bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ПАТОГЕНЕТИЧНІ АСПЕКТИ ДИСФУНКЦІЇ ЕНДОТЕЛІЮ У ХВОРИХ НА АРТЕРІАЛЬНУ ГІПЕРТЕНЗІЮ З ЦУКРОВИМ ДІАБЕТОМ: РОЛЬ МОНООКСИДУ НІТРОГЕНУ
Authors: Шоріков Є. І.
Published: May 2016

Cтаття  присвячена дослідженню вмісту монооксиду нітрогену в пацієнтів із гіпертонічною хворобою з цукровим діабетом 2 типу залежно від  наявності  інсулінорезистентності,  типу  ендотелійзалежної вазодилатації, ремоделювання судин еластичного типу. Встановлено вірогідне зниження метаболітів оксиду азоту у хворих на гіпертонічну хворобу з цукровим діабетом 2 типу, асоційоване зі збільшенням вмісту глюкози, інсуліну та зростанням індексу інсулінорезистентності. Виявлено вірогідний зв’язок між вмістом метаболітів монооксиду нітрогену, показниками ліпідного обміну,індексом атерогенності та метаболічним індексом. У хворих із порушеною судинною функцією при ендотелійзалежній вазодилатації спостерігається вірогідно нижчий вміст метаболітів оксиду азоту. Встановлено вірогідний зв’язок між зменшенням NO2 / NO3, коефіцієнтом розтяжності аорти, показниками локальної жорсткості, швидкістю пульсової хвилі, модулем еластичності Петерсона та загальним артеріальним комплайєнсом.
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ РЕМОДЕЛЮВАННЯ ЛІМФАТИЧНОГО РУСЛА ПІДШЛУНКОВОЇ ЗАЛОЗИ ПРИ АРТЕРІАЛЬНІЙ ГІПЕРТЕНЗІЇ У МАЛОМУ КОЛІ КРОВООБІГУ
Authors: Мокра А. П. , Шульгай А. Г.
Published: May 2016

В хронічному експерименті на щурах вивчено вікові особливості ремоделювання лімфатичного русла підшлункової залози при артеріальній гіпертензії у малому колі кровообігу. Встановлено, що основними маркерами струк-турних змін є зменшення діаметрів сліпих капілярних виростів, діаметрів лімфатичних капілярів, просвіту лімфатичних судин, збільшення площ капілярних петель та зменшення відносного об’єму лімфомікроциркуляторного русла. Дані прояви більше виражені у старих тварин.
CТРУКТУРНО-ПРОСТОРОВА ПЕРЕБУДОВА СУДИННОГО РУСЛА ВЕЛИКИХ СЛИННИХ ЗАЛОЗ щУРІВ ЗА УМОВ ЕКСПЕРИМЕНТАЛЬНОЇ ГІПЕРГЛІКЕМІЇ
Authors: Яворська-Скрабут І. М. , Герасимюк І. Є. , Яворська С. І.
Published: May 2016

Морфологічні дослідження артеріального русла привушних та підщелепних слинних залоз щурів встановили, що при експериментальній гіперглікемії відбувається структурно-просторова перебудова артерій, яка підтверджується наростанням звивистості судин, збільшенням значень коефіцієнтів асиметрії та галуження, довжинно-діаметральних відношень судин та зростанням загального кута галужень артерій та його складових. Ці зміни сприяли зменшенню судинного опору та були більш істотними із збільшенням терміну експериментальної гіперглікемії.
ВПЛИВ КОМБІНОВАНОЇ АНТИГІПЕРТЕНЗИВНОЇ ТЕРАПІЇ ІЗ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯМ КАНДЕСАРТАНУ АБО ЛІЗИНОПРИЛУ НА ДІАСТОЛІЧНУ ФУНКЦІЮ ЛІВОГО ШЛУНОЧКА У ХВОРИХ НА СТАБІЛЬНУ ІХС ІЗ СУПУТНІМ ЦУКРОВИМ ДІАБЕТОМ 2 ТИПУ
Authors: Балабан А. І. , Радецька Л. В. , Боб О. О. , Боб А. О. , Наумова Л. В.
Published: May 2016

ВПЛИВ КОМБІНОВАНОЇ АНТИГІПЕРТЕНЗИВНОЇ ТЕРАПІЇ ІЗ ЗАСТОСУВАННЯМ КАНДЕСАРТАНУ АБО ЛІЗИНОПРИЛУ НА ДІАСТОЛІЧНУ ФУНКЦІЮ ЛІВОГО ШЛУНОЧКА У ХВОРИХ НА СТАБІЛЬНУ ІХС ІЗ СУПУТНІМ ЦУКРОВИМ ДІАБЕТОМ 2 ТИПУ

Представлено результати особливостей змін показників діастолічної функції лівого шлуночка (ДФлш) у хворих на Іхс: стабільну стенокардію напруги із супутнім цукровим діабетом (ЦД) 2 типу до лікування та через 3 місяці після використання комплексної стандартної терапії із застосуванням кандесартану або лізиноприлу. Відмічено зниження проявів діастолічної серцевої недостатності у даних пацієнтів та більш виражене поліпшення показників ДФлш через 3 місяці лікування при застосуванні кандесартану порівняно з групою лізиноприлу.
ОСНОВНІ ПОКАЗНИКИ СПЕКТРАЛЬНОГО АНАЛІЗУ ГОЛОСУ В ПАЦІЄНТІВ СХІДНОСЛО’ЯНСЬКОЇ МОВНОЇ ГРУПИ З ПАТОЛОГІЄЮ щИТОПОДІБНОЇ ЗАЛОЗИ
Authors: Войтенко В. В. , Черенько С. М. , Паламарчук В. О.
Published: May 2016

ОСНОВНІ ПОКАЗНИКИ СПЕКТРАЛЬНОГО АНАЛІЗУ ГОЛОСУ В ПАЦІЄНТІВ СХІДНОСЛО’ЯНСЬКОЇ МОВНОЇ ГРУПИ З ПАТОЛОГІЄЮ щИТОПОДІБНОЇ ЗАЛОЗИ

У статті проведено вивчення спектрального аналізу голосу пацієнтів із патологією щитоподібної залози в нормі. розглянуто основні показники
голосу пацієнтів різного віку та статі. Отримані результати можна використовувати для виявлення змін голосоутворювальної функції гортані на до- та післяопераційному етапах лікування в тиреоїдній хірургії.
ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ДИСПЛАСТИЧНИХ УРАЖЕНЬ ЕПІТЕЛІЮ ШИЙКИ МАТКИ У ЖІНОК РЕПРОДУКТИВНОГО ВІКУ З ЛЕЙОМІОМОЮ МАТКИ
Authors: Нарольська А. І. , Задорожна Т. Д. , Горбань Н. Є.
Published: May 2016

Дано оцінку диспластичних уражень епітелію шийки матки у жінок репродуктивного віку з лейоміомою матки. Обстежено  60  жінок  репродуктивного віку з наявністю патології шийки матки (шМ) та лейоміомою матки на тлі інфікування високоонкогенними штамами вірусу папіломи людини (ВПл):  перша  група  –  30  жінок  із  лейоміомою  матки  (лМ)  та хронічними запальними захворюваннями (хЗЗ) органів малого таза (ОМТ), друга група – 30 жінок із лМ без наявності супутніх хЗЗ ОМТ. За результатами цитологічного та кольпоскопічного обстежень епітелію шийки матки (ешМ) у всіх хворих встановлено наявність виражених дистрофічних змін у клітинах плоского та залозистого епітелію, аномальні кольпоскопічні ознаки – показники яких збільшувались залежно від вираження цервікальної інтраепітеліальної неоплазії та були найбільш вираженим у пацієнток першої групи. У всіх обстежених жінок визначено глибокі зміни  багатошарового  плоского епітелію. Цитологічно – на тлі койлоцитарної гіперплазії виявлено диспластичні зміни багатошарового  плоского  ешМ  (LsIL  та  HsIL),  гістологічно та  імуногістохімічно  верифіковано  диспластичні  ураження сквамозного  епітелію  різного  ступеня  вираження  (CIn  I–III). Індекс клітинної проліферації (Кі-67) підвищувався паралельно зростанню  ступеня  ураження  ешМ.  Найтяжчі  вищезазначені патологічні зміни були виявлені у пацієнток першої групи.
ІМУНОБІОХІМІЧНІ ЗМІНИ У КРОВІ ПРИ ГОСТРОМУ ІШЕМІЧНОМУ ІНСУЛЬТІ
Authors: Михалойко О. Я.
Published: May 2016

Проведено клініко-неврологічне обстеження 120 пацієнтів із гострим ішемічним інсультом. Діагноз верифікували за даними спіральної комп’ютерної та магнітно-резонансної томографій.  Контрольну  групу  становили  20  осіб  без  ознак гострого порушення мозкового кровообігу та тяжкої соматичної патології віком (59,35±1,80) року. Всім хворим на 1–2 день після виникнення інсульту методом імуноферментного аналізу було визначено  концентрацію  васкулоендотеліального  фактора росту (ВеФр) у крові та ліпідний спектр крові – ензиматичним калориметричним  методом.  У  результаті  дослідження  у  всіх пацієнтів фіксували достовірне підвищення концентрації ВеФр у крові (378,5±44,6) пг/мл, p<0,001, при чому вираження експресії ВеФр асоціювалось із ступенем тяжкості ішемічного інсульту. було встановлено пряму залежність збільшення концентрації ВеФр від зростання гіперліпідемії, що пояснює факт посилення ангіагенезу при атеросклеротичному ураженні судин.
Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor Signaling Mediates the Triglyceride-Lowering Action of
Akkermansia muciniphila
in Genetic-Induced Hyperlipidemia
Authors: Shen Jing , Tong Xuedong , Sud Neetu , Khound Rituraj , Song Yongyan , Maldonado-Gomez Maria X. , Walter Jens , Su Qiaozhu
Published: May 2016

Objective—

Akkermansia muciniphila (A muciniphila
) is a mucin-degrading bacterium that resides in the mucus layer whose abundance inversely correlates with body weight and the development of diabetes mellitus in mice and humans. The objective of this study was to explore the regulatory effect of
A muciniphila
on host lipoprotein metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and hepatic metabolic inflammation.

Approach and Results—

By establishing a novel mouse model that colonized the
A muciniphila
in the gastrointestinal tract of the cAMP-responsive binding protein H (CREBH)–deficient mouse and in vivo chylomicron assay, we found that increased colonization of
A muciniphila
in the gastrointestinal tract of wild-type mice protected mice from an acute fat load–induced hyperlipidemia compared with vehicle-treated mice.
A muciniphila
administration also significantly ameliorated chronic hypertriglyceridemia, improved insulin sensitivity, and prevented overproduction of postprandial chylomicrons in CREBH-null mice. Mechanistic studies revealed that increased
A muciniphila
colonization induced expression of low-density lipoprotein receptors and apolipoprotein E in the hepatocytes of CREBH-null mice, which facilitated the uptake of intermediate-density lipoprotein via the mediation of apolipoprotein B100 and apolipoprotein E, leading to the increased clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoprotein remnants, chylomicron remnants, and intermediate-density lipoproteins, from the circulation. Treatment with
A muciniphila
further improved hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress and metabolic inflammation in CREBH-null mice.

Conclusions—

Increased colonization of the disease-protective gut bacteria
A muciniphila
protected the host from acute and chronic hyperlipidemia by enhancing the low-density lipoprotein receptor expression and alleviating hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress and the inflammatory response in CREBH-null mice.
ASEAN: Regional Integration and Reforms
Authors: Pangestu Mari , Ing Lili Yan
Published: May 2016

Over recent decades ASEAN has advanced a policy of regional integration, starting with the ASEAN Free Trade Area, following on with the ASEAN+1 free trade agreements with its six main trading partners, and now with ASEAN+6. To further advance ASEAN's regional integration in the East Asian context, it should continue to focus on further liberalization of trade in goods, investment, and services that can facilitate more trade and investment. East Asian integration is designed not to be just an “extensive regional trade agreement,” but is more a “responsive vehicle” that consists of trade and investment commitments combined with facilitation. To keep regional integration viable, it should adopt an open regionalism.
Reformed Soteriology in Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments
Authors: Chapa Joseph O.
Published: May 2016

Johannes Climacus, pseudonymous author of Kierkegaard’s Philosophical Fragments, presents to his reader the “absolute paradox.” Though initially presented in terms of Socratic and Un-Socratic theories of knowledge, this paper argues that Climacus’ paradox is concerned with the tension between soteriological claims about human agency and divine sovereignty. Does man choose God? Or does God choose man? Though Climacus draws stark contrasts between the Socratic and the Un-Socratic, he goes to great lengths to retain them both. Through Climacus’ synthesis, Kierkegaard demonstrates his acceptance of free will and determinism as an uneasy unity—a kind of unstable equilibrium. This view of Fragments results in an emphasis on human agency that is affirmed in the broader Kierkegaardian corpus: Rather than being paralyzed by one’s inability to fathom the absolute paradox, Kierkegaard insists that one move forward in spite of the paradox, take the leap, and do Christianity.
Kuyper among the Lutherans?
Authors: Bräutigam Michael
Published: May 2016

This essay offers a fresh attempt to bring the neo-Calvinist tradition into dialogue with the arts. The main purpose of this contribution is to apply Abraham Kuyper’s general comments on the arts to the neglected sphere of music. It will be shown that Kuyper’s holistic approach, with his emphasis on common grace, and on art as reflecting the created order while also pointing beyond it, shows distinct affinities with Martin Luther’s view on music. In the past, Christianity has not particularly distinguished itself in its scholarly discourse about art. This study suggests that Kuyper’s neo-Calvinist agenda offers much food for thought for today’s reflections on music and listening.
Lectotypification of Panicum fluminense and Panicum pseudoryzoides, two names related to Acroceras (Poaceae, Paniceae)
Authors: REIS PRISCILA ALVES DOS , DÓREA MARCOS DA COSTA , OLIVEIRA REYJANE PATRICIA DE
Published: May 2016

Acroceras Stapf (1920: 621) is a cosmopolitan grass genus with about 20 species (Zuloaga et al. 1988). Five of them are known to America, of which four are native according to Zuloaga & Morrone (2003): A. chaseae Zuloaga & Morrone (1988: 198), A. excavatum (Henrard 1926: 179) Zuloaga & Morrone (1988: 195), A. fluminense (Hackel 1901: 457) Zuloaga & Morrone (1988: 197), and A. zizanioides (Kunth 1816: 82) Dandy (1931: 54). The other species, A. macrum Stapf (1920: 624), is an African representative, introduced in Guyana and Suriname (Zuloaga & Morrone 2003).
Anisotropic size effect law for notched strength of unidirectional carbon/epoxy laminates – Part 1: Formulation
Authors: Kawai M
Published: May 2016

A multiaxial quasi-brittle failure criterion for notched orthotropic composites is developed with an emphasis on establishment of an analytical formula to predict their anisotropic notched strength for any notch size under any multiaxial proportional loading. It is formulated by replacing the principal unnotched strengths with the principal notched strengths in the framework of the Tsai–Hill static failure criterion for orthotropic composites. The effects of notch size and specimen width on the principal notched strengths are described by means of the Suo-Ho-Gong model that can consider notch ductile-to-brittle transition. From the proposed multiaxial quasi-brittle failure criterion, an analytical formula is derived to predict the notched strength of finite orthotropic composite plates under multiaxial proportional loading at any angle with the principal directions of material anisotropy. The notched strength prediction formula involves a generalized notch sensitivity parameter that can be defined for any multiaxial state of stress. The multiaxial notch sensitivity parameter allows uniquely defining an intrinsic equivalent mode-I fracture toughness that is independent of notch size as well as of specimen width for any multiaxial proportional loading. Furthermore, an anisotropic size effect law for apparent equivalent mode-I fracture toughness that considers not only the effect of notch size but also the effect of specimen width is derived from the failure criterion. Finally, a quasi-brittle failure criterion for notched interface is briefly discussed as a particular case of the proposed quasi-brittle failure criterion for notched orthotropic composites.
Animal facility videoendoscopic intubation station: tips and tricks from mice to rabbits
Authors: Miranda Alice , Pêgo José M , Correia-Pinto Jorge
Published: May 2016

Endotracheal intubation of laboratory animals is a common procedure shared by several research fields for different purposes, such as mechanical ventilation of anaesthetized animals, instillation of cytotoxic nanoparticles, infectious agents or tumour cells for induction of disease models, and even for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. These different research purposes, achieved in different animal models, require technical expertise and equipment that suits every research need from animal facilities. In this short report we propose a videoendoscopic intubation station that could be shared among the most common laboratory animals, namely the mouse, rat, guinea pig and rabbit, from neonates to adult animals. This report aims to contribute to the reduction of animals excluded from experiments due to false paths during direct and blind intubations and to the refinement of procedures by replacing surgical approaches such as tracheotomy.
Understanding Adolescents’ Skill-Building in the After-School Context
Authors: Vance Femi
Published: May 2016

In after-school programs, skill-building is a holistic process by which adolescents—guided by adults—achieve mastery. Developmental theories such as Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model position youth as active learners; however, little is known about the specific actions youth use to enhance their learning during skill-building opportunities. Qualitative analysis of 49 semi-structured observations of enrichment activities at a high-quality after-school program showed that adolescents used four types of actions while completing a project: inquiry, contribution, self-regulation, and peer education. These behaviors indicated youths’ level of cognitive engagement. Instructors’ practices related to questioning, monitoring, group management, and sharing control demonstrate the range of instructional practices that can be used in response to teens’ use of the four types of learning actions. This study presents a theoretical model of the skill-building process that illustrates how teens’ behaviors interact with staff practices and the demands of project-based learning.
Decision-Making Responsibility: Development and Initial Validation of a New Measure for Low-Income, Nonresident Fathers
Authors: Fagan Jay , Dyer Justin , Kaufman Rebecca , Pearson Jessica
Published: May 2016

Most measures of father involvement with children have been developed for use with middle-class fathers who reside with their children. The current study documents the development and initial validation of a new measure of decision-making responsibility for low-income fathers with a nonresident child. Focus groups conducted with 71 fathers revealed two dimensions of decision-making responsibility: making decisions with respect to direct care of the child and making decisions with respect to resources. Surveys were then collected from 542 nonresident fathers to validate a set of items measuring these two dimensions. The results of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis supported these factors. However, the results of convergent and predictive validity tests suggest that the resources factor does not add additional explanatory power above its association with the care factor. We suggest using only the seven care decision-making items in future studies.
Victim Support in England and Wales
Authors: Mawby RI
Published: May 2016

Victim Support in England and Wales emerged in the 1970s and spread throughout the UK. In doing so, it became established as the national victims’ service, offering support for victims of most types of crime. Valued under Conservative governments as an example of community-based support, it became more professionalised and better funded under New Labour. However, in the age of austerity the coalition government sought to restrict growth and adopt greater competition for government grants, and a move towards contracting services locally through Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) has meant a further readjustment of provisions for crime victims, with significant implications for the future of Victim Support. This paper speculates on whether this spells the end of an era for Victim Support, or indeed a case of ‘back to the future’, ending the distinctive generic service that Victim Support has established. This may provide lessons for the future of victim services in other countries where developments came rather later.
Geographic information science III
Authors: Roche Stéphane
Published: May 2016

This third report examines interfaces as a key element enabling spatial skills, and development of new forms of digital spatialities for smart cities. Digital technology is becoming consubstantial to urban materiality, but map interfaces are particularly central tools for indexing (geographic) knowledge and expertise, accessing informational components of digital cities, and actively engaging digital dimensions of urban places.
Legal geography III
Authors: Delaney David
Published: May 2016

In the past year scholars have extended the reach of legal geography to a number of previously neglected areas of interest. Among these are non-Western, non-common law places; the sphere of the international, particularly the law of war; and the physical, other-than-human worlds. As they ventured into these areas legal geographers have also initiated or strengthened convergences with other critical projects such as political ecology, critical strands of international legal scholarship, legal anthropology, critical physical geography and critical animal studies.
Librarians and crises in the ‘old’ and ‘new’ South Africa
Authors: Dick Archie Leonard
Published: May 2016

This article reviews the responses of librarians to crises in the ‘old’ and ‘new’ South Africa. It draws on primary and secondary sources to tell the stories of librarians during personal, political and professional crises. States of emergency, censorship legislation, political and xenophobic violence in South Africa since the 1960s are some of the sources for these crises. Librarians and the wider library-caring community have adapted their strategies to champion the freedom of access to information and freedom of expression.
American libraries in 2016
Authors: Rosa Kathy , Storey Tom
Published: May 2016

This article presents an overview of the American library landscape and explains the trends and challenges American libraries are facing. US libraries provide people of all ages and backgrounds with access to information and technology. They are community and campus hubs, relied upon to provide the services and support that people need for study, research and lifelong learning. They continue to reinvent themselves to meet the emerging demands in the digital age while retaining their core values of cooperation, sharing and service.
Innovating access to ETH-Library’s Thomas Mann Archive
Authors: Gasser Michael
Published: May 2016

Not only is ETH Zurich one of the world’s leading technical universities, with its major collections and archives it also makes key contributions towards the preservation and mediation of national and international cultural assets. The Thomas Mann Archive at ETH-Library is one of these archives. It houses the majority of the written personal papers of the famous German author and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature Thomas Mann. Under the ambitious project TMA_Online, the roughly 35,000 manuscripts and letters and more than 80,000 newspaper articles from the Thomas Mann Archive were described and digitised fully in less than two years. The new web service Thomas Mann Archive Online is now available for searches. This project report outlines the concrete procedure in the various sub-projects, the challenges involved and the results achieved.
Parameterized unit-cell models for stiffness performance analyses of three-dimensional n-directional braided composites
Authors: Tian Ziyang , Yan Ying , Luo Haibo , Hong Yang
Published: May 2016

Parameterized unit-cell models of three-dimensional n-directional ( n = 5, full-5, 6, or 7) braided structures are established based on the internal structures of three-dimensional braided composites. Braiding structures are characterized by model parameters, and the relationships between fiber volume fraction and model parameters are analyzed in this study. A finite element stiffness prediction is conducted using the parameterized models, and the simulation results are found to be consistent with the experimental data. Model parameters’ influence on elastic constants of the composites is studied through finite element method. The research shows that the models can describe braiding structures precisely and are applicable to stiffness performance analyses, and provides an available approach to mesoscopic mechanical analysis and structural optimization design of three-dimensional braided composites.
Rasch Modeling of the Test of Early Mathematics Ability–Third Edition With a Sample of K1 Children in Singapore
Authors: Yao Shih-Ying , Muñez David , Bull Rebecca , Lee Kerry , Khng Kiat Hui , Poon Kenneth
Published: May 2016

The Test of Early Mathematics Ability–Third Edition (TEMA-3) is a commonly used measure of early mathematics knowledge for children aged 3 years to 8 years 11 months. In spite of its wide use, research on the psychometric properties of TEMA-3 remains limited. This study applied the Rasch model to investigate the psychometric properties of TEMA-3 from three aspects: technical qualities, internal structure, and convergent evidence. Data were collected from 971 K1 children in Singapore. Item fit statistics suggested a reasonable model-data fit. The TEMA-3 items were found to demonstrate generally good technical qualities, interpretable internal structure, and reasonable convergent evidence. Implications for test development, test use, and future research are further discussed.
The Impact of the Technology Used in Formative Assessment
Authors: Vásquez Andrea , Nussbaum Miguel , Sciarresi Enzo , Martínez Tomás , Barahona Camila , Strasser Katherine
Published: May 2016

This study demonstrates how the technology used to assist formative assessment in spelling can have an impact on learning. Formative assessment represents a set of student-centered practices, the results of which are not always optimal. Furthermore, different technologies are better suited to certain tasks than to others. The study follows a Design-Based Research approach and was conducted in Chile in two phases. In the first phase of the study, a formative assessment strategy for teaching spelling is developed. In a subsequent phase, the impact of different technologies on this strategy is analyzed. This is achieved by comparing two different technologies: Tablet PCs and the interpersonal computer. The results reveal that a self-paced formative assessment strategy using Tablets is more effective than the same strategy using an interpersonal computer when teaching spelling to primary school students. This therefore highlights the impact of technology on learning when adopting a formative assessment strategy.
The International Border Agreements Dataset
Authors: Owsiak Andrew P , Cuttner Allison K , Buck Brent
Published: May 2016

We introduce a dataset that focuses on the delimitation of interstate borders under international law—the International Border Agreements Dataset (IBAD). This dataset contains information on the agents involved in (e.g. states, third-parties, and colonial powers), methods used during (e.g. negotiation, mediation, arbitration, adjudication, administrative decrees, post-war conferences, and plebiscites), and outcomes of (e.g. full and intermediate agreements) the border settlement process during the period 1816–2001. Our focus on international legal agreements and the process that produces them makes the IBAD valuable for those that study not only territorial conflict, but also international conflict, cooperation, law, and conflict management.
Neurobehavioral toxicity of carbon nanotubes in mice
Authors: Gholamine Babak , Karimi Isaac , Salimi Amir , Mazdarani Parisa , Becker Lora A
Published: May 2016

Objectives:

The aim of this study was to evaluate neurobehavioral toxicity of single-walled (SWNTs) and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) in mice.

Methods:

Male NMRI mice were randomized into 5 groups ( n = 10 each): Normal control (NC) group was injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution (pH 7.8; ca. 1 mL), MW80 and MW800 groups were injected with either i.p. 80 or 800 mg kg−1 MWNTs suspended in 1 mL of PBS and SW80 and SW800 groups were injected with either i.p. 80 or 800 mg kg−1 SWNTs suspended in 1 mL of PBS. After 2 weeks, five mice from each group were evaluated for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) messenger RNA expression and protein content of brain tissues. Locomotion, anxiety, learning and memory, and depression were measured by open field test (OFT), elevated plus-maze (EPM), object recognition test (ORT), and forced swimming test (FST), respectively.

Results:

Ambulation time and center arena time in the OFT did not change among groups. In the EPM paradigm, SWNTs (800 mg kg−1) and MWNTs (80 and 800 mg kg−1) showed an anxiogenic effect. In ORT, MWNTs (80 mg kg−1) increased the discrimination ratio while in FST, MWNTs showed a depressant effect as compared to vehicle. The BDNF gene expression in mice treated with 80 and 800 mg kg−1 SWNTs or 80 mg kg−1 MWNTs decreased as compared to NC mice although BDNF gene expression increased in mice that were treated with 800 mg kg−1 MWNTs. The whole brain BDNF protein content did not change among groups.

Conclusion:

Our study showed that i.p. exposure to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may result in behavioral toxicity linked with expression of depression or anxiety that depends on the type of CNTs. In addition, exposure to CNTs changed BDNF gene expression.
Association Between Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Conditions and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Zhu Tingting , Gan Jing , Huang Jichong , Li Yafei , Qu Yi , Mu Dezhi
Published: May 2016

Background:

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neuropsychiatric disorder worldwide, but its etiology is still not fully understood. Previous studies have reported that perinatal hypoxic-ischemic conditions may be a potential cause of ADHD.

Methods:

An online search of potential English studies published before September 2015 was conducted using the PsycINFO, EMBASE, Web of Science, and PubMed databases. The combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated with random-effects models.

Results:

Ten studies were included, with 45 821 cases and 9 207 363 controls. The metaresults found that the following were associated with ADHD: preeclampsia (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.26-1.37), an Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes (OR 1.31; 95% CI 1.12-1.54), breech/transverse presentations (OR 1.14; 95% CI 1.06-1.23), and a prolapsed/nuchal cord (OR 1.10; 95% CI 1.06-1.15).

Conclusion:

Our results support that perinatal hypoxia-ischemia may contribute to ADHD. However, more clinical studies are warranted.
Chitosan-functionalised single-walled carbon nanotube-mediated drug delivery of SNX-2112 in cancer cells
Authors: Zheng Lixia , Wu Shao , Tan Li , Tan Huo , Yu Baodan
Published: May 2016

Delivery of amphiphobic drugs (insoluble in both water and oil) has been a great challenge in drug delivery. SNX-2112, a novel inhibitor of Hsp90, is a promising drug candidate for treating various types of cancers; however, the insolubility greatly limits its clinical application. This study aimed to build a new type of drug delivery system using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) for controllable release of SNX-2112; chitosan (CHI) was non-covalently added to SWNTs to improve their biocompatibility. SWNTs-CHI demonstrated high drug-loading capability; the release of SNX-2112 was pH triggered and time related. The intracellular reactive oxygen species of SWNTs–CHI increased, compared with that of SWNTs, leading to higher mitogen-activated protein kinase and cell apoptosis. The results of western-blotting, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release assay, and cell viability assay analyses indicated that apoptosis-related proteins were abundantly expressed in K562 cells and that the drug delivery system significantly inhibited K562 cells. Thus, SWNT–CHI/SNX-2112 shows great potential as a drug delivery system for cancer therapy.
‘If there’s no sustainability our future will get wrecked’: Exploring children’s perspectives of sustainability
Authors: Green Monica
Published: May 2016

Education for Sustainability is an internationally recognised field of learning that is currently mandated as a cross-curriculum priority in the Australian curriculum. Empirical research into children’s views about sustainability, and how they develop sustainability knowledge, however, remains limited. This article focuses on research that investigated children’s perspectives of sustainability in Victoria, Australia. The children were recruited through the Sustainable School Expo where they delivered keynote presentations about their school’s respective Education for Sustainability initiatives. Data were generated from interviews with 16 children aged from 9 to 13 years and included a set of self-created and designed sustainability artefacts. The article contends that children have strongly conceptualised ideas about sustainability that are developed through interactions with material entities (human/more than human) in diverse environments. A key finding suggests that children become vital stakeholders in Education for Sustainability through experiential, investigative, sensorial and place-oriented ways of learning, which informs how they build sustainability knowledge.
Spatial and temporal changes of prehistoric human land use in the Wei River valley, northern China
Authors: Yu Yanyan , Wu Haibin , Finke Peter A , Guo Zhengtang
Published: May 2016

Agricultural land use has been established as the dominant prehistoric human activity in early cultural centers for thousands of years. However, because of lack of data, there is still considerable debate about the amount and spatial distribution of prehistoric land use across the world. Quantitative reconstruction of it on the basis of human activity records, for example, archaeological data, is the key to resolving the issue. Here, we focus on one of the most representative regions for prehistoric human activity in northern China, the Wei River valley. Based on archaeological and environmental data, a recently developed quantitative prehistoric land use model (PLUM) is applied to reconstruct spatial and temporal changes of land use between 8 and 4 ka BP. The results reveal that in line with increases in the total number of archaeological sites (from 24 to 3222) and population (from 4000 to 1,550,000), the land area of the valley used by humans increased from 0.2% to 12% during the study interval, expanding from the gentle slopes along the lower reaches of the river to the middle and upper reaches. Meanwhile, the average population for an individual site increased from 160 to 481, but the average land use area per site decreased from 12.84 to 4.68 km2. Since 6 ka BP, the significant land use increase occurred synchronously in the Wei River valley and other key regions of agricultural origin across the world, which highlights the important role of agriculture activity in transforming the nature of global land cover during the prehistoric period.
Human adaptation to mid- to late-Holocene climate change in Northeast Thailand
Authors: Wohlfarth Barbara , Higham Charles , Yamoah Kweku Afrifa , Chabangborn Akkaneewut , Chawchai Sakonvan , Smittenberg Rienk H
Published: May 2016

This article integrates palaeoenvironmental and archaeological sequences covering the mid- to late-Holocene in Northeast Thailand. The former reveal the fluctuating intensity of the Asian summer monsoon, leading to periods of higher moisture availability with intervals of relative aridity. The latter are founded on a series of new radiocarbon determinations that provide a basic chronological framework, from the initial Neolithic settlements by rice farmers (c. 3700 cal. BP) to the end of the prehistoric Iron Age around 1300 cal. BP. By dovetailing the two, we find that periods of relative aridity occurred during the later Iron Age as an agricultural revolution witnessed water control measures, plough and irrigated rice cultivation and a marked rise in social elites. The correlation between climatic and cultural changes is found to continue into the period of the Angkorian state. Rather than cause a decline and/or abandonment of late Iron Age settlements, we find that the environmental stress caused by a weaker summer monsoon was met by a strong social response and by adaptations that generated a transition into early socially hierarchic polities.
Correlation between the Modified Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 and the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Sato J O , Corrente J E , Saad-Magalhães C
Published: May 2016

Objective

The objective of this study was to assess Modified Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index 2000 (SLEDAI-2K) and European Consensus Lupus Activity Measurement (ECLAM) disease activity correlation in addition to their respective correlation to Pediatric Systemic Lupus International Collaborative Clinics/American College of Rheumatology (SLICC/ACR) Damage Index (Ped-SDI), in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE).

Methods

The activity indices were scored retrospectively and summarized by adjusted means during follow-up. The Ped-SDI was scored during the last visit for those with more than six months follow-up. Pearson correlation between the Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM, as well as Spearman correlations between the Modified SLEDAI-2K, ECLAM, and Ped-SDI were calculated. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated for both activity indices discriminating damage measured by Ped-SDI.

Results

Thirty-seven patients with mean age at diagnosis 11 ± 2.9 years and mean follow-up time 3.2 ± 2.4 years were studied. The Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM adjusted means were highly correlated ( r = 0.78, p < 0.001). Similarly, Spearman correlation between the activity indices was also high ( rs > 0.7, p < 0.001), but Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM correlation with Ped-SDI was only moderate. ROC analysis discriminant performance for both activity indices resulted in area under curve (AUC) of 0.74 and 0.73 for Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM, respectively.

Conclusion

The high correlation found between the Modified SLEDAI-2K and ECLAM adjusted means indicated that both tools can be equally useful for longitudinal estimates of JSLE activity.
A review and comparison of Bayesian and likelihood-based inferences in beta regression and zero-or-one-inflated beta regression
Authors: Liu Fang , Eugenio Evercita C
Published: May 2016

Beta regression is an increasingly popular statistical technique in medical research for modeling of outcomes that assume values in (0, 1), such as proportions and patient reported outcomes. When outcomes take values in the intervals [0,1), (0,1], or [0,1], zero-or-one-inflated beta (zoib) regression can be used. We provide a thorough review on beta regression and zoib regression in the modeling, inferential, and computational aspects via the likelihood-based and Bayesian approaches. We demonstrate the statistical and practical importance of correctly modeling the inflation at zero/one rather than ad hoc replacing them with values close to zero/one via simulation studies; the latter approach can lead to biased estimates and invalid inferences. We show via simulation studies that the likelihood-based approach is computationally faster in general than MCMC algorithms used in the Bayesian inferences, but runs the risk of non-convergence, large biases, and sensitivity to starting values in the optimization algorithm especially with clustered/correlated data, data with sparse inflation at zero and one, and data that warrant regularization of the likelihood. The disadvantages of the regular likelihood-based approach make the Bayesian approach an attractive alternative in these cases. Software packages and tools for fitting beta and zoib regressions in both the likelihood-based and Bayesian frameworks are also reviewed.
A novel complete-case analysis to determine statistical significance between treatments in an intention-to-treat population of randomized clinical trials involving missing data
Authors: Liu Wei , Ding Jinhui
Published: May 2016

The application of the principle of the intention-to-treat (ITT) to the analysis of clinical trials is challenged in the presence of missing outcome data. The consequences of stopping an assigned treatment in a withdrawn subject are unknown. It is difficult to make a single assumption about missing mechanisms for all clinical trials because there are complicated reactions in the human body to drugs due to the presence of complex biological networks, leading to data missing randomly or non-randomly. Currently there is no statistical method that can tell whether a difference between two treatments in the ITT population of a randomized clinical trial with missing data is significant at a pre-specified level. Making no assumptions about the missing mechanisms, we propose a generalized complete-case (GCC) analysis based on the data of completers. An evaluation of the impact of missing data on the ITT analysis reveals that a statistically significant GCC result implies a significant treatment effect in the ITT population at a pre-specified significance level unless, relative to the comparator, the test drug is poisonous to the non-completers as documented in their medical records. Applications of the GCC analysis are illustrated using literature data, and its properties and limits are discussed.
The nuclear taboo, Battlestar Galactica, and the real world: Illustrations from a science-fiction universe
Authors: Fey Marco , Poppe Annika E , Rauch Carsten
Published: May 2016

The nuclear age has been characterized by an emerging and now well-established norm of nuclear non-use, the ‘nuclear taboo’. In the realistic and naturalistic setting of the science-fiction TV series Battlestar Galactica, however, nuclear weapons are used frequently and at times massively. Claiming that science fiction can function as an illuminating ‘mirror’ for international relations scholarship and that we can learn something from ‘second-order’ (fictional) worlds, this article explores potential in-show reasons that render the absence of a nuclear taboo plausible within the universe of Battlestar Galactica. We turn to the central pillars of the nuclear taboo in the real world and find them reversed in the show: nuclear weapons are (depicted as) ‘clean’, international institutions are absent, and the enemy is socially constructed as a ‘radical other’, thus rendering the possibility, if not likelihood, of nuclear war plausible. With these insights, we return to our world and argue that, particularly during the years of the George W Bush presidency, the erosion tendencies of the nuclear taboo were indeed quite serious: technological progress and growing political inclination expedited plans to develop usable nuclear weapons, arms control regimes came under considerable strain, and opponents were portrayed as ‘unjust enemies’ or ‘rogues’.
Migration and psychosis in acute inpatient psychiatry
Authors: Lim Grace YX , Wong Michael TH
Published: May 2016

Objective:

We investigated the role of biological and psychosocial risk factors in the development of psychotic disorders with regards to immigrant status. Our hypothesis was that biological risk factors are more predictive of psychosis in non-immigrants, whereas psychosocial risk factors play a bigger role in immigrants.

Method:

A retrospective audit of admissions between December 2013 and June 2014 in an Australian adult inpatient unit was conducted, focussing on patients with psychotic disorders. We analysed the association between immigrant status, and biological and psychosocial variables.

Results:

For biological risk factors, non-immigrants had significantly more family history of psychotic disorders ( p = 0.021), illicit drug use ( p = < 0.001) and alcohol use ( p = < 0.001). For psychosocial risk factors, immigrants were more likely to have experienced a traumatic event ( p = 0.022). With regards to age of index presentation, age at onset of psychotic disorder, proportion of males and dysfunctional family background, there was no significant difference.

Conclusion:

Retrospective data in this report suggests that the development of psychotic disorders in immigrants and non-immigrants may be different.
Music Game Enjoyment and Natural Mapping Beyond Intuitiveness
Authors: Wechselberger Ulrich
Published: May 2016

Introduction and statement of problem. Despite the success of music games with instrument-shaped controllers, little is known about what makes these kind of controllers entertaining. The aim of this article is to shed light on the enjoyment mechanisms of such music games and their particular controllers.

Review of the literature. The literature’s theoretical foundation lies in the concept of natural mapping, i.e. the similarity of actions performed in the real world and their representation within the videogame. A review of the literature finds that most approaches are too simplistic, as they limit game enjoyment with natural mapping to higher intuitiveness. In contrast, challenge can also foster game enjoyment.

Methodology. Two parallelized sample groups (N=20) played three levels of a music game with increasing difficulty with either a Guitar Hero controller or with a real guitar. Perceived difficulty and game enjoyment were collected via questionnaires.

Analysis. A 2x3 mixed-design ANOVA was conducted for significance testing. It revealed a significant increase in enjoyment and perceived difficulty both for advanced game levels and the real guitar. A posteriori multiple regression showed that the increase in enjoyment with the real guitar could not be attributed to the higher challenge it produced alone.

Conclusions and recommendations for further research. The results suggest that intuitiveness is not the single factor for music game enjoyment with natural controllers. Further research might investigate the role of simulation and identification with attractive roles, as both could act as sources for game enjoyment and natural mapping might facilitate these factors. Applications for learning and teaching should consider debriefing as a method to facilitate transfer of the game experience into the real world.
Hit the Target
Authors: Meadows Dennis
Published: May 2016

Hit the Target illustrates the effects that increasing delays and decision steps can have on the success of achieving a goal. The exercise can be used with a large audience. It requires only 15 minutes and no special materials to demonstrate how adding layers of management can reduce the accuracy of any hierarchical system. The game is described for use in reaching target levels for greenhouse gas concentrations. But it can easily be reframed to deal with an extremely diverse set of other issues.
From “What the Hell Is Going on?” to the “Mushy Middle Ground” to “Getting Used to a New Normal”: Young People’s Biographical Narratives Around Navigating Parental Dementia
Authors: Hall Mel , Sikes Pat
Published: May 2016

The number of young people who have a parent with dementia is rising as a result of improvements in diagnosis of young onset variants and demographic shifts. There has, however, been very little research focusing on this group. Accounts elicited as part of the Perceptions and Experiences of Young People With a Parent With Dementia described the period, usually some years, leading up to a diagnosis of a dementia and then the progress of the condition post diagnosis. These narratives were characterized by confusion, uncertainty, trauma, and distress as the young people struggled to make sense of the significant and often extreme, behavioral and attitudinal changes that were symptoms of the illness. This article describes and discusses how the young people experienced and navigated the temporal messiness and consequent biographical disruption arising from parental dementia.
The Associations Between Forced Sex and Severe Mental Health, Substance Use, and HIV Risk Behaviors Among Asian American Women
Authors: Hahm Hyeouk Chris , Augsberger Astraea , Feranil Mario , Jang Jisun , Tagerman Michelle
Published: May 2016

We examined the association between forced sex history and mental health, sexual health, and substance use among Asian American women ( n = 720); 14.3% of our sample ( n = 103) reported forced sex experiences. Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed that participants with forced sex histories were 2-8 times more likely to have higher rates of mental health problems, HIV risk behavior, and substance use. Qualitative analysis was used to supplement the quantitative results and give depth to our findings. Our results suggest that interventions for Asian American women who experienced forced sex should integrate mental health, substance use, and sexual health treatments.