acquisition, Retention and Experience Efforts: An Empirical Study on Service Consumers in India
Authors: Singh Jagwinder , Saini Shivani
Published: May 2016

Recent developments in the marketing literature highlight the significance of consumer relationship management (CRM) in driving consumer loyalty (CL). In order to provide a clear understanding about the impact of CRM on CL, this study develops an integrated framework of CRM activities: acquisition, retention and experience to manage CL through direct and indirect approaches (with mediation of satisfaction, trust and commitment). The article utilizes a survey-based empirical study of 600 consumers from three service sectors (health, retail and wellness). Subsequently, structural equation modelling through multiple group analysis has been used to test a series of hypotheses concerning the direct as well as indirect effects of consumer relationship efforts on CL. The findings of the study suggest that a firm that pays more attention to manage consumer experiences would be significantly benefited from the implementation of CRM programmes. Consumer experience efforts have the positive impact on CL through commitment in all three sectors. The acquisition efforts are sufficient enough to develop partial CL through satisfaction in health and wellness services only. Similarly, retention efforts manage to develop CL partially by satisfaction and trust in all three select services. Among the three proposed mediators, only commitment drives true CL.
Psychiatry and the ‘Gay Holocaust’ – the lessons of Jill Soloway’s Transparent
Authors: Robertson Michael D , Light Edwina , Walter Garry , Lipworth Wendy
Published: May 2016

Objective:

We aim to consider issues relevant to psychiatry raised by the television series, Transparent.

Conclusions:

Psychiatry’s disturbing history regarding the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community shares many aspects with the group’s persecution by the National Socialist regime in Germany. The medicalised ‘otherness’ conferred on LGBTI patients, latent homophobia and transphobia, and lack of culturally sensitive clinical services for these people represent a major ethical challenge for modern Australasian psychiatry.
On wabi sabi and the aesthetics of family secrets: Reading Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the shore
Authors: Orgad Yariv
Published: May 2016

Family secrets are commonly considered as a defense mechanism that conceals shameful content and evades guilt. As shame and guilt threaten narcissistic perfection, secrecy functions as a self-protective mechanism by evading acknowledgment of imperfection, thus conceptualizing imperfection as a psychological threat. However, the meaning of perfection and imperfection is culturally grounded, and, therefore, our understanding of family secrets may gain better understanding by examining different cultural perspectives of perfection/imperfection. In this context, we can gain insights to the process of family secrets through wabi sabi, a Japanese aesthetic ideal and philosophy that stresses imperfection as the basis for harmony. In this paper, I suggest an interpretation of family secrets that draws on wabi sabi aesthetics. The paper's main argument is illustrated through a careful reading of Murakami's Kafka on the shore, presenting wabi sabi of family secrets as distinguished aesthetics and a potential source for mental transformation and growth.
Fatigue strength application of fracture mechanics to orthotropic steel decks
Authors: Nagy Wim , Schotte Ken , Van Bogaert Philippe , De Backer Hans
Published: May 2016

Modern fatigue design in civil constructions is mainly limited to the use of S-N curves and the hypothesis of Palmgren-Miner, as described in design standards and Eurocode. While using the latter, the fatigue evaluation may be conservative, since the outdated S-N curves are compared to current construction technology and weld properties. This shortcoming has a direct influence on the current design of orthotropic steel decks. To increase the understanding of the fatigue behaviour, an improved analysing tool using linear elastic fracture mechanics and extended finite element model is proposed. As a result, thickness effects are evaluated for both the longitudinal stiffener and the deck plate. These calculations indicated that increasing the thickness of the deck plate and the longitudinal stiffener increases the fatigue life of the structure. However, the thickness should be limited to maintain the advantage of a light-weighted construction.
Prediction of the impact force on reinforced concrete beams from a drop weight
Authors: Pham Thong M , Hao Hong
Published: May 2016

It is always a challenge to efficiently and accurately estimate the force on structures from falling objects. This study aims to predict the maximum impact force on reinforced concrete beams subjected to drop-weight impact using artificial neural network. A new empirical model including a comprehensive version and a simplified version is proposed to estimate the maximum impact force. The model was verified against a database collected from the literature including 67 reinforced concrete beams tested under drop-weight impacts. The database covers the concrete strengths ranging from 23 to 47 MPa, the projectile mass from 150 to 500 kg, and the impact velocity up to 9.3 m/s. The prediction of the comprehensive version of the proposed model fits the experimental results very well with an average absolute error of 11.6%. The simplified version of the proposed model is established for easy estimation, with the average error of 23.2% in prediction of the maximum impact force.
Explaining individual changes in moral values and moral emotions among adolescent boys and girls: A fixed-effects analysis
Authors: Svensson Robert , Pauwels Lieven J. R. , Weerman Frank M. , Bruinsma Gerben J. N.
Published: May 2016

In this study we examine to what extent within-individual changes in parental monitoring, bonds with parents and school, and rule-breaking peers can explain within-individual changes in morality. We distinguish between three key dimensions of morality: moral values, anticipated shame, and anticipated guilt. We use data from the SPAN project, a two-wave panel study among 616 adolescents (ages 12–19) from secondary schools in The Hague, The Netherlands. Employing a fixed-effects model, we found that within-individual changes in parental monitoring, bonds with parents and school, and rule-breaking peers are significantly related to within-individual changes in moral values, anticipated shame, and anticipated guilt. These findings emphasize the important role of family, school, and the peer group in the development of morality during adolescence. Implications of these findings are discussed.
The Role of the Frontal Lobe in Complex Walking Among Patients With Parkinson’s Disease and Healthy Older Adults
Authors: Maidan Inbal , Nieuwhof Freek , Bernad-Elazari Hagar , Reelick Miriam F. , Bloem Bas R. , Giladi Nir , Deutsch Judith E. , Hausdorff Jeffery M. , Claassen Jurgen A. H. , Mirelman Anat
Published: May 2016

Background. Gait is influenced by higher order cognitive and cortical control mechanisms. Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been used to examine frontal activation during walking in healthy older adults, reporting increased oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2) levels during dual task walking (DT), compared with usual walking. Objective. To investigate the role of the frontal lobe during DT and obstacle negotiation, in healthy older adults and patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods. Thirty-eight healthy older adults (mean age 70.4 ± 0.9 years) and 68 patients with PD (mean age 71.7 ± 1.1 years,) performed 3 walking tasks: ( a) usual walking, ( b) DT walking, and ( c) obstacles negotiation, with fNIRS and accelerometers. Linear-mix models were used to detect changes between groups and within tasks. Results. Patients with PD had higher activation during usual walking ( P < .030). During DT, HbO2 increased only in healthy older adults ( P < .001). During obstacle negotiation, HbO2 increased in patients with PD ( P = .001) and tended to increase in healthy older adults ( P = .053). Higher DT and obstacle cost ( P < .003) and worse cognitive performance were observed in patients with PD ( P = .001). Conclusions. A different pattern of frontal activation during walking was observed between groups. The higher activation during usual walking in patients with PD suggests that the prefrontal cortex plays an important role already during simple walking. However, higher activation relative to baseline during obstacle negotiation and not during DT in the patients with PD demonstrates that prefrontal activation depends on the nature of the task. These findings may have important implications for rehabilitation of gait in patients with PD.
The Work/Nonwork Spillover: The Enrichment Role of Work Engagement
Authors: Eldor Liat , Harpaz Itzhak , Westman Mina
Published: May 2016

This study examines whether work engagement enriches employees beyond the contribution of the domain of work, focusing on satisfaction with life and community involvement. Moreover, the ambivalence of scholars about the added value of the work engagement concept compared with similar work-related attitudes prompted us to assess the benefits that work engagement offers with regard to improving one’s satisfaction with life and community involvement compared with the benefits of other, similar work-related attitudes such as job involvement and job satisfaction. Furthermore, given the studies indicating the impact of sector of employment (public vs. business) on understanding the work/nonwork nexus, the current study also investigates the effect of the sector of employment on this enrichment process. Utilizing multilevel modeling analysis techniques on data from 554 employees in public and business sector organizations, we obtained results consistent with our hypotheses. Work engagement and employees’ outcomes beyond work had positive and significant relationships. Moreover, the relationship between work engagement and community involvement was stronger in public sector employees than in business sector employees. The implications for organizational theory, research, and practice are discussed as possible leverage points for creating conditions that promote engagement at work and beyond.
Identification of modal parameters for complex structures by experimental modal analysis approach
Authors: Nestorović Tamara , Trajkov Miroslav , Patalong Matthias
Published: May 2016

In this research, we have proposed a methodology for experimental identification of modal parameters based on measurement of the frequency responses of structures with complex geometries and performed an overall investigation of structural behavior on a funnel-shaped inlet of magnetic resonance tomograph. Several identification methods are implemented and compared: complex exponential, least-squares complex exponential, and polyreference least-squares complex exponential. We have implemented the modal parameter identification methodology within our own graphical user interface supported by MATLAB to create an independent tool for modal analysis. The estimation methods are compared and the comparison results are summarized showing based on tabular representation and stabilization diagrams significant advantage of the proposed methodology for determining eigenfrequencies, damping coefficients, mode shapes, and residues for complex structures investigated in broad band of frequencies. Runtime for the execution of algorithms vary depending on the applied method, assumed order of the model used for estimation, and the number of measurements, that is, inputs and outputs.
Development and performance evaluation of a hemp–starch composite
Authors: Moussa Tala , Maalouf Chadi , Lachi Mohammed , Umurigirwa Sandrine , Mai Ton Hoang , Henry Jean-François
Published: May 2016

This article describes the results of a research project carried out at the University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne. The aim of this article is to develop a new insulating material produced by bonding hemp shives with wheat starch as a binder and to characterize its physical properties such as sorption isotherm, water vapour permeability, thermal conductivity, heat capacity and porosity. The equations of coupled heat and moisture transfer within the panels are introduced. These governing equations are applied on the room level in order to assess the hygrothermal behaviour of the panels and its impact on energy consumption and indoor comfort. Simulations are performed for Nancy (France) winter conditions with the simulation environment Simulation Problem Analysis and Research Kernel (SPARK) suited for complex problems.
Covering the Syrian conflict: How Middle East reporters deal with challenging situations
Authors: Vandevoordt Robin
Published: May 2016

Reporters covering the Middle East are often confronted with situations where information is notoriously hard to verify and where confrontations with witnesses’ harsh realities can be extraordinarily intense. How does one deal with claims that there are no chemical weapons in Syria, for instance, if no foreign visitors are allowed to enter the neighbourhoods where the attacks allegedly took place? And how far does one go in adopting or contextualizing the story of a crying little girl blaming ‘terrorists’ for destroying her life if you are taken to her by a regime official, who considers every form of opposition an act of terror? Under such conditions, reporters can hardly rely upon seemingly self-evident routines, nor can they simply revert to general values such as impartiality or bearing witness without much further ado. Instead, they find themselves forced to make judgements on particular situations time and time again. Based on 14 in-depth interviews with Dutch and Flemish reporters covering Syria, this article sets out to identify, first, the challenging situations with which these journalists have been confronted, and second, how they have responded to these challenges through the use of particular professional strategies. To explore these challenges and strategies, the article develops a theoretical and methodological approach centred around situated value judgements.
Single-cell analysis reveals new subset markers of murine peritoneal macrophages and highlights macrophage dynamics upon Staphylococcus aureus peritonitis
Authors: Accarias Solène , Genthon Clémence , Rengel David , Boullier Séverine , Foucras Gilles , Tabouret Guillaume
Published: May 2016

Resident macrophages play a central role in maintaining tissue homeostasis and immune surveillance. Here, we used single cell-based qPCR coupled with flow cytometry analysis to further define the phenotypes of large and small resident peritoneal macrophages (LPMs and SPMs, respectively) in mice. We demonstrated that the expression of Cxcl13, IfngR1, Fizz-1 and Mrc-1 clearly distinguished between LPMs and SPMs subsets. Using these markers, the dynamics of peritoneal macrophages in a Staphylococcus aureus-induced peritonitis model were analyzed. We found that S. aureus infection triggers a massive macrophage disappearance reaction in both subsets. Thereafter, inflammatory monocytes rapidly infiltrated the cavity and differentiated to replenish the SPMs. Although phenotypically indistinguishable from resident SPMs by flow cytometry, newly recruited SPMs had a different pattern of gene expression dominated by M2 markers combined with M1 associated features (inos expression). Interestingly, S. aureus elicited SPMs showed a robust expression of Cxcl13, suggesting that these cells may endorse the role of depleted LPMs and contribute to restoring peritoneal homeostasis. These data provide information on both resident and recruited macrophages dynamics upon S. aureus infection and demonstrate that single-cell phenotyping is a promising and highly valuable approach to unraveling macrophage diversity and plasticity.
Exploring the Relationship of Shared Race/Ethnicity With Court Actors, Perceptions of Court Procedural Justice, and Obligation to Obey Among Male Offenders
Authors: Baker Thomas
Published: May 2016

Using survey data from a sample of White, Black, and Hispanic male offenders ( n = 311), this study examines whether the relationship between procedural justice and obligation to obey the law is substantiated among a sample of offenders. Further, this study explores the impact that sharing the race/ethnicity of the defense attorney, prosecutor, and judge in their most recent conviction has on male offenders’ perceptions of court procedural justice and their perceived obligation to obey the law. The findings reveal that male offenders who perceive the courts as more procedurally just report a significantly greater obligation to obey the law. In addition, Black and Hispanic offenders who shared the race/ethnicity of the prosecutor in their case perceived the courts as significantly more just. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
Properties of internalization factors contributing to the uptake of extracellular DNA into tumor-initiating stem cells of mouse Krebs-2 cell line
Authors: Dolgova Evgeniya V. , Potter Ekaterina A. , Proskurina Anastasiya S. , Minkevich Alexandra M. , Chernych Elena R. , Ostanin Alexandr A. , Efremov Yaroslav R. , Bayborodin Sergey I. , Nikolin Valeriy P. , Popova Nelly A. , Kolchanov Nikolay A. , Bogachev Sergey S.
Published: May 2016

Background

Previously, we demonstrated that poorly differentiated cells of various origins, including tumor-initiating stem cells present in the ascites form of mouse cancer cell line Krebs-2, are capable of naturally internalizing both linear double-stranded DNA and circular plasmid DNA.

Methods

The method of co-incubating Krebs-2 cells with extracellular plasmid DNA (pUC19) or TAMRA-5’-dUTP-labeled polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product was used. It was found that internalized plasmid DNA isolated from Krebs-2 can be transformed into competentEscherichia colicells. Thus, the internalization processes taking place in the Krebs-2 cell subpopulation have been analyzed and compared, as assayed byE. colicolony formation assay (plasmid DNA) and cytofluorescence (TAMRA-DNA).

Results

We showed that extracellular DNA both in the form of plasmid DNA and a PCR product is internalized by the same subpopulation of Krebs-2 cells. We found that the saturation threshold for Krebs-2 ascites cells is 0.5 μg DNA/106cells. Supercoiled plasmid DNA, human high-molecular weight DNA, and 500 bp PCR fragments are internalized into the Krebs-2 tumor-initiating stem cells via distinct, non-competing internalization pathways. Under our experimental conditions, each cell may harbor 340–2600 copies of intact plasmid material, or up to 3.097 ± 0.044×106plasmid copies (intact or not), as detected by quantitative PCR.

Conclusion

The internalization dynamics of extracellular DNA, copy number of the plasmids taken up by the cells, and competition between different types of double-stranded DNA upon internalization into tumor-initiating stem cells of mouse ascites Krebs-2 have been comprehensively analyzed. Investigation of the extracellular DNA internalization into tumor-initiating stem cells is an important part of understanding their properties and possible destruction mechanisms. For example, a TAMRA-labeled DNA probe may serve as an instrument to develop a target for the therapy of cancer, aiming at elimination of tumor stem cells, as well as developing a straightforward test system for the quantification of poorly differentiated cells, including tumor-initiating stem cells, in the bulk tumor sample (biopsy or surgery specimen).
Antifibrotic therapies to control cardiac fibrosis
Authors: Fan Zhaobo , Guan Jianjun
Published: May 2016

Cardiac fibrosis occurs naturally after myocardial infarction. While the initially formed fibrotic tissue prevents the infarcted heart tissue from rupture, the progression of cardiac fibrosis continuously expands the size of fibrotic tissue and causes cardiac function decrease. Cardiac fibrosis eventually evolves the infarcted hearts into heart failure. Inhibiting cardiac fibrosis from progressing is critical to prevent heart failure. However, there is no efficient therapeutic approach currently available. Myofibroblasts are primarily responsible for cardiac fibrosis. They are formed by cardiac fibroblast differentiation, fibrocyte differentiation, epithelial to mesenchymal transdifferentiation, and endothelial to mesenchymal transition, driven by cytokines such as transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), angiotensin II and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). The approaches that inhibit myofibroblast formation have been demonstrated to prevent cardiac fibrosis, including systemic delivery of antifibrotic drugs, localized delivery of biomaterials, localized delivery of biomaterials and antifibrotic drugs, and localized delivery of cells using biomaterials. This review addresses current progresses in cardiac fibrosis therapies.
How blockchain-timestamped protocols could improve the trustworthiness of medical science
Authors: Irving Greg , Holden John
Published: May 2016

Trust in scientific research is diminished by evidence that data are being manipulated. Outcome switching, data dredging and selective publication are some of the problems that undermine the integrity of published research. Methods for using blockchain to provide proof of pre-specified endpoints in clinical trial protocols were first reported by Carlisle. We wished to empirically test such an approach using a clinical trial protocol where outcome switching has previously been reported. Here we confirm the use of blockchain as a low cost, independently verifiable method to audit and confirm the reliability of scientific studies.
On complexism: Pulsion and computation
Authors: Tina Yvan
Published: May 2016

This article discusses a concept introduced by art theorist Philip Galanter in several publications over the past decade: complexism is a notion that looks at both past and future while aiming to reconcile (post) modern aesthetics with the cybernetic and biological paradigms. This article focuses on the re-evaluation of the performance arts within the framework of this theory, favouring the idea that every artwork necessarily resists attempts of subordination through language and scientific discourses. By referring to the dispositive, a notion that considers complexism as a conceptual matrix, the author argues that it can be described in terms of pulsion and computation.
Synthesizing fields: Art, complexism and the space beyond now
Authors: Olynyk Patricia
Published: May 2016

The attributes that characterize the compelling world-view of Philip Galanter’s Complexism constitute a rich array that spans complexity theory, biological systems, cybernetics, computation and the phenomenology of affect. An ever-growing movement of transdisciplinary artists who engage and synthesize the unique combination of fields, theories and practices associated with Complexism suggests that this model – particularly its embrace of complexity theory – holds promise in the problem space of art and science. This article examines three contemporary artists and their collaborative teams, each of whose work embodies a unique attitude and synthesizing model that expresses the ethos of Complexism. Their work arguably contributes to a higher synthesis of modernism and postmodernism and the coalescence of art and science through the progression of ideas that emerge from this union in direct correspondence to the larger culture. Furthermore, they do so through the embrace of evolutionary and generative processes, connectionist networks, and participatory practices that engender new discourse about contemporary life, moving us beyond the space of postmodernity.
The capsule as cyborg bioarchitecture
Authors: Toloudi Zenovia
Published: May 2016

In 1969, Kisho Kurokawa stated that the ‘capsule is cyborg architecture’. The capsule is the ultimate form of the prefabricated building. As such it has emancipated itself from the land to become the immediate extension of the moving self, similar to cars or the Japanese kago. In Japanese Metabolism, an architecture movement of the 1960s and 1970s, the capsule is a small, repeatable building unit rooted in historical elements, such as the teahouse. The capsule is also a tool – a machine for living – that is modular and part of a system offering simplicity and complexity. The capsule signifies individuality within a diverse society, including standardization, functionality, technology and smallness in scale. This article re-examines the potential of the capsule in contemporary bioarchitecture, in living systems and in evolving environments. Through Philip Galanter’s theory of ‘complexism’, the article connects the capsule to modular(ity), embodiment, protective vulnerability, voyeurism, unpredictability, complexity, immateriality and ephemerality. I propose that the capsule instantiates a cyborg bioarchitecture.
Forgiven, not Forgotten: Communicative Translation Activities in Second Language Teaching
Authors: Prieto Arranz J. Igor
Published: May 2016

Although frequently discarded and despised in the 20th century, translation now seems to find wider acceptance within the Second Language Teaching (SLT) field. However, it still has a long way to go before recovering its due place in the L2 classroom. The aim of this paper is to suggest a number of translation (and interpreting)-based activities covering the different competence levels, thus showing that communicative content and translation can perfectly go hand in hand so that old, unjustified prejudices can be superseded once and for all.
Ein Klang - zwei Welten
Authors: Rauhut Michael
Published: May 2016

Der Blues wird gern auf eine Handvoll Klischees und zwölf Takte reduziert. Doch tatsächlich verbergen sich hinter der scheinbar standardisierten Klangoberfläche mannigfaltige Formen des kulturellen Gebrauchs. Mittels umfangreicher Archivrecherchen illustriert Michael Rauhuts Vergleich der Entwicklung des Blues in Ost- und Westdeutschland, wie soziale und politische Verhältnisse den Sinn von Musik formen. Rauhut zeigt: Wenn auch die Sounds weltweit gültigen Mustern folgen und kaum Unterschiede erkennen lassen, sind doch die Bedeutungszusammenhänge, in denen sich der Blues realisiert, durchaus verschieden. Die Studie bietet nicht nur ein kultur- und musikgeschichtliches Resümee der Genese des Blues in Deutschland, sondern leistet auch einen Beitrag zur Globalisierungsdebatte.
Bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of cefotaxime in Muscovy ducks
Authors: Aboubakr Mohamed
Published: May 2016

The pharmacokinetic profile of cefotaxime following a single intravenous (IV) and intramuscular (IM) injection was studied in Muscovy ducks. Cefotaxime was given at a dose rate of 25 mg/kg b.wt. for both routes. After IV injection, the plasma levels of cefotaxime estimated at 0.08 h was 70.87 Î¼g/ml, which declined gradually and cefotaxime was detected up to 10 h (0.59 Î¼g/ml). The mean values of CL, Vdss and t1/2Î² of cefotaxime in muscovy ducks were 0.22 l/kg/h, 0.51 l/kg and 1.81 h, respectively. After IM injection, maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) was (14.72 Î¼g/ml), time of maximal plasma concentration (tmax) was (2.3 h) and elimination half-life (t1/2el)was (1.77 h). Bioavailability following IM injection was 79.61%, and in vitro protein binding percent was 31.48%. A recommended IM dosage for cefotaxime in muscovy ducks would be 30 mg/kg b.wt., repeated at 12 h intervals will provide a therapeutic plasma concentrations exceeding the MICâ‰¤0.5 Âµg/ml for most susceptible pathogens in ducks.
Influences of hydrozoan colonization on proteomic profiles of the brown alga Saccharina japonica
Authors: Getachew Paulos , Nam Bo-Hye , Young Cho Ji , Hong Yong-Ki
Published: May 2016

The stoloniferous hydrozoan Obelia geniculata frequently colonizes late-harvested blades of the aquacultured Saccharina japonica. To understand the corresponding changes at protein level, we compared the proteomic profiles in hydrozoan-colonized and healthy tissues. Our results showed that 107 and 75 protein spots were detected in colonized and healthy tissues, respectively. Among them, 7 and 16 identified proteins were significantly up- and down-regulated, respectively. Up-regulated proteins of cell-division cycle 46/minichromosome maintenance protein 5 and glutamyl-tRNA reductase were found mostly in hydrozoan-colonized tissues but were rare in healthy tissues. Microcompartments protein, carboxysome shell peptide, biotin synthetase, serine/arginine-rich splicing factor and a two-component response regulator were up-regulated in hydrozoan-colonized tissues. However, downregulated proteins of phosphoglycerate kinase, expansin 6, translation initiation factor 3, calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II inhibitor 2 and 50S ribosomal protein L1P were found mostly in healthy tissues but rare in hydrozoan-colonized tissues. Transmembrane protein, protoporphyrinogen oxidase, dual oxidase 2, PIH1 domain-containing protein 2, GTPase-activating protein alpha, threonyl-tRNA synthetase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase, uncoupling protein 3, bromoperoxidase 7, peptide release factor 1, and interaptin were down-regulated in hydrozoan-colonized tissues. Most of the up- and down-regulated proteins are known to be related to stress control, signal transduction and photosynthesis.
Molecular and morphological characterisation of Ulva chaugulii, U. paschima and U. ohnoi (Ulvophyceae) from the Persian Gulf, Iran
Authors: Pirian Kiana , Piri Khosro , Sohrabipour Jelveh , Tamadoni Jahromi Saied , Blomster Jaanika
Published: May 2016

Species of Ulva are distributed worldwide in various aquatic habitats and their morphological characters change considerably in response to environmental conditions, which makes identification in this genus problematic. All Ulva species so far described from the Persian Gulf, Iran, have been identified by classical taxonomic methods. In this study, Ulva spp. collected from the Persian Gulf were identified by combined morphological and molecular methods. We sequenced the internal transcribed spacer ITS2 and the rbcL gene in 15 specimens, representing typical morphotypes of over 50 samples. Maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference (BI) phylogenetic reconstructions using ITS and rbcL revealed clades, which we identified as Ulva chaugulii, U. paschima and U. ohnoi. These three species have not been recorded from the Persian Gulf, Iran before. The morphology of U. chaugulii differed considerably from its species description, showing further evidence for extreme intraspecific variation in morphology in this cosmopolitan genus.
Lactic acid-catalyzed fusion of ninhydrin and enamines for the solvent-free synthesis of hexahydroindeno[1,2-b]indole-9,10-diones
Authors: Chen Xuwen , Liu Yunyun
Published: May 2016

The lactic acid-catalyzed reactions of ninhydrin and secondary enaminones were conducted by solvent-free grinding at room temperature to yield polycyclic 4b,9b-dihydroxy-4b,5,6,7,8,9b-hexahydroindeno[1,2-b]indole-9,10-diones.