bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Semiconductor Pricing Strategy in USB Market: A Market Leader’s Dilemma
Authors: Pandey Neeraj , Mehta Nikhil , Roy Shreya Basu
Published: December 2016

The semiconductor market has become more competitive than ever before with new players joining the industry. There is pressure for innovation and differentiation in this industry to maintain leadership. The resultant innovative products have wide application but are sold in hypercompetitive market.

The industry requires price management at transaction level to achieve efficiency and excellence with each of the diverse customers. The pricing in the semiconductor industry is done more scientifically as compared to other industries like FMCG, consumer durables, and health care. Pricing software aid managers in determining the appropriate price. This research looks holistically at the pricing issues especially faced by market leader with focus on Universal Serial Bus (USB) customers. The market leader traditionally does premium pricing in semiconductor industry. We question that—Should a market leader always charge price premium in all its product lines? Which pricing strategy is better—skimming pricing strategy or penetrative pricing strategy? The objective of the research is to find appropriate pricing strategy for the specific product category. A right price would lead to enhanced revenue besides better customer conversion ratio.
Building a Progressive-Situational Model of Post-Diagnosis Information Seeking for Parents of Individuals With Down Syndrome
Authors: Gibson Amelia N.
Published: December 2016

This grounded theory study used in-depth, semi-structured interview to examine the information-seeking behaviors of 35 parents of children with Down syndrome. Emergent themes include a progressive pattern of behavior including information overload and avoidance, passive attention, and active information seeking; varying preferences between tacit and explicit information at different stages; and selection of information channels and sources that varied based on personal and situational constraints. Based on the findings, the author proposes a progressive model of health information seeking and a framework for using this model to collect data in practice. The author also discusses the practical and theoretical implications of a responsive, progressive approach to understanding parents’ health information–seeking behavior.
Improving reperfusion time within the ESCAPE Endovascular Clinical Trial
Authors: Kamal Noreen , Smith Eric E , Menon Bijoy K , Eesa Muneer , Ryckborst Karla J , Poppe Alexandre Y , Roy Daniel , Thornton John , Williams David , Casaubon Leanne K , Silver Frank L , Butcher Kenneth , Shuaib Ashfaq , Rempel Jeremy L , Jovin Tudor G , Sapkota Biggya L , Demchuk Andrew M , Goyal Mayank , Hill Michael D
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke is more effective when performed quickly. In this report, we describe quality interventions to ensure fast endovascular treatment times in the ESCAPE (Endovascular Treatment for Small Core and Anterior circulation Proximal Occlusion with Emphasis on Minimizing CT to Recanalization Times) trial.

Methods

An “audit and feedback” intervention using webinar and letter was used to improve treatment time over the course of the trial. The time metrics were computed tomography-to-groin-puncture (target < 60 min) and computed tomography-to-first-reperfusion (target < 90 min). Each site was provided with their data for computed tomography-to-groin-puncture and computed tomography-to-first-reperfusion for all their patients that were randomized to the treatment arm, and their median time was compared to the overall median times of all sites in the trial. We assessed for changes in treatment time over the course of the trial.

Results

There were 165 patients enrolled into the endovascular arm from 22 sites. The computed tomography-to-groin-puncture time dropped from 57 to 47 min (p = 0.14) while computed tomography-to-reperfusion time dropped from 89 to 81 min (p = 0.48). Over the course of the trial, the absolute treatment benefit increased by 7.8% (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

An “audit and feedback” intervention throughout the conduct of the ESCAPE trial was a feasible way to ensure fast treatment times. Quality improvement processes should continue as standard practice beyond the trial to encourage good patient selection and the best clinical outcomes.
Graft-versus-host disease targets ovary and causes female infertility in mice
Authors: Shimoji Sonoko , Hashimoto Daigo , Tsujigiwa Hidetsugu , Miyawaki Kohta , Kato Koji , Takahashi Shuichiro , Ogasawara Reiki , Jiromaru Takashi , Iwasaki Hiromi , Miyamoto Toshihiro , Akashi Koichi , Teshima Takanori
Published: December 2016

Key Points

GVHD mediates donor T-cell infiltration and apoptosis of the ovarian follicle cells, leading to ovarian insufficiency and infertility. Ovarian insufficiency and infertility are independent of conditioning, and pharmacologic GVHD prophylaxis preserves fertility.
Oxygen, the lung and the diver: friends and foes?
Authors: van Ooij Pieter-Jan A.M. , Sterk Peter J. , van Hulst Robert A.
Published: December 2016

Worldwide, the number of professional and sports divers is increasing. Most of them breathe diving gases with a raised partial pressure of oxygen (PO2). However, if thePO2is between 50 and 300 kPa (375–2250 mmHg) (hyperoxia), pathological pulmonary changes can develop, known as pulmonary oxygen toxicity (POT). Although in its acute phase, POT is reversible, it can ultimately lead to non-reversible pathological changes. Therefore, it is important to monitor these divers to prevent them from sustaining irreversible lesions.

This review summarises the pulmonary pathophysiological effects when breathing oxygen with aPO2of 50–300 kPa (375–2250 mmHg). We describe the role and the limitations of lung function testing in monitoring the onset and development of POT, and discuss new techniques in respiratory medicine as potential markers in the early development of POT in divers.
Sports-related lung injury during breath-hold diving
Authors: Mijacika Tanja , Dujic Zeljko
Published: December 2016

The number of people practising recreational breath-hold diving is constantly growing, thereby increasing the need for knowledge of the acute and chronic effects such a sport could have on the health of participants. Breath-hold diving is potentially dangerous, mainly because of associated extreme environmental factors such as increased hydrostatic pressure, hypoxia, hypercapnia, hypothermia and strenuous exercise.

In this article we focus on the effects of breath-hold diving on pulmonary function. Respiratory symptoms have been reported in almost 25% of breath-hold divers after repetitive diving sessions. Acutely, repetitive breath-hold diving may result in increased transpulmonary capillary pressure, leading to noncardiogenic oedema and/or alveolar haemorrhage. Furthermore, during a breath-hold dive, the chest and lungs are compressed by the increasing pressure of water. Rapid changes in lung air volume during descent or ascent can result in a lung injury known as pulmonary barotrauma. Factors that may influence individual susceptibility to breath-hold diving-induced lung injury range from underlying pulmonary or cardiac dysfunction to genetic predisposition.

According to the available data, breath-holding does not result in chronic lung injury. However, studies of large populations of breath-hold divers are necessary to firmly exclude long-term lung damage.
Risk assessment in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Raina Amresh , Humbert Marc
Published: December 2016

Regular patient assessment is essential for the management of chronic diseases, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Comprehensive patient assessment and risk stratification in PAH are important to guide treatment decisions and to monitor disease progression as well as patients' response to treatment. Approaches for assessing risk in PAH patients include the use of risk variables, as recommended in the 2015 European Society of Cardiology (ESC)/European Respiratory Society (ERS) pulmonary hypertension (PH) guidelines, and the application of risk equations and scores, such as the French registry risk equation and the REVEAL registry risk score. Risk stratification and risk scores are both useful predictors of survival on a population basis, and provide an estimate for individual patients' risk. The 2015 ESC/ERS PH guidelines recommend regular assessment of multiple variables at an expert centre. The respective merits and limitations of different risk assessment methods in PAH are discussed in this article, as well as some considerations that can be taken into account in the future development of risk assessment tools.
Patient engagement and self-management in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Graarup Jytte , Ferrari Pisana , Howard Luke S.
Published: December 2016

Improved care in pulmonary arterial hypertension has led to increased longevity for patients, with a paralleled evolution in the nature of their needs. There is more focus on the impact of the disease on their day-to-day activities and quality of life, and a holistic approach is coming to the front of pulmonary arterial hypertension management, which places the patient at the centre of their own healthcare. Patients are thus becoming more proactive, involved and engaged in their self-care, and this engagement is an important factor if patient outcomes are to improve. In addition, involvement of the patient may improve their ability to cope with pulmonary arterial hypertension, as well as help them to become effective in the self-management of their disease. Successful patient engagement can be achieved through effective education and the delivery and communication of timely, high-quality information. A multidisciplinary approach involving healthcare professionals, carers, patient associations and expert patient programmes can also encourage patients to engage. Strategies that promote patient engagement can help to achieve the best possible care and support for the patient and also benefit healthcare providers.
Pregnancy in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Olsson Karen M. , Channick Richard
Published: December 2016

Despite advanced therapies, maternal mortality in women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains high in pregnancy and is especially high during the post-partum period. However, recent data indicates that morbidity and mortality during pregnancy and after birth have improved for PAH patients. The current European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society guidelines recommend that women with PAH should not become pregnant. Therefore, the risks associated with pregnancy must be emphasised and counselling offered to women at the time of PAH diagnosis and to women with PAH who become pregnant. Early termination should be discussed. Women who choose to continue with their pregnancy should be treated at specialised pulmonary hypertension centres with experience in managing PAH during and after pregnancy.
Future perspectives in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Simonneau Gérald , Hoeper Marius M. , McLaughlin Vallerie , Rubin Lewis , Galiè Nazzareno
Published: December 2016

While there have been advances in the field of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), disease management remains suboptimal for many patients. The development of novel treatments and strategies can provide opportunities to target other mechanisms that play a role in the complex pathobiology of PAH outside of the three main pathophysiological pathways. In this review, we highlight some of the potential PAH therapies or techniques that are being, or have been, investigated in phase II clinical trials. This review also discusses potential points for consideration in the development of novel therapies that target putative disease mediators or modifiers.
Beyond a single pathway: combination therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Sitbon Olivier , Gaine Sean
Published: December 2016

There is a strong rationale for combining therapies to simultaneously target three of the key pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Evidence to support this strategy is growing, and a number of studies have demonstrated that combination therapy, administered as either a sequential or an initial regimen, can improve long-term outcomes in PAH. Dual combination therapy with a phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor and an endothelin receptor antagonist is the most widely utilised combination regimen. However, some patients fail to achieve their treatment goals on dual therapy and may benefit from the addition of a third drug. The use of triple therapy in clinical practice was previously reserved for patients with severe disease due to the need for parenteral administration of prostanoids. Although triple therapy with parenteral prostanoids plays a key role in the management of severe PAH, the approval of oral therapies that target the prostacyclin pathway means that all three pathways can now be targeted with oral drugs at an earlier disease stage. Furthermore, there is evidence demonstrating that this approach can delay disease progression. Based on the evidence available, it is becoming increasingly clear that all PAH patients should be offered the benefits of combination therapy.
Asthma in intellectual disability: are we managing our patients appropriately?
Authors: Davis Sharon
Published: December 2016

People with intellectual disability are a vulnerable group of people with asthma that has, to date, largely been ignored in the medical literature. Although guidelines for medication management for people with intellectual disability suggest asthma is treated as for other populations, there are special considerations that should be taken into account when managing asthma in this group. Due to their cognitive impairment as well as comorbidities, they are likely to require support with asthma self-management, including inhaler use. Their varying degrees of autonomy mean that there is often a need to provide education and information to both the person and their caregivers.

Educational aims

To understand general principles of health of people with intellectual disability and how this affects the healthcare professional’s approach to asthma management.

To understand how intellectual disability affects cognition, autonomy and communication, and therefore the ability of a person to self-manage asthma.

To recognise ways of mitigating respiratory disease risk in people with intellectual disability.

To describe ways for healthcare professionals to support people with intellectual disability and their caregivers in asthma management.
Discrete adipose-derived stem cell subpopulations may display differential functionality after in vitro expansion despite convergence to a common phenotype distribution
Authors: Nielsen Frederik Mølgaard , Riis Simone Elkjær , Andersen Jens Isak , Lesage Raphaëlle , Fink Trine , Pennisi Cristian Pablo , Zachar Vladimir
Published: December 2016

Background

Complex immunophenotypic repertoires defining discrete adipose-derived stem cell (ASC) subpopulations may hold a key toward identifying predictors of clinical utility. To this end, we sorted out of the freshly established ASCs four subpopulations (SPs) according to a specific pattern of co-expression of six surface markers, the CD34, CD73, CD90, CD105, CD146, and CD271, using polychromatic flow cytometry.

Method

Using flow cytometry-associated cell sorting and analysis, gating parameters were set to select for a CD73+CD90+CD105+ phenotype plus one of the four following combinations, CD34−CD146−CD271− (SP1), CD34−CD146+CD271− (SP2), CD34+CD146+CD271− (SP3), and CD34−CD146+CD271+ (SP4). The SPs were expanded 700- to 1000-fold, and their surface repertoire, trilineage differentiation, and clonogenic potential, and the capacity to support wound healing were assayed.

Results

Upon culturing, the co-expression of major epitopes, the CD73, CD90, and CD105 was maintained, while regarding the minor markers, all SPs reverted to resemble the pre-sorted population with CD34−CD146−CD271− and CD34−CD146+CD271− representing the most prevalent combinations, followed by less frequent CD34+CD146−CD271− and CD34+CD146+CD271− variants. There was no difference in the efficiency of adipo-, osteo-, or chondrogenesis by cytochemistry and real-time RT-PCR or the CFU capacity between the individual SPs, however, the SP2CD73+90+105+34-146+271- outperformed others in terms of wound healing.

Conclusions

Our study shows that ASCs upon culturing inherently maintain a stable distribution of immunophenotype variants, which may potentially disguise specific functional properties of particular downstream lines. Furthermore, the outlined approach suggests a paradigm whereby discrete subpopulations could be identified to provide for a therapeutically most relevant cell product.
Bile acid: a potential inducer of colon cancer stem cells
Authors: Farhana Lulu , Nangia-Makker Pratima , Arbit Evan , Shango Kathren , Sarkar Sarah , Mahmud Hamidah , Hadden Timothy , Yu Yingjie , Majumdar Adhip P. N.
Published: December 2016

Background

Although the unconjugated secondary bile acids, specifically deoxycholic acid (DCA) and lithocholic acid (LCA), are considered to be risk factors for colorectal cancer, the precise mechanism(s) by which they regulate carcinogenesis is poorly understood. We hypothesize that the cytotoxic bile acids may promote stemness in colonic epithelial cells leading to generation of cancer stem cells (CSCs) that play a role in the development and progression of colon cancer.

Methods

Normal human colonic epithelial cells (HCoEpiC) were used to study bile acid DCA/LCA-mediated induction of CSCs. The expression of CSC markers was measured by real-time qPCR. Flow cytometry was used to isolate CSCs. T-cell factor/lymphoid-enhancing factor (TCF/LEF) luciferase assay was employed to examine the transcriptional activity of β-catenin. Downregulation of muscarinic 3 receptor (M3R) was achieved through transfection of corresponding siRNA.

Results

We found DCA/LCA to induce CSCs in normal human colonic epithelial cells, as evidenced by the increased proportion of CSCs, elevated levels of several CSC markers, as well as a number of epithelial–mesenchymal transition markers together with increased colonosphere formation, drug exclusion, ABCB1 and ABCG2 expression, and induction of M3R, p-EGFR, matrix metallopeptidases, and c-Myc. Inhibition of M3R signaling greatly suppressed DCA/LCA induction of the CSC marker ALDHA1 and also c-Myc mRNA expression as well as transcriptional activation of TCF/LEF.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that bile acids, specifically DCA and LCA, induce cancer stemness in colonic epithelial cells by modulating M3R and Wnt/β-catenin signaling and thus could be considered promoters of colon cancer.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of ultrasound-guided Seldinger peripherally inserted central catheters (PICC)
Authors: Tan Jianghong , Liu Liping , Xie Jing , Hu Lingli , Yang Qiaolan , Wang Honghong
Published: December 2016

Background

Ultrasound-guided cannulation of deep mid-arm veins by a modified Seldinger (US-Seldinger) technique has been demonstrated to yield better puncture success rates and lower postoperative complication rates than direct cannulation of superficial veins near the elbow with a short peripheral cannula and peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion through the cannula (non-US conventional method). Economic factors have been evaluated across different operators (i.e. nurses, radiologists, and general practitioners) and different venous catheter types (i.e. PICCs vs. central venous catheters). However, to our knowledge, data describing the economic evaluation on the aforementioned modified Seldinger technique are lacking. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of US-Seldinger technique (experimental group) compared with that of the non-US conventional method based on direct vein visualization (control group).

Results

A cohort of 360 subjects were assigned randomly to the experimental and control groups. Cost-effectiveness ratio (CER) analyses indicated that the effectiveness index (EI) for the experimental group was 89.29% (final CER = 3732.75), whereas that for the control group was 59.18% (final CER = 2492.98).

Conclusion

The US-Seldinger technique was found to be more cost-effective than the non-US conventional method. These findings support the use of the former in place of the traditional latter technique as a routine puncture technique and suggest that the update would improve intravenous therapy treatment for patients needing PICCs. This study should serve as a reference for national healthcare policy.

Trial registration ChiCTR-TRC-14004993
The MAX IV imaging concept
Authors: Matěj Zdeněk , Mokso Rajmund , Larsson Krister , Hardion Vincent , Spruce Darren
Published: December 2016

The MAX IV Laboratory is currently the synchrotron X-ray source with the beam of highest brilliance. Four imaging beamlines are in construction or in the project phase. Their common characteristic will be the high acquisition rates of phase-enhanced images. This high data flow will be managed at the local computing cluster jointly with the Swedish National Computing Infrastructure. A common image reconstruction and analysis platform is being designed to offer reliable quantification of the multidimensional images acquired at all the imaging beamlines at MAX IV.
Editorial: Feeling the burn: sphingolipids and infection risk after thermal injury
Authors: Bohannon Julia K , Sherwood Edward R
Published: December 2016

Discussion on the reduced production of sphingosine after severe burn injury, and its potential contribution to pulmonary infection susceptibility.
President's Page
Authors: Zhang Jie
Published: December 2016

Let me start by asking why SEG, as a society, must be global? The answer to the question seems simple: Oil price is global, as is the science of exploration geophysics. Does SEG have any option other than to be global?
Introduction to this special section: Full-waveform inversion Part I
Authors: Routh Partha , Behura Jyoti , Tanis Mehmet C.
Published: December 2016

During the past decade, full-waveform inversion (FWI) has advanced rapidly in the seismic industry. FWI research and applications are making continual progress to address the technical and business challenges we face today in the upstream sector. Key hallmarks of this technology range from velocity-modeling building to producing high-resolution subsurface images in complex environments. The significant work on FWI in the last decade clearly indicates that it is one of the top fields of research in the geophysical community with the potential to extract enhanced subsurface information from seismic data.
Two-grid genetic algorithm full-waveform inversion
Authors: Mazzotti Alfredo , Bienati Nicola , Stucchi Eusebio , Tognarelli Andrea , Aleardi Mattia , Sajeva Angelo
Published: December 2016

Full-waveform inversion (FWI) tries to estimate velocity models of the subsurface with improved accuracy and resolution compared to conventional methods. To be successful, it needs input data that is rich in low frequencies and possibly characterized by long source-to-receiver offsets. The correct solution of the inverse problem by means of local methods is facilitated if the starting model lies in the “valley” of the cost-function global minimum. We explore the possibility of relaxing this requirement by using genetic algorithms, a stochastic optimization method, as the driver of the FWI (GA FWI). However, stochastic methods are affected by the “curse of dimensionality,” meaning that they require huge and sometimes even unaffordable computer resources for inverse problems with many unknowns and costly forward modeling. Therefore, we need to adopt proper stratagems in the inversion and limit our goal to the estimation of a velocity macromodel that is of a model with only the long-wavelength velocity structures, which could eventually act as the starting model for a local, higher-resolution gradient-based inversion. To this end, in the GA FWI we parametrize the subsurface with two grids: (1) a coarse grid with widely spaced nodes, that is unknowns, for the inversion, and (2) a fine grid with shorter spacing for the modeling. As a side result, we can also have an estimate of the uncertainty at the solution nodes of the grid. The approach we discuss is 2D acoustic in the time domain, with finite difference forward modeling. The examples we show refer to the Marmousi model and to a marine field data set.
Physician heal thyself (Luke
4:23)
Authors: Hughes Jamie Hacker , Rao Amra Saleem , Dosanjh Neelam , Cohen-Tovée Esther , Clarke Jeremy , Bhutani Gita
Published: December 2016

The performance culture of the health service means that the psychological
well-being of staff is becoming paramount in maintaining the workforce and
in sustaining psychological health and morale. A Charter for Psychological
Staff Wellbeing and Resilience is introduced that puts the onus on us and on
employers to make the necessary adjustments to their workplace cultures and
encourage professionals – us – to break through the barrier of stigma.
Job stress and burnout in the care staff of Leros PIKPA Asylum 25 years after the first Deinstitutionalisation and Rehabilitation Greek Project
Authors: Bougea Anastasia , Kleisarchakis Manolis Kostas , Spantideas Nikolaos , Voskou Panagiota , Thomaides Thomas , Chrousos George , Belegri Sophia Andreas
Published: December 2016

Aims and method

To identify correlates between burnout and job stress of care staff at Leros PIKPA Asylum. Forty-nine asylum employees were assessed by Maslach's Burnout Inventory, a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale and the Job Content Questionnaire.

Results

Emotional exhaustion is related negatively to social support (P = 0.010, r = −0.362). Lack of job achievements is related positively to overall job responsibility (P =0.040) and negatively to lack of job satisfaction (r = −0.430). Depersonalisation was negatively associated with support from superiors (P = 0.036). Employees with high levels of perceived stress reported higher levels of fatigue (P = 0.050). Positive associations of perceived stress with depression (P = 0.011) and sleep problems (P < 0.001) were also detected. Positive correlation was found between monthly salary and lack of sense of personal achievement (P = 0.020).

Clinical implications

It is necessary to address these issues through staff education and stress management.
Long-term antidepressant treatment in general practice: changes in body mass index
Authors: Chiwanda Laura , Cordiner Matthew , Thompson Anne T. , Shajahan Polash
Published: December 2016

Aims and method

To discern changes in body mass index (BMI) in patients on long-term antidepressant treatment in a general practice population and establish BMI changes in patients with and without a diagnosis of diabetes. We used a retrospective observational method and identified patients on four antidepressants of interest. We excluded those who did not have start and current BMI readings within the past 3 years and noted whether or not patients had a diagnosis of diabetes.

Results

Long-term treatment with citalopram, fluoxetine, mirtazapine and sertraline was associated with increased BMI in two-thirds of patients. There was reduction in BMI in patients with diabetes and an increase in BMI for patients who did not have diabetes.

Clinical implications

Awareness of environmental factors and their impact on individuals is important. Medication is not the only cause of abnormal metabolic effects. Overall monitoring of physical health is important in all groups of patients.
Antiinflammatory and ROS Suppressive Effects of the Addition of Fiber to a High-Fat High-Calorie Meal
Authors: Ghanim Husam , Batra Manav , Abuaysheh Sanaa , Green Kelly , Makdissi Antoine , Kuhadiya Nitesh D. , Chaudhuri Ajay , Dandona Paresh
Published: December 2016

Background:

Fiber intake is associated with a reduction in the occurrence of cardiovascular events and diabetes.

Objective:

To investigate whether the addition of fiber to a high-fat, high-calorie (HFHC) meal prevents proinflammatory changes induced by the HFHC meal.

Design:

Ten normal fasting subjects consumed an HFHC meal with or without an additional 30 g of insoluble dietary fiber on 2 separate visits. Blood samples were collected over 5 hours, and mononuclear cells (MNCs) were isolated.

Results:

Fiber addition to the HFHC meal significantly lowered glucose excursion in the first 90 minutes and increased insulin and C-peptide secretion throughout the 5-hour follow-up period compared with the meal alone. The HFHC meal induced increases in lipopolysaccharide (LPS) concentrations, MNC reactive oxygen species generation, and the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4, and CD14. The addition of fiber prevented an increase in LPS and significantly reduced the increases in ROS generation and the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, TLR-4, and CD14. In addition, the meal increased Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP-1B) messenger RNA and protein levels, which were inhibited when fiber was added.

Conclusions:

The addition of fiber to a proinflammatory HFHC meal had beneficial anti-inflammatory and metabolic effects. Thus, the fiber content of the American Heart Association meal may contribute to its noninflammatory nature. If these actions of dietary fiber are sustained following long-term intake, they may contribute to fiber’s known benefits in the prevention of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis.
Which Black Lives Matter?
Authors: Méndez Xhercis
Published: December 2016

The death of Trayvon Martin sparked a series of responses across the United States, including the birth of grassroots movements, Black Lives Matter, and state-sponsored initiatives, such as My Brother's Keeper (MBK). With the growing protests and concern over structural inequalities, the MBK initiative has gained significant attention and financial support. This article considers to what extent MBK misses a real opportunity to improve the lives of youth of color by recycling much of the problematic assumptions of its 1965 predecessor, the Moynihan Report. It seeks to raise key questions, such as the extent to which MBK reinforces structural inequalities by creating the conditions for an oppositional sexual politics, and in what ways MBK serves as strategy of containment that restricts protest and ultimately societal transformation. Altogether, these concerns carry new significance in the context of continued protests against state-sanctioned violence targeting black lives and black life.
Resisting the “Enslaving Design”: Conscription and the Radical Politics of the Body in England’s Atlantic Empire, Circa 1647–1660
Authors: Donoghue John
Published: December 2016

Over the course of the mid-seventeenth-century English Revolution, the English state made forced military labor an essential technology of empire building through a political process forged in conflict. The political stakes here were high, as resistance to the press for soldiers and sailors, animated by radical republican principles linking bodily liberty to popular sovereignty, sparked two constitutional crises during the last decade of the English Revolution.
Building Empire’s Archipelago: The Imperial Politics of Filipino Labor in the Pacific
Authors: Woods Colleen
Published: December 2016

This article illustrates how the work of low-wage Filipino laborers fortified the US military’s imperial grasp on the Pacific and generated profit for American businesses. I argue that the hiring of Filipino laborers for work on US military installations deepened an existing transpacific migration pattern whereby state and capital interests collaborated to control, and ultimately exploit, the labor of Filipinos. This Pacific-wide circulation of Filipino laborers reproduced an imperial system based on deep wage inequalities, revealing how the geographic expansions of US national security and US capital were mutually constituted in the early postwar period.
Dietary fat alters the response of hypothalamic neuropeptide Y to subsequent energy intake in broiler chickens
Authors: Wang Xiao J. , Xu Shao H. , Liu Lei , Song Zhi G. , Jiao Hong C. , Lin Hai
Published: December 2016

Dietary fat affects appetite and appetite-related peptides in birds and mammals; however, the effect of dietary fat on appetite is still unclear in chickens faced with differential energy statuses. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary fat on feed intake and hypothalamic neuropeptides in chickens subjected to two feeding states or two diets. In Experiment 1, chickens were fed a high-fat diet (HF) or low-fat diet (LF) for 35d, and then subjected to fed (HF-fed, LF-fed) or fasted (HF-fasted, LF-fasted) statuses for 24h. In Experiment 2, chickens that were fed with HF or LF for 35d were fasted for 24h and then re-fed with HF (HF-RHF, LF-RHF) or LF (HF-RLF, LF-RLF) for 3h. The results showed that 35d-HF chickens had increased body fat deposition despite decreasing feed intake even when the diet was altered during the re-feeding period (P<0.05). 35d-LF promoted agouti-related peptide (AgRP) expression compared with HF (P<0.05) under both fed and fasted conditions. LF chickens with RHF had lower neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression compared to RLF chickens, while HF chickens showed the opposite result in which RHF chickens had higher NPY expression than RLF chickens (P<0.05). These results demonstrate (1) that high-fat diet decreases feed intake even when the subsequent diet is altered; (2) the orexigenic effect of hypothalamic AgRP; and (3) that dietary fat alters the response of hypothalamic NPY to subsequent energy intake. These findings provide a novel view of the metabolic perturbations associated with long-term dietary fat over-ingestion in chickens.
Social Indicators and the Effectiveness of Social Transfers in Greece over the Recent Crisis
Authors: Botsari Maria , Mitrakos Theodoros
Published: December 2016

In this paper we present key statistics on poverty, inequality and social exclusion in Greece and the eurozone over the crisis period 2009-2014. The data presented in this paper reveal that six years of economic recession and usterity in Greece have had a significant negative impact on rates of poverty and social exclusion, which have reached historically unprecedented and socially unacceptable high levels. Our data and analyses suggest that the Welfare State, one of the major functions of which is to redistribute income collected through taxation via social transfers, is the least effective in Greece, among all eurozone countries, in alleviating poverty and income inequality. Greece is ranked last in the Eurozone in terms of trust in government, freedom of choice, perceived levels of public sector corruption, and happiness, and third and second to last, respectively, in terms of trust in others and social support. We argue that the erosion of the social fabric and the perceived quality of the Greek climate of trust appear to be part of the story of Greece being the biggest happiness loser among 125 countries from 2005-2007 to 2012-2014.
Education in Conditions of Crisis in Greece: An Empirical Exploration (2000-2013)
Authors: Kantzara Vasiliki
Published: December 2016

The article aims at exploring the ramification of the crisis on education in terms of access to education, educational attainment of the population, funding, schools, teachers and students. These and other aspects of education are examined on basis of statistical data that has been collected and published by international agencies and Greek sources. In order to analyse fluctuations and trends, the data examined covers a period before and after the onset of the crisis (in 2009), namely from 2000 to 2013. In addition, socio-political developments and educational policy are taken into consideration, for they form the context in which education operates.The concept guiding this endeavour is equity; it is defined normatively as equality of opportunity and meritocracy, the two principles upon which social institutions function in a democratic society.The results point to differences in the ways education has been affected by the crisis: at micro and meso level, for example, the funding, the school units and the education personnel have been reduced; at macro level, access to education and education attainment continues to rise, but to a lesser degree than before the onset of the crisis. 
Magara, H. and Sacchi S. (Eds) The Politics of Structural Reforms. Social and Industrial Policy Change in Italy and Japan, UK: Edward Elgar, 2013
Authors: Feronas Andreas
Published: December 2016

no abstract
Updating Darwin: Information and entropy drive the evolution of life
Authors: Cohen Irun R.
Published: December 2016

The evolution of species, according to Darwin, is driven by struggle – by competition between variant autonomous individuals forsurvival of the fittestand reproductive advantage; the outcome of this struggle for survival isnatural selection. The Neo-Darwinians reframed natural selection in terms of DNA: inherited genotypes directly encode expressed phenotypes; a fit phenotype means a fit genotype – thus the evolution of species is the evolution of selfish, reproducing individual genotypes. 

Four general characteristics of advanced forms of life are not easily explained by this Neo-Darwinian paradigm: 1) Dependence on cooperation rather than on struggle, manifested by the microbiome, ecosystems and altruism; 2) The pursuit of diversity rather than optimal fitness, manifested by sexual reproduction; 3) Life’s investment in programmed death, rather then in open-ended survival; and 4) The acceleration of complexity, despite its intrinsic fragility.  

Here I discuss two mechanisms that can resolve these paradoxical features; both mechanisms arise from viewing life as the evolution ofinformation. Information has two inevitable outcomes; it increases by autocatalyis and it is destroyed by entropy. On the one hand, the autocalalysis of information inexorably drives the evolution of complexity, irrespective of its fragility. On the other hand, only those strategic arrangements that accommodate the destructive forces of entropy survive – cooperation, diversification, and programmed death result from the entropic selection of evolving species. Physical principles of information and entropy thus fashion the evolution of life.
An Analysis of Contributors to Energy Intake Among Middle Aged and Elderly Adults
Authors: Hurree Natasha , Jeewon Rajesh
Published: December 2016

Adulthood and middle age is widely recognized as the time of life when unhealthy eating habits may develop. Data from various studies have demonstrated that changes in eating habits may also occur during old age. It is essential to acknowledge that a high consumption of certain food groups such as sweetened beverages, meat and eggs may contribute to an increased energy intake. This obviously results in high body mass index (BMI) and consequently an increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and obesity. Energy intake among middle aged and elderly individuals may be influenced by socio demographic factors (for example: age, gender, socio economic status), social factors (for example: marital status), environmental factors like access to food commodities as well as nutrition knowledge and physical activity level. The present review highlights eating habits, contribution of specific food groups to energy intake and the influence of several factors on energy intake among the middle aged and elderly population.
QUALIDADE DA ÁGUA UTILIZADA NA LIMPEZA DOS TANQUES DE GRANELIZAÇÃO DE LEITE CRU: IMPLANTAÇÃO E AVALIAÇÃO DA CLORAÇÃO DA ÁGUA PARA GARANTIA DA QUALIDADE DO PRODUTO
Authors: Lamas Joaquim Mário Neiva , Lopes Martins Maurilio , Silva Franklin Júnior Moreira da , Martins Eliane Maurício Furtado , Borges Cristiano Amancio Vieira , Otenio Marcelo Henrique
Published: December 2016

A água, além de servir como bebida para os animais, é utilizada em atividades relacionadas à ordenha e armazenamento do leite. Assim, objetivou-se avaliar a influência da cloração da água utilizada em 18 propriedades localizadas na Zona da Mata do estado de Minas Gerais, sobre a contagem de células somáticas (CCS) e de bactérias totais (CBT) do leite cru. Amostras de água e de leite cru foram coletadas para análise, sendo as amostras de água coletadas das mangueiras utilizadas para lavagem dos tanques individuais e coletivos e as amostras de leite cru diretamente dos tanques de expansão. A cloração da água não influenciou seus parâmetros físico-químicos. Amostras cloradas de água apresentaram resultados positivos quanto à redução do Número Mais Provável de coliformes totais e termotolerantes, entretanto, não foi observada redução significativa (p > 0,05) do número de bactérias heterotróficas. A composição do leite não foi alterada pela cloração da água e não houve redução significativa (p > 0,05) das contagens de CCS e CBT devido à cloração. Portanto, mesmo a água utilizada na limpeza dos tanques não apresentando boa qualidade, estando em desconformidade com a legislação, esta não influenciou a qualidade do leite cru refrigerado, que apresenta muitas fontes de contaminação na região estudada.
A PRODUÇÃO DE QUEIJO COLONIAL ARTESANAL NO MUNICÍPIO DE SEARA, ESTADO DE SANTA CATARINA, FRENTE À LEGISLAÇÃO BRASILEIRA
Authors: Carvalho Michelle De Medeiros , Lindner Juliano De Dea , Fariña Luciana Oliveira
Published: December 2016

O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar a situação da produção do queijo Colonial artesanal (QCA), um produto típico da região sul do Brasil, produzido e comercializado no município de Seara, oeste do Estado de Santa Catarina, sob o ponto de vista da adequação das condições de trabalho perante a Instrução Normativa nº 30 de 2013 do Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento, legislação vigente no Brasil que regulamenta o uso de leite cru para a fabricação de queijos com tempos de maturação inferiores a 60 dias. Para a realização do trabalho foram entrevistados 12 produtores, aplicando uma pesquisa qualitativa a campo para o diagnóstico situacional, utilizando como instrumento um formulário semi-estruturado. Os resultados obtidos indicaram que a situação da produção do QCA na área investigada não estava adequada no que diz respeito à legislação vigente, pois os produtores não têm acesso às condições necessárias para realizar análises (do leite, água e queijo), garantir a qualidade dos produtos com implantação das Boas Práticas de Ordenha e Fabricação ou certificar a propriedade como livre de zoonoses, como estabelecido pela Normativa.
O cinema e o direito: uma visão prática do uso do recurso cultural nos cursos preparatórios para a magistratura e nas formações de magistrados
Authors: Collaço Gabriel Henrique
Published: December 2016

O presente artigo apresenta a estratégia do uso do cinema em sala de aula como recurso didático. A estratégia integra o plano de técnicas criativas de cursos de preparação e formação de magistrados que envolvem a redação jurídica. O objetivo é mostrar como ocorre o trabalho com o uso do cinema para a mobilização dos mecanismos sensoriais nos participantes e mudanças na redação de textos jurídicos e, ainda, apresentar estratégias aos professores que desejam trabalhar com o recurso audiovisual, no caso, o cinema. Assim, com o uso do cinema em sala de aula, os estudantes e professores percebem a construção da narrativa cinematográfica em determinado contexto, avaliam, criticam e identificam elementos que trazem reflexões sobre a vida em sociedade e sobre as possíveis produções textuais, além das noções básicas de audiovisual em suas formações para o exercício da magistratura.
Ein Bibliotheksgesetz für Nordrhein-Westfalen. Bibliothekspolitischer Mythos, bibliothekspolitische Utopie oder realistische Perspektive?
Authors: Pilzer Harald
Published: December 2016

Das Land Nordrhein-Westfalen begeht 2016 seinen 70. Geburtstag. 1946 aus den ehemaligen preußischen Provinzen Rheinland und Westfalen hervorgegangen und 1947 um das ehemals selbständige Land Lippe erweitert, war die Bibliotheksstruktur des neuen Bundeslandes von wenigen Hochschulbibliotheken und in den verstädterten Kernbereichen an Rhein und Ruhr von großen kommunalen Bibliotheken geprägt, jedoch ohne zentrale landesbibliothekarische Strukturen. Diese mussten erst aufgebaut und arbeitsfähig gestaltet werden.

Der Artikel verfolgt die Absicht, anlässlich der durch einen neuerlich vorgelegten Entwurf zu einem „Landesbibliotheksgesetz“ im März 2016 ausgelösten Diskussion nachzuspüren, auf welche Situation der Gesetzentwurf reagiert. Dazu muss in der gebotenen Kürze die historische Entwicklung der landesbibliothekarischen Strukturen resümiert und breiter die jüngere Debatte um ein allgemeines Bibliotheksgesetz ab 2008 beleuchtet werden, um anschließend die strukturelle und fachliche Berechtigung und Aussage des neuen Gesetzentwurfs bewerten zu können. Der Artikel beleuchtet die Fokus- und Akzentverschiebungen unterschiedlicher Entwürfe und Vorhaben aus knapp 70 Jahren bibliothekarischer Gesetzesdiskussion. Dabei steht die Frage im Mittelpunkt, ob nicht anhängige landesbibliothekarische Grundsatzentscheidungen nicht nur dilatorisch sondern nahezu peremptorisch behandelt wurden, so dass jetzt wieder vermeintlich längst bei Seite Gelegtes als Grundsatz- und Strukturfrage wieder auftaucht. Angemerkt sei noch, dass der Tätigkeit des Autors entsprechend der Blickwinkel aus dem Öffentlichen Bibliothekswesen überwiegt.
Factors associated with a delayed diagnosis of pulmonary embolism
Authors: Nishiguchi Sho , Inada Haruka , Kitagawa Izumi , Tokuda Yasuharu
Published: December 2016

Background: Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is frequently a fatal disease. The clinical presentation of PE is variable and frequently nonspecific, and there is commonly a diagnostic delay. We aimed to investigate factors associated with the delay in the diagnosis of PE.

Methods: Data from patients with PE were collected from January 2011 to December 2013 in an acute care teaching hospital. Time-to-diagnosis, evaluated by obtaining a diagnostic computed tomography scan, was then analyzed by the Cox proportional hazard model for examining factors associated with time to the diagnosis of PE. Independent variables included age, gender, activities of daily living, means of transport to the hospital, body temperature, hypoxemia, typical symptoms for PE, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) concentrations, infiltration on chest radiograph, Wells score, classification of patients with PE based on early mortality risk, patients referred from other specialties, daytime versus nighttime arrival, diagnosed by an emergency physician, and diagnosed by a medical resident.

Results: Sixty patients were included. The time to diagnosis was significantly delayed in low-risk patients (hazard ratio [HR], 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2–4.1) and in patients who did not use an ambulance (HR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.0–3.7). In an analysis of the latter subgroup, higher serum CRP concentrations were associated with a delayed diagnosis (HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.0–1.2).

Conclusion: The time to the diagnosis of PE was delayed in low-risk patients and in patients who attended the hospital by means other than an ambulance. In such patients, a delayed diagnosis was associated with higher serum CRP concentrations.
Czech Verse Processing System KVĚTA – Phonetic and Metrical Components
Authors: Plecháč Petr
Published: December 2016

The following paper describes the algorithms of phonetic and metrical components of the Czech verse processing system KVĚTA, updating information contained in previous reports (
Reliability of IP Tunnels in Military Networks
Authors: Pólkowski Marcin , Laskowski Dariusz
Published: December 2016

The military networks, contrary to commercial ones, require standards which provide the highest level of security and reliability. The process to assuring redundancy of the main connections through applying various protocols and transmission media causes problem with time needed to re-establish virtual tunnels between different locations in case of damaged link. This article compares reliability of different IP (Internet Protocol) tunnels, which were implemented on military network devices.