bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations Between Maternal Nutrition Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice and 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Levels and Rickets in Children in Xinjiang Province, People’s Republic of China
Authors: Liang Yu , Ren Hai-Yan , Zuo Peng-Xiang
Published: April 2018

We explored the association between maternal nutrition knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) values in children with rickets in Xinjiang, People’s Republic of China. We recruited 514 mothers with children (<2 years) from pediatric outpatient departments. We determined general status of families, maternal nutrition KAP, and 25(OH)D values in 212 children with rickets, with doctors using “Prevention and Treatment Program for Infant and Young Children Rickets” and “Application Guideline for Vitamin D and Bone Health in Adult Chinese (2014 Standard Edition)” to identify. We then assessed the associations between nutrition KAP and 25(OH)D values. The 25(OH)D values were positively correlated with maternal nutrition KAP scores. Factors influencing rickets included per-capita monthly dietary expenditure and spousal education level. Factors associated with nutrition practice included maternal education level, gestational vitamin D level, and nutrition knowledge. Augmented maternal nutrition KAP may improve 25(OH)D levels in children with rickets to a normal range.
Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula presenting as low back pain
Authors: Chan Kwok-Chun , Cheng Fu-Jen , Hsu Chih-Wei , Tsai I-Ting , Chua Choon-Bing , Chang Chao-Sheng
Published: April 2018

Introduction:

Low back pain or numbness of the lower extremities is quite common in the present population. Numerous conditions may cause these symptoms, including spinal vascular anomaly. Identifying and diagnosing the cause of these symptoms are crucial for treatment. Accurate diagnosis based on particular radiological findings in magnetic resonance imaging is crucial for administering adequate therapy to patients, especially in spinal dural arteriovenous fistula.

Case presentation:

We report a case presenting with low back pain and rapid deterioration in paraplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging provided the typical image presentations such as spinal cord edema with tortuous dilated perimedullary venous plexus. The patient was subsequently successfully treated with endovascular embolization.

Discussion:

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula should be suspected in any patient who presents with myelopathy. Angiography remains the gold standard for confirmation of diagnosis.

Conclusion:

Prompt treatment with endovascular embolization or surgery could improve patients’ outcomes.
Assessment of exposure risk of irinotecan and its active metabolite, SN-38, through perspiration during chemotherapy
Authors: Irie Kei , Okada Akira , Masuda Yoshio , Fukushima Keizo , Sugioka Nobuyuki , Okuda Chiyuki , Hata Akito , Kaji Reiko , Okada Yutaka , Katakami Nobuyuki , Fukushima Shoji
Published: April 2018

Background

Irinotecan (CPT-11) is the key drug used in chemotherapy for many malignant tumors. CPT-11 has cholinergic activity and induces perspiration during intravenous administration. In this study, concentrations of CPT-11 and its active metabolite, SN-38, released during perspiration were measured and risk of exposure of these drugs was assessed.

Method

Beads of sweat were collected using a dropper from four patients undergoing a chemotherapy regimen involving intravenous administration of CPT-11. The concentrations of CPT-11 and SN-38 in sweat were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.

Result

Chemotherapy regimens were capecitabine and irinotecan plus bevacizumab (n = 1), CPT-11 monotherapy (n = 1), and oxaliplatin–irinotecan–leucovorin–5-fluorouracil (n = 2). Uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 phenotypes were *6 homo-type (n = 1), *6 hetero-type (n = 1), and wild type (n = 2). CPT-11 dose was 292.3 ± 75.5 mg/body weight (mean ± standard deviation). CPT-11 was detected in sweat secreted by all the four patients, and its mean (±standard deviation) concentration was 252.6 (±111.9) ng/ml. SN-38 was detected in only one of the patients who received oxaliplatin–irinotecan–leucovorin–5-fluorouracil treatment and who had the wild-type uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 phenotype at a concentration of 74.37 ng/ml.

Conclusion

CPT-11 and SN-38 are detected in sweat released during intravenous CPT-11 administration. Beads of sweat or linen clothes that absorb the sweat might be the source of CPT-11 and SN-38 exposure.
Speaking ‘out of turn’: Epistemics in action in other-initiated repair
Authors: Bolden Galina B.
Published: April 2018

This article provides an empirical demonstration of the saliency of epistemics to two core conversational organizations, turn-taking and repair. To that end, I examine cases in which a participant of a multiparty conversation intervenes into a repair sequence to respond to a repair initiation addressed to the trouble-source speaker, that is, in violation of the turn-taking rules, without having an epistemically grounded entitlement to do so. I show that such interventions enact a range of corrective actions vis-a-vis the repair initiation, such as contesting and correcting assumptions or understandings conveyed by the repair initiation. In providing these corrections ‘out of turn’, the intervening speakers demonstrate their own attentive recipiency or cultural expertise and, at the same time, expose the repair initiator’s interactional faux pas. The analysis demonstrates the procedural consequentiality of epistemic considerations (such as who knows, should know and has the right to know what) for the interlocutors – and, thus, the necessity to incorporate them into an empirically grounded analysis of their actions.
A Real-Time Near-Infrared Fluorescence Imaging Method for the Detection of Oral Cancers in Mice Using an Indocyanine Green–Labeled Podoplanin Antibody
Authors: Ito Akihiro , Ohta Mitsuhiko , Kato Yukinari , Inada Shunko , Kato Toshio , Nakata Susumu , Yatabe Yasushi , Goto Mitsuo , Kaneda Norio , Kurita Kenichi , Nakanishi Hayao , Yoshida Kenji
Published: April 2018

Podoplanin is distinctively overexpressed in oral squamous cell carcinoma than oral benign neoplasms and plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma but its diagnostic application is quite limited. Here, we report a new near-infrared fluorescence imaging method using an indocyanine green (ICG)–labeled anti-podoplanin antibody and a desktop/a handheld ICG detection device for the visualization of oral squamous cell carcinoma–xenografted tumors in nude mice. Both near-infrared imaging methods using a desktop (in vivo imaging system: IVIS) and a handheld device (photodynamic eye: PDE) successfully detected oral squamous cell carcinoma tumors in nude mice in a podoplanin expression–dependent manner with comparable sensitivity. Of these 2 devices, only near-infrared imaging methods using a handheld device visualized oral squamous cell carcinoma xenografts in mice in real time. Furthermore, near-infrared imaging methods using the handheld device (PDE) could detect smaller podoplanin-positive oral squamous cell carcinoma tumors than a non-near-infrared, autofluorescence-based imaging method. Based on these results, a near-infrared imaging method using an ICG-labeled anti-podoplanin antibody and a handheld detection device (PDE) allows the sensitive, semiquantitative, and real-time imaging of oral squamous cell carcinoma tumors and therefore represents a useful tool for the detection and subsequent monitoring of malignant oral neoplasms in both preclinical and some clinical settings.
The Role and Mechanism of Borneol to Open the Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Wu Tao , Zhang Aiqin , Lu Hongyang , Cheng Qiaoyuan
Published: April 2018

Background: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the greatest challenge in the treatment of intracranial malignant tumors. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the role of borneol in opening the BBB and elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Twenty Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomized into borneol group intragastrically administered with 10% borneol corn oil (2 mL/kg) and control group. After 30 minutes, 2% Evans blue (4 mL/kg) was injected. Thirty minutes later, brain tissue was analyzed using the Evans blue standard curve. Another 40 SD rats were randomized into high-, medium-, and low-dose borneol groups and a control group. Each rat in the experimental groups was intragastrically administered with 10% borneol corn oil (2 mL/kg, 1.25 mL/kg, and 0.5 mL/kg, respectively). The control group was injected with corn oil of 1.25 mL/kg. After 30 minutes, the rats were killed, and the brain tissues were collected. The expression of occludin, occludens-1, nitric oxide synthase, P-glycoprotein, and intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was detected by immunohistochemy. Results: The concentration of Evans blue in the borneol group was higher than in the control group ( P < .05). The mean density of ICAM-1 expression was higher in the experimental group than in the control group ( P < .05). In contrast, significant differences of positive area and total density of ICAM-1 were shown only between the high-dose group and the control group ( P < .05). Conclusion: Borneol can open the BBB, which might be related with the increased expression of ICAM-1.
Frequency estimators with high resistance to interference from image frequency components
Authors: Zhou Wei , Gan Liqun , Xiao Hong , Zhang Yi , Xu Haitao , Yang Yong
Published: April 2018

This paper presents an improved frequency estimation algorithm based on the interpolated discrete Fourier transform. High-accurate frequency estimation can be achieved by taking the geometric mean of two independent estimates, which are derived from the real parts of the two largest spectral bins and the imaginary parts, respectively. In situations where only a small number of sine wave cycles are observed, the ability of the algorithm to cancel interference from image frequency components results in improvements in accuracy. The residual errors of the proposed algorithm have been theoretically analyzed with maximum side-lobe decaying windows, since the windows have simple and uniform analytical expression of interpolation algorithm. The performance of the proposed algorithm was investigated using both Hanning and three-term maximum side-lobe decaying windows. A comparative analysis of systematic errors and noise sensitivity was performed between the new algorithm and traditional algorithms. Both the root mean squared error and the probability density of the errors were investigated under noisy conditions. Simulation results demonstrated that the new algorithm is not only highly resistant to interference from image components but is also resistant to the effects of random noise. The results presented in the paper are useful for identifying the best choice of algorithm in practical engineering applications.
Filifactor alocis manipulates human neutrophils affecting their ability to release neutrophil extracellular traps induced by PMA
Authors: Armstrong Cortney L , Klaes Christopher K , Vashishta Aruna , Lamont Richard J , Uriarte Silvia M
Published: April 2018

Neutrophils operate at the site of injury or inflammation in the periodontal pocket to ensure periodontal health and clearance of bacterial pathogens. Filifactor alocis is recently identified as a potential periodontal pathogen, and in this study, we assessed the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), in response to the presence of the organism . NET formation by human neutrophils was not induced when challenged with F. alocis, independent of opsonization, viability, time, or bacterial dose. F. alocis also failed to induce NETs from TNF-α-primed neutrophils and did not induce the release of extracellular neutrophil elastase. However, significant NET induction was observed when neutrophils were challenged with Streptococcus gordonii or Peptoanaerobacter stomatis, In addition, co-infection studies revealed that the presence of F. alocis with S. gordonii or P. stomatis does not enhance or reduce NETs. Additionally, F. alocis failed to impact pre-formed NETs induced by either S. gordonii or P. stomatis. Pretreatment with F. alocis prior to stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), S. gordonii, or P. stomatis revealed that the bacterium is capable of reducing only PMA but not S. gordonii or P. stomatis NET formation. These results indicate that F. alocis manipulates neutrophils, inhibiting the triggering of NET induction.
Ambulance use, distance and outcomes in patients with suspected cardiovascular disease: a registry-based geographic information system study
Authors: Sepehrvand Nariman , Alemayehu Wendimagegn , Kaul Padma , Pelletier Rick , Bello Aminu K , Welsh Robert C , Armstrong Paul W , Ezekowitz Justin A
Published: April 2018

Background:

Despite guideline recommendations, the majority of patients with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome do not use emergency medical services to reach the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with EMS utilisation and subsequent patient outcomes.

Methods:

Using administrative data, all patients who presented to an ED in the metropolitan areas of Edmonton and Calgary in the years of 2007–2013 with main ED diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, stable angina or chest pain were included. The travel distance was estimated using the geographic information system method to approximate the distance between the ED and patient home. The clinical endpoints were the 7-day and 30-day all-cause events (death, re-hospitalisation and repeat ED visit).

Results:

Of 50,881 patients, 30.5% presented by emergency medical services. Patients with older age, female sex, ED diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, more comorbidities and lower household income were more likely to use emergency medical services to reach the hospital. Longer travel distance was associated with higher emergency medical services use (odds ratio 1.09, 95% confidence interval 1.09–1.10), but it was not a predictor of clinical events. After adjustment for covariates and inverse propensity score weighting, emergency medical services use was associated with a higher risk of 7-day and 30-day clinical events.

Conclusion:

Several demographic and clinical features were associated with higher emergency medical services use including geographical variation. Although longer travel distance was shown to be linked to higher emergency medical services use, it was not an independent predictor of patient outcome. This has implications for the design of emergency medical services systems, triage and early diagnosis and treatment options.
Validity of wrist-worn consumer products to measure heart rate and energy expenditure
Authors: Thiebaud Robert S. , Funk Merrill D. , Patton Jacelyn C. , Massey Brook L. , Shay Terri E. , Schmidt Martin G. , Giovannitti Nicolas
Published: April 2018

Introduction

The ability to monitor physical activity throughout the day and during various activities continues to improve with the development of wrist-worn monitors. However, the accuracy of wrist-worn monitors to measure both heart rate and energy expenditure during physical activity is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of several popular wrist-worn monitors at measuring heart rate and energy expenditure.

Methods

Participants wore the TomTom Cardio, Microsoft Band and Fitbit Surge on randomly assigned locations on each wrist. The maximum number of monitors per wrist was two. The criteria used for heart rate and energy expenditure were a three-lead electrocardiogram and indirect calorimetry using a metabolic cart. Participants exercised on a treadmill at 3.2, 4.8, 6.4, 8 and 9.7 km/h for 3 minutes at each speed, with no rest between speeds. Heart rate and energy expenditure were manually recorded every minute throughout the protocol.

Results

Mean absolute percentage error for heart rate varied from 2.17 to 8.06% for the Fitbit Surge, from 1.01 to 7.49% for the TomTom Cardio and from 1.31 to 7.37% for the Microsoft Band. The mean absolute percentage error for energy expenditure varied from 25.4 to 61.8% for the Fitbit Surge, from 0.4 to 26.6% for the TomTom Cardio and from 1.8 to 9.4% for the Microsoft Band.

Conclusion

Data from these devices may be useful in obtaining an estimate of heart rate for everyday activities and general exercise, but energy expenditure from these devices may be significantly over- or underestimated.
Proteinuria in pregnancy: Clinically driven considerations
Authors: Cassia Matthias Arnaldo , Daminelli Giulia , Zambon Marta , Cardellicchio Manuela , Cetin Irene , Gallieni Maurizio
Published: April 2018

Introduction:

Proteinuria assessment is a key test in pregnancy to evaluate renal and systemic well-being. The finding of proteinuria may allow diagnosis and ready intervention for pre-eclampsia and glomerulonephritis, which may compromise a favorable delivery. Moreover, pathological-range isolated proteinuria is a risk factor by itself for adverse outcomes during pregnancy. An appropriate interpretation of pathologic values of proteinuria is therefore of crucial importance.

Patient presentation:

We present the case of a 33-year-old apparently healthy woman at her first pregnancy who developed a clinically significant proteinuria during the first trimester; we describe the clinical workup and the management of the patient up to delivery.

Conclusion:

Urine analysis with dipstick or protein-to-creatinine ratio is part of the routine prenatal clinical care during pregnancy. Detection of a pathological proteinuria (>300 mg/24 h or equivalent) should never be underestimated, and timed urine collection is required, as well as a thorough medical examination. The main goal is to exclude pre-eclampsia, whereas the suspect of a primary kidney disease can be managed together with the nephrologist, both for management and treatment.
Elderly patient: which vascular access? Choice and management of vascular access in the elderly patient
Authors: Menegolo Mirko , Xodo Andrea , Alessi Marianna , Maturi Carlo , Simioni Francesca , Rossi Barbara , Calò Lorenzo Antonio , Antonello Michele , Grego Franco
Published: April 2018

The optimal vascular access for elderly patients remains a challenge due to the difficult balance between risks and benefits in a population with increased comorbidity and decreased survival. Long dependence to central vein catheter, patient comorbidities, life expectancy, and complication rates are important influencing the indications for arteriovenous fistula or an arteriovenous graft. Although central vein catheters are simpler way to start a hemodialysis treatment, elderly patients are also at higher risk of death from infection or other complications associated with them more than for younger patients. The discussion revolves around the following key questions:

What are the limiting factors for a vascular access in the elderly patients? Central venous catheter—is it still an option for elderly patients? Is still the autologous arteriovenous fistula playing a pivotal role as hemodialysis access in the elderly patients? Are there any real surgical contraindication to perform a vascular access in elderly patients? Is the old age a limiting factor for the vascular access management?
Diffuse cardiac fibrosis quantification in early systemic sclerosis by magnetic resonance imaging and correlation with skin fibrosis
Authors: Lee Daniel C , Hinchcliff Monique E , Sarnari Roberto , Stark Madeline M , Lee Jungwha , Koloms Kimberly , Hoffmann Aileen , Carns Mary , Thakrar Anjali , Aren Kathleen , Varga John , Aquino Alejandro , Carr James C , Benefield Brandon C , Shah Sanjiv J
Published: April 2018

Purpose:

To evaluate the utility of cardiac magnetic resonance T1 mapping in early systemic sclerosis and its association with skin score.

Methods:

In total, 24 consecutive patients with early systemic sclerosis referred for cardiovascular evaluation and 12 controls without systemic sclerosis were evaluated. All patients underwent cine, T1 mapping, and late gadolinium–enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. T1 mapping indices were compared between systemic sclerosis patients and controls (extracellular volume fraction, gadolinium partition coefficient (λ), pre-contrast T1, and post-contrast T1). The association between T1 mapping parameters and the modified Rodnan skin score was determined.

Results:

There were no significant differences in cardiac structure/function between systemic sclerosis patients and controls on cine imaging, and 8 of 24 (33%) systemic sclerosis patients had evidence of late gadolinium–enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (i.e. focal myocardial fibrosis). Of the T1 mapping parameters (indices indicative of diffuse myocardial fibrosis), extracellular volume fraction differentiated systemic sclerosis patients from controls the best, followed by λ, even when the eight systemic sclerosis patients with late gadolinium–enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging were excluded. Extracellular volume fraction had a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 75% for diffuse myocardial fibrosis (optimal abnormal cutoff value of >27% (area under receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.85)). In the 16 patients without evidence of late gadolinium–enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, each of the four cardiac magnetic resonance T1 mapping parameters (extracellular volume fraction, λ, Pre-T1 and Post-T1) correlated with modified Rodnan skin score ( R = 0.51–0.65, p = 0.007–0.043), indicating a correlation between systemic sclerosis cardiac and skin fibrosis.

Conclusion:

The four T1 mapping indices are significantly correlated with modified Rodnan skin score in patients with early systemic sclerosis. Quantification of diffuse myocardial fibrosis using extracellular volume fraction should be considered as a marker for cardiac involvement in systemic sclerosis clinical studies.
Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Video Self‐assessment for Resident Mastoidectomy Training
Authors: Jethwa Ashok R. , Perdoni Christopher J. , Kelly Elizabeth A. , Yueh Bevan , Levine Samuel C. , Adams Meredith E.
Published: April 2018

A prospective randomized controlled pilot study was performed to determine if video self‐assessment improves competency in mastoidectomy and to assess interrater agreement between expert and resident evaluations of recorded mastoidectomy. Sixteen otolaryngology residents were recorded while performing cadaveric mastoidectomy and randomized into video self‐assessment and control groups. All residents performed a second recorded mastoidectomy. Performance was evaluated by blinded experts with a validated assessment scale. Video self‐assessment did not lead to greater skill improvement between the first and second mastoidectomy. Interrater agreement was fair to substantial between the expert evaluators and between resident self‐evaluations by recall and video review. Agreement between experts and residents was only slight to fair; residents consistently rated their performance higher than experts (P <. 05). In conclusion, 1 session of video self‐review did not lead to improved competence in mastoidectomy over standard practice. While experts agree on assessments, residents may overestimate their competency in performing cadaveric mastoidectomy.
Calculation of slowness vectors from ray directions for qP-, qSV-, and qSH-waves in tilted transversely isotropic media
Authors: Zhang Lijiao , Zhou Bing
Published: April 2018

Kinematic ray tracing is an effective way to simulate the seismic wave propagation in isotropic and anisotropic media. It is essential to know the ray velocity when tracing seismic rays. But in anisotropic media, the ray velocity is a function of the direction of the slowness vector instead of the ray direction and it often deviates from the phase velocity. In this case, it causes a critical problem for ray tracing, which is how to calculate the ray velocity from a known ray direction. If we could calculate the phase slowness vector from ray directions, the ray velocity could be computed. We have evaluated a previous method in the first place. Then, we developed two new methods to solve two existing problems of the previous method: (1) It leads to complex and multiple solutions of the slowness vector and (2) it mixes up the qP- and qSV-wave modes. Our first method solves the two problems by applying eigenvalues to separate the wave modes and decrease the two unknowns ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]) to only one unknown in two equations. Our second method is based on the general relationship between the slowness and ray-velocity vectors and shows that only one unknown is involved in one equation for tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) media. After obtaining the slowness vector, the ray velocity can be computed easily. A 2D model is designed to test the feasibility of the new methods. Using the results for the model, we found that the presented approaches were applicable for ray tracing in TTI media.
Concordance of Non–Low-Risk Disease Among Pairs of Brothers With Prostate Cancer
Authors: Jansson Fredrik , Drevin Linda , Frisell Thomas , Stattin Pär , Bratt Ola , Akre Olof
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Prostate cancer among first-degree relatives is a strong risk factor for diagnosis of prostate cancer, and the contribution of heritable factors in prostate cancer etiology is high. We investigated how the concordance of non–low-risk prostate cancer among brothers is affected by their genetic relation.

Methods

We identified 4,262 pairs of brothers with prostate cancer in the Prostate Cancer Database Sweden. Their cancers were categorized as low risk (Gleason score ≤ 6; clinical stage T1-2, Nx/N0, Mx/M0; and prostate-specific antigen ≤ 10 ng/mL) or non–low risk. The odds ratio (OR) for concordance of non–low-risk cancer was calculated with logistic regression for the different types of fraternity (monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, full brothers, and half-brothers)

Results

Among monozygotic twins who both were diagnosed with prostate cancer, the OR for both brothers being in the non–low-risk category was 3.82 (95% CI, 0.99 to 16.72) after adjusting for age and year of diagnosis. Among full brothers, the corresponding adjusted OR was 1.21 (95% CI, 1.04 to 1.39). When the analysis was restricted to brothers who both were diagnosed within 4 years, the results were similar.

Conclusion

Non–low-risk prostate cancer has a heritable pattern suggesting shared genetic factors, with the highest concordance among monozygotic twins. Our results suggest that a man whose brother has been diagnosed with a non–low-risk prostate cancer is at a clinically relevant increased risk of developing an aggressive prostate cancer himself.
An interview with Christiana Ruhrberg
Authors: Maartens Aidan
Published: April 2018

Christiana Ruhrberg is Professor of Neuronal and Vascular Biology at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology in London. Her lab investigates the relationship between nerve and blood vessel development in the central nervous system. In 2018, she was awarded the British Society for Developmental Biology's Cheryll Tickle Medal, which recognises outstanding achievements of mid-career female scientists in the field. In advance of her medal lecture at the society's spring meeting, we met Christiana to find out what the award means to her, how she settled on neurovascular development after many changes in direction early in her career and her thoughts on what makes a good scientific mentor.
The filamin-B–refilin axis – spatiotemporal regulators of the actin-cytoskeleton in development and disease
Authors: Baudier Jacques , Jenkins Zandra A. , Robertson Stephen P.
Published: April 2018

During development, cycles of spatiotemporal remodeling of higher-order networks of actin filaments contribute to control cell fate specification and differentiation. Programs for controlling these dynamics are hard-wired into actin-regulatory proteins. The filamin family of actin-binding proteins exert crucial mechanotransduction and signaling functions in tissue morphogenesis. Filamin-B (FLNB) is a key player in chondrocyte progenitor differentiation for endochondral ossification. Biallelic loss-of-function mutations or gain-of-function mutations in FLNB cause two groups of skeletal disorders that can be attributed to either the loss of repressive function on TGF-β signaling or a disruption in mechanosensory properties, respectively. In this Review, we highlight a unique family of vertebrate-specific short-lived filamin-binding proteins, the refilins (refilin-A and refilin-B), that modulate filamin-dependent actin crosslinking properties. Refilins are downstream TGF-β effectors in epithelial cells. Double knockout of both refilin-A and refilin-B in mice results in precocious ossification of some axial skeletal elements, leading to malformations that are similar to those seen in FLNB-deficient mice. Based on these findings, we present a model summarizing the role of refilins in regulating the mechanosensory functions of FLNB during skeletal development. We also discuss the possible contribution of refilins to FLNB-related skeletal pathologies that are associated with gain-of-function mutations.
Concepts About V˙O2max and Trainability Are Context Dependent
Authors: Joyner Michael J. , Lundby Carsten
Published: April 2018

Some individuals show little or no increase in maximal oxygen consumption (V˙O2max) in response to training programs consistent with public health guidelines. However, results from studies using more intense programs challenge the concept that some humans have limited trainability. We explore the implications of these divergent observations on the biology of trainability and propose a new set of twin studies to explore them.
Międzypokoleniowy przekaz pamięci o Kresach Wschodnich II Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej
Authors: Głowacka-Grajper Małgorzata
Published: April 2018

Małgorzata Głowacka-Grajper, Intergenerational transmission of the memory of the Eastern Borderlands of Second Polish Republic

In the article the author analyzes the way of thinking of NGO’s representatives on transmission of the memory of the lost eastern borderlands of the Second Republic of Poland (called Kresy) in contemporary social and cultural conditions. Basing on interviews with acti vists from three different generations the author presents social division of mnemonic labor of Kresy – roles played by people from different generations, their motivations, emotional attitudes and their diagnosis of the process of memory transmission and its social and individual aspects.
Taking Stock of the Ability to Change: The Effect of Prior Experience
Authors: Lawrence Megan
Published: April 2018

In aiming to understand why teams differ in their ability to adapt to new contexts, I explore the extent to which prior experience with a previous practice impacts the ability to properly execute a new organizational practice. I generate predictions by integrating the organizational learning and path dependency literatures. To test my predictions, I use internal data from 294 stores of a large retail chain that implemented a new restocking process in its stores. Initial findings show that, on average, stores dramatically improve execution performance over time, and employee experience with the prior practice moderates the effect. Stores where employees have greater exposure to the old practice perform significantly worse than other stores at the outset—consistent with the notion of “competency traps.” However, these stores also learn more quickly, which I suggest may be the result of increased efficiency in their coordination and communication when learning the new process.
On-campus, distance or online? Influences on student decision-making about study modes at university
Authors: Bailey Matthew , Gosper Maree , Ifenthaler Dirk , Ware Cheryl , Kretzschma Mandy
Published: April 2018

This article examines the choices students make when deciding the mode of study they will enrol in for university. It expands on previous work in the field by surveying 744 Faculty of Arts students at an Australian university who had the choice of enrolling in one of three study modes: on-campus, distance or purely online. Influences on enrolment mode were categorised into six factors: personal, logistics, teaching and learning, learning support, environment, and advice and marketing. Significant differences in influence were found between the three cohorts of students, while the teaching and learning and logistics factors were found to be the most influential for all cohorts. The findings of this research offer administrators, learning and teaching support staff, and academics important information that can be used to tailor the delivery of teaching and services to the varying needs of different cohorts.
Once upon a Time in an Occupied CountryAll translations from Dutch and German are my own.
Authors: Joosen Vanessa
Published: April 2018

“Is it a coincidence, or is it a symptom of the age that, in a relatively short time, so many fairy tales and folktales have appeared?” a Dutch journalist asked in August 1942 (G.H. 1). Indeed, although fairy tales had been popular in Dutch children’s literature for many decades, the Second World War proved to be a particularly fertile period for this genre. Children’s literature, and literature in general, did not suffer as much from the war as one might expect. Although the production of books was gradually and increasingly hampered by paper shortages and limitations set by the Nazi regime, in the first years of the war the literary and cultural market in the Netherlands flourished. The fairy tale took a special position in the new literary climate produced by the Second World War. This article describes how the war and the German occupation influenced the production, translation and reception of fairy tales in Dutch. Drawing on the title of Jack Zipes’ Why Fairy Tales Stick (2006), I explore why the fairy tale “stuck” and even boomed in Dutch literature between 1940 and 1945, and how the tales were transmitted and transformed to fit the new political, pedagogical and literary context. Two figures are of particular interest for the reception of fairy tales in this period: the folklorist Jan de Vries and the children’s author A.D. Hildebrand who translated an entire fairy-tale series during the war. Within the broader discussion, these two figures will receive particular attention because of the elaborate and complex ways in which they dealt with fairy tales.
Unfähigkeit
Authors: Welge Jobst
Published: April 2018

The employee as a typical figure of modernity has been represented as a specific type of literary anti-hero since the nineteenth century. Italo Svevo’s early novel, Una vita (1982, A Life), is an example that is strongly related to the theme of the anti-hero in the French novel of disillusion, as well as to the fin-de-siécle concern with an incapacitated, dilettante protagonist, unable to act and live. In light of Svevo’s own misgivings about the profession of writing fiction, the novel reflects on the relation between literature and life, by way of an uprooted individual who finds himself ill at ease in the anonymous, competitive world of modernity. The subject of Svevo’s novel, the arrival of a provincial, petit-bourgeois intellectual to a semi-provincial city, may also be found in a somewhat later Brazilian novel, O amanuense Belmiro (The amanuensis Belmiro, 1937) by Cyro dos Anjos. Aside from parallels of plot, social, and geographical setting, which are grounded in the experience of modernity in different contexts, the two novels may be said to model a new kind of author-function, as well as a specific form of a non-linear, self-reflexive novel.
Myths We Cannot Believe In: The Function of Mythological Metanarratives in Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre and Hong Lou Meng
Authors: Kaminski Johannes
Published: April 2018

Keeping the methodological challenges of comparative literature in mind, the present analysis of Cao Xueqin’s Hong Lou Meng and Goethe’s Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre explores the structural parallels of the texts. The interplay between the realist outline of the main stories and the metanarratives is evaluated in the light of the theory of myth. Instead of attempting to answer the dilemmas of human existence by naïvely deferring them to a mythological sphere, both texts remain remarkably ironic about the myths they employ. However, while in the Lehrjahre this literary self-consciousness helps to underline the value of the everyday world, Hong Lou Meng remains in wonder of an incomprehensible world.
Eine magische Enzyklopädie Amazoniens? Der Romanzyklus von Dalcídio Jurandir
Authors: Bolle Willi
Published: April 2018

The ca. 3,000 pages of Dalcídio Jurandir’s (1909–1979) cycle of ten novels contain an encyclopaedic abundance of information on the everyday history and culture of the inhabitants of Amazonia, especially the lower classes. The story narrated in this work has the structure of a Bildungsroman, a novel of individual development, and a Gesellschaftsroman, a novel about society. The action takes place in the 1920s and is located in the regional metropolis of Belém and its fluvial surroundings. My analysis and interpretation of this work as an encyclopaedia of Amazonia draws on the following concepts: 1) “Cycle”, especially in the form of the genre of a “roman-fleuve”; 2) “Paideia”, in the original meaning of “education of children and young people”; 3) “Dictionary”, as a reference to the Dictionnaire raisonné of the French Encyclopaedists, but above all in the etymological meaning of a collection of “dictions”: of remarkable phrases from the people. Using the notion of “magical encyclopaedia”, taken from Walter Benjamin, I emphasize how Jurandir confronts the practical wisdom of popular culture, based in part on legendary and mythological elements, with the challenges of modernity.
Sprechende Körper: Somatische und semiotische Spuren der Hysterie in T. S. Eliots „Hysteria“
Authors: Reich Marlene
Published: April 2018

T. S. Eliot’s rarely discussed prose-poem “Hysteria” poses a riddle insofar as its title’s reference remains ambiguous: Both the male and female protagonist may be the locus of hysteria’s disturbing presence, as well as the text itself. This article tries to unravel the hysterical knot by taking recourse to psychoanalytic theory and elucidating the dichotomies manifest in “Hysteria,” in form as well as in content. The prose-poem is characterized by a divide between mind and body, male and female, symbolic and semiotic. Instead of complying with this disjunction and attributing the signs of hysteria to either side of the dichotomy, I suggest situating the origin of hysteria beyond it. Since hysteria’s characteristic is transgression and role-play, it may not be confined to one pole of a binary, to the man or the woman, body or mind, but always already transcends these binary structures. Indeed, as a social malady par excellence, I believe hysteria arises out of the void at the base of the male and female protagonist’s relationship and is thus a jointly produced and somatically encoded sign of distress.
Modelling the Thermal Degradation and Stabilisation of PVC in a Torque Rheometer
Authors: Fechter Reinhard Heinrich , Sandrock Carl , Labuschagne Frederick Johannes Willem Jacobus
Published: April 2018

A novel method for simulating the torque and temperature curves from a torque rheometer thermal stability test on poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) was developed. A mathematical model was proposed which combines the chemical kinetics involved in the thermal degradation and stabilisation process of PVC with heat transfer and viscosity relationships within the torque rheometer. The model coefficients were fitted to data obtained from previous experiments with a program written in the Python programming language using the Levenberg-Marquardt Algorithm (LMA) with multiple starts. The mathematical model fits the torque rheometer data successfully depending on the characteristics of the torque curve. The model fit is successful when the torque curve follows the expected behaviour. An unsuccessful model fit occurs when the torque curve deviates from the expected shape in a very specific way. In the degradation phase the torque curve increases to a local maximum, decreases to a local minimum and then increases again. The exact reason for the dip in torque is unknown.
Mediation Analysis with Attributable Fractions
Authors: Sjölander Arvid
Published: April 2018

The attributable fraction is a common measure in epidemiological research, which quantifies the public health impact of a particular exposure on a particular outcome. Often, the exposure effect may be mediated through a third variable, which lies on the causal pathway between the exposure and the outcome. To assess the role of such mediators we propose a decomposition of the attributable fraction into a direct component and a mediated component. We show how these components can be estimated in cross-sectional, cohort and case-control studies, using either maximum likelihood or doubly robust estimation methods. We illustrate the proposed methods by an application to a study of physical activity, overweight and CVD. In an Appendix we provide R-code, which implements the proposed methods.
Alcohol use in adolescence: 5 years admissions at a pediatric emergency department
Authors: Rodrigues Marlene , Pontes Teresa , Almeida Juliana , Estrada Alexandra , Carvalho Susana
Published: April 2018

Objective

To characterize the profile and pattern of alcohol consumption in adolescents, admitted with acute alcoholic intoxication (AAI) at a pediatric emergency department of North Portugal.

Methods

Retrospective descriptive study of adolescents aged between 10 and 17 years, admitted with AAI between 2012 and 2016. The following variables were evaluated: age, gender, drinking context, quantity and type of alcohol, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), previous episodes, associated injuries, transport to the emergency department, other drug consumption, blood alcohol level (BAL), blood glucose level, treatment and orientation. The χ2/Fisher’s exact test and t-Student test were performed (p < 0.05).

Results

A total of 180 adolescents with AAI presented. The majority of adolescents were older than 15 years old (71%) and 3% were younger than 14 years old. The mean age was 15.9 years [standard deviation (SD) 1.1 years] and 65% were males. The most common type of alcohol consumed was distilled drinks (60%). Recurrent alcohol use was identified in 7% and binge drinking was reported in 37% of patients. The mean BAL was 1.58 g/L (SD 0.6 g/L) and there were other drug consumptions (mainly cannabinoids) observed in 11% of patients. After emergency department discharge, 17% were followed at hospital consultation. There was no significant difference between boys and girls or between BAL and injuries or other drugs consumption.

Conclusion

This study confirms a high rate of alcohol use among adolescents, in particular “heavy episodic drinking”, revealing an easy access to alcohol at this age. The integration of alcohol use prevention programs in community and education systems should be encouraged and implemented in every adolescent consultation.
The dialect(ic)s of control and resistance: intralingual audiovisual translation in Chinese TV drama
Authors: Chan Leo Tak-hung
Published: April 2018

There are two types of intralingual translation in contemporary China: diachronic and synchronic. While the former involves rewriting older texts in the modern tongue, the latter involves translation between Putonghua and local/regional Chinese dialects. Two modes of intralingual translation – dubbing and subtitling – will be examined in this article, in terms of their use in TV serials produced in China since the 2000s. The evidence (largely Cantonese dramas in Guangdong) shows that the use of a control-resistance paradigm to understand the relationship between the national language and Chinese dialects is fraught with problems. The paradigm has often been used, albeit in different ways, by researchers of China’s central-local relations, scholars of dialect films, and theorists of minority language translation. However, to characterize dubbing into Chinese dialects as “resistance”, and subtitling into Putonghua as “control”, is nothing less than a simplification of sociolinguistic realities that reveals a lack of awareness of how translation mediates between the different speech varieties in a diglossic society.
The Old Testament Editor of the First Published Greek New Testament: Johannes Oecolampadius (1482–1531)
Authors: Fisher Jeff
Published: April 2018

Following its publication in March 1516, Erasmus’s Novum Instrumentum became one of the most significant texts for the Reformation. A less explored element of the development of this first published Greek New Testament is the role of the Old Testament editor, Johannes Oecolampadius (1482–1531). This study focuses on the contributions of Oecolampadius with particular attention given to the Annotations on Romans. By looking through the lens of the remarks in the Novum Instrumentum regarding the Hebrew language and the Old Testament, and comparing them with the lectures by Martin Luther on Romans that he finished with the use of this newly available resource, the influence Oecolampadius had on Luther before his famous action in October 1517 becomes more apparent. Notably, then we can see the resulting influence of Luther on Oecolampadius to embrace the newly forming evangelical teaching and eventually become the leading reformer in Basel.
Helping “our Canadian brothers”: Early Recollect Missiology as an Experiment in Christian Community, 1615–1629
Authors: Fast Anicka
Published: April 2018

Existing histories of the brief Franciscan Recollect mission to New France (1615–1629) tend either to overstate the assimilatory character of the Recollect missionary vision or to overlook their comprehensively political vision. Through a close re-reading of early Recollect sources, I excavate a missionary vision for cohabitation between indigenous people and French settlers that, while assimilationist in some ways, also reflected deeply a conviction of human equality, a nascent understanding of the church as a political alternative to empire, and a willingness to learn from and adapt to indigenous cultures. The Recollects’ vision was shaped at every stage by their specifically Franciscan practice of poverty. This poverty predisposed them to critique mercantile interests in the colony, shaped their appreciation of indigenous traveling companions, and made them more prone to recognize Christian equality across cultures.
New Perspective on the Establishing of Confession in Early Modern Transylvania. Context and Theological Profile of the Formula Pii Consensus 1572 as Heterodox Reception of the Wittenberg Theology
Authors: Wien Ulrich A.
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a mainly theological analysis of the Formula Pii Consensus of 1572 (furthermore FPC) and – in the light of its historical context – aims to investigate the way in which Wittenberg theology was modified in Transylvania. The reception of the Confessio Augustana (CA) was imposed by Prince István Báthory. In regard to the larger historical context in Transylvania and the development of the Holy Roman Empire, a reconsideration of the FPC arises. Despite largely accepting the contents of the CA 1530 (invariata), superintendent Lukas Unglerus (1526–1600) left the door open for all options of contemporary protestant Eucharistic theology. Because of the Melanchthonian background of his ministers the superintendent chose a wording to allow for tendencies orientated towards Calvinism and for keeping the yet prevalent confessional indetermination. Thus, he covered up what – according to contemporary standards in the Holy Roman Empire – would have been called heterodox.