bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coaxial flow‐gating interface for capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Opekar František , Tůma Petr
Published: June 2017

A coaxial flow‐gating interface is described in which the separation capillary passes through the sampling capillary. Continuous flow of the sample solution flowing out of the sampling capillary is directed away from the injection end of the separation capillary by counter‐current flow of the gating solution. During the injection, the flow of the gating solution is interrupted, so that a plug of solution is formed at the inlet into the separation capillary, from which the sample is hydrodynamically injected. Flow‐gating interfaces are originally designed for on‐line connection of capillary electrophoresis with analytical flow‐through methods. The basic properties of the described coaxial flow‐gating interface were obtained in a simplified arrangement in which a syringe pump with sample solution has substituted analytical flow‐through method. Under the optimized conditions, the properties of the tested interface were determined by separation of K+, Ba2+, Na+, Mg2+ and Li+ ions in aqueous solution at equimolar concentrations of 50 μM. The repeatability of the migration times and peak areas evaluated for K+, Ba2+ and Li+ ions and expressed as relative standard deviation did not exceed 1.4%. The interface was used to determine lithium in mineral water and taurine in an energy drink.
No clear support for a role for vitamin D in Parkinson's disease: A Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Larsson Susanna C. , Singleton Andrew B. , Nalls Mike A. , Richards J. Brent ,   on behalf of the International Parkinson's Disease Genomics Consortium (IPDGC)
Published: June 2017

Background

Observational studies have found that relative to healthy controls, patients with Parkinson's disease have lower circulating concentrations of 25‐hydroxyvitamin D, a clinical biomarker of vitamin D status. However, the causality of this association is uncertain. We undertook a Mendelian randomization study to investigate whether genetically decreased 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentrations are associated with PD to minimize confounding and prevent bias because of reverse causation.

Methods

As instrumental variables for the Mendelian randomization analysis, we used 4 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms that affect 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentrations (rs2282679 in GC, rs12785878 near DHCR7, rs10741657 near CYP2R1, and rs6013897 near CYP24A1). Summary effect size estimates of the 4 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms on PD were obtained from the International Parkinson's Disease Genomics Consortium (including 5333 PD cases and 12,019 controls). The estimates of the 4 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms were combined using an inverse‐variance weighted meta‐analysis.

Results

Of the 4 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms associated with 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentrations, one (rs6013897 in CYP24A1) was associated with PD (odds ratio per 25‐hydroxyvitamin D‐decreasing allele, 1.09; 95% confidence interval, 1.02‐1.16; P = 0.008), whereas no association was observed with the other 3 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (P > 0.23). The odds ratio of PD per genetically predicted 10% lower 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentration, based on the 4 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms, was 0.98 (95% confidence interval, 0.93‐1.04; P = 0.56).

Conclusions

This Mendelian randomization study provides no clear support that lowered 25‐hydroxyvitamin D concentration is causally associated with risk of PD. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
The future of safety science is happening now: The modernization of the benefit‐risk paradigm
Authors: Lievano Fabio , Scarazzini Linda , Shen Frank , Duhig James , Jokinen Jeremy
Published: June 2017

The future of safety science is happening now and has the potential to improve patient outcomes through an evolving approach to benefit‐risk assessment. Three building blocks for the future of safety science, cognitive and behavioral systems, medical assessment, and data science, individually and collaboratively advance and modernize the benefit‐risk paradigm. Incorporating the patient perspective and patient experiences will help identify tools that are useful in real‐world practice. Medical assessment teams will bring together the study of toxicity and toxicogenomics, biomarkers, and special populations to personalize the benefit‐risk profile. Personalized benefit‐risk profiles for patients will help improve outcomes. Data science and related quantitative sciences such as safety statistics, database integration, technology, and epidemiology will provide new approaches and tools for analysis of safety data as well as more rapid access to insights that benefit patients.
Use of antidepressant medication in pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes: A population‐based investigation
Authors: Cantarutti Anna , Merlino Luca , Giaquinto Carlo , Corrao Giovanni
Published: June 2017

Background

Untreated depression and antidepressant use during pregnancy may have negative consequences for births. There are still conflicting data on the potential harmful effects of prenatal antidepressant treatment on child health.

Objective

To investigate the relationship between the use of antidepressant medication during pregnancy and selected neonatal outcomes.

Methods

A population‐based cohort study including 9825 deliveries exposed to an antidepressant between 9 months before last menstrual date through to delivery, from January 2005 to December 2010 in the Lombardy region of Italy, was conducted. We evaluated the prevalence ratio (PR) of low Apgar score, small for gestational age, intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia, neonatal convulsion, and other respiratory conditions, among infants born to mothers exposed to an antidepressant during pregnancy using log‐binomial regression analysis. Fine stratification was applied to the propensity score to account for all potential confounders. Sensitivity and subgroup analyses restricted to specific types of antidepressant, time of exposure, and women with vaginal deliveries and full‐term births were also performed.

Results

A total of 33.4% of women filled at least one prescription during pregnancy. Compared to infants born to mothers with exposure to antidepressants only before pregnancy, those with exposure to antidepressants during pregnancy had an increased prevalence ratio of a low Apgar score (PR, 1.63, 95% CI, 1.01‐2.61), intrauterine hypoxia and birth asphyxia (aPR, 1.37, 1.08‐1.73), neonatal convulsion (aPR, 2.81, 1.07‐7.36), and other respiratory condition (aPR, 1.24, 1.00‐1.52). Results were similar in the sensitivity and subgroup analyses.

Conclusions

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy may have an increased risk for several neonatal outcomes.
A universal roll‐to‐roll slot‐die coating approach towards high‐efficiency organic photovoltaics
Authors: Huang Yu‐Ching , Cha Hou‐Chin , Chen Charn‐Ying , Tsao Cheng‐Si
Published: June 2017

This work develops a combinational use of solvent additive and in‐line drying oven on the flexible organic photovoltaics to improve large‐area roll‐to‐roll (R2R) slot‐die coating process. Herein, addition of 1,8‐diiodooctane (DIO) in the photoactive layer is conducted to yield a performance of 3.05% based on the blending of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]‐phenyl C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC61BM), and a very promising device performance of 7.32% based on the blending of poly[[4,8‐bis[(2‐ethylhexyl)oxy] benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b’] dithiophene‐2,6‐diyl] [3‐fluoro‐2‐[(2‐ethylhexyl)carbonyl]thieno[3,4‐b]thiophenediyl]] (PTB7) and [6,6]‐phenyl C71‐butyric acid methyl ester (PC71BM). Based on this R2R slot‐die coating approach for various polymers, we demonstrate the high‐performance result with respect to the up‐scaling from small high‐PCE cell to large‐area module. This present study provides a route for fabricating a low‐cost, large‐area, and environmental‐friendly flexible organic photovoltaics.
DichroMatch at the protein circular dichroism data bank (DM@PCDDB): A web‐based tool for identifying protein nearest neighbors using circular dichroism spectroscopy
Authors: Whitmore Lee , Mavridis Lazaros , Wallace B.A. , Janes Robert W.
Published: June 2017

Circular dichroism spectroscopy is a well‐used, but simple method in structural biology for providing information on the secondary structure and folds of proteins. DichroMatch (DM@PCDDB) is an online tool that is newly available in the Protein Circular Dichroism Data Bank (PCDDB), which takes advantage of the wealth of spectral and metadata deposited therein, to enable identification of spectral nearest neighbors of a query protein based on four different methods of spectral matching. DM@PCDDB can potentially provide novel information about structural relationships between proteins and can be used in comparison studies of protein homologs and orthologs.
SARS‐unique fold in the Rousettus bat coronavirus HKU9
Authors: Hammond Robert G. , Tan Xuan , Johnson Margaret A.
Published: June 2017

The coronavirus nonstructural protein 3 (nsp3) is a multifunctional protein that comprises multiple structural domains. This protein assists viral polyprotein cleavage, host immune interference, and may play other roles in genome replication or transcription. Here, we report the solution NMR structure of a protein from the “SARS‐unique region” of the bat coronavirus HKU9. The protein contains a frataxin fold or double‐wing motif, which is an α + β fold that is associated with protein/protein interactions, DNA binding, and metal ion binding. High structural similarity to the human severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus nsp3 is present. A possible functional site that is conserved among some betacoronaviruses has been identified using bioinformatics and biochemical analyses. This structure provides strong experimental support for the recent proposal advanced by us and others that the “SARS‐unique” region is not unique to the human SARS virus, but is conserved among several different phylogenetic groups of coronaviruses and provides essential functions.
Insights into PG‐binding, conformational change, and dimerization of the OmpA C‐terminal domains from Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and Borrelia burgdorferi
Authors: Tan Kemin , Deatherage Kaiser Brooke L. , Wu Ruiying , Cuff Marianne , Fan Yao , Bigelow Lance , Jedrzejczak Robert P. , Adkins Joshua N. , Cort John R. , Babnigg Gyorgy , Joachimiak Andrzej
Published: June 2017

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium can induce both humoral and cell‐mediated responses when establishing itself in the host. These responses are primarily stimulated against the lipopolysaccharide and major outer membrane (OM) proteins. OmpA is one of these major OM proteins. It comprises a N‐terminal eight‐stranded β‐barrel transmembrane domain and a C‐terminal domain (OmpACTD). The OmpACTD and its homologs are believed to bind to peptidoglycan (PG) within the periplasm, maintaining bacterial osmotic homeostasis and modulating the permeability and integrity of the OM. Here we present the first crystal structures of the OmpACTD from two pathogens: S. typhimurium (STOmpACTD) in open and closed forms and causative agent of Lyme Disease Borrelia burgdorferi (BbOmpACTD), in closed form. In the open form of STOmpACTD, an aspartate residue from a long β2‐α3 loop points into the binding pocket, suggesting that an anion group such as a carboxylate group from PG is favored at the binding site. In the closed form of STOmpACTD and in the structure of BbOmpACTD, a sulfate group from the crystallization buffer is tightly bound at the binding site. The differences between the closed and open forms of STOmpACTD, suggest a large conformational change that includes an extension of α3 helix by ordering a part of β2‐α3 loop. We propose that the sulfate anion observed in these structures mimics the carboxylate group of PG when bound to STOmpACTD suggesting PG‐anchoring mechanism. In addition, the binding of PG or a ligand mimic may enhance dimerization of STOmpACTD, or possibly that of full length STOmpA.
Experimental and clinical evidence of differential effects of magnesium sulfate on neuroprotection and angiogenesis in the fetal brain
Authors: Lecuyer Matthieu , Rubio Marina , Chollat Clément , Lecointre Maryline , Jégou Sylvie , Leroux Philippe , Cleren Carine , Leroux‐Nicollet Isabelle , Marpeau Loic , Vivien Denis , Marret Stéphane , Gonzalez Bruno J.
Published: June 2017

Clinical studies showed beneficial effects of magnesium sulfate regarding the risk of cerebral palsy. However, regimen protocols fluctuate worldwide and risks of adverse effects impacting the vascular system have been reported for human neonates, keeping open the question of the optimal dosing. Using clinically relevant concentrations and doses of magnesium sulfate, experiments consisted of characterizing, respectively, ex vivo and in vivo, the effects of magnesium sulfate on the nervous and vascular systems of mouse neonates by targeting neuroprotection, angiogenesis, and hemodynamic factors and in measuring, in human fetuses, the impact of a 4‐g neuroprotective loading dose of magnesium sulfate on brain hemodynamic parameters. Preclinical experiments using cultured cortical slices from mouse neonates showed that the lowest and highest tested concentrations of magnesium sulfate were equally potent to prevent excitotoxic‐induced cell death, cell edema, cell burst, and intracellular calcium increase, whereas no side effects were found regarding apoptosis. In contrast, in vivo data revealed that magnesium sulfate exerted dose‐dependent vascular effects on the fetal brain. In particular, it induced brain hypoperfusion, stabilization of Hif‐1α, long‐term upregulation of VEGF‐R2 expression, impaired endothelial viability, and altered cortical angiogenesis. Clinically, in contrast to 6‐g loading doses used in some protocols, a 4‐g bolus of magnesium sulfate did not altered fetal brain hemodynamic parameters. In conclusion, these data provide the first mechanistic evidence of double‐sword and dose‐dependent actions of magnesium sulfate on nervous and vascular systems. They strongly support the clinical use of neuroprotection protocols validated for the lowest (4‐g) loading dose of magnesium sulfate.
PCPF‐M model for simulating the fate and transport of pesticides and their metabolites in rice paddy field
Authors: Boulange Julien , Malhat Farag , Thuyet Dang Quoc , Watanabe Hirozumi
Published: June 2017

BACKGROUND

The PCPF‐1 model was improved for forecasting the fate and transport of metabolites in addition to parent compounds in rice paddies. In the new PCPF‐M model, metabolites are generated from the dissipation of pesticide applied in rice paddies through hydrolysis, photolysis and biological degradations. The methodology to parameterize the model was illustrated using two scenarios for which uncertainty and sensitivity analyses were also conducted.

RESULTS

In a batch degradation experiment, the hourly forecasted concentrations of fipronil and its metabolites in paddy water were very accurate. In a field‐scale experiment, the hourly forecasted concentrations of fipronil in paddy water and paddy soil were accurate while the corresponding daily forecasted concentrations of metabolites were adequate. The major contributors to the variation of the forecasted metabolite concentrations in paddy water and paddy soil were the formation fractions of the metabolites. The influence of uncertainty included in input parameters on the forecasted metabolite concentration was high during the peak concentration of metabolite in paddy water. In contrast, in paddy soil, the metabolite concentrations forecasted several days after the initial pesticide application were sensitive to the uncertainty incorporated in the input parameters.

CONCLUSION

The PCPF‐M model simultaneously forecasts the concentrations of a parent pesticide and up to three metabolites. The model was validated using fipronil and two of its metabolites in paddy water and paddy soil. The model can be used in the early stage of the pesticide registration process and in risk assessment analysis for the evaluation of pesticide exposure. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry
Modelling plasma‐induced hydrogen profiles in boron‐doped and near‐intrinsic silicon
Authors: Voronkov Vladimir V. , Falster Robert
Published: June 2017

Reported depth profiles of hydrogen (deuterium) in silicon, created by exposure to plasma, were re‐analysed on the basis of modern knowledge of the properties of atomic and dimeric hydrogen species. In boron‐doped samples, the profiles allow to extract the equilibrium constant for the boron passivation reaction and the binding energy of the HB defect, 0.75 eV. In the near‐intrinsic samples the profiles shape suggests two independent in‐diffusion and pairing processes: one is by fast dimers, and the other – by neutral monomers that are reversibly trapped by some impurity, probably carbon.
Ultralarge Bending Strain and Fracture‐Resistance Investigation of Tungsten Carbide Nanowires
Authors: Sun Yong , Chen Yanmao , Cui Hao , Wang Jing , Wang Chengxin
Published: June 2017

Hard tungsten carbide (WC) with brittle behavior is frequently applied for mechanical purposes. Here, ultralarge elastic bending deformation is reported in defect‐rare WC [0001] nanowires; the tested bending strain reaches a maximum of 20% ± 3.33%, which challenges the traditional understanding of this material. The lattice analysis indicates that the dislocations are confined to the inner part of the WC nanowires. First, the high Peierls–Nabarro barrier hinders the movement of the locally formed dislocations, which causes rapid dislocation aggregation and hinders long‐range glide, resulting in a dense distribution of the dislocation network. In this case, the loading is dispersed along multiple points, which is then balanced by the complex internal mechanical field. In the compressive part, the possible dislocations predominantly emerge in the (0001) plane and mainly slip along the axial direction. The disordered shell first forms at the tensile side and prevents the generation of nanocracks at the surface. The novel lattice kinetics make WC nanowires capable of substantial bending strain resistance. Analytical results of the force–displacement (F–d) curves based on the double‐clamped beam model exhibit an obvious nonlinear elastic characteristic, which originates fundamentally from the lattice anharmonicity under moderate stress.
Highly Doped Carbon Nanobelts with Ultrahigh Nitrogen Content as High‐Performance Supercapacitor Materials
Authors: Su Congcong , Pei Chengjie , Wu Bingxia , Qian Junfeng , Tan Yiwei
Published: June 2017

Nitrogen‐doped and nitrogen and oxygen codoped carbon nanobelts (CNBs) (denoted as N–CNBs and N–O–CNBs, respectively) are respectively obtained by pyrolyzing the self‐aligned polypyrrole (PPy) NBs and Se@poly(2‐methoxy‐5‐nitroaniline) core@shell nanowires. Particularly, the uniform size, unique nanostructure, and well‐defined edges of the PPy NBs result in the uniform size of the doped CNBs with an extraordinarily high N doping level (≈16 at%), especially the very large concentrations of the redox active pyridinic (9 at%) and pyrrolic N (3.5 at%) species. Furthermore, the precursors in highly self‐aligned, dense arrays give rise to a very high packing density for the N–CNBs and N–O–CNBs. These incomparable features provide not only appropriate pathways for the introduction of pseudocapacitance via rapid Faradaic reactions and enhancement of volumetric capacitance but also structural design and synthesis approach to new types of nanostructured carbon. Notably, the N–CNBs obtained at the pyrolysis temperature of 800 °C (N–CNB8) in symmetric electrochemical cells deliver a specific capacitance of 458 F g−1 and ultrahigh volumetric capacitance of 645 F cm−3 in aqueous solution, which are among the best performance ever reported for carbon‐based supercapacitive materials.
Discriminatory power of rbcL barcode locus for authentication of some of United Arab Emirates (UAE) native plants
Authors: Maloukh Lina , Kumarappan Alagappan , Jarrar Mohammad , Salehi Jawad , El-wakil Houssam , Rajya Lakshmi T. V.
Published: June 2017

DNA barcoding of United Arab Emirates (UAE) native plants is of high practical and scientific value as the plants adapt to very harsh environmental conditions that challenge their identification. Fifty-one plant species belonged to 22 families, 2 monocots, and 20 eudicots; a maximum number of species being legumes and grasses were collected. To authenticate the morphological identification of the wild plant taxa, rbcL and matK regions were used in the study. The primer universality and discriminatory power of rbcL is 100%, while it is 35% for matK locus for these plant species. The sequences were submitted to GenBank; accession numbers were obtained for all the rbcL sequences and for 6 of matK sequences. We suggest rbcL as a promising barcode locus for the tested group of 51 plants. In the present study, an inexpensive, simple method of identification of rare desert plant taxa through rbcL barcode is being reported.
Virulence factors associated with Coagulase Negative Staphylococci isolated from human infections
Authors: Soumya K. R. , Philip Suja , Sugathan Sheela , Mathew Jyothis , Radhakrishnan E. K.
Published: June 2017

Infections caused by commensal organisms by changing to infectious life style generate much challenge to the current treatment strategies. Coagulase Negative Staphylococci (CoNS) are one of them, with their coexisting biofilm forming and multiple antibiotic resistance properties form important agents of nosocomial infection. To evaluate species distribution, biofilm formation, and antibiogram, CoNS isolates from various clinical samples were isolated. The presence of biofilm and associated genes icaAB, aap, atlE, embp, bhp, and fbe in CoNS was screened by PCR. The biofilm chemical composition and its correlation with the genotypes were also analysed. Staphylococcus epidermidis (59%) was found to be the most prevalent CoNS species. Most of the CoNS isolates harboring biofilm gene showed carbohydrate-protein-eDNA biofilm, whereas carbohydrate-protein biofilms were also observed. High percentage of multiple drug resistance, and biofilm gene frequency among these CoNS isolates point towards the need of periodic surveillance as CoNS are recently identified to cause difficult to treat infections.
Does hypothermia really contributes to infection in hip and knee arthroplasty? A tertiary care experience
Authors: Mohib Yasir , Zahid Marij , Ashraf Irfan , Noordin Shahryar
Published: June 2017

Highlights
Self-Harm Behaviour in Adolescents: Body Image and Self-Esteem
Authors: Oktan Vesile
Published: June 2017

This research aimed to reveal the relationship between self-harm behaviour, body image, and self-esteem, and examined whether there was a difference between the body image and self-esteem of the adolescents who exhibited self-harm behaviour and those who did not. The study was conducted with the participation of 263 high school students — 143 females (54.3%) and 120 males (45.6%) — who studied in various high schools in the Trabzon province, Turkey. The students’ ages ranged from 15 to 18; the mean age was 17.02 ( SD = 1.59). The research was conducted using the Inventory of Statements about Self-Injury, the Body Perception Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a personal information form. The research concluded that there was a significant relationship between body image and self-esteem of the adolescents, and that body image and self-esteem were the significant regressors of self-harm behaviour.
Periodic 1.5 ka climate variations during MIS 2 in the belt of Southern Hemispheric westerlies
Authors: Kliem Pierre , Baumgarten Henrike , Gebhardt Catalina , Hahn Annette , Ohlendorf Christian , Zolitschka Bernd
Published: June 2017

Lacustrine sediments retrieved from Laguna Potrok Aike in the framework of the Potrok Aike Maar Lake Sediment Archive Drilling Project (PASADO) offer the possibility to investigate climate variations of the past ~51 cal ka BP in Southern Hemispheric midlatitudes, Argentinean Patagonia. This study focuses on short-term cyclicities in the Ca and magnetic susceptibility data sets between 51 and 15 cal ka BP. The record yields a climate pattern with a periodicity of 1.5 ka during Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage 2 (MIS 2) detected in the Southern Hemisphere from 31 to 17 cal ka BP for the first time. MIS 2 is known for constantly cold temperatures, whereas prominent climate variations paced by a 1.5 ka periodicity occurred during MIS 3. Our study documents that minor latitudinal oscillations of the Southern Hemispheric westerlies and the polar easterlies with a 1.5 ka periodicity also took place during MIS 2. However, we assume that because of a major northward displacement of the Southern Hemispheric westerlies, these oscillations did not sufficiently affect the zone of Circumpolar Deep Waters and an increased greenhouse effect by upwelling of CO2-rich deep waters did not occur. This mechanism illustrates why prominent climate events fail to appear during MIS 2.
THE MISKITU, MILITARY LABOUR, AND THE SAN JUAN EXPEDITION OF 1780
Authors: DZIENNIK MATTHEW P.
Published: June 2017

This article examines the contributions of the Miskitu people of colonial Nicaragua and Honduras to Britain's largest military intervention in interior Central America – the invasion of Spanish Nicaragua in 1780. Lacking the local skills and knowledge essential to offensive operations in the region, the expedition relied on an existing alliance with the Miskitu. Charting the evolution of this alliance, this article reveals not only the importance of indigenous manpower to colonial endeavours but also how intercultural campaigns generated powerful assumptions about martial skills and racial categorizations. These assumptions were highly vulnerable to misunderstandings that, in turn, had a profound effect on supposedly rigid European concepts of national policy, military planning, and strategic interests. The failure of British officials to appreciate the needs of their allies ended hopes of defeating the Spanish empire. But the failure also shaped understandings of the Miskitu and broader British interests in Central America. The raising of military labour was much more than the process of hiring soldiers. It was a broader process of negotiation, understanding, and misunderstanding that helped define the expansion of European empires in the new world.
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN HOSPITALS: LESSONS LEARNED FROM AN EMPIRICAL EXPERIMENT
Authors: Foglia Emanuela , Lettieri Emanuele , Ferrario Lucrezia , Porazzi Emanuele , Garagiola Elisabetta , Pagani Roberta , Bonfanti Marzia , Lazzarotti Valentina , Manzini Raffaella , Masella Cristina , Croce Davide
Published: June 2017

Objectives: Hospital Based Health Technology Assessment (HBHTA) practices, to inform decision making at the hospital level, emerged as urgent priority for policy makers, hospital managers, and professionals. The present study crystallized the results achieved by the testing of an original framework for HBHTA, developed within Lombardy Region: the IMPlementation of A Quick hospital-based HTA (IMPAQHTA). The study tested: (i) the HBHTA framework efficiency, (ii) feasibility, (iii) the tool utility and completeness, considering dimensions and sub-dimensions.

Methods: The IMPAQHTA framework deployed the Regional HTA program, activated in 2008 in Lombardy, at the hospital level. The relevance and feasibility of the framework were tested over a 3-year period through a large-scale empirical experiment, involving seventy-four healthcare professionals organized in different HBHTA teams for assessing thirty-two different technologies within twenty-two different hospitals. Semi-structured interviews and self-reported questionnaires were used to collect data regarding the relevance and feasibility of the IMPAQHTA framework.

Results: The proposed HBHTA framework proved to be suitable for application at the hospital level, in the Italian context, permitting a quick assessment (11 working days) and providing hospital decision makers with relevant and quantitative information. Performances in terms of feasibility, utility, completeness, and easiness proved to be satisfactory.

Conclusions: The IMPAQHTA was considered to be a complete and feasible HBHTA framework, as well as being replicable to different technologies within any hospital settings, thus demonstrating the capability of a hospital to develop a complete HTA, if supported by adequate and well defined tools and quantitative metrics.
Impact of oocyte-secreted factors on its developmental competence in buffalo
Authors: Gupta Swati , Pandey Sriti , Parmar Mehtab S. , Somal Anjali , Paul Avishek , Panda Bibhudatta S. K. , Bhat Irfan A. , Baiju Indu , Bharti Mukesh K. , Saikumar G. , Sarkar Mihir , Chandra Vikash , Sharma G. Taru
Published: June 2017

Oocyte-secreted factors (OSFs) play an important role in the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence through bidirectional cross-talk between oocyte and cumulus cells via gap junctions. Thus, the present study was designed to investigate the effect of two OSFs, growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF9) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP15), on the developmental competence of buffalo oocytes derived from two different follicle sizes. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) from large follicles (LF, >6 mm) or small follicles (SF, <6 mm) were collected and maturedin vitroeither in the presence of GDF9 or BMP15, or both, or with the denuded oocytes (DOs) as a source of native OSFs. Cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly (P< 0.05) higher in LF-derived than SF-derived oocytes. Cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly higher (P< 0.05) in the DOs and the combination groups compared with the control, GDF9 alone and BMP15 alone groups, both in LF-derived and SF-derived oocytes, although the cleavage and blastocyst rates did not differ significantly (P> 0.05) between DOs and combination groups. Relative mRNA analysis revealed significantly higher (P> 0.05) expression of the cumulus cell marker genesEGFR,HAS2, andCD44in LF-derived than SF-derived oocyte; the expression of these markers was significantly higher (P> 0.05) in DOs and combination groups, irrespective of the follicle size. These results suggested that LF-derived oocytes have a higher developmental competence than SF-derived oocytes and that supplementation of GDF9 and BMP15 modulates the developmental competence of buffalo oocytes by increasing the relative abundance of cumulus-enabling factors and thereby increasing cleavage and the quality of blastocyst production.
Grandmothers’ knowledge positively influences maternal knowledge and infant and young child feeding practices
Authors: Karmacharya Chandni , Cunningham Kenda , Choufani Jowel , Kadiyala Suneetha
Published: June 2017

Objective

To examine associations between grandmothers’ knowledge and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices and to test whether the associations are independent of or operate via maternal knowledge.

Design

Cross-sectional household survey data from households with a child under 5 years (n4080). We used multivariate regression analyses, adjusted for child, maternal, grandmother and household characteristics, and district-level clustering, to test associations between grandmothers’ knowledge and IYCF practices for children aged 6–24 months living with a grandmother. We used causal mediation to formally test the direct effect of grandmothers’ knowledge on IYCF practicesv. maternal knowledge mediating these associations.

Setting

Two hundred and forty rural communities, sixteen districts of Nepal.

Subjects

Children aged 6–24 months (n1399), including those living with grandmothers (n748).

Results

We found that the odds of optimal breast-feeding practices were higher (early breast-feeding initiation: 2·2 times,P=0·002; colostrum feeding: 4·2 times,P<0·001) in households where grandmothers had correct knowledgev. those with incorrect knowledge. The same pattern was found for correct timing of introduction of water (2·6), milk (2·4), semi-solids (3·2), solids (2·9), eggs (2·6) and meat (2·5 times; allP<0·001). For the two pathways we were able to test, mothers’ correct knowledge mediated these associations between grandmothers’ knowledge and IYCF practices: colostrum feeding (b=10·91,P<0·001) and the introduction of complementary foods (b=5·18,P<0·001).

Conclusions

Grandmothers’ correct knowledge translated into mothers’ correct knowledge and, therefore, optimal IYCF practices. Given grandmothers’ influence in childcare, engagement of grandmothers in health and nutrition interventions could improve mothers’ knowledge and facilitate better child feeding.
A Comprehensive Approach Towards Optimizing the Xenon Plasma Focused Ion Beam Instrument for Semiconductor Failure Analysis Applications
Authors: Subramaniam Srinivas , Huening Jennifer , Richards John , Johnson Kevin
Published: June 2017

The xenon plasma focused ion beam instrument (PFIB), holds significant promise in expanding the applications of focused ion beams in new technology thrust areas. In this paper, we have explored the operational characteristics of a Tescan FERA3 XMH PFIB instrument with the aim of meeting current and future challenges in the semiconductor industry. A two part approach, with the first part aimed at optimizing the ion column and the second optimizing specimen preparation, has been undertaken. Detailed studies characterizing the ion column, optimizing for high-current/high mill rate activities, have been described to support a better understanding of the PFIB. In addition, a novel single-crystal sacrificial mask method has been developed and implemented for use in the PFIB. Using this combined approach, we have achieved high-quality images with minimal artifacts, while retaining the shorter throughput times of the PFIB. Although the work presented in this paper has been performed on a specific instrument, the authors hope that these studies will provide general insight to direct further improvement of PFIB design and applications.
Gendered Migration in a Changing Care Regime: A Case of Korean Chinese Migrants in South Korea
Authors: Lee Hyunok
Published: June 2017

The feminisation of international migration for care labour has gained prominence in the last three decades. It has been theorised mainly in the context of the changing care regime in the Global North; the changes in other parts of the world have been largely neglected. This article explores the dynamics between changing care regimes, labour markets and international migration in the East Asian context through the case of Korean Chinese migrants to South Korea. Korean Chinese came to South Korea through various legal channels beginning in the late 1980s and occupy the largest share of both male and female migrants in South Korea. Korean Chinese women have engaged in service sector jobs, including domestic work and caregiving, since their influx, yet such work was only legalised during the 2000s in response to demographic changes and the care deficit. This article sheds light on the female Korean Chinese migrants’ engagement in care work in the ambiguous legal space of migration and the care labour market, and their changing roles in the process of development of the care labour market. Based on interviews with Korean Chinese migrants in South Korea, immigration statistics, and the Foreign Employment Survey in 2013, this study explores how the care regime intersects with migration in the process of the care regimes development.
A Discussion of Aida H. Hozic and Jacqui True’s Scandalous Economics: Gender and the Politics of Financial Crises
Authors: Băluţă Oana
Published: June 2017

“Critical analyses of the global financial crisis of 2008 (GFC) have neglected the ways in which structural inequalities around gender and race factor into (and indeed make possible) the current economic order. Scandalous Economics breaks new ground by arguing that an explicitly gendered approach to the GFC and its ongoing effects can help us to understand both the root causes of the crisis and the failure to significantly reform financial institutions and macroeconomic models.” These words, from the blurb on the back cover of Scandalous Economics, nicely summarize the book’s topic and the general approach to it. Because the book contains contributions from a number of the top political scientists writing about the gendering of political economy, and because this topic is such an important one, we have invited a range of political scientists to comment on the book and on the broader theme of the gendering of political economy.
A Discussion of Katherine J. Cramer's The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker
Authors: Carmines Edward G. , Schmidt Eric R.
Published: June 2017

The policies of Republican Governor Scott Walker have come to symbolize a resurgent assault on the public sector, and on public employee unions in particular, by the Republican Party. The fact that this is happening in Wisconsin, the state that in the last century was considered the “laboratory of Progressivism,” makes the politics surrounding these policies all the more compelling. In The Politics of Resentment: Rural Consciousness in Wisconsin and the Rise of Scott Walker, Katherine J. Cramer analyzes the “politics of resentment” surrounding these developments. Employing an ethnographic “method of listening,” Cramer furnishes thick description of the political language employed by rural Wisconsinites, and proceeds to develop an interpretive theory of “political resentment” that illuminates the reasons why lower-class citizens so strongly oppose public policies seeking to offset social and economic inequality. The book is important methodologically and politically. We have thus invited a range of social and political scientists to comment on the book as a work of political science and as a diagnosis of the current political moment.
A Discussion of Aviezer Tucker's The Legacies of Totalitarianism: A Theoretical Framework
Authors: Bernhard Michael H.
Published: June 2017

The concept of totalitarianism emerged between the two world wars in twentieth-century Europe to become a central concept of Cold War social science designed to highlight similarities between the Nazi and Soviet regimes and implicitly to contrast these forms of dictatorship with liberal democracy. While in the 1960s and 1970s many critics challenged the concept’s Cold War uses as an ideology of “the West,” the idea of totalitarianism and later “post-totalitarianism” played important roles in East Central Europe, where they helped dissident intellectuals, academics, and activists both to understand and to challenge Soviet-style communism. The concept of “totalitarianism” remains heavily contested. But whatever one thinks about the concept’s social scientific validity, there can be no doubt that it played a crucial role in both the scholarship of communism and the public intellectual debates about the possibilities of post-communism. Aviezer Tucker’s The Legacies of Totalitarianism: A Theoretical Framework (Cambridge 2015) addresses many of these issues, and so we have invited a range of political scientists to comment on the book and the broader theme denoted by its title.
A Discussion of Péter Krasztev and Jon Van Til’s The Hungarian Patient: Social Opposition to an Illiberal Democracy
Authors: Haraszti Miklos
Published: June 2017

In the wake of the Revolutions of 1989, Hungary was long considered one of the “success stories” of post-communist transition to liberal democracy. Yet in recent years the Hungarian government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has pioneered a new conception of “illiberal democracy.” In a July 2014 speech, Orban indeed declared that “the era of liberal democracies is over.” Similar declarations can be heard in other parts of post-communist Eastern Europe. The Hungarian Patient: Social Opposition to an Illiberal Democracy, is a collection of essays by Hungarian social scientists and intellectuals reflecting on both the sources of this emergent illiberalism and the sources of opposition to it. Because it is important for American political scientists to understand the way their colleagues in other parts of the world reflect on the challenges of democracy, and because the Hungarian situation is significant for the future of Europe and the EU, we have invited a wide range of scholars to comment on the book and on its topic—the significance of the emergence of “illiberal democracy” in Hungary and in Europe.
A Discussion of Péter Krasztev and Jon Van Til’s The Hungarian Patient: Social Opposition to an Illiberal Democracy
Authors: Ost David
Published: June 2017

In the wake of the Revolutions of 1989, Hungary was long considered one of the “success stories” of post-communist transition to liberal democracy. Yet in recent years the Hungarian government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has pioneered a new conception of “illiberal democracy.” In a July 2014 speech, Orban indeed declared that “the era of liberal democracies is over.” Similar declarations can be heard in other parts of post-communist Eastern Europe. The Hungarian Patient: Social Opposition to an Illiberal Democracy, is a collection of essays by Hungarian social scientists and intellectuals reflecting on both the sources of this emergent illiberalism and the sources of opposition to it. Because it is important for American political scientists to understand the way their colleagues in other parts of the world reflect on the challenges of democracy, and because the Hungarian situation is significant for the future of Europe and the EU, we have invited a wide range of scholars to comment on the book and on its topic—the significance of the emergence of “illiberal democracy” in Hungary and in Europe.
A Discussion of Mark Blyth's Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea
Authors: Morgan Glyn
Published: June 2017

The ongoing Eurozone crisis has brought to the fore the discourse of “austerity.” A number of countries, most dramatically Greece, have been called upon to institute policies of fiscal austerity as a condition of further support from the international financial community. The situation has generated some serious disagreements among economists, policymakers, and indeed important financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. Mark Blyth’s Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea speaks directly to these ongoing current debates. We have invited a range of political scientists working on related issues to comment on the book’s arguments and their relevance to the work that they do.
A Discussion of Mark Blyth's Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea
Authors: Oatley Thomas
Published: June 2017

The ongoing Eurozone crisis has brought to the fore the discourse of “austerity.” A number of countries, most dramatically Greece, have been called upon to institute policies of fiscal austerity as a condition of further support from the international financial community. The situation has generated some serious disagreements among economists, policymakers, and indeed important financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank. Mark Blyth’s Austerity: The History of a Dangerous Idea speaks directly to these ongoing current debates. We have invited a range of political scientists working on related issues to comment on the book’s arguments and their relevance to the work that they do.
Local versus Global Perceptual Scope, Empathic Concern, and Helping Preferences in Multiple-Victim Situations
Authors: Oceja Luis , Stocks Eric , Ambrona Tamara , López-Pérez Belén , Carrera Pilar
Published: June 2017

Previous research on the one-among-others effect has shown that inducing empathic concern towards a victim presented alongside with a small number of other victims enhances (a) the perception of this set of victims as separate and different individuals (instead of as a group), and (b) the preference to help them individually (rather than collectively). We propose that inducing a local (vs. global) perceptual scope increases (vs. lessens) these two outcomes. In this work, participants first reported their perception of an ad that showed a victim depicted as one-among-others and, afterwards, were unexpectedly asked to indicate their preference for giving the victims either “individualized”, “collective”, or “equal” assistance. In Experiment 1 (N= 48), we manipulated the participants’ local (vs. global) perceptual scope and allowed empathy concern to occur naturally. In Experiment 2 (N= 213), we manipulated both the perceptual scope and empathy concern. Overall, results showed that the combined presence of local scope and empathic concern increased the awareness of others (ηp2= .203 and .047, 95% CI = [0.05, 0.35] and [0.03, 0.13],ps < .03) and the preference for individualized assistance (zs = 2.08 and 2.74,ps < .02). Lastly, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of perceiving a set of victims asindividuals(rather than as a group) in need.
Polymorphism rs2073618 of the osteoprotegerin gene as a potential marker of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis in Caucasians with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Pleskovič Aleš , Ramuš Sara Mankoč , Pražnikar Zala Jenko , Šantl Letonja Marija , Cokan Vujkovac Andreja , Gazdikova Katarina , Caprnda Martin , Gaspar Ludovit , Kruzliak Peter , Petrovič Daniel
Published: June 2017

Abstract. Background: The OPG/RANKL/RANK (osteoprotegerin/receptor-activator of nuclear factor κB ligand/receptor-activator of nuclear factor κB) axis has been recently linked to the development of atherosclerosis and plaque destabilization. We have investigated whether polymorphism rs2073618 of the OPG gene is associated with subclinical markers of carotid atherosclerosis in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Patients and methods: 595 subjects with T2DM were enrolled in the cross-sectional study. Subclinical markers of carotid atherosclerosis (carotid intima media thickness, plaque thickness, and plaques presence) were assessed with ultrasound at the time of recruitment. Genotyping for rs2073618 (a missense variant located in exon I of the OPG gene) was performed, and OPG serum levels were determined by ELISA. Results: Compared to the GG genotype, the CC genotype of the rs2073618 polymorphism had a significantly increased risk for the presence of carotid plaque (OR = 2.54, 95 % CI = 1.22–5.28, p = 0.01). No statistically significant difference could be detected (p = 0.68) upon comparing median values of serum OPG levels among studied genotype groups in subjects with T2DM. Multivariable linear regression analyses in T2DM subjects demonstrated that GC and CC genotypes (p = 0.03 and p = 0.003), together with statin therapy (p = 0.009), were independent predictors of the number of carotid segments with plaques. Conclusions: Despite the fact that OPG rs2073618 genotypes failed to predict the serum OPG levels as there was no statistical difference among compared genotypes, our results demonstrate that the rs2073618 polymorphism could be a possible genetic marker for the prediction of increased risk for carotid plaque burden as a measure of advanced subclinical atherosclerosis in T2DM subjects.
Wie sieht „hirngerechtes“ Lehren und Lernen aus?
Authors: Roth Gerhard
Published: June 2017

Zusammenfassung. Unterricht in jeder Bildungseinrichtung verfolgt das Ziel, Wissen und Fähigkeiten so zu vermitteln, dass diese Inhalte möglichst langfristig im deklarativen bzw. prozeduralen Gedächtnis der Lernenden hängenbleiben.