bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occurrence, Morphometric, and Molecular Investigation of Cattle and Buffalo Liver Adult Fluke in Peninsular Malaysia Main Abattoirs
Authors: Diyana J. Nur Alia , Mahiza M. I. Nur , Latiffah H. , Fazila S. H. Nur , Lokman I. H. , Hazfalinda H. Noor , Chandrawathani P. , Ibitoye E. B. , Juriah K.
Published: June 2020

Fascioliasis is a parasitic disease of human and animal caused by Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica) and Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica). More than 700 million of grazing animals and over 180 million human population are at the risk of fascioliasis. This study was conducted in Banting, Ipoh, Shah Alam, and Taiping abattoirs within Peninsular Malaysia to determine the occurrence and identify the species of liver flukes, causing liver condemnation in cattle and buffaloes. Within a study period from January to December 2018, a total of 25 condemned bovine livers were collected from Banting, Ipoh, Shah Alam, and Taiping abattoirs and analyzed. Taiping abattoir had the highest occurrence of fascioliasis [14/1014 (1.38%)], and Shah Alam abattoir had the least occurrence [1/3377 (0.03%)]. From all the sampled livers, the average number of adult flukes recorded ranged from 1 to 83. A total of 440 adult flukes were studied morphometrically, using parameters such as body length (BL), body width (BW), cone length (CL), cone width (CL), body area (BA), body perimeter (BP), the distance between the ventral sucker and posterior end of body (VS-P), BL/BW ratio, BL/V-SP, and body roundness (BR). Furthermore, molecular analysis was conducted using PCR-RFLP methods to distinguish between F. gigantica and F. hepatica involving ITS1 primer and RsaI restriction enzyme. RFLP pattern with RsaI produced a consistent pattern of 360,100 and 60 bp fragments in F. hepatica, whereas F. gigantica worms had a profile of 360,170, and 60 bp in size. The morphometric and molecular analysis results indicated that cattle and buffaloes slaughtered at Banting, Shah Alam, Taiping, and Ipoh abattoirs were infected with F. gigantica.
Combination of Dichloroacetate and Atorvastatin Regulates Excessive Proliferation and Oxidative Stress in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Development via p38 Signaling
Authors: Li Tangzhiming , Li Suqi , Feng Yilu , Zeng Xiaofang , Dong Shaohong , Li Jianghua , Zha Lihuang , Luo Hui , Zhao Lin , Liu Bin , Ou Ziwei , Lin Wenchao , Zhang Mengqiu , Li Sheng , Jiang Qiuqiong , Qi Qiangqiang , Xu Qingyao , Yu Zaixin
Published: June 2020

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a lethal disease generally characterized by pulmonary artery remodeling. Mitochondrial metabolic disorders have been implicated as a critical regulator of excessively proliferative- and apoptosis-resistant phenotypes in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Dichloroacetate (DCA) is an emerging drug that targets aerobic glycolysis in tumor cells. Atorvastatin (ATO) is widely used for hyperlipemia in various cardiovascular diseases. Considering that DCA and ATO regulate glucose and lipid metabolism, respectively, we hypothesized that the combination of DCA and ATO could be a potential treatment for PAH. A notable decrease in the right ventricular systolic pressure accompanied by reduced right heart hypertrophy was observed in the DCA/ATO combination treatment group compared with the monocrotaline treatment group. The DCA/ATO combination treatment alleviated vascular remodeling, thereby suppressing excessive PASMC proliferation and macrophage infiltration. In vitro, both DCA and ATO alone reduced PASMC viability by upregulating oxidative stress and lowering mitochondrial membrane potential. Surprisingly, when combined, DCA/ATO was able to decrease the levels of reactive oxygen species and cell apoptosis without compromising PASMC proliferation. Furthermore, suppression of the p38 pathway through the specific inhibitor SB203580 attenuated cell death and oxidative stress at a level consistent with that of DCA/ATO combination treatment. These observations suggested a complementary effect of DCA and ATO on rescuing PASMCs from a PAH phenotype through p38 activation via the regulation of mitochondrial-related cell death and oxidative stress. DCA in combination with ATO may represent a novel therapeutic strategy for PAH treatment.
A Novel Vibration Control System Applying Annularly Arranged Thrusters for Multiple Launch Rocket System in Launching Process
Authors: Gu Lilin , Rui Xiaoting , Wang Guoping , Yang Fufeng , Wei Min
Published: June 2020

Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) has been widely used in recent years; vibration control in launching process is an effective way to improve its dispersion characteristics. In this paper, a novel vibration control system applying Annularly Arranged Thrusters (AAT) for MLRS in launching process is introduced and the prototype of the proposed system is built. The dynamic model of the MLRS with the AAT is established based on the Transfer Matrix Method for Multibody Systems (MSTMM). The LQR-PID control law and the management for the AAT are presented. The simulation and experiment of the proposed system are carried out and analyzed. The results show that the vibration of MLRS is effectively attenuated by the proposed control system. The study in this paper provides a new idea to improve the dispersion characteristic by reducing the vibration of MLRS in launching process.
An Efficient 3D Model Retrieval Method Based on Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Ding Bo , Tang Lei , He Yong-jun
Published: June 2020

Recently, 3D model retrieval based on views has become a research hotspot. In this method, 3D models are represented as a collection of 2D projective views, which allows deep learning techniques to be used for 3D model classification and retrieval. However, current methods need improvements in both accuracy and efficiency. To solve these problems, we propose a new 3D model retrieval method, which includes index building and model retrieval. In the index building stage, 3D models in library are projected to generate a large number of views, and then representative views are selected and input into a well-learned convolutional neural network (CNN) to extract features. Next, the features are organized according to their labels to build indexes. In this stage, the views used for representing 3D models are reduced substantially on the premise of keeping enough information of 3D models. This method reduces the number of similarity matching by 87.8%. In retrieval, the 2D views of the input model are classified into a category with the CNN and voting algorithm, and then only the features of one category rather than all categories are chosen to perform similarity matching. In this way, the searching space for retrieval is reduced. In addition, the number of used views for retrieval is gradually increased. Once there is enough evidence to determine a 3D model, the retrieval process will be terminated ahead of time. The variable view matching method further reduces the number of similarity matching by 21.4%. Experiments on the rigid 3D model datasets ModelNet10 and ModelNet40 and the nonrigid 3D model dataset McGill10 show that the proposed method has achieved retrieval accuracy rates of 94%, 92%, and 100%, respectively.
Comparing Circulating Tumor Cell Counts with Dynamic Tumor Size Changes as Predictor of Overall Survival: A Quantitative Modeling Framework
Authors: Netterberg Ida , Karlsson Mats O. , Terstappen Leon W.M.M. , Koopman Miriam , Punt Cornelis J.A. , Friberg Lena E.
Published: June 2020

Purpose:

Quantitative relationships between treatment-induced changes in tumor size and circulating tumor cell (CTC) counts, and their links to overall survival (OS), are lacking. We present a population modeling framework identifying and quantifying such relationships, based on longitudinal data collected in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) to evaluate the value of tumor size and CTC counts as predictors of OS.

Experimental Design:

A pharmacometric approach (i.e., population pharmacodynamic modeling) was used to characterize the changes in tumor size and CTC count and evaluate them as predictors of OS in 451 patients with mCRC treated with chemotherapy and targeted therapy in a prospectively randomized phase III study (CAIRO2).

Results:

A tumor size model of tumor quiescence and drug resistance was used to characterize the tumor size time-course, and was, in addition to the total normalized dose (i.e., of all administered drugs) in a given cycle, related to the CTC counts through a negative binomial model (CTC model). Tumor size changes did not contribute additional predictive value when the mean CTC count was a predictor of OS. Treatment reduced the typical mean count from 1.43 to 0.477 (HR = 3.94). The modeling framework was applied to explore whether dose modifications (increased and reduced) would result in a CTC count below 1/7.5 mL after 1 to 2 weeks of treatment.

Conclusions:

Time-varying CTC counts can be useful for early predicting OS in patients with mCRC, and may therefore have potential for model-based treatment individualization. Although tumor size was connected to CTC, its link to OS was weaker.
Phase I Trial of the PARP Inhibitor Olaparib and AKT Inhibitor Capivasertib in Patients with BRCA1/2- and Non–BRCA1/2-Mutant Cancers
Authors: Yap Timothy A. , Kristeleit Rebecca , Michalarea Vasiliki , Pettitt Stephen J. , Lim Joline S.J. , Carreira Suzanne , Roda Desamparados , Miller Rowan , Riisnaes Ruth , Miranda Susana , Figueiredo Ines , Rodrigues Daniel Nava , Ward Sarah , Matthews Ruth , Parmar Mona , Turner Alison , Tunariu Nina , Chopra Neha , Gevensleben Heidrun , Turner Nicholas C. , Ruddle Ruth , Raynaud Florence I. , Decordova Shaun , Swales Karen E. , Finneran Laura , Hall Emma , Rugman Paul , Lindemann Justin P.O. , Foxley Andrew , Lord Christopher J. , Banerji Udai , Plummer Ruth , Basu Bristi , Lopez Juanita S. , Drew Yvette , de Bono Johann S.
Published: June 2020

Preclinical studies have demonstrated synergy between PARP and PI3K/AKT pathway inhibitors in BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2)–deficient and BRCA1/2-proficient tumors. We conducted an investigator-initiated phase I trial utilizing a prospective intrapatient dose- escalation design to assess two schedules of capivasertib (AKT inhibitor) with olaparib (PARP inhibitor) in 64 patients with advanced solid tumors. Dose expansions enrolled germline BRCA1/2-mutant tumors, or BRCA1/2 wild-type cancers harboring somatic DNA damage response (DDR) or PI3K–AKT pathway alterations. The combination was well tolerated. Recommended phase II doses for the two schedules were: olaparib 300 mg twice a day with either capivasertib 400 mg twice a day 4 days on, 3 days off, or capivasertib 640 mg twice a day 2 days on, 5 days off. Pharmacokinetics were dose proportional. Pharmacodynamic studies confirmed phosphorylated (p) GSK3β suppression, increased pERK, and decreased BRCA1 expression. Twenty-five (44.6%) of 56 evaluable patients achieved clinical benefit (RECIST complete response/partial response or stable disease ≥ 4 months), including patients with tumors harboring germline BRCA1/2 mutations and BRCA1/2 wild-type cancers with or without DDR and PI3K–AKT pathway alterations.

Significance:

In the first trial to combine PARP and AKT inhibitors, a prospective intrapatient dose- escalation design demonstrated safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic activity and assessed predictive biomarkers of response/resistance. Antitumor activity was observed in patients harboring tumors with germline BRCA1/2 mutations and BRCA1/2 wild-type cancers with or without somatic DDR and/or PI3K–AKT pathway alterations.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 1426
The Mincle/Syk/NF-κB Signaling Circuit Is Essential for Maintaining the Protumoral Activities of Tumor-Associated Macrophages
Authors: Li Chunjie , Xue Vivian Weiwen , Wang Qing-Ming , Lian Guang-Yu , Huang Xiao-Ru , Lee Tin-Lap , To Ka-Fai , Tang Patrick Ming-Kuen , Lan Hui-Yao
Published: June 2020

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) have important roles in cancer progression, but the signaling behind the formation of protumoral TAM remains understudied. Here, by single-cell RNA sequencing, we revealed that the pattern recognition receptor Mincle was highly expressed in TAM and significantly associated with mortality in patients with non–small cell lung cancer. Cancer cells markedly induced Mincle expression in bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMDM), thus promoting cancer progression in invasive lung carcinoma LLC and melanoma B16F10 in vivo and in vitro. Mincle was predominately expressed in the M2-like TAM in non–small cell lung carcinoma and LLC tumors, and silencing of Mincle unexpectedly promoted M1-like phenotypes in vitro. Mechanistically, we discovered a novel Mincle/Syk/NF-κB signaling pathway in TAM needed for executing their TLR4-independent protumoral activities. Adoptive transfer of Mincle-silenced BMDM significantly suppressed TAM-driven cancer progression in the LLC-bearing NOD/SCID mice. By modifying our well-established ultrasound microbubble–mediated gene transfer protocol, we demonstrated that tumor-specific silencing of Mincle effectively blocked Mincle/Syk/NF-κB signaling, therefore inhibiting the TAM-driven cancer progression in the syngeneic mouse cancer models. Thus, our findings highlight the function of Mincle as a novel immunotherapeutic target for cancer via blocking the Mincle/Syk/NF-κB circuit in TAM.
Synergistic Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt, Clerodendrum inerme (L.) Gaertn. and Acanthus ebracteatus Vahl. Extracts and Their Potential as a Treatment for Xerosis Cutis
Authors: Pratoomsoot Chayanin , Wongkattiya Nalin , Sanguansermsri Donruedee
Published: June 2020

Background: A common health condition among older persons is xerosis cutis. Topical corticosteroid treatments are ­associated with side effects. There is an unmet need for her­bal treatment alternatives. Coccinia grandis, Clerodendrum inerme and Acanthus ebracteatus are used to treat skin con­ditions in Thai traditional medicine. This study aimed to investigate their antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, synergistic properties as well as their cytotoxicity. Methods: ­Ethanolic herbal extracts were used to perform minimal ­inhibitory (MIC) and minimal bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays on common skin pathogens. Synergistic anti­microbial activity was evaluated by a chequerboard assay. Antioxidant and synergistic properties were assessed by a 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. Cytotoxicity was tested on normal adult human primary epidermal keratinocytes. Results: All extracts showed an inhibitory effect on growth of all microorganisms tested. MIC and MBC values ranged from 0.0625 to 32 mg/mL and from 0.0625 to >256 mg/mL, respectively. A. ebracteatus extract markedly demonstrated bactericidal activity against an methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strain. Additive antimicrobial activity was observed (fractional inhibitory concentration index values: 0.75–1). All extracts possessed antioxidant properties (IC50 values: 0.12–0.25 mg/L). However, antagonism was observed with paired extract combinations (combination index values: 1.025–1.455). The cell viability assay confirmed that herbal extracts were not cytotoxic. Conclusions: Our results provide early findings of pharmacological activities to support a novel choice of herbal combinations as potential local skin treatment options for xerosis cutis.
Identifying Predictors of the Visceral Fat Index in the Obese and Overweight Population to Manage Obesity: A Randomized Intervention Study
Authors: López-Hernández Lourdes , Pérez-Ros Pilar , Fargueta María , Elvira Laura , López-Soler Josep , Pablos Ana
Published: June 2020

Introduction: Nowadays, obesity is one of the main causes of death and disability. In recent years, it has been shown that the excess and distribution of body fat increases morbidity, with excess visceral fat being the most important factor that triggers pathologies. Thus, estimation of visceral fat makes it possible to identify patients with a higher cardiovascular risk, aiding the management of obesity. The main objective of the study was to identify predictors of the visceral fat index through a lifestyle intervention and to observe the effect of the intervention on dietary habits and functional capacity. Methods: A randomized intervention, parallel-group study was made. This study included 97 obese and overweight people (control group, n = 48; experimental group, n = 49) with a low socioeconomic status in an 8-month lifestyle intervention. Anthropometric, fitness and nutritional tests were assessed. Results: It was found that being female, eating the recommended daily portions of fruit, gaining strength in the legs and gaining flexibility are factors predictive of a lower visceral fat index. Age over 45 years and eating the recommended weekly portions of cereals and meats, fat and processed meats increases the visceral fat index after a lifestyle intervention. There were changes in the visceral fat index and in the different physical condition variables, but not in eating habits. Conclusion: A multicomponent lifestyle intervention reduces the visceral fat index; age over 45 and consuming cereals and meat increases the visceral fat index.
Combined Analysis of Intragastric Malignant Exfoliation and Ca 72.4 Concentration in Stomach Adenocarcinoma: The “GL1 Ca 72.4” Parameter
Authors: Virgilio Edoardo , Giarnieri Enrico , Giovagnoli Maria Rosaria , Montagnini Monica , Villani Sandra , Proietti Antonella , D’Urso Rosaria , Cardelli Patrizia , Balducci Genoveffa , Cavallini Marco
Published: June 2020

Introduction/Objective: Differently from other digestive malignancies, gastric cancer (GC) pathobiology is still little known and understood. Recently, cytopathology and molecular biology on gastric juice/gastric lavage (GJ/GL) of GC patients have provided novel and interesting results in terms of screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy. However, entertaining cytologic examination and molecular test as a unified solo-run test is previously unreported. Our aim was to assess the new parameter “GL Ca 72.4” for GC patients. Methods: Between April 2012 and July 2013, GJ/GL obtained from 37 surgical GC patients were tested for the presence/absence (GL1/GL0) of exfoliated malignant cells along with the intragastric concentration of Ca 72.4 (normal value <6.49 ng/mL: Ca 72.4n; elevated level ≥6.49 ng/mL: Ca 72.4+). Results: At a median follow-up of 79.3 months, all the GC alive patients were “GL0 Ca 72.4n.” The “GL1 Ca 72.4+” parameter, in comparison with GL0 Ca 72.4n, strongly correlated with deeper tumor invasion (p = 0.027), severe nodal metastasis (p = 0.012), worst metastatic node ratio (p = 0.041), higher number of metastatic lymph nodes (30 vs. 20 nodes, p = 0.014), angiolymphatic invasion (p = 0.044), advanced stage (p = 0.034), and adjuvant therapy (p = 0.044). The Kaplan-Meier model showed that GL1 Ca 72.4+ subjects had shorter overall survival (OS) than GL0 Ca 72.4n cases (9.7 vs. 43.2 months, respectively, p = 0.042). At univariate analysis, the GL1 Ca 72.4+ parameter resulted a significant prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.023). Conclusions: The combined cyto-molecular parameter “GL1 Ca 72.4+” appears to be a strong indicator of aggressive tumor behavior and a significant prognostic factor of poor survival for GC patients.
Yan’an’s Labor Heroines and the Birth of the Women of New China
Authors: Spakowski Nicola
Published: June 2020

This article discusses the labor heroines of Yan’an and their cultural representation in the context of the early 1940s. It shows how the phenomenon of women’s labor heroism was formed during these years and it points out the rifts, contradictions and multiple understandings in the representation of labor heroines and their ideal role in the revolutionary process. In particular, this study highlights the co-existence of an instrumentalist and an idealist approach to women’s participation in production which is attributed to the double temporality in the Chinese Communist Party’s self-positioning at the time. The short-term necessities of the War of Resistance justified an instrumentalist approach which made labor heroines a “work force.” New Democracy, on the other hand, as a period of incipient socialism, opened the temporal horizon towards the future and moved revolutionary discourse from “memory” to “prophecy.” Writers embraced this creative space and imagined the social relations of a pacified, socialist society. Reportage as genre, labor heroines as subject and utopianism as orientation in time formed the basis for totally new conceptualizations of women’s liberation through work, restituting women’s agency and placing them in new sets of social relations.
The Happiness of Nations
Authors: Zafirovski Milan
Published: June 2020

This paper reexamines the concept and determinants of happiness within global society involving Western and comparable societies such as OECD countries. The review of the literature suggests that it leaves a certain void with respect to the bearing of types of contemporary societies on happiness and its societal conditions. The paper argues that a particular type of these societies, denoted as the combination of welfare capitalism and liberal democracy, tends to create the best societal conditions for a happier society than do other types, such as those described as the compound of oligarchic-plutocratic capitalism and illiberal ‘democracy’ and mixed social systems. It then presents varied evidence in strong support of the argument demonstrating that this type of society is the most successful in creating objective conditions for realizing the ideal of the ‘greatest happiness to the greatest number’ of its members compared to its opposite and mixed alternatives. The paper concludes that the evidence strongly confirms that welfare capitalism/liberal democracy functions as the strongest determinant and predictor of the happiness of societies today.
Weak-Party Negotiators of Ancient China: The Mohists, Offensive Warfare, and Power
Authors: Ip Hung-yok
Published: June 2020

This article situates the topic of weak-party negotiators in the context of early China. It examines the Mohists, activists known for their efforts to confront aggressive warfare in the Warring States period (476–221 BC), when various regional states competed fiercely with one another in China’s inter-state system. By examining the foundational text of Mohism, the Mozi, I show how the Mohists pioneered techniques and tactics regarded as beneficial for weak-party negotiators by modern day experts on negotiation and conflict resolution. More importantly, I emphasize that with their long and deep historical engagement with an ancient Chinese elite driven by self-interests, the Mohists pursued power and were consequential by developing their own approach to asymmetrical negotiation in war-related contexts. This approach was heavily dependent on the Mohists’ use of positive and negative leverage. And it is, according to the Mozi, made possible by the activists’ relentless pursuit of knowledge.
An Avicennian Engagement with and Appropriation of Mullā Ṣadrā Šīrāzī (d. 1045/1636)
Authors: Rizvi Sajjad H.
Published: June 2020

Recent scholarship on Avicenna and Avicennism has tended to focus on the spread and dissemination of his ideas in the early centuries. However, the later readings and contestations of Avicennism especially from the Safavid period onwards have been broadly neglected. In this paper on the most important philosopher of eighteenth-century Iran, Mahdī Narāqī, I provide a case study of the enduring significance of Avicennism, but one which has been transformed by Mullā Ṣadrā’s critical reading of Avicenna. Narāqī demonstrates how Avicenna had been transformed and how the metaphysical debates between Avicennism and Mullā Ṣadrā had led to new synthetical positions.
Glass Beads from Medieval Gao (Mali): New Analytical Data on Chronology, Sources, and Trade
Authors: McIntosh Susan Keech , Wood Marilee , Dussubieux Laure , Robertshaw Peter , Insoll Timothy , Cissé Mamadou
Published: June 2020

Excavations at several archaeological sites in and around Gao have resulted in the recovery of thousands of glass beads presumed to have been acquired from glass bead-producing centers through trade. The bead assemblages cover the period from the eighth to the fourteenth century CE. Here we report on the results of compositional analysis by LA-ICP-MS of 100 beads, permitting comparison with the growing corpus of chemical analyses for glass from African and Near Eastern sites. In this analysis, several compositional groupings are recognized. These include two types of plant-ash soda-lime-silica glass (v-Na-Ca), a mineral soda-lime-silica glass (m-Na-Ca), a high-lime high-alumina (HLHA) glass, a mineral soda-high alumina (m-Na-Al), glass, a plant ash soda-high alumina (v-Na-Al) glass and a high lead composition glass. The reconstruction and dating of depositional contexts suggests a shift in glass sources at the end of the tenth century CE. The issue of source identification is discussed and occurrences at other African sites are mapped, providing new data towards an understanding of trade and exchange networks.
Stains for entomological microtechnique: simple stains for whole mounts and dissection
Authors: CHICK ANDREW I.R.
Published: June 2020

Slide mounted entomological specimens often require the aid of contrast techniques to improve the clarity of morphological characteristics. Methods can involve the use of techniques such as Phase contrast, Dark field or differential interference contrast microscopy (DIC), however where an entomologist may only have access to simple brightfield microscopy chemical staining of the specimen may be used to improve contrast. For whole mounts of entomological specimens, a single stain, occasionally two, are often used, in comparison to histological sections that often employ multiple stains in complex protocols. A number of authors have proposed different stains and staining methods for a number of insect groups with few considering the long term qualities of the stain, it has previously been shown that aniline dyes are prone to fading in Canada Balsam mounts, and that some stains fade even when protected from sunlight. This paper aims to summarise the knowledge of stains used for entomological specimens and provide details on the archival qualities.
Researching identities through material possessions: The case of diasporic objects
Authors: Pechurina Anna
Published: June 2020

The article aims to contribute to the growing literature on exploring relationships between objects, homes and identities in the context of migration. Using examples from a qualitative study of homemaking practices of Russian-speaking communities in the UK, the article discusses how the presence and use of certain objects and foods reflect complex meanings about home and belonging. Specifically, the article deploys the idea of ‘diasporic’ objects that signify the ambivalent nature of migrants’ relationships with their past and present homes simultaneously acting as symbols of connection and detachment. As the objects ‘travel’ through different homes so too do their meanings, and, through this, ‘diasporic’ objects accumulate new values and biographies embedded in wider cultural and transnational contexts. Analytically, the concept of diasporic objects is offered as a way to approach the feeling of home as a changing category that is (re)produced through memories and senses, as well as through particular ways of appropriation and personalisation of spaces and places.
Cumulative domicide: The Sayisi Dene and destruction of home in mid-twentieth century Canada
Authors: Basso Andrew R , Ciaschi Patrick , Akesson Bree
Published: June 2020

This article introduces a new concept to help explain domicide perpetrated against one group of people over space and time: ‘cumulative domicide’. The authors challenge the notion of domicide as an event and instead conceptualize the rights violation as a process. The cumulative domicide against the Sayisi Dene in Manitoba from the 1950s to the 1970s is a perfect illustration of the compounding, intergenerational effects that cumulative domicide can have upon a people when they are torn from their home and are not allowed to remake home elsewhere on their terms. In the case of the Sayisi Dene, the authors argue that processes of colonial expansion and hegemony are based on cumulative domicide and that this process occurs over variances in time and space.
Domestic Audiences and Economic Opportunity Cost: African Democratisation as a Determinant in the Recognition of China over Taiwan, 2001–2018
Authors: Ndzendze Bhaso
Published: June 2020

This paper expands upon a hitherto underexplored finding by Rich and Banerjee’s 2015 model which finds that Taiwan has done comparatively better with non-democracies in Africa. The paper proposes that democratisation makes an African state more responsive to domestic economic imperatives and thus more likely to form relations with the demographically and economically larger People’s Republic of China because of the prospective trade, aid and investment gains to be made once such a switch is affected. Seven case studies conducted over the 2001–2018 period yield results which are in line with this hypothesis.
Cooperative actors in domestic abuse and their association with prosecution: implications for the criminal justice system
Authors: Birdsall Nathan , Kirby Stuart , Phythian Rebecca
Published: June 2020

Suggestions to increase prosecution rates in domestic abuse cases often focus on improving victim cooperation and evidence gathering. This study explores the impact of persons involved in abuse investigations by modelling five variables (victim cooperation; witness cooperation; presence of children; suspect admission; and presence of physical evidence) across 540 cases of domestic abuse. The presence of physical evidence, as well as victim and witness cooperation, all increased the likelihood of a charge against the suspect. However, suspect confession often resulted in a police caution, meaning no successful charge. The implications of these findings to improve investigation and prosecution are discussed.
Recast(e)ing Scientific Temper in a Democracy: The Eccentricities of Ambedkarian Science
Authors: Sahoo Subhasis
Published: June 2020

Histories of modern science in India have been written in which Ambedkar receives barely a mention or in which he appears as a latecomer to ideas about the social function of science that others had pioneered. This article uses seminal ideas of Bhimrao Ambedkar (1891–1956) to interrogate the nature and representation of science in modern India. Ambedkarian science (AS) can be accessed through Ambedkar’s own speeches and writings and through the wider project of science, which he identified—critiquing colonialism, challenging Hindu metaphysics and cosmology and the ethics of natural inequality they sanction. The article makes a case for looking at AS as a way of structuring the predicament of postcolonial science, particularly in relation to understanding the authority of science and its evaluation in terms of its capacity to deliver social and economic change. It accordingly seeks to outline AS while revisiting the concept of scientific temper.
Book review: Sadan Jha. 2016. Reverence, Resistance and Politics of Seeing the Indian National Flag
Authors: Prasad M. Madhava
Published: June 2020

Sadan Jha. 2016. Reverence, Resistance and Politics of Seeing the Indian National Flag. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press. xxviii + 268 pp. Plates, figures, bibliography index. £64.99 (hardback).
Book review: Gita Chadha and M. T. Joseph, eds. 2018. Re-Imagining Sociology in India: Feminist Perspectives
Authors: Mehrotra Nilika
Published: June 2020

Gita Chadha and M. T. Joseph, eds. 2018. Re-Imagining Sociology in India: Feminist Perspectives. Oxon and New York: Routledge. xii + 348 pp. References, index. ₹1095 (hardback).
Book review: Surinder S. Jodhka and Jules Naudet, eds. 2019. Mapping the Elite: Power, Privilege, and Inequality
Authors: Mantri Swati
Published: June 2020

Surinder S. Jodhka and Jules Naudet, eds. 2019. Mapping the Elite: Power, Privilege, and Inequality. New Delhi: Oxford University Press. xvi + 304 pp. ₹1495 (hardback).
Land, development and the political class: In a translocal ‘Londoni’ village
Authors: Hoque Ashraf
Published: June 2020

This article expands Akhil Gupta’s (1995, American Ethnologist, 22(2), 375–402) thesis of ‘blurred boundaries’ between ‘the state’ and ‘society’ in South Asia to incorporate the impact of historic labour migrations, which complicate established conceptions of the state in Bangladesh. Based on ethnographic fieldwork in an area of high migration to the UK, the article draws attention to a class of transnational politicians, and their intra-class conflicts of interest, in shaping local-level politics. The article supports Faguet’s (2017, Modern Asian Studies 51(6), 1668–94) contention that the decentralisation of local government has led to the emergence of vernacularised political economies that operate in the shadow of the state, which are also intrinsically facilitated by it. It suggests that state actors appropriate symbols, offices and resources, together with traditional authority and kinship dynamics, to create an idiosyncratic polity. Aspiration towards power that might lead to the occupation of state offices are determined by either the aspirant’s status as a British citizen (Londoni) or through intimate social and economic connections to Britain through kinship (gushti) networks. The article thus makes a broader contribution to the existing literature on the anthropology of the state, transnational politics and the nexus of power, money and migration in postcolonial contexts.
Criminogenic Risk, Criminogenic Need, Collective Efficacy, and Juvenile Delinquency
Authors: Gearhart Michael C. , Tucker Riley
Published: June 2020

Juvenile delinquency is influenced by reciprocal relationships between micro-level and macro-level factors. The risk, need, and responsivity (RNR) model, and collective efficacy theory are two commonly used frameworks in juvenile justice research. This study builds on previous research by testing indicators of both the RNR model and collective efficacy theory as predictors of self-reported juvenile delinquency utilizing data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Taken as a whole, our findings suggest that individual-level factors are strong predictors of self-reported juvenile delinquency, whereas the relationship between collective efficacy and juvenile delinquency is limited. This finding emphasizes the importance of addressing individual needs when implementing community-level interventions aimed at preventing delinquency. Failure to do so may result in merely displacing juvenile delinquency as opposed to helping youth desist from delinquent behaviors.
Life-threatening antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated vasculitis after influenza A H1N1 infection requiring veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
Authors: Frantzeskaki Frantzeska G. , Dimopoulos Stavros , Konstantonis Dimitrios , Katsibri Pelagia , Kostopanagiotou Kostantinos , Theodorakopoulou Maria , Diakaki Chrysi , Dougenis Dimitrios , Boumpas Dimitrios , Karabinis Andreas , Armaganidis Apostolos , Tsangaris Iraklis
Published: June 2020

Introduction:

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody–associated vasculitis is an immune-mediated necrotizing vasculitis, affecting small- and medium-sized vessels.

Case report:

A 22-year-old female patient with free medical history presented with life-threatening pulmonary hemorrhage due to antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody–associated vasculitis, temporarily associated with influenza A H1N1 infection. Due to rapidly worsening respiratory failure, despite conventional management, veno-venous peripheral extracorporeal membrane oxygenation was initiated and continued for 26 days, with subsequent renal replacement therapy.

Discussion:

We present a case of severe antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody–associated pulmonary vasculitis, managed with veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation at the initial phase. Despite the significant challenges raised with the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in pulmonary hemorrhage cases, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation may have a significant impact on outcome in this setting, by providing adequate time for a successful immunosuppressive treatment.
A retrospective cross-sectional study of the associated factors of hyperuricemia in patients with chronic kidney disease
Authors: Guo Li-Ping , Wang Qin , Pan Yu , Wang Yan-Lin , Zhang Ze-Jin , Hu Chun , Ding Feng , Peng Ai , Liu Jun-Yan
Published: June 2020

Objective

To investigate the prevalence of hyperuricemia in patients at different stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the association of serum uric acid (SUA) with several clinical factors in a retrospective cross-sectional study of non-dialysis CKD patients at two hospitals in Shanghai, China.

Methods

The prevalence of hyperuricemia in CKD patients and the association of SUA with other clinical factors were examined using analysis of variance, chi-squared test, multivariate analysis, and other statistical methods.

Results

A total of 663 CKD patients were enrolled, of which approximately 52% had hyperuricemia. CKD patients with hyperuricemia had lower hemoglobin and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) levels but higher blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and serum phosphate levels than those without hyperuricemia. Serum uric acid level was positively associated with age, blood urea nitrogen , serum creatinine, cystatin C, and serum phosphate and negatively associated with hemoglobin and eGFR. In addition, CKD patients with anemia and hyperphosphatemia had a higher prevalence of hyperuricemia than those without anemia or hyperphosphatemia.

Conclusions

The prevalence of hyperuricemia increased with CKD progression supporting the use of urate-lowering treatment for patients with CKD stage 1 to 4.
Management of gestational gigantomastia with breast reconstruction after mastectomy: case report and literature review
Authors: Qin Feng , Si Loubin , Zhang Hailin , Zhang Mingzi , Zeng Ang , Long Fei , Yu Nanze , Liu Zhifei , Wang Xiaojun
Published: June 2020

Gestational gigantomastia (GGM) is a rare complication of pregnancy. The etiology of GGM is yet to be fully established. Treatment methods for GGM include medical therapy and surgery. If medical treatment is unsuccessful, surgery may be required. Currently available surgical interventions are either breast reduction or mastectomy with delayed reconstruction. We report a case of a 25-year-old woman (G1P1) who presented with massive enlargement of both breasts during puerperium. Because of the limited effect of medical therapy, surgical intervention was considered to be the first choice. Bilateral mastectomies with grafting of the nipple–areola complex and immediate bilateral tissue expander implantation were performed. Reconstruction was fully completed 8 months after the initial procedure by replacing tissue expanders with definitive implants. Despite being a benign condition, GGM can turn into a serious problem. GGM can be successfully reconstructed by mastectomy with delayed reconstruction and grafting of the nipple–areola complex.
Efficacy of statin treatment based on cardiovascular outcomes in elderly patients: a standard meta-analysis and Bayesian network analysis
Authors: Zhai Chuannan , Hou Kai , Li Rui , Hu YueCheng , Zhang JingXia , Zhang YingYi , Wang Le , Zhang Rui , Cong HongLiang
Published: June 2020

Objective

Statins have been shown to be beneficial for the prevention of cardiovascular events. In elderly individuals, the efficacy of statins remains controversial and the comparative effect of statins has not been assessed.

Methods

MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central database were searched for randomized controlled trials that assessed statins in older patients.

Results

Seventeen trials were analyzed. When used for secondary prevention, statins were associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular events, all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, revascularization, and stroke. When used for primary prevention, statins reduced the risk of myocardial infarction and revascularization, but did not significantly affect other outcomes. A modest difference between pharmaceutical statin products was found, and high-quality evidence indicated that intensive atorvastatin had the greatest benefits for secondary prevention.

Conclusions

In secondary prevention, evidence strongly suggests that statins are associated with a reduction in the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, cardiovascular mortality, and revascularization. However, differences in the effects of various statins do not appear to have significant effects on therapy in secondary prevention for the elderly.
High-frequency rTMS with two different inter-train intervals improves upper limb motor function at the early stage of stroke
Authors: Ke Jiaqia , Zou Xiaopei , Huang Mei , Huang Qiaotian , Li Hongzhan , Zhou Xianju
Published: June 2020

Objective

This study aimed to explore the therapeutic effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF-rTMS) with two different inter-train intervals (ITIs) on upper limb motor function in the early period of stroke.

Methods

We recruited 48 post-stroke patients in the early period and randomly divided them into three cohorts: the sham group, the short ITI (8 s) group, and the long ITI (28 s) group. HF-rTMS was delivered at 20 Hz. The amplitude of motor evoked potentials at the affected cortical region, representing the abductor pollicis brevis muscle, reflected cortical excitability. At baseline, immediately after treatment, and 1 month after treatment, we evaluated the recovery of upper limb motor function using Brunnstrom recovery stages (BRSs) and the Fugl–Meyer Assessment for upper extremity (FMA-UE), and assessed functional independence using the Barthel Index (BI).

Results

HF-rTMS with two different ITIs significantly improved upper limb functional recovery relative to the sham group, but there was no significant difference in cortical excitability changes or BRS, FMA-UE, or BI scores between the different ITI groups.

Conclusions

At the early post-stroke stage, HF-rTMS with short ITIs generates a similar therapeutic effect to HF-rTMS with long ITIs, suggesting that treatment times can be decreased.
Stigma and segregation: containing the Roma of Údol, Czech Republic
Authors: Černušáková Barbora
Published: June 2020

This article analyses the lived experience of a Czech Roma community in Údol, Ostrava. Based on the author’s participant-observation research, it demonstrates how certain neighbourhoods are increasingly targeted by policy measures which range from the denial of benefits to residents of certain areas to large-scale evictions or plans to demolish public housing. Such approaches are becoming a Europe-wide phenomenon. Although proponents of these measures argue the need to ‘protect law and order’, their policies target communities that are racialised as immigrant, Roma or Muslim. In some ways, the social exclusion of the Roma mirrors that of Black people in US ghettos, but there are also significant differences. The author demonstrates how the ‘post-socialist’ reality of Údol has been defined by the outsourcing of the state’s social functions, such as housing, to be carried out by charities and business. This has contributed, in what has now been turned into a racially defined space, to the ongoing reproduction of Údol’s containment of its Roma population, who, nonetheless, in their everyday life strategies have developed reliance on local and community networks that have replaced the state.
An audit of dressing practice by occupational therapists in acute stroke settings in England
Authors: Worthington Esme , Whitehead Phillip , Li Zhaoying , Golding-Day Miriam , Walker Marion
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Dressing independence is commonly affected after stroke, with clinical guidelines recommending that dressing practice should routinely be provided for those with dressing difficulties. The aim of this study was to update the literature on current practice in the treatment of dressing problems in stroke rehabilitation units.

Method

A questionnaire survey of occupational therapists experienced in stroke care was sent to 157 stroke units in England.

Results

Responses were received from 70 stroke units. Frequency and duration of dressing practice varied substantially between units, with respondents typically providing dressing practice for six to 10 patients per week and spending 30 to 45 minutes per treatment session. Only 17 respondents (24.3%) stated that they regularly used standardised assessments of dressing ability. The functional approach was used more widely than the remedial approach. Service priorities, working environment and limitations of time and staffing were reported to influence dressing practice.

Conclusion

There is widespread variability in dressing practice. There is a lack of use of standardised dressing assessments, and therapists’ rationale for their choice of approach is unclear.
New Pavement Performance Indicators using Crack Fundamental Elements and 3D Pavement Surface Data with Multiple-Timestamp Registration for Crack Deterioration Analysis and Optimal Treatment Determination
Authors: Tsai Yichang (James) , Yang Zhongyu
Published: June 2020

With the availability of pavement distress information with high granularity, there is a great opportunity to develop and apply new pavement performance indicators, including crack length, width, intersection point, and polygon, derived from crack fundamental elements (CFEs), to study pavement behavior and determine the optimal timing of treatments. Using CFEs and 3D high-resolution pavement surface data, we can study real-world crack deterioration behavior and correlate these new performance indicators to determine optimal maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) method and timing (e.g., crack filling/sealing) to take full advantage of these 3D pavement surface data. This paper presents a proposed methodology to explore this opportunity. The proposed methodology consists of the following steps: (1) multiple-timestamp 3D pavement data registration, (2) new pavement performance indicators extraction from CFEs, (3) spatial–temporal analysis of new pavement performance indicators, and (4) optimal treatment and timing determination using the proposed spatial–temporal analysis of new pavement performance indicators (e.g., optimal crack filling/sealing timing and location). A case study using 6 years of 3D pavement surface data collected using 3D laser technology on SR-26 in Savannah, Georgia, was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using the new pavement performance indicators generated by the proposed methodology. The outcomes demonstrate the proposed method is very promising for quantifying and planning M&R treatments (e.g., crack filling/sealing), which has previously been very difficult to achieve. Results also show that multiple-timestamp registration is a very crucial step in ensuring the consistent measurement of regions of interest for different years.