bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SCAI/CCAS/SPA Expert Consensus Statement for Anesthesia and Sedation Practice: Recommendations for Patients Undergoing Diagnostic and Therapeutic Procedures in the Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
Authors: Odegard Kirsten C. , Vincent Robert , Baijal Rahul G. , Daves Suanne M. , Gray Robert G. , Javois Alexander J. , Love Barry A. , Moore Philip , Nykanen David , Riegger Lori Q. , Walker Scott G. , Wilson Elizabeth C.
Published: October 2016

Current practice of sedation and anesthesia for patients undergoing pediatric and congenital cardiac catheterization laboratory (PCCCL) procedures is known to vary among institutions, a multi-society expert panel with representatives from the Congenital Heart Disease Council of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia and the Congenital Cardiac Anesthesia Society was convened to evaluate the types of sedation and personnel necessary for procedures performed in the PCCCL. The goal of this panel was to provide practitioners and institutions performing these procedures with guidance consistent with national standards and to provide clinicians and institutions with consensus-based recommendations and the supporting references to encourage their application in quality improvement programs. Recommendations can neither encompass all clinical circumstances nor replace the judgment of individual clinicians in the management of each patient. The science of medicine is rooted in evidence, and the art of medicine is based on the application of this evidence to the individual patient. This expert consensus statement has adhered to these principles for optimal management of patients requiring sedation and anesthesia. What follows are recommendations for patient monitoring in the PCCCL regardless of whether minimal or no sedation is being used or general anesthesia is being provided by an anesthesiologist.
Massive Transfusion Protocols: A Survey of Academic Medical Centers in the United States
Authors: Treml Angela B. , Gorlin Jed B. , Dutton Richard P. , Scavone Barbara M.
Published: October 2016

BACKGROUND:

Massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) have been adopted in many hospitals, and they may improve outcomes, as well as decrease the number of blood products transfused. However, there are no specific guidelines regarding the number and types of products that should be included in these protocols. MTPs may vary from hospital to hospital.

METHODS:

A short, web-based survey was sent to blood bank medical directors at academic institutions to learn details about MTPs.

RESULTS:

A total of 107 survey requests were sent, and 56 were completed (52% response rate). All who responded had an MTP in place. Nearly all (n = 55, 98.2% [95% CI, 90.6%–99.7%]) base their protocol on delivery of fixed amounts and ratios of blood products, with only a minority incorporating any elements of laboratory-directed therapy. The most common target, red blood cell (RBC):plasma ratio, is 1:1 (n = 39, 69.9% [95% CI, 56.7%–80.1%] of respondents). The majority (n = 36, 64.3% [95% CI, 51.2%–75.6%]) provide 6 or more units of red blood cells in the first MTP packet.

CONCLUSIONS:

One-hundred percent of survey respondents had an MTP in place. Despite a lack of published guidelines regarding MTPs, the survey results demonstrated substantial uniformity in numbers of products and target transfusion ratios.
Demethylation of ERECTA receptor genes by IBM1 histone demethylase affects stomatal development
Authors: Wang Yuhua , Xue Xueyi , Zhu Jian-Kang , Dong Juan
Published: October 2016

DNA methylation and histone modifications interact to modulate gene expression in biological organisms. The histone demethylase IBM1 suppresses DNA methylation and gene silencing, primarily by targeting genic regions in the Arabidopsis genome. The chromatin regulator EDM2 is also required for prevention of genic DNA methylation because it maintains IBM1 expression by promoting IBM1 mRNA distal polyadenylation. Loss-of-function ibm1 and edm2 mutant plants display a wide range of developmental defects, but little is known about which developmentally important genes are regulated by IBM1 and EDM2. Here, we show that both ibm1 and edm2 mutants display defects in production of stomatal lineage cells, which is linked to DNA hypermethylation of the ERECTA family genes, including ER, ERL1 and ERL2. Stomatal phenotypes and DNA methylation levels of ER genes in ibm1 and edm2 mutants are restored by mutations in the genes encoding the histone methyltransferase KYP and DNA methyltransferase CMT3. Our data demonstrate that a specific plant developmental context is influenced by IBM1-regulated histone modification and DNA methylation on the gene body region of the ERECTA receptors.
Cytokinin acts through the auxin influx carrier AUX1 to regulate cell elongation in the root
Authors: Street Ian H. , Mathews Dennis E. , Yamburkenko Maria V. , Sorooshzadeh Ali , John Roshen T. , Swarup Ranjan , Bennett Malcolm J. , Kieber Joseph J. , Schaller G. Eric
Published: October 2016

Hormonal interactions are crucial for plant development. In Arabidopsis, cytokinins inhibit root growth through effects on cell proliferation and cell elongation. Here, we define key mechanistic elements in a regulatory network by which cytokinin inhibits root cell elongation in concert with the hormones auxin and ethylene. The auxin importer AUX1 functions as a positive regulator of cytokinin responses in the root; mutation of AUX1 specifically affects the ability of cytokinin to inhibit cell elongation but not cell proliferation. AUX1 is required for cytokinin-dependent changes of auxin activity in the lateral root cap associated with the control of cell elongation. Cytokinin regulates root cell elongation through ethylene-dependent and -independent mechanisms, both hormonal signals converging on AUX1 as a regulatory hub. An autoregulatory circuit is identified involving the control of ARR10 and AUX1 expression by cytokinin and auxin, this circuit potentially functioning as an oscillator to integrate the effects of these two hormones. Taken together, our results uncover several regulatory circuits controlling interactions of cytokinin with auxin and ethylene, and support a model in which cytokinin regulates shootward auxin transport to control cell elongation and root growth.
cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) regulates angiogenesis by modulating tip cell behavior in a Notch-independent manner
Authors: Nedvetsky Pavel I. , Zhao Xiaocheng , Mathivet Thomas , Aspalter Irene M. , Stanchi Fabio , Metzger Ross J. , Mostov Keith E. , Gerhardt Holger
Published: October 2016

cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) is a ubiquitously expressed serine/threonine kinase that regulates a variety of cellular functions. Here, we demonstrate that endothelial PKA activity is essential for vascular development, specifically regulating the transition from sprouting to stabilization of nascent vessels. Inhibition of endothelial PKA by endothelial cell-specific expression of dominant-negative PKA in mice led to perturbed vascular development, hemorrhage and embryonic lethality at mid-gestation. During perinatal retinal angiogenesis, inhibition of PKA resulted in hypersprouting as a result of increased numbers of tip cells. In zebrafish, cell autonomous PKA inhibition also increased and sustained endothelial cell motility, driving cells to become tip cells. Although these effects of PKA inhibition were highly reminiscent of Notch inhibition effects, our data demonstrate that PKA and Notch independently regulate tip and stalk cell formation and behavior.
Inhibition of Shh signalling in the chick wing gives insights into digit patterning and evolution
Authors: Pickering Joseph , Towers Matthew
Published: October 2016

In an influential model of pattern formation, a gradient of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signalling in the chick wing bud specifies cells with three antero-posterior positional values, which give rise to three morphologically different digits by a self-organizing mechanism with Turing-like properties. However, as four of the five digits of the mouse limb are morphologically similar in terms of phalangeal pattern, it has been suggested that self-organization alone could be sufficient. Here, we show that inhibition of Shh signalling at a specific stage of chick wing development results in a pattern of four digits, three of which can have the same number of phalanges. These patterning changes are dependent on a posterior extension of the apical ectodermal ridge, and this also allows the additional digit to arise from the Shh-producing cells of the polarizing region – an ability lost in ancestral theropod dinosaurs. Our analyses reveal that, if the specification of antero-posterior positional values is curtailed, self-organization can then produce several digits with the same number of phalanges. We present a model that may give important insights into how the number of digits and phalanges has diverged during the evolution of avian and mammalian limbs.
Making sense out of spinal cord somatosensory development
Authors: Lai Helen C. , Seal Rebecca P. , Johnson Jane E.
Published: October 2016

The spinal cord integrates and relays somatosensory input, leading to complex motor responses. Research over the past couple of decades has identified transcription factor networks that function during development to define and instruct the generation of diverse neuronal populations within the spinal cord. A number of studies have now started to connect these developmentally defined populations with their roles in somatosensory circuits. Here, we review our current understanding of how neuronal diversity in the dorsal spinal cord is generated and we discuss the logic underlying how these neurons form the basis of somatosensory circuits.
Mapping a multiplexed zoo of mRNA expression
Authors: Choi Harry M. T. , Calvert Colby R. , Husain Naeem , Huss David , Barsi Julius C. , Deverman Benjamin E. , Hunter Ryan C. , Kato Mihoko , Lee S. Melanie , Abelin Anna C. T. , Rosenthal Adam Z. , Akbari Omar S. , Li Yuwei , Hay Bruce A. , Sternberg Paul W. , Patterson Paul H. , Davidson Eric H. , Mazmanian Sarkis K. , Prober David A. , van de Rijn Matt , Leadbetter Jared R. , Newman Dianne K. , Readhead Carol , Bronner Marianne E. , Wold Barbara , Lansford Rusty , Sauka-Spengler Tatjana , Fraser Scott E. , Pierce Niles A.
Published: October 2016

In situ hybridization methods are used across the biological sciences to map mRNA expression within intact specimens. Multiplexed experiments, in which multiple target mRNAs are mapped in a single sample, are essential for studying regulatory interactions, but remain cumbersome in most model organisms. Programmable in situ amplifiers based on the mechanism of hybridization chain reaction (HCR) overcome this longstanding challenge by operating independently within a sample, enabling multiplexed experiments to be performed with an experimental timeline independent of the number of target mRNAs. To assist biologists working across a broad spectrum of organisms, we demonstrate multiplexed in situ HCR in diverse imaging settings: bacteria, whole-mount nematode larvae, whole-mount fruit fly embryos, whole-mount sea urchin embryos, whole-mount zebrafish larvae, whole-mount chicken embryos, whole-mount mouse embryos and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human tissue sections. In addition to straightforward multiplexing, in situ HCR enables deep sample penetration, high contrast and subcellular resolution, providing an incisive tool for the study of interlaced and overlapping expression patterns, with implications for research communities across the biological sciences.
Reversible optogenetic control of kinase activity during differentiation and embryonic development
Authors: Krishnamurthy Vishnu V. , Khamo John S. , Mei Wenyan , Turgeon Aurora J. , Ashraf Humza M. , Mondal Payel , Patel Dil B. , Risner Noah , Cho Ellen E. , Yang Jing , Zhang Kai
Published: October 2016

A limited number of signaling pathways are repeatedly used to regulate a wide variety of processes during development and differentiation. The lack of tools to manipulate signaling pathways dynamically in space and time has been a major technical challenge for biologists. Optogenetic techniques, which utilize light to control protein functions in a reversible fashion, hold promise for modulating intracellular signaling networks with high spatial and temporal resolution. Applications of optogenetics in multicellular organisms, however, have not been widely reported. Here, we create an optimized bicistronic optogenetic system using Arabidopsis thaliana cryptochrome 2 (CRY2) protein and the N-terminal domain of cryptochrome-interacting basic-helix-loop-helix (CIBN). In a proof-of-principle study, we develop an optogenetic Raf kinase that allows reversible light-controlled activation of the Raf/MEK/ERK signaling cascade. In PC12 cells, this system significantly improves light-induced cell differentiation compared with co-transfection. When applied to Xenopus embryos, this system enables blue light-dependent reversible Raf activation at any desired developmental stage in specific cell lineages. Our system offers a powerful optogenetic tool suitable for manipulation of signaling pathways with high spatial and temporal resolution in a wide range of experimental settings.
Blood stem cells: from beginning to end
Authors: Bigas Anna , Waskow Claudia
Published: October 2016

In June 2016, around 200 scientists from all over the world gathered at EMBL headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany to discuss the recent advances in hematopoietic stem cells from three different angles: developmental, adulthood and aging. The meeting, aptly named ‘Hematopoietic stem cells: from the embryo to the aging organism’ also covered cutting-edge technologies applied to this subject, such as single-cell analysis, reprogramming and imaging. This Meeting review summarizes the exciting work that was presented and covers the main themes that emerged from the meeting.
A Multilevel Analysis of the Performance Implications of Excess Control in Business Groups
Authors: Yang Kuo-Pin , Schwarz Gavin M.
Published: October 2016

A central premise of business groups is that controlling shareholders seize disproportionate control in excess of their ownership as a means of becoming and remaining competitive. We reexamine this axiom by exploring the relationship between excess control rights and performance outcomes in business groups. Using a sample of 106 Taiwanese business groups, we confirm that the effects of excess control in business groups are double edged, such that group-level excess control exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with group performance. At the same time, results show that when group-level excess control is high, there is a stronger negative relationship between firm-level excess control and firm performance. Moreover, the study indicates that the detrimental effect of excess control is less pronounced in business groups that are governed by family members or by professional managers. Findings offer a far deeper view than previously proposed on the excess control phenomenon in business groups, and the need to distinguish firm performance from group performance.
Body dissatisfaction during pregnancy: key considerations for aesthetic practice
Authors: Brackenbury Julie
Published: October 2016

Pregnancy and childbirth are associated with dramatic shifts in body shape and size. For many women, these changes are perceived negatively, resulting in body dissatisfaction, or a negative body image, despite being at a stage of life when social pressures for slimness might be expected to be relaxed. From examining the literature, it appears that poor body image during pregnancy is a growing issue. Emerging evidence suggests that social media use may increase the risk of poor wellbeing among pregant women.
Research sheds new light on laminitis risk factors
Authors: Barfoot Clare
Published: October 2016

New research suggests we may soon be able to better identify horses at greater risk of developing pasture-associated laminitis, not only by looking at breed type, body condition score and associated higher risk environments, but also by checking hormone and insulin levels.
An “integrated health neighbourhood” framework to optimise the use of EHR data
Authors: Liaw Siaw-Teng , De Lusignan Simon
Published: October 2016

General practice should become the hub of integrated health neighbourhoods (IHNs), which involves sharing of information to ensure that medical homes are also part of learning organisations that use electronic health record (EHR) data for care, decision making, teaching and learning, quality improvement and research. The IHN is defined as the primary and ambulatory care services in a locality that relates largely to a single hospital-based secondary care service provider and is the logical denominator and unit of comparison for the optimal use of EHR data and health information exchange (HIE) to facilitate integration and coordination of care. Its size may vary based on the geography and requirements of the population, for example between city, suburban and rural areas. The conceptual framework includes context; integration of data, information and knowledge; integration of clinical workflow and practice; and inter-professional integration to ensure coordinated shared care to deliver safe and effective services that are equitable, accessible and culturally respectful. We illustrate how this HIE-supported IHN vision may be achieved with an Australian case study demonstrating the integration of linked pseudonymised records with knowledge- and evidence-based guidelines using semantic web tools and informatics-based methods, researching causal links bewteen data quality and quality of care and the key issues to address. The data presented in this paper form part of the evaluation of the informatics infrastructure - HIE and data repository – for its reliability and utility in supporting the IHN. An IHN can only be created if the necessary health informatics infrastructure is put in place. Integrated care may struggle to be effective without HIE.
Differentiation of root canal morphology – a review of the literature
Authors: Przesmycka Agata , Tomczyk Jacek
Published: October 2016

The morphological diversity of the inner anatomy of root canals in human permanent teeth is an issue mainly described in endodontics research. In recent years, it is a relatively new point in anthropological studies because it varies by sex, geographic and ethnic circumstances. An unusual number of root canals or their specific systems can differentiate populations around the world. The multiplicity of available methods for detecting root canal systems helps to better understand their complexity; however, most cannot be applied to anthropology due to limitations that occur in the bioarcheological material. Thorough knowledge of the heterogeneity and internal anatomy of the root canals supplies numerous classification systems proposed and improved over the years by many authors. A limited number of studies in the anthropological literature and future research will shed light onto the internal tooth morphology in historical populations. The aim of this paper is to describe various classification systems of root canals applied in endodontics. However, due to the often poor state of preservation and damage of archaeological derived remains, it seems that the best method is the approach that is the simplest and least complicated.
When maize is not the first choice: advances in paleodietary studies in the Archaeological Site Río Doncellas (Jujuy, Argentina)
Authors: Killian Galván Violeta A. , Samec Celeste T. , Panarello Héctor O.
Published: October 2016

In this work we present new values of stable isotopes of carbon (δ13Cco and δ13Cap) and nitrogen (δ15N) measured in a sample of 13 human individuals found in the Río Doncellas Archaeological Site (Late Period or Regional Developments, ca. 1000 AD-1450 AD) located in the Puna of Jujuy, Northwest of Argentina. The skeletal series belong to the collection of Museo E. Casanova, FFyL – UBA and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano, being the result of investigations carried out during the decades of 1940 and 1970, respectively. In addition, in this work we present isotopic compositions of food resources (vegetal and fauna) found in the archaeological record as well as gathered in modern farms located in the study area (Abra Pampa, Cochinoca, Jujuy). This information was used for paleodietary inference, allowing us to establish a hierarchy of the resources that were consumed. The results indicate that maize (Zea mays) is less important than other vegetal resources in the diet, which contradicts the expectations generated from the macrobotanical evidence of the site and the cultivated terraces that surround it. On the other hand, camelids seemed to be widely exploited, which is coherent with the current importance of meat production within the region. These results allow us to assert that the growth of cereals did not have a progressive relevance over other resources.
Painting as Critique: Oil Painting as a Site for Social and Political Negotiation in Syria
Authors: Bank Charlotte
Published: October 2016

Oil painting in the European manner was closely linked to questions of modernity in the Arab world and was often intimately connected with discussions pertaining to national independence and social progress. By reference to the work of the early Syrian painter Tawfiq Tarek, this article discusses oil painting in Syria as a site to negotiating questions of modernity and social and political change. As was the case with his peers from other Arab countries, Tarek, despite having received his training in Paris, was not interested in the avant-garde art movements that sought to disrupt artistic traditions, but preferred to remain within established, academic genres. For him, genres such as history painting and even Orientalism served to convey subversive political messages and declare his commitment to progressive and nationalist ideas, thus linking him and his work to notions of “committed” art.
Linguistic landscaping in Tabriz, Iran: a discursive transformation of a bilingual space into a monolingual place
Authors: Mirvahedi Seyed Hadi
Published: October 2016

A growing body of research highlights the significance of visual language use in public sphere in discursively transforming geographical spaces into places. This symbolic construction of places plays a paramount role in the vitality of minority languages by increasing the prestige of minority languages and thus redressing the balance between minority and majority groups. The present article explores the symbolic construction of Tabriz, a Northwest metropolis in Iran which is home to nearly two million Azerbaijani-speaking people. Despite the rich bilingualism in Azerbaijani and Farsi in the city, Farsi, the official language of the state, continues casting a shadow over Azerbaijani through various language policy mechanisms. Drawing upon language policy and planning theories coupled with the principles of geosemiotics, the research examines linguistic landscape data collected in three main streets in Tabriz. The analysis demonstrates what types of discourses mediate and are created by language choices on governmental and private signs. Farsi is normalized for both governmental and private signs reflecting and reproducing national ideologies. The absence of Azerbaijani as the native language of the people in the linguistic landscape (LL) of Tabriz is noticeable. In its entirety, the findings suggest that the linguistic landscape is not always a fair representation of the linguistic repertoire of the people living in a geographical space, but rather language choice in the LL is deployed by the state and/or people to portray an image of a place they desire and aspire to.
Multilingualism and social cohesion: insights from South African students (1998, 2010, 2015)
Authors: Coetzee-Van Rooy Susan
Published: October 2016

The relationship between nations (or states), languages and social cohesion have been studied over time. Contexts like Africa and India challenge the conceived Western notion of “one-nation-one-language”. Insights about multilingualism and social cohesion from complex sociolinguistic contexts like South Africa could provide a deeper understanding helpful for promoting social cohesion in emerging “super-diverse” situations across the globe. This article reports on selected data from a longitudinal language repertoire survey conducted over three periods (1998, 2010 and 2015) in the Vaal Triangle region in South Africa. It discusses the views of multilingual urban students (N=1900+) about the relationship between multilingualism and social cohesion. The main findings are that the multilingual African home language participants believe that being multilingual is related to social cohesion, while this is not a prominent finding for Afrikaans home language users (who are mainly bilingual). The data from the South African context indicate the importance of multilingual repertoires as instruments that support the fostering of social cohesion in complex settings. Multilingual repertoires facilitate communication that enhances the building of better relationships and a deeper understanding between people in diverse settings. The implications of the findings for emerging “super-diverse” global societies are discussed.
Adaptive Fuzzy High-Order Super-Twisting Sliding Mode Controller for Uncertain Robotic Manipulator
Authors: Goel Ankur , Swarup Akhilesh
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a novel adaptive fuzzy high-order super-twisting sliding mode controller, based on the modified super-twisting control (STC), to achieve accurate trajectory tracking for a robotic manipulator with unknown structured uncertainties, parametric uncertainties, and time-varying external disturbances. Initially, a non-linear homogeneous sliding manifold is designed to achieve finite-time convergence, better robustness, and good transient characteristics. Afterwards, conventional STC is modified with the new sliding surface that eliminates the limitation of STC application only on relative degree 1 systems. Moreover, two adaptive fuzzy systems are designed to replace the STC signals for handling the chattering problem and overestimating the controller gains. These fuzzy systems are continuously adjusted by two adaptation laws that are deduced from the Lyapunov stability theory. These adaptive laws need only a sliding surface variable as an input and generate the optimal controller gains as an output. The finite-time convergence and stability of the proposed controller is analyzed by the homogeneous Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, to show the efficacy of the proposed method, the controller is simulated on a 2-degree-of-freedom planar robotic manipulator to obtain the accurate trajectory tracking. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed control scheme in the presence of structured and unstructured uncertainties.
Mediated Recognition and the Categorial Stance
Authors: Koskinen Heikki J.
Published: October 2016

In this paper, I articulate a systematic model of mediated recognition based on the notion of the categorial stance. Mediated recognition is understood as a trilateral form of recognition, while the categorial stance is conceived as an epistemic position operating with the most general ontological categories and relations. The central thesis argued for is that the categorial stance can be used as a rational resource for conceptually mediated recognition. I begin with tools found in earlier research literature, then characterize the idea of conceptual rationality, consider contexts of mediated recognition, and finally, integrate the categorial stance into the model.
The Prism of Change
Authors: Bruun Hanne
Published: October 2016

This article presents and discusses the communicative behaviour in the continuity texts produced by public service television providers in Denmark in the digital era. Based on a case study of the two main channels, DR and TV 2, the article argues that, after previous trends towards convergence in the way the two providers communicate, the present developments exhibit a divergence. Three major differences are found in the efforts to (1) hold on to and ‘herd’ the viewers within the scope of products and platforms, (2) strengthen the provider–viewer relationship, and (3) stand out with a distinctive set of institutional values. The findings are interpreted as a consequence of the challenges and opportunities facing the providers in terms of funding and in terms of meeting public service obligations, in a situation of tension between a traditional linear model of broadcasting and an emerging non-linear model.
Epigenomic reprogramming in inorganic arsenic-mediated gene expression patterns during carcinogenesis
Authors: Eckstein Meredith , Eleazer Rebekah , Rea Matthew , Fondufe-Mittendorf Yvonne
Published: October 2016

Arsenic is a ubiquitous metalloid that is not mutagenic but is carcinogenic. The mechanism(s) by which arsenic causes cancer remain unknown. To date, several mechanisms have been proposed, including the arsenic-induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, it is also becoming evident that inorganic arsenic (iAs) may exert its carcinogenic effects by changing the epigenome, and thereby modifying chromatin structure and dynamics. These epigenetic changes alter the accessibility of gene regulatory factors to DNA, resulting in specific changes in gene expression both at the levels of transcription initiation and gene splicing. In this review, we discuss recent literature reports describing epigenetic changes induced by iAs exposure and the possible epigenetic mechanisms underlying these changes.
Investigation of mechanical performances of composite bolted joints with local reinforcements
Authors: Zhang Jifeng , Xie Qiang , Xie Yonggang , Zhou Limin , Wang Zhenqing
Published: October 2016

Four different local reinforcement schemes used in composite bolted joints were studied. In numerical study, a set of 3-D failure criteria was used and the progressive failure analysis was implemented via user-defined subroutine vectorized user-material (VUMAT), which was programmed by the commercial finite element (FE) software ABAQUS. In the experiment, test specimens were manufactured with different local reinforcement schemes, and the mechanical performances of these specimens were tested under tensile loads. Failure modes of these specimens were observed and mechanical performances of test specimens with local reinforcement were studied. It was found that the numerical results agreed well with the experiment. It was also found that local reinforcement schemes influenced the mechanical performances of bolted joints obviously and that the tensile strength of composite bolted joints could be improved significantly by burying laminate slices.
Leaves of Cordia boissieri A. DC. as a potential source of bioactive secondary metabolites for protection against metabolic syndrome-induced in rats
Authors: Owis Asmaa I. , Abo-youssef Amira M. , Osman Ahmed H.
Published: October 2016

Cordia boissieri A. DC. (Boraginaceae) is traditionally used as an herbal remedy for diabetes by Hispanic women in Southwestern USA. A recent investigation showed the significant protective effect of ethyl acetate extract against metabolic syndrome (MS). However, the corresponding active principles responsible for this effect and relations between their structure and biological actions remain unclear. Thus, ethyl acetate extract was subjected to column chromatography, which yielded seven compounds identified on the basis of spectroscopic data as rutin, hesperidin, kaempferol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, rosmarinic acid, β-sitosterol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside, quercetin, and kaempferol. The isolated compounds (5 mg/kg/day) were tested in a fructose enriched-diet rat model using metformin as a standard drug. Blood samples were withdrawn for estimation of MS-associated biomarkers and liver samples were subjected to histopathological and immunohistochemical examination. The isolated compounds impaired most of the changes associated with MS as evidenced by improved insulin sensitivity, glucose tolerance, kidney function, lipid profiles and reduced oxidative stress and inflammation by different degrees. It is worth noting that quercetin and kaempferol showed the most potent effect. Structure-activity relationship study revealed that the presence of 2,3-double bond in ring C and ortho-hydroxylation in ring B increases the flavonoids activity while glycosylation or methylation decreased this activity.
Acute Effects of Lateral Thigh Foam Rolling on Arterial Tissue Perfusion Determined by Spectral Doppler and Power Doppler Ultrasound
Authors: Hotfiel Thilo , Swoboda Bernd , Krinner Sebastian , Grim Casper , Engelhardt Martin , Uder Michael , Heiss Rafael U.
Published: October 2016

Hotfiel, T, Swoboda, B, Krinner, S, Grim, C, Engelhardt, M, Uder, M, and Heiss, R. Acute effects of lateral thigh foam rolling on arterial tissue perfusion determined by spectral Doppler and power Doppler ultrasound. J Strength Cond Res 31(4): 893–900, 2017—Foam rolling has been developed as a popular intervention in training and rehabilitation. However, evidence on its effects on the cellular and physiological level is lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of foam rolling on arterial blood flow of the lateral thigh. Twenty-one healthy participants (age, 25 ± 2 years; height, 177 ± 9 cm; body weight, 74 ± 9 kg) were recruited from the medical and sports faculty. Arterial tissue perfusion was determined by spectral Doppler and power Doppler ultrasound, represented as peak flow (Vmax), time average velocity maximum (TAMx), time average velocity mean (TAMn), and resistive index (RI), and with semiquantitative grading that was assessed by 4 blindfolded investigators. Measurement values were assessed under resting conditions and twice after foam rolling exercises of the lateral thigh (0 and 30 minutes after intervention). The trochanteric region, mid portion, and distal tibial insertion of the lateral thigh were representative for data analysis. Arterial blood flow of the lateral thigh increased significantly after foam rolling exercises compared with baseline (p ≤ 0.05). We detected a relative increase in Vmax of 73.6% (0 minutes) and 52.7% (30 minutes) (p < 0.001), in TAMx of 53.2% (p < 0.001) and 38.3% (p = 0.002), and in TAMn of 84.4% (p < 0.001) and 68.2% (p < 0.001). Semiquantitative power Doppler scores at all portions revealed increased average grading of 1.96 after intervention and 2.04 after 30 minutes compared with 0.75 at baseline. Our results may contribute to the understanding of local physiological reactions to self-myofascial release.
Agility Index as a Measurement Tool Based on Stimuli Number and Traveling Distances
Authors: Zemková Erika
Published: October 2016

Zemková, E. Agility Index as a measurement tool based on stimuli number and traveling distances. J Strength Cond Res 31(8): 2141–2146, 2017—The purpose of this study was to develop an Agility Index (AI), plus related methodology, for representing and quantifying the data variability of agility performance, incorporating varied stimuli number and traveling distances. A group of 84 physically fit subjects performed the agility test. Their task was to touch, with either the left or the right foot, 1 of 4 mats according to the location of a stimulus in one of the corners of the screen. Results showed no significant changes in agility time during 60 responses, when subjects traveled a distance of 0.4 m (6.3%, p = 0.326). However, agility time increased significantly after 40 responses when traveling 0.8 m (12.5%, p = 0.044), after 20 responses when traveling 1.6 m (18.6%, p = 0.028), and after 10 responses when traveling 3.2 m (18.3%, p = 0.029). To estimate the contribution of movement time to the agility time, the AI was proposed. This was defined as a ratio of reaction time and agility time, divided by the previously determined coefficient for each distance traveled. No significant differences between the 2 test occasions in the AI and the ICC values in range from 0.88 to 0.93 and SEM from 7.6 to 8.8% signify that it is of sufficient stability and reliability to be used in practice. The AI is crucial for the sport-specific assessment of agility performance that differs in the number of stimuli and traveling distances. Also, it can be useful for comparing individuals with varied performance levels and the evaluation of agility training efficiency.
The Gut Microbiota and Atherosclerosis: The State of the Art and Novel Perspectives
Authors: Rosa Giulio La , Biasucci Luigi Marzio
Published: October 2016

The human gut microbiota is composed of more than 100 trillion microbes. Most communities are dominated by species belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Verrucomicrobia. Microflora-derived short-chain fatty acids play a pivotal role in the framework of insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. They are an important energy source and are involved in several pathways, with proatherogenic and antiatherogenic effects. The increased gut microbiota lipopolysaccharide levels (defined as “metabolic endotoxemia”) induce a state of low-grade inflammation and are involved in atherosclerotic disease through Toll-like receptor 4. Another important inflammatory trigger in gut microbiota–mediated atherosclerotic promotion is trimethylamine N-oxide. On the other hand, protocatechuic acid was found to promote cholesterol efflux from macrophages, showing an antiatherogenic effect. Further studies to clarify specific gut composition involved in cardiometabolic syndrome and atherogenesis are needed for greater use of targeted approaches.
Global Burden of Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Estel Christopher , Conti C. Richard
Published: October 2016

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one cause of mortality world-wide and places a high medical and socioeconomic burden on developing countries. Our understanding of CVD and its evolution over the last 100 years has altered considerably. Reasons for the increased rate of CVD in the developing world include rapid urbanization and the demographic shift known as the modern epidemiologic transition. The case for intervention is based on both major human and economic impacts of CVD. It has been estimated that cost-effective interventions in developing countries with a high burden of CVD could result in a projected 24 million lives saved. This reduction in CVD mortality could reduce economic costs by $8 billion. Approaches to intervention include: 1) cardiovascular health promotion and CVD prevention and 2) action plans advocated by the World Health Organization.
Management of Hypertension: JNC 8 and Beyond
Authors: Amsterdam Ezra A. , Venugopal Sandhya , Bui Jonathan , Thevakumar Balasingam , Thinda Angela , Virk Sabrina , Bommer William J. , Khullar Aman , Singh Gagan
Published: October 2016

Hypertension is a leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death and morbidity in our society and on a global scale. Major components of cardiovascular disease include stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease, in all of which hypertension plays a major role. The risk of these complications increases directly and linearly with systolic blood pressure starting at 115 mmHg. Although usually asymptomatic, hypertension is readily detectable on physical examination and is amenable to both lifestyle modification and pharmacologic treatment in most patients. However, large proportions of the hypertensive population remain undetected and undertreated. Numerous guidelines have been issued during the past few decades to promote detection and optimal therapy. Despite the increase in risk with systolic blood pressure greater than 115 mmHg, the generally accepted threshold for diagnosis and treatment has been systolic blood pressure greater than 139 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure greater than 80 mmHg because until recently treatment to lower levels has been associated with an unfavorable relation between clinical benefit and harm. In the past several years, new guidelines, advisories, commentaries, and clinical trials have provided evidence for a potential change in current recommendations for the management of hypertension. In this regard, the long-awaited eighth report of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommended patients older than 60 years be treated to a systolic blood pressure of less than 150 mmHg, which has generated considerable controversy and caution. The striking findings of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) have received considerable attention because of the demonstration that intensive therapy to a target systolic blood pressure below 120 mmHg decreases cardiovascular mortality and morbidity more than less intensive treatment to a target systolic blood pressure below 140 mmHg, but this approach is not fully generalizable because the trial excluded patients younger than 50 years and those with diabetes and prior stroke. This article addresses major issues in the management of hypertension, including those in the seventh and eight reports of the Joint National Committee on the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure and subsequent studies, considering maintenance of prior standards as well as the potential application of important new findings.
Neo-Extractivism in Latin America – one side of a new phase of global capitalist dynamics
Authors: Brand Ulrich , Dietz Kristina , Lang Miriam
Published: October 2016

The aim of this text is to make sense of the emerging political-institutional, territorial, and socio-ecological dynamics and contradictions of neo-extractivism in Latin America in the context of global capitalist development. In contrast to some existing literature, we argue that the term ‘neo-extractivism’ should not be restricted to countries with progressive governments but be applied to all Latin American societies that, since the 1970s and especially since the year 2000, depend predominantly on the exploitation and exportation of nature. We argue that the often vague usage of the term neo-extractivism can be strengthened when it is seen in line with dominant development models. Therefore we refer to regulation theory and its historical heuristic of different phases of capitalist development. This enables us to look at the temporal-spatial interdependencies between shifting socio-economic and technological developments, world market structures, and political-institutional configurations that characterize neo-extractivism across scales and beyond national borders.
Estrategias familiares, trabajo y orígenes de pequeños productores cafeteros en el Huila, Colombia
Authors: Salcedo Montero Camilo Andrés
Published: October 2016

El artículo analiza cómo el trabajo familiar es central para comprender la expansión de la pequeña propiedad y la producción del café en el Huila desde los años setenta, a partir de la información recolectada en trabajos de campo en los años 2014 y 2015. Para cumplir este propósito, el texto se divide en tres partes: primero, analiza las formas del trabajo que giran alrededor del cultivo del café en el Huila (mayordomo, partijero, contratista, jornalero, entre otros), sus posiciones y oposiciones sociales, y cómo el trabajo familiar se inserta y es determinante en estas formas de trabajo. Segundo, expone las trayectorias sociales por las cuales nacieron grupos de pequeños productores cafeteros en el Huila y las estrategias que las familias con y sin tierra tuvieron para mantener o expandir sus patrimonios a partir de sus asociaciones familiares. Por último, realiza una aproximación a las causas del origen del “ciclo de las deudas” de los pequeños productores (con la introducción de una nueva variedad de café en los años setenta), la forma en la que resistieron estas crisis (manteniendo la producción de café), y cómo han sido impactados por estas.
The Relationship between Managerial Skills and Managerial Effectiveness in a Managerial Simulation Game
Authors: Smutny Petr , Prochazka Jakub , Vaculik Martin
Published: October 2016

The study explores the relationship between managerial skills and managerial effectiveness, measuring managerial effectiveness by four different methods. Evaluation of 96 top managers of fictitious companies by a group of 1,746 subordinates took place after three months of intensive cooperation during a managerial simulation game. All respondents were college students. Results show that different managerial effectiveness indicators have different sets of managerial skills predictors: Group performance (profit of company) is predicted by motivational skills; perceived effectiveness (evaluation by subordinates) is predicted by organizational skills and by motivational skills; organizational skills, communicational skills, and cooperativeness predict leadership emergence (assessed by subordinates); and evaluation and supervisory skills are the only predictor for leadership self-efficacy (self-evaluation of the manager). According to the results it is possible to recommend focusing especially on manager's motivational skills in order to enhance team performance and on organizational skills for reinforcing manager's position.
Efectos de la educación en el nivel de las contribuciones a los planes privados de pensiones de las familias en España
Authors: Sánchez Campillo José , Moreno Herrero Dolores , Rodríguez Martín José Antonio
Published: October 2016

En este trabajo se abordan los efectos de la educación en el comportamiento financiero de las familias españolas, con relación a la contratación de los planes privados de pensiones. Se realizan varias estimaciones de la probabilidad de tener planes de pensiones y de realizar aportaciones a los mismos, utilizando el modelo logit y los microdatos de la Encuesta Financiera de las Familias del Banco de España del 2005. Los resultados muestran que son los hábitos financieros, más que el nivel de estudios del cabeza de familia, los que más influyen en la participación voluntaria en planes de pensiones.
Delimitation and analysis of areas suitable for the location of economic activity in the Wieliczka district
Authors: Dedio Kamila
Published: October 2016

The aim of this research was an attempt at selecting areas suitable for economic activity in the
Wieliczka district (powiat) that would meet specific exclusion criteria and then to carry out
an analysis of their investment attractiveness. Economic activity in this study includes investment objects that could negatively impact the environment and human health. A spatial database consisted of 39 thematic layers divided into 12 groups. Digital maps were taken from the
Digital Library of Małopolska. Spatial delimitation was carried out with the use of Geographic
Information System (GIS) and the MapInfo Professional 8 software. The analysis allowed to
choose two areas suitable for economic activity in the Gdów and Wieliczka municipalities. The
results of the study suggest that economic activity can be located in the selected area because it
equipped with rich investment infrastructure enhancing its attractiveness for investors.
Policy evolution of land consolidation and rural development in postwar Japan
Authors: Hashimoto Shizuka , Nishi Maiko
Published: October 2016

This paper examines the postwar evolution of land consolidation policy in Japan in light of
change in its agenda, scope, approach, policy tools and contexts with the aim to identify its possibilities and limitations for rural development. With a focus on Land Improvement Act (LIA)
and other relevant policy tools and schemes, it analyzes the distinctive traits of policy change
for the five sequential periods of the postwar era that reflects on socio-economic and political trends. Highlighting the change from government-led and infrastructure-based approach to
community-based and managerial-oriented one to land consolidation as an integrated part of
broader agricultural and rural development policy, the study suggests future evolution of land
consolidation policy that is likely to involve further diverse interests in sustainable development
held by a broad range of stakeholders including rural, urban and international communities.