bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The size function for cyclic cubic fields
Authors: Tran Ha Thanh Nguyen , Tian Peng
Published: August 2017

The size function for a number field is an analogue of the dimension of the Riemann–Roch spaces of divisors on an algebraic curve. It was conjectured to attain its maximum at the trivial class of Arakelov divisors. This conjecture was proved for many number fields with unit groups of rank one. Our research confirms that the conjecture also holds for cyclic cubic fields, which have unit groups of rank two.
Primed polymorphonuclear leukocytes from hemodialysis patients enhance monocyte transendothelial migration
Authors: Kliger Eynav , Kristal Batya , Shapiro Galina , Chezar Judith , Sela Shifra
Published: August 2017

Increased counts and priming of peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNLs) are associated with future or ongoing atherosclerosis; however, the role of PMNLs in enhancing monocyte transendothelial migration is still unclear. Our aims were to examine endothelial and monocyte activation, transmigration, and posttransmigration activation induced ex vivo by in vivo primed PMNLs and the effect of antioxidants on the activation. A unique ex vivo coculture system of three cell types was developed in this study, enabling interactions among the following: primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs), monocytes (THP-1 cell line), and in vivo primed PMNLs from hemodialysis (HD) patients and healthy control (HC) subjects. The interactions among these cells were examined, and an intervention with superoxide dismutase and catalase was performed. Preexposed HUVECs to HD/HC PMNLs showed a significant monocyte transmigration yield, 120–170% above HCs. Monocyte exposure to HD PMNLs induced pre- and posttransmigration activation. When the three cell types were cocultivated at the same time, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 protein levels released from HUVECs, and activation markers on HUVECs [CD54 and chemokine (C-X3-C motif) ligand 1] and monocytes [chemokine (C-X3-C) receptor 1 and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2] were increased. Monocyte transmigration yield decreased to 70% (compared with HC subjects) due to adherence and accumulation of monocytes to HUVECs. When superoxide dismutase and catalase were used, reduced HUVEC and monocyte activation markers brought the transmigration yields to control levels and abolished accumulation of monocytes, emphasizing the role of superoxide in this process. We conclude that peripheral primed PMNLs play a pivotal role in enhancing monocyte transendotelial migration, the hallmark of the atherosclerotic process. Primed PMNLs can be used as a mediator and a biomarker of atherosclerosis even before plaque formation.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Primed polymorphonuclear leukocytes are key mediators in monocyte transendothelial migration, a new understanding of the initiation of endothelial dysfunction and monocyte activation, transmigration, and accumulation in the subendothelial layer.
Surface Hydrophilicity and Antifungal Properties of TiO2 Films Coated on a Co-Cr Substrate
Authors: Huang Lijuan , Jing Shuanglin , Zhuo Ou , Meng Xiangfeng , Wang Xizhang
Published: August 2017

The purpose of this study was to deposit a thin layer of TiO2 on a Co-Cr substrate, serving as a deactivation film protecting the metallic fitting surface. The crystalline structure and surface morphology of the film were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A scratch tester was used to examine the adhesion strength between the TiO2 film and the Co-Cr substrate. The water contact angles and antifungal efficacy against C. albicans of the TiO2-deposited Co-Cr samples were investigated and further compared with those of uncoated Co-Cr substrates. The results indicated that a pure anatase microstructure and dense and smooth surface texture as well as strong binding to the underlying metallic surface were obtained. The originally hydrophobic Co-Cr alloy surface turned hydrophilic after TiO2 film coating. Most importantly, the TiO2-coated surface showed a superior antifungal capability under UV-irradiation compared to those without TiO2 coating. This work contains meaningful results for the development of a new metallic framework coating with improved hydrophilicity and antifungal properties.
Lower Extremity Skeletal Muscle Mass, but Not Upper Extremity Skeletal Muscle Mass, Is Inversely Associated with Hospitalization in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Hamasaki Hidetaka
Published: August 2017

Aim. To investigate the association of skeletal muscle mass with metabolic parameters and hospitalization in patients with type 2 diabetes.Methods. A retrospective observational study was conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes between May 2013 and November 2015. Body composition was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the association between skeletal muscle mass and metabolic parameters. Cox proportional hazard analysis was performed to assess the association between skeletal muscle mass and hospitalization.Results. A total of 121 patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age of patients was 59.4 ± 14.2 years. During a mean follow-up of 730 ± 253 days, three patients (2.8%) died and 79 patients (65.3%) were admitted to our hospital. After adjustment for age, sex, height, and weight, it was found that lower extremity skeletal muscle mass (LSM) was inversely associated with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (β=−0.108,P=0.008). Moreover, LSM was significantly associated with reduced risk of hospitalization (hazard ratio = 0.752; 95% confidence interval, 0.601–0.942;P=0.013). In contrast, upper extremity skeletal muscle mass (USM) did not exhibit any significant association.Conclusion. LSM, but not USM, is important for managing patients with type 2 diabetes. This trial is registered withUMIN000023010.
PRPF3-Associated Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa and CYP4V2-Associated Bietti’s Crystalline Corneoretinal Dystrophy Coexist in a Multigenerational Chinese Family
Authors: Meng Xiaohong , Li Qiyou , Guo Hong , Xu Haiwei , Li Shiying , Yin Zhengqin
Published: August 2017

Purpose. To characterize the clinical and molecular genetic characteristics of a large, multigenerational Chinese family showing different phenotypes. Methods. A pedigree consisted of 56 individuals in 5 generations was recruited. Comprehensive ophthalmic examinations were performed in 16 family members affected. Mutation screening of CYP4V2 was performed by Sanger sequencing. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed to capture and sequence all exons of 47 known retinal dystrophy-associated genes in two affected family members who had no mutations in CYP4V2. The detected variants in NGS were validated by Sanger sequencing in the family members. Results. Two compound heterozygous CYP4V2 mutations (c.802-8_810del17insGC and c.992A>C) were detected in the proband who presented typical clinical features of BCD. One missense mutation (c.1482C>T, p.T494M) in the PRPF3 gene was detected in 9 out of 22 affected family members who manifested classical clinical features of RP. Conclusions. Our results showed that two compound heterozygous CYP4V2 mutations caused BCD, and one missense mutation in PRPF3 was responsible for adRP in this large family. This study suggests that accurate phenotypic diagnosis, molecular diagnosis, and genetic counseling are necessary for patients with hereditary retinal degeneration in some large mutigenerational family.
Ion Diffusion Behavior between Fracturing Water and Shale and Its Potential Influence on Production
Authors: Shen Yinghao , Zhu Zhaopeng , Shi Peng , Ge Hongkui , Yang Zhihui
Published: August 2017

Water imbibition, conductivity measurements, and ion identification were performed to investigate ion diffusion behavior between slick water and shale for large-scale hydraulic fracturing. The results indicated that there was strong ion exchange between water and shale. The ion concentration in water increases with fracture complexity and is dependent on the salinity of fracturing fluids. This implies that fracturing effects could be forecast from flow-back fluid ion concentrations after large-scale slick water fracturing. Higher levels of ion diffusion imply the presence of larger fracturing areas and higher level of fracture density for a similar reservoir. The mechanism of ion diffusion and the corresponding effects on IOR (increased oil recovery) based on a field example are discussed.
Electroacupuncture at GV20 and ST36 Exerts Neuroprotective Effects via the EPO‐Mediated JAK2/STAT3 Pathway in Cerebral Ischemic Rats
Authors: Xu Hong , Zhang Ya-min , Sun Hua , Chen Su-hui , Si Ying-kui
Published: August 2017

Background. While electroacupuncture (EA) in cerebral ischemia has been used to promote functional recovery, the underlying mechanism of its protective effect remains poorly understood. Objective. We investigated the effects of EA stimulation at GV20 and ST36 to observe the changes in erythropoietin‐ (EPO‐) mediated Janus family tyrosine kinases 2 (JAK2) signal transducers and activators of the transcription 3 (STAT3) cell pathway. Methods. Thirty‐six specific pathogen‐free Sprague‐Dawley (SD) male rats were randomly assigned to three groups: the sham‐operated group (S group), the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) group (M group), and the EA group. Neurological deficits were assessed through the Ludmila Belayev 12‐score test and 2,3,5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining was shown. The protein and mRNA expression levels of EPO, the EPO receptor (EpoR), p‐JAK2, JAK2, p‐STAT3, and STAT3 were examined to explore the EA effect on rats with cerebral ischemic reperfusion injury (CIRI). Results. EA significantly decreased infarct size and improved neurological function. Furthermore, target EPO, EpoR, JAK2, and STAT3 mRNA and protein levels significantly increased in the EA group. Conclusions. EA exerts a neuroprotective effect, possibly via the regulation of the EPO‐mediated JAK2/STAT3 cell pathway and downstream apoptotic pathways in a rat CIRI model.
Chromatographic Characterization and Method Development for Determination of Levetiracetam in Saliva: Application to Correlation with Plasma Levels
Authors: Hamdan Imad I. , Alsous Mervat , Masri Amira Taher
Published: August 2017

Levetiracetam (LVT) is a widely used antiepileptic drug (AED). A less invasive sampling method for therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) would be very useful particularly for children. Saliva has been shown as an adequate sample for TDM of some AEDs. Due to the high hydrophilicity of LVT its separation on common stationary phases is quite a challenge so that previous methods for determination of LVT in saliva employed either gradient high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system or mass spectrometer as a detector. In this study the retention behavior of LVT on some common stationary phases was examined, with C8 being the most retentive. A simple isocratic HPLC method that is based on simple protein precipitation was developed and validated for the determination of LVT in saliva. The method was applied to a sample group of epileptic children for the purpose of assessing potential correlation with plasma LVT levels and to investigate patient’s compliance. The results confirmed a reasonable correlation between plasma and salivary levels of LVT (R = 0.9) which supports the use of saliva for TDM of LVT. The study also revealed a significant percentage of epileptic patients having LVT levels below the estimated therapeutic range.
Heparan Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans in Glioblastoma Promote Tumor Invasion
Authors: Tran Vy M. , Wade Anna , McKinney Andrew , Chen Katharine , Lindberg Olle R. , Engler Jane R. , Persson Anders I. , Phillips Joanna J.
Published: August 2017

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor of adults and confers a poor prognosis due, in part, to diffuse invasion of tumor cells. Heparan sulfate (HS) glycosaminoglycans, present on the cell surface and in the extracellular matrix, regulate cell signaling pathways and cell–microenvironment interactions. In GBM, the expression of HS glycosaminoglycans and the enzymes that regulate their function are altered, but the actual HS content and structure are unknown. However, inhibition of HS glycosaminoglycan function is emerging as a promising therapeutic strategy for some cancers. In this study, we use liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis to demonstrate differences in HS disaccharide content and structure across four patient-derived tumorsphere lines (GBM1, 5, 6, 43) and between two murine tumorsphere lines derived from murine GBM with enrichment of mesenchymal and proneural gene expression (mMES and mPN, respectively) markers. In GBM, the heterogeneous HS content and structure across patient-derived tumorsphere lines suggested diverse functions in the GBM tumor microenvironment. In GBM5 and mPN, elevated expression of sulfatase 2 (SULF2), an extracellular enzyme that alters ligand binding to HS, was associated with low trisulfated HS disaccharides, a substrate of SULF2. In contrast, other primary tumorsphere lines had elevated expression of the HS-modifying enzyme heparanase (HPSE). Using gene editing strategies to inhibit HPSE, a role for HPSE in promoting tumor cell adhesion and invasion was identified. These studies characterize the heterogeneity in HS glycosaminoglycan content and structure across GBM and reveal their role in tumor cell invasion.

Implications: HS-interacting factors promote GBM invasion and are potential therapeutic targets. Mol Cancer Res; 15(11); 1623–33. ©2017 AACR.
Diagnosis of unipolar and bipolar depressions and their specifiers
Authors: Menezes Itiana Castro , Juruena Mário Francisco
Published: August 2017

Depression is a common, recurrent and chronic disease with a high prevalence in the world population. It is a disease that affects the individual organism as a whole, affecting, in addition to mood, cognitive, neuroendocrine and physiological functions, impairing personal, social and laboral well-being. Depression is multifactorial (intrinsic and extrinsic etiology) and heterogeneous, because in addition of being unipolar or bipolar, there are specifiers (subtypes) of depression, each containing particuliarities in symptomathology. This review aimed to present the unipolar and bipolar depressions, as well as some of their specifiers, with their characteristics, diagnostic criteria, epidemiology, associated comorbidities and etiology; also presenting the importance of being done and how we can make the differential diagnosis between unipolar and bipolar depressions
Disturbed Flow Promotes Arterial Stiffening Through Thrombospondin-1
Authors: Kim Chan Woo , Pokutta-Paskaleva Anastassia , Kumar Sandeep , Timmins Lucas H. , Morris Andrew D. , Kang Dong-Won , Dalal Sidd , Chadid Tatiana , Kuo Katie M. , Raykin Julia , Li Haiyan , Yanagisawa Hiromi , Gleason Rudolph L. , Jo Hanjoong , Brewster Luke P.
Published: August 2017

Background:

Arterial stiffness and wall shear stress are powerful determinants of cardiovascular health, and arterial stiffness is associated with increased cardiovascular mortality. Low and oscillatory wall shear stress, termed disturbed flow (d-flow), promotes atherosclerotic arterial remodeling, but the relationship between d-flow and arterial stiffness is not well understood. The objective of this study was to define the role of d-flow on arterial stiffening and discover the relevant signaling pathways by which d-flow stiffens arteries.

Methods:

D-flow was induced in the carotid arteries of young and old mice of both sexes. Arterial stiffness was quantified ex vivo with cylindrical biaxial mechanical testing and in vivo from duplex ultrasound and compared with unmanipulated carotid arteries from 80-week-old mice. Gene expression and pathway analysis was performed on endothelial cell–enriched RNA and validated by immunohistochemistry. In vitro testing of signaling pathways was performed under oscillatory and laminar wall shear stress conditions. Human arteries from regions of d-flow and stable flow were tested ex vivo to validate critical results from the animal model.

Results:

D-flow induced arterial stiffening through collagen deposition after partial carotid ligation, and the degree of stiffening was similar to that of unmanipulated carotid arteries from 80-week-old mice. Intimal gene pathway analyses identified transforming growth factor-β pathways as having a prominent role in this stiffened arterial response, but this was attributable to thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) stimulation of profibrotic genes and not changes to transforming growth factor-β. In vitro and in vivo testing under d-flow conditions identified a possible role for TSP-1 activation of transforming growth factor-β in the upregulation of these genes. TSP-1 knockout animals had significantly less arterial stiffening in response to d-flow than wild-type carotid arteries. Human arteries exposed to d-flow had similar increases TSP-1 and collagen gene expression as seen in our model.

Conclusions:

TSP-1 has a critical role in shear-mediated arterial stiffening that is mediated in part through TSP-1’s activation of the profibrotic signaling pathways of transforming growth factor-β. Molecular targets in this pathway may lead to novel therapies to limit arterial stiffening and the progression of disease in arteries exposed to d-flow.
Histone Methyltransferase G9a Is Required for Cardiomyocyte Homeostasis and Hypertrophy
Authors: Papait Roberto , Serio Simone , Pagiatakis Christina , Rusconi Francesca , Carullo Pierluigi , Mazzola Marta , Salvarani Nicolò , Miragoli Michele , Condorelli Gianluigi
Published: August 2017

Background:

Correct gene expression programming of the cardiomyocyte underlies the normal functioning of the heart. Alterations to this can lead to the loss of cardiac homeostasis, triggering heart dysfunction. Although the role of some histone methyltransferases in establishing the transcriptional program of postnatal cardiomyocytes during heart development has been shown, the function of this class of epigenetic enzymes is largely unexplored in the adult heart. In this study, we investigated the role of G9a/Ehmt2, a histone methyltransferase that defines a repressive epigenetic signature, in defining the transcriptional program for cardiomyocyte homeostasis and cardiac hypertrophy.

Methods:

We investigated the function of G9a in normal and stressed cardiomyocytes with the use of a conditional, cardiac-specific G9a knockout mouse, a specific G9a inhibitor, and high-throughput approaches for the study of the epigenome (chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing) and transcriptome (RNA sequencing); traditional methods were used to assess cardiac function and cardiovascular disease.

Results:

We found that G9a is required for cardiomyocyte homeostasis in the adult heart by mediating the repression of key genes regulating cardiomyocyte function via dimethylation of H3 lysine 9 and interaction with enhancer of zeste homolog 2, the catalytic subunit of polycomb repressive complex 2, and MEF2C-dependent gene expression by forming a complex with this transcription factor. The G9a-MEF2C complex was found to be required also for the maintenance of heterochromatin needed for the silencing of developmental genes in the adult heart. Moreover, G9a promoted cardiac hypertrophy by repressing antihypertrophic genes.

Conclusions:

Taken together, our findings demonstrate that G9a orchestrates critical epigenetic changes in cardiomyocytes in physiological and pathological conditions, thereby providing novel therapeutic avenues for cardiac pathologies associated with dysregulation of these mechanisms.
Cardiovascular Disease Burden and Socioeconomic Correlates: Findings From the Jackson Heart Study
Authors: Min Yuan‐I , Anugu Pramod , Butler Kenneth R. , Hartley Tara A. , Mwasongwe Stanford , Norwood Arnita F. , Sims Mario , Wang Wei , Winters Karen P. , Correa Adolfo
Published: August 2017

Background

Black persons have an excess burden of cardiovascular disease (
CVD
) compared with white persons. This burden persists after adjustment for socioeconomic status and other known
CVD
risk factors. This study evaluated the
CVD
burden and the socioeconomic gradient of
CVD
among black participants in the JHS (Jackson Heart Study).

Methods and Results

CVD
burden was evaluated by comparing the observed prevalence of myocardial infarction, stroke, and hypertension in the
JHS
at baseline (2000–2004) with the expected prevalence according to US national surveys during a similar time period. The socioeconomic gradient of
CVD
was evaluated using logistic regression models. Compared with the national data, the
JHS
age‐ and sex‐standardized prevalence ratios for myocardial infarction, stroke, and hypertension were 1.07 (95%
CI
, 0.90–1.27), 1.46 (95%
CI
, 1.18–1.78), and 1.51 (95%
CI
, 1.42–1.60), respectively, in men and 1.50 (95%
CI
, 1.27–1.76), 1.33 (95%
CI
, 1.12–1.57), and 1.43 (95%
CI
, 1.37–1.50), respectively, in women. A significant and inverse relationship was observed between socioeconomic status and
CVD
within the
JHS
cohort. The strongest and most consistent socioeconomic correlate after adjusting for age and sex was income for myocardial infarction (odds ratio: 3.53; 95%
CI
, 2.31–5.40) and stroke (odds ratio: 3.73; 95%
CI
, 2.32–5.97), comparing the poor and affluent income categories.

Conclusions

Except for myocardial infarction in men,
CVD
burden in the
JHS
cohort was higher than expected. A strong inverse socioeconomic gradient of
CVD
was also observed within the
JHS
cohort.
The Delta-Scoring Method of Tests With Binary Items: A Note on True Score Estimation and Equating
Authors: Dimitrov Dimiter M.
Published: August 2017

This article presents some new developments in the methodology of an approach to scoring and equating of tests with binary items, referred to as delta scoring (D-scoring), which is under piloting with large-scale assessments at the National Center for Assessment in Saudi Arabia. This presentation builds on a previous work on delta scoring and adds procedures for scaling and equating, item response function, and estimation of true values and standard errors of D scores. Also, unlike the previous work on this topic, where D-scoring involves estimates of item and person parameters in the framework of item response theory, the approach presented here does not require item response theory calibration.
The Chinese welfare philosophy in light of the traditional concept of family
Authors: Hämäläinen Juha , Chen Honglin , Zhao Fang
Published: August 2017

The approach to developing professional welfare services for families is considered in the light of both conflicting traditional and modern family values. Providing updated understanding of the social needs of families in contemporary China, this article also discusses today’s challenges of welfare policies to recognize the changed necessities in order to identify appropriate policies and services to Chinese families, focusing on mainland China.
Documenting self-loathing or ‘We are proud of not being proud’: Neukölln Unlimited and Prinzessinnenbad as examples of failed integration
Authors: Ludewig Alexandra
Published: August 2017

The experiences of six adolescents in Berlin, as depicted in two documentaries, serve as examples of failed integration. These young people, some with and some without a migrant background, allow glimpses into their lives in Neukölln Unlimited (2010) by Agostino Imondi and Dietmar Ratsch, and in Bettina Blümner’s Prinzessinnenbad / Pool of Princesses (2007). This article highlights how the films corroborate the findings made by social system theorist Ulrich Schmidt-Denter about disaffected youth in Germany. He argues that German self-loathing is a significant reason for the failure of many migrants and their children to integrate. An apparently specifically German tendency to observe and reflect on oneself critically seems to sabotage integration and aspiration. To illustrate how both documentaries validate Schmidt-Denter’s findings, I analyse the six protagonists’ attitudes to themselves and others, demonstrating that they contradict the diagnosis of a new German norm in relation to national identity.
Volatility spillover between the US, Chinese and Australian stock markets
Authors: Bissoondoyal-Bheenick Emawtee , Brooks Robert , Chi Wei , Do Hung Xuan
Published: August 2017

We assess the stock market volatility spillover between three closely related countries, the United States, China and Australia. This study considers industry data and hence provides a clear idea of the channels through which volatility is transmitted across these countries. We find that there is significant bilateral causality between the countries at the market index level and across most of the industries for the full sample period from July 2007 to May 2016. There is one-way volatility spillover from the United States to China in the financial services, industrials, consumer discretionary and utilities industry. There is insignificant volatility spillover from the Australian to Chinese stock markets in financial services, telecommunications and energy industries. Once we remove the effect of the global financial crisis (GFC), we find significant bilateral relationship across all of the industries across the three countries.

JEL Classification: G15
Fiber breakage behavior of long glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene through the convergent channel
Authors: Tian Guoqiang , Liang Xianrong , Wang Mengmeng , Lei Yu , Jin Gang , Wang Xiaolin
Published: August 2017

Fiber breakage occurs during the processing of fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, thereby resulting in the deterioration of the mechanical properties of the thermoplastic parts. In this paper, the fiber breakage and flow behavior of long glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene containing 30 wt% glass fibers was investigated through a series of conical capillary die at varying shear rates, conical die angles or diameters, and the melt flow index of polypropylene. Moreover, scanning electron microscopy was employed to observe individual fiber cross sections to analyze the mechanism of fiber breakage, of which the conical capillary die geometry dominantly affected the residual fiber length, and the choice of an appropriate geometry most significantly affected improvements in the residual fiber length. The results also indicated an increase in the extent of fiber breakage following an increase in the shear rates. In addition, long glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene also generated a slightly higher average fiber length following an increase in the melt-flow index of polypropylene. Pressure oscillations were observed at the entrance, of which these pressure accumulations and releases affected fiber interactions and breakage at the entrance.
Prison Homicide: An Extension of Violent Criminal Careers?
Authors: Reidy Thomas J. , Sorensen Jon R. , Bonner Heidi Stone
Published: August 2017

This study investigated prison homicide perpetrators through the lens of the career criminal perspective. Prison homicide, while a rare event, has critical implications for the prison environment. Despite its importance as a form of institutional violence that must be addressed, only four studies in the past five decades have explored the characteristics of homicide perpetrators/victims, the motives, and circumstances of the crime. The goal of the current study was to develop a better understanding of prison homicide by examining 54 perpetrators who committed 37 inmate homicides over 40 years in a mid-Western state prison system. Results showed that prison homicides typically involved a younger male inmate perpetrator, acting independently, murdering an older inmate, in his cell, by stabbing or beating the victim during an altercation. Perpetrators, in comparison with victims and prisoners in general, had a record indicating more prior community homicides, elevated institutional risk scores, and higher rates of serious and assaultive prison misconduct, all indicative of prior community and prison maladjustment. Consistent with career criminal research, prison homicide perpetrators constitute a small but distinct subset of habitually deviant criminals that perpetrate high rates of criminal and violent behavior regardless of context.
The Importance of Religious/Ritual Abuse as a Traumatic Predictor of Dissociation
Authors: Nobakht Habib Niyaraq , Yngvar Dale Karl
Published: August 2017

This study aimed to ascertain the prevalence of different types of Religious/Ritual Abuse (RA) among Iranian young adults and to investigate the relationships between RA, childhood and recent trauma, and different patterns of dissociativity. A total of 100 male and 100 female university students completed and returned a 51-item questionnaire designed to detect the extent of dissociation, childhood and recent trauma history, and RA; 12.5% of participants reported history of RA. Pearson correlation analysis showed that RA strongly correlated with dissociativity. The most notable finding of this study is that RA and being victim of violence within the last 3 years are the most important traumatic predictors of dissociativity. More research on the nature of the relationship between RA and dissociation is suggested.
The Role of Violent Thinking in Violent Behavior: It’s More About Thinking Than Drinking
Authors: Bowes Nicola , Walker Julian , Hughes Elise , Lewis Rhiannon , Hyde Gemma
Published: August 2017

This article aims to explore and report on violent thinking and alcohol misuse; how these factors may predict self-reported violence. The role of violent thinking in violent behavior is both well established in theoretical models, yet there are few measures that explain this role. One measure that has been identified is the Maudsley Violence Questionnaire (MVQ). This is the first study to explore the use of the MVQ with a general (nonoffender) adult sample, having already been shown to be valid with young people (under 18 years old), adult male offenders, and mentally disordered offenders. This study involved 808 adult participants—569 female and 239 male participants. As figures demonstrate that around half of all violent crime in the United Kingdom is alcohol related, we also explored the role of alcohol misuse. Regression was used to explore how these factors predicted violence. The results demonstrate the important role of violent thinking in violent behavior. The MVQ factor of “Machismo” was the primary factor in regression models for both male and female self-reported violence. The role of alcohol in the regression models differed slightly between the male and female participants, with alcohol misuse involved in male violence. The study supports theoretical models including the role of violent thinking and encourages those hoping to address violence, to consider “Machismo” as a treatment target. The study also provides further validation of the MVQ as a helpful tool for clinicians or researchers who may be interested in “measuring” violent thinking.
Doing ethnicity: Ethnic wordplay amongst youths
Authors: Wiltgren Layal Kasselias
Published: August 2017

The article illustrates ethnicity as a social construction by highlighting how students use ethnically based concepts to categorize each other as well as the Other. Although the concepts have ethnic connotations, they are mainly concerned with matters of style and behaviour. They are therefore open, fluid and inclusive because the students can alternate between the categories. The analyses draw on 1 year of fieldwork in two eighth grade classes in which all students have experience of migration within their families.
Removal mechanism of 4H- and 6H-SiC substrates (0001 and 0001¯) in mechanical planarization machining
Authors: Lu Jing , Luo Qiufa , Xu Xipeng , Huang Hui , Jiang Feng
Published: August 2017

This article describes the mechanical planarization machining of SiC substrates involving the Si face (0001) and C face ([Formula: see text]) of N-type (doping nitrogen) 4H-SiC, N-type 6H-SiC, and V-type (doping vanadium) 6H-SiC with a sol–gel polishing pad. The polishing results indicate that the C face, which has a surface roughness of less than 2 nm, is smoother than the Si face (>10 nm), and the material removal rate of the C face is higher than that of the Si face. The removal mechanism of SiC substrates was investigated with regard to the wear debris and subsurface structure through transmission electron microscopy, and instrumented nanomechanical tests were performed to further reveal the removal mechanism by nanoindentation and nanoscratching. The analysis results demonstrate that the difference in the material removal rates of the Si face and C face depends on the material removal scale together with the mechanical properties of SiC substrates. The processing of SiC substrates is dominated by the mechanical removal of SiC material during mechanical planarization machining.
Well-differentiated inflammatory liposarcoma with metastasis in a 6-y-old cat
Authors: Alvarez Elizabeth , Dreyfus Jennifer , Carlson Tim , Pinkerton Marie E. , Shaffer Kimberly
Published: August 2017

Liposarcomas are rare malignant tumors showing adipocytic differentiation. We report a well-differentiated liposarcoma in a 6-y-old, male neutered cat with a prominent inflammatory component and metastatic spread to the lungs. The patient was initially presented because of fever, lethargy, and a firm subcutaneous inguinal mass. A Tru-cut biopsy of the mass revealed a mixture of well-differentiated adipocytes and lymphoplasmacytic–histiocytic inflammation, interpreted as panniculitis. The mass was surgically excised but recurred 4 mo later. A second excisional biopsy yielded similar histologic findings. A third recurrence of the mass was associated with lung nodules. Histopathology of the recurring and metastatic masses confirmed the diagnosis of well-differentiated inflammatory liposarcoma with pulmonary metastases. The neoplasm had an intense inflammatory component, which obscured the underlying features of liposarcoma and made differentiation from steatitis difficult. This inflammatory variant of a well-differentiated liposarcoma should be considered as a differential in tumorous steatitis-like lesions.
An Update on Aerosolized Antibiotics for Treating Hospital-Acquired and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia in Adults
Authors: Wood G. Christopher , Swanson Joseph M.
Published: August 2017

Objective: A significant percentage of patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) have poor outcomes with intravenous antibiotics. It is not clear if adding aerosolized antibiotics improves treatment. This review is an update on using aerosolized antibiotics for treating HAP/VAP in adults. Data Sources: PubMed search using the terms “aerosolized antibiotics pneumonia,” “nebulized antibiotics pneumonia,” and “inhaled antibiotics pneumonia.” Reference lists from identified articles were also searched. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Clinical studies of aerosolized antibiotics for treating HAP/VAP in adults from July 2010 to March 2017. This article updates a previous review on this topic written in mid-2010. Data Synthesis: The size and quality of studies have improved dramatically in the recent time period compared to previous studies. However, there still are not large randomized controlled trials available. Colistin and aminoglycosides were the most commonly studied agents, and the most common pathogens were Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter. The clinical efficacy of adding aerosolized antibiotics was mixed. Approximately half of the studies showed better outcomes, and none showed worse outcomes. Aerosolized antibiotics appear to be relatively safe, though pulmonary adverse events can occur. Attention to proper administration technique in mechanically ventilated patients is required, including the use of vibrating plate nebulizers. Conclusions: Adding aerosolized antibiotics to intravenous antibiotics may improve the outcomes of adult patients with HAP/VAP in some settings. It seems reasonable to add aerosolized antibiotics in patients with multidrug-resistant organisms or who appear to be failing therapy. Clinicians should pay attention to potential adverse events and proper administration technique.
Olaratumab: A Novel Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor α-Inhibitor for Advanced Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Andrick Benjamin J. , Gandhi Arpita
Published: August 2017

Objective: To review and summarize data on olaratumab, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in October 2016, in combination with doxorubicin, for the treatment of advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Data Sources: A literature search using PubMed was conducted using the search terms olaratumab, IMC-3G3, and advanced soft tissue sarcoma from January 2005 to June 2017. Study Selection and Data Extraction: The literature search was confined to human studies published in English. Trials of olaratumab for advanced soft tissue sarcomas were prioritized. Data Synthesis: Olaratumab is a human antiplatelet-derived growth factor receptor α monoclonal antibody. Its accelerated FDA approval was based on a phase II randomized trial of olaratumab plus doxorubicin (n = 66) versus doxorubicin monotherapy (n = 67) in patients with advanced soft tissue sarcoma. Olaratumab 15 mg/kg was administered intravenously (IV) on days 1 and 8 in combination with doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 IV on day 1 every 21 days for a total of 8 cycles compared to doxorubicin 75 mg/m2 IV monotherapy. The response rate was 18.2% with combination therapy versus 11.9% with monotherapy and median progression-free survival of 6.6 and 4.1 months, respectively. Additionally, overall survival was increased by 11.8 months in the olaratumab arm (26.5 months vs 14.7 months). Clinically relevant adverse effects in the olaratumab + doxorubicin arm included neutropenia (58%), mucositis (53%), nausea (73%), vomiting (45%), and diarrhea (34%). Conclusion: Olaratumab, in combination with doxorubicin, represents a novel treatment strategy for advanced soft tissue sarcoma and provides a significant survival advantage for this rare disease state with limited treatment options.
An Empirical Model of Issue Evolution and Partisan Realignment in a Multiparty System
Authors: Arndt Christoph
Published: August 2017

Since Carmines and Stimson’s seminal work, the concept of issue evolution has become a common theoretical toolkit to examine and explain polarization around cultural issues and partisan realignment in the United States. However, very few studies outside the United States have applied the concept of issue evolution to explain electoral change and realignment around new issues at national elections over time. Analyzing whether and how Carmines and Stimson’s concept travels to electoral change in a multiparty system would provide more theoretical leverage and create empirical knowledge on the logic of issue evolution outside the United States and also whether the logic of electoral change differs from U.S.-style two-party systems. This article applies the issue evolution concept to a multidimensional multiparty system using micro-level data from 1971 to 2011 in combination with data on elite-level polarization to demonstrate that partisan realignment in Denmark follows an issue evolution process with niche parties as main drivers. Moreover, niche party polarization on the new dimension of conflict has a stronger effect on vote choice than mainstream party polarization.
Opioid Prescribing by Nurse Practitioners in Medicare Part D: Impact of State Scope of Practice Legislation
Authors: Ladd Elissa , Sweeney Casey Fryer , Guarino Anthony , Hoyt Alex
Published: August 2017

Many state legislatures restrict nurse practitioner (NP) scope of practice as a way of addressing patient safety concerns. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of state NP scope of practice laws on the prescription of oxycodone and hydrocodone containing medications by NP and MD/DO/PA prescribers to Medicare Part D beneficiaries. Using the Medicare Part D public use file, we analyzed oxycodone and hydrocodone containing prescriptions per Medicare Part D beneficiary by prescriber type, NP state scope of practice, and geographic variables. Our results demonstrate that the state scope of practice variable had the same effect, in identical direction and significance, on NP opioid prescribing patterns as it had on MD/DO/PA prescribers, a group to whom NP scope of practice laws do not apply. Thus, scope of practice in this study was not an exclusive predictor of NP practice and prescribing.
Evaluation of pegfilgrastim use at an academic medical center
Authors: Tang Kathy , Duffy Alison , Gilmore Steven
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Pegfilgrastim is indicated to reduce the risk of febrile neutropenia. As a cost-savings initiative, Pegfilgrastim Process Guidelines were developed and implemented at a large, academic teaching institution to improve appropriate use of pegfilgrastim and to decrease costs of outpatient infusion center administration by deferring doses to home self-administration for eligible patients.

Methods

A retrospective medical record review was conducted post-implementation of the Pegfilgrastim Process Guideline to evaluate the use of pegfilgrastim and to assess the safety and efficacy of transferring pegfilgrastim orders from outpatient infusion center to home administration for eligible patients.

Results

Fifty-nine patients were included in the study, with 35 patients receiving pegfilgrastim in the outpatient infusion center, 13 patients self-injecting at home, and 11 patients receiving doses in both settings. The total wholesale cost avoidance for pegfilgrastim orders transferred to self-administration at home during this time period totaled $205,163. The revenue from outpatient prescriptions of pegfilgrastim totaled $291,111.93. The percentage of febrile neutropenia admissions was 11.4%, 0%, and 9.1% in the outpatient infusion, home, and outpatient/home group, respectively.

Conclusion

Implementation of the Pegfilgrastim Process Guidelines demonstrated decreased total pegfilgrastim orders to be dispensed by the infusion center and a cost avoidance of $205,163 in four months without any perceivable changes in patient outcomes. This represents a significant cost-savings opportunity.
Nursing Education to Reduce Use of Tobacco and Alternative Tobacco Products: Change Is Imperative
Authors: VanDevanter Nancy , Katigbak Carina , Naegle Madeline , Zhou Sherry , Sherman Scott , Weitzman Michael
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use continues to be the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. OBJECTIVE: To assess perceived tobacco educational preparation of undergraduate and graduate nurses in a large urban university. DESIGN: A cross-sectional web-based survey of all nursing students in an urban college of nursing was conducted to assess perceived tobacco educational content, skills, and self-efficacy for cessation counseling with patients who smoke cigarettes and use alternative tobacco products (e.g., hookah and e-cigarettes). RESULTS: Participants reported the most education about health effects of tobacco use (67%), and less than 6% reported education about alternative tobacco products. While the majority of nurses agreed that advising patients to quit is a priority, less than 40% reported receiving sufficient training in cessation counseling. CONCLUSIONS: There continues to be a compelling need articulated by leaders in tobacco policy and research over the past decade for a more vigorous response by nurses to the tobacco epidemic.
Evaluating complex interventions: A theory-driven realist-informed approach
Authors: Douthwaite Boru , Mayne John , McDougall Cynthia , Paz-Ybarnegaray Rodrigo
Published: August 2017

There is a growing recognition that programs that seek to change people’s lives are intervening in complex systems, which puts a particular set of requirements on program monitoring and evaluation. Developing complexity-aware program monitoring and evaluation systems within existing organizations is difficult because they challenge traditional orthodoxy. Little has been written about the practical experience of doing so. This article describes the development of a complexity-aware evaluation approach in the CGIAR Research Program on Aquatic Agricultural Systems. We outline the design and methods used including trend lines, panel data, after action reviews, building and testing theories of change, outcome evidencing and realist synthesis. We identify and describe a set of design principles for developing complexity-aware program monitoring and evaluation. Finally, we discuss important lessons and recommendations for other programs facing similar challenges. These include developing evaluation designs that meet both learning and accountability requirements; making evaluation a part of a program’s overall approach to achieving impact; and, ensuring evaluation cumulatively builds useful theory as to how different types of program trigger change in different contexts.
Anthropocene Bodies, Geological Time and the Crisis of Natality
Authors: Clark Nigel
Published: August 2017

In its explicit engagement with the possibility of human extinction, the Anthropocene thesis might be seen as signalling a ‘crisis of natality’. Engaging with two works of fiction – Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Anne Michaels’ Fugitive Pieces – the article explores the embodied, affective and intimate dimensions of the struggle to sustain life under catastrophic conditions. Though centred on male protagonists, both novels offer insights into a ‘stratigraphic time’ associated primarily with maternal responsibility – involving a temporal give-and-take that passes between generations and across thresholds in the Earth itself. If this is a construction of inter-corporeality in which each life and every breath has utmost value, it is also a vision that exceeds the biopolitical prioritization of the organismic body – as evidenced in both McCarthy’s and Michaels’ gesturing beyond the bounds of the living to a forceful, sensate and enigmatic cosmos.
‘Gestures that do’: Spiritist manifestations and the technologies of religious subjectivation and affect
Authors: Romberg Raquel
Published: August 2017

This article explores theoretically and ethnographically how gestures ‘do’ within Spiritist religious practices. According to the emic Spiritist notion of ‘manifestations’, certain gestures can bridge between material and spiritual realms and the various dimensions of the self. Embodying the moral economy and dispositions of Spiritism, such gestures are thereby investigated as affective and practical technologies for constituting the religious subject within Spiritism without passing by belief and cognition. Based on close ethnographic accounts and visual documentation of the work of Puerto Rican healers, the author traces the performative illocutionary power of gestures during cleansing, divination, healing and possession rituals. Finally, she proposes ‘inter-gesturality’ as a way to address the power relations behind gestural ‘quotations’ and to trace the embodied interrelationships that have shaped in the past and are shaping in the present the religious significance of gestures, the emotions they elicit, the religious subjectification processes they constitute and the spiritual healing they can promote.