bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
VHF Radar Observations of Sea Surface in the Northern Taiwan Strait
Authors: Chen Jenn-Shyong , Lai Jian-Wu , Chien Hwa , Wang Chien-Ya , Su Ching-Lun , Lin Kun-I , Chen Meng-Yuan , Chu Yen-Hsyang
Published: January 2019

A VHF pulsed radar system was set up on the Taoyuan County seashore (24°57′58″N, 121°00′30″E; Taiwan) to observe the sea surface in the northern Taiwan Strait for the first time. The radar used a four-element, vertically polarized Yagi antenna to transmit the 52-MHz radar wave. The receiving linear array consists of four vertical dipole antennas that were located 3 m apart and attached with four independent and identical receivers. With the multichannel echoes, the direction of arrival (DOA) of the radar echoes were determined by using an optimization beamforming approach—the Capon method. Echo intensity was observed to vary principally in semidiurnal oscillation, which matched well the time series of tide gauge measurements and sea level simulations. In addition, the oscillatory characteristics of Doppler/radial velocity of the VHF radar were generally consistent with that of the HF coastal ocean dynamics applications radar (CODAR) nearby. Nevertheless, the contributions of various tidal modes to the parameters of DOA, echo intensity, radial velocity, and spectral width, varied with the range and time period (e.g., neap or spring tides). For example, the semidiurnal tides governed the variation in the echo center only in the range interval between ~15 and ~25 km from the seashore but dominated other parameters throughout the detectable range. Correlations and phase relationships between these parameters were diverse; they varied with time and had dramatic changes at around the distances of 3 and 10 km. Possible causes of these features were discussed, including sea surface wind, nearshore current, sea level height, and bathymetric effect.
Diminishing Cognitive Capacities in an Ever Hotter World: Evidence From an Applicable Power-Law Description
Authors: López-Sánchez José Ignacio , Hancock P. A.
Published: January 2019

Objective:

Modeling and evaluating a series of power law descriptions for boundary conditions of undiminished cognitive capacities under thermal stress.

Background:

Thermal stress degrades cognition, but precisely which components are affected, and to what degree, has yet to be fully determined. With increasing global temperatures, this need is becoming urgent. Power-law distributions have proven their utility in describing differing natural mechanisms, including certain orders of human performance, but never as a rationalization of stress-altered states of attention.

Method:

From a survey of extant empirical data, absolute thresholds for thermal tolerance for varying forms of cognition were identified. These thresholds were then modeled using a rational power-law description. The implications of the veracity of that description were then identified and analyzed.

Results:

Cognitive performance thresholds under thermal stress are advanced as power-law relationships, t = f(T) = c[(T – Tref)/Tref]-α. Coherent scaling parameters for diverse cognitive functionalities are specified that are consistent with increases in deep (core) body temperature. Therefore, scale invariance provides a “universal constant,” viz, 20% detriment in mental performance per 10% increase in T deviation, from a comfortable reference temperature Tref.

Conclusion:

We know the thermal range within which humans can survive is quite narrow. The presented power-law descriptions imply that if making correct decisions is critical for our future existence, then our functional thermal limits could be much more restricted than previously thought.

Application:

We provide our present findings, such that others can both assess and mitigate the effects of adverse thermal loads on cognition, in whatever human scenario they occur.
The Conscripted Curriculum and the Reproduction of Racial Inequalities in Contemporary U.S. Medical Education
Authors: Olsen Lauren D.
Published: January 2019

In their attempt to address racial disparities in the provision of healthcare, the U.S. medical profession has reproduced racial inequalities of their own. In this article, I draw upon interview data with medical educators and students to detail how medical educators routinely offload the instruction on the social underpinnings and consequences of race onto students, particularly students of color. I develop the concept of the conscripted curriculum to capture how students’ social identities are utilized by educators in the professionalization process. While there are exceptions in curricular approaches, most educators create the conscripted curriculum by eliciting students to share their social experiences with race in the small group setting while only providing students with didactic material on biological understandings of race. As a result, students of color report experiencing more emotionally exhausting and unrewarded labor than their white peers, and educators further devalue the social implications of race for healthcare.
Construction of ultraviolet protection, thermal insulation, superhydrophobic and aromatic textile with Al-doped ZnO–embedded lemon microcapsule coatings
Authors: Wang Wei , Liang Yingchao , Yang Zhaoxu , Zhang Wei , Wang Shuo
Published: January 2019

Multifunctional textiles combining ultraviolet protection, thermal insulation and superhydrophobic and aromatic performance were successfully prepared using an aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO)-embedded lemon microcapsule and SiO2 dual-layer coating. AZO-loaded lemon microcapsules with average diameter of 1.5 µm were obtained via interfacial polymerization. Results showed that the high concentration of the AZO-embedded lemon microcapsule contributed to enhancing the waterproof property, aromatic performance, and visible and near-infrared light transmittance. The lemon content was up to 2.789 mg/g (weight of essence:weight of fabric). The water contact angle was high at 153.35°, exhibiting an outstanding superhydrophobic performance. The light transmittance decreased as the amount of AZO-embedded lemon microcapsule increased. The ultraviolet protection factor value reached 88.78 when the dosage of the AZO-embedded lemon microcapsule was 6%. Given the above research results, the cotton fabric coated with the AZO-embedded lemon microcapsule and SiO2 dual-layer composite coating would have potential applications in the water/oil purification field and functional protective fabrics.
Hulu, streaming, and the contemporary television ecosystem
Authors: Sanson Kevin , Steirer Gregory
Published: January 2019

In this essay, we take up three distinctive features of the US-based subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) platform Hulu: its ownership structure, its business deals, and its televisual aesthetics. Although there are substantial overlaps among these categories, we approach each of them separately so as to better enable us to link our analyses to some of the key questions and concerns about what contemporary television has become and how it should best be studied. By inserting Hulu into a conversation about today’s television ecosystem – a context from which it has been absent for too long – we purposefully broaden scholarly debates about SVOD platforms beyond that of Netflix and Amazon to reconsider some of the emergent conventions or common-sense norms that currently underpin our understanding of television in the Internet era. In the end, we argue streaming television is a multi-sited, quasi-iterative, and rapidly evolving marketplace, in which legacy practices persist alongside and often in competition with new modes of production, dissemination, and consumption.
The Concise Health Risk Tracking-Self Report: Psychometrics within a placebo-controlled antidepressant trial among depressed outpatients
Authors: Trombello Joseph M , Killian Michael O , Grannemann Bruce D , Rush Augustus John , Mayes Taryn L , Parsey Ramin V , McInnis Melvin , Jha Manish K , Ali Aasia , McGrath Patrick J , Adams Phil , Oquendo Maria A , Weissman Myrna M , Carmody Thomas J , Trivedi Madhukar H
Published: January 2019

Background/aims:

While substantial prior research has evaluated the psychometric properties of the 12-item Concise Health Risk Tracking-Self Report (CHRT-SR12), a measure of suicide propensity and suicidal thoughts, no prior research has investigated its factor structure, sensitivity to change over time, and other psychometric properties in a placebo-controlled trial of antidepressant medication, nor determined whether symptoms change throughout treatment.

Methods:

Participants in the multi-site Establishing Moderators and Biosignatures of Antidepressant Response in Clinical Care (EMBARC) study ( n=278) provided data to evaluate the factor structure and sensitivity to change over time of the CHRT-SR12 through eight weeks of a clinical trial in which participants received either placebo or antidepressant medication (sertraline).

Results/Outcomes:

Factor analysis confirmed two factors: propensity (comprised of first-order factors including pessimism, helplessness, social support, and despair) and suicidal thoughts. Internal consistency (α’s ranged from 0.69–0.92) and external validity were both acceptable, with the total score and propensity factor scores significantly correlated with total scores and single-item suicidal-thoughts scores on the self-report Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms and the clinician-rated 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. Through analyzing CHRT-SR12 changes over eight treatment weeks, the total score and both the factors decreased regardless of baseline suicidal thoughts. Change in clinician-rated suicidal thoughts was reflected by change in both the total score and propensity factor score.

Conclusions/interpretation:

These results confirm the reliability, validity, and applicability of the CHRT-SR12 to a placebo-controlled clinical trial of depressed outpatients receiving antidepressant medication.
Performance Evaluation of Slurry Seals Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement
Authors: Saghafi Mahdi , Tabatabaee Nader , Nazarian Soheil
Published: January 2019

Preventive pavement maintenance methods such as slurry seals are cost-effective treatments that increase the longevity of pavements. The incorporation of recycled materials such as reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) into asphalt pavement helps to further reduce costs and energy consumption. The present research studied the feasibility of incorporating RAP into slurry seal mixtures or RAP slurry seals. Two slurry seal mixtures containing cement and hydrated lime as fillers were tested. The first mixture comprised slurry seal made with virgin aggregate and the second used RAP as the aggregate. The wet track abrasion test (WTAT) and loaded wheel test (LWT) were conducted to evaluate the performance of the mixtures. Wet cohesion and friction tests (sand patch and British pendulum) were performed on the selected slurry seal mixtures with the best performance under WTAT and LWT. The results show that it is possible to prepare slurry seal containing RAP. Although the curing time relative to the virgin aggregates increased by 1 h for RAP aggregate, the wear value in the WTAT decreased by half. Lateral displacement and the British pendulum test results improved considerably for slurry seals made with RAP aggregates. The results of the sand patch test on WTAT samples showed that slurry seals made with RAP should be lightly rolled after lay-down to improve their friction life. Cost analysis indicates that the use of RAP as an aggregate in slurry seal decreased costs by up to 14%. RAP slurry seal showed better overall performance with lower cost than the virgin slurry seal.
Osteointegration of a Novel Silk Fiber–Based ACL Scaffold by Formation of a Ligament-Bone Interface
Authors: Teuschl Andreas Herbert , Tangl Stefan , Heimel Patrick , Schwarze Uwe Yacine , Monforte Xavier , Redl Heinz , Nau Thomas
Published: January 2019

Background:

Given the unsatisfactory results and reported drawbacks of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, such as donor site morbidity and the limited choice of grafts in revision surgery, new regenerative approaches based on tissue-engineering strategies are currently under investigation.

Purposes:

To determine (1) if a novel silk fiber–based ACL scaffold is able to initiate osteointegration in the femoral and tibial bone tunnels under in vivo conditions and (2) if the osteointegration process will be improved by intraoperatively seeding the scaffolds with the autologous stromal vascular fraction, an adipose-derived, stem cell–rich isolate from knee fat pads.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 33 sheep underwent ACL resection and were then randomly assigned to 2 experimental groups: ACL reconstruction with a scaffold alone and ACL reconstruction with a cell-seeded scaffold. Half of the sheep in each group were randomly chosen and euthanized 6 months after surgery and the other half at 12 months. To analyze the integration of the silk-based scaffold in the femoral and tibial bone tunnels, hard tissue histology and micro–computed tomography measurements were performed.

Results:

Hard tissue histological workup showed that in all treatment groups, with or without the application of the autologous stromal vascular fraction, an interzone of collagen fibers had formed between bone and silk-based graft. This collagen-fiber continuity partly consisted of Sharpey fibers, comparable with tendon-bone healing known for autografts and allografts. Insertion sites were more broad based at 6 months and more concentrated on the slightly protruding, bony knoblike structures at 12 months. Histologically, no differences between the treatment groups were detectable. Analysis of micro–computed tomography measurements revealed a significantly higher tissue density for the cell-seeded scaffold group as compared with the scaffold-alone group in the tibial but not femoral bone tunnel after 12 months of implantation.

Conclusion:

The novel silk fiber–based scaffold for ACL regeneration demonstrated integration into the bone tunnels via the formation of a fibrous interzone similar to allografts and autografts. Histologically, additional cell seeding did not enhance osteointegration. No significant differences between 6 and 12 months could be detected. After 12 months, there was still a considerable amount of silk present, and a longer observation period is necessary to see if a true ligament-bone enthesis will be formed.

Clinical Relevance:

ACL regeneration with a silk fiber–based scaffold with and without additional cell seeding may provide an alternative treatment option to current techniques of surgical reconstruction.
Mobile Phone Visual Ethnography (MpVE): Bridging Transformative Photography and Mobile Phone Ethnography
Authors: DeBerry-Spence Benét , Ekpo Akon E. , Hogan Daniel
Published: January 2019

Mobile phone proliferation in developing economies has arguably affected the everyday lives of subsistence consumers and entrepreneurs like no other technology in recent times. This impact is evidenced by mobile phones’ embeddedness in everyday consumption and business practices. Surprisingly, mobile phones have only minimally been incorporated into bottom-up research approaches in subsistence marketplaces and/or ethnographic transformative research methodologies and methods. To begin addressing this important gap, the authors conducted a systematic review of the literature on mobile phones and ethnography and then gained practical experience with a new bottom-up methodology called mobile phone visual ethnography (MpVE). Using research experiences as data, the authors share micro-level details about African microentrepreneurial everyday life and highlight important methodological issues associated with conducting MpVE in subsistence marketplaces. They find that MpVE affords methodological naturalism, unpacks informant perspectives of everyday life, captures human mobility within marketplaces, and begins to democratize the research process. In doing so, this article offers a new way of giving voice to subsistence marketplace populations through more active and visible participation in research.
Resilience in Carers of People With Young-Onset Alzheimer Disease
Authors: Kimura Nathália R. S. , Neto José Pedro Simões , Santos Raquel Luiza , Baptista Maria Alice Tourinho , Portugal Glória , Johannessen Aud , Barca Maria Lage , Engedal Knut , Laks Jerson , Rodrigues Valeska Marinho , Dourado Marcia C. N.
Published: January 2019

Young-onset Alzheimer disease (YOAD) causes psychological and emotional difficulties for carers. However, even in the face of considerable caregiving demands and burden, some carers are resistant to stress, which may be a sign of resilience. This study investigated whether the clinical symptoms of the person with YOAD might be associated with resilience in their carers. A consecutive series of 43 persons with YOAD and their 43 family caregivers were assessed. The carers showed moderate to high level of resilience, low level of anxiety and depressive symptoms, and moderate level of burden. No relationship was found between resilience and sociodemographic characteristics of both carers and care recipient and with clinical characteristics of persons with YOAD. A linear regression analysis showed that resilience was inversely associated with carers’ depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that resilience may mainly be related to carers’ mental health.
Comparison of Population Aging in Europe and Asia Using a Time-Consistent and Comparative Aging Measure
Authors: Balachandran Arun , de Beer Joop , James K. S. , van Wissen Leo , Janssen Fanny
Published: January 2019

Objective: We compare population aging in Europe and Asia using a measure that is both consistent over time and appropriate for cross-country comparison. Method: Sanderson and Scherbov proposed to estimate the old-age threshold by the age at which the remaining life expectancy (RLE) equals 15 years. We propose an adjustment of this measure, taking into account cross-national differences in the exceptionality of reaching that age. Results: Our old-age threshold was lower than 65 years in 2012 in Central Asia, Southern Asia, Southeastern Asia, and many Eastern European countries. These populations also experienced a higher share of elderly compared with the RLE15 method. Our method revealed more geographical diversity in the shares of elderly. Both methods exhibited similar time trends for the old-age thresholds and the shares of elderly. Discussion: Our prospective and comparative measure reveals higher population aging estimates in most Asian and Eastern European countries and more diversity in aging.
Theoretical and experimental studies of the steady-state performance of a primary and secondary-controlled closed-circuit hydrostatic drive
Authors: Pandey Ajit Kumar , Vardhan Alok , Dasgupta K
Published: January 2019

In this article, performance of a closed-circuit hydrostatic drive in primary and secondary mode of operations has been studied through theory and experiment. This drive consists of a variable displacement pump that supplies pressurized fluid to a variable displacement hydro-motor of bent axis design. Bond graph simulation method is adopted for system modeling. In the model, the losses of the drive are accounted by suitable resistive elements, and their characteristics are identified through experiments. The predicted drive’s performances are studied with respect to the overall efficiency, torque loss (%), and slip at different torque levels which are also validated experimentally. The investigation made in the article identifies the efficient zone of operation of the drive which will be useful to the practicing engineers to select such a drive used in heavy constructional equipment. From the steady-state performance of the pump and the motor, their critical control parameters are identified. The studies may be useful for the design of the suitable control strategy to obtain the optimum performance of the drives.
Improving in situ GPU simulation of quantum computing in the D-GM environment
Authors: Avila Anderson , Reiser Renata Hax Sander , Pilla Maurício Lima , Yamin Adenauer Correa
Published: January 2019

Exponential increase and global access to read/write memory states in quantum computing (QC) simulation limit both the number of qubits and quantum transformations which can be currently simulated. Although QC simulation is parallel by nature, spatial and temporal complexity are major performance hazards, making this a nontrivial application for high performance computing. A new methodology employing reduction and decomposition optimizations has shown relevant results, but its GPU implementation could be further improved. In this work, we develop a new kernel for in situ GPU simulation that better explores its resources without requiring further hardware. Shor’s and Grover’s algorithms are simulated up to 25 and 21 qubits respectively and compared to our previous version, to [Formula: see text] simulator and to ProjectQ framework, showing better results with relative speedups up to 4.38×, 3357.76× and 333× respectively.
The explanationist revolution in evidence law
Authors: Amaya Amalia
Published: January 2019

According to Allen and Pardo, the field of evidence law has experienced a revolution -in Kuhn's sense- from probabilism to explanationism, which they identify with the relative plausibility theory. The explanationist revolution, argue Allen and Pardo, has placed explanationist -rather than probabilistic criteria- at the core of the fact-finding process and, in contrast to probabilism, has advanced a comparative understanding of the theory of legal proof. This paper develops an alternative interpretation of the explanationist revolution in evidence law. First, it elaborates on the concept of legal revolution and argues that it involves a kind of shift that is best characterized as a Hacking -rather than a Kuhnean- type of revolution and, thus, as an ‘emplacement’ instead of a ‘replacement’ revolution. Second, it claims that the shift from probabilism to explanationism involves a deep -genuinely revolutionary- change in the conception of rationality that is taken to govern the processes of evidence and legal proof. Other differences between probabilistim and explanationism, such as those mentioned by Allen and Pardo, are not central to the revolutionary shift, but rather emanate from this basic distinction. Last, it argues that the explanationist paradigm embraces, but cannot be reduced to, the relative plausibility theory; the identification of explanationism with the relative plausibility theory occludes the richness and possibilities harboured by the new, explanationist, paradigm.
The Academic Library and Social Justice: Exploring Librarian Attitudes at One HSI
Authors: Lumley Risa M.
Published: January 2019

Librarians have the potential to influence the university’s representation of knowledge, making it important to understand the attitudes they bring to work each day. Results of this Q study indicate librarians may believe their profession’s ethos of neutrality renders debate over social justice within the library moot. Only a small number of librarians at this Hispanic-serving institution envision themselves positioned to promote social justice by empowering students to use the resources currently available within the library.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus in remission: An exploration
Authors: Chieng Vui Yung , Sampson Rod
Published: January 2019

Type 2 diabetes is an extremely common condition. There is increasing interest in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in remission, and this article aims to improve understanding, recognition and management of these patients in primary care, with the potential to provide a better quality of life for patients and cost savings for healthcare providers.
Generation and transmission expansion management using grasshopper optimization algorithm
Authors: Suriya Ponnambalam , Subramanian Srikrishna , Ganesan Sivarajan , Abirami Manoharan
Published: January 2019

This article explores how generation and transmission expansion plans (GTEPs) vary and become better suited for the accessibility of smart grid technology (SGT), essentially comprising load shifting, environmental assets and cost rebates. Demand response (DR) resources in smart grids have emerged in debates on GTEP, especially with respect to compromising system security. The planned model is designed as an innovative GTEP solution with DR resources that minimize cost by decreasing the peak load of the basic plan. A chaotic grasshopper optimization algorithm (CGOA) is used to optimize the results of the proposed GTEP model.
Prolactinoma: A rare, important and treatable cause of male infertility
Authors: Ralph Oliver , Shroff Nikita
Published: January 2019

Infertility as a result of hyperprolactinemia from a functional prolactinoma is a rare yet treatable cause of morbidity. As in this case, if infertility is the presenting symptom, then urology is only the first specialty needed along the road of effective treatment, highlighting the role of the multidisciplinary team. What made this case so interesting was the almost immediate return to fertility on tumour resection (as shown by the resulting pregnancy) and the emphasis the patient placed on his fertility, above all other concerns. It shows that in complex cases such as these, medical and surgical specialities have to work together to achieve the outcome that is in the best interests of the patient. We present the case of a 33-year-old man who presented with anejaculation and a loss of fertility that lead to significant patient distress. After surgery and hormone replacement, the patient showed an increase in sperm count, normal morphology and density. This report will highlight the journey that the patient underwent from diagnosis through investigations and surgery in order to re-establish fertility. The aim of this case report is to highlight the need to consider hyperprolactinemia as a cause of reversible male infertility and to show the potentially short-term positive impact of effective treatment. The report provides fertility data to quantify this improvement after both endocrinology and then neurosurgical intervention. This case is a wonderful example of the success a multidisciplinary approach can have in the treatment of a complex, rare condition.

Level of evidence: Case report – level 5
Advances in retinal prosthesis systems
Authors: Bloch Edward , Luo Yvonne , da Cruz Lyndon
Published: January 2019

Retinal prosthesis systems have undergone significant advances in the past quarter century, resulting in the development of several different novel surgical and engineering approaches. Encouraging results have demonstrated partial visual restoration, with improvement in both coarse objective function and performance of everyday tasks. To date, four systems have received marketing approval for use in Europe or the United States, with numerous others undergoing preclinical and clinical evaluation, reflecting the established safety profile of these devices for chronic implantation. This progress represents the first notion that the field of visual restorative medicine could offer blind patients a hope of real and measurable benefit. However, there are numerous complex engineering and biophysical obstacles still to be overcome, to reconcile the gap that remains between artificial and natural vision. Current developments in the form of enhanced image processing algorithms and data transfer approaches, combined with emerging nanofabrication and conductive polymerization techniques, herald an exciting and innovative future for retinal prosthetics. This review provides an update of retinal prosthetic systems currently undergoing development and clinical trials while also addressing future challenges in the field, such as the assessment of functional outcomes in ultra-low vision and strategies for tackling existing hardware and software constraints.
Defining “High-risk Sexual Behavior” in the Context of Substance Use
Authors: Chawla Nishtha , Sarkar Siddharth
Published: January 2019

Introduction: Sexual behavior is a behavior exhibited by individuals to gratify one of their basic needs, that is the sexual need. Often the way in which sexual behavior is practiced may lead to negative consequences. However, the definition of a sexual behavior as risky varies with regards to culture, gender, age, and the threshold.

Objectives: This review aims to study different definitions of high-risk sexual behavior available in literature, the differences in the prevalence of various risks associated with risky sex in substance-using population as compared to general population, and eventually formulating a tentative definition of “high-risk sexual behavior” in the context of substance use. Current evidence and results of literature search as we have entered into the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus globally, it is important clinically as well as from the public health perspective to define high-risk sexual behavior discretely helping the researchers quantify the burden and the clinicians focus on the population at risk. High-risk sexual behavior has often been discussed and studied in various studies till date. However, literature lacks a discrete definition of high-risk sexual behavior. Risky sex (or high-risk sexual behavior) has been variably defined in different studies. Majority of the definitions in the studies focus on sexually transmitted infection, especially human immunodeficiency virus. A few studies talk about unintended pregnancies or abortions.

Conclusion: The association between high-risk sexual behavior and substance use has been well established. Further research is warranted to obtain a definition which has greater precision and clinical utility, and which can be integrated in preventive and promotive pursuits.
Premature Closure of the Ductus Arteriosus in an Otherwise Healthy Fetus
Authors: Operle Michaela , Anderson Sharlette
Published: January 2019

Premature closure of the ductus arteriosus is a rare phenomenon. It is thought to be caused by one of three things: abnormal levels of produced and circulating prostaglandin, maternal ingestion of prostaglandin synthase inhibitors, or it can be idiopathic. Idiopathic premature closure of the ductus arteriosus, not caused by maternal exposure to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, is an uncommon event that can cause increased pressure on the right ventricle, resulting in pulmonary hypertension. If left untreated, it can result in fetal death.
The ADAMTS13–VWF axis is dysregulated in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Newnham Michael , South Kieron , Bleda Marta , Auger William R. , Barberà Joan A. , Bogaard Harm , Bunclark Katherine , Cannon John E. , Delcroix Marion , Hadinnapola Charaka , Howard Luke S. , Jenkins David , Mayer Eckhard , Ng Choo , Rhodes Christopher J. , Screaton Nicholas , Sheares Karen , Simpson Michael A. , Southwood Mark , Su Li , Taboada Dolores , Traylor Matthew , Trembath Richard C. , Villar Sofia S. , Wilkins Martin R. , Wharton John , Gräf Stefan , Pepke-Zaba Joanna , Laffan Michael , Lane David A. , Morrell Nicholas W. , Toshner Mark
Published: January 2019

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is an important consequence of pulmonary embolism that is associated with abnormalities in haemostasis. We investigated the ADAMTS13–von Willebrand factor (VWF) axis in CTEPH, including its relationship with disease severity, inflammation,ABOgroups andADAMTS13genetic variants.

ADAMTS13 and VWF plasma antigen levels were measured in patients with CTEPH (n=208), chronic thromboembolic disease without pulmonary hypertension (CTED) (n=35), resolved pulmonary embolism (n=28), idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (n=30) and healthy controls (n=68). CTEPH geneticABOassociations and protein quantitative trait loci were investigated. ADAMTS13–VWF axis abnormalities were assessed in CTEPH and healthy control subsets by measuring ADAMTS13 activity, D-dimers and VWF multimeric size.

Patients with CTEPH had decreased ADAMTS13 (adjusted β −23.4%, 95% CI −30.9– −15.1%, p<0.001) and increased VWF levels (β +75.5%, 95% CI 44.8–113%, p<0.001) compared to healthy controls. ADAMTS13 levels remained low after reversal of pulmonary hypertension by pulmonary endarterectomy surgery and were equally reduced in CTED. We identified a genetic variant near theADAMTS13gene associated with ADAMTS13 protein that accounted for ∼8% of the variation in levels.

The ADAMTS13–VWF axis is dysregulated in CTEPH. This is unrelated to pulmonary hypertension, disease severity or markers of systemic inflammation and implicates the ADAMTS13–VWF axis in CTEPH pathobiology.
An ancient role for collier/Olf/Ebf (COE)-type transcription factors in axial motor neuron development
Authors: Catela Catarina , Correa Edgar , Wen Kailong , Aburas Jihad , Croci Laura , Consalez G. Giacomo , Kratsios Paschalis
Published: January 2019

Background

Mammalian motor circuits display remarkable cellular diversity with hundreds of motor neuron (MN) subtypes innervating hundreds of different muscles. Extensive research on limb muscle-innervating MNs has begun to elucidate the genetic programs that control animal locomotion. In striking contrast, the molecular mechanisms underlying the development of axial muscle-innervating MNs, which control breathing and spinal alignment, are poorly studied.

Methods

Our previous studies indicated that the function of the Collier/Olf/Ebf (COE) family of transcription factors (TFs) in axial MN development may be conserved from nematodes to simple chordates. Here, we examine the expression pattern of all four mouse COE family members (mEbf1-mEbf4) in spinal MNs and employ genetic approaches in both nematodes and mice to investigate their function in axial MN development.

Results

We report that mEbf1 and mEbf2 are expressed in distinct MN clusters (termed “columns”) that innervate different axial muscles. Mouse Ebf1 is expressed in MNs of the hypaxial motor column (HMC), which is necessary for breathing, while mEbf2 is expressed in MNs of the medial motor column (MMC) that control spinal alignment. Our characterization of Ebf2 knock-out mice uncovered a requirement for Ebf2 in the differentiation program of a subset of MMC MNs and revealed for the first time molecular diversity within MMC neurons. Intriguingly, transgenic expression of mEbf1 or mEbf2 can rescue axial MN differentiation and locomotory defects in nematodes (Caenorhabditis elegans) lacking unc-3, the sole C. elegans ortholog of the COE family, suggesting functional conservation among mEbf1, mEbf2 and nematode UNC-3.

Conclusions

These findings support the hypothesis that genetic programs controlling axial MN development are deeply conserved across species, and further advance our understanding of such programs by revealing an essential role for Ebf2 in mouse axial MNs. Because human mutations in COE orthologs lead to neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by motor developmental delay, our findings may advance our understanding of these human conditions.
Positive end-expiratory pressure titration with electrical impedance tomography and pressure–volume curve in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Zhao Zhanqi , Chang Mei-Ying , Chang Mei-Yun , Gow Chien-Hung , Zhang Jia-Hao , Hsu Yeong-Long , Frerichs Inez , Chang Hou-Tai , Möller Knut
Published: January 2019

Background

The study objective was to compare titration of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and with ventilator-embedded pressure–volume loop in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

Methods

We have designed a prospective study with historical control group. Twenty-four severe ARDS patients (arterial oxygen partial pressure to fractional inspired oxygen ratio, PaO2/FiO2 < 100 mmHg) were included in the EIT group and examined prospectively. Data from another 31 severe ARDS patients were evaluated retrospectively (control group). All patients were receiving medical care under identical general support guidelines and protective mechanical ventilation. The PEEP level selected in the EIT group was the intercept point of cumulated collapse and overdistension percentages curves. In the control group, optimal PEEP was selected 2 cmH2O above the lower inflection point on the static pressure–volume curve.

Results

Patients in the EIT group were younger (P < 0.05), and their mean plateau pressure was 1.5 cmH2O higher (P < 0.01). No differences in other baseline parameters such as APACHE II score, PaO2/FiO2, initial PEEP, driving pressure, tidal volume, and respiratory system compliance were found. Two hours after the first PEEP titration, significantly higher PEEP, compliance, and lower driving pressure were found in the EIT group (P < 0.01). Hospital survival rates were 66.7% (16 of 24 patients) in the EIT group and 48.4% (15 of 31) in the control group. Identical rates were found regarding the weaning success rate: 66.7% in the EIT group and 48.4% in the control group.

Conclusion

In severe ARDS patients, it was feasible and safe to guide PEEP titration with EIT at the bedside. As compared with pressure–volume curve, the EIT-guided PEEP titration may be associated with improved oxygenation, compliance, driving pressure, and weaning success rate. The findings encourage further randomized control study with a larger sample size and potentially less bias in the baseline data.

Trial Registration NCT03112512
The Strange Career of Donald Rumsfeld
Authors: Beasley Betsy A.
Published: January 2019

In 1966, junior Republican congressional representative Donald Rumsfeld first cut his political teeth leading a campaign against the military-industrial complex. Rumsfeld criticized the impropriety of the relationship between President Johnson and Brown and Root, the military contractor and oil-field services company that was a subsidiary of Halliburton. Decades later, Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld worked alongside Vice-President Dick Cheney, former Halliburton CEO, as the company secured unprecedented contracts during the US war in Iraq. Whereas military contracting had once represented for Rumsfeld the unethical government patronage of the Democratic Party, by the end of the century military contracting signified government thrift, a cost-saving turn to the market in a new era of warfare. Interweaving Rumsfeld’s career with Halliburton’s rise, this article charts Rumsfeld’s strange journey from Halliburton critic to Halliburton champion to highlight this continuity in capitalism and in military contracting across the second half of the twentieth century.
The United States and Africa in Oxford, Ohio
Authors: Covey Eric
Published: January 2019

US students often fail to see the global histories of the local sites they inhabit or how capitalism and militarism configure these landscapes in significant ways. In this reflection on critical pedagogy, I describe my interdisciplinary approach to situating Africa and the United States at the intersections of capitalism and militarism in three historical periods: during the Atlantic slave trade, after the so-called scramble for Africa, and in the context of contemporary US imperialism that flows from the War on Terror. My teaching uses a range of materials to introduce students to the longue durée of globalizing forces under capitalism and to confront the ongoing militarization of US policy in Africa that secures access to the continent’s minerals and other resources for powerful companies and wealthy investors.
Archives of Indigenous Self-Activity
Authors: Ramirez Jorge
Published: January 2019

This essay reviews four books in Indigenous studies: María Josefina Saldaña-Portillo’s Indian Given (2016), Elizabeth Hoover’s The River Is in Us (2017), Dana E. Powell’s Landscapes of Power (2018), and Nancy Postero’s The Indigenous State (2018). The books address the colonial and national space-making projects that have militarized the US-Mexico Border, the Mohawk community’s confrontation with industrial pollution in Akwesasne, the Diné struggles in the Navajo Nation over sovereignty as a result of an extraction-based capitalist model since the Cold War, and the complexities of Bolivia’s Indigenous state that has called for decolonization and emphasized indigeneity. By bringing these four books together, the review demonstrates that indigeneity has been a site of struggle shaped by capitalism, violence, and militarism alongside settler colonialism in the western hemisphere. Furthermore, by examining indigenous self-activity in the western hemisphere it also reveals how systems of domination have never been absolute or complete but continuously attempt to reestablish their power.
Use of social media in a national Tuberculosis Drug Resistance Survey: lessons from the first anti-tuberculosis drug resistance survey in Ghana
Authors: Sylverken Augustina Angelina , Owusu-Dabo Ellis , Kwarteng Alexander , Twumasi-Ankrah Sampson , Owusu Michael , Adu-Amoah Louis , Dumevi Rexford Mawunyo , Arthur Rejoice Agyeiwaa , Addofoh Nicholas , Dzata Francisca , Bonsu Frank
Published: January 2019

Background: The widespread use of social media applications on mobile phones indicate that smart phones have become more than just a simple medium for voice calling. Several studies have shown the potential benefit of these social media applications in discussing many health conditions. We report on tracking sample transport by public and private transport providers using WhatsApp during the first nationwide drug resistance tuberculosis (TB) survey in Ghana.

Methods: The survey was conducted between February 2016 and June 2017, and involved 33 TB diagnostic sites selected on the basis of a two-stage cluster randomized sampling design on both anticipated yield and probability proportional to size method. We engaged the services of privately and publicly owned vehicles’ union to transport samples to the central laboratories in Kumasi for further laboratory processing.

We created a mobile social group platform (‘National TBDRS’) on WhatsApp consisting of two representatives from each site as well as other stakeholders. The purpose was to notify a laboratory team in Kumasi, on the following details of the sample: date and time of dispatch, driver’s name, car number, estimated time of arrival, and bus terminal name. 

Results: A total 3077 WhatsApp messages were received during the survey period. Of these, 2879 (93.57%) messages were related to the survey. We observed a positive correlation between the total number of messages received and the total number of well-packaged sputum samples sent (r=0.89, p=0.02). There were no major transport delays (11:44±03:50) and all samples arrived within a 3-day window from the survey sites.

Conclusions: Using WhatsApp as a platform of communication can significantly aid in improving tracking of samples, enhance accountability of for example drivers handling the samples over at a road crossing and communication across health facilities.
Evidence for the impact of malaria on agricultural household income in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Willis Derek W. , Hamon Nick
Published: January 2019

Background: Progress in suppressing malaria over the next two decades may have a significant impact on poverty among agricultural households in sub-Saharan Africa. A recent study found that if malaria were eradicated by 2040, poverty rates among such households would fall by 4 to 26 percentage points more from 2018 to 2040 than if the burden of malaria remained at its current level. The relatively wide range of these estimates is due to a lack of evidence regarding the long-term impact of suppressing malaria on the incomes of agricultural households. The objective of this study is to describe a research framework that would generate the necessary evidence for developing more precise estimates.

Methods: First, we developed a conceptual framework for understanding the potential long-term impact of suppressing malaria on the incomes of agricultural households. Next, we established a research framework for examining each component of the conceptual framework.

Results: Our proposed research framework enables a comprehensive examination of how malaria affects the decisions, productivity, harvest value and expenditures due to morbidity and mortality within an agricultural household. This contrasts with the 27 existing relevant studies that we have identified, of which 23 focused only on household productivity and expenditures, two focused on decisions, and two focused on harvest values.

Conclusion: By implementing the research framework presented in this study, we will increase our knowledge of how suppressing malaria over the next two decades would affect the incomes of agricultural households in sub-Saharan Africa. Evidence generated from the framework will inform funding allocation decisions for malaria elimination initiatives.
Editorial
Authors: Soares Adriana Benevides , Mendes Deise Maria Fernandes , Tsallis Alexandra Cleopatre , Jacó Vilela Ana Maria , Quadros Laura Cristina De Toledo , Valentim Renata Patrícia Forain de , Darriba Vinicius Anciães
Published: January 2019

Adriana Benevides Soares, Alexandra Cleopatre Tsallis, Ana Maria Jacó Vilela, Deise Maria Fernandes Mendes, Laura Cristina de Toledo Quadros, Renata Patrícia Forain de Valentim, Vinicius Anciães Darriba
Endogrupo versus Exogrupo: o papel da identidade social nas relações intergrupais
Authors: Fernandes Sheyla Christine Santos , Pereira Marcos Emanoel
Published: January 2019

Neste artigo é apresentada uma discussão acerca da importância da teoria da identidade social para os estudos sobre as relações intergrupais, com interesse especial nos fenômenos do preconceito e da discriminação. Três questões foram desenvolvidas para guiar a discussão: (1) de que forma ocorre o desenvolvimento da pertença grupal?; (2) em que medida esse sentimento de pertença seria responsável por desenvolver a rejeição em direção a outros grupos e o favoritismo frente ao próprio grupo?; (3) esses processos podem ser utilizados para explicar o preconceito e a discriminação social? Como base para argumentação, utiliza-se a identidade social articulada aos processos de categorização e comparação social, estando a identidade situada no centro de todo processo inerente às relações intergrupais.
Comportamentos sexuais, Resiliência e Conhecimento sobre HIV/AIDS: Uma análise psicossocial
Authors: Araújo Ludgleydson Fernandes de , Barros Neto Raimundo Nonato de Sousa , Negreiros Fauston , Pereira Thalita Galeno
Published: January 2019

Apesar dos avanços observados no tratamento do HIV/AIDS nas últimas décadas, denota-se o aumento das condutas sexuais de risco, que contribuem no aumento de novos casos de HIV+. Este artigo teve como objetivo principal analisar se os constructos psicossociais, resiliência e conhecimento sobre HIV/AIDS, protetores contra a vulnerabilidade à infecção pelo vírus HIV, estão associados às características sociodemográficas. Contou-se com 600 pessoas adultas da população em geral (M= 27,31 anos; DP=9,37), sendo 59,2% mulheres e 40,8% homens. Utilizaram-se os seguintes instrumentos: questionário de dados sociodemográficos e comportamentos sexuais, escala de conhecimento sobre HIV/AIDS e a escala de resiliência CD-RISC-BR. Empregou-se o software SPSS versão 22 para a análise dos dados. Observou-se que os níveis de resiliência variaram significativamente em função das variáveis sociodemográficas: sexo, escolaridade, situação laboral, iniciação sexual e realização do teste de HIV. No que se refere ao conhecimento sobre HIV, encontrou-se diferenças estatisticamente significativas em função das características: orientação sexual, iniciação sexual e realização do teste de HIV. Por fim, espera-se que este estudo possa contribuir na formulação de intervenções preventivas em saúde aos comportamentos sexuais de risco ao HIV.