bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Features and Treatments of Syphilitic Uveitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Ting , Zhu Ying , Xu Gezhi
Published: June 2017

Purpose. To investigate the clinical features and efficacies of treatments for syphilitic uveitis. Methods. PubMed was searched for studies of syphilitic uveitis published between January 1990 and October 2016. The clinical features were summarized and appraised. The pooled success rate was defined as an improved or maintained final visual acuity and was calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were assessed. Results. Thirty-two studies involving 670 patients were analyzed. The most common type of syphilitic uveitis was papillitis. The pooled success rate was 0.91 (95% CI 0.84–0.97) for antibacterial agents alone (15 studies, 286 patients); 0.95 (95% CI 0.91–0.98) for antibacterial agents and systemic corticosteroids combined (11 studies, 245 patients); and 0.91 (95% CI 0.80–0.98) for antibacterial agents, systemic corticosteroids, and other immunosuppressants combined (3 studies, 73 patients). Subgroup analyses revealed no correlations of the efficacy of antibacterial agent monotherapy with study characteristics, such as human immunodeficiency virus coinfection status. Conclusions. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed the efficacy of antibacterial agents for treating syphilitic uveitis. Coadministration of systemic corticosteroids or immunosuppressants did not elicit further improvements in the clinical outcomes of antibacterial agents.
Common Clinical Characteristics and Rare Medical Problems of Fragile X Syndrome in Thai Patients and Review of the Literature
Authors: Charalsawadi Chariyawan , Wirojanan Juthamas , Jaruratanasirikul Somchit , Ruangdaraganon Nichara , Geater Alan , Limprasert Pornprot
Published: June 2017

Background.Clinical characteristics of fragile X syndrome (FXS) have been well documented in Caucasians, whereas in Asians they have rarely been described. Those that have been conducted used small cohorts that utilized DNA for diagnosis and larger cohorts that utilized cytogenetics for diagnosis. This study is to describe clinical characteristics of FXS in a large cohort of Thai patients diagnosed by standard molecular methods.Methods.Seventy-seven index cases and 46 affected relatives diagnosed with FXS were recruited into the study. To determine frequencies of common characteristics of FXS in prepubertal boys, we reviewed 56 unrelated cases aged between 18 and 146 months. To list rare medical problems, we reviewed 75 cases aged between 8 months to 71 years old, including 53 index cases and 22 affected relatives. In addition, we selected 16 clinical studies from various ethnicities for comparison with our findings.Results.In prepubertal boys with FXS, attention deficit and/or hyperactivity, prominent ears, macroorchidism, and elongated face were observed in 96%, 80%, 53%, and 48% of patients, respectively, whereas recognizable X-linked inheritance presented in 11% of patients. IQ scores ranged between 30 and 64 (mean ± SD =43±9,n=25). We observed clinical findings that rarely or have never been reported, for example, medulloblastoma and tetralogy of Fallot.Conclusion.Attention deficit and/or hyperactivity and prominent ear are the most common behavioral and physical features in prepubertal boys with FXS, respectively. There are differences in frequencies of clinical characteristics observed between ethnicities; however, it is difficult to draw a solid conclusion due to different recruitment criteria and sample sizes within each study.
MicroRNA-133b Ameliorates Allergic Inflammation and Symptom in Murine Model of Allergic Rhinitis by Targeting Nlrp3
Authors: Xiao Lifeng , Jiang Li , Hu Qi , Li Yuru
Published: June 2017

Background: Emerging evidences indicate that post-transcriptional regulation by microRNAs is critical in allergic rhinitis (AR) pathogenesis. MircroRNA-133b (miR-133b) was recently suggested as a potential predictor of AR. However, the in vivo effect of miR-133b on AR is unclear. Methods: AR model was established in BALB/c mice by intraperitoneal sensitization and intranasal challenge with ovalbumin (OVA). MiR-133b agomir was then intranasally administrated to mice after OVA challenge for another 7 days. The symptom of nasal rubbing and sneezing were recorded after the last OVA challenge. Nasal mucosa tissues and serum were collected. MiR-133b expression, serum OVA-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration, proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-γ) levels, and Nlrp3 inflammasome activation were measured by RT-PCR, ELISA, western blotting or immunohistochemistry, respectively. Histopathologic changes were evaluated using hematoxylin and eosin and Sirius red staining. The luciferase activity and protein expression of Nlrp3 were also determined. Results: MiR-133b expression was significantly decreased in nasal mucosa of AR mice, which was restored by nasal administration with miR-133b agomir. Upregulation of miR-133b markedly reduced the concentration of OVA-specific IgE, the frequencies of nasal rubbing and sneezing, and the levels of cytokines (TNF-α, IL-4, IL-5 and IFN-γ). Levels of IL-4, IL-5, IL-10 and IFN-γ produced by cervical lymph node cells were significantly lowered in miR-133b agomir-treated mice. Moreover, miR-133b also appeared to strongly attenuate pathological alterations and eosinophils and mast cells infiltration in nasal mucosa. Notably, we demonstrated for the first time that miR-133b negatively regulated Nlrp3 expression through binding with the 3’ untranslated region of Nlrp3. Consequently, infection of miR-133b in nasal mucosa remarkably suppressed the Nlrp3 inflammasome activation, as evidenced by reduced Nlrp3, Caspase-1, ASC, IL-18 and IL-1 expressions. Conclusion: MiR-133b alleviates allergic symptom in AR mice by inhibition of Nlrp3 inflammasome-meditated inflammation. These findings provide us an insight into the potential role of miR-133b in relation to AR treatment.
Macrophage Inflammatory Protein-2 in High Mobility Group Box 1 Secretion of Macrophage Cells Exposed to Lipopolysaccharide
Authors: Chaochao Qin , Lou Guohua , Yang Ying , Liu Yanning , Hu Ying , Min Zheng , Chen Ping , He Jiliang , Chen Zhi
Published: June 2017

Background/Aims: Macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2), a type of leukocyte chemokine, is primarily produced by macrophages, and levels increase significantly in early inflammation. However, the precise biological functions and mechanisms of MIP-2 in the development of inflammation remain unclear. The purposes of the present study were to investigate the role of MIP-2 in inflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in vitro and to determine the possibility of blocking the high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) signalling pathway via MIP-2 inhibition. Methods: Macrophage cells (RAW264.7, U937 and THP-1 cells) were divided into control and treatments groups. Expression levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), HMGB1, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand-2 (Ccl-2), Toll-like receptor-4 (TLR-4), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), phosphorylated MAPKs (p38, ERKs, JNKs), PI3K/Akts, JAKs/STAT3, IκB, and cytoplasmic and nuclear NF-κB p65 in RAW264.7 cells were detected by qRT-PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or western blot assays. Results: mip-2 siRNA and an anti-MIP-2 antibody significantly reduced the expression levels of Ccl-2, TLR-4, iNOS, IL-6, IL-1β, HMGB1, and TNF-α in RAW264.7 cells exposed to LPS (P<0.01). Additionally, mRNA expression levels of HMGB1 and TLR-4 in cells treated with LPS+mip-2 siRNA were significantly lower than those in cells treated with LPS alone (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The MIP-2 antibody significantly suppressed activation of p38-MAPK, p-STAT3, and p-Akts and translocation of NF-κB p65 from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in RAW264.7 exposed to LPS (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Conclusion: mip-2 siRNA and the MIP-2 antibody can reduce the inflammatory effects induced by LPS in macrophage cells. The mechanisms may occur through down-regulation of p38-MAPK, STAT3 and Akts phosphorylation and translocation of NF-κB p65. MIP-2 plays an important role in inflammation induced by LPS.
Instituições fazem diferença: o caso da reforma do sistema eleitoral em Israel
Authors: Zimerman Artur
Published: June 2017

Este artigo tem por intuito demonstrar que as instituições fazem diferença, e às vezes muita diferença. O estudo de caso da mudança do sistema eleitoral israelense revela um dano irreversível ao país, impossibilitando-o de mudar seu rumo político. Os dois maiores partidos na época impulsionaram a mudança, o que os prejudicou posteriormente. O sistema que estava instalado até então era prejudicial ao país, mas as modificações dele provaram serem piores que seus próprios precursores para o país em geral. A conclusão a que se chega é de que boas intenções podem levar a maus resultados.
A teoria da escolha pública e as reformas do Estado: uma crítica habermasiana
Authors: Andrews Christina W.
Published: June 2017

Neste artigo é apresentada uma análise crítica da teoria da Escolha Pública sob a ótica da teoria social de Jürgen Habermas. Essa análise se justifica pelos pontos de convergência entre as duas teorias, ainda que a partir de perspectivas opostas. Enquanto a teoria da Escolha Pública concebe a política como uma relação de troca entre Estado e eleitores, a teoria crítica habermasiana considera que é justamente esse aspecto da polí- tica de massas que deve ser superado pela ação comunicativa de cidadãos participantes. Procura-se demonstrar ao longo do texto que o impasse teórico da Escolha Pública – de um lado, como postula o “Teorema da Possibilidade Geral” de Kenneth Arrow, a impossibilidade de uma função-utilidade coletiva e de outro, a ambição normativa de fornecer parâmetros de eficiência para o fornecimento de bens públicos – reside, fundamentalmente, no pressuposto do individualismo metodológico
Democracia e justiça: em busca de uma nova relação em Rawls
Authors: Laisner Regina
Published: June 2017

Este trabalho se coloca na direção de vários outros que vem sendo desenvolvidos no mesmo sentido, procurando dar conta das questões mais urgentes de grande parte das sociedades atuais, questões que reclamam uma nova relação entre democracia e justiça. Em primeiro lugar, como uma tentativa de crítica ao modelo predominante de democracia competitiva, “isento de valores” e em segundo lugar, com a intenção de desenvolver os argumentos a favor de uma concepção alternativa de democracia que se conjugue a ideais de justiça distributiva, tendo como referência as proposições desenvolvidas na teoria da justiça proposta por John Ralws, no desenvolvimento de uma nova relação entre democracia e justiça
La democracia des-mediada. Corrupción y democracia en la modernidad
Authors: Morresi Sergio D.
Published: June 2017

Este trabalho de teoria política toma a problemática da corrupção (entendida não só no sentido de “propina”, mas também no sentido mais abrangente de desatenção do mandato político) como eixo para disparar uma rediscussão do debate entre o liberalismo e o republicanismo, aqui encarnados nos federalistas e antifederalistas americanos. A partir de aí, se desenvolvem algumas hipóteses sobre como a diminuição de instancias de mediação pode servir para pelo menos conter a corrupção nos Estados modernos
Efeito dominó na América Latina: influência do sistema internacional nos regimes políticos.
Authors: Sposito Italo Beltrão
Published: June 2017

Este artigo busca encontrar fatores internacionais influentes nos processos de ascensão de regimes autocráticos e democratização ocorridos na América Latina durante, respectivamente, as décadas de 1960 e 1970, e as décadas de 1980 e 1990. Além de considerar os fatores endógenos que foram determinantes nesses processos, são investigadas as principais influências externas sobre as mudanças de regime democrático. Os fatores considerados são: a influência dos Estados Unidos sobre a região, no primeiro processo, a partir dos programas de assistência militar e da incorporação de sua Doutrina de Segurança Nacional por parte das escolas superiores de guerra em diversos países da América Latina e, no segundo processo, pela guinada em sua política em relação à região, quando passou a defender os valores democráticos e evitar ajuda a regimes autocráticos. O sistema internacional – no primeiro momento caracterizado pela bipolarização ideológica da Guerra Fria – levou à radicalização das posturas políticas nos países da América Latina em um momento crucial de seu processo de desenvolvimento, como resultado a ascensão de ideologias de cunho anticomunista. No período de democratização, a política internacional pode ter sido um fator influente pela consideração de que os regimes democráticos se tornara um imperativo para se inserir na economia internaciona
Soluções liberais alternativas para a desigualdade econômica
Authors: Petroni Lucas
Published: June 2017

Trazidos à tona pelos movimentos de contestação à desigualdade econômica após a crise de 2008, direitos de participação nas decisões econômicas da sociedade, ao capital e à renda básica incondicional encontram sua melhor formulação teórica em uma longa tradição política liberal alternativa ao mainstream político e econômico. Autores como John Stuart Mill, James Meade e John Rawls defenderam propostas radicais de transformação das relações de produção por meio de mecanismos de cogestão e da instauração de uma “democracia de cidadãos proprietários”. A união entre teoria e prática do liberalismo alternativo pode ser uma solução igualitária importante diante do aumento da desigualdade econômica nas democracias econômicas
Can Democracy be Deliberative & Participatory? The Democratic Case for Political Uses of Mini-Publics
Authors: Lafont Cristina
Published: June 2017

This essay focuses on recent proposals to confer decisional status upon deliberative mini-publics such as citizens' juries, Deliberative Polls, and citizens' assemblies. Against such proposals, I argue that inserting deliberative mini-publics into political decision-making processes would diminish the democratic legitimacy of the political system as a whole. This negative conclusion invites a question: which political uses of mini-publics would yield genuinely democratic improvements? Drawing from a participatory conception of deliberative democracy, I propose several uses of mini-publics that could enhance the democratic legitimacy of political decision-making in current societies.
The Impact of Religious and National Belonging on Attitudes Concerning the Social Importance of Religion
Authors: Ziebertz Hans-Georg
Published: June 2017

Culture and religion are both collective phenomena. Social identity theory shows how both can function as a connective frame of reference for a certain group of human beings. Frames are unique; nevertheless, different frames can overlap each other. In this research, both big categories will be used to explore if and how they predict attitudes towards the social importance of religious institutions. Religious institutions are guided by religious authorities and these authorities have a specific responsibility to keep these institutions alive and prepare them for the future. In this research, respondents were asked how religious institutions can best be prepared for the future: whether they should use their social authority, moral authority, spiritual or cultural authority? The second and main question of this paper is: can the appreciated social importance of religious institutions be predicted by religious or non-religious reasons, i.e. by either respondents’ religious belonging or their national identity? A requirement for such research is the availability of a cross-cultural and cross-religious sample. In this paper, data were taken from the “Religion and Human Rights” programme and respondents from 14 countries (N=13.004) were included in the analysis. The findings show that respondents regard the social importance of religion differently and that differences depend on respondents’ country of citizenship and their religious belonging. If the weight of these influences is compared, respondents’ views are more strongly predicted by their national than by their religious belonging. The findings also show that there is an overlap between national culture and religion, which explains a certain percentage of the variance.
Theology Mediating Social Capital: Ordinary Theology, Motivation and Relationships
Authors: Smith Michael
Published: June 2017

The concept of social capital and its use as a sociological tool has received considerable attention and continues to provide insights into various aspects of community life. Social capital offers a means to study beneficial and detrimental aspects of relationships away from economic or rationalist reduction. Although social capital and religious affiliation has seen significant attention in the literature, there has been little research into the relationship between theology and social capital. In this article, theology and social capital is explored through a qualitative ethnographic study of an Australian faith-based organisation. It is argued that ordinary theology, defined as the beliefs found in the language of believers without scholarly religious education (Astley 2002) mediates social capital. The ordinary theology of the volunteers, which I callaction-driven theologywas found to mediate bridging social capital with refugees through developing theologically significant relationships.
Lectotypification of Pentagonia macrophylla (Rubiaceae) revisited

Authors: ROVA JOHAN , PERSSON CLAES , LJUNGSTRAND ERIK , ANTONELLI ALEXANDRE
Published: June 2017

In this work, we argue that the “lectotypification” of Pentagonia macrophylla Benth. made by Andersson & Rova in Flora of Ecuador (2004) was in fact a neotypification, because the designated type was not original material. Original material of this species, collected by Andrew Sinclair, has now been located in the K herbarium at Kew Gardens, and is here designated as the lectotype of this name.
Comments on “Short-Term Precipitation and Temperature Trends along an Elevation Gradient in Northeastern Puerto Rico”
Authors: Torres-Valcárcel Angel R. , Gonzalez-Avilés Cesar
Published: June 2017

The selection of statistical methods to evaluate data depends on study questions and characteristics of available data. In climate science, some methods are more popularly used than others; however, the use of applicable alternative methods does not invalidate study findings. Regardless of limitations, some methods like Pearson ordinary correlation are widely used in all sciences including climate and by scientists at government agencies like NOAA and the USGS. In addition, the use of the robust Student’s t test is valid for near-Gaussian distributions with high sample numbers, since it is resistant to data distribution inconsistencies. We wish to put in context the citation about our article and clarify the methods and justification for using them and to educate readers about the use of some conventional statistical tools and tests.
Influence of Monsoonal Wind Speed and Moisture Content on Intensity and Diurnal Variations of the Mei-Yu Season Coastal Rainfall over South China
Authors: Chen Xingchao , Zhang Fuqing , Zhao Kun
Published: June 2017

Convection-permitting numerical experiments using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model are performed to explore the influence of monsoonal onshore wind speed and moisture content on the intensity and diurnal variations of coastal rainfall over south China during the mei-yu seasons. The focus of the analyses is on a pair of 10-day WRF simulations with diurnally cyclic-in-time lateral boundary conditions averaged over the high versus low onshore wind speed days of the 2007–09 mei-yu seasons. Despite differences in the rainfall intensity, the spatial distributions and diurnal variations of rainfall in both simulations verified qualitatively well against the mean estimates derived from ground-based radar observations, averaged respectively over either the high-wind or low-wind days.

Sensitivity experiments show that the pattern of coastal rainfall spatial distribution is mostly controlled by the ambient onshore wind speed. During the high-wind days, strong coastal rainfall is concentrated along the coastline and reaches its maximum in the early morning. The coastal lifting induced by the differential surface friction and small hills is the primary cause for the strong coastal rainfall, while land breeze enhances coastal lifting and precipitation from evening to early morning. In the low-wind days, on the other hand, coastal rainfall is mainly induced by the land–sea-breeze fronts, which has apparent diurnal propagation perpendicular to the coastline. With stronger land–sea temperature contrast, the land–sea breeze is stronger during the low-wind days. Both in the high-wind and low-wind days, the coastal rainfall intensity is sensitive to the incoming moisture in the upstream oceanic airflow, especially to the moisture content in the boundary layer.
Identifying Changes in Source Regions Impacting Speciated Atmospheric Mercury at a Rural Site in the Eastern United States
Authors: Cheng Irene , Zhang Leiming , Castro Mark , Mao Huiting
Published: June 2017

To investigate the effectiveness of emission reductions on the concentrations of gaseous elemental mercury (GEM), gaseous oxidized mercury (GOM), and particulate-bound mercury (PBM) at a rural site in Maryland (MD08), long-term (2005–14) measurements of speciated atmospheric mercury were analyzed using concentration-weighted trajectory (CWT) analysis. CWT results suggested that the number of major source regions contributing to GEM, GOM, and reactive mercury (RM = GOM + PBM) over the eastern United States and southeastern Canada declined over time. Across much of these regions, source contributions in 2011–14 decreased by up to 20% for GEM, by greater than 60% for GOM, and by 20%–60% for PBM compared to 2006–08, largely because of the decreases in power-plant mercury emissions since 2009. Changes in the spatial distribution of the source regions were also observed over time. Increases in source contributions of GEM after 2011 over the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada were predominantly from emission increases in metal and steel production and forest fires. Source contribution increases in PBM were more widespread, which can be attributed potentially to mercury transformation processes in the air or wood combustion rather than industrial sources.
A Factorial Survey Study on the Influence of Advertising Place and the Use of Personal Data on User Acceptance of Facebook Ads
Authors: Broeck Evert Van den , Poels Karolien , Walrave Michel
Published: June 2017

Advertisements on social networking sites are typically unrequested messages placed in between the user-generated content. What makes users accept these ads (or not)? A factorial survey was conducted to uncover the impact of different factors related to the use of personal data (e.g., sensitivity of personal data) and advertising place (e.g., ad location) of Facebook ads on user acceptance (i.e., fairness and appropriateness) of the advertisement. Placement of the advertisement was the only factor to significantly affect user acceptance. Moreover, the effect of ad placement largely depended on the degree of involvement with the advertised product. Among low-involved subjects, sidebar ad placement was better accepted. Moreover, the influence of ad placement on user acceptance was fully mediated by perceived intrusiveness of the ad. This indirect effect was not significant in the high-involved subgroup, where message stream placement was better accepted. Implications for targeting advertising on Facebook are discussed.
The relative innocence of child soldiers
Authors: Mastey David
Published: June 2017

This article concerns the portrayal of childhood innocence — both moral and legal — in the child soldier narrative, a predominantly African genre of writing. I begin with an analysis of how these stories establish the moral innocence of their young characters through prevailing narratological structures that culminate in the loss of this innocence, usually by means of scenes in which child soldiers kill or sexually assault other characters. The purpose of these scenes and subsequent reflections on them by some child soldier characters is not to disabuse readers of their notions of childhood innocence, but rather to heighten awareness of it by drawing explicit attention to it during moments of duress. The narratives do not present innocence prosaically as an abstraction or a plainly-stated character trait (Shklovsky, 2015). Instead, they invite readers to viscerally perceive it (and its inevitable loss) through disturbing portrayals of violence. Scenes of lost innocence also serve an integral plot function in the genre as prerequisites for the rehabilitation of former child soldiers after their decommission. This narrative trajectory emphasizes the essential innocence of the characters in their roles as victimized children. However, in the process it also downplays concerns about their possible culpability as soldiers.
Individual Differences in Reading Subprocesses: Relationships Between Reading Ability, Lexical Access, and Eye Movement Control
Authors: Everatt John , Underwood Geoffrey
Published: June 2017

This study examines the relationship between individual reading subprocesses and general reading ability in college students. The reading measures included eye movements while reading a passage, lexical decision latencies, comprehension, and vocabulary size. The results indicate that a distinct relation exists between reading speed and fixation behaviour associated with regressions through a text. About half the variability in comprehension scores can be predicted by subjects' performance on nonword lexical decisions, gaze durations, and vocabulary scores. These findings are discussed with reference to past studies using similar reading measures.
Service Quality Assessment of Hospitals in Asian Context: An Empirical Evidence From Pakistan
Authors: Shafiq Muhammad , Naeem Muhammad Azhar , Munawar Zartasha , Fatima Iram
Published: June 2017

Hospitals vary from one another in terms of their specialty, services offered, and resource availability. Their services are widely measured with scales that gauge patients’ perspective. Therefore, there is a need for research to develop a scale that measures hospital service quality in Asian hospitals, regardless of their nature or ownership. To address this research need, this study adapted the SERVQUAL instrument to develop a service quality measurement scale. Data were collected from inpatients and outpatients at 9 different hospitals, and the scale was developed using structural equation modeling. The developed scale was then validated by identifying service quality gaps and ranking the areas that require managerial effort. The findings indicated that all 5 dimensions of SERVQUAL are valid in Asian countries such as Pakistan, with 13 items retained. Reliability, tangibility, responsiveness, empathy, and assurance were ranked first, second, third, fourth, and fifth, respectively, in terms of the size of the quality gap. The gaps were statistically significant, with values ≤.05; therefore, hospital administrators must focus on each of these areas. By focusing on the identified areas of improvement, health care authorities, managers, practitioners, and decision makers can bring substantial change within hospitals.
Crime in Delhi: A micro level analysis
Authors: Nandini
Published: June 2017

The paper proposes to examine the spatial behaviour of crime in the context of urban Delhi. Government reports locate Delhi as the worst crime-affected region. As the pattern varies across the different spatial units, there has been an attempt to sketch the spatial organisation of crime in Delhi at the district and ward level. Two databases have been used for the analysis, i.e. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and the newspaper. The southern and eastern parts of Delhi tend to report a greater magnitude of crime incidences both at the district and ward level.
Changing socio-demographic composition of child labour: Evidence from the Indian Census 1991-2001
Authors: Das Bhaswati , Das Dipendra Nath
Published: June 2017

Child labour is an age-old phenomena in India. It is considered as harmful when it dampens the healthy development of the children. The Indian census provides information on working children by their age group, sex, residence, literacy status. This information is consistent in terms of the definitions adopted and its coverage and thus provides comparability. However, some of the cross tabulations of the information are not done in a comparable fashion. The present paper is an attempt to highlight the changes in child work participation rate (CWPR) by different components namely, by their age group, sex and residence. The paper concludes with a note on possible implications of that change on different policies and programmes.
Socio-cultural determinants of female foeticide
Authors: Dewan B. S. , Khan A. M.
Published: June 2017

The social, cultural, religious and psychological fibres of India are predominantly patriarchal contributing extensively to the secondary status of women. A popular stereotype is strong preference of a male child. The deficit of women in India's population has been documented ever since the first decennial enumeration of people was conducted in the British-occupied parts of India in the late 19th century. Over the span of more than 100 years, the deficit of women has progressively increased as evident from the sex ratio of the population; the number of women per 1000 men more or less steadily declined from 972 in 1901 to 933 in 2001, The explanation for India's low sex ratio are the trends of increasing masculinization and discrimination against woman. Sex selective abortion is a matter of great concern. The social and demographic implications of sex selective abortions are grave. In much of South Asia, sons are preferred over daughters for a number of reasons such as economic, social and religious reasons including financial support, old age security, property inheritance, dowry, family lineage, prestige and power, birth and death rituals and beliefs about religious duties and salvation. There are several forces associated with female foeticide which need research. The present study on 217 subjects in equal number of males and females drawn from the population using the simple random technique was completed in Delhi in the age group of 15-40 years. There are some salient findings such as: (1) The role of family planning and the fear of not being able to earn the resources seem to play relatively a greater role than the common belief about the son preference. This finding needs further research to find out the relative position of known factors contributing to the growing issue of sex selecting abortion; (2) The detection of the sex of the foetus and illegal abortion (Sex Selective Abortion), are placed as two steps. It is not necessary that all going for sex detection would opt for illegal abortion but there is probability of a very close relation rather than a linear relationship between sex detection and illegal abortion. The distancebetween the two can be broadened if close monitoring and strict regulationof abortion law is carried out in the country with a strong partnership with the influencing people in the society; and (3) Socially sensitive measures seem to be more important than the legal measures. One alsogets the impression from the findings that the explanations broadly quoted in the literature to explain the issues of declining child sex ratio are narrow and biased. Many of them are based on assumptions and a general theoretical framework to explain the gender discrimination. Findings in this table provide a valuable contribution to the issue of child sex ratio, which of course need to be studied further on the largest sample using scientifically developed measures/tools/techniques.
Elasto-Plastic Buckling Analysis of Rigidly Jointed Single Layer Reticulated Domes
Authors: Suzuki Toshiro , Ogawa Toshiyuki , Ikarashi Kikuo
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this paper is to examine the elasto-plastic buckling behaviours of a rigidly jointed single layer reticulated dome to a static load applied at its centre. The numerical formulation is based on the incremental finite element method incorporating geometric and material nonlinearities. The buckling behaviour is investigated in regard to the shell geometry, the member property and the material property. The nonlinear buckling load and the deformation of the dome are discussed based on parametric study.
The Measurement of Sexual Harassment: Comparison of the Results of Three Different Instruments
Authors: Junger Marianne
Published: June 2017

This study examines the results of three instruments developed to measure sexual harassment. Two instruments were used in the Dutch national victimization survey: an oral interview and a written questionnaire. Three issues will be discussed: (1) do both instruments produce the same victimization rates? (2) are the type of incidents mentioned similar? and (3) is the relationship between the answers on both instruments linked to socio-demographic characteristics? Results indicate that the written questionnaire produces higher victimization rates but that generally less serious incidents are mentioned. Secondly, information on the relation of victimization with educational level is presented. For this purpose, the results of the victimization survey (written questionnaire) are compared with another Dutch study measuring sexual harassment. As is found in the literature, a relation between victimization and educational level is found in the national victimization survey, but, in contrast to many results reported in the literature, no such relation was found in the Leiden study. The implications of these results are discussed.
Antidepressant-like effect of a new selenium-containing compound is accompanied by a reduction of neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in lipopolysaccharide-challenged mice
Authors: Casaril Angela M , Domingues Micaela , Fronza Mariana , Vieira Beatriz , Begnini Karine , Lenardão Eder J , Seixas Fabiana K , Collares Tiago , Nogueira Cristina W , Savegnago Lucielli
Published: June 2017

Organoselenium compounds and indoles have gained attention due to their wide range of pharmacological properties. Depression is a recurrent and disabling psychiatric illness and current evidences support that oxidative stress and neuroinflammation are mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of this psychiatric condition. Here, we evaluated the effect of 3-((4-chlorophenyl)selanyl)-1-methyl-1H-indole (CMI) in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced depressive-like behaviour, neuroinflammation and oxidative stress in male mice. CMI pre-treatment (20 and 50 mg/kg, intragastrically) significantly attenuated LPS (0.83 mg/kg, intraperitoneally)-induced depressive-like behaviour in mice by reducing the immobility time in the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swimming test (FST). CMI pre-treatment ameliorated LPS-induced neuroinflammation by reducing the levels of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-4 and IL-6 in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as well as markers of oxidative damage. Additionally, we investigated the toxicological effects of CMI (200 mg/kg, i.g.) in the liver, kidney and brain through determination of the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), δ-aminolevulinate dehydratase (δ-ALA-D) and creatinine levels. These biomarkers were not modified, indicating the possible absence of neuro-, hepato- and nephrotoxic effects. Our results suggest that CMI could be a therapeutic approach for the treatment of depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders associated with inflammation and oxidative stress.
Evolution of Multinucleate Giant Cells in Dermatosis Vegetans in Swine
Authors: Percy D. H. , Hulland T. J.
Published: June 2017

Giant-cell pneumonia in pigs with dermatosis vegetans is described. The formation of multinucleate giant cells within the lung in the animals under study was associated with an interstitial pneumonia or a bronchopneumonia and appeared to be an integral part of the pneumonic process. Multinucleate giant cells appeared to arise from the vesicular alveolar septal cells and thus are of mesenchymal origin.
1-D Vision: Encoding of Eye Movements by Simple Receptive Fields
Authors: Ahissar Ehud , Ozana Shira , Arieli Amos
Published: June 2017

Eye movements (eyeM) are an essential component of visual perception. They allow the sampling and scanning of stationary scenes at various spatial scales, primarily at the scene level, via saccades, and at the local level, via fixational eyeM. Given the constant motion of visual images on the retina, a crucial factor in resolving spatial ambiguities related to the external scene is the exact trajectory of eyeM. We show here that the trajectory of eyeM can be encoded at high resolution by simple retinal receptive fields of the symmetrical type. We also show that such encoding can account for motion illusions such as the Ouchi illusion. In addition, encoding of motion projections along horizontal and vertical symmetrical simple retinal receptive fields entails a kind of Cartesian decomposition of the 2-D image into two 1-D projections.
British Stepfamily Relationships, 1500-1800
Authors: Collins Stephen
Published: June 2017

The evidence about relationships in British stepfamilies between 1500 and 1800 deals mostly with relationships between adults, not between adults and young children. A dominant theme is the threat posed to inheritance by a parent's remarriage, which had three possibilities: that an heir would be disinherited in favour of the children of the new marriage, that a parent and stepparent would squander their wealth during the biological parent's lifetime, and that a stepparent might acquire a life interest in an estate after a spouse's death. It seems that these fears were in many cases groundless. The possibility that domestic harmony might result from a parent's remarriage was also often exaggerated, and the general picture is of stepfamily relationships that were mixed in quality.
Modulated Differential Scanning Calorimetry to Study Reacting Polymer Systems
Authors: van Mele Bruno , van Assche Guy , van Hemelrijck Annick
Published: June 2017

Modulated (temperature) differential scanning calorimetry (MTDSC or MDSC) is used to study simultaneously the evolution of heat flow and heat capacity for the isothermal and non-isothermal reactions of polymer systems. An epoxy-anhydride thermosetting system is treated as an example. Vitrification and devitrtification steps are observed.

The heat flow phase during isothermal and non-isothermal cure is always small, but its evolution contains information on relaxation phenomena, vitrification and devitrification, in the course of the chemical reaction.

Modelling of the (heat flow related) chemical kinetics and the (heat capacity related) mobility restrictions contributes to a better understanding of the reaction mechanism and reaction kinetics up to a high degree of chemical conversion. The use of MTDSC as a tool for a quantitative construction of the vitrification curve in Temperature-Time-Transformation (TTT) and Continuous-Heating-Transformation (CHT) diagrams is illustrated.
Investigation into the Cooling Characteristics of Blown Film Extrusion Lines
Authors: Hauck Jochen , Michaeli Walter
Published: June 2017

To analyze and to optimize the cooling conditions at blown film extrusion lines, the cooling air stream has been determined by using a hot wire anemometer. The velocity and temperature profiles of the air stream and the air pressure along the bubble have been measured. During film extrusion the significant process parameters and the cooling air ring geometry have been varied.

The goal of these studies is to gain a theoretical description of the cooling air stream. Therefore, the experimental results represent a good basis for developing and checking the results of such a model.
The Effect of Preheater on the Resin Transfer Molding
Authors: Lin Jian-Liang , Young Wen-Bin
Published: June 2017

Recently, resin transfer molding has become a popular process for fabricating large and complex components. However, the total cycle time for this process is still long. For fabrication of large structure components, it becomes the major issue on how to cut down the cycle time in order to compete with other processes. In this study, we investigate the usage of a preheater to reduce the cure time and achieve a uniform cure phase at the same time. The approach is to heat the resin by a preheater before it is injected into the mold. According to the experimental results, the cure time is reduced about 30% if the resin preheating temperature is close to the fiber preheating temperature. The uniformity of cure phase is also improved because of the uniform thermal history of the cured resin.
Isotretinoin Use during Chemical Skin Resurfacing: A Review of Complications
Authors: Obagi Suzan , Obagi Zein E. , Bridenstine James B.
Published: June 2017

Introduction:

There is a great deal of concern when it comes to resurfacing the skin of patients who have recently taken or are taking isotretinoin. Much of the concern arises from reports of abnormal and keloidal scarring postdermabrasion, Argon laser, and pulsed dye laser. This study was designed to retrospectively evaluate the complication rate of patients undergoing chemical resurfacing within 2 years of taking isotretinoin and to see if timing of the medication and depth of peel correlated.

Materials and Methods:

This is a retrospective chart review of 91 patients (14 men, 77 women) who had 123 peels documented. Patients were assigned to 1 of the following 4 groups based on the timing of isotretinoin use to the chemical peel: prepeel, perioperative, pre- and postpeel, and postoperative. Complications, isotretinoin dose, patient age and race, peel depth, and presence of keloids before surgery were recorded.

Results:

A total of 123 peels were documented in 91 patients: 51 prepeel, 13 perioperative, 22 pre- and postpeel, and 37 postoperative. The complications recorded were prolonged erythema (0.8%), atrophic scarring (0.8%), altered texture (0.8%), delayed healing (3.25%), and hypertrophic scarring (2.44%). Delayed healing was observed only in patients taking isotretinoin before or at the time of surgery. Two of 3 patients who developed hypertrophic scarring had taken isotretinoin during the postoperative stage.

Discussion:

Although previous case reports suggest a correlation between isotretinoin use and abnormal or keloidal scarring after dermabrasion, Argon laser, and pulsed dye laser, the occurrence of hypertrophic scarring remained low in the chemical-peel group of patients. We suggest avoiding isotretinoin for 3 months preoperatively and delaying postoperative use of isotretinoin until dermal regeneration is complete (3 months). Further studies are needed to determine if the use of refrigerants in dermabrasion and the heat generated by lasers cause temperature alterations that predispose to scarring in patients taking isotretinoin.
Copper Deficiency Myelopathy After Upper Gastrointestinal Surgery
Authors: King Dominic , Siau Keith , Senthil Latha , Kane Katherine F. , Cooper Sheldon C.
Published: June 2017

A well‐functioning alimentary canal is required for adequate nutrient absorption. Disruption to the upper gastrointestinal tract through surgery can lead to micronutrient malnourishment. Copper deficiency has been noted in up to 10% of those undergoing Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass surgery, but sequalae are not frequently reported. The resultant deficiency states can have profound and long‐term consequences if not realized early and managed appropriately. Here we present a case of copper deficiency myelopathy, a condition indistinguishable from subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord, following upper gastrointestinal bypass surgery for gastric ulceration, further complicated by inadequate nutrition.
Assessment of the potential for developing combined wind-wave projects in the European nearshore
Authors: Onea Florin , Ciortan Sorin , Rusu Eugen
Published: June 2017

The objective of this work is to assess the synergy of the marine resources in the vicinity of several European offshore sites, in order to analyze the viability of the combined wind-wave renewable projects. The reference sites considered for evaluation are located in the vicinity of the European coasts, being already taken into account for various marine projects. As a first step, based on the dataset provided by the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts for the 10-year interval 2005–2014, it was possible to analyze the joint seasonal distribution of the offshore resources. In the second part of the paper, based on the technical characteristics of various offshore wind turbines and wave energy converters, it was possible to identify the performances of some systems for wind and wave energy conversion. Finally, it can be also highlighted that the results presented in the present work can be considered interesting and useful, since they provide some insights regarding the potential of some operational European sites to support colocated wind-wave projects.
Practice patterns in longitudinal lupus care provision: patient and physician perspectives
Authors: Kugasia A , Sehgal N , Dollear M , Sequeira W , Block J A , Jolly M
Published: June 2017

Background/purpose

To plan a quality improvement project, we need to understand the practice patterns of physicians. We undertook an online survey of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients and physicians providing care to SLE patients to determine the patterns of medical care provided to SLE patients.

Materials and methods

Two self-report surveys were developed. A 12-item survey for the patients and a 13-item survey for physicians enquired about longitudinal care for SLE. Surveys were administered online to physicians providing care to SLE patients, and to patients who self-identified as having SLE, through the Lupus Society of Illinois. Patient and physician data were analyzed for physician practice patterns for SLE care, using chi square tests and t tests. A P value of 0.05 or less was considered significant on two-tailed tests.

Results

A total of 283 patients completed the survey. Mean (SD) age and disease duration of patients were 45.9 (13.2) and 12.7 (9.7) years. Half of the participants were being seen at 3–4-month intervals. More than 70% of patients reported being tested for antinuclear antibody (ANA), and 20–30% anti-ENA antibody and Sjögren’s (SSA/SSB) antibodies, respectively, at each follow-up visit. Eighty-six rheumatologists completed the surveys. Mean (SD) age was 55 (12) years and 56% were men. More than half (54%) provided care only in a private practice setting. More than 80% of physicians reported seeing their SLE patients at 3–4-month interval. Only 2% reported performing ANA tests at each visit, while 4–5% performed anti-ENA and anti-SSA/SSB antibody tests at each visit for their SLE patients. More than 75% of physicians in private practice also ordered sedimentation rate at each visit for their SLE patients.

Conclusions

Unnecessary laboratory investigations may be being ordered routinely for patients at every visit. These results indicate a need for physician education on indications and utility of some of the laboratory tests such as ANA.