bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optogenetics in Understanding Mechanisms of Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Tanaka Shinji , Okusa Mark D.
Published: July 2018

Background: No approved pharmacological agents are available for the treatment and prevention of acute kidney injury (AKI). The nervous system has been reported to play an important role, directly or indirectly via the immune system, in the pathophysiology of AKI. Neuromodulation, such as vagus nerve stimulation and pulsed ultrasound, is emerging as an innovative therapeutic treatment for various diseases including AKI. However, lack of effective methods to selectively stimulate or inhibit neurons has hampered the complete understanding of the roles of the nervous system in AKI because electrical stimulation is nonspecific for cell types. Summary: A novel technique called optogenetics optically controls cells in living tissues, typically neurons, which have been genetically modified to express light-sensitive opsins. For example, channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2), an opsin, is a nonselective cation channel residing in a cell membrane, which rapidly opens its gate after exposing to monochromatic light in the “blue” wavelength. Unlike electrodes, blue light can selectively depolarize ChR2-expressing neurons, mainly via the Na+ entry, evoking an action potential. Optogenetics that use ChR2 and several variants to modulate kinetic properties and inhibitory opsins help in understanding the roles of the nervous system in AKI, thus leading to a clinical application of neuromodulation to AKI treatment.
A Direct Interaction Between P53-Binding Protein 1 and Minichromosome Maintenance Complex in Hepg2 Cells
Authors: Chen Yong , Weng Chengyin , Zhang Hui , Sun Jianqun , Yuan Yawei
Published: July 2018

Background/Aims: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. DNA damage repair in cancer cells is a promising approach for the treatment of cancers. We aimed to explore the potential interaction between p53-binding protein 1 (53BP1) and minichromosome maintenance (MCMs) proteins during DNA damage in human hepatoma HepG2 cells. Methods: The recombinant vectors of 53BP1 and MCMs with tags were constructed and transfected into HepG2 cells. Immunoprecipitation (IP) and mass spectrometry (MS) were performed to identify the possible interactions between 53BP1 and MCMs, and glutathione S-transferase (GST) pull-down assay was carried out to detect the direct interaction. Moreover, the expressions of MCM2 and MCM6 were suppressed by specific short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), and then the chromatin fraction and foci formation of 53BP1 were examined under the condition of DNA damage. Results: The results showed that MCM2/3/5/6 was immunoprecipitated against the hemaglutinin (HA)-tagged 53BP1 in HepG2 cell nuclei. GST results revealed that there was a direct interaction between 53BP1 and MCMs complex. Moreover, the non-chromatin level of 53BP1 was significantly increased by down-regulation of MCM2 or MCM6, but was statistically decreased the chromatin level. Furthermore, we observed that knockdown of MCM2 or MCM6 could statistically inhibit the foci formation of 53BP1 in HepG2 cell nuclei upon bleomycin-induced DNA damage (P < 0.01). Conclusion: Our results suggest that there is a direct interaction between 53BP1 and MCMs, which is essential for 53BP1 chromatin fraction and foci formation in hepatoma HepG2 cells.
The Role of RhoA in Neovascular-Related Functions of Endothelial Progenitor Cells Induced by AngiotensinⅡ
Authors: Yang Jin-Xiu , Pan Yan-Yun , Chen Bin , Qiu Yuan-Gang , Mao Wei , Hu Shen-Jiang
Published: July 2018

Background/Aims: Interference with endothelial progenitor cell (EPC) neovascularization is a novel therapeutic target for neovascular-related diseases. Angiotensin Ⅱ (Ang Ⅱ) was found to enhance new vessel formation and aggravated neovascular-related diseases. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ang Ⅱ on EPC neovascular-related functions and explored the underlying mechanisms. Methods: EPCs were cultured from bone marrow derived mononuclear cells. The effects of Ang Ⅱ on EPC proliferation, adhesion, migration, and in vitro tube formation were investigated using the MTT assay, adhesion assay, transwell chamber assay, and in vitro tube formation assay respectively. The underlying mechanisms were explored using Western blotting assay. Results: EPC adhesion, migration and in vitro tube formation were promoted by Ang Ⅱ, and the effects were reversed by RhoA/Rho-associated kinases (ROCK) signaling pathway inhibitors including C3 exoenzyme, GGTI-286 and Y-27632. The active form of RhoA was up-regulated by Ang Ⅱ and this effect was abolished by C3 exoenzyme. Moreover, RhoA silencing resulted in a notable inhibition of EPC adhesion, migration and in vitro tube formation, suggesting that RhoA activation played a pivotal role in Ang Ⅱ angiogenic effect. The results also demonstrated that phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun-NH2 kinase was elevated by Ang Ⅱ and attenuated by C3 exoenzyme, GGTI-286 and Y-27632. The enhancing effects of Ang Ⅱ on EPC adhesion, migration and in vitro vasculogenesis were reversed by p38 inhibitor SB202190 and JNK inhibitor SP600125. Conclusion: Ang Ⅱ may enhance EPC neovascular-related functions through activating RhoA/ ROCK and MAPK signaling pathway.
Renal Mesangial Cells Isolated from Sphingosine Kinase 2 Transgenic Mice Show Reduced Proliferation and are More Sensitive to Stress-Induced Apoptosis
Authors: Beyer Sandra , Schwalm Stephanie , Pfeilschifter Josef , Huwiler Andrea
Published: July 2018

Background/Aims: Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is considered as a key molecule regulating various cell functions including cell growth and death. It is produced by two sphingosine kinases (SK) denoted as SK-1 and SK-2. Whereas SK-1 has been extensively studied and has been appointed a role in promoting cell growth, the function of SK-2 is controversial, and both pro-proliferative and pro-apoptotic functions have been suggested. In this study we investigated whether renal mesangial cells isolated from transgenic mice overexpressing the human Sphk2 gene (hSK2-tg) showed an altered cell response towards growth-inducing and apoptotic stimuli. Methods: hSK2-tg mice were generated by using a Quick KnockinR strategy. Renal mesangial cells were isolated by a differential sieving method and further cultivated in vitro. Lipids were quantified by mass spectrometry. Protein expression was determined by Western blot analysis, cell proliferation was determined by 3H-thymidine incorporation, and apoptosis was determined by a DNA fragmentation ELISA. Results: We show here that kidneys and mesangial cells from hSK2-tg mice express the hSK2 as well as the endogenous mouse mSK2. hSK2 and mSK2 predominantly resided in the cytosol of quiescent transgenic cells. However, S1P accumulated strongly in the nucleus and only minimally in the cytosol of transgenic cells. Functionally, hSK2-tg cells proliferated less than control cells under normal growth conditions and were also more sensitive towards stress-induced apoptosis. On the molecular level, this was reflected by reduced ERK and Akt/PKB activation, and upon staurosporine treatment, by a sensitized mitochondrial pathway as manifested by reduced anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL expression and increased cleavage of caspase-9, downstream caspase-3 and PARP-1. Conclusion: Altogether, these data demonstrate that SK-2 exerts an antiproliferative and apoptosis-sensitizing effect in renal mesangial cells which suggests that selective inhibitors of SK-2 may promote proliferation and reduce apoptosis and this may have impact on the outcome of proliferation-associated diseases such as mesangioproliferative glomerulonephritis.
Left Ventricular Mass Change After Anthracycline Chemotherapy
Authors: Jordan Jennifer H. , Castellino Sharon M. , Meléndez Giselle C. , Klepin Heidi D. , Ellis Leslie R. , Lamar Zanetta , Vasu Sujethra , Kitzman Dalane W. , Ntim William O. , Brubaker Peter H. , Reichek Nathaniel , D’Agostino Ralph B. , Hundley W. Gregory
Published: July 2018

Background:

Myocardial atrophy and left ventricular (LV) mass reductions are associated with fatigue and exercise intolerance. The relationships between the receipt of anthracycline-based chemotherapy (Anth-bC) and changes in LV mass and heart failure (HF) symptomatology are unknown, as is their relationship to LV ejection fraction (LVEF), a widely used measurement performed in surveillance strategies designed to avert symptomatic HF associated with cancer treatment.

Methods and Results:

We performed blinded, serial assessments of body weight, LVEF and mass, LV-arterial coupling, aortic stiffness, and Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire measures before and 6 months after initiating Anth-bC (n=61) and non–Anth-bC (n=15), and in 24 cancer-free controls using paired
t
and χ
2
tests and multivariable linear models. Participants averaged 51±12 years, and 70% were women. Cancer diagnoses included breast cancer (53%), hematologic malignancy (42%), and soft tissue sarcoma (5%). We observed a 5% decline in both LVEF (
P
<0.0001) and LV mass (
P
=0.03) in the setting of increased aortic stiffness and disrupted ventricular-arterial coupling in those receiving Anth-bC but not other groups (
P
=0.11–0.92). A worsening of the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire score in Anth-bC recipients was associated with myocardial mass declines (
r
=−0.27;
P
<0.01) but not with LVEF declines (
r
=0.11;
P
=0.45). Moreover, this finding was independent of LVEF changes and body weight.

Conclusions:

Early after Anth-bC, LV mass reductions associate with worsening HF symptomatology independent of LVEF. These data suggest an alternative mechanism whereby anthracyclines may contribute to HF symptomatology and raise the possibility that surveillance strategies during Anth-bC should also assess LV mass.
Ecumenical Dialogue as Exchange of Knowledge Systems
Authors: Okpaleke Ikenna Paschal
Published: July 2018

The relationship between theology and the social sciences has often been tenuous, mainly due to methodological differences. However, the relationship between the two is quite evident in such areas as pastoral theology and Christian Education, which combine theology with sociological data. This paper attempts to argue in support of a greater relationship between the two, especially between the areas of ecumenical dialogue and social psychology. It addresses the question: How can ecumenical dialogue be re-thought, in the light of insights from social psychology, in order to give room for progress in ecumenical relations? To do this, the paper borrows insights from social psychology to reappraise the necessity of dialogue and to seek a revision of methodologies for approaching it within theology. It is hoped that such an approach would contribute in advancing ecumenical dialogue at official levels as well as facilitating reception at local levels.
Internalism and Pessimism
Authors: Doyle Casey
Published: July 2018

Motivational Internalism is the thesis that, necessarily, moral beliefs are accompanied by motivational states. While another's testimony might transmit knowledge and justification, it cannot warrant motivational states such as moral emotions. Thus, Internalism provides a compelling explanation of “Pessimism,” the view that there is something illicit about forming moral beliefs by testimony. This paper presents a nonconstitutive reading of the Internalist thesis and then argues that it supports Pessimism in the form of a defeasible presumption against moral deference. It also argues against views which explain Pessimism by appeal to requirements on moral belief formation.
Pragmatic transfer, relevance and procedural meaning in L2
Authors: Ifantidou Elly
Published: July 2018

Pragmatic transfer traces back to Thomas’ (1983, 1984) definition of “pragmatic failure” as a violation of sociolinguistic rules which result in misinterpretation (for a historical overview, see Bou Franch, 2012). As a result, negative transfer has received a great deal of attention for being a cause of miscommunication in L2 and a domain where corrective strategies towards native-like performance were much in need (see Kasper, 1992). In this study, positive transfer is triggered by a cognitive procedure rather than a sociolinguistic skill and is examined in terms of learners’ acquired ability to infer pragmatic meanings in L1 and L2. Using the relevance-theoretic distinction of conceptual-procedural meaning (Wilson, 2011), the study seeks to unveil facilitating effects of L1, L2 and interventions on participants’ ability to interpret newspaper editorials while using procedural expressions as evidence for pragmatic inferences drawn.
Vulnerability and Critical Theory
Authors: Ferrarese Estelle
Published: July 2018

InVulnerability and Critical Theory, Estelle Ferrarese identifies contemporary developments on the theme of vulnerability within critical theory while also seeking to reconstruct an idea of vulnerability that enables an articulation of the political and demonstrates how it is socially produced. Philosophies that take vulnerability as a moral object contribute to rendering the political, as the site of a specific power and action, foreign to vulnerability and the notion of recognition offered by critical theory does not correct this deficit. Instead, Ferrarese argues that vulnerability, as susceptibility to a harmful event, is above all a breach of normative expectations. She demonstrates that these expectations are not mental phenomena but are situated between subjects and must even be conceived as institutions. On this basis she argues that the link between the political and vulnerability cannot be reduced to the institutional implementation of moral principles. Rather she seeks to rethink the political by taking vulnerability as the starting point and thereby understands the political as simultaneously referring to the advent of a world, the emergence of a relation, and the appearance of a political subject.
One forgotten name, and another misinterpreted, in Lomariocycas (Blechnaceae, Polypodiopsida)
Authors: VICENT MARIA , GABRIEL Y GALAN JOSE MARIA , MOLINO SONIA
Published: July 2018

Blechnaceae Newman (1844: 8) is a subcosmopolitan family of leptosporangiate ferns (Polypodiopsida), which comprises around 250 species (Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group 2016). Until recently, most of this diversity fell under one, large genus Blechnum Linnaeus (1753: 1077), but after the accumulation of strong evidence of its non-monophyletic status (Shepherd et al. 2007, Gabriel y Galán et al. 2013, Perrie et al. 2014, Gasper et al. 2017), it was split into several entities. Thus, in its current conception, Blechnaceae is formed by 24 genera (Pteridophte Phylogeny Group 2016).
The nomenclature of two names proposed for Portuguese taxa of Calendula (Asteraceae) by Lange in 1883
Authors: FIGUEIREDO ESTRELA , SMITH GIDEON F. , SILVEIRA PAULO
Published: July 2018

Confusion has existed about the status and authorship of some of the new names published in an article entitled ‘Notas’ that appeared in 1883 in the first volume of the Portuguese journal Boletim da Sociedade Broteriana. The ‘Notas’ consisted of several notes (A to I); one of these, Note A, was unambiguously authored by Ficalho (Francisco Manuel de Melo Breyner; 1837–1903), as Conde de Ficalho, and ‘Lisbon’ appeared at the bottom of the note. It is not immediately clear who authored the other notes. However, these must be attributed to Henriques (Júlio Augusto Henriques; 1838–1928), the editor of the volume. Perhaps counter-intuitively, these ‘Notas’ complemented another paper, a list of plants distributed to members of the society (“Especies distribuidas”), which appeared on pages 27–47 of the same volume. For this reason the ‘Notas’ were often cryptic, and genera, for example, were referenced by their initial letters only. For instance, in Note E a new species was described in Latin, under the genus “P.”; a full name was not provided for the genus, and neither for the new species. However, in the article on species distributed (p. 42) Pulicaria microcephala Lange is listed under the genus Pulicaria and is cross-referenced back to Note E. Pulicaria microcephala is not listed in the International Plant Name Index (IPNI), but is recorded in the Euro+Med PlantBase by Greuter (2006+), where it is treated as an accepted name with the citation Lange in Bol. Soc. Brot. 1: 42, 50. 1883.
Aspidistra qijiangensis (Asparagaceae), a new species from Chongqing, China
Authors: LUO XIN-YAN , XU WEN-FEN , HE SHUN-ZHI
Published: July 2018

In April 2017, during an investigation at the Chongqing municipality, Qijiang district, we found some plants of Aspidistra Ker Gawler (1822: 628) with freshly opened flowers widespread on hillside shrub. This species was identified as new for science after studying relevant literature (Lang et al. 1982, 1984, 1999, Li et al. 1988, Wan et al. 1989, Tillich 2006, Tillich et al. 2012, Lin et al. 2013, He et al. 2015, Liang et al. 2016, Zhou et al. 2016, Pan et al. 2016, Vislobokov 2016, Zhong et al. 2016, Wang et al. 2017, Xu et al. 2017) and is described here.
Deterministic Wind Speed Predictions with Analog-Based Methods over Complex Topography
Authors: Plenković Iris Odak , Delle Monache Luca , Horvath Kristian , Hrastinski Mario
Published: July 2018

The performance of analog-based and Kalman filter (KF) postprocessing methods is tested in climatologically and topographically different regions for point-based wind speed predictions at 10 m above the ground. The results are generated using several configurations of the mesoscale numerical weather prediction model ALADIN. This study shows that deterministic analog-based predictions (ABPs) improve the correlation between predictions and measurements while reducing the forecast error, with respect to both the starting model predictions and the KF-based correction. While the KF generally outperforms the ABPs in bias reduction, the combination of the KF and analog approach can be similarly successful. In the coastal complex area, characterized with a larger frequency of strong wind, the ABPs are more successful in reducing the dispersion error than the KF. The application of the KF algorithm to the analogs in the so-called analog space (KFAS) is the least prone to standard deviation underestimation among the ABPs. All ABPs improve the prediction of larger-than-diurnal motions, and KFAS is superior among all ABPs in predicting alternating wind regimes on time scales shorter than a day. The ABPs better distinguish different wind speed categories in the coastal complex terrain by using a higher-resolution model input. Differences among starting model and postprocessed forecasts in other types of terrain are less pronounced.
Parametric study on some physical behaviors of tri-component elastic-conductive composite yarns with different elastane drafts
Authors: Wang Yong , Yu Weidong , Gordon Stuart , Wang Fumei
Published: July 2018

Stretchable and conductive yarns spun on traditional ring spinning frames are promising candidates for applications in wearable devices. A scalable approach for manufacturing multifunctional tri-component elastic-conductive composite yarns (t-ECCYs) has been reported previously. In this study, the effect of the elastane draw ratio upon the physical and conductive properties of the resulting yarns was investigated. It was found that the tensile characteristics of t-ECCYs were primarily dependent upon the spinning settings, especially the draft applied to the elastane filament, which exerted a highly vital effect. Tensile characteristics increased sharply with an initial increase in elastane draft up to 3, beyond which they increased only marginally. Significant alternations in yarns' tensile behavior incorporating different elastane drafts were established. Weibull statistics and box–whisker plots were used to quantify the variability in strength. The role of spinning geometries and different elastane drafts on the yarn hair formation were also highlighted. The results indicated that increasing the elastane draft increased yarn hairiness. It is the distinctive configuration of the yarn's material constituents (the elastane) and the draft applied to elastane that are responsible for the exceptional stretchability of t-ECCYs. With variable thermal-conductive characteristics under different amounts of stretch, the t-ECCYs, which can be industrially woven or knitted, hold tremendous prospects for the wearable electronics or portable electrical devices.
Sensory studies, or when physics was psychophysics: Ernst Mach and physics between physiology and psychology, 1860–71
Authors: Staley Richard
Published: July 2018

This paper highlights the significance of sensory studies and psychophysical investigations of the relations between psychic and physical phenomena for our understanding of the development of the physics discipline, by examining aspects of research on sense perception, physiology, esthetics, and psychology in the work of Gustav Theodor Fechner, Hermann von Helmholtz, Wilhelm Wundt, and Ernst Mach between 1860 and 1871. It complements previous approaches oriented around research on vision, Fechner’s psychophysics, or the founding of experimental psychology, by charting Mach’s engagement with psychophysical experiments in particular. Examining Mach’s study of the senses and esthetics, his changing attitudes toward the mechanical worldview and atomism, and his articulation of comparative understandings of sensual, geometrical, and physical spaces helps set Mach’s emerging epistemological views in the context of his teaching and research. Mach complemented an analytic strategy focused on parallel psychic and physical dimensions of sensation, with a synthetic comparative approach – building analogies between the retina, the individual, and social life, and moving between abstract and sensual spaces. An examination of the broadly based critique that Mach articulated in his 1871 lecture on the conservation of work shows how his historical approach helped Mach cast what he now saw as a narrowly limiting emphasis on mechanics as a phase yet to be overcome.
Detecting new Chinese words from massive domain texts with word embedding
Authors: Qian Yu , Du Yang , Deng Xiongwen , Ma Baojun , Ye Qiongwei , Yuan Hua
Published: July 2018

Textual information retrieval (TIR) is based on the relationship between word units. Traditional word segmentation techniques attempt to discern the word units accurately from texts; however, they are unable to appropriately and efficiently identify all new words. Identification of new words, especially in languages such as Chinese, remains a challenge. In recent years, word embedding methods have used numerical word vectors to retain the semantic and correlated information between words in a corpus. In this article, we propose the word-embedding-based method (WEBM), a novel method that combines word embedding and frequent n-gram string mining for discovering new words from domain corpora. First, we mapped all word units in a domain corpus to a high-dimension word vector space. Second, we used a frequent n-gram word string mining method to identify a set of candidates for new words. We designed a pruning strategy based on the word vectors to quantify the possibility of a word string being a new word, thereby allowing the evaluation of candidates based on the similarity of word units in the same string. In a comparative study, our experimental results revealed that WEBM had a great advantage in detecting new words from massive Chinese corpora.
Systematic Review of Voice Outcomes for Injection Laryngoplasty Performed under Local vs General Anesthesia
Authors: Ballard Daniel P. , Abramowitz Jason , Sukato Daniel C. , Bentsianov Boris , Rosenfeld Richard M.
Published: July 2018

Objective

To assist otolaryngologists in counseling patients with hoarseness who would benefit from injection laryngoplasty on whether or not to perform the procedure in the office vs the operating room.

Data Sources

Cochrane library, CINAHL, PubMed, and EMBASE.

Review Methods

Systematic review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analysis (PRISMA) reporting standards of English‐language articles that compared voice outcomes for in‐office and in the operating room injection laryngoplasty. Two independent investigators assessed study eligibility, rated the quality using Methodological Index for Non‐Randomized Studies (MINORS), and abstracted data for comparative analysis.

Results

Of 689 initial studies, 4 observational, comparative studies met inclusion criteria, with follow‐up of 2 weeks to 12 months postinjection. Laryngoplasty was most commonly performed for vocal fold immobility with varied injectable materials (micronized dermis, hyaluronic acid, and calcium hydroxyapatite). Follow‐up ranged from 2 weeks to 12 months. Voice outcomes improved in all studies, with comparable improvement for patients injected in the office vs the operating room (P =. 42 to P =. 88). Meta‐analysis of 3 studies showed no difference in Voice Handicap Index–10 voice outcomes by treatment setting (standardized mean difference −0.11, P =. 441), with the 95% confidence interval (–0.405 to 0.176), making it unlikely that anything larger than a small or trivial difference was missed.

Conclusion

Our systematic review makes it unlikely that meaningful clinical differences exist in postprocedure voice outcomes for injection laryngoplasty in the office vs the operating room.
Beyond Nation States: New Perspectives on the Habsburg Empire
Authors: Körner Axel
Published: July 2018

Starting from a discussion of three new books, the article examines recent developments in Habsburg historiography, which have important implications for the ways historians explain nineteenth-century European history as a whole, and the Empire’s relationship to its many nationalities in particular. Wolfram Siemann’s monumental new biography of Metternich makes a crucial contribution to reassessing the historical context from which the Habsburg monarchy emerged. At the centre of this work is the statesman’s political thought and his dramatic experience of political change between the French Revolution and the aftermath of 1848. Pieter Judson’s history of the Habsburg monarchy exemplifies a substantial new body of research that has shifted attention from the antagonistic relationship between the Empire and its nationalities to the compatibility between a sense of national belonging and imperial loyalty. Both works complement the discussion of hybridity and national indifference during Emperor Franz Joseph’s long reign, which Michaela and Karl Vocelka examine in a new biography.
Britain and the Basque Campaign of 1937: The Government, the Royal Navy, the Labour Party and the Press
Authors: Preston Paul
Published: July 2018

The policy of the British Conservative government towards the Spanish Civil War reflected the general policy of appeasement of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. It was influenced by a belief that the legitimate Spanish Republican Government was the puppet of extreme left Socialists and Communists. Accordingly, the British Cabinet adopted a policy of benevolent neutrality towards the military insurgents, with the covert aim of avoiding any direct or indirect help to the Popular Front Government. The official British line on the Spanish crisis was one of non-intervention despite awareness of the scale of German and Italian aid to the military rebels. The contradictions and deceit behind non-intervention were finally exposed by the humiliations suffered by the British government during the war in the Basque Country in the spring and early summer of 1937. Franco’s attempts to prevent the delivery of sea-borne food supplies to a starving Bilbao challenged the Government’s responsibility to protect British merchant shipping. At first, London accepted the rebel contention that they had effectively blockaded Bilbao and that Royal Navy protection of merchant shipping constituted intervention on the side of the Republic. On the basis of information supplied by the Times correspondent, George Steer, a campaign was mounted in parliament and the press which forced the government into a humiliating volte-face.
Equipment, staffing, and provision of radiotherapy in Lombardy, Italy: Results of three surveys performed between 2012 and 2016
Authors: Palazzi Mauro F. , Soatti Carlo , Jereczek-Fossa Barbara A. , Cazzaniga Luigi F. , Antognoni Paolo , Gardani Gianstefano , Amadori Marcello , Baio Ambrogia , Beltramo Giancarlo , Bignardi Mario , Bracelli Stefano , Buffoli Alberto , Castiglioni Simona , Catalano Gianpiero , Di Muzio Nadia , Fallai Carlo , Fariselli Laura , Frata Paolo , Gramaglia Alberto , Italia Corrado , Ivaldi Giovanni , Lombardi Fabrizio , Magrini Stefano M. , Nava Simonetta , Sarti Enrico , Scandolaro Luciano , Scorsetti Marta , Stiglich Francesco , Tortini Roberto , Valdagni Riccardo , Valvo Francesca , Vavassori Vittorio , Sbicego Elena L. , Tonoli Sandro , Orecchia Roberto
Published: July 2018

Introduction:

Several efforts are being implemented at the European level to measure provision of up-to-date radiation treatments across the continent.

Methods:

A snapshot survey involving all radiation oncology centers within Lombardy, Italy, was performed in 2012 and repeated in 2014 and 2016, in cooperation with regional governmental officers. Centers were asked to provide detailed information concerning all individual patients being treated on the index day, and to report data on available local resources.

Results:

We observed an increase in the number of centers and of megavoltage units (MVU) (from 76 to 87, i.e., 8.7 MVU per million inhabitants in 2016). Mean number of MVU per center was 2.5. Average age of MVU increased from 5.3 to 7.5 years and patients on the waiting list also increased. Conformal 3D radiotherapy (RT) treatments decreased from 56% to 42% and were progressively replaced by intensity-modulated RT treatments (from 39% to 49%). Waiting times were overall satisfactory. Radiation oncologists treated on average 152 and radiation therapists 100 RT courses per year. Average reimbursement per course was €4,879 (range €2,476–€8,014).

Conclusions:

The methodology of snapshot survey proved feasible and provided valuable information about radiation oncology provision and accessibility in Lombardy.
Current understanding of trigeminal ganglion structure and function in headache
Authors: Messlinger Karl , Russo Andrew F
Published: July 2018

Introduction

The trigeminal ganglion is unique among the somatosensory ganglia regarding its topography, structure, composition and possibly some functional properties of its cellular components. Being mainly responsible for the sensory innervation of the anterior regions of the head, it is a major target for headache research. One intriguing question is if the trigeminal ganglion is merely a transition site for sensory information from the periphery to the central nervous system, or if intracellular modulatory mechanisms and intercellular signaling are capable of controlling sensory information relevant for the pathophysiology of headaches.

Methods

An online search based on PubMed was made using the keyword “trigeminal ganglion” in combination with “anatomy”, “headache”, “migraine”, “neuropeptides”, “receptors” and “signaling”. From the relevant literature, further references were selected in view of their relevance for headache mechanisms. The essential information was organized based on location and cell types of the trigeminal ganglion, neuropeptides, receptors for signaling molecules, signaling mechanisms, and their possible relevance for headache generation.

Results

The trigeminal ganglion consists of clusters of sensory neurons and their peripheral and central axon processes, which are arranged according to the three trigeminal partitions V1–V3. The neurons are surrounded by satellite glial cells, the axons by Schwann cells. In addition, macrophage-like cells can be found in the trigeminal ganglion. Neurons express various neuropeptides, among which calcitonin gene-related peptide is the most prominent in terms of its prevalence and its role in primary headaches. The classical calcitonin gene-related peptide receptors are expressed in non-calcitonin gene-related peptide neurons and satellite glial cells, although the possibility of a second calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor in calcitonin gene-related peptide neurons remains to be investigated. A variety of other signal molecules like adenosine triphosphate, nitric oxide, cytokines, and neurotrophic factors are released from trigeminal ganglion cells and may act at receptors on adjacent neurons or satellite glial cells.

Conclusions

The trigeminal ganglion may act as an integrative organ. The morphological and functional arrangement of trigeminal ganglion cells suggests that intercellular and possibly also autocrine signaling mechanisms interact with intracellular mechanisms, including gene expression, to modulate sensory information. Receptors and neurotrophic factors delivered to the periphery or the trigeminal brainstem can contribute to peripheral and central sensitization, as in the case of primary headaches. The trigeminal ganglion as a target of drug action outside the blood-brain barrier should therefore be taken into account.
Exploring Latent Profiles of Empathy Among Chinese Preschool Teachers: A Person-Centered Approach
Authors: Wang Yang , Su Qin , Wen Zhonglin
Published: July 2018

In view of the shortcomings of previous research on empathy (e.g., no dimensional differentiation, predominantly variable-centered approaches, and a lack of sample diversity), we adopted a person-centered approach to identify distinct profiles of empathy among Chinese preschool teachers, and we examined how these profiles relate to certain outcomes. We identified three profiles—moderate empathy, high cognitive empathy–moderate affective empathy, and high empathy—that varied in the level and shape of the profile indicators. Subsequent analyses showed that participants with higher levels of overall empathy scored higher in sympathy, while those with higher levels of affective empathy and lower levels of cognitive empathy scored higher in emotional exhaustion. Finally, we discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the findings and the limitations of the study.
Co-occurrence of Health Risk Behaviors Among Brazilian Adolescent Victims of Family Violence
Authors: Marques Emanuele Souza , Azeredo Catarina Machado , de Oliveira Aline Gaudard e Silva
Published: July 2018

Although recent studies have related the occurrence of violence in childhood and adolescence with the adoption of health risk behaviors, there are no studies that quantify this co-occurrence among adolescent victims of family violence. Our objective was, therefore, to investigate the co-occurrence of health risk behaviors in these adolescent victims. Data from the National School Health Survey, collected in 2015, were used. Co-occurrence of risk behaviors—involvement in fights, substance use (alcohol, drugs, and tobacco), not wearing seat belts and helmets, inadequate food consumption—was analyzed using Venn diagrams, according to the victim’s status and sex. The association between the four risk behaviors and victimization was investigated using multiple logistic regression. All the analyses were performed using Stata®13. We found an excess of risk behaviors among victims of family violence in both sexes. The co-occurrence of the four risk behaviors analyzed was higher among male and female adolescents, who were victims of family violence than in nonvictims. Family violence was associated with the adoption of risk behaviors, regardless of sex. This association was stronger as the number of risk behaviors adopted increased. The chance of engaging in one risk behavior was 1.32 (95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.88, 1.98]) and 1.24 (95% CI = [0.90, 1.72]) higher for boys and girls, respectively, who had suffered family violence. This increased to 7.76 (95% CI = [5.33, 11.29]) and 7.28 (95% CI = [5.20, 10.20]) when considering engagement in four risk behaviors. Identifying the prevalence of co-occurrence of health risk behaviors in vulnerable subgroups (such as victims of domestic violence) could help target broader interventions focusing on multiple risk behaviors.
Enhanced properties of the poly(propylene carbonate)/poly(butylene succinate) composites with chain extender
Authors: Sun Jing , Wei Liangqiang , Luo Shanshan , Huang Anrong , Shi Min
Published: July 2018

Poly(propylene carbonate) (PPC) blended with poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) with chain extender (CE) was prepared by melt mixing. Mechanical properties of PPC/PBS composites showed that the addition of CE can increase its tensile strength and unnotched impact strength, and the PPC/PBS composites had higher tensile strength when CE (0.4 wt%) was added into PPC/PBS composites. Thermogravimetric measurements revealed that adding CE to PPC/PBS (70/30 wt%) can improve the thermal decomposition temperatures ( T −5% and T −10%). Dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the incorporation of CE increased the storage modulus of the PPC/PBS (70/30 wt%) composites.
Experimental studies on graphite powder-mixed electro-discharge machining of Inconel 718 super alloys: Comparison with conventional electro-discharge machining
Authors: Sahu Santosh Kumar , Datta Saurav
Published: July 2018

Inconel 718 is a nickel-based super alloy widely applied in aerospace, automotive, and defense industries. Low thermal conductivity, extreme high temperature strength, strong work-hardening tendency make the alloy difficult-to-cut. In contrast to traditional machining, nonconventional route like electro-discharge machining is relatively more advantageous to machine this alloy. However, low thermal conductivity of Inconel 718 restricts electro-discharge machining from performing well. In order to improve the electro-discharge machining performance of Inconel 718, powder-mixed electro-discharge machining was reported in this paper. It was carried out by adding graphite powder to the dielectric media in consideration with varied peak discharge current. The morphology and topographical features of the machined surface including surface roughness, crack density, white layer thickness, metallurgical aspects (phase transformation, crystallite size, microstrain, and dislocation density), material migration, residual stress, microindentation hardness, etc. were studied and compared with that of the conventional electro-discharge machining. Additionally, effects of peak discharge current were discussed on influencing different performance measures of powder-mixed electro-discharge machining. Material removal efficiency and tool wear rate were also examined. Use of graphite powder-mixed electro-discharge machining was found to be better in performance for improved material removal rate, superior surface finish, reduced tool wear rate, and reduced intensity as well as severity of surface cracking. Lesser extent of carbon migration onto the machined surface as observed in powder-mixed electro-discharge machining in turn reduced the formation of hard carbide layers. As compared to the conventional electro-discharge machining, graphite powder-mixed electro-discharge machining exhibited relatively less microhardness and residual stress at the machined surface.
Optimization of the aerodynamic drag reduction of a passenger hatchback car
Authors: Guo Ziyu , Zhang Yingchao , Ding Wei
Published: July 2018

An automatic optimization process is established employing computer-aided styling, computational fluid dynamics, grid deformation, an optimization method, and other digital simulation methods to reduce the computational time. Optimization was conducted for the aerodynamic shape of a hatchback car. Eight body design variables were selected after analysing the flow field. The first phase of body optimization was conducted for the front of the vehicle, the second phase for the rear of the vehicle, and the third phase for the global vehicle. Optimization reduced the front drag by 5.64%, then the rear drag by 7.21%, and finally the global drag by 10.34%, without changing the design style. There were interactions among those variables. The established process can be used in actual automotive styling.
Use of artificial neural network and multi-objective genetic algorithm approach to predict and ascertain stable cutting zone in conventional turning process
Authors: Kumar Shailendra , Singh Bhagat
Published: July 2018

This article is focused on the investigation of stable cutting zone in turning operation. Experiments have been conducted to acquire raw chatter signals. Generally, raw chatter signals are contaminated with ambient noise. Wavelet transform has been used for pre-processing and denoising these signals. In order to predict the severity of tool chatter, a new parameter denoted as chatter index has been evaluated considering the aforesaid denoised signals. In the present work, mathematical models have been developed for chatter index and metal removal rate using feedforward backpropagation–based artificial neural network considering three activation functions: TANSIG, LOGSIG and PURELIN. Furthermore, multi-objective genetic algorithm technique has been applied to evaluate stable cutting zones with maximized metal removal rate. TANSIG activation function found to be best option to achieve the aforesaid objectives. Good correlation between the artificial neural network predicted results and experimental ones validate the developed technique.
Which citizenship do you mean? The case of the Seokkwan Doosan apartment complex in Seoul
Authors: Lee Taehwa
Published: July 2018

Although applying a specific perspective (e.g. energy citizenship) provides valuable information about citizens’ actions in relation to energy issues, confining their actions into just one category risks limiting our knowledge. This paper explores this hypothesis through a case study of residents’ energy-related activities at the Seokkwan Doosan apartment complex in Seoul. This research compares four citizenship types with Andrew Dobson’s categories and applies them all to the case study. This research yields the following findings. The Seokkwan case appears to have a mixture of all the citizenship characteristics discussed in this paper. The case study shows that only the concept of sustainability citizenship is suitable for explaining both rights and responsibilities. Although the case study only focuses on the private sphere, residents’ activities clearly had public implications, which are characteristics of all the types of citizenship. Regarding territoriality and nonterritoriality, aspects of ecological, sustainability, and energy citizenships appear only weakly. The case study reveals virtues of all citizenships. This case study reveals that the hypothesis is correct: we should be cautious about applying only a particular type of citizenship to a diverse case study.
Employee Well-being through Internal Branding: An Integrated Approach for Achieving Employee-based Brand Outcomes
Authors: Raj Asha Binu
Published: July 2018

Internal branding is considered as an Human Resource (HR) construct for creating, implementing and measuring the employee-based brand image in organizations. The purpose of this study was to empirically analyse the influence of internal branding initiatives on overall workplace well-being in which every stakeholder feels included, valued and respected. A study conducted on a sample of 443 respondents across four different Indian services sector examined how internal branding strategies help in psychological, physical, spiritual, financial and social well-being of employees. A conceptual framework based on the hypotheses was tested to establish correlations among internal branding, employee well-being and employee-based brand outcomes at individual and organizational levels. It shows that internal branding is an integral part of overall well-being programme and supports individual and organizational outcomes. Organizations can use this framework to improve their well-being strategies based on their internal brand creation process and also benefit from the increased organizational effectiveness.
A Few Good Men: It’s Not Easy Recruiting Male Hospice Palliative Care Volunteers
Authors: Claxton-Oldfield Stephen , McCaffrey-Noviss Willa , Hicks Robert
Published: July 2018

Two studies were conducted to explore how to engage male volunteers in hospice palliative care. Four male hospice palliative care volunteers were interviewed in study 1. The men agreed that a direct approach is best when it comes to recruiting male volunteers, especially a personal story or testimonial. Two different volunteer position descriptions were created for study 2: one description was similar to what might appear on a community-based hospice palliative care program’s web site or in a newspaper ad looking for visiting hospice palliative care volunteers; the other description was in the form of a personal testimonial ostensibly written by a male hospice palliative care volunteer describing his role through examples of interactions he has had with patients and patients’ family members. Twenty-five males responded to each description. Both of the descriptions generated low and nonsignificantly different levels of interest in becoming a hospice palliative care volunteer. Believing this work to be too emotionally demanding and not having enough time for volunteering were the two most commonly given reasons for not wanting to become a hospice palliative care volunteer. Suggestions for future recruitment efforts are discussed.
Disease Progression in a Patient With Indolent T-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disease of the Gastrointestinal Tract
Authors: Perry Anamarija M. , Bailey Nathanael G. , Bonnett Michelle , Jaffe Elaine S. , Chan Wing C.
Published: July 2018

Indolent T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder (T-LPD) of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a new provisional entity in the 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification. The disease has an indolent course and progression to aggressive T-cell lymphoma has rarely been reported. We describe a case of a 37-year-old male with indolent T-LPD of the GI tract who 3 years later developed aggressive T-cell lymphoma and died of progressive disease. An infiltrate of indolent T-LPD in the GI tract and aggressive lymphoma diagnosed from the liver biopsy had similar immunophenotype, but cellular infiltrate in the liver showed more atypia compared with the GI biopsies of indolent T-LPD. Moreover, T-cell gene rearrangement studies showed an identical clonal rearrangement in indolent T-LPD and aggressive lymphoma. Patients with indolent T-LPD of the GI tract need a long-term follow-up, as some of them may develop more aggressive lymphoma.
Examining Loss: Postcritical Ethnography and the Pursuit of What Could Be Otherwise
Authors: Anders Allison Daniel , Lester Jessica Nina
Published: July 2018

In this article, we argue that loss often precedes critique in postcritical ethnographic work. We position this argument in relation to the moral and the political commitments that imbue postcritical ethnography, noting how a postcritical perspective invites researchers to theorize and imagine what could be otherwise. We ground our discussion in a 4-year ethnography we carried out with Burundians with refugee status living in southern Appalachia in the United States. As we retrace some of the steps, silences, and tensions we embodied in this postcritical ethnographic work, we work to examine the place of loss, grief, and critique in the pursuit of what could have been otherwise and was not.