bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inhibition of catalase activity with 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole intensifies bisphenol A (BPA)-induced toxicity in granulosa cells of female albino rats
Authors: Banerjee Oly , Singh Siddhartha , Prasad Shilpi Kumari , Bhattacharjee Ankita , Banerjee Arnab , Banerjee Anindita , Saha Adipa , Maji Bithin Kumar , Mukherjee Sandip
Published: October 2018

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor and environmental toxicant, is associated with adverse estrogenic effects in both humans and wildlife species. Because the effects of BPA on the ovary at the cellular level are incompletely understood, the present study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanism of granulosa cell injury following BPA exposure. Eight-week-old female Wistar rats were treated with BPA (25 mg/kg BW/day for 9 days, intraperitonially) with or without pretreatment of the catalase-specific blocker 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole (ATZ; 1 g/kg BW/day for 5 days, intraperitonially). Different oxidative and antioxidant stress parameters, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and hormonal levels were measured. Catalase expression in isolated granulosa cells was analyzed by Western blot. There were noticeable increases in both nitric oxide and lipid peroxidation levels in the granulosa cells of the BPA-treated group with or without pretreatment with ATZ. Compared with the controls, BPA exposure resulted in a significant increase in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels that was further increased following pretreatment with ATZ. Results of the hormonal assays clearly showed a significant decrease in both estrogen and progesterone levels. In contrast, there was a significant increase in both serum follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels following BPA exposure, with or without ATZ pretreatment. Results of Western blot analysis demonstrated decreased expression of catalase in the BPA-treated group and a further decrease in expression in the group treated with both BPA and ATZ. Our data suggest that catalase plays a role in mediating reproductive damage to granulosa cells exposed to BPA.
Target Temperature Management May Not Improve Clinical Outcomes of Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Authors: Kim Young Su , Cho Yang Hyun , Sung Kiick , Ryu Jeong-Am , Chung Chi Ryang , Suh Gee Young , Yang Jeong Hoon , Yang Ji-Hyuk
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

Target temperature management (TTM) and extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) have been established as important interventions during cardiopulmonary arrest. However, the impact of combined TTM and ECPR on clinical outcomes has not been studied in detail.

Methods:

We reviewed the records of 245 patients who received extracorporeal life support (ECLS) between January 2012 and June 2015. Exclusion criteria were as follows: Extracorporeal life support performed for reasons other than cardiac arrest, age less than 18 years, and death within 24 hours. A total of 101 patients were finally included in the study. Twenty-five patients underwent TTM, and 76 patients did not.

Results:

The patients’ mean age was 55 ± 16.7 years. The mean cardiac arrest time was 44.6 ± 33.5 minutes. There were 84 patients whose cardiac arrest was due to a cardiac cause (83.2%) and 79 patients with in-hospital cardiac arrest (78.2%). There was a significant difference in average body temperature during the first 24 hours following ECPR (33.4°C vs 35.6°C; P = .001). The overall favorable neurological outcome rate was 34% and hospital survival rate was 47%. There was no difference in favorable neurological outcomes and hospital survival between the TTM and non-TTM groups ( P = .91 and .84, respectively). On multivariate analysis of neurological outcomes and hospital survival, TTM was not a significant prognostic factor.

Conclusion:

We did not observe any benefits of TTM in patients undergoing ECPR. Natural hypothermia or normothermia related to ECLS may explain this result. Further research is needed to understand the role of TTM in ECPR.
A Multilevel Analysis of the Relation Between Bullying Roles and Social and Emotional Competencies
Authors: Coelho Vítor Alexandre , Sousa Vanda
Published: October 2018

This study investigated how social and emotional competencies are related to middle school students’ involvement in bullying, and whether class-levels variables influence this association. There were 668 participants ( Mage = 12.73, SD = 1.08) who participated in a screening for inclusion in a social and emotional learning program. Results showed that students not involved in bullying displayed higher levels of self-esteem than students involved in bullying in any role (victims, perpetrators, or bully-victims), higher levels of self-control and social awareness than perpetrators and bully-victims, and higher levels of responsible decision making than bully-victims. Gender did not moderate the relation between any bullying roles and social and emotional competencies, but class size moderated the relation between being a bully/victim and self-esteem and between being a bully and self-control. These results supported the relevance of including class-level variables when analyzing the relation between bullying and social and emotional competencies.
Surviving Disasters by Suppressing Political Storms: Participation as Knowledge Transfer in Community-Based Disaster Governance
Authors: Curato Nicole , Calamba Septrin John
Published: October 2018

The small island of San Francisco, Cebu in the Philippines has gained global recognition for its community-based disaster management program. By institutionalizing the purok system—a sub-village level of organization—citizens are empowered to plan and implement disaster preparedness programs that fit their specific needs and geographical context.

We interrogate the logics that underpin this prize-winning governance innovation. We find that San Francisco—the island where all survive even after the most devastating of disasters—functions through the modality of participation as knowledge transfer. It is underpinned the ethos of solidarity over conflict and takes place in a predetermined rather than citizen-driven space for participatory politics. We situate our arguments in the recent literature on public participation to understand the precise character of participatory politics in the field of disaster response.
Transnational Migration Contesting Borders of Responsibility for Justice
Authors: Uhde Zuzana
Published: October 2018

The article focuses on structural causes of migration, putting forward an argument that such analysis sheds light on key shortcomings of today’s global geopolitical regime. First the author analyzes structural causes of transnational migration in global capitalism. She argues that transnational migrants represent a structural group of people who find themselves in a similar position in relation to social structures of current global economic architecture even though they do not necessarily have a collective identity. Second, the author discusses the methodological and practical limits of the current nation-state defined framework of responsibility for global justice which does not respond to structural causes of transnational migration and reproduces the internal contradictions of the international human rights regime. Following this critical analysis, the author focuses on the possibilities of extraterritorial obligations for justice, which are partly embedded in the current international law. Then she outlines an argument for a differentiated responsibility for global justice.
Reparations for the transatlantic slave trade and historical enslavement: Linking past atrocities with contemporary victim populations
Authors: Moffett Luke , Schwarz Katarina
Published: October 2018

The debate around reparations for the transatlantic slave trade has been discussed for centuries with no end in sight. This article does not intend to cover the historical or political aspects of this debate, but instead to shed more light on the legal options with regards to reparations. In particular this article examines the role of politically negotiated reparations in transitional societies and the limits of avenues of redress in international law. Key to such discussions is the identification of eligible victims and appropriate measures of redress from responsible actors. With the so-called ‘transatlantic slave trade’ the passage of time has strained legal principles of causation to identify those victimised by atrocities of the past. Instead this article argues that reparations beyond the international law construct can be politically negotiated to at least acknowledge the past and offer some symbolic measures of redress to victimised populations of transatlantic enslavement.
Synthesis and properties of a novel high-temperature vinylpyridine-based phthalonitrile polymer
Authors: Wang Haifeng , Zhang Zhenjiang , Ji Puguang , Yu Xiaoyan , Naito Kimiyoshi , Zhang Qingxin
Published: October 2018

A novel vinylpyridine-based phthalonitrile monomer, 2,6-bis[3-(3,4-dicyanophenoxy)styryl]pyridine (BDSP), was resoundingly produced by a nucleophilic substitution reaction of 2,6-bis(3-hydroxystyryl)pyridine with 4-nitrophthalonitrile in the presence of potassium carbonate. The chemical structure of the synthesized BDSP was confirmed by proton (1H) and carbon (12C) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) as well as Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. The curing behavior of BDSP was investigated by FTIR and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. The resin showed a low complex viscosity in the wide processing window between the monomer melting temperature and the curing temperature of the polymer, as discovered by rheological analysis. In addition, the properties of the polymer were studied by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Based on the test results, the BDSP polymer demonstrated superior processing performance, excellent thermal stability, outstanding mechanical properties, and low water uptake, and these advanced performance characteristics are critical to many fields.
From innovation to labour costs: Change of emphasis in Finnish competitiveness policy ideas after the Eurocrisis
Authors: Kaitila Joel
Published: October 2018

Small open economies such as Finland are particularly exposed to international market competition. In this article, Finland is analysed as a competition state where the pursuit of international advantages is a policy priority. Previously, Finland has been argued to be an exemplar of an economy following a strategy of radical transformation via creatively utilizing corporatist institutions instead of relying mainly on liberal reforms. In the 1990s, Finnish policymakers adopted policy ideas that emphasize technological change, innovation and education as a means to competitive edges and pursued these goals in a coordinated manner. This allowed Finland to adopt an export-led growth model and specialize in technologically sophisticated high-quality products and services. Against this background, it is argued here that after the Eurocrisis, there has been a shift of emphasis in Finland's competitiveness strategy. The article documents how cost competitiveness measured in unit labour costs became the focal point of ideas about and policies to improve national competitiveness between 2012 and 2015. This occurred as a result of an expert economist discourse about Finland’s export problems that emphasized labour costs as the key variable. The Centre-right government’s policies after 2015 reflect the adoption of this diagnosis. On the one hand, unit labour cost reduction has become a policy priority. On the other hand, state expenditure in innovation and R&D policies has been cut substantially. These shifts suggest that there has been a change of emphasis in Finland's post-1990s competitiveness policy model and its ideational underpinnings.
Expression of peripheral blood monocyte human leukocyte antigen DR in patients with cardiac arrest and its clinical significance
Authors: Zhang Junli , Wang Yanjuan , Gu Wei
Published: October 2018

Background:

In the early period of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), the body may show severe immunosuppression and excessive activation of inflammatory response, This is very similar to sepsis in many ways.

Objective:

The aim of this study is to observe changes of the early expression of monocyte human leukocyte antigen DR in patients with cardiac arrest, so as to explore the clinical significance of the related immune assessment and prognosis prediction.

Methods:

A total of 43 patients with cardiac arrest who have been treated in the emergency department of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital from January 2015 to February 2018 are selected. By taking the survival rate on the 28th day of hospitalization as the end of observation, the patients are divided into the survival group and the death group. Changes of APACHE-II scores and monocyte human leukocyte antigen DR levels on the first, second, and third day after admission are analyzed.

Results:

On the first, second, and third day after onset, cardiac arrest patients show significantly decreased levels of monocyte human leukocyte antigen DR which are obviously lower in the death group than in the survival group. In addition, human leukocyte antigen DR levels were significantly negatively correlated with APACHE-II scores.

Conclusion:

The expression of monocyte human leukocyte antigen DR is proven to be an ideal indicator to evaluate the immune function and prognosis of cardiac arrest patients. A constantly low expression of human leukocyte antigen DR indicates impaired immune function and increased mortality of patients.
Successful Scaling in Social Franchising: The Case of Impact Hub
Authors: Giudici Alessandro , Combs James G. , Cannatelli Benedetto Lorenzo , Smith Brett R.
Published: October 2018

Social entrepreneurs increasingly use franchising to scale social value. Tracey and Jarvis described how social franchising is like commercially-oriented franchising, but noted critical challenges arising from dual goals. We investigate a social franchisor that overcame these challenges and describe how the social mission became the source of business model innovation. We show that the social mission fostered a shared identity that guided the search for adaptations to the franchise model. The shared mission-driven identity created pressure toward (1) decentralized decision-making, (2) shared governance, and (3) a role for the franchisor as orchestrator of collaborative knowledge sharing among franchisees. Findings should help social franchisors avoid common pitfalls and suggest future research questions for social entrepreneurship and franchising scholars.
FLT3 inhibitors in acute myeloid leukemia: Current and future
Authors: Thomas Christan M , Campbell Peter
Published: October 2018

FMS-like tyrosine kinase 3 (FLT3) is a receptor tyrosine kinase that is responsible for the proliferation and survival of hematopoietic stem cells in acute myeloid leukemia. Although patients with FLT3 mutations have similar rates of remission following induction chemotherapy, relapse rates are significantly higher and patients with FLT3 mutations have significantly worse outcomes for overall survival and disease-free survival. Early FLT3 inhibitors, such as sorafenib, were non-selective and inhibited several tyrosine kinase receptors resulting in significant toxicity. The treatment of FLT3-positive acute myeloid leukemia has advanced recently with the development of a several FLT3-targeting agents that are either approved or in development. Midostaurin represents the first FDA-approved treatment targeted against FLT3, and there are several promising agents currently undergoing clinical trials. Although certain mutations confer resistance to earlier generation FLT3-targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors, newer agents show activity in the presence of these mutations.
Case Manager Work and Workload: Uncovering a Wicked Problem—A Secondary Analysis Using Interpretive Description
Authors: Fraser K. D. , Garland Baird L. , Labonte S. , O’Rourke H. , Punjani N. S.
Published: October 2018

Canada’s population is aging, and by 2027, it is expected that 22 million people will be older than 65 years. Home care services were used by 2.2 million individuals, or 8% of Canadians 15 years of age and older in 2012. Home care programs are continually expanding to meet the needs of the growing number of clients, and goals include keeping people in their homes for as long as possible, delaying the need for institutional care, and maintaining quality of life. Case managers are the gatekeepers to home care in Canada. They collaborate with families to plan care, coordinate home care services and community supports, as well as monitor client progress and evaluate outcomes. The aim of our study was to conduct a qualitative secondary analysis to understand the factors that influence case manager work and workload in home care. We completed a secondary analysis of four data sets from four primary studies of related concepts that occurred between 2006 and 2013. Our study design was inductively driven using the tenets of interpretive description. Case managers’ work and workloads are messy and affected by interrelated complex structures of home care programs within health care systems. The concept of a wicked problem, which describes a problem that is complex and intractable, is a useful construct we use to gain some clarity around the work and workload problems that case managers face. Case managers aim to make a positive difference in their client’s lives, but are constantly dealing with change, and can experience feelings of being their client’s last resort with the resulting pressure ultimately impacting their workload. In addition, case managers reported health system failures, including a lack of capacity and structural integration within home care programs that increase their work and workload. Case manager work and workload requires further research including the development and refinement of accurate workload measurement tools that consider the multiple aspects of professional responsibilities and case management activities. Workload and workload measurement tools are needed to account for the unplanned and unpredictable nature of case management work and assist with the distribution of more equitable caseloads among case managers and home care teams.
Accuracy of biometric formulae in hypermetropic patients undergoing cataract surgery
Authors: Mustafa Mohammad Z , Khan Ashraf A , Bennett Harry , Tatham Andrew J , Wright Mark
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

To audit and analyse the accuracy of current biometric formulae on refractive outcomes following cataract surgery in patients with axial length less than 22 mm.

Methods:

A total of 84 eyes from 84 patients with axial length <22 mm were identified from consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery retrospectively at a single university hospital. All subjects had biometry using the IOLMaster (Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc, Dublin, CA, USA) and a Sensar AR40 intraocular lens implant (Abbott Medical Optics, CA, USA). One eye from each patient was randomly selected for inclusion. Prediction errors were calculated by comparing expected refraction from optimized formulas (SRK/T, Hoffer Q, Haigis and Holladay 1) to postoperative refraction. A national survey of ophthalmologists was conducted to ascertain biometric formula preference for small eyes.

Results:

The mean axial length was 21.00 ± 0.55 mm. Mean error was greatest for Hoffer Q at −0.57 dioptres. There was no significant difference in mean absolute error between formulae. SRK/T achieved the highest percentage of outcomes within 0.5 dioptres (45.2%) and 1 dioptre (76.2%) of target. Shallower anterior chamber depth was associated with higher mean absolute error for SRK/T (p = 0.028), Hoffer Q (p = 0.003) and Haigis (p = 0.016) but not Holladay (p = 0.111).

Conclusion:

SRK/T had the highest proportion of patients achieving refractive results close to predicted outcomes. However, there was a significant association between a shallower anterior chamber depth and higher mean absolute error for all formulae except Holladay 1. This suggests that anterior chamber depth with axial length should be considered when counselling patients about refractive outcome.
One-step management of post-traumatic triple dialysis using two rings
Authors: Gupta Shikha , Selvan Harathy , Shakrawal Jyoti , Gupta Viney
Published: October 2018

Purpose:

To report a case that presented with post blunt trauma cataract, zonular dialysis, cyclodialysis and iridodialysis and its successful single-sitting management.

Methods:

After lens aspiration, a capsular tension ring and multipiece intraocular lens were placed in the bag to support the zonules, a single eyelet Cionni ring was fixed in the sulcus to provide endocyclotamponade, and iridodialysis repair was done using the ‘stroke and dock technique’.

Result:

Successful centration of the intraocular lens, closure of the cleft and apposition of the iris root to its base were achieved at the end of the surgery.

Conclusion:

A single-sitting surgery correcting all the three dialysis can curtail the burden of repeated surgeries and their complications, providing early visual recovery and cost-effectivity.
Parent, Child and Physiotherapist Perceptions of Effectiveness of Parent Performed Manually Assisted Cough on Children With Neuromuscular Disease
Authors: Pitcher Ashley N , Doumit Michael A , Hutchence Meghan , Widger John , Jones Kristi , Butler Jane M
Published: October 2018

Published research exploring confidence and perceptions of effectiveness in performing a manually assisted cough on children with neuromuscular disease is not available. This descriptive study aimed to describe confidence and perceived effectiveness of parents, children, and therapists in parent performed manually assisted cough. A total of 28 children with neuromuscular disease, one of their parents, and physiotherapist participated. Overall, 40% of parents, 52% of children, and 46% of therapists were very confident in parents’ ability to perform effective manually assisted coughs. Parents, children, and therapists largely perceived the parental manually assisted coughs as somewhat effective (68%, 60%, and 57%, respectively). Approximately, half of parents (48%), children (52%), and therapists (50%) felt very confident in parents’ ability to retain the technique between clinic visits. Interestingly, percentage agreement statistics indicate that a reasonable proportion (30%) of pairs of respondents did not agree in their ratings. Overall, high percentages of favourable ratings were noted for all questions.
Exploring a pedagogy for meaning-making in physical education
Authors: O’Connor Justen
Published: October 2018

This paper responds to calls for an exploration into pedagogies of meaning within physical education. Developing meaningful educational experiences in physical education for lifelong movement involves supporting students to explore their personal experiences in movement and to use these to derive a greater understanding of themselves and the world in which they live. Following a brief overview of the role of meaning-making in physical education, a case study is offered as a practical example for how reflection can be utilised to explore movement as meaningful. The case study presents a series of steps that provide detail about a meaning-making process undertaken during a physical education class. Data suggest that setting aside time for reflection and the generation of rich movement narratives aligned to a ‘first rush of movement’, can shed light on what students find meaningful ‘in’ movement in ways that link physical education to experiences across varying social and environmental contexts. Through giving priority to bodily understandings of movement as felt, sensory experience, participants ( n = 44) were able to express meaning across a wide range of movement contexts. I contend that the exploration of student meaning in physical education is engaging, informative, and serves to extend possibilities for what curriculum is seen as legitimate in physical education by/for whom. The paper sheds light on the use of embodied meaning-making stories as a potential springboard for further exploration and activity in physical education.
The positive relationship between flipped and blended learning and student engagement, performance and satisfaction
Authors: Fisher Rosemary , Perényi Áron , Birdthistle Naomi
Published: October 2018

Flipped and blended learning pedagogies are increasingly being adopted by institutions that see in these novel pedagogies, mechanisms that might contribute to improved student outcomes and, in the case of the institutions, student retention. However, the as yet limited research does not definitively demonstrate the empirical link between flipped and blended learning pedagogies and the desirable student outcomes of engagement, performance and satisfaction. During four semesters, 348 responses were collected and analysed. The findings are that flipped and blended learning do positively influence perceptions of engagement, performance and satisfaction, but that flipped learning mediates the effects of blended learning, underscoring that blended learning pedagogies are delivery mechanisms that do not influence learning. Furthermore, the engagement stimulated by flipped learning pedagogy is inherently satisfying to students independent of their perceptions of performance. These findings contribute to closing the gap between what we believe and what we confirm with respect to flipped learning pedagogies, and provide additional evidence that the financial, cultural and individual investment by education institutions in flipped learning pedagogies will lead to the outcomes sought.
The state of heritage and cultural property policing in England & Wales, France and Italy
Authors: Kerr John
Published: October 2018

Presenting a large threat to irreplaceable heritage, property, cultural knowledge and cultural economies across the world, heritage and cultural property crimes offer case studies through which to consider the challenges, choices and practices that shape 21st-century policing. This article uses empirical research conducted in England & Wales, France and Italy to examine heritage and cultural property policing. It considers the threat before investigating three crucial questions. First, who is involved in this policing? Second, how are they involved in this policing? Third, why are they involved? This last question is the most important and is central to the article as it examines why, in an era of severe economic challenges for the governments in the case studies, the public sector would choose to lead policing.
Justice and justification
Authors: Siegel Harvey
Published: October 2018

Is good reasoning in the moral domain different from its counterpart in non-moral domains? What counts as a good moral argument, or a valid moral assertion or claim? What does ‘validity’ mean in the moral realm? Lots of ink has been spilled on these and related questions in the past few decades, but not much has been settled. In what follows I will spill a little more, this time with the hope that bringing epistemic concerns directly to bear on them might shed some light. A particular focus will be Jürgen Habermas’ discourse ethics and its conceptions of communicative rationality and ideal discourse. I will try to show that Habermas and some of his defenders in the philosophy of education literature fail to get the epistemology right and, as a result, both their defenses of Habermasian communicative rationality and critiques of non-Habermasian alternatives fail as well. I will also argue that these epistemic failures do not threaten their Habermas-based educational recommendations, which can be justified on other, more straightforwardly moral, grounds.
Borrow or Grow: An Overview of Talent Development/Management Practices in Indian IT Organizations
Authors: Chaudhuri Sanghamitra , Hirudayaraj Malar , Ardichvili Alexandre
Published: October 2018

The Problem

In recent years, as India started to emerge as the IT (information technology) super power and the supplier for human capital trained in IT to the Western world, a plethora of talent management and development issues have started coming to the surface. Given the vastness of India’s young and diverse human resources, the concerns center less around availability of talent and more around managing and developing the available talent to suit local needs. Furthermore, concerns are raised over excessive reliance on Western models of TD/TM (talent development/talent management) in Indian organizations and their implementation without significant adaptation to local cultural and institutional conditions.

The Solution

This study explores TD/TM strategies in three different business organizations using the case study method. The three organizations are a multinational corporation headquartered in India, a foreign multinational organization with subsidiaries in India, and a smaller local business organization. The article discusses (a) the commonalities and differences in the TD/TM strategies followed by three different types of organizations, (b) the use of home-grown strategies and strategies borrowed from the West, (c) the trends and challenges of TM/TD practices facing the IT industry.

The Stakeholders

Chief learning officers, directors of human resources, HRD scholars
Etch-a-Sketching: Evaluating the Post-Primary Rhetorical Moderation Hypothesis
Authors: Acree Brice D.L. , Gross Justin H. , Smith Noah A. , Sim Yanchuan , Boydstun Amber E.
Published: October 2018

Candidates have incentives to present themselves as strong partisans in primary elections, and then move “toward the center” upon advancing to the general election. Yet, candidates also face incentives not to flip-flop on their policy positions. These competing incentives suggest that candidates might use rhetoric to seem more partisan in the primary and more moderate in the general, even if their policy positions remain fixed. We test this idea by measuring ideological moderation in presidential campaign language. Using a supervised two-stage text analysis model, we find evidence that presidential candidates in 2008 and 2012 use more ideologically extreme language during primary campaigns, and then moderate their tone when shifting to the general election, with troubling implications for representation and accountability.
Long non-coding RNA HULC affects the proliferation, apoptosis, migration, and invasion of mesenchymal stem cells
Authors: Li Xiujun , Wang Jiali , Pan Yuchen , Xu Yujun , Liu Dan , Hou Yayi , Zhao Guangfeng
Published: October 2018

Further studies on the molecular mechanisms of mesenchymal stem cells in the maintenance of growth and function are essential for their clinical application. Growing evidence has shown that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the regulation of mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, it is reported that highly upregulated in liver cancer (HULC), with another lncRNA MALAT-1, accelerated liver cancer stem cell growth. The regulating role of MALAT-1 in mesenchymal stem cells has been investigated. However, the effects of HULC on the mesenchymal stem cells are unknown. In this study, we overexpressed HULC in mesenchymal stem cells derived from umbilical cord and analyzed the cell phenotypes, proliferation, apoptosis, migration, invasion and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. We found that overexpression of HULC significantly promotes cell proliferation through promoting cell division and inhibits cell apoptosis. HULC-overexpressed mesenchymal stem cells migrate and invade faster than control mesenchymal stem cells. HULC has no effect on phenotypes and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, we found that the expression of HULC in mesenchymal stem cells could be reduced by several inflammatory factors, including TNF-α, TGF-β1, and R848. Taken together, our data demonstrated that HULC has a vital role in the growth and function maintenance of mesenchymal stem cells without affecting differentiation.
Straight Streets in a Curvaceous Crescent: Colonial Urban Planning and Its Impact on Modern New Orleans
Authors: Campanella Richard
Published: October 2018

New Orleans is justly famous for its vast inventory of historical architecture, representing scores of stylistic influences dating to the French and Spanish colonial eras. Less appreciated is the fact that the Crescent City also retains nearly original colonial urban designs. Two downtown neighborhoods, the French Quarter and Central Business District, are entirely undergirded by colonial-era planning, and dozens of other neighborhoods followed suit even after Americanization. New Orleanians who reside in these areas negotiate these colonial planning decisions in nearly every movement they make, and they reside in a state with as many colonial-era land surveying systems as can be found throughout the United States. This article explains how those patterns fell in place.
Intención de implementar un plan de acción para el uso del condón en adolescentes: Action plan for condom use implementation intentions in adolescents
Authors: Orozco Gómez Claudia , Moreno Monsiváis María Guadalupe
Published: October 2018

Introducción:

La intención de implementar un plan para el uso del condón ha sido efectiva para alcanzar diversas conductas de salud, desarrollarla permitirá a los adolescentes contemplar conductas anticipadas para su uso, de esta manera podrán disminuir riesgo de adquirir una Infección de Transmisión Sexual (ITS). El objetivo del estudio fue determinar si los adolescentes cuentan con la intención de implementar un plan de acción para el uso del condón.

Método:

El diseño del estudio fue descriptivo transversal. La muestra se conformó por 130 adolescentes inscritos en una preparatoria pública del área metropolitana de Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. Se incluyeron adolescentes que declararon haber iniciado vida sexual y aceptaron participar en el estudio.

Resultados:

Los participantes cuentan con la intención de implementar un plan para el uso del condón de forma incompleta, principalmente para negociar y usar el condón. Los hombres mostraron ligeramente mayor intención de implementar un plan de forma general, para adquirir y llevar un condón.

Conclusión:

Es necesario que los adolescentes adquieran habilidades que le permitan fortalecer la intención de implementar un plan para el uso del condón. Se requiere incorporar en los programas de prevención de ITS diferentes estrategias que puedan brindar o reforzar habilidades para planear el uso del condón.
A New Software Suite in Orthognathic Surgery : Patient Specific Modeling, Simulation and Navigation
Authors: Lutz Jean-Christophe , Hostettler Alexandre , Agnus Vincent , Nicolau Stéphane , George Daniel , Soler Luc , Rémond Yves
Published: October 2018

Orthognathic surgery belongs to the scope of maxillofacial surgery. It treats dentofacial deformities consisting in discrepancy between the facial bones (upper and lower jaws). Such impairment affects chewing, talking, and breathing and can ultimately result in the loss of teeth. Orthognathic surgery restores facial harmony and dental occlusion through bone cutting, repositioning, and fixation. However, in routine practice, we face the limitations of conventional tools and the lack of intraoperative assistance. These limitations occur at every step of the surgical workflow: preoperative planning, simulation, and intraoperative navigation. The aim of this research was to provide novel tools to improve simulation and navigation. We first developed a semiautomated segmentation pipeline allowing accurate and time-efficient patient-specific 3D modeling from computed tomography scans mandatory to achieve surgical planning. This step allowed an improvement of processing time by a factor of 6 compared with interactive segmentation, with a 1.5-mm distance error. Next, we developed a software to simulate the postoperative outcome on facial soft tissues. Volume meshes were processed from segmented DICOM images, and the Bullet open source mechanical engine was used together with a mass-spring model to reach a postoperative simulation accuracy <1 mm. Our toolset was completed by the development of a real-time navigation system using minimally invasive electromagnetic sensors. This navigation system featured a novel user-friendly interface based on augmented virtuality that improved surgical accuracy and operative time especially for trainee surgeons, therefore demonstrating its educational benefits. The resulting software suite could enhance operative accuracy and surgeon education for improved patient care.
Cost Implications of Reactive Versus Prospective Testing for Dihydropyrimidine Dehydrogenase Deficiency in Patients With Colorectal Cancer: A Single-Institution Experience
Authors: Murphy Con , Byrne Stephen , Ahmed Gul , Kenny Andrew , Gallagher James , Harvey Harry , O’Farrell Eoin , Bird Brian
Published: October 2018

Background:

Severe toxicity is experienced by a substantial minority of patients receiving fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy, with approximately 20% of these severe toxicities attributable to polymorphisms in the DPYD gene. The DPYD codes for the enzyme dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD) important in the metabolism of fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. We questioned whether prospective DPYD mutation analysis in all patients commencing such therapy would prove more cost-effective than reactive testing of patients experiencing severe toxicity.

Methods:

All patients experiencing severe toxicity from fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy for colorectal cancer in an Irish private hospital over a 3-year period were tested for 4 DPYD polymorphisms previously associated with toxicity. The costs associated with an index admission for toxicity in DPD-deficient patients were examined. A cost analysis was undertaken comparing the anticipated cost of implementing screening for DPYD mutations versus current usual care. One-way sensitivity analysis was conducted on known input variables. An alternative scenario analysis from the perspective of the Irish health-care payer (responsible for public hospitals) was also performed.

Results:

Of 134 patients commencing first-line fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy over 3 years, 30 (23%) patients developed grade 3/4 toxicity. Of these, 17% revealed heterozygote DPYD mutations. The cost of hospitalization for the DPYD-mutated patients was €232 061, while prospectively testing all 134 patients would have cost €23 718. Prospective testing would result in cost savings across all scenarios.

Conclusions:

The cost of hospital admission for severe chemotherapy-related toxicity is significantly higher than the cost of prospective DPYD testing of each patient commencing fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy.
A systematic review of isolated radial artery harvesting as a conduit for lower limb bypass grafting
Authors: Wee Ian , Choong Andrew MTL
Published: October 2018

Background

Whilst autologous vein conduits have been heralded as the first-line approach for patients undergoing lower limb bypass grafting procedures, patients with peripheral arterial occlusive disease may have exhausted venous options given prior use for cardiac surgery, varicose vein surgery, or lower limb revascularization. Hence, the use of a radial artery graft may serve as a viable alternative.

Methods

The systematic review was performed in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis guidelines. An electronic search was performed on the following databases: Medline (via PubMed); EMBASE; Cochrane library to search for relevant publications. A narrative analysis was conducted.

Results

Four publications were included in this review including two retrospective cohort studies, one case series, and one case report, with a total of 43 patients. The most common indication for lower limb bypass grafting was critical limb ischemia, and the radial artery was chosen as graft conduit, most commonly due to the absence of suitable arm or leg vein. There was one case of 30-day mortality and 11 reinterventions.

Conclusion

Despite the encouraging results, the paucity of high-quality studies prevents the establishment of any firm conclusion. This warrants the need for appropriately conducted randomized controlled trials to compare the radial artery graft to autologous vein grafts and prosthetic grafts for lower limb bypass grafting.
TLR4/NF-κB signaling activation in plantar tissue and dorsal root ganglion involves in the development of postoperative pain
Authors: Xing Fei , Zhang Wei , Wen Jing , Bai Liying , Gu Hanwen , Li Zhisong , Zhang Jian , Tao Yuan-Xiang , Xu Ji-Tian
Published: October 2018

Background

Severe postoperative pain remains a clinical problem that impacts patient’s rehabilitation. The present work aims to investigate the role of Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) activation in wounded plantar tissue and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) in the genesis of postoperative pain and its underlying mechanisms.

Results

Postoperative pain was induced by plantar incision in rat hind paw. Plantar incision led to increased expression of TLR4 in ipsilateral lumbar 4–5 (L4/L5) DRGs, which occurred at 2 h and was persistent to the third day after surgery. Similar to the change in TLR4 expression, there was also significant increase in phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappa B p65 (p-p65) in DRGs after surgery. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that the increased expressions of TLR4 and p-p65 not only in neuronal cells but also in satellite glial cells in DRG. Furthermore, the enhanced expressions of TLR4 and p-p65 were also detected in plantar tissues around the incision, which was observed starting at 2 h and lasting until the third day after surgery. Prior intrathecal (i.t.) injections of TAK-242 (a TLR4-specific antagonist) or 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole-dihydrochloride (PDTC, a nuclear factor-kappa B activation inhibitor) dose dependently alleviated plantar incision-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia and inhibited the increased expressions of p-p65, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta in DRG. Prior subcutaneous (s.c.) plantar injection of TAK-242 or PDTC also ameliorated pain-related hypersensitivity following plantar incision. Moreover, the plantar s.c. injection of TAK-242 or PDTC inhibited the increased expressions of p-p65, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta not only in local wounded plantar tissue but also dramatically in ipsilateral lumbar 4–5 DRGs.

Conclusion

TLR4/ nuclear factor-kappa B signaling activation in local injured tissue and DRG contribute to the development of postoperative pain via regulating pro-inflammatory cytokines release. Targeting TLR4/ nuclear factor-kappa B signaling in local tissue at early stage of surgery may be an effective strategy for the treatment of postoperative pain.
Predominant synaptic potentiation and activation in the right central amygdala are independent of bilateral parabrachial activation in the hemilateral trigeminal inflammatory pain model of rats
Authors: Miyazawa Yuta , Takahashi Yukari , Watabe Ayako M , Kato Fusao
Published: October 2018

Nociceptive signals originating in the periphery are conveyed to the brain through specific afferent and ascending pathways. The spino-(trigemino-)parabrachio-amygdaloid pathway is one of the principal pathways mediating signals from nociception-specific ascending neurons to the central amygdala, a limbic structure involved in aversive signal-associated emotional responses, including the emotional aspects of pain. Recent studies suggest that the right and left central amygdala play distinct roles in the regulation of nociceptive responses. Using a latent formalin inflammatory pain model of the rat, we analyzed the right–left differences in synaptic potentiation at the synapses formed between the fibers from the lateral parabrachial nucleus and central amygdala neurons as well as those in the c-Fos expression in the lateral parabrachial nucleus, central amygdala, and the basolateral/lateral amygdala after formalin injection to either the right or left side of the rat upper lip. Although the single-sided formalin injection caused a significant bilateral increase in c-Fos-expressing neurons in the lateral parabrachial nucleus with slight projection-side dependence, the increase in the amplitude of postsynaptic excitatory currents and the number of c-Fos-expressing neurons in the central amygdala occurred predominantly on the right side regardless of the side of the inflammation. Although there was no significant correlation in the number of c-Fos-expressing neurons between the lateral parabrachial nucleus and central amygdala in the formalin-injected animals, these numbers were significantly correlated between the basolateral amygdala and central amygdala. It is thus concluded that the lateral parabrachial nucleus-central amygdala synaptic potentiation reported in various pain models is not a simple Hebbian plasticity in which raised inputs from the lateral parabrachial nucleus cause lateral parabrachial nucleus-central amygdala potentiation but rather an integrative and adaptive response involving specific mechanisms in the right central amygdala.
Political (self-)education and the neo-republican perspective
Authors: Pietrzyk-Reeves Dorota
Published: October 2018

In recent years, political theory has benefited from a neo-republican perspective that brought to the fore the conception of a ‘republican democracy’ which assumes a robust public sphere, civic involvement, and vigilance, as well as a neo-Roman conception of liberty understood as the absence of arbitrary power. Neo-republicanism, however, has not engaged much in a wider consideration of the importance of political education in democratic societies. This article presents an approach to political education that can be inspiring for both substantive and instrumental neo-republican political theories as well as democratic theory and practice. It considers political education as primarily self-education, a process of learning that aims at greater political awareness, empowerment, and better judgment on political issues. As such, political (self-)education can be seen as liberating and as a necessary condition of active political involvement, community service, citizenship, civic intelligence and political liberty.
Ideology in the schools: Developing the teacher’s Civic Education Ideology Scale within the United States
Authors: Knowles Ryan T
Published: October 2018

What ideological views toward citizenship education do teachers possess? Does a teacher’s Civic Education Ideology relate to how and what they teach? This study addresses these questions by developing a psychometric scale measuring teachers’ level of conservative, liberal, and critical Civic Education Ideology in one Midwestern state in the United States. After establishing the Civic Education Ideology scale, these views are compared to teachers’ reported practices inside of school and curriculum emphasized in the classroom. The findings indicate that both conservative- and liberal-oriented teachers were more likely to support curriculum based on civic institutions. In contrast, teachers with a critical orientation were less supportive of civic institutions and more likely to endorse curriculum based on social institutions and an open classroom climate. These findings indicate that a teacher’s ideology relates to their reports of how and what they teach. In addition to these findings, the goal is for the Civic Education Ideology scale to be adapted and applied in future studies to uncover important connections.