bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bridging practices as enablers of intercultural translation
Authors: Cruz Angela Gracia B. , Buchanan-Oliver Margo
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to understand the elements of bridging practices enacted by Asian immigrant consumers and exploring how these practices constitute reverse acculturation within immigrant-receiving Western cultures.

Design/methodology/approach

– A practice theoretical perspective was deployed in concert with a hermeneutic analysis of two-part depth interviews with 26 Southeast Asian immigrants in New Zealand. Multi-modal methods and open narrative reflexivity were deployed to improve depth and trustworthiness.

Findings

– Participant narratives revealed three intertwined elements of bridging practices: articulations (involving sayings and meanings), performances (involving embodied social activities and material artefacts) and contestations (involving tensions and anxieties). Bridging practices create shared social spaces and facilitate the intensification of intercultural translation.

Research limitations/implications

– Bridging practices provide a partial view of wider “circuits of practice” (Magaudda, 2011) which cumulatively constitute reverse acculturation. Future research is needed to show how bridging practices serve as resources for transforming the consumption practices of local consumers in Western cultures.

Originality/value

– This study advances consumer acculturation theory in three ways. First, this study identifies a key practice of intercultural translation between Asian and Western consumer cultures. In particular, this study shows that intercultural translation occurs not only through ethnic economies but also in a diverse range of private and public sites. Second, in addition to local consumers’ practices (Sobh et al., 2012), this study highlights the role of immigrant consumers’ practices in reverse acculturation, thereby providing empirical evidence for Luedicke’s (2011) conceptual model of intercultural adaptation. Third, in addition to the influence of acculturating agents on immigrant consumers (Askegaard et al., 2005; Peñaloza, 1994), this study demonstrates how immigrant consumers themselves can act as acculturating agents.
Invasibility of a mesic grassland depends on the time‐scale of fluctuating resources
Authors: Koerner Sally E. , Avolio Meghan L. , Chang Cynthia C. , Gray Jesse , Hoover David L. , Smith Melinda D.
Published: September 2015

Global change is increasing the frequency and magnitude of resource fluctuations (pulses) at multiple time‐scales. According to the fluctuating resource availability hypothesis (FRAH), susceptibility of an ecosystem to invasion (i.e. invasibility) is expected to increase whenever resource supply exceeds that which is utilized by native communities. Thus, global change has the potential to increase invasibility around the world.

Here, we test theFRAHby adding seeds of a target invader grass species to a long‐term climate change experiment manipulating precipitation pulse size in tallgrass prairie inKansas,USA.

Our experimental work yielded three important findings. First, contrary to predictions of theFRAH, invasibility wasreducedwith short time‐scale resource pulses (intra‐annual time‐scale). Secondly, we found evidence to suggest that at inter‐annual time‐scales, theFRAHis supported. Wet years resulted in an increase in the number of established seedlings as well as the number of seedlings that persisted to the end of the season. Finally, we found that invasibility was positively related to native community richness and the density of individuals in the community suggesting that native communities facilitate establishment of invader species. Perhaps more importantly, results from this 10‐year invasion study also show that resource availability drives invasion and that the biotic filters of plant community structure and diversity are secondary.

Synthesis. Our findings suggest that intensification of precipitation regimes may enhance resistance to invasion at intra‐annual time‐scales, but will have opposing effects if precipitation regimes include more wet years.
Review: domestic animal forensic genetics – biological evidence, genetic markers, analytical approaches and challenges
Authors: Kanthaswamy S.
Published: September 2015

This review highlights the importance of domestic animal genetic evidence sources, genetic testing, markers and analytical approaches as well as the challenges this field is facing in view of the de facto ‘gold standard’ human DNA identification. Because of the genetic similarity between humans and domestic animals, genetic analysis of domestic animal hair, saliva, urine, blood and other biological material has generated vital investigative leads that have been admitted into a variety of court proceedings, including criminal and civil litigation. Information on validated short tandem repeat, single nucleotide polymorphism and mitochondrial DNA markers and public access to genetic databases for forensic DNA analysis is becoming readily available. Although the fundamental aspects of animal forensic genetic testing may be reliable and acceptable, animal forensic testing still lacks the standardized testing protocols that human genetic profiling requires, probably because of the absence of monetary support from government agencies and the difficulty in promoting cooperation among competing laboratories. Moreover, there is a lack in consensus about how to best present the results and expert opinion to comply with court standards and bear judicial scrutiny. This has been the single most persistent challenge ever since the earliest use of domestic animal forensic genetic testing in a criminal case in the mid‐1990s. Crime laboratory accreditation ensures that genetic test results have the courts’ confidence. Because accreditation requires significant commitments of effort, time and resources, the vast majority of animal forensic genetic laboratories are not accredited nor are their analysts certified forensic examiners. The relevance of domestic animal forensic genetics in the criminal justice system is undeniable. However, further improvements are needed in a wide range of supporting resources, including standardized quality assurance and control protocols for sample handling, evidence testing, statistical analysis and reporting that meet the rules of scientific acceptance, reliability and human forensic identification standards.
Pollinosis and all‐cause mortality among middle‐aged and elderly Japanese: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Konishi S. , Ng C. F. S. , Stickley A. , Watanabe C.
Published: September 2015

Background

Having an allergic disease may have health implications beyond those more commonly associated with allergy given that previous epidemiological studies have suggested that both atopy and allergy are linked to mortality. More viable immune functioning among the elderly, as indicated by the presence of an allergic disease, might therefore be associated with differences in all‐cause mortality.

Objective

Using data from a Japanese cohort, this study examined whether having pollinosis (a form of allergic rhinitis) in a follow‐up survey could predict all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality.

Methods

Data came from the Komo‐Ise cohort, which at its 1993 baseline recruited residents aged 40–69 years from two areas in Gunma prefecture, Japan. The current study used information on pollinosis that was obtained from the follow‐up survey in 2000. Mortality and migration data were obtained throughout the follow‐up period up to December 2008. Proportional hazard models were used to examine the relation between pollinosis and mortality.

Results

At the 2000 follow‐up survey, 12% (1088 of 8796) of respondents reported that they had pollinosis symptoms in the past 12 months. During the 76 186 person‐years of follow‐up, 748 died from all causes. Among these, there were 37 external, 208 cardiovascular, 74 respiratory, and 329 neoplasm deaths. After adjusting for potential confounders, pollinosis was associated with significantly lower all‐cause [hazard ratio 0.57 (95% confidence interval = 0.38–0.87)] and neoplasms mortality [hazard ratio 0.48 (95% confidence interval = 0.26–0.92)].

Conclusions and clinical relevance

Having an allergic disease (pollinosis) at an older age may be indicative of more viable immune functioning and be protective against certain causes of death. Further research is needed to determine the possible mechanisms underlying the association between pollinosis and mortality.
The Agency Model for Digital Goods
Authors: Tan Yinliang , Carrillo Janice E. , Cheng Hsing Kenny
Published: September 2015

While digital goods industries such as entertainment, software, and publishing are growing at a rapid pace, traditional supply chain contract models have failed to evolve with the new digital economy. To illustrate, the agency model utilized by the e‐book publishing industry has recently received much negative attention brought by the U.S. Department of Justice's lawsuit against Apple, Inc. The emerging agency model in the e‐book industry works as follows: the publisher sets the price of the digital goods and the retailers who serve as agents retain a percentage of the revenue associated with a consumer purchase. The regulators claim that the agency model is hurting this industry as well as the consumer's welfare because e‐book prices have increased after the introduction of the agency model. We investigate the strategic impact of the agency model by examining a digital goods supply chain with one supplier and two competing retailers. In comparison to the benchmark wholesale model, we find that the agency model can coordinate the competing retailers by dividing the coordinated profits into a prenegotiated revenue sharing proportion. Further, we also identify the Pareto improving region whereby both the supplier and the retailers prefer the agency model to the wholesale model. Our main qualitative insight regarding the agency model still holds even when we consider the presence of the printed books in the marketplace. Thus, contrary to current press presaging the negative impact of the agency model on the e‐books industry, we find the agency model to be superior to the traditional wholesale contracts for publishers, retailers and consumers in this digital goods industry.
Rapid warming and drought negatively impact population size and reproductive dynamics of an avian predator in the arid southwest
Authors: Cruz‐McDonnell Kirsten K. , Wolf Blair O.
Published: September 2015

Avian communities of arid ecosystems may be particularly vulnerable to global climate change due to the magnitude of projected change for desert regions and the inherent challenges for species residing in resource limited ecosystems. How arid‐zone birds will be affected by rapid increases in air temperature and increased drought frequency and severity is poorly understood because avian responses to climate change have primarily been studied in the relatively mesic northern temperate regions. We studied the effects of increasing air temperature and aridity on a Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) population in the southwestern United States from 1998 to 2013. Over 16 years, the breeding population declined 98.1%, from 52 pairs to 1 pair, and nest success and fledgling output also declined significantly. These trends were strongly associated with the combined effects of decreased precipitation and increased air temperature. Arrival on the breeding grounds, pair formation, nest initiation, and hatch dates all showed significant delays ranging from 9.4 to 25.1 days over 9 years, which have negative effects on reproduction. Adult and juvenile body mass decreased significantly over time, with a loss of 7.9% mass in adult males and 10.9% mass in adult females over 16 years, and a loss of 20.0% mass in nestlings over 8 years. Taken together, these population and reproductive trends have serious implications for local population persistence. The southwestern United States has been identified as a climate change hotspot, with projections of warmer temperatures, less winter precipitation, and an increase in frequency and severity of extreme events including drought and heat waves. An increasingly warm and dry climate may contribute to this species' decline and may already be a driving force of their apparent decline in the desert southwest.
Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is a novel, independent predictive marker of myocardial infarction in HIV‐1‐infected patients: a nested case‐control study
Authors: Rasmussen LJH , Knudsen A , Katzenstein TL , Gerstoft J , Obel N , Jørgensen NR , Kronborg G , Benfield T , Kjær A , Eugen‐Olsen J , Lebech A‐M
Published: September 2015

Objectives

Patients infected with HIV are at increased risk of myocardial infarction (MI). Increased plasma levels of the inflammatory biomarker soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) have been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including MI in the general population. We tested suPAR as a predictive biomarker of MI in HIV‐1‐infected individuals.

Methods

suPAR levels were investigated in a nested case‐control study of 55 HIV‐1‐infected cases with verified first‐time MI and 182 HIV‐1‐infected controls with no known CVD. Controls were matched for age, gender, duration of antiretroviral therapy (ART), smoking and no known CVD. suPAR was measured in the four plasma samples available for each patient at different time‐points; 1, Before initiation of ART; 2, 3 months after initiation of ART; 3, 1 year before the case's MI; and 4, The last sample available before the case's MI.

Results

In unadjusted conditional regression analysis, higher levels of suPAR were associated with a significant increase in risk of MI at all time‐points. Patients in the third and fourth suPAR quartiles had a three‐ to 10‐fold higher risk of MI compared to patients in the lowest suPAR quartile at all time‐points. suPAR remained a strong significant predictor of MI, when adjusting for HIV‐1 RNA, total cholesterol, triglycerides and high‐density lipoprotein.

Conclusion

Elevated suPAR levels were associated with increased risk of MI in HIV‐infected patients, suggesting that suPAR could be a useful biomarker for prediction of first‐time MI in this patient group, even years before the event.
A family‐focused intervention for heart failure self‐care: conceptual underpinnings of a culturally appropriate intervention
Authors: Deek Hiba , Noureddine Samar , Newton Phillip J. , Inglis Sally C. , MacDonald Peter S. , Davidson Patricia M.
Published: September 2015

Aim

A discussion of the conceptual elements of an intervention tailored to the needs of Lebanese families.

Background

The role of informal caregiving is strongly recommended for individuals with chronic conditions including heart failure. Although this importance is recognized, conceptual and theoretical underpinnings are not well elucidated nor are methods of intervention implementation.

Design

Discussion paper on the conceptual underpinning of the FAMILY model.

Methods and data sources

This intervention was undertaken using linked methods: (1) Appraisal of theoretical model; (2) review of systematic reviews on educational interventions promoting self‐management in chronic conditions in four databases with no year limit; (3) socio‐cultural context identification from selected papers; (4) expert consultation using consensus methods; and (5) model development.

Results

Theories on self‐care and behavioural change, eighteen systematic reviews on educational interventions and selected papers identifying sociocultural elements along with expert opinion were used to guide the development of The FAMILY Intervention Heart Failure Model. Theory and practice driven concepts identified include: behavioural change, linkage, partnership and self‐regulation.

Implications for nursing

Heart failure is a common condition often requiring in‐hospital and home‐based care. Educational interventions targeting the socio‐cultural influences of the patients and their family caregivers through a structured and well‐designed program can improve outcomes.

Conclusion

As the burden of chronic diseases increases globally, particularly in emerging economies, developing models of intervention that are appropriate to both the individual and the socio‐cultural context are necessary.
Important role of 5‐hydroxytryptamine in glucocorticoid‐induced insulin resistance in liver and intra‐abdominal adipose tissue of rats
Authors: Li Tao , Guo Keke , Qu Wei , Han Ying , Wang Shanshan , Lin Min , An Shanshan , Li Xin , Ma Shaoxin , Wang Tianying , Ji Shiya , Hanson Christian , Fu Jihua
Published: September 2015

Aim/Introduction

Both glucocorticoids and 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) have been shown to induce insulin resistance (IR) in hepatocytes and adipocytes. Here, we explore whether there is a correlation between them.

Materials and Methods

Except for the control group, male rats were exposed to dexamethasone treated with or without para‐chlorophenylalanine (pCPA), or carbidopa for 20 days. Except for the control group, buffalo rat liver 3A (BRL‐3A) cells were exposed to dexamethasone for 24 h, treated with or withoutpCPA, carbidopa, or clorgiline for 48 h, or exposed to 5‐HTtreated with or without fluoxetine for 48 h. Whole‐bodyIRwas determined by both glucose tolerance test and measurement of fasting blood glucose and insulin, whereas hepatocytes or adipocytesIRwas determined by examining either hepatic gluconeogenesis, steatosis and glucose transporter 2 expression or lipolysis.

Results

Dexamethasone‐induced whole‐bodyIR, liver and intraabdominal adiposeIRwere accompanied by upregulated expressions of tryptophan hydroxylase‐1 and aromatic amino acid decarboxylase with increased 5‐HTlevel in both tissues, which were attenuated significantly bypCPA, inhibiting tryptophan hydroxylase‐1, or carbidopa, inhibiting aromatic amino acid decarboxylase. [Correction added on 22 September 2015, after first online publication: ‘inhibiting aromatic amino acid decarboxylase’ was duplicated and has been replaced by ‘tryptophan hydroxylase‐1’.] In theBRL‐3A cells, dexamethasone‐inducedIRwas also accompanied by upregulated 5‐HTsynthesis in dose‐ and time‐dependent manners, and was attenuated bypCPAor carbidopa, but exacerbated by clorgiline, inhibiting monoamine oxidase‐A to further increase 5‐HTlevel. Dexamethasone also enhanced 5‐HT2A and 2B receptor expressions in both tissues andBRL‐3A cells. Additionally, blocking 5‐HTtransporter with fluoxetine significantly suppressed 5‐HT‐inducedIRinBRL‐3A cells.

Conclusion

Enhancement of 5‐HTsynthesis in liver and intra‐abdominal adipose is an important reason for glucocorticoids‐inducedIR.
Relationship between the efficacy of oral antidiabetic drugs and clinical features in type 2 diabetic patients (JDDM38)
Authors: Kanatsuka Azuma , Sato Yasunori , Kawai Koichi , Hirao Koichi , Kobayashi Masashi , Kashiwagi Atsunori ,   Japan Diabetes Clinical Data Management Study Group (JDDM)
Published: September 2015

Aims/Introduction

We carried out an observational cohort study to examine the relationship between the efficacy of oral antidiabetic drugs and clinical features in type 2 diabetics.

Materials and Methods

We analyzed the CoDiC® database of the Japan Diabetes Data Management Study Group across 67 institutions in Japan. In a total of 3,698 drug‐naïve patients who were initiated with metformin, dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor (DPP‐4i) or sulfonylurea (SU) from 2007 to 2012, we evaluated body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). The patients were stratified according to their clinical features, and matched using a propensity score to adjust for baseline factors.

Results

HbA1c was reduced with all drugs, with the largest effect elicited by DPP‐4i and the smallest by SU (P = 0.00). HbA1c increased with SU after 6 months in the patients stratified by an age‐of‐onset of <50 years (P = 0.00). BMI increased with SU in the patients stratified by a BMI of <25 (P = 0.00), and decreased with metformin in the patients with a BMI >25 (P = 0.00). The reduction in HbA1c was larger in patients with HbA1c of ≥8%, compared with that in patients with HbA1c of <8% (P = 0.00). HbA1c during the study period was higher in patients who were added to or swapped with other drug(s), than in patients continued on the original drug (P = 0.00).

Conclusions

The effect on bodyweight and glycemic control differed among metformin, DPP‐4i and SU, and the difference was associated with clinical features.
Positive mood enhances divergent but not convergent thinking
Authors: Yamada Yohei , Nagai Masayoshi
Published: September 2015

A positive mood enhances creative performance. We examined which type of creativity, divergent or convergent thinking, was enhanced by a positive mood. Half of the participants listened to happy music and thought about happy events (positive group). The other half listened to the Japanese Constitution (neutral group). Participants' emotional valence and arousal were measured before and after mood induction. All participants then engaged in a creative activity involving the generation of new names for rice. The results indicated that the positive group produced more divergent ideas than did the neutral group. On the other hand, the two groups did not differ with respect to the number of convergent ideas that were generated. We suggest that being in a positive mood facilitates flexible thinking and consequently leads to production of unconventional and atypical ideas.
Effects of contingencies of self‐worth and sensitivity to indebtedness on optimistic bias in seeking help for depression
Authors: Umegaki Yusuke
Published: September 2015

The occurrence of the optimistic bias in seeking help for depressive symptoms has been attributed to the threat‐to‐self and equity theories. The current study tested the hierarchical relationships between contingencies of self‐worth (CSW), self‐esteem (SE), sensitivity to indebtedness (SI), and optimistic bias in seeking formal/informal help for depression. An online questionnaire survey was conducted with Japanese university students (n = 1000). Results from structural equation modeling analysis revealed the mediating effect of CSW on SE and optimistic bias. SI was positively related to optimistic bias in symptom recognition and informal help‐seeking. The results suggest that both CSW and SI are responsible for the occurrence of optimistic bias in seeking help for depression. Cognitive patterns in recognizing personal and others' depressive symptoms and needs for seeking help were discussed.
The problem of suboptimal complementary feeding practices in West Africa: what is the way forward?
Authors: Issaka Abukari I. , Agho Kingsley E. , N. Page Andrew , L. Burns Penelope , Stevens Garry J. , Dibley Michael J.
Published: September 2015

The objective of this paper was to review the policy implications of inadequate complementary feeding among children aged 6–23 months in West Africa. The review was undertaken from the initial results and findings from a series of studies on the comparison of complementary feeding indicators among children aged 6–23 months in four anglophone and seven francophone West African countries. It also examined a study of the determinants of suboptimal complementary feeding practices among children aged 6–23 months in those countries. Among the four complementary feeding indicators, it was only the introduction of solid, semi‐solid or soft foods that was adequate among children in all the West African countries surveyed. The rates of the other complementary feeding indicators were found to be inadequate in all countries surveyed, although relatively better among children in the anglophone countries. Alarmingly, low rates of minimum acceptable diet were reported among children from both the anglophone and the francophone countries. Infants 6–11 months of age, children living in poor households, administrative/geographical regional differences and mothers’ access to the media were some of the common risk factors for optimal complementary feeding practices in these countries. Assessing complementary feeding indicators and determinants of suboptimal complementary feeding practices in these West African countries is crucial to improving infant and young child feeding practices. It is recommended that governments and stakeholders of the West African countries studied make greater efforts to improve these critical practices in order to reduce child morbidity and mortality in the West Africa sub‐region. Intervention studies on complementary feeding should target those socio‐demographic factors that pose risks to optimal complementary feeding.
Economic Inequality and Nonviolent Protest*
Authors: Solt Frederick
Published: September 2015

Objective

Despite substantial theorizing, the relationship between economic inequality and participation in nonviolent protests has not been satisfactorily examined empirically.

Methods

Using multilevel models of data from four waves of the European Social Survey, this article examines whether differences in inequality across countries and over time help explain people's engagement in peaceful protest.

Results

It finds that greater inequality reduces protest participation for all those with incomes below the top quintile.

Conclusions

This result provides strong support for the relative power theory of political participation; the predictions of grievance and resource theories regarding inequality's effects on protest are not supported.
Heroin overdose resuscitation with naloxone: patient uses own prescribed supply to save the life of a peer
Authors: Winston Ian , McDonald Rebecca , Tas Basak , Strang John
Published: September 2015

Opiate overdose is the primary cause of death among injection-drug users, representing a major public health concern worldwide. Opiate overdose can be reversed through timely administration of naloxone, and users have expressed willingness to carry the antidote for emergency use (take-home naloxone). In November 2014, new WHO guidelines identified that naloxone should be made available to anyone at risk of witnessing an overdose. We present the case of a 46-year-old man in opioid-maintenance treatment who used take-home naloxone to rescue an overdose victim. This is the first- ever account of a patient using dose titration of naloxone to restore respiratory function while minimising the risk of adverse effects. To improve the safety of take-home naloxone, the authors call for clinicians involved in the treatment of opiate users to: prescribe take-home naloxone to all patients; forewarn patients of potential side effects; and instruct patients in naloxone dose titration.
Icaritin Attenuates Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury Via Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidative Stress Effects in Rats
Authors: Zhang Wei , Xing Baichun , Yang Linlin , Shi Jialun , Zhou Xinmin
Published: September 2015

Icaritin (ICT) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb proved to be neuroprotective and exerts promoting effects on cardiac differentiation. However, its role in cardioprotection against myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury remains largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ICT treatment on MI/R injury and the underlying mechanisms. Rats were subjected to 30 min of myocardial ischemic insult followed by 3 h of reperfusion. ICT (3, 10, and 30 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally 10 min before reperfusion. ICT treatment at the dose of 10 and 30 mg/kg improved cardiac function and limited infarct size following MI/R. Meanwhile, ICT reduced plasma creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities and cardiomyocyte apoptosis in I/R heart tissue. Moreover, ICT treatment not only inhibited the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α production and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 level in myocardium but also reduced the increase in the generation of superoxide content and malondialdehyde (MDA) formation and simultaneously increased the anti-oxidant capability in I/R hearts. Furthermore, ICT treatment increased Akt phosphorylation and inhibited PTEN expression in I/R hearts. PI3K inhibitor wortmannin inhibited ICT-enhanced Akt phosphorylation, and blunted ICT-mediated anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects and cardioprotection. Our study indicated for the first time that ICT reduces inflammation and oxidative stress and protects against MI/R injury in rats, which might be via a PI3K–Akt-dependent mechanism.
𝒩 = 2 supersymmetric harmonic oscillator: Basic brackets without canonical conjugate momenta
Authors: Srinivas N. , Shukla A. , Malik R. P.
Published: September 2015

We exploit the ideas of spin-statistics theorem, normal-ordering and the key concepts behind the symmetry principles to derive the canonical (anti)commutators for the case of a one [Formula: see text]-dimensional (1D) [Formula: see text] supersymmetric (SUSY) harmonic oscillator (HO) without taking the help of the mathematical definition of canonical conjugate momenta with respect to the bosonic and fermionic variables of this toy model for the Hodge theory (where the continuous and discrete symmetries of the theory provide the physical realizations of the de Rham cohomological operators of differential geometry). In our present endeavor, it is the full set of continuous symmetries and their corresponding generators that lead to the derivation of basic (anti)commutators amongst the creation and annihilation operators that appear in the normal mode expansions of the dynamical fermionic and bosonic variables of our present [Formula: see text] SUSY theory of a HO. These basic brackets are in complete agreement with such kind of brackets that are derived from the standard canonical method of quantization scheme.
Sonic propagation and causal evolution for dissipative relativistic superfluid hydrodynamics
Authors: Zhang Sun , Dong Yi-Qiao
Published: September 2015

For the first time in this paper, we have studied sonic propagation and causal evolution for dissipative relativistic superfluid in the framework of second-order dissipative theory. General features of the evolution modes are provided and the sound speeds are identified as the propagation of discontinuity, in agreement with earlier theoretical studies. Moreover, the growth equation is obtained to describe the decay and growth of the discontinuity propagating along its normal trajectory. The solution is in an integral form and various cases are discussed. Some important features of the second-order theory are also presented for the first time, which may be meaningful for future experiments to identify the dissipative theory of relativistic superfluidity.
Squares in arithmetic progression over cubic fields
Authors: Bremner Andrew , Siksek Samir
Published: September 2015

Euler showed that there can be no more than three integer squares in arithmetic progression. In quadratic number fields, Xarles has shown that there can be arithmetic progressions of five squares, but not of six. Here, we prove that there are no cubic number fields which contain five squares in arithmetic progression.
Tissue Kallikrein Activity, Detected by a Novel Method, May Be a Predictor of Recurrent Stroke: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Ran Xiao , Zhang Qin , Wang Dao Wen
Published: September 2015

Aim. Tissue kallikrein (TK) protein content in plasma has been shown to be negatively associated with both incident and recurrent strokes. The aims of this study were to develop a novel method for detecting TK activity and to investigate its association with event-free survival over 5 years in Chinese first-ever stroke patients.Methods. We designed a case-control study with 321 stroke patients (174: ischemic stroke, 147: hemorrhagic stroke) and 323 healthy local controls. TK activity was measured by a novel assay utilizing the immunological characteristics of TK and the catalysis of benzoyl arginine ethyl ester hydrochloride (BAEE).Results. TK protein levels above 0.200 mg/L in plasma were not associated with urinary TK activity or the risk of stroke recurrence. TK activity was significantly lower in stroke patients compared with controls (1.583 ± 0.673 Eu/mL versus 1.934 ± 0.284 Eu/mL,P<0.001). After adjusting for traditional risk factors, TK activity was negatively associated, in a dose-response manner, with the risk of overall stroke recurrence and positively associated with event-free survival during a 5-year follow-up (relative risk (RR), 0.69; 95% CI, 0.57–0.84;P<0.001).Conclusions. Our findings suggest that urinary TK activity may be a stronger predictor of stroke recurrence than plasma TK levels.
Association of ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter A1 Gene Polymorphisms in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among Malaysians
Authors: Haghvirdizadeh Polin , Ramachandran Vasudevan , Etemad Ali , Heidari Farzad , Ghodsian Nooshin , Bin Ismail Norzian , Ismail Patimah
Published: September 2015

Background. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex polygenic disorder characterized by impaired insulin resistance, insulin secretion, and dysregulation of lipid and protein metabolism with environmental and genetic factors. ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) gene polymorphisms are reported as the one of the genetic risk factors for T2DM in various populations with conflicting results. This study was conducted based on PCR-HRM to determine the frequency of ABCA1 gene by rs2230806 (R219K), rs1800977 (C69T), and rs9282541 (R230C) polymorphisms Malaysian subjects.Methods. A total of 164 T2DM and 165 controls were recruited and their genotypes for ABCA1 gene polymorphisms were determined based on the real time high resolution melting analysis.Results. There was a significant difference between the subjects in terms of age, BMI, FPG, HbA1c, HDL, LDL, and TGP<0.05. There was a significant association between HOM of R219KP=0.005, among Malaysian subjects; moreover, allele frequency revealed the significant difference in A allele of R219KP=0.003. But, there was no significant difference in genotypic and allelic frequencies of C69T and R230C polymorphism.Conclusion. R219K polymorphism of ABCA1 gene can be considered as a genetic risk factor for T2DM subjects among Malaysians.
Temperature Response of the HTR-10 during the Power Ascension Test
Authors: Chen Fubing , Dong Yujie , Zhang Zuoyi
Published: September 2015

The 10 MW High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor-Test Module (HTR-10) is the first High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor in China. With the objective of raising the reactor power from 30% to 100% rated power, the power ascension test was planned and performed in January 2003. The test results verified the practicability and validity of the HTR-10 power regulation methods. In this study, the power ascension process is preliminarily simulated using the THERMIX code. The code satisfactorily reproduces the reactor transient parameters, including the reactor power, the primary helium pressure, and the primary helium outlet temperature. Reactor internals temperatures are also calculated and compared with the test values recorded by a number of thermocouples. THERMIX correctly simulates the temperature variation tendency for different measuring points, with good to fair agreement between the calculated temperatures and the measured ones. Based on the comparison results, the THERMIX simulation capability for the HTR-10 dynamic characteristics during the power ascension process can be demonstrated. With respect to the reactor safety features, it is of utmost importance that the maximum fuel center temperature during the test process is always much lower than the fuel temperature limit of 1620°C.
The Emergent Landscape of Detecting EGFR Mutations Using Circulating Tumor DNA in Lung Cancer
Authors: Huang Wei-Lun , Wei Fang , Wong David T. , Lin Chien-Chung , Su Wu-Chou
Published: September 2015

The advances in targeted therapies for lung cancer are based on the evaluation of specific gene mutations especially the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The assays largely depend on the acquisition of tumor tissue via biopsy before the initiation of therapy or after the onset of acquired resistance. However, the limitations of tissue biopsy including tumor heterogeneity and insufficient tissues for molecular testing are impotent clinical obstacles for mutation analysis and lung cancer treatment. Due to the invasive procedure of tissue biopsy and the progressive development of drug-resistant EGFR mutations, the effective initial detection and continuous monitoring of EGFR mutations are still unmet requirements. Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) detection is a promising biomarker for noninvasive assessment of cancer burden. Recent advancement of sensitive techniques in detecting EGFR mutations using ctDNA enables a broad range of clinical applications, including early detection of disease, prediction of treatment responses, and disease progression. This review not only introduces the biology and clinical implementations of ctDNA but also includes the updating information of recent advancement of techniques for detecting EGFR mutation using ctDNA in lung cancer.
Hyperspectral Imaging Coupled with Random Frog and Calibration Models for Assessment of Total Soluble Solids in Mulberries
Authors: Zhao Yan-Ru , Yu Ke-Qiang , He Yong
Published: September 2015

Chemometrics methods coupled with hyperspectral imaging technology in visible and near infrared (Vis/NIR) region (380–1030 nm) were introduced to assess total soluble solids (TSS) in mulberries. Hyperspectral images of 310 mulberries were acquired by hyperspectral reflectance imaging system (512 bands) and their corresponding TSS contents were measured by a Brix meter. Random frog (RF) method was used to select important wavelengths from the full wavelengths. TSS values in mulberry fruits were predicted by partial least squares regression (PLSR) and least-square support vector machine (LS-SVM) models based on full wavelengths and the selected important wavelengths. The optimal PLSR model with 23 important wavelengths was employed to visualise the spatial distribution of TSS in tested samples, and TSS concentrations in mulberries were revealed through the TSS spatial distribution. The results declared that hyperspectral imaging is promising for determining the spatial distribution of TSS content in mulberry fruits, which provides a reference for detecting the internal quality of fruits.
LINE-1 Methylation Patterns as a Predictor of Postmolar Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia
Authors: Lertkhachonsuk Ruangsak , Paiwattananupant Krissada , Tantbirojn Patou , Rattanatanyong Prakasit , Mutirangura Apiwat
Published: September 2015

Objective. To study the potential of long interspersed element-1 (LINE-1) methylation change in the prediction of postmolar gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN).Methods. The LINE-1 methylation pattern from first trimester placenta, hydatidiform mole, and malignant trophoblast specimens were compared. Then, hydatidiform mole patients from 11999 to 2010 were classified into the following 2 groups: a remission group and a group that developed postmolar GTN. Specimens were prepared for a methylation study. The methylation levels and percentages of LINE-1 loci were evaluated for their sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the prediction of postmolar GTN.Results. First, 12 placentas, 38 moles, and 19 malignant trophoblast specimens were compared. The hydatidiform mole group had the highest LINE-1 methylation level (p= 0.003) and theuCuC of LINE-1 increased in the malignant trophoblast group (p≤ 0.001). One hundred forty-five hydatidiform mole patients were classified as 103 remission and 42 postmolar GTN patients. The %mCuC and %uCmC of LINE-1 showed the lowestpvalue for distinguishing between the two groups (p< 0.001). The combination of the pretreatmentβ-hCG level (≥100,000 mIU/mL) with the %mCuC and %uCmC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy modified the levels to 60.0%, 92.2%, 77.4%, 83.8%, and 82.3%, respectively.Conclusions. A reduction in the partial methylation of LINE-1 occurs early before the clinical appearance of malignant transformation. The %mCuC and %uCmC of LINE-1s may be promising markers for monitoring hydatidiform moles before progression to GTN.
Breaking the Web Barriers of the e-Administration Using an Accessible Digital Certificate Based on a Cryptographic Token
Authors: García Boni , Gómez Ana , Conde Rafael , Hernández Yolanda , Valero Miguel Ángel
Published: September 2015

The purpose of developing e-Government is to make public administrations more efficient and transparent and to allow citizens to more comfortably and effectively access information. Such benefits are even more important to people with a physical disability, allowing them to reduce waiting times in procedures and travel. However, it is not in widespread use among this group, as they not only harbor the same fears as other citizens, but also must cope with the barriers inherent to their disability. This research proposes a solution to help persons with disabilities access e-Government services. This work, in cooperation with the Spanish Federation of Spinal-Cord Injury Victims and the Severely Disabled, includes the development of a portal specially oriented towards people with disabilities to help them locate and access services offered by Spanish administrations. Use of the portal relies on digital authentication of users based on X.509, which are found in identity cards of Spanish citizens. However, an analysis of their use reveals that this feature constitutes a significant barrier to accessibility. This paper proposes a more accessible solution using a USB cryptographic token that can conceal from users all complexity entailed in access to certificate-based applications, while assuring the required security.
An Energy-Based Safety Evaluation Index of Blast Vibration
Authors: Zhao Mingsheng , Huang Dong , Cao Maosen , Chi En-an , Liu Jun , Kang Qiang
Published: September 2015

The combined peak particle velocity (PPV) and frequency safety criterion for blast vibration is widely used in blasting engineering. However, some field investigations are inconsistent with this criterion. On the basis of field investigations, it is found that there are two failure modes of structures subjected to blasting seismic waves, that is, first-excursion failure and cumulative plastic damage failure. Moreover, the nature of structural responses under blast vibrations is a process of energy input, transformation, and dissipation. Therefore, an energy-based dual safety standard is proposed in this work to more comprehensively explain all failure modes of structures under blast vibrations. To this end, structures are simplified into elastic-plastic single degree of freedom (SDOF) systems with bilinear restoring force models, and energy responses of SDOF systems are then determined using theNewmark-βmethod. From the energy responses, the maximum instantaneous input energy and hysteretic energy are selected as the basis of the dual safety criterion, because they can reflect first-excursion failure and cumulative plastic damage failure, respectively. Finally, field investigations in a blasting site in Zunyi, Guizhou province, China, are used to prove that compared to the PPV-frequency criterion the proposed energy-based dual safety criterion is more capable of assessing the damage potential of blast vibrations.
Atypical Small Acinar Proliferation: Repeat Biopsy and Detection of High Grade Prostate Cancer
Authors: Leone Andrew , Rotker Katherine , Butler Christi , Mega Anthony , Li Jianhong , Amin Ali , Schiff Stephen F. , Pareek Gyan , Golijanin Dragan , Renzulli Joseph F.
Published: September 2015

Purpose. Atypical small acinar proliferation (ASAP) is diagnosed in 1-2% of prostate biopsies. 30–40% of patients with ASAP may be diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) on repeat biopsy. Our objective was to examine the association between ASAP and subsequent diagnosis of intermediate/high risk PCa.Materials and Methods. Ninety-six patients who underwent prostate biopsy from 2000 to 2013 and were diagnosed with ASAP were identified. Clinicopathologic features were analyzed. Comparison was made between those with subsequent PCa on repeat biopsy and those with benign repeat pathology.Results. 56/96 (58%) patients had a repeat biopsy. 22/56 (39%) were subsequently diagnosed with PCa. There was no significant difference in patients’ characteristics. Presence of HGPIN on initial biopsy was associated with a benign repeat biopsy (68% versus 23%). 17/22 (77%) had Gleason grade (GG) 3+3 disease and only 5/22 (23%) had GG 3+4 disease.Conclusions. 22/56 patients (39%) of patients who underwent a subsequent prostate biopsy following a diagnosis of ASAP were found to have PCa. 77% of these men were diagnosed with GG 3+3 PCa. Only 23% were found to have intermediate risk PCa and no high risk PCa was identified. Immediate repeat prostate biopsy in patients diagnosed with ASAP may be safely delayed. A multi-institutional cohort is being analyzed.
KCNJ11: Genetic Polymorphisms and Risk of Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Haghvirdizadeh Polin , Mohamed Zahurin , Abdullah Nor Azizan , Haghvirdizadeh Pantea , Haerian Monir Sadat , Haerian Batoul Sadat
Published: September 2015

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major worldwide health problem and its prevalence has been rapidly increasing in the last century. It is caused by defects in insulin secretion or insulin action or both, leading to hyperglycemia. Of the various types of DM, type 2 occurs most frequently. Multiple genes and their interactions are involved in the insulin secretion pathway. Insulin secretion is mediated through the ATP-sensitive potassium (KATP) channel in pancreatic beta cells. This channel is a heteromeric protein, composed of four inward-rectifier potassium ion channel (Kir6.2) tetramers, which form the pore of the KATP channel, as well as sulfonylurea receptor 1 subunits surrounding the pore. Kir6.2 is encoded by the potassium inwardly rectifying channel, subfamily J, member 11 (KCNJ11) gene, a member of the potassium channel genes. Numerous studies have reported the involvement of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the KCNJ11 gene and their interactions in the susceptibility to DM. This review discusses the current evidence for the contribution of common KCNJ11 genetic variants to the development of DM. Future studies should concentrate on understanding the exact role played by these risk variants in the development of DM.
Imaging in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Herfarth Hans , Schreyer Andreas G.
Published: September 2015

Diagnostic imaging techniques play an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). The approach should be guided by considerations of diagnostic accuracy, concerns about patient exposure to ionizing radiation, local expertise and tolerance of the endoscopic and/or imaging technique. In regard to the clinical diagnostic value (sensitivity, specificity and accuracy), no significant differences exist between CT and MRI for the evaluation of the extent of inflammation, stricturing, penetrating disease or extraluminal complications such as abscesses. Due to the absence of radiation exposure, MRI of the intestine is recommended as the first-line imaging modality in patients with suspected or established IBD. The focus of this review is the latest developments in MRI techniques to detect IBDs. Specifically, the use of new indices for the grading of inflammation or assessing bowel damage as well as innovative experimental approaches such as diffusion-weighted imaging or magnetization-transfer MRI to evaluate and quantify the degree of intestinal inflammation and fibrosis in stricturing Crohn's disease are discussed.