bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suppressive Effects of Ursolic Acid on Human Endometriotic Stromal Cells Survival
Authors: Li Jingjie , Zeng Zhi , Chang Yajie , Li Manchao , Wu Qiuli , Chen Pan , Liang Xiaoyan
Published: September 2019

Background/Aims: The identification of new compound candidates for endometriosis treatment is needed. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is considered a crucial target to control the progress and recurrence of endometriosis. Here, we identified ursolic acid (UA) as a natural inhibitor of COX-2 and investigated its effects on endometriosis progression. Methods: Primary human endometriotic stromal cells isolated from patients with endometriosis were exposed to UA at concentrations of 15, 30, 45, and 60 μM. 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiaziazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assays, 5′-bromo-2’-deoxy-uridine assays, and Caspase-3 activity measurements were performed to detect cell growth and apoptosis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to detect COX-2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels. Capillary-tubule formation assays using human umbilical vein endothelial cells were also carried out to determine angiogenesis. Results: UA significantly decreased cell viability, inhibited proliferation, and increased caspase-3 activity in a dose-dependent manner. COX-2 protein expression and the subsequent PGE2 production were both reduced by UA. Meanwhile, UA exposure decreased VEGF secretion in the stromal cells and the capillary-tubule formation assay confirmed the inhibitory effect of UA on angiogenesis. Furthermore, UA increased the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38. Conclusions: Our data suggest that UA plays a role as a natural inhibitor of COX-2 to control the survival of human endometriotic stromal cells by inhibiting proliferation and angiogenesis and promoting apoptosis.
Animal Models Reflecting Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Related Respiratory Disorders: Translating Pre-Clinical Data into Clinical Relevance
Authors: Tanner Lloyd , Single Andrew Bruce
Published: September 2019

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects the lives of an ever-growing number of people worldwide. The lack of understanding surrounding the pathophysiology of the disease and its progression has led to COPD becoming the third leading cause of death worldwide. COPD is incurable, with current treatments only addressing associated symptoms and sometimes slowing its progression, thus highlighting the need to develop novel treatments. However, this has been limited by the lack of experimental standardization within the respiratory disease research area. A lack of coherent animal models that accurately represent all aspects of COPD clinical presentation makes the translation of promising in vitrodata to human clinical trials exceptionally challenging. Here, we review current knowledge within the COPD research field, with a focus on current COPD animal models. Moreover, we include a set of advantages and disadvantages for the selection of pre-clinical models for the identification of novel COPD treatments.
Genital Dysplasia and Immunosuppression: Why Organ-Specific Therapy Is Important
Authors: Sager Raphael , Frei Pascal , Steiner Urs C. , Fink Daniel , Betschart Cornelia
Published: September 2019

Background: Young patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) show a high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) which is the main cause of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL). A major complication for patients undergoing immunocompromising therapy is the development of genital dysplasia. Methods: We report the case of a 32-year-old patient with recurrent genital dysplasia under long-term therapy for CD with a focus on different drug-related, immunosuppressive mechanisms. Results: Gynecological examination and biopsy revealed high-grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) positive for HPV 16 treated with laser vaporization. Due to the combination of HPV positivity, intraoperative multilocularity, and CD, follow-up examinations were performed every 6 months. One year later, the patient showed a VIN at a new location and additionally, a cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), which were surgically treated. Catch-up HPV vaccination was applied accessorily. After the switch from a TNF-α blocker to vedolizumab, which acts as a gut-selective anti-integrin, the subsequent PAP smear, vulvoscopy, and colposcopy showed no more evidence of dysplasia. Conclusions: This case report highlights that gut-selective immunosuppression with vedolizumab might be favorable in young HPV-positive patients due to a good side effect profile. Regular screening and HPV vaccination are a mainstay of dysplasia prevention and control. The risk for HPV-associated dysplasia in immunosuppressed patients is highly dependent on the choice of immunosuppressive therapy.
Treatment Optimization for Brain Metastasis from Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase Rearrangement Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Wang Wenhui , Sun Xin , Hui Zhouguang
Published: September 2019

Background: Brain metastasis is common in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with driver gene mutations. Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene rearrangement is one of the common driver mutations in NSCLC. Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) has been the research hotspot at present. However, there are relatively few studies specified on the treatment of brain metastasis from ALK gene rearrangement NSCLC. The prognosis of these patients, the role of ALK-TKI, and the proper combination model of ALK-TKI with radiotherapy are worth further exploring. This review focuses on new data on the prognosis of ALK-TKI and the proper combination model of ALK-TKI with radiotherapy. Summary: According to some retrospective trials, for ALKi-naïve ALK rearrangement NSCLC patients with brain metastasis, crizotinib together with radiotherapy seem to improve intracranial control rate, progression-free survival, and very likely improve overall survival; next-generation ALK-TKIs are now replacing crizotinib as first-line treatment. For patients with central nervous system progression during crizotinib application, combining radiotherapy could improve the local control rate while continuing crizotinib to control systemic disease. Second-/third-generation ALK inhibitors had higher intracranial ORR and DCR even after crizotinib-refractory situations, and they alone had a strong efficacy against intracranial tumors, in which situation radiotherapy might be omitted. Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) were both local treatment options for brain metastasis, and the preferred choice was hard to make. ALK resistance is complicated with a wide range of molecular changes, and future studies are needed to solve these problems. Anyway, further and larger prospective studied are worth exploring to offer a confirmed preferred choice of drugs and radiation. Key Messages: Next-generation ALK-TKIs are now replacing crizotinib as first-line treatment in ALKi-naïve ALK rearrangement NSCLC patients with brain metastasis, and they alone might have a strong efficacy against intracranial tumors in crizotinib-refractory situations in which occasion radiotherapy might be omitted. SRS and WBRT are both local treatment options for brain metastasis.
A Meta-Analysis on Human Papillomavirus Type Distribution among Women with Cervical Neoplasia in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region
Authors: Shoja Zabihollah , Farahmand Mohammad , Hosseini Neda , Jalilvand Somayeh
Published: September 2019

Introduction: To date, the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has not been integrated into the national vaccination program of most countries of the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMRO), except for the United Arab Emirates and Libya. The knowledge of HPV genotype distribution in cervical neoplasia is valuable to predict the impact of current HPV vaccines on cancer prevention and can help the health policymakers to select the most appropriate vaccine types in their countries. Methods: Hence, this meta-analysis recapitulates all available data on HPV prevalence and genotypes in women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I–III or low- and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and HSIL, respectively), and invasive cervical cancer (ICC) in EMRO countries. Results: The meta-analysis included 5,990 cases of cervical precancer and cancer. The overall HPV prevalence was 85.4, 71.3, 59.2, and 34.8% in women with ICC, CIN II–III or HSIL, CIN I or LSIL, and ASCUS, respectively. HPV 16 was the most common genotype followed by HPV 18, representing 58 and 16.5% in ICC cases, respectively. Conclusion: This meta-analysis showed that the introduction of current HPV vaccines into national vaccination programs and the establishment of comprehensive screening programs in EMRO countries is beneficial by preventing 74.5% of cervical neoplasia.
A Case of Switching from GnRH Agonist to Antagonist for Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer Control
Authors: Sugimura Rumiko , Kawahara Takashi , Miyoshi Yasuhide , Yao Masahiro , Chiba Sawako , Uemura Hiroji
Published: September 2019

GnRH antagonist and GnRH agonist are widely used as androgen deprivation therapy for metastatic prostate cancer. A previous report demonstrated that patients with PSA levels of >20 ng/mL using GnRH antagonists showed favorable outcomes in comparison to those using GnRH agonists. An 82-year old male patient with edema, a stony hard nodule on his prostate, and an initial PSA level of 6,717 ng/mL was referred to our hospital due to suspected prostate cancer. He received prostate needle biopsy and was diagnosed with prostate cancer with bone metastasis, with a Gleason Score of 4 + 4 = 8. He was then treated with a GnRH agonist (leuprorelin acetate) and bicalutamide from July 2015. Although his PSA level decreased to 582.0 ng/mL in December 2015, his PSA level gradually increased and CRPC developed. He indicated that he did not wish to take 2nd generation anti-androgen drugs or receive systemic chemotherapy. We introduced a GnRH antagonist (degarelix) in February 2015; his PSA level did not change and his CRPC was controlled. We herein report a case in which changing a GnRH agonist to a GnRH antagonist contributed to CRPC control.
Single-Pass Albumin Dialysis in the Treatment of Children with Liver Failure
Authors: Holle Johannes , Gratopp Alexander , Balmer Sophie , Varnholt Verena , Henning Stephan , Bufler Philip , Müller Dominik , Rosenfeld Leonard
Published: September 2019

Background and Aims: Acute and acute on chronic liver failure are life-threatening conditions, and bridging to transplantation is complicated by a paucity of suitable organs for children. While different modalities of extracorporeal liver support exist, their use in children is complicated by a large extracorporeal volume, and data on their use in children is limited. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the efficacy and safety of single-pass albumin dialysis (SPAD) in children with liver failure. Methods: Retrospective medical chart review of pediatric patients with liver failure treated with SPAD. The decrease in hepatic encephalopathy (HE) and the serum levels of bilirubin and ammonia were measured to determine efficacy. Adverse events were documented to assess safety. Results: Nineteen pediatric patients with a median age of 25.5 months and a median body weight of 11.9 kg were treated with SPAD between January 2011 and March 2018. Total bilirubin (p < 0.001) and ammonia (p = 0.02) significantly decreased after treatment with SPAD. As clinical outcome parameter, HE significantly improved (p = 0.001). Twelve patients were bridged successfully to liver transplantation. In all patients, 71 SPAD sessions were run. Clotting in the dialysis circuit was observed in 49% of all sessions. Heparin and citrate were used for anticoagulation and were significantly superior to dialysis without any anticoagulation (p= 0.03). Transfusion of packed blood cells (57%) and catecholamine therapy (49%) were frequently necessary. Conclusions: Treatment with SPAD was effective in detoxification, as measured by significant improvement of HE and clearance from surrogate laboratory parameters.
Recurrent Epithelioid Hemangioma of the Bony Pelvis Responding to Propranolol
Authors: Broida Sam , Reimer Nickolas , Read William L.
Published: September 2019

Epithelioid hemangioma is an uncommon benign vascular neoplasm which can arise in bone. Resection is generally curative, but occasionally lesions recur and recurrence after surgery can be morbid and destructive. Recent case reports have described the effective use of oral propranolol to control recurrent epithelioid hemangioma of the orbit. We report the case of a 26 year old man with recurrent aggressive osseous epithelioid hemangioma in the pelvis of which has been controlled for over a year with outpatient propranolol monotherapy.
Gut Microbiome and Response to Cardiovascular Drugs
Authors: Tuteja Sony , Ferguson Jane F.
Published: September 2019

The gut microbiome is emerging as an important contributor to both cardiovascular disease risk and metabolism of xenobiotics. Alterations in the intestinal microbiota are associated with atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and heart failure. The microbiota have the ability to metabolize medications, which can results in altered drug pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics or formation of toxic metabolites which can interfere with drug response. Early evidence suggests that the gut microbiome modulates response to statins and antihypertensive medications. In this review, we will highlight mechanisms by which the gut microbiome facilitates the biotransformation of drugs and impacts pharmacological efficacy. A better understanding of the complex interactions of the gut microbiome, host factors, and response to medications will be important for the development of novel precision therapeutics for targeting CVD.
Genetic Mosaicism in Calmodulinopathy
Authors: Wren Lisa M. , Jiménez-Jáimez Juan , Al-Ghamdi Saleh , Al-Aama Jumana Y. , Bdeir Amnah , Al-Hassnan Zuhair N. , Kuan Jyn L. , Foo Roger Y. , Potet Franck , Johnson Christopher N. , Aziz Miriam C. , Carvill Gemma L. , Kaski Juan-Pablo , Crotti Lia , Perin Francesca , Monserrat Lorenzo , Burridge Paul W. , Schwartz Peter J. , Chazin Walter J. , Bhuiyan Zahurul A. , George Alfred L.
Published: September 2019

Background:

CaM (calmodulin) mutations are associated with congenital arrhythmia susceptibility (calmodulinopathy) and are most often de novo. In this report, we sought to broaden the genotype-phenotype spectrum of calmodulinopathies with 2 novel calmodulin mutations and to investigate mosaicism in 2 affected families.

Methods:

CaM mutations were identified in 4 independent cases by DNA sequencing. Biochemical and electrophysiological studies were performed to determine functional consequences of each mutation.

Results:

Genetic studies identified 2 novel CaM variants (
CALM3
-E141K in 2 cases;
CALM1
-E141V) and one previously reported CaM pathogenic variant (
CALM3
-D130G) among 4 probands with shared clinical features of prolonged QTc interval (range 505–725 ms) and documented ventricular arrhythmia. A fatal outcome occurred for 2 of the cases. The parents of all probands were asymptomatic with normal QTc duration. However, 2 of the families had multiple affected offspring or multiple occurrences of intrauterine fetal demise. The mother from the family with recurrent intrauterine fetal demise exhibited the
CALM3
-E141K mutant allele in 25% of next-generation sequencing reads indicating somatic mosaicism, whereas
CALM3
-D130G was present in 6% of captured molecules of the paternal DNA sample, also indicating mosaicism. Two novel mutations (E141K and E141V) impaired Ca
2+
binding affinity to the C-domain of CaM. Human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes overexpressing mutant or wild-type CaM showed that both mutants impaired Ca
2+
-dependent inactivation of L-type Ca
2+
channels and prolonged action potential duration.

Conclusions:

We report 2 families with somatic mosaicism associated with arrhythmogenic calmodulinopathy, and demonstrate dysregulation of L-type Ca
2+
channels by 2 novel CaM mutations affecting the same residue. Parental mosaicism should be suspected in families with unexplained fetal arrhythmia or fetal demise combined with a documented CaM mutation.
Islamic Ecumenism in the Early Political Thought of Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍlallāh
Authors: Ali Nabil Hage
Published: September 2019

Between the late 1960s and early 1970s, political-economic turmoil led not only to the exodus of religious scholars and students from Iraq to Lebanon but also to the transnationalization of their activism. As they settled in Lebanon, these activists circulated key Islamist concepts that transcended religious factionalism. This article examines the early 1970s’ political thought of the Lebanese intellectual Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍlallāh (d. 2010), a prominent returning cleric from Iraq, intervening in discussions on the formative ideas of the Shiʿi Islamic movement in Lebanon. Furthermore, an analysis of concepts in Faḍlallāh’s works highlights a climate of intellectual openness and Islamic ecumenism. Linking the development of Faḍlallāh’s ecumenical thinking to the formation of overlapping spaces of activism in a context of secular-religious encounters in Iraq from the 1950s, this article also contributes to the scholarship that argues against the assumption that sectarianism, involving Sunni and Shiʿi Muslims, has existed since the onset of political discord in early Islam.
Examination of Nudging Schemes in the Simulation of Meteorology for Use in Air Quality Experiments: Application in the Great Lakes Region
Authors: Odman M. Talat , White Andrew T. , Doty Kevin , McNider Richard T. , Pour-Biazar Arastoo , Qin Momei , Hu Yongtao , Knipping Eladio , Wu Y. , Dornblaser Bright
Published: September 2019

High levels of ozone have been observed along the shores of Lake Michigan for the last 40 years. Models continue to struggle in their ability to replicate ozone behavior in the region. In the retrospective way in which models are used in air quality regulation development, nudging or four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) of the large-scale environment is important for constraining model forecast errors. Here, paths for incorporating large-scale meteorological conditions but retaining model mesoscale structure are evaluated. For the July 2011 case studied here, iterative FDDA strategies did not improve mesoscale performance in the Great Lakes region in terms of diurnal trends or monthly averaged statistics, with overestimations of nighttime wind speed remaining as an issue. Two vertical nudging strategies were evaluated for their effects on the development of nocturnal low-level jets (LLJ) and their impacts on air quality simulations. Nudging only above the planetary boundary layer, which has been a standard option in many air quality simulations, significantly dampened the amplitude of LLJ relative to nudging only above a height of 2 km. While the LLJ was preserved with nudging only above 2 km, there was some deterioration in wind performance when compared with profiler networks above the jet between 500 m and 2 km. In examining the impact of nudging strategies on air quality performance of the Community Multiscale Air Quality model, it was found that performance was improved for the case of nudging above 2 km. This result may reflect the importance of the LLJ in transport or perhaps a change in mixing in the models.
The Horizontal Spectrum of Vertical Velocities near the Tropopause from Global to Gravity Wave Scales
Authors: Schumann Ulrich
Published: September 2019

Vertical motions are fundamental for atmospheric dynamics. Compared to horizontal motions, the horizontal spectrum of vertical velocity w is less well known. Here, w spectra are related to spectra of horizontal motions in the free atmosphere near the tropopause from global to gravity wave scales. At large scales, w is related to vertically averaged horizontal divergent motions by continuity. At small scales, the velocity energy spectra reach anisotropy as in stably stratified turbulence. Combining these limits approximates the w spectrum from global to small scales. The w spectrum is flat at large scales when the divergent spectrum shows a −2 slope, reaches a maximum at mesoscales after transition to −5/3 slopes, and then approaches a fraction of horizontal kinetic energy. The ratio of vertical kinetic energy to potential energy increases quadratically with wavenumber at large scales. It exceeds unity at small scales in stratified turbulence. Global and regional simulations and two recent aircraft measurement field campaigns support these relationships within 30% deviations. Energy exchange between horizontal and vertical motions may contribute to slope changes in the spectra. The model allows for checking measurement validity. Isotropy at large and small scales varies between the datasets. The fraction of divergent energy is 40%–70% in the measurements, with higher values in the stratosphere. Spectra above the tropopause are often steeper over mountains than over oceans, partly with two −5/3 subranges. A total of 80% of w variance near the tropopause occurs at scales between about 0.5 and 80 km.
Probabilistic Skill of Subseasonal Surface Temperature Forecasts over North America
Authors: Vigaud N. , Tippett M. K. , Yuan J. , Robertson A. W. , Acharya N.
Published: September 2019

The skill of surface temperature forecasts up to 4 weeks ahead is examined for weekly tercile category probabilities constructed using extended logistic regression (ELR) applied to three ensemble prediction systems (EPSs) from the Subseasonal-to-Seasonal (S2S) project (ECMWF, NCEP, and CMA), which are verified over the common period 1999–2010 and averaged with equal weighting to form a multimodel ensemble (MME). Over North America, the resulting forecasts are characterized by good reliability and varying degrees of sharpness. Skill decreases after two weeks and from winter to summer. Multimodel ensembling damps negative skill that is present in individual forecast systems, but overall, does not lead to substantial skill improvement compared to the best (ECMWF) model. Spatial pattern correction is implemented by projecting the ensemble mean temperatures neighboring each grid point onto Laplacian eigenfunctions, and then using those amplitudes as new predictors in the ELR. Forecasts and skill improve beyond week 2, when the ELR model is trained on spatially averaged temperature (i.e., the amplitude of the first Laplacian eigenfunction) rather than the gridpoint ensemble mean, but not at shorter leads. Forecasts are degraded when adding more Laplacian eigenfunctions that encode additional spatial details as predictors, likely due to the short reforecast sample size. Forecast skill variations with ENSO are limited, but MJO relationships are more pronounced, with the highest skill during MJO phase 3 up to week 3, coinciding with enhanced forecast probabilities of above-normal temperatures in winter.
School Crime and the Patterns of Roles of School Resource Officers: Evidence From a National Longitudinal Study
Authors: Fisher Benjamin W. , Devlin Deanna N.
Published: September 2019

This study used national-level two-wave longitudinal data from school principals ( N = 850) to examine whether and the extent to which implementing school resource officers (SROs) with varying role profiles related to changes in crime recorded in schools and reported to police. We identified three common role profiles of SROs: Low Engagement, Full Triad, and Reactionary. Implementing SROs engaged primarily in law enforcement (i.e., Reactionary SROs) predicted increases in recording nonserious violent and property crimes and a decrease in reporting drug crime to the police, respectively. Implementing Full Triad SROs who were also engaged in additional roles (e.g., mentoring) predicted a reduction in recording nonserious violent crimes, but an increase in recording property crimes and reporting crime to law enforcement.
Crime Victimization, Place Attachment, and the Moderating Role of Neighborhood Social Ties and Neighboring Behavior
Authors: Zahnow Renee , Tsai Amy
Published: September 2019

Place attachment is the development of a psychological and emotional bond between an individual and their environmental setting. While positive experiences in the residential neighborhood are central to ongoing develop-ment of people–place bonds, whether negative experiences erode place attachment remains unknown. In this study, we explore the relationship between crime victimization, social ties, neighboring behaviors, and place attachment in Brisbane, Australia. Using multilevel linear modeling, we examine whether negative experiences, specifically crime victimization, in the residential neighborhood affect residents’ attachment to place. We also explore whether this relationship is moderated by neighborhood social ties and/or interactions with neighbors. Results indicate that the negative impact of victimization in the residential neighborhood on place attachment is attenuated through frequent social and/or functional interactions with neighbors.
Estrogen Selectively Enhances TMJ Disc but Not Knee Meniscus Matrix Loss
Authors: Park Y. , Chen S. , Ahmad N. , Hayami T. , Kapila S.
Published: September 2019

The preponderance of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) degenerative disorders in women and their early onset during reproductive years have implicated female sex hormones, particularly 17-β estradiol (E2), in the pathogenesis of these disorders. Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which E2 contributes to TMJ degenerative disorders and the reasons for its targeted effects on the TMJ but not other joints remain poorly understood. Here, we developed an ovariectomized mouse model in which systemic E2 concentrations mimicked those in cycling women, and we determined the effect of E2 on the targeted turnover of TMJ fibrocartilage matrix via E2-induced matrix metalloproteinases MMP9 and MMP13. Infusion of E2 and progesterone (P4; hormone control) over 7 d resulted in 5- and 8-fold greater serum E2 and P4 levels relative to controls, respectively, achieving systemic hormone levels similar to high baseline levels in cycling women. Administration of E2 but not P4 caused a significant loss of TMJ collagen and glycosaminoglycans, which was accompanied by amplification of ERα and specific increases in MMP9 and MMP13 expression. This dose of E2 had no effect on knee meniscus fibrocartilage, demonstrating the specificity of the degradative effect of E2. Dose-response experiments showed a greater sensitivity and a higher peak induction of MMP9 and MMP13 in TMJ fibrocartilaginous cells than knee meniscus cells to E2, providing an explanation for the differential responses of these tissues to E2. Using MMP9- and MMP13-null mice, we observed no discernible effects of each proteinase individually to E2-mediated TMJ matrix loss but noted a significant compensatory reciprocal induction of each MMP by E2 in the absence of the other. The redundancy in E2’s induction of MMP9 and MMP13 suggests that the proteinases may together contribute to E2-mediated TMJ fibrocartilage loss. These results advance our understanding of E2-mediated upregulation of MMP9 and MMP13 on fibrocartilage matrix turnover targeted to the TMJ.
Adverse Childhood Experiences, Early and Nonmarital Fertility, and Women’s Health at Midlife
Authors: Williams Kristi , Finch Brian Karl
Published: September 2019

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have powerful consequences for health and well-being throughout the life course. We draw on evidence that exposure to ACEs shapes developmental processes central to emotional regulation, impulsivity, and the formation of secure intimate ties to posit that ACEs shape the timing and context of childbearing, which in turn partially mediate the well-established effect of ACEs on women’s later-life health. Analysis of 25 years of nationally representative panel data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth (NLSY79; n = 3,893) indicates that adverse childhood experiences predict earlier age at first birth and greater odds of having a nonmarital first birth. Age and marital status at first birth partially mediate the effect of ACEs on women’s health at midlife. Implications for public health and family policy aimed at improving maternal and child well-being are discussed.
A cautionary note: Toxicity of polyethylene glycol 200 injected intraperitoneally into mice
Authors: Thiele Wilko , Kyjacova Lenka , Köhler Almut , Sleeman Jonathan P
Published: September 2019

The parenteral administration of hydrophobic substances in vivo requires the use of organic solvents to ensure sufficient solubility and avoid precipitation. Dimethyl sulfoxide is commonly used for this purpose. Based on the common assumption that polyethylene glycol (PEG) is non-toxic, our local regulatory authorities recently recommended the use of PEG instead. However, mice injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with PEG 200 at a dose of 8 mL/kg (i.e. 9 g/kg) did not tolerate PEG 200 well, and half of the animals had to be euthanized. Our results demonstrate that although PEG 200 is generally considered to be harmless, it can be toxic when injected i.p. and is painful for the recipient mice. Nevertheless, it can be used as a solvent for repeated i.p. injections in mice at a dose of 2 mL/kg (i.e. 2.25 g/kg) without obvious signs of systemic toxicity.
Research on damage mechanism and protection of the collision penetration of the thin-walled long rod structure
Authors: Zhi Zhi , Guo ShiYong , Chen LuWei , Zhu Yan
Published: September 2019

Traffic accidents have been closely concerned by the society, and the serious traffic accidents caused by vehicle and guardrail collisions are one of the main manifestations. However, the research in the field of vehicle and guardrail collisions is mainly limited to the waveform guardrail on the expressway, and there is little research on the urban road guardrail, especially in the secondary damage caused by guardrails field. Moreover, the collision between vehicle and the rectangular guardrail of city road is easy to form thin-walled long rod, and it penetrates the driver’s chest. To evaluate and analyze the injury results and mechanism of this phenomenon, a penetrating finite element model of chest bone characterized by Chinese human is established using the medical software (MIMICS) and engineering software (HYPERMESH). The model validation is mainly dependent on the corpse impact test. In addition, the software (LS-DYNA) is deployed to simulate the thin-walled long rod penetration. According to the analysis of the “PENETRATION,” it is found that the cavity effect produced by the thin-walled long rod through the chest, and the degree of chest damage is related to the speed, angle, weight, and stability of the thin-walled long rod. The difference between the peak value of collision corpse experiment and simulation peak value is less than 5%, which implies that the model is reasonable. Besides, the simulation results also confirm the accident and medical diagnosis cases. As a common form of secondary injury in traffic accidents and a typical case of medical penetrating injury, the thin-walled long rod penetrating injury has important reference value for studies in both directions.
Semi-analytical and computational investigation of different fibrous structures affecting the performance of fibrous media
Authors: Zhang Liang , Zhou JiaWei , Zhang Bo , Gong Wei
Published: September 2019

Three arrangement types of fibrous media have been established including “Mesh” (layered distribution), “Para” (unidirectional distribution), and “Nurbs” (random distribution), with fiber diameters ranging from 5 to 7 µm and solid volume fractions ranging from 14.58% to 21.95%. To describe the filtration performance, particles trajectories, and the influence of structural parameters of fibrous media, the computation fluid dynamics is adopted. The filtration efficiency and the pressure drop of fibrous media are calculated in computation fluid dynamics and semi-analytical model. It is found that the arrangement types have significant effects on the filtration efficiency and show the limitation of the semi-analytical model. With the Stokes number larger than 1, the numerical results and semi-analytical model have great consistency in the filtration efficiency for the “Mesh” and “Para” types than “Nurbs” type. Meanwhile, the pressure drop between the numerical results and the semi-analytical model is always consistent.
Design and experimental study of the energy-regenerative circuit of a hybrid vehicle suspension
Authors: Yang Xiaofeng , Zhao Wentao , Liu Yanling , Chen Long , Meng Xiangpeng
Published: September 2019

This article concerns a hybrid vehicle suspension system that can regenerate energy from vibrations. To further improve the performance of the hybrid vehicle suspension system, the design of the energy-regenerative circuit is investigated. First, the force tests of the linear motor used in the hybrid vehicle suspension were carried out, and the key parameters of the linear motor were obtained. Then, the selection procedures of the protective resistance, inductance, and initial terminal voltage of the super capacitor were discussed. These aforementioned parameters’ values were determined by considering the impact of the hybrid suspension on the dynamic performance indexes and the energy-regenerative efficiency. Simulations showed that, in comparison to the original hybrid suspension system, the designed hybrid suspension effectively improved the energy-regenerative efficiency, and that the dynamic performance indexes of the suspension were synchronously improved. Given the result of the simulation analysis, which were validated by bench tests, it is shown that the optimized energy-regenerative circuit presents an enhanced regeneration efficiency, with an improvement of nearly 13% compared to the original suspension system.
A mimicking technique of back pressure in the hardware-in-the-loop simulation of a fuel control unit
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Zhao Zhiwen , Zhang Tianhong
Published: September 2019

In the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation of the fuel control unit (FCU) for aero-engines, the back pressure has a great impact on the metered fuel, thus influencing the confidence of the simulation. During the practical working process of an aero-engine, the back pressure of the FCU is influenced by the combined effect of the pressure of the combustion chamber, the resistance of the spray nozzles, and the resistance of the distribution valve. There is a need to study the the mimicking technique of FCU back pressure. This paper models the fuel system of an aero-engine so as to reveal the impact of FCU back pressure on the metered fuel and come up with a scheme to calculate the equivalent FCU back pressure. After analyzing the requirements for mimicking the pressure, an automatic regulating facility is designed to adjust the FCU back pressure in real time. Finally, experiments are carried out to verify its performance. Results show that the mimicking technique of back pressure is well suited for application in HIL simulation. It is able to increase the confidence of the simulation and provide guidance to the implementation of mimicking the FCU back pressure.
Simulation research on the influence of special ships on waterway through capacity for a complex waterway system: a case study for the Port of Meizhou Bay
Authors: Shang Jianping , Wang Wenyuan , Peng Yun , Tian Qi , Tang Ying , Guo Zijian
Published: September 2019

The study of waterway through capacity for ports is a challenging problem due to the randomness and complexity of the waterway system, which needs to be analyzed by simulation technology. This paper quantitatively studies the influence of special ships on waterway through capacity and provides corresponding measures to improve waterway through capacity. The complex waterway system in the Port of Meizhou Bay is employed as a case study. Considering the actual conditions in the Port of Meizhou Bay, including the ships, berths, waterways, and natural conditions, a Simio-based simulation model is established. The real operation data from the Port of Meizhou Bay in 2015 are used to verify the correctness and effectiveness of the model. The simulation results show that special ships reduce the waterway through capacity by 4.9% and suggest that circumnavigation strategies that can be adopted after the extension and new construction of waterway systems can improve the waterway through capacity by 5.9%.
Religious practice in a post-Catholic Ireland: Towards a concept of ‘extra-institutional religion’
Authors: Ganiel Gladys
Published: September 2019

This article develops the concept of ‘extra-institutional religion’ to describe how some religiously committed individuals practise religion in a ‘post-Catholic’ Ireland. Rooted in an island-wide study, it describes extra-institutional religion as the practice of religion outside or in addition to the Catholic Church, Ireland’s historically dominant religious institution. As a new concept, extra-institutional religion provides an alternative to the theoretical emphasis on religious individualisation advocated by sociologists of religion and general theorists like Ulrich Beck. It builds on the concepts of British sociologists of religion Grace Davie (‘believing without belonging’ and ‘vicarious religion’) and Abby Day (‘believing in belonging’ and ‘performative religion’). It argues that extra-institutional religion may have application outside Ireland in the mixed religious markets of Europe. Extra-institutional religion also may contribute to wider change by balancing its two structural strengths: its position on the margins, and its continued links with institutional religion.
Business Sentiment and International Business Travels: A Cross-country Analysis
Authors: Gholipour Hassan F. , Foroughi Behzad
Published: September 2019

This article investigates the effect of business confidence index (which is a measure of company managers’ optimism and pessimism toward their near-future business performance) on demand for international business travels. The model is empirically tested for 40 countries from 2004 to 2016. Using the first-difference generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation method, the results show that when managers of local businesses become more optimistic about their business performance, they travel more to other countries to search for more business opportunities in international markets. We also find that business confidence has a positive impact on outgoing business tourism expenditures. Our findings provide some important implications for tourism authorities and operators, macroeconomic policy makers, and airline managers.
Facilitating Transfer Student Success: Exploring Sources of Transfer Student Capital
Authors: Maliszewski Lukszo Casey , Hayes Shannon
Published: September 2019

Objective: This study seeks to expand understanding of transfer student capital (TSC), including sources of TSC and how TSC is used by community college transfer students to navigate transfer to a public, 4-year institution. Method: Using the TSC framework, a descriptive case study design was employed. Data sources include 17 transfer student interviews, eight observations of pre-transfer meetings between students and advisors, and a review of documents. Data were analyzed inductively and deductively using a pattern matching coding technique. Results: Family and peers appear to be the most common way that students gain TSC to navigate the transfer process. High schools also provide critical transfer information to students. Transfer advisors and faculty either at community colleges or 4-year colleges sometimes provide important transfer information but serve in a critical role of building students’ self-efficacy for transfer rather than merely passing along transfer information. Contributions: This study indicates that high schools, family members, and peers are influential sources of TSC, in addition to previously well-understood sources, such as community college faculty and transfer advisors. This study introduces a new term, self-efficacy for transfer, and offers an expanded TSC conceptual model.
Associations Among Psychological Distress, Adverse Childhood Experiences, Social Support, and Resilience in Incarcerate Men
Authors: Wolff Nancy , Caravaca Sánchez Francisco
Published: September 2019

This study examines the association between psychological distress and two aggravating factors (childhood adversity and substance use) and two mitigating factors (social support and resilience) in a correctional sample of 943 men. Participants completed a questionnaire probing psychiatric distress using the DASS (Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale) and substance use behaviors using the ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test). Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) were measured incrementally and cumulatively. ACEs were reported by a majority (57.6%) of the sample. The number of ACEs and childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse experiences were strongly and consistently associated with prison-based psychological distress. The graded relationship found between ACE and psychological distress among incarcerated men supports the cumulative risk hypothesis. Prison-based substance use was positively associated with psychological distress, whereas resilience and, to a lesser extent, social support were negatively associated with distress. These findings can be used to inform the design of trauma-sensitive integrated interventions in correctional settings for men.
Translational glycobiology: from bench to bedside
Authors: Axford John , Alavi Azita , Cummings Rick , Lauc Gordan , Opdenakker Ghislain , Reis Celso , Rudd Pauline
Published: September 2019

The importance of sugars to protein function is real and is of significant clinical relevance. Technology advances enable large population studies to be carried out, shedding light on individual sugar variation and variations with time. Three-dimensional mass spectroscopy on solid pathological specimens is going to open up a whole new world of pathology visualisation. The door is now open to exploit carbohydrate recognition in new therapeutics by identifying novel biomarkers in cancer to aid diagnosis, and also providing therapeutic targets for treatment. Glycan age correlates with biological age. This means we can map the reversal of biological age with exercise and diet.
The “Eyes” Are Watching You: Social Control in an Introduction to Sociology Classroom
Authors: Vanderminden Jennifer , Waity Julia F. , Robinson Caroline
Published: September 2019

Students learn more when their minds are engaged, when abstract concepts become constructs they can see and understand in the context of their everyday lives. In this article, we present an activity designed to engage students to apply sociological concepts to their everyday experiences as college students. In this applied learning activity, we use the concept of “eyes” from The Handmaid’s Tale to teach students about deviance, social control, surveillance, and dramaturgical theory in a large (174 student) introduction to sociology class. We assign a portion of the class to be “eyes” and observe their classmates’ deviant behaviors. We measured students’ knowledge of and confidence in the content using pretest and posttest surveys. We found that students engaged in fewer acts of deviance when they knew they were being watched and the activity and lecture increased students’ confidence in the material and content knowledge.
Polygyny and Intimate Partner Violence in Mozambique
Authors: Jansen Natalie , Agadjanian Victor
Published: September 2019

Polygyny has shown a positive association with intimate partner violence, yet the nature and mechanisms of this association are not well understood. This study uses data from rural Mozambique to distinguish women in polygynous unions by rank and coresidence. Findings show that senior wives report higher rates of violence than their junior wife and monogamously married counterparts. At the same time, no difference is detected between junior wives and women in monogamous marriages. Additionally, the analysis finds that polygynously married women living away from their cowives report higher rates of violence than both women coresiding with cowives and women in monogamous unions, while the difference between the latter two categories is not statistically significant. However, the results also indicate that senior wives living away from their cowives face particularly high risks of violence. These findings illustrate the social complexity of polygynous marriages and resulting differential vulnerabilities of women in them.
Cardiac Tumors and Dysrhythmias in Transgenic Mice
Authors: Steinhelper Mark E. , Field Loren J.
Published: September 2019

Transgenic mice expressing atrial natriuretic factor-SV40 T-antigen fusion genes (ANF-TAG) developed cardiac tumors asymmetrically in the right atrium. Features associated with cardiac failure, including increased plasma creatine kinase activity (MM and MB) and ventricular dysrhythmias, also were associated with atrial tumor growth. These atrial tumors were able to grow at histocompatible sites (subcutaneously in syngeneic animals) for protracted periods of time yielding a series of transplantable atrial tumor lineages. The transplantable tumors displayed several cardiac-specific characteristics, such as endogenous electrical activity and expression of cardiac-specific proteins. These transplantable atrial tumors constitute a novel experimental resource for developing cell lines which display an adult cardiac phenotype.
Evaluation of Free Radical Injury in Myocardium
Authors: Reimer Keith A. , Tanaka Masaru , Murry Charles E. , Richard Vincent J. , Jennings Robert B.
Published: September 2019

Abundant evidence now is available that free radicals are produced in excess when myocardium is reperfused following an episode of ischemia and that free radicals can injure myocytes and endothelial cells. Free radicals may contribute to either reversible or irreversible manifestations of cell injury from ischemia and reperfusion. Several investigators have observed that postischemic contractile dysfunction (myocardial stunning) can be attenuated by a variety of anti-free radical therapies, and there seems to be general agreement that free radical injury contributes to stunning. Whether free radicals are an important cause of lethal myocyte injury (“lethal reperfusion injury”) remains controversial. Using similar interventions and animal models, both positive and negative results have been reported from a growing number of studies done to test the effect of anti-free radical therapies on infarct size. Proposed explanations include differences in: 1) dose of drug and onset or duration of treatment, 2) duration of occlusion or reperfusion, 3) methods of measuring infarct size or area at risk, and 4) failure of some studies to control for baseline variation in the major determinants of infarct size, e.g., collateral blood flow. At present, none of these explanations seems sufficient to resolve the question.