bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dark Energy as a Cosmological Consequence of Existence of the Dirac Scalar Field in Nature
Authors: Babourova O. V. , Frolov B. N.
Published: March 2015

The solution of the field equations of the conformal theory of gravitation with Dirac scalar field in Cartan-Weyl spacetime at the very early Universe is obtained. In this theory dark energy (described by an effective cosmological constant) is a function of the Dirac scalar field β. This solution describes the exponential decreasing of β at the inflation stage and has a limit to a constant value of the dark energy at large time. This can give a way to solving the fundamental cosmological constant problem as a consequence of the fields dynamics in the early Universe.
Space ofω-Periodic Limit Functions and Its Applications to an Abstract Cauchy Problem
Authors: Xie Rui , Zhang Chuanyi
Published: March 2015

We introduce a new space consisting of what we callω-periodic limit functions. We investigate some properties of the new function space. In particular, we study inclusion relations among asymptotically periodic type function spaces. Finally, we apply theω-periodic limit functions to investigate the existence and uniqueness of asymptoticallyω-periodic mild solutions of an abstract Cauchy problem.
Multidromion Soliton and Rouge Wave for the (2 + 1)-Dimensional Broer-Kaup System with Variable Coefficients
Authors: Li Zitian
Published: March 2015

Broad new families of rational form variable separation solutions with two arbitrary lower-dimensional functions of the (2 + 1)-dimensional Broer-Kaup system with variable coefficients are derived by means of an improved mapping approach and a variable separation hypothesis. Based on the derived variable separation excitation, some new special types of localized solutions such as rouge wave, multidromion soliton, and soliton vanish phenomenon are revealed by selecting appropriate functions of the general variable separation solution.
Sonic Hedgehog Produced by Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Supports Cell Survival in Myelodysplastic Syndrome
Authors: Zou Jixue , Hong Yan , Tong Yin , Wei Ju , Qin Youwen , Shao Shan , Wang Chun , Zhou Kun
Published: March 2015

The role of marrow microenvironment in the pathogenesis of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) remains controversial. Therefore, we studied the influence of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BMSCs) from patients with different risk types of MDS on the survival of the MDS cell lines SKM-1 and MUTZ-1. We first demonstrated that the expression of Sonic hedgehog (Shh), smoothened (Smo), and glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1 (Gli1) was increased in MDS patientsn=23; the increase in expression was positively correlated with the presence of high-risk factors. The Shh signaling inhibitor, cyclopamine, inhibited high-risk MDS BMSC-induced survival of SKM-1 and MUTZ-1 cells, suggesting a role for Shh signaling in MDS cell survival. Furthermore, cyclopamine-mediated inhibition of Shh signaling in SKM-1 and MUTZ-1 cells resulted in decreased DNMT1 expression and cell survival; however, exogenous Shh peptide had the opposite effect, suggesting that Shh signaling could regulate the expression of DNMT1, thereby modulating cell survival in MDS. In addition, the apoptosis of SKM-1 and MUTZ-1 cell increased significantly when cultured with cyclopamine and a demethylation agent, 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine. These findings suggest that Shh signaling from BMSCs is important in the pathogenesis of MDS and could play a role in disease progression by modulating methylation.
Local Structure Recovery of Chain Graphs after Marginalization
Authors: Zhao Qiang , Luo Panpan , Xi Qing
Published: March 2015

This paper discusses local structure recovery of chain graphs (CGs) when there exist unobserved or latent variables or after marginalization over observed variables. Under a condition presented in this paper, it is explained which edges and directions of edges in local structure can be recovered validly and which cannot after marginalization.
The Endogenous Cell-Fate Factor Dachshund Restrains Prostate Epithelial Cell Migration via Repression of Cytokine Secretion via a CXCL Signaling Module
Authors: Chen Ke , Wu Kongming , Jiao Xuanmao , Wang Liping , Ju Xiaoming , Wang Min , Di Sante Gabriele , Xu Shaohua , Wang Qiong , Li Kevin , Sun Xin , Xu Congwen , Li Zhiping , Casimiro Mathew C. , Ertel Adam , Addya Sankar , McCue Peter A. , Lisanti Michael P. , Wang Chenguang , Davis Richard J. , Mardon Graeme , Pestell Richard G.
Published: March 2015

Prostate cancer is the second leading form of cancer-related death in men. In a subset of prostate cancer patients, increased chemokine signaling IL8 and IL6 correlates with castrate-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). IL8 and IL6 are produced by prostate epithelial cells and promote prostate cancer cell invasion; however, the mechanisms restraining prostate epithelial cell cytokine secretion are poorly understood. Herein, the cell-fate determinant factor DACH1 inhibited CRPC tumor growth in mice. Using Dach1fl/fl/Probasin-Cre bitransgenic mice, we show IL8 and IL6 secretion was altered by approximately 1,000-fold by endogenous Dach1. Endogenous Dach1 is shown to serve as a key endogenous restraint to prostate epithelial cell growth and restrains migration via CXCL signaling. DACH1 inhibited expression, transcription, and secretion of the CXCL genes (IL8 and IL6) by binding to their promoter regulatory regions in chromatin. DACH1 is thus a newly defined determinant of benign and malignant prostate epithelium cellular growth, migration, and cytokine abundance in vivo. Cancer Res; 75(10); 1992–2004. ©2015 AACR.
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Repress Tumoral Expression of the Proinvasive Factor RUNX2
Authors: Sancisi Valentina , Gandolfi Greta , Ambrosetti Davide Carlo , Ciarrocchi Alessia
Published: March 2015

Aberrant reactivation of embryonic pathways occurs commonly in cancer. The transcription factor RUNX2 plays a fundamental role during embryogenesis and is aberrantly reactivated during progression and metastasization of different types of human tumors. In this study, we attempted to dissect the molecular mechanisms governing RUNX2 expression and its aberrant reactivation. We identified a new regulatory enhancer element, located within the RUNX2 gene, which is responsible for the activation of the RUNX2 promoter and for the regulation of its expression in cancer cells. Furthermore, we have shown that treatment with the anticancer compounds histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) results in a profound inhibition of RUNX2 expression, which is determined by the disruption of the transcription-activating complex on the identified enhancer. These data envisage a possible targeting strategy to counteract the oncongenic function of RUNX2 in cancer cells and provide evidence that the cytotoxic activity of HDACi in cancer is not only dependent on the reactivation of silenced oncosuppressors but also on the repression of oncogenic factors that are necessary for survival and progression. Cancer Res; 75(9); 1868–82. ©2015 AACR.
Race–Ethnic and Sex Differences in Left Ventricular Structure and Function: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study
Authors: Kishi Satoru , Reis Jared P. , Venkatesh Bharath A. , Gidding Samuel S. , Armstrong Anderson C. , Jacobs David R. , Sidney Stephen , Wu Colin O. , Cook Nakela L. , Lewis Cora E. , Schreiner Pamela J. , Isogawa Akihiro , Liu Kiang , Lima João A. C.
Published: March 2015

Background

We investigated race–ethnic and sex‐specific relationships of left ventricular (
LV
) structure and
LV
function in African American and white men and women at 43 to 55 years of age.

Methods and Results

The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (
CARDIA
) Study enrolled African American and white adults, age 18 to 30 years, from 4
US
field centers in 1985–1986 (Year‐0) who have been followed prospectively. We included participants with echocardiographic assessment at the Year‐25 examination (n=3320; 44% men, 46% African American). The end points of
LV
structure and function were assessed using conventional echocardiography and speckle‐tracking echocardiography. In the multivariable models, we used, in addition to race–ethnic and gender terms, demographic (age, physical activity, and educational level) and cardiovascular risk variables (body mass index, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, presence of diabetes, use of antihypertensive medications, number of cigarettes/day) at Year‐0 and ‐25 examinations as independent predictors of echocardiographic outcomes at the Year‐25 examination (
LV
end‐diastolic volume [
LVEDV
]/height,
LV
end‐systolic volume [
LVESV
]/height,
LV
mass [
LVM
]/height, and
LVM
/
LVEDV
ratio for
LV
structural indices;
LV
ejection fraction [
LVEF
], Ell, and Ecc for systolic indices; and early diastolic and atrial ratio, mitral annulus early peak velocity, ratio of mitral early peak velocity/mitral annulus early peak velocity; ratio, left atrial volume/height, longitudinal peak early diastolic strain rate, and circumferential peak early diastolic strain rate for diastolic indices). Compared with women, African American and white men had greater
LV
volume and
LV
mass (
P
<0.05). For
LV
systolic function, African American men had the lowest
LVEF
as well as longitudinal (Ell) and circumferential (Ecc) strain indices among the 4 sex/race–ethnic groups (
P
<0.05). For
LV
diastolic function, African American men and women had larger left atrial volumes; African American men had the lowest values of Ell and Ecc for diastolic strain rate (
P
<0.05). These race/sex differences in
LV
structure and
LV
function persisted after adjustment.

Conclusions

African American men have greater
LV
size and lower
LV
systolic and diastolic function compared to African American women and to white men and women. The reasons for these racial‐ethnic differences are partially but not completely explained by established cardiovascular risk factors.
Gender equality for whom? A critical frame analysis of the 2007 Swedish domestic services tax reform
Authors: Spehar Andrea
Published: March 2015

This article considers the motivations behind a 2007 reform in Sweden to implement a tax deduction on domestic services for households, and how the reform could be passed despite extensive political opposition to it. Critical framing analysis is used to argue that at least a partial explanation for the policy reform is to be found in the inherent limitations of the gender equality policy as hitherto pursued in the country, and in the way these limitations were framed in the political debates to push for the reform. The analysis draws upon public documents and records of parliamentary and media debates.
Post-PET ultrasound improves specificity of 18F-FDG-PET for recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer while maintaining sensitivity
Authors: Biermann Martin , Kråkenes Jostein , Brauckhoff Katrin , Haugland Hans Kristian , Heinecke Achim , Akslen Lars A , Varhaug Jan Erik , Brauckhoff Michael
Published: March 2015

Background

Positron emission tomography (PET) using fluor-18-deoxyglucose (18F-FDG) with or without computed tomography (CT) is generally accepted as the most sensitive imaging modality for diagnosing recurrent differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) in patients with negative whole body scintigraphy with iodine-131 (I-131).

Purpose

To assess the potential incremental value of ultrasound (US) over 18F-FDG-PET-CT.

Material and Methods

Fifty-one consecutive patients with suspected recurrent DTC were prospectively evaluated using the following multimodal imaging protocol: (i) US before PET (pre-US) with or without fine needle biopsy (FNB) of suspicious lesions; (ii) single photon emission computed tomography (≥3 GBq I-131) with co-registered CT (SPECT-CT); (iii) 18F-FDG-PET with co-registered contrast-enhanced CT of the neck; (iv) US in correlation with the other imaging modalities (post-US). Postoperative histology, FNB, and long-term follow-up (median, 2.8 years) were taken as composite gold standard.

Results

Fifty-eight malignant lesions were identified in 34 patients. Forty lesions were located in the neck or upper mediastinum. On receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis, 18F-FDG-PET had a limited lesion-based specificity of 59% at a set sensitivity of 90%. Pre-US had poor sensitivity and specificity of 52% and 53%, respectively, increasing to 85% and 94% on post-US, with knowledge of the PET/CT findings ( P < 0.05 vs. PET and pre-US). Multimodal imaging changed therapy in 15 out of 51 patients (30%).

Conclusion

In patients with suspected recurrent DTC, supplemental targeted US in addition to 18F-FDG-PET-CT increases specificity while maintainin sensitivity, as non-malignant FDG uptake in cervical lesions can be confirmed.
Engaging the Social Texture of Internet Cancer Support Groups
Authors: Høybye Mette Terp
Published: March 2015

Engaging issues of affectivity and embodiment in ethnographic fieldwork in mediated environments on the Internet, I will examine how ethnographic presence and affectivity is crucial to the production of ethnographic knowledge of the digitally mediated experience. Exploring social relations and negotiations in an extensive ethnographic fieldwork in several Internet cancer support groups, I discuss central epistemological challenges of ethnographic practice; of accessing and positioning oneself in the world we study. It is, I shall argue, our ethnographic presence in the field that mediates the production of ethnographic knowledge as the only viable way to do justice to our field.
AD8 Informant Questionnaire for Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Larner A. J.
Published: March 2015

The diagnostic accuracy of the AD8 informant questionnaire for cognitive impairment was assessed in patients referred to a dedicated memory clinic. This pragmatic prospective study of consecutive referrals attending with an informant who completed AD8 (n = 212) lasted 12 months. Diagnosis used standard clinical diagnostic criteria for dementia and mild cognitive impairment as reference standard (prevalence of cognitive impairment = 0.62). The AD8 proved acceptable to informants, was quick, and easy to use. Using the cutoff of ≥2/8, AD8 was highly sensitive (0.97) for diagnosis of cognitive impairment but specificity was poor (0.17). Combining AD8 with either the Mini-Mental State Examination or the Six-Item Cognitive Impairment Test showed little additional diagnostic benefit. In conclusion, AD8 is very sensitive for cognitive impairment in a memory clinic but specificity may be inadequate.
Combined flow graphs and normal naive Bayesian classifier for fault diagnosis of gear box
Authors: Yu Jun , Huang Wentao , Zhao Xuezeng
Published: March 2015

In order to improve the intuition, efficiency, and accuracy of fault diagnosis of gear box, a novel fault diagnosis method based on flow graphs and normal naive Bayesian classifier is proposed in this paper. In the proposed method, flow graphs are utilized to represent the relationship between fault symptoms and gear conditions. The algorithm of layer reduction is employed to eliminate the redundant and irrelevant attribute layers to obtain the minimal flow graph for reducing the number of input nodes in normal naive Bayesian classifier. The normal naive Bayesian classifier is constructed according to the minimal flow graph to obtain classification results. To verify the proposed method, an experiment is carried out to apply this method to a gear box rig. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method combining the advantages of flow graphs and normal naive Bayesian classifier provides a new way to design high-performance models for fault diagnosis of gear box.
American Indian Perceptions of Educational Achievement in Predominantly White Culture
Authors: Flynn Stephen V. , Sangganjanavanich Varunee Faii
Published: March 2015

Phenomenological methodology provided a framework for examining perceptions of achievement among 12 tribal-based American Indians who have family members attending predominately White postsecondary institutions. Data sources included 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with plains tribe American Indians. Ten primary themes form an emergent phenomenon of American Indian perceptions of educational achievement in predominately White culture. The emergent phenomenon is centered on in-depth understanding of how tribal-based American Indians experience their family members’ achievements in nontribal settings, how they perceive their family members’ acculturation experiences, and the consequences related to the interaction of tribal and predominately White cultures.
Frictional study of alumina, 316 stainless steel, phosphor bronze versus carbon as mechanical seals under dry sliding conformal contact
Authors: Shankar S , Praveenkumar G , Krishna Kumar P
Published: March 2015

This paper presents an investigative study on the frictional characteristics of alumina, 316 stainless steel, and phosphor bronze materials against resin-impregnated carbon in the form of mechanical seals. An experimental setup was designed and fabricated to study the frictional characteristics of the seal for varying normal load and speed. Pairing of stationary seal and rotary seal was done among the three combinations among which alumina versus resin-impregnated carbon exhibited the superior frictional characteristics. Whereas in comparison with 316 stainless steel versus resin-impregnated carbon and phosphor bronze versus resin-impregnated carbon, the latter exhibited the better frictional characteristics. Phosphor bronze pair and 316 stainless steel pair resulted in low and stable friction coefficient in the range of 0.07–0.08 and 0.12–0.13, respectively. This work highlights that the phosphor bronze might be an alternate substitute for the applications involving 316 stainless steel as a seal face material, where the frictional characteristics was a major concern.
The Asianization of national fantasies in Hungary: A critical analysis of political discourse
Authors: Moreh Chris
Published: March 2015

This article presents a critical analysis of the Hungarian government’s ‘Asian’ political discourse. It argues that in the wake of the economic recession, Hungary became more radical in its turn towards Asia, promoting a discourse that goes beyond economic relations and touches on sentiments of national identity and belonging. Via a discourse-historical analysis of three interrelated discursive events, the article shows how economic, cultural and racial discourses are reinforcing one another in building on the myth of cultural and racial affinity with Inner Asia and the Far East. This process is similar to the Eurasianist discourse in Russia and other ex-Soviet republics, and may have serious social and geopolitical repercussions.
A new approach for calculating the stiffness of bolted connections
Authors: Canyurt Olcay Ersel , Sekercioglu Tezcan
Published: March 2015

The stiffness of bolted joint influences the transfer of initial preload and operating force. The determination of stiffness without the gasket is fairly difficult to obtain, because the compression region spreads out between the bolt head and the nut. Bolted joints including bolts and members act as elastic springs under operating conditions. The affected area is not uniform. The stiffness of the bolted joints can be determined using finite element analysis and soft computing techniques. The prediction of the non-dimensional joint stiffness is developed in this paper by using genetic algorithm methods. The proposed model was in good agreement with the experimental results and previous literature and may be considered as a simple and suitable guideline for the design of bolted joints.
Benign liver lesions: grey-scale and contrast-enhanced ultrasound appearances
Authors: Obaro A E , Ryan S M
Published: March 2015

Ultrasound is often the first point of detection of liver lesions, with up to 75% of liver lesions detected at ultrasound having benign histology. In 2012, NICE issued recommendations that ultrasound contrast be used for the evaluation of incidentally discovered liver lesions. This has been demonstrated to provide a rapid and cost-effective evaluation for incidental liver lesions, in many cases precluding the need for further CT or MRI scans. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the ultrasound features of benign liver lesions, and to demonstrate their further characterisation with contrast ultrasound.
‘Democracy will not fall from the sky.’ A comparative study of teacher education students’ perceptions of democracy in two neo-liberal societies: Argentina and Australia
Authors: Zyngier David , Traverso María Delia , Murriello Adriana
Published: March 2015

This paper compares and contrasts pre-service teachers’ (PSTs) beliefs about democracy in Argentina and Australia. While there are many important studies of how school students understand democracy and democratic participation, few have studied what teachers, and especially pre-service teachers, think about democracy. This paper uses a mixed methods approach to present quantitative and qualitative responses to the contrasting understandings of democracy from an established and a newly emerging democracy. Determining the linkage between education and democracy is important as it has implications for how our children will relate to democracy both in the classroom and in society as future citizens.
Scaffolds for hand tissue engineering: the importance of surface topography
Authors: Kloczko E. , Nikkhah D. , Yildirimer L.
Published: March 2015

Tissue engineering is believed to have great potential for the reconstruction of the hand after trauma, congenital absence and tumours. Due to the presence of multiple distinct tissue types, which together function in a precisely orchestrated fashion, the hand counts among the most complex structures to regenerate. As yet the achievements have been limited. More recently, the focus has shifted towards scaffolds, which provide a three-dimensional framework to mimic the natural extracellular environment for specific cell types. In particular their surface structures (or topographies) have become a key research focus to enhance tissue-specific cell attachment and growth into fully functioning units. This article reviews the current understanding in hand tissue engineering before focusing on the potential for scaffold topographical features on micro- and nanometre scales to achieve better functional regeneration of individual and composite tissues.
Pre-operative electrodiagnostic testing predicts time to resolution of symptoms after carpal tunnel release
Authors: Fowler J. R. , Munsch M. , Huang Y. , Hagberg W. C. , Imbriglia J. E.
Published: March 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine if nerve conduction studies predict time to resolution of symptoms after carpal tunnel release. A total of 56 patients undergoing open carpal tunnel release were prospectively enrolled. Pre-operative presence of nocturnal symptoms and daytime numbness/tingling were documented. Pre-operative nerve conduction studies were reviewed and classified as mild, moderate, or severe. After open carpal tunnel release, patients were contacted by phone within 48 hours, at 1 week, and then at 2-week intervals for up to 9 months or until both nocturnal and daytime symptoms had resolved. This study found that patients with mild or moderate carpal tunnel syndrome experience a faster time to resolution of daytime numbness and tingling when compared with patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome. Nocturnal symptoms resolved quickly in both groups. The results of this study are in contrast to previous studies that found little to no value of nerve conduction studies in predicting post-operative functional and subjective outcomes.

Level of Evidence: IV
The management of clenched fist ‘fight bite’ injuries of the hand
Authors: Shewring D. J. , Trickett R. W. , Subramanian K. N. , Hnyda R.
Published: March 2015

We present a prospective study outlining the management of clenched fist ‘fight bite’ injuries. Over a 4-year period all patients with such injuries had surgical exploration with further débridements as necessary. For metacarpophalangeal joint injuries, a midline tendon-splitting approach was used. For proximal interphalangeal joint injuries, an approach was made between the lateral band and central slip of the extensor mechanism. A total of 147 patients with 159 joint injuries were treated, with 130 metacarpophalangeal joint and 29 proximal interphalangeal joint injuries. The joint was penetrated in 96% of joints overall. The number of débridements ranged from two to eight. Twenty patients defaulted within 1 week of surgery and were not included in the analysis of the results. All patients with metacarpophalangeal joint injury had satisfactory or good outcomes. A total of 42% of patients with proximal interphalangeal joint injuries had poor results, four requiring amputation and one a fusion. The tendon-splitting approach to the metacarpophalangeal joint allows excellent access and avoids damage to the sagittal bands and consequent instability of the extensor mechanism.
An anatomical study of the superficial palmar communicating branch between the median and ulnar nerves
Authors: Sulaiman S. , Soames R. , Lamb C.
Published: March 2015

The palmar communicating branch between the median and ulnar nerves was investigated in 98 hands with the aim of outlining its most common branching patterns and describing its relationship to well-defined anatomical landmarks, including the bistyloid line, wrist crease and flexor retinaculum. Five branching patterns were identified and classified based on their proximal and distal attachments. The palmar communicating branch was found to lie between 26%–79% of the total distance between the metacarpophalangeal joint of the long finger and the wrist crease, and 35%–75% of the total distance between the metacarpophalangeal joint of the long finger and the middle of the bistyloid line. With the aid of the morphometric indices obtained from this study, a risk area where the palmar communicating branch is most likely to be found is outlined. Knowledge of the branching patterns and location of the palmar communicating branch can help clinicians to better assess variations in the patterns of sensation, preserve the nerve during surgical interventions to the palm and better assess post-operative complications involving the branch.
The genetic epidemiology of diverticulosis and diverticular disease: Emerging evidence
Authors: Reichert Matthias C , Lammert Frank
Published: March 2015

Diverticular disease (DD) is one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders. The pathogenesis of diverticulosis and DD is controversially discussed. Current studies call the traditional concept of a fibre‐deficient diet causing the development of diverticula into question. Data from two recent twin studies have provided conclusive evidence for a strong genetic component to diverticulosis. Although genomewide association studies have provided new insights into the polygenic architecture of human diseases, genomic research in diverticulosis and DD has just been started. This is an astonishing fact given the high morbidity and mortality of the disease, as well as the substantial economic burden on health care systems. For this review, we provide an update of the molecular pathobiology and summarise recent evidence supporting the hypothesis that distinct, yet unidentified genetic variants contribute to the development of diverticulosis and DD.
Is there a proximal shift in the distribution of colorectal adenomas?
Authors: de Oliveira Ana Maria Freire , Anapaz Vera , Lourenço Luís , Graça Rodrigues Catarina , Folgado Alberto Sara , Martins Alexandra , Ramos de Deus João , Reis Jorge
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Several studies have shown a proximal shift of colorectal cancer (CRC) during the last decades. However, few have analyzed the changing distribution of adenomas over time.

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare the site and the characteristics of colorectal adenomas, in a single center, during two periods.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective, observational study in a single hospital of adenomas removed during a total colonoscopy in two one‐year periods: 2003 (period 1) and 2012 (period 2).

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease, familial adenomatous polyposis, hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer syndrome, or history of CRC were excluded from the study.

The χ2 statistical test was performed.

P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.

Results

During the two considered periods, a total of 864 adenomas from 2394 complete colonoscopies were analyzed: 333 adenomas from 998 colonoscopies during period 1 and 531 adenomas from 1396 colonoscopies during period 2.

There was a significant increase in the proportion of adenomatous polyps in the proximal colon from period 1 to 2 (30.6% to 38.8% (p  = 0.015)).

Comparing the advanced features of adenomas between the two periods, it was noted that in period 2, the number of adenomas with size ≥1 cm (p  = 0.001), high‐grade dysplasia (p  = 0.001), and villous features (p  < 0.0001) had a significant increase compared to period 1.

Conclusion

Incidence of adenomatous polyps in the proximal colon as well as adenomas with advanced features has increased in the last years. This finding may have important implications regarding methods of CRC screening.
Overrepresentation of unaccompanied refugee minors in inpatient psychiatric care
Authors: Ramel Björn , Täljemark Jakob , Lindgren Anna , Johansson Björn Axel
Published: March 2015

Background

Unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) have high levels of psychiatric symptoms, and concerns for their access to mental health services have been raised. From the mid-2000s, an increasing number of asylum-seeking URMs, mainly adolescent boys from Afghanistan, have been referred to the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry emergency unit in Malmö, Sweden. The aim of the study was to compare inpatient psychiatric care between URMs and non-URMs.

Findings

All admissions in 2011 at the emergency unit were identified and divided into URMs (n = 56) and non-URMs (n = 205). On the basis of unique patients’ first treatment occasion, a group level analysis was performed on gender, age, treatment duration, additional treatment occasions/patient, involuntary care, involuntary care by gender, and ICD-10 principal diagnosis. To retrieve further sample characteristics, a questionnaire was administered to the physicians responsible for admitting patients in 2011.

More URMs than non-URMs exhibited self-harm or suicidal behaviour in conjunction with referral. 86% of URMs were admitted with symptoms relating to stress in the asylum process. In the catchment area, 3.40% of the URM population received inpatient care and 0.67% inpatient involuntary care, compared to 0.26% and 0.02% respectively of the non-URM population, both comparisons p < 0.001. There were more boys in the URM group (95%) compared to the non-URM group (29%). A difference in use of involuntary care disappeared after adjusting for gender. No differences were found in diagnoses except for neurotic disorders (F40-48), which were more common in the URM group.

Conclusion

From an epidemiological perspective, URMs were overrepresented in inpatient psychiatric care.
Membrane curvature at a glance
Authors: McMahon Harvey T. , Boucrot Emmanuel
Published: March 2015

Membrane curvature is an important parameter in defining the morphology of cells, organelles and local membrane subdomains. Transport intermediates have simpler shapes, being either spheres or tubules. The generation and maintenance of curvature is of central importance for maintaining trafficking and cellular functions. It is possible that local shapes in complex membranes could help to define local subregions. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and accompanying poster, we summarize how generating, sensing and maintaining high local membrane curvature is an active process that is mediated and controlled by specialized proteins using general mechanisms: (i) changes in lipid composition and asymmetry, (ii) partitioning of shaped transmembrane domains of integral membrane proteins or protein or domain crowding, (iii) reversible insertion of hydrophobic protein motifs, (iv) nanoscopic scaffolding by oligomerized hydrophilic protein domains and, finally, (v) macroscopic scaffolding by the cytoskeleton with forces generated by polymerization and by molecular motors. We also summarize some of the discoveries about the functions of membrane curvature, where in addition to providing cell or organelle shape, local curvature can affect processes like membrane scission and fusion as well as protein concentration and enzyme activation on membranes.
HBV secretion is regulated through the activation of endocytic and autophagic compartments via Rab7 stimulation
Authors: Inoue Jun , Krueger Eugene W. , Chen Jing , Cao Hong , Ninomiya Masashi , McNiven Mark A.
Published: March 2015

The cellular mechanisms by which hepatitis B virus (HBV) is assembled and exported are largely undefined. Recently, it has been suggested that these steps require the multivesicular body (MVB) and the autophagic machinery. However, the mechanisms by which HBV might regulate these compartments are unclear. In this study we have found that by activating Rab7, HBV alters its own secretion by inducing dramatic changes in the morphology of MVB and autophagic compartments. These changes are characterized by the formation of numerous tubules that are dependent upon the increase in Rab7 activity observed in the HBV-expressing HepG2.2.15 cells compared to HepG2 cells. Interestingly, a transfection-based expression of the five individual viral proteins indicated that the precore protein, which is a precursor of HBeAg, was largely responsible for the increased Rab7 activity. Finally, siRNA-mediated depletion of Rab7 significantly increased the secretion of virions, suggesting that reduced delivery of the virus to the lysosome facilitates viral secretion. These findings provide novel evidence indicating that HBV can regulate its own secretion through an activation of the endo-lysosomal and autophagic pathway via Rab7 activation.
Pyruvate kinase M2 at a glance
Authors: Yang Weiwei , Lu Zhimin
Published: March 2015

Reprogrammed metabolism is a key feature of cancer cells. The pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) isoform, which is commonly upregulated in many human cancers, has been recently shown to play a crucial role in metabolism reprogramming, gene transcription and cell cycle progression. In this Cell Science at a glance article and accompanying poster, we provide a brief overview of recent advances in understanding the mechanisms underlying the regulation of PKM2 expression, enzymatic activity, metabolic functions and subcellular location. We highlight the instrumental role of the non-metabolic functions of PKM2 in tumorigenesis and evaluate the potential to target PKM2 for cancer treatment.
Synthesis and Properties of Fused π-Electron Donors Possessing Vinylogous 1,3-Dithiole[5]radialene Units
Authors: Matsuda Takashi , Ueda Masafumi , Kondo Rina , Suwaki Mizuka , Misaki Yohji
Published: March 2015

Bis- and tris-fused π-electron donors containing one or two vinylogous 1,3-dithiole[5]radialene unit (7–10) were successfully synthesized. Cyclic voltammetry revealed that the first redox waves of 7–10 correspond to simultaneous four-electron or eight-electron redox processes because of significant contribution of the moieties of vinylogous 1,3-dithiole[5]radialene exhibiting a simultaneous four-electron redox. The UV–vis–NIR spectra of the oxidative species of 7–10 generated by constant voltages exhibited absorption bands attributed to (7–9)2+ and 104+ with structures of dicationic 1,3-dithiole[5]radialene vinylogs.
Disbudding of goat kids
Authors: Gascoigne Emily
Published: March 2015

Disbudding of goat kids is an elective procedure performed routinely. The procedure is considered an act of veterinary surgery (in accordance with the Veterinary Surgeons Act, 1966 ). Potential complications can arise as a result of the use of general anaesthesia in neonates, the low therapeutic index of local anaesthetics for small ruminants and potential risk of thermal necrosis of the brain if excessive pressure or duration of heat is applied. This article reviews the legislation, anaesthetics and techniques involved to reduce the risks for maximum efficacy and safety.
A preceptorship pack for non-medical prescribers in mental health
Authors: Morgan-Henshaw Phill , Ishmael Avril
Published: March 2015

Non-medical prescribing (NMP) is a key aspect of a rapidly changing NHS and is widely utilized in modernized services. NMP should be considered in all service specifications where medicines are prescribed or supplied to ensure optimal use of the available skills mix. Consequently, prescribing responsibilities have shifted from the traditional medical preserve to a multi-professional model involving nurses and other practitioners. NMP involves practitioners who have undertaken and successfully completed an NMP training programme, as defined by legislation, and who are registered with their professional body. This article outlines the development and implementation of a preceptorship pack for mental health nurse NMPs.
Deaf Scholars on Reading: A Historical Review of 40 Years of Dissertation Research (1973–2013): Implications for Research and Practice
Authors: Andrews Jean F. , Byrne Andrew , Clark M. Diane
Published: March 2015

T aking a historical view , the authors reviewed 40 years of dissertation research by deaf scholars (1973–2013) related to reading. Using a qualitative interpretive analysis approach (J. Smith & Osborn, 2003), the authors selected 31 dissertations as primary texts, reviewing them for themes over five time periods. The first finding was a trend of themes on communication methodology in the 1970s (first period), to English reading skills in the 1980s (second period), to American Sign Language/English bilingualism to support acquisition of English literacy during the third, fourth and fifth periods (1990–2013). The second finding was that most of the dissertations used a combination of qualitatively similar and qualitatively different epistemologies in their research. These two findings are related to (a) the role of the deaf reading researcher, (b) historical and current trends in reading research, and (c) the qualitative similarity hypothesis (Paul, Wang, & Williams, 2013).
Reading Among Diverse DHH Learners: What, How, and for Whom?
Authors: Easterbrooks Susan R. , Lederberg Amy R. , Antia Shirin , Schick Brenda , Kushalnagar Poorna , Webb Mi-Young , Branum-Martin Lee , Connor Carol McDonald
Published: March 2015

S tudents who are deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) face challenges in learning to read. Much has been written about the relative importance of the different factors associated with success in reading, but these factors are disputed within the literature on DHH readers. The Center on Literacy and Deafness , funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, is engaged in a nationwide project to identify child-by-instruction interactions related to instructional factors that are malleable within the classroom context. In the present article, the authors describe the project, present the conceptual model on which it is based, explain the processes and procedures used to choose assessment tools, and discuss their theoretical view of how reading and instruction might differ based on an individual student’s language and level of functional hearing.
Effects of SES on Literacy Development of Deaf Signing Bilinguals
Authors: Twitchell Paul , Morford Jill P. , Hauser Peter C.
Published: March 2015

R esearch on spoken-language monolinguals and bilinguals has shown that socioeconomic status significantly affects literacy outcomes. One explanation for this effect is that children in higher-SES homes have better oral proficiency in the language of literacy instruction (Hoff, 2013; Zhang et al., 2013). American Sign Language–English deaf bilingual children exhibit a unique profile because they achieve L2 literacy without prior development of spoken L2 proficiency. This provides an opportunity to evaluate the role of SES in literacy development without the confounding effect of the influence of spoken-language proficiency. The present study evaluated effects of SES and ASL proficiency on 135 deaf signing bilinguals’ English reading proficiency. Although SES and ASL proficiency were not correlated in this sample, both factors were significant predictors of reading proficiency. The implications of these findings for educational reform in schools with deaf students are discussed.
Reading for Deaf and Hearing Readers: Qualitatively and/or Quantitatively Similar or Different? A Nature versus Nurture Issue
Authors: Lasasso Carol J. , Crain Kelly L.
Published: March 2015

T he authors discuss whether the covert reading process differs qualitatively and/or quantitatively for hearing and deaf peers and whether formal reading instruction should be different for deaf and hearing students. The authors argue that hearing status (deaf, hearing) is less important in learning to read than environmental factors, including: (a) the richness of the early linguistic environment leading to an age-appropriate L1 prior to formal reading instruction and (b) clear, complete visual access to the instructional language (e.g., English, Spanish, American Sign Language) used to deliver curriculum via conventional or English Language Learner methods. In U.S. schools attended by 89% of deaf students, English is “regularly” used as the language of instruction (Gallaudet Research Institute, 2013, p. 11). Of the available communication systems for conveying English conversationally (oral-aural methods, Manually Coded English sign systems, Cued Speech), only Cued Speech is structurally capable of affording clear, complete visual access to English.
The Qualitative Similarity Hypothesis: Research Synthesis and Future Directions
Authors: Andrews Jean F. , Wang Ye
Published: March 2015

I n the penultimate article of a two-part special issue of the American Annals of the Deaf examining the qualitative similarity hypothesis (QSH), findings of nine research teams with articles in the special issue are summarized. The teams addressed three questions: (a) For students who are d/Deaf or hard of hearing (d/Dhh), is reading qualitatively similar to the reading process of hearing students (per the QSH)? (b) Is it, rather, qualitatively different (per the qualitative difference hypothesis [QDH])? (c) Or is reading qualitatively similar and qualitatively different? All nine teams recognized that aspects of the reading acquisition process of d/Dhh children resemble those of hearing children and that the QSH is tenable if it is independent of a child’s language modality. Two teams concluded that there is research supporting both the QSH and the QDH. Implications for teacher education, future research, and language policymaking are discussed.
Bits of Autobiography : Radical Deindividualization and Everydayness
Authors: Dobson James E.
Published: March 2015

This essay focuses on the autobiographical strategies deployed by Ambrose Bierce in response to shifting conceptions of the literary representation of everyday life. I place Bierce at the transition point between nineteenth- and twentieth-century realism, between an understanding of typical experience as comfortably generic and a growing sense that the common story has produced a horrify anonymity. “Bits of autobiography” are fragmentary and hypersubjective narratives that Bierce uses in his attempt to re-individuate by breaking with the repetitiveness that he associates with this latter understanding.
“Hiroshima Is Peanuts”: The Strange Landscape of The Day After
Authors: Banco Lindsey Michael
Published: March 2015

Nicholas Meyer’s made-for-television movie The Day After (1983) depicts an apocalypse wrought by the exchange of nuclear weapons between the United States and the Soviet Union. This essay argues that the film, particularly in its representation of landscape, offers a series of surrealist touches that not only disrupt the aesthetics of 1980s made-for-television movies but that also complicate the film’s representation of the American heartland. Ostensibly “at stake” in the film’s nuclear exchange, and drawn using an assortment of patriotic clichés, the heartland becomes a site of instability, danger, and threatening destructiveness that challenges the logic of the late Cold War.
Leaving Something to Be Desired: Affective Strategies and the Everyday-Spectacular in Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust
Authors: Pappas Peter J.
Published: March 2015

Nathanael West’s The Day of the Locust embodies an environment pervaded by Hollywood culture. However, rather than focusing on characters subsumed into its thrall, this reading examines the incorporation of such spectacular constructs into everyday life. Resulting affective dynamics manifest a sui generis dream machine, directed by and starring West’s central figures, where the highest good is a state of perpetual excitement, fuel to the fires of unending passion. These strategies of affective creativity and self-dramatization catalyze intoxicating experiential thrill and complicate its pleasures as they delve into excitations of the darker emotions involving hatred, rage, and willfully unrequited love. A variety of episodes demonstrate that all the world is indeed a stage—it can also take the form of film set, production studio, and cinema, as much as everyday people are its inevitably featured players.
Muriel Rukeyser’s Poetics of Extension and the Politics of Documentary Photography
Authors: Parks Justin
Published: March 2015

This essay examines the cultural prominence of documentary photography during the 1930s, and reads Muriel Rukeyser’s 1938 long poem “The Book of the Dead” as in part an index to the critical tension between written word and photographic image theorized by Rukeyser and others during the period. “The Book of the Dead,” a work in which photography and photographers figure prominently, takes a self-critical approach to the documentary practices informing it, challenging the hegemony of the photographic image and the cultural conditions under which it assumed its rhetorical potency.
John Dos Passos and Harlan: Three Variations on a Theme
Authors: Pizer Donald
Published: March 2015

John Dos Passos’s three accounts of his November 1931 journey to Kentucky’s Harlan County to observe labor conditions in the coal industry exhibit a major socially committed 1930s writer trying out various modernistic forms in order to communicate the meaning of a significant social event. His three efforts— Harlan Miners Speak (1932), “Harlan: Working under the Gun” (December 1931), and “the Camera Eye (51)” in The Big Money (1936)—reveal his discomfort with the shapelessness and ideological bias of the documentary and his greater achievements in the forms of reportage and stream of consciousness. Reportage permitted him to mold the account of his visit into a sophisticated artwork, stream of consciousness to probe his deepest personal response to the event.
The Racial Ends of History: Melancholic Historical Practice in Pauline Hopkins’s Of One Blood
Authors: Tolliver Cedric R.
Published: March 2015

The essay positions the deployment of the Ethiopianist tradition of popular history in Of One Blood as a challenge to late nineteenthcentury white academic historians’ ideological support of black political exclusion. Reading the concern with lost origins as melancholic attachment, the essay argues that Hopkins’s novel subtly reveals the costs of framing history as a biological inheritance.
Ambivalence and the Empire City: Julia de Burgos’s New York
Authors: Alvarado Li Yun
Published: March 2015

This essay examines acclaimed Puerto Rican poet Julia de Burgos’s letters, newspaper articles, and poems for traces of New York City, the place where she resided during the last decade of her life and which she came to call her “second home.” While she was deeply committed to the cause of Puerto Rican independence, she also became increasingly concerned with the plight of Puerto Ricans and Latina/os on the mainland and particularly those who lived in New York City. Her writings from and about New York reveal an ambivalence toward the metropolis that is rooted in imperial history and in her position as artist, activist, woman, and migrant.