bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Most Influential Literature in Spinal Tuberculosis: A Global Disease Without Global Evidence
Authors: Held Michael , Castelein Sophie , Bruins Marie-Fien , Laubscher Maritz , Dunn Robert , Keel Marius , Ahmad Sufian , Hoppe Sven
Published: June 2017

Study Design:

Bibliometric review of the literature.

Objective:

This bibliometric analysis aims to give an overview of the most influential academic literature written on spinal tuberculosis.

Methods:

All databases included in the Thomson Reuters Web of Knowledge were searched for the most influential publications in spinal tuberculosis. The most cited articles published between 1950 and 2015, with the main focus on orthopedic surgery, were identified using a multistep approach, and a total of 100 articles were included. The publications were then analyzed in this bibliometric analysis.

Results:

The number of citations ranged from 243 to 36, with an average of 77.11. The articles were published in 34 different journals, and the studies were conducted in 20 different countries. The top 3 countries, India, the United States, and China, published a total of 51% (n = 51) of all articles. Low-burden countries produced 60% (n = 60) of all articles in our list. African centers produced only 4% (n = 4) of all included articles.

Conclusions:

Indian and Chinese researchers dominate evidence in spinal tuberculosis. Other areas with high disease burden, such as Africa, do not feature. Most publications are retrospective studies with a low level of evidence.
Profiles of Elderly People Infected with HIV and Response to Antiretroviral Treatment in Burkina Faso: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Diallo Ismaël , Meda Nicolas , Ouédraogo Smaïla , Poda Armel , Hema Arsène , Sagna Yempabou , Sawadogo Lynda M. , Drabo Youssouf J. , Ouedraogo Dieu-Donné
Published: June 2017

Background:

In sub-Saharan Africa, few studies exist on elderly HIV-positive populations. Therefore, we aimed to examine the profiles of elderly people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Burkina Faso and their response to antiretroviral therapy (ART).

Methods:

We reviewed the monitoring and treatment of PLHIV over the age of 50 years and then compared with the monitoring and treatment of PLHIV under 50 years.

Results:

A total of 3367 patients were included. The median age of elderly people was 54.5 years and of young people was 34.9 years ( P = .03). In both the groups, screening was performed following clinical suspicion (64.9% in elderly versus 56% in young people; P < .001). Cardiovascular risk factors were generally more significant in the elderly people. The risk of death while on ART was 2.3 times higher in elderly people ( P < .001).

Conclusion:

HIV infection in older people occurs in those who already have some cardiovascular risk factors. Particular attention should be given to multidisciplinary care for the elderly individuals.
Dividing the pie in the eco-social state: Exploring the relationship between public support for environmental and welfare policies
Authors: Jakobsson Niklas , Muttarak Raya , Schoyen Mi Ah
Published: June 2017

Recent theoretical literature in social policy argued that climate change posed a new risk to the states and called for transformation from a traditional welfare state to an ‘eco’ state. From a theoretical point of view, different welfare regimes may manage environmental/climate change risks in a similar way to social risks. However, not much has been done to explore the issue empirically. To this end, this paper aims to investigate public attitudes towards environmental and traditional welfare policies given that environmental change is a new social risk the welfare states have to address. Do individuals that care for one area also care for the other? That is, do the preferences in these two policy spheres complement or substitute one another? We test these hypotheses both at the individual- and country-level, using data from 14 countries included in all three waves (1993, 2000, and 2010) of the environmental module in the International Social Survey Programme. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between attitudes towards income redistribution (indicator of support for welfare policy) and willingness to pay for environmental protection (indicator of support for environmental policy). Our findings suggest that attitudes in the two areas are substitutes in the total sample, but that the relationship is very small and only statistically significant in some specifications. When we explore country differentials, we observe clear heterogeneity in the relationship, which can be explained by differences in political and historical contexts across countries.
Individualised risk in patients undergoing lung volume reduction surgery: the Glenfield BFG score
Authors: Greening Neil J. , Vaughan Paul , Oey Inger , Steiner Michael C. , Morgan Mike D. , Rathinam Sridhar , Waller David A.
Published: June 2017

Lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) has been shown to be beneficial in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but there is low uptake, partly due to perceived concerns of high operative mortality. We aimed to develop an individualised risk score following LVRS.

This was a cohort study of patients undergoing LVRS. Factors independently predicting 90-day mortality and a risk prediction score were identified. Reliability of the score was tested using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC).

237 LVRS procedures were performed. The multivariate analysis factors associated independently with death were: body mass index (BMI)<18.5 kg·m−2(OR 2.83, p=0.059), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)<0.71 L (OR 5.47, p=0.011) and transfer factor of the lung for carbon monoxide (TLCO) <20% (OR 5.56, p=0.031). A risk score was calculated and total score assigned. AUROC for the risk score was 0.80 and a better predictor than individual components (p<0.01). The score was stratified into three risk groups. Of the total patients, 46% were classified as low risk. Similar improvements in lung function and health status were seen in all groups. The score was introduced and tested in a further 71 patients. AUROC for 90-day mortality in this cohort was 0.84.

It is possible to provide an individualised predictive risk score for LVRS, which may aid decision making for both clinicians and patients.
Neurologic Complications of Lymphoma, Leukemia, and Paraproteinemias
Authors: Mauermann Michelle L.
Published: June 2017

Purpose of Review: This article reviews the spectrum of neurologic complications associated with lymphoma, leukemia, and paraproteinemic disorders. While leptomeningeal metastasis is the most common complication of lymphoma and leukemia and peripheral neuropathy is the most common complication of paraproteinemic disorders, clinicians need to be familiar with the diverse neurologic complications of these disorders.

Recent Findings: Lymphomatous nervous system involvement can be difficult to diagnose, especially when it is the presenting symptom. CSF cytology and flow cytometry, as well as the imaging pattern, assist in diagnosis. Neurologic complications are less common in Hodgkin lymphoma; however, some unique paraneoplastic syndromes are associated with Hodgkin lymphoma, including primary central nervous system angiitis, limbic encephalitis, and cerebellar degeneration. Recent reports suggest that anti–metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) antibodies are associated with limbic encephalitis and that anti-Tr antibodies are associated with cerebellar degeneration in Hodgkin lymphoma. Polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal plasma cell disorder, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome is often misdiagnosed as chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP). A lambda protein, thrombocytosis, and elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can all be helpful clues in diagnosis. Early recognition is important, as the neuropathy responds to radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

Summary: Neurologic involvement can occur throughout the disease course in lymphoma and leukemia, including at presentation, with systemic progression, and at relapse. In paraproteinemias, the peripheral neuropathy phenotype, monoclonal protein type, and associated autonomic and systemic features aid in identification of an underlying plasma cell disorder.
Liver Disease and Neurology
Authors: Schwendimann Robert N. , Minagar Alireza
Published: June 2017

Purpose of Review: Neurologists often encounter patients with acute and chronic liver disease and must be aware of how these diseases can affect the nervous system. This is particularly true when evaluating patients with alterations in cognition and level of consciousness. Wilson disease, while uncommon, is a treatable condition with many neurologic and psychiatric symptoms. Neurologic disorders associated with liver disease may affect not only the brain, but also the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. This article reviews the association of liver disease and the nervous system and provides new information regarding diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to evaluating patients with liver diseases.

Recent Findings: Early recognition of hepatic encephalopathy may be possible using a combination of clinical suspicion and various neuropsychological studies. Management of severe hepatic encephalopathy from acute liver failure is important to neurologists involved in neurocritical care. Next-generation genetic testing may aid in the diagnosis of patients suspected of having Wilson disease. The relationship of numerous neurologic findings from hepatocerebral degeneration and from viral hepatitis is more widely recognized.

Summary: It is important for neurologists to recognize the neurologic symptoms that may occur in patients with acute and chronic liver failure, Wilson disease, and viral hepatitis to inform prompt diagnostic and management decisions.
Autoimmune Neurology of the Central Nervous System
Authors: Tobin W. Oliver , Pittock Sean J.
Published: June 2017

Purpose of Review: This article reviews the rapidly evolving spectrum of autoimmune neurologic disorders with a focus on those that involve the central nervous system, providing an understanding of how to approach the diagnostic workup of patients presenting with central nervous system symptoms or signs that could be immune mediated, either paraneoplastic or idiopathic, to guide therapeutic decision making.

Recent Findings: The past decade has seen a dramatic increase in the discovery of novel neural antibodies and their targets. Many commercial laboratories can now test for these antibodies, which serve as diagnostic markers of diverse neurologic disorders that occur on an autoimmune basis. Some are highly specific for certain cancer types, and the neural antibody profiles may help direct the physician’s cancer search.

Summary: The diagnosis of an autoimmune neurologic disorder is aided by the detection of an objective neurologic deficit (usually subacute in onset with a fluctuating course), the presence of a neural autoantibody, and improvement in the neurologic status after a course of immunotherapy. Neural autoantibodies should raise concern for a paraneoplastic etiology and may inform a targeted oncologic evaluation (eg, N-methyl-d-aspartate [NMDA] receptor antibodies are associated with teratoma, antineuronal nuclear antibody type 1 [ANNA-1, or anti-Hu] are associated with small cell lung cancer). MRI, EEG, functional imaging, videotaped evaluations, and neuropsychological evaluations provide objective evidence of neurologic dysfunction by which the success of immunotherapy may be measured. Most treatment information emanates from retrospective case series and expert opinion. Nonetheless, early intervention may allow reversal of deficits in many patients and prevention of future disability.
Overtones and Empty Rooms: Willa Cather's Semidetached Modernism
Authors: Plotz John
Published: June 2017

“Overtones and Empty Rooms” sets out to track Cather's idiosyncratic movement away from antecedents ranging from Norris's naturalism to James's novels of consciousness and toward a “moderate modernist” form of semidetachment. Her fiction between O Pioneers! (1913) and The Professor's House (1927) turns away from the possibilities explored by Lawrence, Hemingway, Woolf, Proust, Joyce, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald, seeking instead moments of aesthetic translucence, the overlay of one image, or one sound, on top of another. Such moments of overlay (or overtone) encapsulate the problem as well as the promise involved in turning one's readers simultaneously into participants and critical witnesses to one's story. Cather's distinctive form of modernism hinges on the way that she postulates a dichotomy between the world of aesthetic dreaming and the world of hard facts—then asserts fiction's capacity to inhabit both simultaneously.
Things and Nothings: Henry Green and the Late Modernist Banal
Authors: Milthorpe Naomi
Published: June 2017

The tension between precisions and generalities that catches scholars seeking to define the character of literary modernism fruitfully animates the work of novelist Henry Green. Green takes as his subject matter the ordinary stuff of life—commonplace language, routine experiences, unremarkable relationships—transforming dullness into novelistic event. Two novels demonstrate Green's extraordinary effects achieved through and with the banal, the boring, the vague, and the everyday: Party Going (1939) and Nothing (1951). In Party Going, a group of people stranded at a train station wait with their luggage, order drinks, and lose and find various members of their party. In its attention to the bathetic quotidian, Party Going animates a range of late modernist anxieties about time, leisure, and subjective experience that manifest in the novel's fretful leveling of objects and experiences using the repeated, vague signifier things. Later, in Nothing, a group of socialites—a young couple, their parents, who were former lovers, and the parents’ lovers—have conversations in restaurants and pubs. Nothing dramatizes the inane nature of polite conversation, in which “-thing” is used as a block, as though to empty a conversation of significant information. The multiple subjects and objects embraced by the vague term things suggests that Green's fiction is preoccupied with the “utter contingency of everything (and every thing)” in the modernist period, as Douglas Mao notes. In these novels’ recourse to the any, some, every, or no things of the quotidian, Green explores the potential difference, remarkable sameness, and fuzzy difficulty of late modernist style.
Pyrrole-based Hydrogen-bonding Dimers Providing Discotic Columnar Structures
Authors: Nakamura Kazuto , Maeda Hiromitsu
Published: June 2017

Liquid-crystalline discotic columnar assemblies of benzoylpyrrole derivatives as building units were constructed by the formation of dimers via N–H⋯O=C hydrogen bonding.
Report Cards: The Impact of Providing School and Child Test Scores on Educational Markets
Authors: Andrabi Tahir , Das Jishnu , Khwaja Asim Ijaz
Published: June 2017

We study the impact of providing school report cards with test scores on subsequent test scores, prices, and enrollment in markets with multiple public and private providers. A randomly selected half of our sample villages (markets) received report cards. This increased test scores by 0.11 standard deviations, decreased private school fees by 17 percent, and increased primary enrollment by 4.5 percent. Heterogeneity in the treatment impact by initial school test scores is consistent with canonical models of asymmetric information. Information provision facilitates better comparisons across providers, and improves market efficiency and child welfare through higher test scores, higher enrollment, and lower fees. (JEL D83, H75, I21, I28, O15, O18)
Can Women Have Children and a Career? IV Evidence from IVF Treatments
Authors: Lundborg Petter , Plug Erik , Rasmussen Astrid Würtz
Published: June 2017

This paper introduces a new IV strategy based on IVF (in vitro fertilization) induced fertility variation among childless women to estimate the causal effect of having children on their career. For this purpose, we use administrative data on IVF treated women in Denmark. Because observed chances of IVF success do not depend on labor market histories, IVF treatment success provides a plausible instrument for childbearing. Our IV estimates indicate that fertility effects on earnings are: (i) negative, large, and long-lasting; (ii) driven by fertility effects on hourly earnings and not so much on labor supply; and (iii) much stronger at the extensive margin than at the intensive margin. (JEL D82, J13, J16, J22, J31, J32)
Content-Based Agendas and Qualified Majorities in Sequential Voting
Authors: Kleiner Andreas , Moldovanu Benny
Published: June 2017

We analyze sequential, binary voting schemes in settings where several privately informed agents have single-peaked preferences over a finite set of alternatives, and we focus on robust equilibria that do not depend on assumptions about the players' beliefs about each other. Our main results identify two intuitive conditions on binary voting trees, ensuring that sincere voting at each stage forms an ex post perfect equilibrium. In particular, we uncover a strong rationale for content-based agendas: if the outcome should not be sensitive to beliefs about others, nor to the deployment of strategic skills, the agenda needs to be built “from the extremes to the middle” so that more extreme alternatives are both more difficult to adopt, and are put to vote before other, more moderate options. An important corollary is that, under simple majority, the equilibrium outcome of the incomplete information game is always the Condorcet winner. Finally, we aim to guide the practical design of schemes that are widely used by legislatures and committees and we illustrate our findings with several case studies. (JEL D71, D72, I10, J16, J32, K10)
Measuring the Impacts of Teachers: Reply
Authors: Chetty Raj , Friedman John N. , Rockoff Jonah E.
Published: June 2017

Rothstein (2017) successfully replicates Chetty, Friedman, and Rockoff's (2014a, b)—henceforth, CFR's—results using data from North Carolina, but raises concerns about CFR's methods. We show that Rothstein's methodological critiques are invalid by presenting simulations and supplementary empirical evidence which show that (i) his preferred imputation of missing data generates bias; (ii) his “placebo test” rejects valid research designs; and (iii) his method of controlling for covariates yields inconsistent estimates of teachers' long-term effects. Consistent with the conclusions of Bacher-Hicks, Kane, and Staiger (2016) using data from Los Angeles, we conclude that Rothstein's replication study ultimately reinforces CFR's methods and results. (JEL H75, I21, J45)
Barreiras percebidas para a prática de atividade física em universitários da área da saúde de uma instituição de ensino superior da cidade de Fortaleza, Brasil
Authors: Nascimento Tiago , Alves Felipe , Souza Evanice
Published: June 2017

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a prática de atividade física e as principais barreiras percebidas, bem com investigar sua associação com variáveis sociodemográficas, em universitários da área da saúde. Estudo transversal realizado com 736 universitários (≤ 18 e ≥ 36 anos de idade) de ambos os sexos, de uma instituição de ensino superior da cidade de Fortaleza, Brasil. Foram coletadas informações sociodemográficas, prática de atividade (sim ou não) e barreiras percebidas. O teste do Qui-quadrado foi utilizado para associação das variáveis sociodemográficas com as principais barreiras percebidas e a prática de atividade física, adotando-se p≤0,05. As principais barreiras percebidas foram: jornada de estudos extensa (33,4%), falta de energia/cansaço (20,7%), falta de companhia (18,1%), jornada de trabalho extensa (17,8%) e falta de interesse (17,0%). Essas barreiras foram associadas ao semestre letivo (p≤0,001). A jornada de estudos extensa e jornada de trabalho extensa estiveram associadas ao sexo (p≤0,004) e a faixa etária (p≤0,001). A prática de atividade física esteve associada ao sexo, curso e semestre letivo (p≤0,001). Conclui-se que a jornada de estudos extensa foi apontada como a principal barreira para a prática de atividade física entre os universitários. Em geral as principais barreiras percebidas eram de cunho social, comportamental e físicas. As principais barreiras percebidas estiveram associadas ao semestre letivo.
Logic model of the Recreovía: a community program to promote physical activity in Bogota
Authors: Rios Ana , Paez Diana , Pinzón Edwin , Fermino Rogério , Sarmiento Olga
Published: June 2017

This study aimed to develop the logic model of the Recreovía program in Bogota, Colombia. The logic model was developed based on the manual of the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), with indicators of resources, activities and short- and long-term results. Mixed methods were used for data collection and analysis. Human, physical and financial resources, as well as collaborators of the program, were identified, besides the activities defined according to the program aims. In conclusion, the program emphasizes the processes and actors for their operation and maintenance, and recognizes future challenges for physical activity promotion in Bogota.
Aortic Root Reconstruction with a New Dacron Graft Featuring Prefabricated Coronary Side Branches
Authors: Calcaterra Domenico , Jazayeri Mohammad-Ali , Turek Joseph , Parekh Kalpaj , Bashir Mohammad , Karam Karam , Farivar Robert
Published: June 2017

Background:
Coronary button reimplantation can represent a technical challenge of aortic root reconstruction that can be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. With the goal of simplifying coronary reimplantation and reducing the incidence of related complications, we designed a new Dacron graft with prefabricated coronary branches to minimize coronary artery mobilization and prevent the potential mechanical complications of reattachment to the body of the graft.

Methods:
Between June 2010 and May 2012, we implanted the graft in eight patients (six males, two females) ranging in age from 42-68 years (mean, 54 years). Six procedures were modified Bentall reconstructions, and two procedures were valve-sparing root replacements using the reimplantation technique.

Results:
There were no complications and no morbidity or mortality related to coronary reattachment. All patients were alive and doing well at a mean follow-up of 26 months (range, 17-38 months). At an extended mean follow-up of 42 months (range, 25-56 months), one patient died of stroke-related complications. No radiologic or clinical evidence of impairment of coronary perfusion was identified in any patient.

Conclusions:
The use of this new graft model may simplify the technique of root reconstruction and potentially lower the incidence of mechanical complications related to coronary button reimplantation.
Measurement of Swelling of Individual Smectite Tactoids in situ using Atomic Force Microscopy
Authors: Arndt Diana S. , Mattei Michael , Heist Christopher A. , McGuire Molly M.
Published: June 2017

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a novel method for measuring changes in clay swelling in situ at the tactoid level in an aqueous environment. While the swelling process has been directly observed at the mesoscale level for multi-tactoid aggregates and the associated pores, no method to date has allowed the direct observation of swelling dynamics at the nanoscale. In initial proof-of-concept studies, individual tactoids of a Na-exchanged nontronite (NAu-1) were imaged in a solution of 5 mM NaCl. When multiple line profiles were examined on the same tactoid, the changes in height varied and depended on which layers of the profile were transected, and demonstrated that AFM analyses can be used to directly probe intratactoid heterogeneity in the swelling process. To better visualize this heterogeneity, a method was developed to restrict AFM images to include only the portions of a tactoid above a threshold height. A comparison of the changes in these images for multiple threshold values revealed that swelling in one part of a tactoid may occur simultaneously with compression in another portion, which suggests that the encroachment of layers into intra-tactoid micropores can partially compensate for the overall volume change. Finally, to demonstrate the ability of this technique to monitor in situ swelling changes as the surrounding aqueous environment is modified, a tactoid of K-montmorillonite (SWy-2) was monitored during cation exchange as a KCl solution was replaced with NaCl. After exchange, a transition from the crystalline swelling regime to the osmotic regime was observed. Subsequent height profiles were unchanged for a period of several hours and indicated that the AFM measurements were stable in the absence of changes to the aqueous phase composition. Because this technique is the first method that allows the swelling of a single tactoid to be monitored in an aqueous solution, it complements the ensemble-averaged data obtained from diffraction and scattering techniques.
Outcomes of 12 Years of the Reynolds Cup Quantitative Mineral Analysis Round Robin
Authors: Raven Mark D. , Self Peter G.
Published: June 2017

In 2000, The Clay Minerals Society established a biennial quantitative mineralogy round robin. The so-called Reynolds Cup competition is named after Bob Reynolds for his pioneering work in quantitative clay mineralogy and exceptional contributions to clay science. The first contest was run in 2002 with 40 sets of three samples, which were prepared from mixtures of purified, natural, and synthetic minerals that are commonly found in clay-bearing rocks and soils and represent realistic mineral assemblages. The rules of the competition allow any method or combination of methods to be used in the quantitative analysis of the mineral assemblages. Throughout the competition, X-ray diffraction has been the method of choice for quantifying the mineralogy of the sample mixtures with a multitude of other techniques used to assist with phase identification and quantification. In the first twelve years of the Reynolds Cup competition (2002 to 2014), around 14,000 analyses from 448 participants have been carried out on a total of 21 samples. The data provided by these analyses constitute an extensive database on the accuracy of quantitative mineral analyses and also has given enough time for the progression of improvements in such analyses. In the Reynolds Cup competition, the accuracy of a particular quantification is judged by calculating a “bias” for each phase in an assemblage. Determining exactly the true amount of a phase in the assemblage would give a bias of zero. Generally, the higher placed participants correctly identified all or most of the mineral phases present. Conversely, the worst performers failed to identify or misidentified phases. Several contestants reported a long list of minor exotic phases, which were likely reported by automated search/match programs and were mineralogically implausible. Not surprisingly, clay minerals were among the greatest sources of error reported. This article reports on the first 12 years of the Reynolds Cup competition results and analyzes the competition data to determine the overall accuracy of the mineral assemblage quantities reported by the participants. The data from the competition were also used to ascertain trends in quantification accuracy over a 12 year period and to highlight sources of error in quantitative analyses.
MECENATE: LA “FORTUNA” DI UN NOME
Authors: Donati Angela
Published: June 2017

I diversi elementi che costituiscono il sistema onomastico di Mecenate si incontrano utilizzati per altri personaggi, tutti di origine libertina, e possono fornire indicazioni per ricostruire la familia dell’amico di Augusto.
EPITAFIOS-DENUNCIA DEL HOMICIDIO DE DOS MUJERES ROMANAS
Authors: Herrero Marta González
Published: June 2017

Se estudian dos epitafios que presentan una interesante particularidad: en ellos se acusa a quien ha dado muerte a la persona fallecida violenta y voluntariamente. En ambos casos, los dedicantes fueron los parientes masculinos de dos mujeres, Iulia Maiana y Prima Florentia, quienes perdieron la vida a manos de sus maridos en Lugdunum y Roma respectivamente.
HÁBITO EPIGRÁFICO ROMANO EN EL CONVENTUS LUCENSIS
Authors: Abascal Palazón Juan Manuel
Published: June 2017

Las inscripciones del conventus Lucensis muestran un reparto geográfico muy desigual, con una importante concentración en la ciudad de Lucus Augusti y vacíos muy importantes en las comarcas nororientales y septentrionales; llama la atención también la escasez de testimonios en el espacio comprendido entre los ríos Eo y Navia. La mayor parte de las inscripciones están elaboradas en granito y el tipo más corriente es el altar votivo. No tenemos constancia de la existencia de officinae epigráficas pero los monumentos respetan estilos y modas conocidos en otras regiones. Esa ausencia de officinae probablemente fue causa de un alto grado de creatividad epigráfica, especialmente en lo relativo a las representaciones figuradas.
A PROPÓSITO DA PÁTERA DE BANDIS ARAVGELENSIS
Authors: Alarcão Jorge De
Published: June 2017

Na pátera do Museo Nacional de Arte Romano (Mérida) consagrada a Bandis Araugelensis, a figura feminina representada tem sido considerada como a do próprio deus indígena. Isto suscita um problema, visto que, pelos epítetos, Bandis era uma divindade masculina. Sugere-se que a figura não é a do deus, mas a da localidade de Araocelum, representada alegoricamente por figura feminina com coroa turriforme, oferecendo um sacrifício a Bandis.
This Is Not Populism
Authors: Foster John Bellamy
Published: June 2017

Since Trump's election, mainstream commentary has generally avoided the question of fascism or neofascism, preferring instead to apply the vaguer, safer notion of "populism." In today's political context, however, it is crucial to understand not only how the failures of neoliberalism give rise to neofascist movements, but also to connect these to the structural crisis of concentrated, financialized, and globalized capitalism.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
Old Malbec in New Bottles: The Return of Neoliberalism in Argentina
Authors: Mitchell Kenneth , Scott Robert H.
Published: June 2017

Argentina has long been plagued by cycles of economic mismanagement, including multiple failed neoliberal experiments. Before his election as president, Mauricio Macri promised resumed growth, an export boom, lower inflation, a smaller budget deficit, and less poverty. Since then, has the new neoliberalism outperformed the old?Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
What Happened at CCSF?
Authors: Fisher Allan , Kaufmyn Wynd , Rein Marcy , Baum Rick
Published: June 2017

Did the accreditation crisis and subsequent labor struggle at City College of San Francisco represent a failure of union democracy, or a hard-won victory against corporate education reform? Rick Baum's recent article on this question, "A Teachers Union Against Itself" (published the April 2017 issue of Monthly Review) prompted a lively response from AFT local 2121 members and supporters. This correspondence article collects their letters, as well as a reply by Baum.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
The effect of parliamentary reforms (2011–16) on the Oireachtas committee system
Authors: Lynch Catherine
Published: June 2017

The literature on parliament identifies many factors which facilitate or impede parliamentary committees in their quest to scrutinise legislation and to oversee and hold government to account, including the formal powers assigned to them, political factors associated with the make-up of parliament, structural factors associated with parliamentary tradition, and the rules and procedure adopted by parliament. This article is concerned with how parliamentary rules and procedure can affect committees. It develops a framework of the procedural variables associated with ‘effective committee systems’ and uses it to assess the Oireachtas committee system prior to and after the reforms introduced by the thirty-first and thirty-second Dáileanna. It finds that many, though not all, of the procedural conditions for a strong committee system have been put in place. However, while changes to procedure can remove obstacles to effective committee systems, other factors - above all, the incentive for politicians to engage with committee work - will ultimately determine whether the reforms truly strengthen parliament.
Political-administrative relations: The role of political advisers
Authors: Connaughton Bernadette
Published: June 2017

Ministerial advisers were first formally appointed as support for individual Irish ministers in 1973, and since then their numbers and tasks have considerably expanded. As ‘temporary civil servants’, they are regarded as both an accepted and criticised feature of executive government. This article focuses on the role of political staff during the period 2011-16 and centres on the period of the economic crisis and its immediate aftermath. It considers themes arising in the international literature that raise questions for the reform of the Irish ‘special adviser’. In order to unpack the specifics of the Irish case, the position and function of special advisers are explored through two theoretical perspectives - public adviser bargains and the core executive. It is argued that the special adviser continues to fit somewhat uneasily within the imperatives of the political-administrative system because they are personally appointed by ministers and their selection is determined by the level and type of support required by individual ministers, as opposed to any preordained skills set.
Non-invasive Diagnostics of Liver Fibrosis
Authors: Mihaylov R. , Pencheva B. , Stoeva D. , Ruseva A.
Published: June 2017

Detecting new units of pathogenesis in the liver fibrosis due to alcoholism, chronic viral Hepatitis B and C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), autoimmune, parasitic and metabolic diseases and other, reveals perspective for new non-invasive serum biomarkers. In fibrosis, from the wide variety of markers enzymes, proteins and cytokines are mainly used. While direct biomarkers reflect the stage of fibrosis and fibrinogenesis, indirect markers allow assessment of the general liver functions. The combination of direct and indirect markers increases the diagnostic reliability and therefore these panels and indices are investigated quite intensively in recent years in order to decrease the number of liver biopsies without completely replace it, which is still regarded as the reference method.
T Helper Cells in the Immunopathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis – Current Trends
Authors: Krasimirova E. , Kyurkchiev D.
Published: June 2017

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic progressive autoimmune disease characterized by skin and multiorgan involvement with alterations in both the innate and adaptive immunities. The hallmark of the disease is widespread fibrosis engaging the skin and multiple internal organs, as well as the musculoskeletal system. There is mounting evidence that T cells are key players in the pathogenesis of scleroderma. The current review discusses the role of the different T helper (Th) lymphocyte subsets in the processes of inflammation and fibrosis, characteristics for the pathogenesis of the disease. Cytokines produced by Th cell populations have a major effect on endothelial cells and fibroblasts in the context of favoring/inhibiting the vasculopathy and the fibrosis spread. The Th2 pro-fibrotic cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 have been shown to induce collagen synthesis by fibroblasts, whereas IFN-γ demonstrates an inhibitory effect. Increased Th17 cells are present in the scleroderma skin infiltrates. The combination of IL-17, IFN-γ and TGF-β levels in CD45RO and CD45RA cells from patients with SSc is useful to distinguish between the limited and the diffuse phenotype of the disease. There are accumulating data for functional and numerical alterations in the Tregs in SSc. High levels of TNF-α which might reduce the suppressive ability of Tregs have been described. According to some studies, the number of Tregs in scleroderma skin biopsies has been decreased against the normal absolute number of Tregs in peripheral blood of the same patients, which suggests suppressed immunomodulatory response. Other studies reported increased frequency of Tregs in peripheral blood of patients with systemic sclerosis and established a correlation with disease activity. The main immunological challenge remains the identification of the trigger of the autoimmune response in SSc, the causes for preferential Th2-type cell responses and the immunological differences between the diffuse and the limited cutaneous form of the disease.
New monotonicity conditions in discrete fractional calculus with applications to extremality conditions
Authors: Dahal Rajendra , Drvol Stanley , Goodrich Christopher S.
Published: June 2017

We present some initial results for detecting extrema of a function

f
:

ℕ
a

→
ℝ

{f:\mathbb{N}_{a}\rightarrow\mathbb{R}}

when the only a priori information is some limited pointwise data about f as well as information about an appropriate fractional difference of f. In particular, such results provide some analogues of the well-known tests for detecting local extrema using the sign of

Δ
⁢
f
⁢

(
t
)

{\Delta f(t)}

. Certain of these results are consequences of some new monotonicity conditions, which relate conditions on the sign of

Δ
a
ν

⁢
f
⁢

(
t
)

{\Delta_{a}^{\nu}f(t)}

, for

0
<
ν
<
1

{0<\nu<1}

, to the monotonicity of f. Finally, we provide some numerical examples to illustrate the results.
Klein–Gordon–Maxwell Systems with Nonconstant Coupling Coefficient
Authors: Lazzo Monica , Pisani Lorenzo
Published: June 2017

We study a Klein–Gordon–Maxwell system in a bounded spatial domain under Neumann boundary conditions on the electric potential. We allow a nonconstant coupling coefficient. For sufficiently small data, we find infinitely many static solutions.
Econometrics Illustrated, with Applications from Insurance-Research Awards
Authors: Butler Richard J
Published: June 2017

The linear regression model is the dominant tool employed in applied risk and insurance research. Based on my 2016 APRIA lecture at Chengdu, China, I illustrate the simple geometry of the linear regression model, as well as some standard results from it: omitted variable bias (OVB), classical measurement error (CME), simultaneous equation models (SEM), and instrumental variable estimation. Instrumental variable estimation solves OVB, CME, and SEM problems by constructing similar triangles to retrieve consistent estimates. I apply these tools by estimating the determinants of the Witt and Mehr awards given annually for Journal of Risk and Insurance articles, as two examples. The Witt vs. Mehr awards also contrasts short-term scholarly recognition (Witt) versus long-term scholarly recognition (Mehr). The comments made here apply to other paper awards, such as those presented by the Asian Pacific Journal of Risk and Insurance. I also present a simple index function based on the classical Gini index (hence, this new index is denoted as the regression gini index, RGI) useful for comparing two regression models, and apply this to explain the empirical difference between the determinants of the Witt and Mehr awards.
Makkabi, Jutrzenka, Wisla and Cracovia. Polish-Jewish Krakow from the Perspective of Football
Authors: Wilczyńska Bogna
Published: June 2017

Der vorliegende Beitrag versucht das Phänomen des jüdischen Fußballs in Krakau in der Zwischenkriegszeit zu beleuchten. Basierend auf Erinnerungen von Zeitzeugen, Literatur und Zeitungsartikeln beschreibt die Autorin die signifikante Rolle von Juden bei der Entwicklung des polnischen Fußballs. Der Fokus liegt dabei auf der Bedeutung sportlichen Wettbewerbs für Vertreter von Minderheiten, insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit der katholischen Mehrheitsbevölkerung. Dabei ist es das primäre Ziel des Artikels, das Verhältnis zwischen Polen und Juden aus der Perspektive von vier Fußballvereinen – Jutrzenka, Makkabi, Wisla und Cracovia – darzustellen. Die vier Vereine lagen nicht nur auf dem Sportplatz im Wettstreit, sondern vertraten auch in ideologischer Hinsicht und bezüglich ihrer Einstellungen sehr unterschiedliche Standpunkte. Differenzen zwischen dem linksgerichteten Jutrzenka, dem Zionistischen Makkabi, dem demokratischen Cracovia und dem nationalistisch orientierten Wisla reflektieren wichtige Antagonismen zwischen Polen und Juden wie auch die Gegensätze innerhalb der ethnischen Gruppierungen.
Mythos »Judenklub« – Feindbildkonstruktionen im mitteleuropäischen Fußball der Zwischenkriegszeit
Authors: Oswald Rudolf
Published: June 2017

The article focuses on a certain aspect of Central European soccer history – the turning of traditional urban images into enemy stereotypes by the inter-war fan culture. Generally, pejorative images were based on the origin of a club. Village clubs and their fans were considered »Saubauern«. If they had their home in a suburb, they were denigrated as a »Mob«, and if they were city-clubs, they had to cope with anti-Semitism. The images were in fact misleading. Even those clubs which were denounced as »Judenklubs« only had a very small minority of Jews among their fans, members and officials.
Does Previous Marijuana Use Increase the Use of Other Drugs: An Almost Ideal Demand System Approach
Authors: Thompson Alexi , Koichi Yamaura
Published: June 2017

From a policy standpoint, the legalization of marijuana may affect other drug markets. The Almost Ideal Demand Model is used to estimate drug substitution between the most common illegal street drugs in the US including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamines. We control for past marijuana consumption. Results indicate that past marijuana consumption does not contribute to increased current consumption of other drugs. Further, marijuana is a weak complement to methamphetamines but marijuana price changes do not affect heroin or cocaine consumption.
Einige Anmerkungen zur ›Mörin‹ Hermanns von Sachsenheim
Authors: Wachinger Burghart
Published: June 2017

After a few grammatical remarks, the essay comments on several dark passages of Sachsenheim’s ›Mörin‹.
Frequency of Thrombophilic Gene Mutations in Patients with Deep Vein Thrombosis and in Women with Recurrent Pregnancy Loss
Authors: Elgari Mahmoud Mohamed , Ibrahim Nadir Ahmed , Muddathir Abdel Rahim Mahmoud , Eltoom Faris Mergheni , Ibrahim Ibrahim M
Published: June 2017

Thrombophilia may be anticipated by single or combined hereditary defects in encoding genes factor V, Prothrombin, and MTHFR. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated risks of V Leiden (G1691A), Prothrombin (G20210A), and MTHFR (C677T) mutations in Saudi women with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and women with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). Protein C and protein S activity were measured to determine combined effects, if any. We examined 60 women with a history of DVT and 60 with RPL, extracted DNA from EDTA blood and determined three mutations by using multiplex PCR reactions followed by Strip Assay KIT. Pro C Global assay was used to determine the cutoff value [PCATNR = 0.80]. Protein C/S chromogenic assay was used to estimate protein C and S percentages. Frequency of Factor V Leiden G/A genotype in patients with DVT 7 (11.6%) had a significant association for DVT χ2 (OR = 5.1, P = 0.03). In women with RPL the three mutations did not show any significant association, levels of Protein C, protein S and PCAT-NR in patient groups not different from controls (P > 0.05). In conclusion, we recommend expanding on these data to provide larger-scale studies.
Genetic Defects Underlie the Non-syndromic Autosomal Recessive Intellectual Disability (NS-ARID)
Authors: Saleha Shamim , Sajid Muhammad , Zafar Shaista , Pervaiz Neelam
Published: June 2017

Intellectual disability (ID) is a neurodevelopmental disorder which appears frequently as the result of genetic mutations and may be syndromic (S-ID) or non-syndromic (NS-ID). ID causes an important economic burden, for patient's family, health systems, and society. Identifying genes that cause S-ID can easily be evaluated due to the clinical symptoms or physical anomalies. However, in the case of NS-ID due to the absence of co-morbid features, the latest molecular genetic techniques can be used to understand the genetic defects that underlie it. Recent studies have shown that non-syndromic autosomal recessive (NS-ARID) is extremely heterogeneous and contributes much more than X-linked ID. However, very little is known about the genes and loci involved in NS-ARID relative to X-linked ID, and whose complete genetic etiology remains obscure. In this review article, the known genetic etiology of NS-ARID and possible relationships between genes and the associated molecular pathways of their encoded proteins has been reviewed which will enhance our understanding about the underlying genes and mechanisms in NS-ARID.
Nitrophorins and nitrobindins: structure and function
Authors: De Simone Giovanna , Ascenzi Paolo , di Masi Alessandra , Polticelli Fabio
Published: June 2017

Classical all α-helical globins are present in all living organisms and are ordered in three lineages: (i) flavohemoglobins and single domain globins, (ii) protoglobins and globin coupled sensors and (iii) truncated hemoglobins, displaying the 3/3 or the 2/2 all α-helical fold. However, over the last two decades, all β-barrel and mixed α-helical-β-barrel heme-proteins displaying heme-based functional properties (e.g. ligand binding, transport and sensing) closely similar to those of all α-helical globins have been reported. Monomeric nitrophorins (NPs) and α1-microglobulin (α1-m), belonging to the lipocalin superfamily and nitrobindins (Nbs) represent prototypical heme-proteins displaying the all β-barrel and mixed α-helical-β-barrel folds. NPs are confined to the Reduviidae and Cimicidae families of Heteroptera, whereas α1-m and Nbs constitute heme-protein families spanning bacteria toHomo sapiens. The structural organization and the reactivity of the stable ferric solvent-exposed heme-Fe atom suggest that NPs and Nbs are devoted to NO transport, storage and sensing, whereasHs-α1-m participates in heme metabolism. Here, the structural and functional properties of NPs and Nbs are reviewed in parallel with those of sperm whale myoglobin, which is generally taken as the prototype of monomeric globins.
Aptamer-modified nanomaterials: principles and applications
Authors: Urmann Katharina , Modrejewski Julia , Scheper Thomas , Walter Johanna-G.
Published: June 2017

Aptamers are promising alternative binders that can substitute antibodies in various applications. Due to the advantages of aptamers, namely their high affinity, specificity and stability, along with the benefits originating from the chemical synthesis of aptamers, they have attracted attention in various applications including their use on nanostructured material. This necessitates the immobilization of aptamers on a solid support. Since aptamer immobilization may interfere with its binding properties, the immobilization of aptamers has to be investigated and optimized. Within this review, we give general insights into the principles and factors controlling the binding affinity of immobilized aptamers. Specific features of aptamer immobilization on nanostructured surfaces and nanoparticles are highlighted and a brief overview of applications of aptamer-modified nanostructured materials is given.