bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the taxonomy of the genus Sidonis Mulsant, stat. nov. (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Chnoodini) with descriptions of new species from Brazil
Authors: CHURATA-SALCEDO JULISSA M. , ALMEIDA LUCIA M. , GONZÁLEZ GUILLERMO , GORDON ROBERT D.
Published: November 2017

The subgenus Sidonis Mulsant, 1850 is elevated to generic status and two new species from Brazil are described and illustrated: Sidonis bira sp. nov. and Sidonis biguttata sp. nov. New geographic distribution records are provided. In addition, lectotypes of Sidonis consanguinea (Mulsant, 1850) and S. guttata (Sicard, 1912) are designated. Illustrations of diagnostic characters from five of six species of the genus, comments on the differences from similar species and a key to all recognized taxa are included.
Fauna of Plume Moths (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae) of Garden Route National Park, South Africa
Authors: KOVTUNOVICH V. , USTJUZHANIN P. , MORNEY M. DE , UDOVICHENKO P. , BEZVERKHOV YU.
Published: November 2017

Fourteen species of Pterophoridae are reported for the Garden Route National Park in South Africa. Four of them are described as new to science: Pselnophorus boldyrevae Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov., Crassuncus kenzo Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov., Crassuncus ermakovae Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov., and Hellinsia birichevskayae Kovtunovich & Ustjuzhanin sp. nov.
1. Early Mapping: The Tsardom in Manuscript
Authors: Kivelson Valerie
Published: November 2017

This first chapter considers the early and often informal attempts at map-making during the period of Russia’s expansion across Siberia, and analyses their implications for the way the nascent empire envisioned itself. There is particular focus here on Muscovite maps, analysing them with relation to information and communication. The chapter then turns its attention to the Great Sketch Maps and Atlases of Siberia, and then to the dissemination of information in the clandestine world of early modern cartography. Finally, Kivelson returns back to the work of Semen Remezov, a cartographer who has been described as the last great representative of a purely Muscovite cartographic tradition. The author notes that these were not maps for publication and distribution, but mainly for reconnaissance and intelligence, and to clarify claims to property.
2. New Technology and the Mapping of Empire: The Adoption of the Astrolabe
Authors: Golubinskii Aleksei
Published: November 2017

This piece considers the next phase of imperial map-making from the mid-18th century as an official enterprise, using scientific methods and instruments. This was an era in which Russia – and the entirety of Europe, for that matter – was caught up in a fascination with science. This new scientific age meant that the role of Russia in international affairs became more pronounced, and the representation of Russian territories became increasingly important for geographers both in Russia and abroad. The central episode, symbolically and practically, was the systematic import, and then local manufacture, of astrolabes.
5. Communication and Obligation: The Postal System of the Russian Empire, 1700–1850
Authors: Randolph John
Published: November 2017

Randolph's work examines the origins and growth of the core official infrastructural institution of internal dissemination - the postal system, by horse relay. In particular, the chapter draws attention to ways in which such systems of communication depended on, and could act as catalysts for, the development of forms of obligation in local communities throughout the network. In this respect the Russian system is viewed in the context of analogous horse-relay systems in many parts of the pre-modern world.
6. Information and Efficiency: Russian Newspapers, ca.1700–1850
Authors: Smith Alison K.
Published: November 2017

Smith surveys the origins and development of newspapers in Russia, no longer as imported intelligence documents but as devices for the dissemination of news. The particular ‘case study’, however, looks also at the reverse: at the use of newspapers as a medium for soliciting and gathering information. Initially established to transmit information relating specifically to military affairs, the newspaper was first published in 1702 in Muscovy. By the 1840s, the number and scope had been expanded significantly, and by the early nineteenth century, these newspapers became a kind of information technology. That is, one of ‘those mechanisms that are used to organise, present, store, and retrieve information’. This could be information about international relations, about domestic reform, about crop and weather conditions, about prices and financial affairs, or about social control.
7. What Was News and How Was It Communicated in Pre-Modern Russia?
Authors: Waugh Daniel C.
Published: November 2017

Now attention switches from producer and patron to consumer: what was the demand for ‘news’? What kinds of information were thought worthy of dissemination? Here, Waugh takes his investigation further from the kuranty, the Muscovite compilations of translated news from foreign sources, about which he wrote alongside Maier in chapter 3. Instead, he turns his attention towards other potential types of news that interested the upper echelons of society in Muscovy at the time, and how this was transmitted. At the same time, he explores what exactly news represented for the broader sections of the population.
Use of Monte Carlo Simulation as a Tool for the Nondestructive Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) Spectroscopy Analysis of Archaeological Copper-Based Artifacts from the Chalcolithic Site of Perdigões, Southern Portugal
Authors: Bottaini Carlo E. , Brunetti Antonio , Montero-Ruiz Ignacio , Valera Antonio , Candeias Antonio , Mirão José
Published: November 2017

This work is part of a broader research line that aims to develop and implement a nondestructive methodology for the chemical characterization of archaeological metals based on a protocol that combines energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (ED-XRF) with a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation algorithm. In this paper, the ED-XRF-MC protocol has been applied to estimate the chemical composition of a selected group of 26 copper-based artifacts and fragments recovered at Perdigões, one of the larger Chalcolithic sites of southwest Iberia. All the analyzed artifacts have a multilayered structure composed of the alloy substrate and of a superficial layer common in each metal buried for hundreds of years and consisting of the patina mixed with soil. Due to the difficulty in determining the quantitative composition of these alloys in the presence of this complex patina/encrustation layer, the spectrometric protocol applied in this paper allows to simulate and to determine the composition of the bulk alloy without any prior removal of the overlying corrosion patina layer and soil-derived crust, even in the presence of rough and irregular surfaces, thus preserving the physical integrity of the artifacts. The overall results obtained with the ED-XRF-MC protocol indicates that the artifacts from Perdigões are almost pure coppers with a low amount of arsenic (<3.0 wt%) and reduced concentration of elements such as Pb, Bi, and Sb, in agreement with the third millennium metallurgy known in southwestern Iberia. Also based on previously theoretical–experimental studies, the data presented in this paper show how the applied analytical methodology can be a fast and completely nondestructive analytical tool reliable for routine and large-scale chemical analysis of archaeological metals, thus representing a major advance to be broadly applied within the field of cultural heritage studies.
Spatially Resolved Temperature Measurements Above a Burning Wood Pellet Using Diode Laser-Based Two-Line Atomic Fluorescence
Authors: Borggren Jesper , Weng Wubin , Aldén Marcus , Li Zongshan
Published: November 2017

Diode laser-based two-line atomic fluorescence (TLAF) thermometry applied to flames of combusting wood pellets is demonstrated. The temperature above burning wood pellets placed in the hot product gas of gallium seeded laminar flames is measured. The calibration-free technique provides spatially resolved temperatures in one dimension with sufficient temporal resolution to resolve all combustion stages of a pellet, even in highly sooting flames. The temperature above a burning pellet was found to decrease due to the release of volatile gases and the accuracy and precision of the technique is assessed at flame temperatures.
Gender Differences in Patterns of School Victimization and Problem Behaviors During Middle School and Their Relation to High School Graduation
Authors: Tan Kevin , Heath Ryan D. , Das Aditi , Choi Yoonsun
Published: November 2017

Victimization and problem behaviors during middle school detrimentally influence student learning. However, less is known about how they may cooccur and collectively affect high school graduation and whether the interrelationships vary by gender. Using data from a nationally representative cohort of seventh-grade students from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (1997; N = 1,009), latent class analyses identified three groups among boys and two among girls. Results indicated that 50% of boys in the high-risk group (high victimization and problem behaviors) did not graduate from high school on time. Furthermore, boys in the moderate-risk group (high victimization, low problem behaviors) graduated from high school on time at a rate comparable with the low-risk boys. Two groups emerged for girls (i.e., low vs. high risk) in which each corresponds to graduation in an expected direction. Findings from this study underscore the importance of gender differences in intervention efforts, especially during middle school.
Does the Effect of Self-Regulation on Adolescent Recidivism Vary by Youths’ Attitudes?
Authors: Fine Adam , Baglivio Michael T. , Cauffman Elizabeth , Wolff Kevin T. , Piquero Alex R.
Published: November 2017

Youth with poor self-regulation or criminal attitudes are at risk for recidivism. Researchers have yet to examine how self-regulation and criminal attitudes intermix to influence recidivism. The present study employed a large sample of 26,947 youth in the Florida Juvenile Justice System to examine the effect of criminal attitudes on the association between self-regulation and recidivism over a 1-year period. The results indicated that the influence of self-regulation on recidivism varied based on youths’ attitudes. Although self-regulation affected recidivism among youth with average (d y/d x = –.03, SE = .01, p < .001) and less criminal (d y/d x = –.05, SE = .01, p < .001) attitudes, self-regulation was not associated with recidivism among youth with more criminal attitudes (d y/d x = –.01, SE = .01, p = .150). These findings demonstrate mechanisms that may promote sustained justice system involvement and identify key levers for reducing youth recidivism.
Brain functional connectivity in headache disorders: A narrative review of MRI investigations
Authors: Chong Catherine D , Schwedt Todd J , Hougaard Anders
Published: November 2017

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) is used to interrogate the functional connectivity and network organization amongst brain regions. Functional connectivity is determined by measuring the extent of synchronization in the spontaneous fluctuations of blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) signal. Here, we review current rs-fMRI studies in headache disorders including migraine, trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, and medication overuse headache. We discuss (1) brain network alterations that are shared amongst the different headache disorders and (2) network abnormalities distinct to each headache disorder. In order to focus the section on migraine, the headache disorder that has been most extensively studied, we chose to include articles that interrogated functional connectivity: (i) during the attack phase; (ii) in migraine patients with aura compared to migraine patients without aura; and (iii) of regions within limbic, sensory, motor, executive and default mode networks and those which participate in multisensory integration. The results of this review show that headache disorders are associated with atypical functional connectivity of regions associated with pain processing as well as atypical functional connectivity of multiple core resting state networks such as the salience, sensorimotor, executive, attention, limbic, visual, and default mode networks.
Shining a brighter light into the digital ‘black box’: A call for stronger sociological (re)engagement with digital technology design, development and adoption debates
Authors: Hynes Mike
Published: November 2017

Technology permeates our lives having significant effects on how we communicate, live, work and play. Information Communication Technologies have allowed individuals to stay connected to family, friends and work colleagues and has brought about broad societal benefits. But, technologies are not limited to having positive impacts and consequences; they have led to widespread job loss in particular industries with consequential negative social costs, others to the development of globally destructive weaponry and increased environmental harm. This paper has three aims. Overall, it is a call for stronger sociological (re)engagement in crucial digital technology debates and its significant and frequently disruptive nature upon society. Thus, it begins with a review of key literature with respect to traditional technology development processes. A theory is presented on the phenomenon of ‘fake news’ and how digital communications and the unrestrained ‘wild west culture of the Web 2.0 revolution’ have facilitated a state where fact and fiction wrestle for online attention and popularity. The paper concludes with a brief look at areas of particular concern with regards to contemporary technology development and a call for sociology to reposition itself centrally in debates about new digital technologies that are fundamentally changing societies, communities and lives.
Oscillatory dissipative conjugate heat and mass transfer in chemically reacting micropolar flow with wall couple stress: A finite element numerical study
Authors: MD Shamshuddin , Sheri Siva Reddy , Bég O Anwar
Published: November 2017

High temperature non-Newtonian materials processing provides a stimulating area for process engineering simulation. Motivated by emerging applications in this area, the present article studies time-dependent free convective flow of a chemically reacting micropolar fluid from a vertical plate oscillating in its own plane adjacent to a porous medium. Thermal radiative, viscous dissipation and wall couple stress effects are included. The Rosseland diffusion approximation is used to model uni-directional radiative heat flux in energy equation. Darcy’s model is adopted to mimic porous medium drag force effect. The governing two-dimensional conservation equations are normalized with appropriate variables and transformed into a dimensionless, coupled, nonlinear system of partial differential equations under the assumption of low Reynolds number. The governing boundary value problem is then solved under physically viable boundary conditions numerically with a finite element method based on the weighted residual approach. Graphical illustrations for velocity, micro-rotation (angular velocity), temperature, and concentration are obtained as functions of the emerging physical parameters, i.e. thermal radiation, viscous dissipation, first-order chemical reaction parameter, etc. Furthermore, friction factor (skin friction), surface heat transfer and mass transfer rates have been tabulated quantitatively for selected thermo-physical parameters. A comparison with previously published article is made to check the validity and accuracy of the present finite element solutions under some limiting cases and excellent agreement is attained. Additionally, a mesh independence study is conducted. The model is relevant to reactive polymeric materials processing simulation.
A constitutive model for frozen soil based on rate-dependent damage evolution
Authors: Cao Chenxu , Zhu Zhiwu , Fu Tiantian , Liu Zhijie
Published: November 2017

The deformation of frozen soil under impact loading is usually accompanied by the evolution of internal defects and microdamage. By taking the strain and strain rates into account, a rate-dependent damage evolution law is proposed in this study, under the assumption of equivalent strain. Subsequently, a damage-modified rate-dependent constitutive model is proposed to describe the dynamic mechanical properties of frozen soil. A split Hopkinson pressure bar is utilized to test the dynamic mechanical response of frozen soil at different temperatures and high strain rates. The experimental results show that frozen soil produces obvious strain rate and temperature effects, and that there is a linear relationship between the peak stress and temperature. The theoretical results of the proposed constitutive model agree well with the experimental results, verifying the applicability of the model.
Cytotoxicity Study of Textile Fabrics Impregnated With CuO Nanoparticles in Mammalian Cells
Authors: Singh Gagandeep , Beddow James , Mee Christopher , Maryniak Lidia , Joyce Eadaoin M. , Mason Timothy J.
Published: November 2017

Copper and copper compounds have multifunctional properties (antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal) with promising applications. Copper in its nanoparticle (Cu NPs) forms has been widely used in various industrial and commercial applications. In the current research, the cytotoxic effects of textile fabrics impregnated with copper oxide nanoparticles (CuO NPs) were studied in mammalian cell lines. CuO NPs were impregnated onto textile substrates using 2 different techniques: the sonochemical generation and impregnation of NPs from metal complexes ( insitu) and a “throwing the stones” technology using commercially prepared CuO NPs. The cytotoxicity of these 2 textile fabric types was assayed on human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells and human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) and was evaluated by indirect contact using an MTT assay. The impregnated fabrics were not exposed to the cells, rather their leachates were used to test cytotoxicity. The fabrics were soaked into the growth media for up to 7 days, and the leachates from day 1 and day 7 were incubated with the cell lines for 24 hours prior to the testing. The discharge or leaching from antimicrobial nanomaterials into the surroundings and surface waters is posing a serious environmental threat, which needs to be addressed. Hence, with regard to product safety, it is a good approach to study the fabric leachates rather than the intact material. The results showed that CuO NPs are not toxic to HDF cells. However, cytotoxicity was seen in HepG2 cells with cell viability decreasing by 20% to 25% for all the fabrics after 24 hours.
Human Co-culture Model of Neurons and Astrocytes to Test Acute Cytotoxicity of Neurotoxic Compounds
Authors: De Simone Uliana , Caloni Francesca , Gribaldo Laura , Coccini Teresa
Published: November 2017

Alternative methods and their use in planning and conducting toxicology experiments have become essential for modern toxicologists, thus reducing or replacing living animals. Although in vitro human co-culture models allow the establishment of biologically relevant cell–cell interactions that recapitulate the tissue microenvironment and better mimic its physiology, the number of publications is limited specifically addressing this scientific area and utilizing this test method which could provide an additional valuable model in toxicological studies. In the present study, an in vitro model based on central nervous system (CNS) cell co-cultures was implemented using a transwell system combining human neuronal cells (SH-SY5Y cell line) and glial cells, namely astrocytes (D384 cell line), to investigate neuroprotection of D384 on SH-SY5Y and vice versa. The model was applied to test acute (24-48 hours) cytotoxicity of 3 different neurotoxicants: (1) methyl mercury (1-2.5 μM), (2) Fe3O4 nanoparticles (1-100 μg/mL), and (3) methylglyoxal (0.5-1 mM). Data were compared to mono-cultures evaluating the mitochondrial function and cell morphology. The results clearly showed that all compounds tested affected the mitochondrial activity and cell morphology in both mono-culture and co-culture conditions. However, astrocytes, when cultured together with neurons, diminish the neurotoxicant-induced cytotoxic effects that occurred in neurons cultured alone, and astrocytes become more resistant in the presence of neurons. This human CNS co-culture system seems a suitable cell model to feed high-throughput acute screening platforms and to evaluate both human neuronal and astrocytic toxicity and neuroprotective effects of new and emerging materials (eg, nanomaterials) and new products with improved sensitivity due to the functional neuron–astrocyte metabolic interactions.
Buffering sandwiches made of thermoplastic polyurethane honeycomb grids: Manufacturing technique and property evaluations
Authors: Chuang Yu-Chun , Bao Limin , Chen Pey Yu , Lou Ching-Wen , Lin Jia-Horng
Published: November 2017

Diverse products are delivered from the production place to different destinations, during which any impacts or shakes easily lead to the damage of products. Buffering packaging materials are thus used to absorb the energy caused by damage, thereby preserving the goods. Buffering packaging materials are commonly made of plastics and foams, which are the materials that have limited buffering effect and cannot be repetitively used. Therefore, this study proposes eco-friendly buffering sandwich-structured composites using thermoplastic polyurethane honeycomb grids and three-dimensional crimped, flame-resistant polyester nonwoven fabrics. Thermoplastic polyurethane honeycomb grids have advantages of a lightweight, a high strength, and high impact resistance. Thus, thermoplastic polyurethane honeycomb grids can be combined with flexible nonwoven fabrics that features ease of process to form environmentally friendly buffering packaging materials. Polyester nonwoven fabrics are made of differing basic weights. A total of one to three layers of polyester nonwoven fabrics serve as the cover sheets of the sandwiches, while a thermoplastic polyurethane grid serves as the interlayer in order to obtain different thicknesses. The buffering sandwiches are tested for bursting strength, air permeability, resilience rate, limited oxygen index, and drop-weight impact test, thereby characterizing their mechanical properties and buffering efficacy. The buffering sandwiches have an optimal residual impact stress of 4762 N when the polyester nonwoven fabrics have a basic weight of 150 g/m2. Moreover, the buffering sandwiches have an optimal resilient rate of 41.8% when they are composed of three-layered polyester cover sheets on both upper and lower sides, and are industrial product that qualified for use as buffering packaging.
Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and pregnancy: Interactions and management
Authors: Shosha Eslam , Pittock Sean J , Flanagan Eoin , Weinshenker Brian G
Published: November 2017

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSD) predominantly affect women who are of childbearing age. Understanding the interactions between pregnancy and NMOSD is important for clinical management. Aquaporin-4 (AQP4), the most common target antigen in NMOSD, is expressed on placenta in early pregnancy. A variety of immune and cytokine changes in pregnancy may impact pregnancy outcomes in NMOSD patients. Relapses continue during pregnancy and increase in frequency postpartum. Preeclampsia and fetal loss are more frequent in NMOSD than in controls. Transfer of AQP4-immunoglobulin G (IgG) from mother to baby occurs but appears not to cause disease. Several treatment options are relatively safe and mitigate the risk of relapse during pregnancy and postpartum. For patients with active NMOSD, it may be advisable to continue immunotherapy during pregnancy.
Validating the use of brain volume cutoffs to identify clinically relevant atrophy in RRMS
Authors: Bovis Francesca , De Stefano Nicola , Steinerman Joshua R , Knappertz Volker , Sormani Maria Pia
Published: November 2017

Background:

Baseline brain volume (BV) is predictive at a group level but is difficult to interpret at the single patient level.

Objective:

To validate BV cutoffs able to identify clinically relevant atrophy in relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients.

Methods:

The expected normalized brain volume (NBV) for each patient was calculated using RRMS patients from two phase III clinical trials, applying a linear formula developed on the baseline variable of an independent data set. The difference between these expected NBV values and those actually observed was calculated and used to categorize the patients in the low-NBV, medium-NBV, and high-NBV groups.

Results:

The 2-year probability of 3-month confirmed disability worsening was significantly associated with the NBV categorization ( p = 0.006), after adjusting for treatment effect. Taking the high-NBV group as a reference, the hazard ratios for the medium-NBV and low-NBV groups were 1.22 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.85–1.76, p = 0.27) and 1.69 (95% CI: 1.11–2.57, p = 0.01), respectively.

Conclusion:

This study validates the use of BV cutoffs to identify clinically relevant atrophy in RRMS study by showing that the three groups classified according to the baseline NBV adjusted for the other prognostic variables have a significant prognostic impact on the risk of disability progression.
The use of gender in the interpretation of BDSM
Authors: Simula Brandy L , Sumerau J
Published: November 2017

In this article, we explore the ways BDSM practitioners negotiate gender. Based on 32 in-depth interviews with BDSM practitioners and thousands of message board posts from the then-largest online BDSM community in the USA, we explore the explanatory frameworks BDSM practitioners use to (1) downplay and (2) emphasize dominant notions of gender to make sense of BDSM practices and experiences. In so doing, we discuss some ways BDSM practices and interpretations may both challenge and reproduce broader societal patterns of gender inequality. In conclusion, we draw out implications for understanding (1) variation in the utilization of gender beliefs and assumptions within BDSM cultures, and (2) the consequences these patterns have for the reproduction of gender inequality.
Panti Bliss still can’t get hitched: Meditations on performativity, drag, and gay marriage
Authors: O’Toole Emer
Published: November 2017

This article uses the activism of drag queen Panti Bliss during Ireland’s marriage equality campaign to revisit two of the foundational debates of performativity theory: namely, the contentious political and ontological status of drag and the function of the exemplary performative “I do.” It attempts to answer Judith Butler’s provocative question: “what happens to the performative when its purpose is precisely to undo the presumptive force of the heterosexual ceremonial” (1993a: 16). Taking account of concerns about LGBTQ assimilation, it argues that the gay “I do” creates new categories of inclusion and abjection, and, ultimately, new categories of the queer. It suggests, further, that the ontological slippage inherent to drag – often more than “just” performance, yet not quite constitutive of a performative identity – can help to maintain and reignite the political power of the queer in the face of hegemonic co-option.
Towards a contextual approach: Audiences, television and ‘offensive’ humour
Authors: Graefer Anne , Das Ranjana
Published: November 2017

The fine line between humour and offence has long been of interest for scholars and media outlets alike. While some argue for an avoidance of offence at all costs, others defend the ‘right to offend’ as an essential part of humour. By bringing critical sociological studies in humour into dialogue with feminist writings on affect and the politics of emotion, this article argues for a more nuanced and contextualised understanding of offensive humour. Based on empirical data from an audience study about offensive television content in Britain and Germany, we consider what exactly people do with humorous content they find offensive, not what it does ‘in general’. Such a contextualised approach illustrates the ethical and transformative potential of so-called negative affect. Thus, rather than perceiving offence as an ‘ugly’ feeling with merely negative consequences for society, this article contends that the avoidance of offence can also operate as a strategy for evading responsibility and action, thereby hindering social change.
Voices of social dislocation, lost work and economic restructuring: Narratives from marginalised localities in the ‘New Scotland’
Authors: Clark Andy , Gibbs Ewan
Published: November 2017

Political discourse in contemporary Scotland increasingly revolves around the vision of a ‘New Scotland’, more prosperous and meritocratic than the rest of the United Kingdom. This has a convoluted relationship with Scotland’s industrial past, and specifically the social dislocation experienced through deindustrialisation. This article analyses the deployment of this narrative within regeneration efforts in former industrial communities in Lanarkshire and Inverclyde, West Central Scotland, before counterpoising it with the reflections of former industrial workers and their families. It does so through an analysis of monuments to the industrial past, comparing those erected as part of regeneration schemes by local authorities with community efforts to commemorate past struggles and industrial disasters. This examination is accompanied by the use of oral history narratives to argue that there are two distinct understandings of the nature of place, space, struggles over social justice and communal identities within these localities, which lean heavily on the memory of the industrial past in contrasting ways.
Acute fatty liver of pregnancy in a woman with ulcerative colitis and familial hidradenitis suppurativa
Authors: Morton Adam
Published: November 2017

Acute fatty liver of pregnancy is a heterogeneous disorder which may occur in the absence of a detectable gene mutation for the enzyme long-chain L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase. Acute fatty liver of pregnancy has been reported to complicate several gastrointestinal disorders including viral hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. A case of acute fatty liver of pregnancy in a woman with ulcerative colitis and familial hidradenitis suppurativa without a detectable gene mutation is presented. The potential role of inflammatory cytokines in precipitating acute fatty liver of pregnancy is discussed.
Cardiovascular disease predictors and adipose tissue macrophage polarization: Is there a link?
Authors: Kralova Lesna Ivana , Petras Marek , Cejkova Sona , Kralova Anna , Fronek Jiri , Janousek Libor , Thieme Filip , Tyll Tomas , Poledne Rudolf
Published: November 2017

Background

The risk of cardiovascular disease is closely connected to adipose tissue inflammation. The links between cardiovascular risk predictors and pro and anti-inflammatory macrophages in human adipose tissue were analysed to gain an insight into the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease.

Design

Subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues were obtained from 79 subjects, 52 living kidney donors (during nephrectomy) and 27 patients with peripheral artery disease (during arterial tree reconstruction).

Methods

Macrophage subsets were isolated from adipose tissues and analysed by flow cytometry using CD14, CD16, CD36 and CD163 monoclonal antibodies. The mutually adjusted differences of phagocytic pro-inflammatory (CD14 + CD16 + CD36high), anti-inflammatory (CD14 + CD16-CD163+) and transitional subsets of macrophages were analysed in relation to cardiovascular predictors (sex, age, body mass index, smoking, hypercholesterolaemia, hypertension and statin treatment).

Results

Age, male sex and hypercholesterolaemia were closely positively associated with the phagocytic pro-inflammatory macrophage subset in visceral adipose tissues. Interestingly, the proportion of phagocytic pro-inflammatory macrophages was relevantly decreased by statin therapy. A strong positive association of body mass index to the phagocytic pro-inflammatory subset was found in subcutaneous adipose tissues only. A minor transitional subpopulation, CD14 + CD16 + CD36lowCD163+, increased with age in both adipose tissues. This transitional subpopulation was also negatively associated with obesity and hypercholesterolaemia in visceral adipose tissues.

Conclusion

An effect of cardiovascular risk predictors on adipose tissue macrophage subpopulations was revealed. Interestingly, while age, male sex and hypercholesterolaemia were connected with the pro-inflammatory macrophage subpopulation in visceral adipose tissues, body mass index had a prominent effect in subcutaneous adipose tissues only. A decreasing effect of statins on these pro-inflammatory macrophages was documented.
Microbiology and antibiotic susceptibility patterns in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis: A study of two Dutch cohorts at a 10‐year interval
Authors: Oey Rosalie C , de Man Robert A , Erler Nicole S , Verbon Annelies , van Buuren Henk R
Published: November 2017

Background

Recent investigations suggest an increasing prevalence of Gram‐positive and antibiotic‐resistant bacteria causing spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), probably related to changes in antibiotic prescription patterns, in particular more widespread and long‐term use of antibiotic prophylaxis with quinolones.

Objective

The primary objective of this study was to assess potential changes in the microbiology of SBP in two patient cohorts studied at a 10‐year interval. Further aims were to study prognostic factors and outcome of SBP.

Methods

A retrospective double‐cohort study, including all ascitic cultures from patients with cirrhosis obtained 2003–2005 and 2013–2014, was conducted.

Results

In total 312 patients were included, 125 patients in the first and 187 patients in the second cohort. SBP was diagnosed in 132 of 840 analyzed ascitic fluid samples; 62 samples were culture positive. An increase of Gram‐positive bacterial isolates was noted from 26% to 46% between cohorts (p = 0.122). The prevalence of multidrug‐antibiotic–resistant pathogens increased from 25% to 32% (p = 0.350). Survival after SBP among the two cohorts was comparable.

Conclusion

This single‐center study in the Netherlands found a modest but nonsignificant increase in the proportion of patients with SBP caused by Gram‐positive bacteria and multidrug‐antibiotic–resistant bacteria over a 10‐year period. Our findings differ from reported data in other countries and suggest empiric antibiotic prophylaxis and treatment of SBP should be based on national and regional microbiological findings and resistance patterns.
Book Review: Prerna Singh, How Solidarity Works for Welfare: Subnationalism and Social Development in India
Authors: Singh Satyajit
Published: November 2017

Prerna Singh, How Solidarity Works for Welfare: Subnationalism and Social Development in India. New Delhi: Cambridge University Press. 2016. 332 pages. ₹495.
History of Diabetes and Survival Outcome Among Participants 65 Years or Older in SWOG Clinical Trials
Authors: Hershman Dawn L. , Till Cathee , Wright Jason D. , Ramsey Scott , Barlow William E. , Unger Joseph M.
Published: November 2017

Purpose

Diabetes is common, increases with age, and may affect outcomes among people with cancer. Understanding the association between diabetes and cancer outcome is challenging, because patients with diabetes have increased all-cause mortality compared with patients without diabetes.

Methods

We systematically examined the phase III trial database of SWOG to identify patients enrolled in trials during the period from 1999 to 2011. We linked the SWOG clinical records to Medicare claims data according to Social Security number, sex, and date of birth. Medicare claims were used to identify diabetes with at least 6 months of continuous Medicare coverage immediately before registration. Multivariable Cox regression was used to compare survival outcomes between patients with and without diabetes for each of 10 tumor cohorts. The primary outcome was overall survival. We also examined progression-free survival and cancer-free survival.

Results

In total, 6,422 patients from 15 trials were ≥ 65.5 years of age, of whom 3,173 patients (49%) met the criteria for linkage to Medicare claims. Thirty percent (n = 952) had claims for diabetes before registration. Patients with diabetes were more likely to be black ( P < .001), but no other differences in demographic characteristics were observed. In multivariable Cox regression, no association was found between baseline diabetes and overall or progression-free survival; in one case, patients with diabetes had marginally worse cancer-free survival (advanced non–small-cell lung cancer; P = .05). A global test found that baseline diabetes was associated with worse overall survival ( P = .03) across the entire panel of analyses.

Conclusion

Diabetes is common among elderly patients enrolled in clinical trials. Unlike prior observational studies, among patients treated with uniform treatment regimens, and controlling for known prognostic factors, we did not observe an association between diabetes and progression-free or cancer-free survival.
Long-Term Outcomes of 107 Cases of Primary Thyroid Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma at a Single Medical Institution in Japan
Authors: Watanabe Natsuko , Narimatsu Hiroto , Noh Jaeduk Yoshimura , Iwaku Kenji , Kunii Yo , Suzuki Nami , Ohye Hidemi , Suzuki Miho , Matsumoto Masako , Yoshihara Ai , Kameyama Kaori , Kobayashi Kazuhiko , Kami Masahiro , Sugino Kiminori , Ito Koichi
Published: November 2017

Context

Thyroid mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a type of extranodal lymphoma with a favorable prognosis.

Objective

To provide information on long-term outcomes that would facilitate establishment of the optimal management strategy for thyroid lymphoma.

Design, Setting, and Participants

Medical records of 107 patients (median age 67 years, 20 males, 87 females) who were diagnosed with localized thyroid MALT lymphoma stage IE or IIE at Ito Hospital were retrospectively reviewed.

Main Outcome Measure

Overall and event-free survival (EFS).

Results

Initial treatments included radiation therapy (RT) alone (n = 58), combined modality therapy (CMT) (n = 48), or chemotherapy alone (n = 1). All 107 patients responded to the treatment, six of whom experienced relapse. Only one patient died of lymphoma. The 5-year overall survival (OS) and EFS rates were 94% [95% confidence interval (CI), 87% to 97%] and 92% (95% CI, 85% to 95%), respectively, and the 10-year OS and EFS rates were 91% (95% CI, 83% to 95%) and 84% (95% CI, 74% to 90%), respectively. Of the 106 patients with information available on adverse events, 71 patients (67%) developed hypothyroidism after primary thyroid lymphoma treatment. The CMT group showed additional chemotherapy-induced adverse reactions in the form of neutropenia, neuropathy, constipation, and pneumonia. The 5-year OS rates of patients treated with CMT and RT were 93% (95% CI, 81% to 98%) and 94% (95% CI, 84% to 98%), respectively.

Conclusions

Long-term outcomes of localized thyroid MALT lymphoma are favorable with all initial treatment modalities.
Ειδικές μαθησιακές δυσκολίες και ψηφιακό παιχνίδι
Authors: Ματζανά Άρτεμις , Νικολόπουλος Γιάννης
Published: November 2017

Στην παρούσα ερευνητική ανάλυση, κεντρικό πρόσωπο αποτελούν οι μαθητές με διάγνωση, από τον αρμόδιο φορέα (Κ.Ε.Δ.Δ.Υ. ή Ιατροπαιδαγωγικά Κέντρα) Ειδικών Μαθησιακών Δυσκολιών εστιασμένων στα Μαθηματικά. Έπειτα από την ανάδειξη των κυριότερων γνωρισμάτων που έχουν καταγραφεί μέχρι σήμερα γι’ αυτήν την ομάδα μαθητών, ανατρέχουμε στην βιβλιογραφία προς εύρεση καλών πρακτικών που ενδέχεται να διευρύνουν τα περιθώρια ανάπτυξης των μαθηματικών τους ικανοτήτων. Πολλοί ερευνητές, με μεγάλο εκπαιδευτικό έργο, έχουν προσδώσει πρόσθετη παιδαγωγική αξία στην χρήση νέων τεχνολογιών στην σύγχρονη εκπαίδευση. Έχοντας ως άξονα τις δυσκολίες που αντιμετωπίζουν οι μαθητές με Ειδικές Μαθησιακές Δυσκολίες, παρουσιάζεται ένα ενδεικτικό ψηφιακό παιχνίδι ως ενισχυτικό εκπαιδευτικό εργαλείο. Στη συνέχεια, παραθέτονται κι άλλες πηγές με εκπαιδευτικό υλικό και λογισμικό, που θεωρήθηκε πρόσφορο για την εμπλοκή των μαθητών με την γνώση. Μέσα από την αναζήτηση νέων εργαλείων και στρατηγικών για την ανάπτυξη πυκνών ευκαιριών μάθησης προς όλους τους μαθητές, τυπικής και ειδικής εκπαίδευσης, γεννιούνται ποικίλα ερευνητικά ερωτήματα που συνιστούν ζητήματα για περεταίρω διερεύνηση, στην κοινότητα της παιδείας.
Διερεύνηση των ψυχικών παραμέτρων και των κοινωνικών δεξιοτήτων στην προσαρμογή των παιδιών με μαθησιακές δυσκολίες στην Α/θμια εκπαίδευση
Authors: Αλεβίζου Αναστασία , Παπαδάτος Γιάννης
Published: November 2017

Η ύπαρξη μαθησιακών δυσκολιών στους μαθητές, δεν συνδέεται μόνο με την ακαδημαϊκή τους επίδοση, αλλά επιδρά συνολικότερα στη ζωή τους, επηρεάζοντας την ψυχική και κοινωνική ανάπτυξή τους. Η παρούσα έρευνα επικεντρώνεται στη μελέτη των ψυχικών παραμέτρων και των κοινωνικών δεξιοτήτων που επηρεάζουν την προσαρμογή των μαθητών με μαθησιακές δυσκολίες στην πρωτοβάθμια εκπαίδευση. Σε αυτή συμμετέχουν 122 μαθητές με μαθησιακές δυσκολίες και 122 χωρίς μαθησιακές δυσκολίες, ηλικίας 7~10 ετών. Όσον αφορά τις μαθησιακές δυσκολίες, περιορίζει το ερευνητικό της πλαίσιο στην αναγνωστική ικανότητα των μαθητών. Επιπλέον αναφορικά με τις ψυχικές παραμέτρους επικεντρώνεται στην ερευνά της αυτοαντίληψης-αυτοεκτίμησης, της μοναξιάς-κοινωνική δυσαρέσκειας, στα συμπτώματα παιδικής κατάθλιψης και μέσω αυτών μελετά και τις κοινωνικές τους δεξιότητες. Από τα ερευνητικά ευρήματα διαπιστώνονται συσχετίσεις μεταξύ των παραμέτρων και διαφοροποιήσεις, σε στατιστικά σημαντικό επίπεδο, ανάμεσα στις δύο ομάδες, αναδεικνύοντας ότι οι μαθητές με μαθησιακές δυσκολίες έχουν μεγαλύτερες αναγνωστικές δυσκολίες, χαμηλότερα επίπεδα αυτοαντίληψης-αυτοεκτίμησης, και γίνονται λιγότερο κοινωνικά αποδεκτοί καθώς βιώνουν μεγαλύτερη μοναξιά, κοινωνική δυσαρέσκεια και καταθλιπτικά συμπτώματα. Τα ευρήματα συμβαδίζουν σε μεγάλο βαθμό με ανάλογες έρευνες και συμβάλλουν σημαντικά στην βαθύτερη κατανόηση των ψυχοκοινωνικών δυσκολιών των μαθητών με μαθησιακές δυσκολίες κατά την προσαρμογή τους στο σχολικό περιβάλλον, θέτοντας προβληματισμούς για την αποτελεσματικότητα της εκπαιδευτικής διαδικασίας που ακολουθείται μέχρι τώρα στο σχολικό πλαίσιο.
Αιτιολογικοί παράγοντες των διαταραχών αυτιστικού φάσματος(ΔΑΦ)
Authors: Αντωνίου Αλέξανδρος Σταμάτιος , Δαλιανά Νίκη
Published: November 2017

Οι αυτιστικές διαταραχές, αναφερόμενες και ως διάχυτες αναπτυξιακές διαταραχές, είναι αναπτυξιακές δυσκολίες που χαρακτηρίζονται από ελλείμματα στις κοινωνικές δεξιότητες και επαναλαμβανόμενες κινήσεις και συμπεριφορές. Η εξέλιξη του αυτισμού είναι βαθμιαία και τα περισσότερα παιδιά εκδηλώνουν ελλείμματα καθ' όλη τη διάρκεια της ζωής τους. Όσον αφορά την αιτιολογία, δεν υπάρχει μία μεμονωμένη αιτία αλλά υπάρχουν πολλές θεωρίες που εξηγούν τα αίτια του αυτισμού. Έρευνες έχουν δείξει ότι ο αυτισμός οφείλεται σε γενετικούς παράγοντες και ότι τα αίτια θα μπορούσαν να ταξινομηθούν σε ιδιοπαθή και δευτερογενή. Σύμφωνα με άλλες μελέτες, ορισμένες χρωμοσωματικές ανωμαλίες εμφανίζουν θετική συσχέτιση με τον αυτισμό. Επίσης, υποστηρίζεται ότι κυτταρογεννετικές ανωμαλίες συνδέονται με το σύνδρομο Fragile-X και ότι ο αυτισμός μπορεί να συνδέεται με δυσλειτουργίες του ιππόκαμπου, των φλοιωδών δομών και της αμυγδαλής. Σύγχρονες έρευνες συνδέουν τον αυτισμό με την έκθεση σε χημικές ουσίες κατά τη διάρκεια της εγκυμοσύνης οι οποίες ενδέχεται να βρίσκονται στο νερό, στα τρόφιμα, τον αέρα και τα διάφορα χημικά που χρησιμοποιούνται στις οικίες. Επίσης, βάσει της θεωρίας των οπιοειδών, ο αυτισμός σχετίζεται με τη δυσκολία των παιδιών να αφομοιώσουν τα οπιοειδή εξωγενούς προέλευσης όπως είναι η γλουτένη και η καζεϊνη. Η ύπαρξη πολλών θεωριών για την αιτιολογία του αυτισμού προκαλεί συχνά αβεβαιότητα στους γονείς που προβληματίζονται για το ποια τελικά είναι η κύρια αιτία. Μέχρι στιγμής, η επικρατούσα άποψη καταλήγει σε συνδυασμό γενετικών και περιβαλλοντικών παραγόντων και για το λόγο αυτό η αντιμετώπιση θα πρέπει να περιλαμβάνει παρεμβάσεις βιολογικού, συμπεριφορικού και ψυχοκοινωνικού χαρακτήρα.
Ένα διδακτικό σενάριο για την “Οργανωσιακή Κουλτούρα” βασιζόμενο στη μέθοδο της Μετασχηματίζουσας Μάθησης μέσα από την αισθητική εμπειρία.
Authors: Αθανασιάδης Αναστάσιος
Published: November 2017

Η χρήση της τέχνης ως εργαλείου κριτικής σκέψης στην ενήλικη μάθηση παρουσιάστηκε από τον Α. Κόκκο το 2009, στην 8η Διεθνή συνδιάσκεψη για τη μετασχηματίζουσα μάθηση. Η μέθοδος υποστηρίζει τη σημασία της συστηματικής παρατήρησης και της κριτικής ανάλυσης έργων τέχνης στο πλαίσιο της μετασχηματίζουσας μάθησης. Αποτελείται από 5 διακριτά στάδια, ενώ οι βασικές της παραδοχές στηρίζονται στις ιδέες του Freire, στη χρήση σημαντικών έργων τέχνης, στη χρήση της αισθητικής εμπειρίας  και στις τεχνικές παρατήρησης Perkins και Visible thinking. Το διδακτικό σενάριο που ακολουθεί αποσκοπεί να αποτυπώσει τα βήματα της παραπάνω μεθόδου στην προσπάθεια μετασχηματισμού των στερεοτυπικών αντιλήψεων μιας ομάδας εκπαιδευομένων-δημοσίων υπαλλήλων- αναφορικά με το θέμα της Οργανωσιακής Κουλτούρας των δημόσιων υπηρεσιών. Η υλοποίησή του πραγματώθηκε στο πλαίσιο ενός 5νθήμερου επιμορφωτικού σεμιναρίου.
Χαρισματικοί μαθητές και εκπαίδευση
Authors: Αργυρίου Αργύριος , Γιωτοπούλου Γεωργία , Παππά Αγγελική-Μαρία
Published: November 2017

Στην παρούσα εισήγηση εξετάζουμε την περίπτωση των χαρισματικών παιδιών και την θέση τους στο χώρο της εκπαίδευσης. Για τα χαρισματικά παιδιά έχουν δοθεί πολλοί ορισμοί (εθνικοί, ειδικής παιδαγωγικής, λειτουργικοί, διευκρινιστικοί) και μάλιστα η «χαρισματικότητα», όπως χαρακτηριστικά ονομάζεται, αναγνωρίστηκε μετά από 34 χρόνια προσπάθειας. Διάφοροι επιστήμονες, όπως ο Renzulli, ο Gardner, ο Heller προσπάθησαν να προσεγγίσουν και να ορίσουν τη χαρισματικότητα και τα χαρισματικά παιδιά. Σκοπός της έρευνας είναι να καθοριστούν τα χαρακτηριστικά των χαρισματικών παιδιών, οι δυσκολίες που αντιμετωπίζουν σε κάθε επίπεδο, τα αίτια και η εκπαίδευση των παιδιών αυτών. Οι πρακτικές της διαφοροποιημένης διδασκαλίας και του ευέλικτου αναλυτικού προγράμματος δέχονται κριτική ως προς την δυσκολία να αξιολογηθεί η εφαρμογή τους κατά την εκπαίδευση των χαρισματικών παιδιών. Συμπερασματικά, τα χαρισματικά παιδιά ή οι μαθητές, με υψηλές ικανότητες χρήζουν σεβασμό και αντιμετώπιση όχι ως μειοψηφία ούτε με μια ελιτιστική νοοτροπία. Το ζητούμενο είναι να δούμε πόσα παιδιά έχουν ανάγκη από προσαρμοσμένη εκπαίδευση, είτε έχουν υψηλή αντιληπτική ικανότητα, είτε δεν έχουν. Αν μπορούν να αποκτήσουν γνώσεις από μια εκπαίδευση προσαρμοσμένη στις ανάγκες τους,  διαθεματική, με εμπλουτισμό της ύλης, προσαρμογή του Αναλυτικού Προγράμματος, τότε η εκπαίδευση θα είναι αποτελεσματική καθώς θα καλύπτει τις ανάγκες τους.
Αντιλήψεις των δασκάλων σχετικά με τις αιτίες, τα χαρακτηριστικά και τη θεραπευτική αντιμετώπιση της ΔΕΠ/Υ: Πιλοτική έρευνα
Authors: Γκανιάτσου Λαμπρινή , Μαυρογιαννάκη Εραστή , Παπαηλιού Χρυσάνθη , Πολυχρονοπούλου Σταυρούλα
Published: November 2017

Η Διαταραχή Ελλειμματικής Προσοχής -Υπερκινητικότητας (ΔΕΠ-Υ) αποτελεί μία διαταραχή που εμφανίζεται συχνά σε παιδιά και εφήβους και οι εκπαιδευτικοί είναι οι πρώτοι που καλούνται να αναγνωρίσουν τα χαρακτηριστικά της. Παρ’ όλα αυτά στην ελληνική πραγματικότητα δεν έχουν διερευνηθεί επαρκώς οι γνώσεις και οι παρανοήσεις των εκπαιδευτικών πρωτοβάθμιας για τη ΔΕΠ-Υ. Εκεί αποσκοπεί η παρούσα έρευνα-πιλοτικό πρόγραμμα. 37 δάσκαλοι κλήθηκαν να συμπληρώσουν ένα ερωτηματολόγιο γνώσεων για τη ΔΕΠ-Υ βασισμένο στο KADD-Q (Knowledge about Attention Deficit Disorder Questionnaire). Από τα αποτελέσματα προκύπτει ότι οι εκπαιδευτικοί γνώριζαν καλύτερα τα χαρακτηριστικά της ΔΕΠ-Υ συγκριτικά με τη θεραπεία αυτής. Ωστόσο, δε βρέθηκε στατιστικά σημαντική συσχέτιση μεταξύ των χρόνων προϋπηρεσίας και των απαντήσεων των εκπαιδευτικών. Με βάση τα αποτελέσματα αυτά, προτείνεται η περαιτέρω επιμόρφωση των εκπαιδευτικών σε θέματα που αφορούν τη διαταραχή αυτή.