bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gene-Based Risk Stratification for Cardiac Disorders in
LMNA
Mutation Carriers
Authors: Nishiuchi Suguru , Makiyama Takeru , Aiba Takeshi , Nakajima Kenzaburo , Hirose Sayako , Kohjitani Hirohiko , Yamamoto Yuta , Harita Takeshi , Hayano Mamoru , Wuriyanghai Yimin , Chen Jiarong , Sasaki Kenichi , Yagihara Nobue , Ishikawa Taisuke , Onoue Kenji , Murakoshi Nobuyuki , Watanabe Ichiro , Ohkubo Kimie , Watanabe Hiroshi , Ohno Seiko , Doi Takahiro , Shizuta Satoshi , Minamino Tohru , Saito Yoshihiko , Oginosawa Yasushi , Nogami Akihiko , Aonuma Kazutaka , Kusano Kengo , Makita Naomasa , Shimizu Wataru , Horie Minoru , Kimura Takeshi
Published: December 2017

Background—

Mutations in
LMNA
(
lamin A/C
), which encodes lamin A and C, typically cause age-dependent cardiac phenotypes, including dilated cardiomyopathy, cardiac conduction disturbance, atrial fibrillation, and malignant ventricular arrhythmias. Although the type of
LMNA
mutations have been reported to be associated with susceptibility to malignant ventricular arrhythmias, the gene-based risk stratification for cardiac complications remains unexplored.

Methods and Results—

The multicenter cohort included 77
LMNA
mutation carriers from 45 families; cardiac disorders were retrospectively analyzed. The mean age of patients when they underwent genetic testing was 45±17, and they were followed for a median 49 months. Of the 77 carriers, 71 (92%) were phenotypically affected and showed cardiac conduction disturbance (81%), low left ventricular ejection fraction (<50%; 45%), atrial arrhythmias (58%), and malignant ventricular arrhythmias (26%). During the follow-up period, 9 (12%) died, either from end-stage heart failure (n=7) or suddenly (n=2). Genetic analysis showed truncation mutations in 58 patients from 31 families and missense mutations in 19 patients from 14 families. The onset of cardiac disorders indicated that subjects with truncation mutations had an earlier occurrence of cardiac conduction disturbance and low left ventricular ejection fraction, than those with missense mutations. In addition, the truncation mutation was found to be a risk factor for the early onset of cardiac conduction disturbance and the occurrence of atrial arrhythmias and low left ventricular ejection fraction, as estimated using multivariable analyses.

Conclusions—

The truncation mutations were associated with manifestation of cardiac phenotypes in
LMNA
-related cardiomyopathy, suggesting that genetic analysis might be useful for diagnosis and risk stratification.
Targeting Cardiovascular Implant Infection
Authors: Sohns Jan M. , Bavendiek Udo , Ross Tobias L. , Bengel Frank M.
Published: December 2017

Owing to their success in clinical practice, the prevalence of cardiovascular implants is continuously increasing. Implant infection is a relevant complication but remains a diagnostic challenge because echocardiography as a first-line test may be limited. Accordingly, a multimodality approach is increasingly used for diagnostic workup and supported by recent guidelines. As reviewed here, computed tomography and nuclear imaging provide incremental diagnostic value and may be combined in a single hybrid imaging session using positron emission tomography/computed tomography or single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography. Molecular or cellular imaging helps to overcome the limitations of morphological imaging in implants. Larger-scale clinical studies, earlier application in the time course of diagnosis, monitoring of therapy success, technical advances, and novel radiopharmaceuticals will all contribute to sustained growth of advanced infection-targeted imaging in cardiovascular medicine.
Postoperative Reverse Remodeling and Symptomatic Improvement in Normal-Flow Low-Gradient Aortic Stenosis After Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Carter-Storch Rasmus , Møller Jacob E. , Christensen Nicolaj L. , Irmukhadenov Akhmadjon , Rasmussen Lars M. , Pecini Redi , Øvrehus Kristian A. , Søndergård Eva V. , Marcussen Niels , Dahl Jordi S.
Published: December 2017

Background—

Severe aortic stenosis (AS) most often presents with reduced aortic valve area (<1 cm
2
), normal stroke volume index (≥35 mL/m
2
), and either high mean gradient (≥40 mm Hg; normal-flow high-gradient AS) or low mean gradient (normal-flow low-gradient [NFLG] AS). The benefit of aortic valve replacement (AVR) among NFLG patients is controversial. We compared the impact of NFLG condition on preoperative left ventricular (LV) remodeling and myocardial fibrosis and postoperative remodeling and symptomatic benefit.

Methods and Results—

Eighty-seven consecutive patients with reduced aortic valve area and normal stroke volume index undergoing AVR underwent echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, a 6-minute walk test, and measurement of natriuretic peptides before and 1 year after AVR. Myocardial fibrosis was assessed from magnetic resonance imaging. Patients were stratified as NFLG or normal-flow high-gradient. In total, 33 patients (38%) had NFLG. Before AVR, they were characterized by similar symptom burden but less severe AS measured by aortic valve area index (0.50±0.09 versus 0.40±0.08 cm
2
/m
2
;
P
<0.0001), lower LV mass index (74±18 versus 90±26 g/m
2
;
P
=0.01), but the same degree of myocardial fibrosis. After AVR, NFLG had a smaller reduction in LV mass index (−3±10 versus −±18 g/m
2
;
P
<0.0001) and a smaller reduction in natriuretic peptides. Both groups experienced similar symptomatic improvement. Normal-flow high-gradient condition independently predicted change in LV mass index.

Conclusions—

Patients with NFLG had less severe AS and LV remodeling than patients with normal-flow high-gradient. Furthermore, NFLG patients experienced less reverse remodeling but the same symptomatic benefit.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02316587.
Invasive Assessment of the Coronary Microvasculature
Authors: Fearon William F. , Kobayashi Yuhei
Published: December 2017

Traditionally, invasive coronary physiological assessment has focused on the epicardial coronary artery. More recently, appreciation of the importance of the coronary microvasculature in determining patient outcomes has grown. Several invasive modalities for interrogating microvascular function have been proposed. Angiographic techniques have been limited by their qualitative and subjective nature. Doppler wire-derived coronary flow reserve has been applied in research studies, but its clinical role has been limited by its lack of reproducibility, its lack of a clear normal value, and the fact that it is not specific for the microvasculature but interrogates the entire coronary circulation. The index of microcirculatory resistance—a thermodilution-derived measure of the minimum achievable microvascular resistance—is relatively easy to measure, more reproducible, has a clearer normal value, and is independent of epicardial coronary artery stenosis. The index of microcirculatory resistance has been shown to have prognostic value in patients with ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction and cardiac allograft vasculopathy after heart transplantation. Emerging data demonstrate its role in evaluating patients with chest pain and nonobstructive coronary artery disease. Increasingly, the index of microcirculatory resistance is used as a reference standard for invasively assessing the microvasculature in clinical trials.
GDF-15 (Growth Differentiation Factor 15) Is Associated With Lack of Ventricular Recovery and Mortality After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Kim Juyong Brian , Kobayashi Yukari , Moneghetti Kegan J. , Brenner Daniel A. , O’Malley Ryan , Schnittger Ingela , Wu Joseph C. , Murtagh Gillian , Beshiri Agim , Fischbein Michael , Miller D. Craig , Liang David , Yeung Alan C. , Haddad Francois , Fearon William F.
Published: December 2017

Background—

Recent data suggest that circulating biomarkers may predict outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). We examined the association between inflammatory, myocardial, and renal biomarkers and their role in ventricular recovery and outcome after TAVR.

Methods and Results—

A total of 112 subjects undergoing TAVR were included in the prospective registry. Plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide, hs-TnI (high-sensitivity troponin I), CRP (C-reactive protein), GDF-15 (growth differentiation factor 15), GAL-3 (galectin-3), and Cys-C (cystatin-C) were assessed before TAVR and in 100 sex-matched healthy controls. Among echocardiographic parameters, we measured global longitudinal strain, indexed left ventricular mass, and indexed left atrial volume. The TAVR group included 59% male, with an average age of 84 years, and 1-year mortality of 18%. Among biomarkers, we found GDF-15 and CRP to be strongly associated with all-cause mortality (
P
<0.001). Inclusion of GDF-15 and CRP to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score significantly improved C index (0.65–0.79;
P
<0.05) and provided a category-free net reclassification improvement of 106% at 2 years (
P
=0.01). Among survivors, functional recovery in global longitudinal strain (>15% improvement) and indexed left ventricular mass (>20% decrease) at 1 year occurred in 48% and 22%, respectively. On multivariate logistic regression, lower baseline GDF-15 was associated with improved global longitudinal strain at 1 year (hazard ratio=0.29;
P
<0.001). Furthermore, improvement in global longitudinal strain at 1 month correlated with lower overall mortality (hazard ratio=0.45;
P
=0.03).

Conclusions—

Elevated GDF-15 correlates with lack of reverse remodeling and increased mortality after TAVR and improves risk prediction of mortality when added to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons score.
A Maternally Sequestered, Biopolymer‐Stabilized Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Chimera for Treatment of Preeclampsia
Authors: Logue Omar C. , Mahdi Fakhri , Chapman Heather , George Eric M. , Bidwell Gene L.
Published: December 2017

Background

Preeclampsia is a hypertensive syndrome that complicates 3% to 5% of pregnancies in the United States. Preeclampsia originates from an improperly vascularized and ischemic placenta that releases factors that drive systemic pathophysiology. One of these factors, soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1, is believed to sequester vascular endothelial growth factor (
VEGF
), leading to systemic endothelial dysfunction and hypertension. With the goal of targeting soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 while simultaneously preventing fetal exposure to
VEGF
, we fused
VEGF
to elastin‐like polypeptide, a biopolymer carrier that does not cross the placental barrier (
ELP
‐
VEGF
).

Methods and Results

ELP
‐
VEGF
restored in vitro endothelial cell tube formation in the presence of plasma from placental ischemic rats. Long‐term administered
ELP
‐
VEGF
in pregnant rats accumulated in maternal kidneys, aorta, liver, and placenta, but the protein was undetectable in the pups when administered at therapeutic doses in dams. Long‐term administration of
ELP
‐
VEGF
in a placental ischemia rat model achieved dose‐dependent attenuation of hypertension, with blood pressure equal to sham controls at a dose of 5 mg/kg per day.
ELP
‐
VEGF
infusion increased total plasma soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 levels but dramatically reduced free plasma soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 and induced urinary excretion of nitrate/nitrite, indicating enhanced renal nitric oxide signaling.
ELP
‐
VEGF
at up to 5 mg/kg per day had no deleterious effect on maternal or fetal body weight. However, dose‐dependent adverse events were observed, including ascites production and neovascular tissue encapsulation around the minipump.

Conclusions

ELP
‐
VEGF
has the potential to treat the preeclampsia maternal syndrome, but careful dosing and optimization of the delivery route are necessary.
Sodium Channel Remodeling in Subcellular Microdomains of Murine Failing Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Rivaud Mathilde R. , Agullo‐Pascual Esperanza , Lin Xianming , Leo‐Macias Alejandra , Zhang Mingliang , Rothenberg Eli , Bezzina Connie R. , Delmar Mario , Remme Carol Ann
Published: December 2017

Background

Cardiac sodium channel (NaV1.5) dysfunction contributes to arrhythmogenesis during pathophysiological conditions. Nav1.5 localizes to distinct subcellular microdomains within the cardiomyocyte, where it associates with region‐specific proteins, yielding complexes whose function is location specific. We herein investigated sodium channel remodeling within distinct cardiomyocyte microdomains during heart failure.

Methods and Results

Mice were subjected to 6 weeks of transverse aortic constriction (TAC; n=32) to induce heart failure. Sham–operated on mice were used as controls (n=20). TAC led to reduced left ventricular ejection fraction, QRS prolongation, increased heart mass, and upregulation of prohypertrophic genes. Whole‐cell sodium current (I
Na
) density was decreased by 30% in TAC versus sham–operated on cardiomyocytes. On macropatch analysis, I
Na
in TAC cardiomyocytes was reduced by 50% at the lateral membrane (LM) and by 40% at the intercalated disc. Electron microscopy and scanning ion conductance microscopy revealed remodeling of the intercalated disc (replacement of [inter‐]plicate regions by large foldings) and LM (less identifiable T tubules and reduced Z‐groove ratios). Using scanning ion conductance microscopy, cell‐attached recordings in LM subdomains revealed decreased I
Na
and increased late openings specifically at the crest of TAC cardiomyocytes, but not in groove/T tubules. Failing cardiomyocytes displayed a denser, but more stable, microtubule network (demonstrated by increased α‐tubulin and Glu‐tubulin expression). Superresolution microscopy showed reduced average Na
V
1.5 cluster size at the LM of TAC cells, in line with reduced I
Na
.

Conclusions

Heart failure induces structural remodeling of the intercalated disc, LM, and microtubule network in cardiomyocytes. These adaptations are accompanied by alterations in Na
V
1.5 clustering and I
Na
within distinct subcellular microdomains of failing cardiomyocytes.
Contrasting Conceptions of Asylum in Deuteronomy 19 and Numbers 35
Authors: Mattison Kevin
Published: December 2017

This essay argues that the Deuteronomic and Holiness laws granting asylum to unintentional killers (Deut 19:1-13; Num 35:9-34) differ markedly in their procedures and purposes. The differences between these laws reflect different underlying conceptions of bloodguilt. For Deuteronomy, bloodguilt is created only in the presence of homicidal intention. For the Holiness legislators, bloodguilt is created whenever human blood is shed. These differing conceptions of bloodguilt are reflected in the status each law accords to the manslayer, the role of the blood avenger, the purpose and duration of asylum, and the features of asylum locations.
A Text-Linguistics Approach to the Literary Structure and Coherence of 2 Kings 17:7-23
Authors: Lovell Nathan
Published: December 2017

This paper examines 2 Kgs 17:7-23 which is often understood as a fragmented text, compounding various theological reactions to the fall of Samaria. Applying a text-linguistics approach, I find vv7-20 to be a unit that makes sense in its present form, complementing a second unit beginning in v21. My reading understands the relationship between vv6 and 7 differently to what is usually understood, and to the standard English translations. I argue based on the Hebrew syntax that vv7-20 form a narrative unit that summarises the history of both northern and southern kingdoms together, as a history of idolatrous activity. Thus, the concern of the narrator is to explore the theological reason for the series of Assyrian invasions of the last quarter of the 8th Century bc, and the different fates of Israel and Judah.
Toward the Identification of the Goddess of Ekron
Authors: Fantalkin Alexander
Published: December 2017

The article puts forward a new hypothesis concerning the origin of the goddess of Ekron, mentioned in Ekron’s royal dedicatory inscription from the early 7th centurybce. Contrary to a widely held view, it is suggested that the origin of the Philistine Goddess of Ekron should not be sought in the Aegean world but rather in northern Syria.
Religion between Politics and Media: Conflicting Attitudes towards Islam in Scandinavia
Authors: Lundby Knut , Hjarvard Stig , Lövheim Mia , Jernsletten Haakon H.
Published: December 2017

Based on a comparative project on media and religion across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, this article analyzes relationships between religiosity and political attitudes in Scandinavia and how these connect with attitudes regarding the representation of Islam in various media. Data comes from population-wide surveys conducted in the three countries in April 2015. Most Scandinavians relate ‘religion’ with conflict, and half of the population perceives Islam as a threat to their national culture. Scandinavians thus perceive religion in terms of political tensions and predominantly feel that news media should serve a critical function towards Islam and religious conflicts. Finally, the results of the empirical analysis are discussed in view of the intertwined processes of politicization of Islam and mediatization of religion.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Dutch Implementation of the Water Framework Directive
Authors: Squintani Lorenzo , Plambeck Ernst , van Rijswick Marleen
Published: December 2017

The Netherlands has a long and fascinating history of water management. The main features of the Dutch water governance system for the implementation of the wfd are its regional water authorities based on hydrological scales and powers to regulate, decide and raise taxes for their water tasks. Their functional approach and the decentralised character make the regional water authorities very efficient and effective. It is therefore understandable that eu institutions and other Member States consider the Dutch system an interesting potential source of inspiration for other jurisdictions. Yet, it is not all gold what shines. This paper highlights the strength and weakness elements of the Dutch water governance system under the wfd. It exposes several points of concern. When considering using the Dutch experience as a source of inspiration in other Member States, these concerns should be taken in due account.
Brexit and the United Kingdom Water Environment
Authors: Howarth William
Published: December 2017

This paper notes the uk’s impending departure from the European Union, following the Brexit Referendum in 2016, and investigates the implications of this for environmental laws generally and, more particularly, for water protection legislation. At the time of writing, the uk Government’s Brexit White Paper is the focus of attention, setting out plans to repeal the European Communities Act 1972 and to replace existing eu law by corresponding national legislation. Taking the eu Water Framework Directive as a case study, the later part of the paper examines the inherent difficulties in this strategy in the particular context of water protection. It is suggested that there are major difficulties in finding national law counterparts for many of the eu obligations. Moreover, the exercise of trying to address environmental quality concerns through a purely national framework neglects the essentially transboundary character of many environmental problems and the need for a coordinated supra-national response.
On the Bright Side (of the eu’s Janus Face)The eu Commission’s Notice on Access to Justice in Environmental Matters
Authors: Darpö Jan
Published: December 2017

In April 2017, the eu Commission published a “Notice on Access to Justice in Environmental Matters”, laying down the views of Brussels on this hot topic. The Notice takes stock of the dynamic development of the cjeu’s case law on the matter and draws cautious conclusions from this jurisprudence. This article is both an introductory and a short comment on the Notice. The main reasoning and conclusions drawn in the document are described, and then a couple of key issues are highlighted and discussed. All in all, evaluation of the Notice is positive, as it represents a rather big step forward compared with previous standpoints from Brussels. In this way, the Notice consolidates the impression that the eu is furnished with a Janus face concerning access to justice in environmental matters. It is very positive and affirming concerning legal challenges to administrative decision-making in national courts on the one hand, but very strict and of a rejecting nature when dealing with direct action to the cjeu on the other.
Mapping Shia Muslim Communities in Europe
Authors: Shanneik Yafa , Heinhold Chris , Ali Zahra
Published: December 2017

This article provides an introduction to the special issue onMapping Shia Muslim Communities in Europe.1 With six empirically rich case studies on Shia Muslim communities in various European countries, this issue intends: first, to illustrate the historical developments and emergence of the Shia presence in Europe; second, to highlight the local particularities of the various Shia communities within each nation state and demonstrate their transnational links; and third, to provide for the first time an empirical comparative study on the increasingly visible presence of Shia communities in Europe that fills an important gap in research on Muslims in Europe.
Between the Politics of Difference and the Poetics of Similarity
Authors: Chatziprokopiou Marios , Hatziprokopiou Panos
Published: December 2017

This paper studies the ritual of Ashura as performed by a group of Shia Pakistani migrants in Piraeus, Greece, inscribed in the context of the financial crisis that is currently shaking the country and its socio-political implications, notably the rise of the far-right. Based on participant observation, we start by unfolding the discourses through which our interlocutors attempt to legitimise their religious practices, by connecting the Karbala narrative with the current political oppression of Shiite minorities, but also by articulating a poetics of similarity with equivalent acts of faith from the Greek cultural context, rather than arguments on multiculturalist difference. We then turn our attention to the way Ashura is portrayed by Greek art and media, and we unpack how the poetics of similarity and the politics of difference are presented from different viewpoints. Finally, we study how the interrelations between this migrant Shiite community and ideas regarding the “national self” are manifested in symbolic uses of blood—from murderous threats received by Neo-Nazi groups, to their rejected proposal for a blood-donation campaign parallel to the Ashura.
Being a “True” Shi’ite: The Poetics of Emotions among Belgian-Moroccan Shiites
Authors: Lechkar Iman
Published: December 2017

This article explores the poetics of emotions among Belgian-Moroccan Shiites, and considers how the emotional disposition of sadness is nurtured through the shedding of tears, in order to develop a specific Shia morality based on God’s justice (ʿadl). Once Shiism is embraced, Moroccan Belgians dedicate themselves to cultivating sadness. I argue that emotions are primordial in the socialisation process of Moroccan Belgians into Shia faith. They recognise that crying is a specific Shia disposition that is initially quite hard to attain, but it is fundamental if one wants to be a “true” Shiite.
Shiite “Communities of Practice” in Germany
Authors: Langer Robert , Weineck Benjamin
Published: December 2017

Although few in number, the various Shiite Muslim communities in Germany are highly diversified in terms of their linguistic, national and ethnic backgrounds and ritual practice. In order to come to terms with these multi-local actors and their specific articulations of Shiism, the article aimes at an analytical framework that integrates an open understanding of belonging: employing Leave and Wenger’s concept of “communities of practice”, it argues that a focus on common practice in which heterogeneous actors engage, enables us to grasp, on the one hand, the varying specific characteristics of different groups and, on the other, their mutual belonging to the wider Shiite field.
International Investment Arbitration in Thailand: Limiting Contract-Based Claims While Maintaining Treaty-Based ISDS
Authors: Nottage Luke , Thanitcul Sakda
Published: December 2017

Thailand was initially cautious with its bilateral investment treaties (BITs), consistently eschewing investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). From 1989 it began agreeing to ISDS, but only if both states were party to the Convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes Between States and Nationals of Other States, which Thailand signed in 1965 but never ratified. From 1993, BITs increasingly provided for ad hoc arbitration. Major disputes emerged from the 1990s instead under contracts with foreign investors containing arbitration clauses. From 2004 concession contracts required Cabinet pre-approval. This limitation was extended to all public contracts from 2009, after the first treaty-based ISDS award against Thailand, although two further claims have been filed recently. A 2002 Model bit was revised in 2013 to incorporate more pro-host-state provisions, but Thailand had net foreign direct investment (FDI) outflows in 2011 and still concludes treaties with ISDS. These patterns suggest ‘more than bounded’ rationality.
The Termination of Indonesia’s BITs: Changing the Bathwater, But Keeping the Baby?
Authors: Crockett Antony
Published: December 2017

In 2014, Indonesia began progressively to terminate the 67 bilateral investment treaties (BITs) it has signed since the late 1960s. It does not appear to be Indonesia’s intention, however, to completely abandon investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) and it is likely that ISDS provisions will be included in a number of new regional treaties being negotiated by Indonesia, including the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Contrary to Poulsen’s theory of ‘bounded rationality’ it is suggested that Indonesia was not completely ignorant of the implications when it negotiated its first BITs in the 1960s, nor did it merely accept templates foisted upon it by the capital exporting countries of the West. Recent developments appear to confirm that, notwithstanding its decision to terminate its BITs, Indonesia still considers it important that foreign investors are assured of some minimum standards of protection, governed by international law and backed by access to neutral international dispute resolution.
Malaysia and Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Learning From Experience
Authors: Jusoh Sufian , Razak Muhammad Faliq Abd , Mazlan Mohamad Azim
Published: December 2017

Malaysia is an important destination for foreign direct investment and has signed more than 70 investment guarantee agreements. Most allow investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) and Malaysia has been subject to three claims, including two fully argued cases: Philippe Gruslin and Malaysian Historical Salvor. Yet Malaysian companies have also utilised ISDS provisions: in MTD Equity Bhd v Chile, Telekom Malaysia v Ghana, and Ekran Berhad v China (the first-ever ISDS claim against China). These cases provide lessons for Malaysia in becoming better prepared to negotiate newer generations of investment treaties, and to defend further potential cases. Malaysia has not reacted negatively to investment treaties despite the cases filed against the country. In fact, in light of its evolving interests Malaysia has become more of a rule-maker in international investment law rather than a rule-taker. Malaysia thereby continues to liberalise its investment regime and provide better transparency – the best defence against claims.
International Investment Dispute Resolution in Vietnam: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Nguyen Manh Dzung , Nguyen Thi Thu Trang
Published: December 2017

Integration into the global market brings both challenges and opportunities for the Vietnamese legal system. As investment dispute prevention and settlement has not received much attention from the Vietnamese government, Vietnam experienced difficulties in dispute resolution when faced with investment claims. The reluctance to recognise and enforce foreign arbitral awards in Vietnam to protect local parties has resulted in a number of commercial disputes escalating into investment treaty claims. These experiences have, however, allowed Vietnam to identify defects in its legal framework, human resources and governance, and prompted the government to take measures to reduce the risk of being sued by foreign investors. Even though the effectiveness of these measures has not yet been proven, investment disputes have brought opportunities as well as challenges for Vietnam.
Using Race Model Violation to Explore Multisensory Responses in Older Adults: Enhanced Multisensory Integration or Slower Unisensory Processing?
Authors: Couth Samuel , Gowen Emma , Poliakoff Ellen
Published: December 2017

Older adults exhibit greater multisensory reaction time (RT) facilitation than young adults. Since older adults exhibit greater violation of the race model (i.e., cumulative distribution functions for multisensory RTs are greater than that of the summed unisensory RTs), this has been attributed to enhanced multisensory integration. Here we explored whether (a) individual differences in RT distributions within each age group might drive this effect, and (b) the race model is more likely to be violated if unisensory RTs are slower. Young () and older adults () made speeded responses to visual, auditory or tactile stimuli, or any combination of these (bi-/tri-modal). The test of the race model suggested greater audiovisual integration for older adults, but only when accounting for individual differences in RT distributions. Moreover, correlations in both age groups showed that slower unisensory RTs were associated with a greater degree of race model violation. Therefore, greater race model violation may be due to greater ‘room for improvement’ from unisensory responses in older adults compared to young adults, and thus could falsely give the impression of enhanced multisensory integration.
Changes in Regional Brain Grey-Matter Volume Following Successful Completion of a Sensori-Motor Intervention Targeted at Healthy and Fall-Prone Older Adults
Authors: O’Callaghan Georgia , O’Dowd Alan , Stapleton John , Merriman Niamh A. , Roudaia Eugenie , Newell Fiona N.
Published: December 2017

Previous studies have suggested that discrete cross-sensory events could be incorrectly combined in the brain of older adults with a history of falls, possibly undermining motor and balance control. Based on previous findings that multisensory integration is modifiable with practice, even in an ageing population, we designed a serious game, named CityQuest, to train typical, everyday multisensory processes including sensori-motor control, spatial navigation, obstacle avoidance and balance control. Played over several sessions, this game was shown to improve these functions in older adults with and without a history of falls, depending on the specific condition of the game on which they were trained. Here, using voxel-based morphometry analysis of anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data, we investigated structural changes in the brain of a smaller group of older adults from those who successfully completed this five-week intervention. A grey-matter (GM) volume increase in the precentral gyrus, and GM volume reduction in the inferior temporal and orbitofrontal gyri, was found for all participants. Changes in GM volume within regions of the cerebellum were differentially associated with fall-prone and healthy older adults. Furthermore, a greater GM volume increase in the precentral gyrus was observed in participants who performed the full CityQuest intervention relative to those required to avoid obstacles only. Our results support previous evidence that multisensory training can affect structural changes in the older brain and have implications for programmes designed for the successful rehabilitation of perceptual and cognitive functions.
Shakespeare in Church: Reflection on an Intertextual Liturgy Based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Authors: Fiddes Paul S.
Published: December 2017

‘Seeing More Clearly with the Eyes of Love’, a new ‘Liturgy for Voices’ based on Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, is an experimental piece of intertextuality. It interleaves extensive quotations from the play with elements of the western Christian liturgy and five new poems by contemporary poets. The paper argues that the sequence of the liturgy has parallels with four moments in a Shakespearean comedy: gathering, disturbance, reconciliation and dismissal. Further, in this particular play two quotations from the New Testament appear at climactic points, and these are marked in the liturgy by two symbolic actions which give opportunity for congregational engagement. Data relating to congregational response has been collected after three productions of the liturgy, and is analysed to discover the effect of integrating theatrical and liturgical drama on the theme of love, so contributing to a larger project on love of God and neighbour as a common ground for religions.
Concentrating or Sprinkling? Federal Funding for Indigenous, Women’s, and Environmental NGOs in Canada, 1972-2014
Authors: Corrigall-Brown Catherine , Ho Mabel
Published: December 2017

Governments have a long history of funding nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and their programs. While there is much work describing this funding, there has been little research systematically examining how the political and economic context shapes the level and type of funding NGOs receive. This article examines the factors that predict levels of government funding for NGOs over time, focusing on spending for interest groups in three areas, Indigenous, women, and the environment. We use data collected from the Canadian Public Accounts, which lists all grants to groups by the federal government from 1972 until 2014. We use these data to assess how federal funding has changed over this period, how funding across issue areas is related, and the role of political and economic factors in shaping rising and declining funding over time. We find that the factors that predict funding vary across issue areas. Our analysis also shows government’s tendency to sprinkle funding across a larger number of groups or concentrate it in a smaller number of organizations is strongly related to the party in power and the issue area.
Foundation Funding of the Environmental Movement
Authors: Jenkins J. Craig , Carmichael Jason T. , Brulle Robert J. , Boughton Heather
Published: December 2017

We address the long-standing debate between elite theorists and pluralists about the priorities and scale of foundation funding for social movements by examining systematic data on foundation grants to environmental movement organizations (EMOs) between 1961 and 2000. By combining these data with a comprehensive inventory of EMOs that operated in this period, we show that foundation giving favored conservative mainstream environmental discourses, EMOs that avoided protest, older EMOs, and those located in the northeastern seaboard. Despite major growth in the constant dollar value of foundation giving to EMOs, this remains a highly concentrated system of philanthropy with over half of all foundation grants going to the top 20 grant recipients, a third of which have been leading recipients for over five decades. Nonetheless, there is evidence of change in that alternative discourses, especially environmental justice, received over 5% of these grants in 2000.
Primary Coronary Intervention in Octogenarians and Nonagenarians With ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction: A Canadian Single-Center Perspective
Authors: Sharma Rajat , Hiebert Brett , Cheung David , Jassal Davinder S. , Minhas Kunal
Published: December 2017

The proportion of individuals >80 years of age constitute an increasing proportion of patients who present with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The objective of this study is to evaluate in-hospital outcomes and 1-year survival of very elderly patients who present with an STEMI and undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). Between 2009 and 2015, individuals >80 years of age (very elderly patients) with an STEMI presenting at a single tertiary Canadian care center were included in the study. A random sample of 100 individuals aged 65 to 69 years over the same time period were selected as a control group. A total of 284 patients were included in the study population including 100 controls, 164 octogenarians, and 20 nonagenarians. Of total, 1661 pPCIs occurred during this study period with the very elderly population (>80 years) comprising 11.1% of the total pPCIs. Compared with controls, individuals aged >80 are more likely to have a delay in treatment with increased rates of bleeding, acute kidney injury, rehospitalization, and a trend toward longer hospital stays following pPCI for STEMI. Although in-hospital and 1-year mortality were similar between both cohorts >80 years of age with STEMI, their overall survival was reduced compared with controls.
Structural and functional changes in the somatosensory cortex in euthymic females with bipolar disorder
Authors: Minuzzi Luciano , Syan Sabrina K , Smith Mara , Hall Alexander , Hall Geoffrey BC , Frey Benicio N
Published: December 2017

Objective:

Current evidence from neuroimaging data suggests possible dysfunction of the fronto-striatal-limbic circuits in individuals with bipolar disorder. Somatosensory cortical function has been implicated in emotional recognition, risk-taking and affective responses through sensory modalities. This study investigates anatomy and function of the somatosensory cortex in euthymic bipolar women.

Methods:

In total, 68 right-handed euthymic women (bipolar disorder = 32 and healthy controls = 36) between 16 and 45 years of age underwent high-resolution anatomical and functional magnetic resonance imaging during the mid-follicular menstrual phase. The somatosensory cortex was used as a seed region for resting-state functional connectivity analysis. Voxel-based morphometry was used to evaluate somatosensory cortical gray matter volume between groups.

Results:

We found increased resting-state functional connectivity between the somatosensory cortex and insular cortex, inferior prefrontal gyrus and frontal orbital cortex in euthymic bipolar disorder subjects compared to healthy controls. Voxel-based morphometry analysis showed decreased gray matter in the left somatosensory cortex in the bipolar disorder group. Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry analysis controlled by age did not reveal any additional significant difference between groups.

Conclusion:

This study is the first to date to evaluate anatomy and function of the somatosensory cortex in a well-characterized sample of euthymic bipolar disorder females. Anatomical and functional changes in the somatosensory cortex in this population might contribute to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder.
Leadership and Counseling Psychology: What Should We Know? Where Could We Go?
Authors: Fassinger Ruth E. , Shullman Sandra L.
Published: December 2017

In this article, we present an introduction to the scholarly literature in leadership, especially as related to counseling psychology. Although many counseling psychologists engage in professional leadership roles across various settings in which they function, there is little formal knowledge about leadership represented in principal books and journals in the field, nor is leadership addressed formally in most programs providing education and training for counseling psychologists. In this article, we first summarize the most important theories, constructs, and processes in the body of knowledge regarding leadership. We also consider the applicability of this knowledge to the field of counseling psychology, particularly noting values and commitments that may position counseling psychologists for effective leadership. We then outline several cross-cutting issues in leadership for counseling psychologists that arise across settings and roles, concluding with a call for more formal attention to leadership by counseling psychologists.
The Ecological Structuring of Police Officers’ Perceptions of Citizen Cooperation
Authors: Shjarback John A. , Nix Justin , Wolfe Scott E.
Published: December 2017

Neighborhood structural conditions influence police behavior, but few studies have addressed whether neighborhood conditions are associated with officers’ perceptions of residents in those communities. This is an important gap because officers’ perceptions of what they can expect from residents in disadvantaged communities may help explain differential treatment. Using data from the Project on Policing Neighborhoods, we examined neighborhood effects on officers’ perceptions of citizen cooperation. Officers working in beats with more concentrated disadvantage and higher homicide rates were less likely to believe that citizens would be willing to cooperate with law enforcement. We discuss this finding in relation to explaining differential police treatment across communities and what it means for the legitimacy dialogue that unfolds between the police and community.
The biopolitics of declassing Palestinian professional women in a settler-colonial context
Authors: Abu-Rabia-Queder Sarab
Published: December 2017

This article argues that the biopolitics of declassing Palestinian professional women in Israel, which constitutes part of the logic of eliminating the native, is mediated by colonial violence that secures labor market class sovereignty for settlers. In this context, the term declassing refers to rendering this class invisible by disregarding the women’s presence and/or value in the labor market. The study unpacks the logic of elimination through the racialized, everyday lived experience of middle-class professional women in Bedouin society who succeeded in entering the Jewish workplace. These women face sophisticated erasure tactics, paralleling various manifestations of the direct politics of fear that discipline the body, will and mind, as well as indirect opposition reflected in the settler-colonial reinforcement of patriarchal power against women. This article reveals concealed violent forms of power practiced by the colonialists to declass Palestinian women and preserve colonialist class superiority in the labor market.
Can Neoliberal Capitalism Affect Human Evolution?
Authors: Chernomas Robert , Hudson Ian , Chernomas Gregory
Published: December 2017

The connection between genes and health outcomes is significantly moderated by social factors. Health inequalities result from the differential accumulation of exposures and resource access rooted in class-based circumstances. In the neoliberal era in the United States, changed physical and socioeconomic conditions facing the poorer members of society have been characterized as traumatogenic (capable of producing a wound or injury). This paper will argue that research that points to the transgenerational influence of environmental impacts on health suggests 2 important reconsiderations of the link between the economy and health. First, an understanding of the health of any society requires an understanding not only of current but also past environmental conditions and the economy that produces those conditions. Second, it suggests that the way in which economic policy is analyzed needs to be reconsidered to incorporate the transgenerational impacts of environmental conditions produced by those policies.
‘Like Adam and Eve’: Biblical Models and Jewish Daily Life in Medieval Christian Europe
Authors: Baumgarten Elisheva
Published: December 2017

This article follows the exegetical and legal interpretations of the story of Adam and Eve among Jewish scholars of the High Middle Ages living in northern Europe. It argues that by following these evolving interpretations and understandings one can tease out details of the fabric of everyday Jewish life alongside tensions and norms that were under debate. It focuses on two main aspects of these reinterpretations. The first is understandings concerning conjugal life and gender hierarchies. The second is legal rights and responsibilities accorded to women as ‘daughters of Eve.’
Selling in a Dying Business: An Analysis of Trends During a Period of Major Market Transition in the Funeral Industry
Authors: Beard Virginia R. , Burger William C.
Published: December 2017

As a result of recent economic changes in the United States and cultural changes among the population, the funeral industry has experienced a “legitimation crisis.” The objective of this research is to examine new advertising and marketing strategies engaged in by professionals in the funeral industry to respond to market and cultural changes that have affected both the funeral industry at large and the role of the funeral director as a participant in this industry. A meta-analysis of articles from issues of the industry trade journal American Funeral Director for the years 2008 through 2015 was conducted. Two major themes emerged from the data. First, that funeral home owners should respond to market changes by using their assets for diverse reasons and second that forms of community engagement can create feelings of goodwill that will increase usage and loyalty from families. Within each of these major themes, a variety of subthemes emerged from the data.
The Magnitude of a Community’s Health Needs and Nonprofit Hospitals’ Progress in Meeting Those Needs: Are We Faced With a Paradox?
Authors: Singh Simone R. , Cramer Geri R. , Young Gary J.
Published: December 2017

Objectives:

Although most nonprofit hospitals are required to conduct periodic community health needs assessments (CHNAs), such assessments arguably are most critical for communities with substantial health needs. The objective of this study was to describe differences in progress in conducting CHNAs between hospitals located in communities with the greatest compared with the fewest health needs.

Methods:

We used data on CHNA activity from the 2013 tax filings of 1331 US hospitals combined with data on community health needs from the County Health Rankings. We used bivariate and multivariate analyses to examine differences in hospitals’ progress in implementing comprehensive CHNAs using 4 activities: (1) strategies to address identified needs, (2) participation in developing community-wide plans, (3) including CHNA into a hospital’s operational plan, and (4) developing a budget to address identified needs. We compared progress in communities with the greatest and the fewest health needs using a comprehensive indicator comprising a community’s socioeconomic factors, health behaviors, access to medical care, and physical environment.

Results:

In 2013, nonprofit hospitals serving communities with the greatest health needs conducted an average of 2.5 of the 4 CHNA activities, whereas hospitals serving communities with the fewest health needs conducted an average of 2.7 activities. Multivariate analysis, however, showed a negative but not significant relationship between the magnitude of a community’s health needs and a hospital’s progress in implementing comprehensive CHNAs.

Conclusions:

Hospitals serving communities with the greatest health needs face high demand for free and reduced-cost care, which may limit their ability to invest more of their community benefit dollars in initiatives aimed at improving the health of the community.