bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors associated with environmental barriers of people with disabilities in Mexico
Authors: Giraldo-Rodríguez Liliana , Mino-León Dolores , Murillo-González Juana Catalina , Agudelo-Botero Marcela
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between sociodemographic, health and disabilityrelated factors and the perception of environmental barriers outside the home environment by individuals with permanent disabilities in Mexico. METHODS: In this cross-sectional, population-based study, we used data from the 2010 National Survey of Perceptions of Disability in the Mexican Population of 2,041 participants older than 18 with permanent disability. The perceptions of barriers take into consideration the challenges of getting around and using transportation outside the home environment. The covariates consisted of sociodemographic, health-related and disability-related factors. Multivariate logistic regression was used. RESULTS: The perception of environmental barriers outside the home environment was associated with being a woman, living in an urban area, speaking an indigenous language, experiencing emotional symptoms, having walking/movement, visual or self-care disabilities, having severe/extreme disability, having disability caused by illness, using physical devices, and receiving assistance and care in the home environment. CONCLUSIONS: This information is valuable for the design of public policies and programs that promote the participation of individuals with permanent disabilities, a high-priority issue in low- and middle-income countries.
Perception of the operating agents about the Brazilian National School Feeding Program
Authors: Ferreira Daniele Mendonça , Barbosa Roseane Moreira Sampaio , Finizola Nathália Corrêa , Soares Daniele Da Silva Bastos , Henriques Patrícia , Pereira Silvia , Carvalhosa Clarice Soares , Siqueira Ana Beatriz Franco Sena , Dias Patricia Camacho
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE: Identify the perception operating agents have on the Brazilian National School Feeding Program METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional and quali-quantitative study developed in non-probability and convenience sampling selected in an event promoted by the National Fund for Educational Development in 2015 in Rio de Janeiro. Data were collected through questions related to pre-defined categories concerning the National School Feeding Program. The questionnaire was answered by 43 nutritionists, 41 members of the School Feeding Board, and 16 school feeding administrators from 38 cities of Rio de Janeiro. The narrative analysis was based on benchmarks of cognitive analysis of public policies. The association among variables was investigated with chi-square test, being calculated the power for association testing. RESULTS: The perception of the implementation of the National School Feeding Program has been characterized by some challenges: 1) low number of nutritionists to meet the demand from schools; 2) low adhesion to the public call for the purchase of family farming products due to bureaucratic difficulties and insufficient local food production; 3) reduced coverage of food and nutritional measures due to the restriction of human, material and financial resources; and 4) limitation of the participation of the School Feeding Board due to insufficient training and transport for regular visits. The adequacy of the number of nutritionists showed statistically significant association with the purchase of family farming products (p = 0.002; power = 99%) and with the food and nutritional education activities (p = 0.021; power = 79%). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the need for employment of nutritionist in sufficient numbers to meet the demands of the National School Feeding Program, investment in educational activities of healthy eating in schools, training of the School Feeding Board, greater availability of vehicles for school visits and assistance to family farmers in order to facilitate their participation in programs of institutional purchases and encourage the diversification of production.
Influence of strategic points in the dispersion of Aedes aegypti in infested areas
Authors: Barbosa Gerson Laurindo , Lage Mariana De Oliveira , Andrade Valmir Roberto , Gomes Antônio Henrique Alves , Quintanilha Jose Alberto , Chiaravalloti-Neto Francisco
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether sites with large amount of potential breeding sites for immature forms of Aedes aegypti, called strategic points, influence in the active vector’s dispersion into properties in their surroundings. METHODS: We selected four areas in the municipality of Campinas, three of them with strategic points classified as high, moderate, and low risk according to infestation and a control area, without strategic points. Between October 2015 and September 2016, we monthly installed oviposition traps and evaluated the infestation by Ae. aegypti in all properties of each selected area. To verify if there was vector dispersion from each strategic point, based on its location, we investigated the formation of clusters with excess of eggs or larvae or pupae containers, using the Gi spatial statistics. RESULTS: The amount of eggs collected in the ovitraps and the number of positive containers for Ae. aegypti did not show clusters of high values concerning its distance from the strategic point. Both presented random distribution not spatially associated with the positioning of strategic points in the area. CONCLUSIONS: Strategic points are not confirmed as responsible for the vector’s dispersion for properties in their surroundings. We highlight the importance of reviewing the current strategy of the vector control program in Brazil, seeking a balance from the technical, operational, and economic point of view, without disregarding the role of strategic points as major producers of mosquitoes and their importance in the dissemination of arboviruses in periods of transmission.
Inhibition of the Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1α–Induced Cardiospecific HERNA1 Enhance-Templated RNA Protects From Heart Disease
Authors: Mirtschink Peter , Bischof Corinne , Pham Minh-Duc , Sharma Rahul , Khadayate Sanjay , Rossi Geetha , Fankhauser Niklaus , Traub Shuyang , Sossalla Samuel , Hagag Eman , Berthonneche Corinne , Sarre Alexandre , Stehr Sebastian. N. , Grote Phillip , Pedrazzini Thierry , Dimmeler Stefanie , Krek Wilhelm , Krishnan Jaya
Published: March 2019

Background:

Enhancers are genomic regulatory elements conferring spatiotemporal and signal-dependent control of gene expression. Recent evidence suggests that enhancers can generate noncoding enhancer RNAs, but their (patho)biological functions remain largely elusive.

Methods:

We performed chromatin immunoprecipitation–coupled sequencing of histone marks combined with RNA sequencing of left ventricular biopsies from experimental and genetic mouse models of human cardiac hypertrophy to identify transcripts revealing enhancer localization, conservation with the human genome, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α dependence. The most promising candidate, hypoxia-inducible enhancer RNA (
HERNA
)1, was further examined by investigating its capacity to modulate neighboring coding gene expression by binding to their gene promoters by using chromatin isolation by RNA purification and λN–BoxB tethering–based reporter assays. The role of HERNA1 and its neighboring genes for pathological stress–induced growth and contractile dysfunction, and the therapeutic potential of HERNA1 inhibition was studied in gapmer-mediated loss-of-function studies in vitro using human induced pluripotent stem cell–derived cardiomyocytes and various in vivo models of human pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Results:

HERNA1
is robustly induced on pathological stress. Production of
HERNA1
is initiated by direct hypoxia-inducible factor 1α binding to a hypoxia-response element in the histoneH3-lysine27acetylation marks–enriched promoter of the enhancer and confers hypoxia responsiveness to nearby genes including synaptotagmin XVII, a member of the family of membrane-trafficking and Ca
2+
-sensing proteins and
SMG1
, encoding a phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–related kinase. Consequently, a substrate of SMG1, ATP-dependent RNA helicase upframeshift 1, is hyperphoshorylated in a HERNA1- and SMG1-dependent manner. In vitro and in vivo inactivation of
SMG1
and
SYT17
revealed overlapping and distinct roles in modulating cardiac hypertrophy. Finally, in vivo administration of antisense oligonucleotides targeting
HERNA1
protected mice from stress-induced pathological hypertrophy. The inhibition of
HERNA1
postdisease development reversed left ventricular growth and dysfunction, resulting in increased overall survival.

Conclusions:

HERNA1
is a novel heart-specific noncoding RNA with key regulatory functions in modulating the growth, metabolic, and contractile gene program in disease, and reveals a molecular target amenable to therapeutic exploitation.
Physical Activity After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for Chronic Total Occlusion and Its Association With Health Status
Authors: Peri‐Okonny Poghni A. , Spertus John A. , Grantham J. Aaron , Gosch Kensey , Kirtane Ajay , Sapontis James , Lombardi William , Karmpaliotis Dimitri , Moses Jeffrey , Nicholson William , Salisbury Adam C.
Published: March 2019

Background

Patients with chronic total occlusion (
CTO
) may not participate in regular exercise because of refractory angina. Exercise participation after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for
CTO
(
CTO PCI
) and the association of exercise with health status after
CTO PCI
is unknown.

Methods and Results

Overall, 1000 patients enrolled in the Outcomes, Patient Health Status, and Efficiency in Chronic Total Occlusion OPEN CTO is a registry were asked about participation in regular exercise at baseline and 12 months after
CTO PCI
, and the frequency of exercise (<1, 1–2, ≥3 times/week) was collected among exercisers. Health status was assessed using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (
SAQ
). Multivariable regression assessed 12‐month health status change across 4 groups defined by exercise frequency at baseline and 12 months after
CTO PCI
(no regular exercise at baseline and 12 months, reduced, increased, and consistent exercise at 12 months). Among 869 patients with complete exercise data, the proportion that exercised regularly increased from 33.5% at baseline to 56.6% 12 months after
CTO PCI
(
P
<0.01). Predictors of regular exercise at 12 months included baseline exercise, smoking, baseline and increase in
SAQ
scores for angina frequency, physical limitation, quality of life, and summary. After multivariable adjustment, consistent or increased exercise frequency was associated with significantly greater improvement in
SAQ
scores for angina frequency, physical limitation, quality of life, and summary (
P
<0.01).

Conclusions

Participation in regular exercise increased significantly 12 months after
CTO PCI
, and patients who had greater health status benefit after
PCI
were more likely to exercise regularly at 12 months.
CTO PCI
may enable coronary artery disease patients with limiting symptoms to engage in regular exercise and to support better long‐term outcomes.
Ruth in the Days of the Judges: Women, Foreignness and Violence
Authors: Shepherd David J.
Published: March 2019

The basic premise that Ruth 2 depicts the threat of violence against Ruth has been increasingly recognised by commentators, even if not all take sufficiently seriously the nature of this violence as potentially lethal and almost certainly sexual. What is less clear, however, is the extent to which the narrative implies that part of Ruth’s vulnerability to (sexual) violence in the fields of Bethlehem relates to the fact that she is not a Bethlehemite but a migrant recently arrived from Moab. Taking seriously Ruth’s own situating of itself ‘in the days of the Judges’, this study begins by exploring the way in which the gendered violence of Judges 19-21 flows from the account of an act of sexual violence against a woman who is treated as ‘foreign’ (Judges 19). Such a context is shown to resonate with Ruth 2 where – as is often case even today – Ruth’s vulnerability to violence turns out to be intimately bound up with her multiple identities as woman, worker and foreigner.
Plebs, Class and Everything in Between
Authors: Bonin Hugo
Published: March 2019

Following a summary of M. Breaugh’s book The Plebeian Experience, the question of the relationship of plebs and class is addressed. Drawing on N. Thoburn’s discussion of the ‘lumpenproletariat’ as well as E.P. Thompson’s conception of class, the case is made for keeping ‘plebeian’ and ‘class’ experiences in conceptual tension.
Capitalism, Colonialism, and the War on Human Life
Authors: Noonan Jeff
Published: March 2019

Dussel’s complex work calls into question the standard history of philosophy, reveals a counter-history at work beneath the official history that gives voice to the victims of capitalism and colonialism, and systematically develops a novel ‘material ethics’ grounded in an unqualified, universal affirmation of life as the foundation of liberatory values. The Ethics of Liberation brings together the major problems explored in Dussel’s prolific body of earlier work: the relationship between Western philosophy and the expansion of European society; the relationship between centre and periphery in global political economy, considered as both a philosophical and an ethical problem; the ethical interpretation of Marxism; the politics of liberation in the colonial context; the defence of universal foundations of ethical norms; and the (all-important) distinction between formal and critical ethics.
‘Hegel Belongs in the Old Testament of the New Philosophy’
Authors: Kryluk Michael
Published: March 2019

This article is an Introduction to a translation of ‘Zur Beurteilung der Schrift Das Wesen des Christentums’ by Ludwig Feuerbach (see DOI 10.1163/1569206X-12341620). To my knowledge, no English translation of this essay currently exists. It was published in February 1842 and functions as both a general reply to critics of his 1841 book The Essence of Christianity, as well as a specific response to the claim of an anonymous reviewer that Feuerbach’s interpretation of religion was the same as that of his fellow Young Hegelian Bruno Bauer. Besides capturing a central moment in Feuerbach’s development between The Essence of Christianity and his well-known works of 1842–4, the essay also sheds light on the rest of the Young Hegelian movement and provides crucial context for some of Marx’s later comments on Feuerbach and his philosophy.
The Bulgarian 19th-Century Book as a Crossroads of Professional Literary Practices
Authors: Zagorov Vasil
Published: March 2019

The Bulgarian printed book began to develop dynamically only at the beginning of the 19th century. The delay in printing in the Bulgarian language for almost 350 years led to the accumulation of a number of peculiarities related to the material and textual aspects of the Bulgarian book. On the one hand, these peculiarities are related to the strong influence of the contemporary 19th century Bulgarian manuscripts; on the other hand, those peculiarities differ depending on the divergent foreign influence—Austrian, Russian, etc. The article discusses how peculiarities in the Bulgarian books produced during the Revival period (1806-78) are obstructing the creation of the Digital Database and Information Retrieval System.
The Position of the Defence and Adequate Facilities
Authors: Karnavas Michael G.
Published: March 2019

Suppose that procedural settings of national jurisdictions do not work for international criminal proceedings, that victims’ justice is delayed, and tribunals’ resources are drained on account of the burdensome defence. And suppose that accused may not need the same procedural rights and safeguards in international criminal proceedings as in national proceedings. Might it be time for a new and ‘better’ approach considering the unique demands of trying international crimes? From the defence perspective, these suppositions presume a preference for international criminal proceedings that yield quick, nimble, and cheap desired convictions – risking legitimacy essential to these judicial institutions. Might there be other institutional or systemic reasons – independent of whatever burdens caused by the defence – that warrant resolving? Might it be that the defence is sufficiently handicapped as is, militating against adopting procedural modalities that further erode a suspect’s or accused’s enjoyment of fair trial rights?
On the Intersectionality of Religious and Racial Discrimination: A Case Study on the Applicability of ICERD with Respect to China’s Uyghur Muslim Minority
Authors: Holder Ross
Published: March 2019

As an officially recognised minority nationality in China, the Uyghurs’ unique religious identity is ostensibly protected under Chinese national law. In reality, such protections are limited in practice, with frequent claims by Uyghur activists, human rights NGOs and scholars that government policies result in the religious discrimination of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang. In light of the inefficacy of state legislation in protecting the Uyghurs’ religious freedoms, this article considers the protections offered within the Human Rights Treaty System of the United Nations (UN), of which China is both a charter member and an increasingly active participant. However, any attempt to consider Freedom of Religion or Belief protections within the UN’s core treaties remains frustrated as China has yet to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which is the sole UN human rights instrument to contain provisions dedicated to religious and minority rights. To overcome this issue, this article argues that acts of religious discrimination against the Uyghur minority may also fall into contention with the protections contained within the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, a treaty that has been ratified by China and is therefore legally obligated to comply with.
The ‘Aura’ of Home
Authors: Issa Dima
Published: March 2019

In Arabic restaurants, sitting rooms and cars around the world, her voice filters through the airwaves, transporting listeners to narrow alleyways, cobblestones and the Mediterranean Sea, to a time of innocence and peace, determination and war, stability and acceptance. Her songs, melancholy memory and patriotic love shape Arab heritage and offer a focal point for identity construction. For many Arabs in the diaspora, Fairouz’s music is a tool of expression, a proxy for nostalgia and a call for resistance. Through a theoretical framework that combines affect, the mnemonic imagination and migration, I highlight the preliminary findings of my PhD research. This research involves a series of interviews with members of the Arab diaspora living in Doha, Qatar. I examine the role Fairouz’s music played in the lives of these interview subjects.
Diversity-dependent stability under sowing and nutrient addition: evidence from non-weeded artificial grassland
Authors: Yin Xin , Qi Wei , Du GuoZhen
Published: March 2019

A growing body of evidence from diversity-manipulation and natural studies suggests that the stability of community productivity increases with biodiversity; however, few studies have researched this relationship in a non-weeded grassland. To clarify this issue, we established an artificial grassland in 2003 using three common species, Elymus nutans, Festuca sinensis and Festuca ovina, which included seven different community structures (three monocultures, three two-species mixtures and one three-species mixture based on sown species) and two nutrient addition treatments (non-nutrient addition and nutrient addition). Data was collected over a three-year period (2011–2013). Our results showed that the sowing species modified realized species richness (i.e. the number of total species we observed in a community) and species evenness, but had negligible influences on community- and population-level stability. Furthermore, all of these variables were reduced by nutrient addition. These dynamics did not alter the positive influence of realized species richness on community stability, but restricted the stable effect of evenness because this effect was only significant under nutrient addition condition. The potential mechanisms underlying these processes were statistical averaging and species asynchrony, rather than overyielding effect. Conversely, population stability decreased with realized species richness in non-nutrient addition treatments. We conclude that biodiversity contributed to community- and population-level stability even in non-weeded experiment. This process resulted from different mechanisms that observed in weeded experiments. Further studies in other ecosystems (e.g. aquatic ecosystem) are needed to find a more general conclusion.
From Icons of Evil to Features of Princely Pleasure: Mongols in Fourteenth-Century Italian Illuminated Manuscripts
Authors: Manzari Francesca
Published: March 2019

The representation of Mongols in Late-Medieval Italian illuminated manuscripts undergoes a transformation in the fourteenth century. In literature connected to the Crusades and in historical writings they are usually portrayed as symbols of Evil or of the Deadly Vices. In other instances, nonetheless, they seem to lose this significant iconic value and to turn into an exotic component for the amusement of princely patrons. It is certainly not by chance that illuminations comprising Mongols were produced in the cities most strongly tied to the East by trading routes and commercial interests, like Venice and Genoa. The appearance of Mongols within more widespread iconographies, both sacred and secular, and their metamorphosis as exotic decorations are connected to manuscript illumination at the Angevin court in Naples. This contribution re-evaluates both types of instances, with the purpose of achieving a survey of these types of representation in Italian gothic illuminated manuscripts.
The Trump Divide and Partisan Attitudes Regarding US Foreign Policy: Select Theoretical and Empirical Observations
Authors: Tarzi Shah M.
Published: March 2019

This article presents select data, recent trends and empirical analysis concerning American voters’ attitudes on American foreign policy in the Trump era. Accordingly, it addresses several vital questions: (a) whether and to what extent Trump Republicans hold views that are distinct from non-Trump Republicans and from average US voters?; (b) how widespread is support for President Trump’s foreign policy?; and (c) whether partisanship has intensified? Importantly, the study deduces preliminary theoretical observations and highlights select new pathways for future research. The key findings of the article are: (a) Trump supporters hold distinct views from the general public; (b) President Trump’s positions are not popular; (c) partisanship has intensified under Trump; (d) on the broad contours of American foreign policy, the American public, including the non-Trump Republicans, express noteworthy continuity, stability and support in spite of a deeply polarizing American president. The article offers select theoretical insights, including recognition of the role of core value in ordering belief systems, thereby offering a modicum of internal coherence, stability and structure to foreign policy views of American mass public, thus transcending the traditional Almond–Lippmann theoretical consensus regarding the content of American public opinion.
Alliance Index: Measuring Alignments in International Relations
Authors: Erkomaishvili David
Published: March 2019

Orthodox approaches developed by Alliance Theory to study alliances are characterized by static and state-centric focus, which exposes theory’s logical limitations. In contrast, modern alignments are marked by continuous oscillations. Alignment stability—according to orthodox Alliance Theory—may be altogether misleading for the explanation of behaviour in alignment. This article theoretically re-conceptualizes the key notion of the orthodox Alliance Theory—the concept of alliance. Building on the basis of isolated but significant fragments of advanced research, the theoretical essence of the Alliance Theory is adjusted to encompass alignment process. Importantly, such a re-calibration bears in on an overlooked element common to all alignments—fluidity. Theoretical modification resulted in two important outcomes. First, the change of the vantage point in explaining alignments theoretically extends the orthodox Alliance Theory’s traditionally limited applicability, which excluded subnational and non-state actors. Second, the change allowed reviewing the essence of alignments focusing on a persistently evolving process, rather than on alignments’ institutional image. Sustained realignment, upgrading or downgrading of cooperative relations between actors and concurrent alignment to rival parties is no more confusing in explaining alignments. The article develops an alignment index and calculates it for the post-Soviet space.
Effect of surface activation of alumina particles on the performances of thermosetting-based composite materials
Authors: Drah Abdusalam , Kovačević Tihomir , Rusmirović Jelena , Tomić Nataša , Brzić Saša , Bogosavljavić Marica , Marinković Aleksandar
Published: March 2019

Two types of alumina particles, commercial (c-Al2O3) and iron doped (Fe-Al2O3), were functionalized with 3-(aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (one-step) and two-step consecutive process, i.e. firstly using 3-(aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane followed by methyl ester of linseed oil (biodiesel) to produce Al2O3ATPMS-BD reinforcement, respectively. The effect of modifier type and variable amount of alumina particles on the dynamical and mechanical properties of unsaturated polyester resin–based composites was studied. The highest improvement of the tensile strength and micro Vickers hardness, 78.1 and 163%, respectively, was obtained at 1.0 wt% of Fe-Al2O3APTMS-BD addition. The obtained multifunctional composites can be potentially applied in construction and mining industries.
Managing Insurgency
Authors: Schram Peter
Published: March 2019

Why would an insurgent group turn away foreign fighters who volunteered to fight for its cause? To explain variation in foreign fighter usage, I present a novel perspective on what foreign fighters offer to militant groups. Because foreign fighters possess a different set of preferences from local fighters, integrated teams of foreign and local fighters can self-manage and mitigate the agency problems that are ubiquitous to insurgent groups. However, to create self-managing teams, insurgent leadership must oversee the teams’ formation. When counterinsurgency pressure prevents this oversight, foreign fighters are less useful and the leadership may exclude them. This theory explains variation in foreign fighter use and agency problems within al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI; 2004 to 2010) and the Haqqani Network (2001–2018). Analysis of the targeting of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, AQI’s former leader, further supports the theory, suggesting that leadership targeting inhibited oversight and aggravated agency problems within the group.
Informed Consent and Advance Care Directives: Cornerstones and Outstanding Issues in the Newly Enacted Italian Legislation
Authors: Montanari Vergallo Gianluca , Spagnolo Antonio G.
Published: March 2019

This article’s authors delve into, and comment on, some of the key provisions within law no. 219, passed in 2017, which came into full effect in 2018. The legislation presents several innovative aspects: (a) communication time is equated to care; (b) patients may turn down lifesaving treatments, yet doctors must put in place all suitable support processes, from a psychological standpoint as well, in order to make sure that patients make informed decisions in full awareness; (c) refusal to treatment may be expressed prior to the onset of the disease making the patient incapable, as long as the advance directive is laid out by a mentally capable adult who has been provided with all relevant medical information available as to the consequence of a refusal to undergo a given treatment; (d) artificial nutrition and hydration are tantamount to treatment; thus, they may not be carried out and kept in place in absence of valid consent; (e) patients may appoint a healthcare proxy holder, tasked with interacting with doctors and caregivers and expressing consent or refusal; (f) patient will, whether current or advance, must be complied with even under emergency or urgency conditions, provided that clinical conditions and circumstances make it possible to acquire it; (g) doctors may disregard advance directives only when specifically provided for by the law; (h) patients may not demand treatment deemed to be illegal or running counter to ethical codes or scientific evidence. The new legislation, therefore, is meant to uphold the right to exercise self-determination as well as the patient’s quality of life, yet ensuring that doctors remain fully capable of making the decisions that they are best positioned to.

Summary: The Italian Parliament has for the first time regulated the issue of consent and refusal of healthcare treatments, whether currently expressed or advance. This article elaborates on recent Italian legislation that details a patient's right to consent to or refuse treatment in advance, including refusal of artificial nutrition and hydration, the duty of doctors in the event of an emergency, the shared planning treatment, the role of durable power of attorney, and advance healthcare directives.
The Body Shape Questionnaire Is Not Invariant Across Sex: Evidence From Portuguese-Speaking University Students
Authors: da Silva Wanderson Roberto , Swami Viren , Nogueira Neves Angela , Marôco João , Ochner Christopher N. , Alvares Duarte Bonini Campos Juliana
Published: March 2019

The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) is a widely used measure of body shape concerns that was originally designed for use with women but has more recently been used with boys and men. The latter use may be problematic, given that no previous study has demonstrated sex invariance for BSQ scores. To determine the extent to which BSQ scores are sex invariant, we asked Portuguese-speaking women ( n = 1,613) and men ( n = 871) to complete the full BSQ (34 items). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a hypothesized 32-item model of BSQ scores and shorter versions had acceptable fit indices in women and men, separately. However, multigroup confirmatory factor analysis showed that these BSQ model scores had configural but not metric, scalar, or strict sex invariance. Differential item analysis indicated significant item-functioning differences on 19 of the 32 retained BSQ items. Thus, BSQ scores are not sex invariant, making problematic the results of previous studies that have compared latent BSQ scores across sex.
Mönckeberg’s arteriosclerosis: a possible reason for non-use of radial conduit
Authors: Dogan Ali , Sever Kenan , Mansuroglu Denyan , Hacisalihoglu Payam , Kurtoglu Nuri
Published: March 2019

We report the case of a 73-year-old man with diffuse calcification in both upper and lower limb arteries. This condition, termed Mönckeberg’s arteriosclerosis, was accompanied by three-vessel disease needing coronary artery bypass grafting. The diagnosis of arteriosclerosis was further verified by histopathology. The use of radial artery for coronary artery bypass grafting was prevented due to the heavily calcified nature of the vessel. Saphenous veins were harvested for non-left anterior descending arteries. Coexistence of Mönckeberg’s arteriosclerosis and atherosclerosis is possible and it affects the surgeon’s preference in conduit selection.
Esophageal caustic injuries in pediatrics: a sobering global health issue
Authors: Alser Osaid , Hamouri Shadi , Novotny Nathan M
Published: March 2019

Caustic material ingestion by children is considered a global healthcare issue, especially in low-to-middle income countries. The aim of this article was to review the epidemiology, prevention, and management of caustic material ingestion in pediatric patients, comparing low-to-middle income countries with high-income countries. We conducted an English literature review using PubMed with the following keywords: (caustic OR corrosive) AND ingestion AND (pediatric OR pediatric). Our search retrieved 253 citations; all abstracts were screened by the authors, and 52 articles were finally included in our review. Prevention is key in tackling this issue, but legislation is scarce in low-to-middle income countries. Diagnosis of caustic ingestion is mostly achieved using flexible endoscopy, computed tomography, and endoscopic ultrasound, but access is limited in low-to middle income countries and diagnosis is often delayed. After stabilizing patients, the mainstay of treatment is graded endoscopic dilatation, and rarely, esophageal replacement. We concluded that caustic ingestion represents a serious condition where prevention is the key. Once a child suffers an injury, rapid and careful evaluation of the injury with endoscopy, and a course of close observation and dilations if needed, will often avoid esophageal replacement. When necessary, the stomach is the best first option if it is viable, followed by the colon, and finally, the jejunum.
Popularity Among Peer Role Models: A Moderator of Peer Victimization and Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Luo Tana , Schwartz David , Malamut Sarah , Mali Luiza V. , Ross Alexandra C. , Duong Mylien T. , Badaly Daryaneh
Published: March 2019

This short-term, longitudinal study examines evidence that the level of popularity among adolescents’ peer role models exacerbates the emotional impact of mistreatment by peers. We recruited 469 adolescents (255 boys, 214 girls; [Formula: see text] age = 12.7 years) from an ethnically diverse middle school and followed these youth for a 1-year period. We collected identical measurement batteries in two consecutive waves. Participants completed a self-report assessment of depressive symptoms, as well as a peer-nomination inventory identifying victimized and popular classmates. The inventory also included items asking adolescents to identify peers they want to be like, respect, and admire. High popularity levels among peer role models were associated with intensified associations between peer victimization and depressive symptoms. However, these findings held only for boys. Taken together, these results suggest that victimization by peers is most detrimental for adolescent boys who seek to identify with their more socially dominant classmates.
Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in the whole visual pathway: chemical identification and neurotoxic changes
Authors: Xiao Zebin , Tang Zuohua , Wu Lingjie , Feng Xiaoyuan , Sun Xinghuai , Tang Weijun , Wang Jie , Jin Lixin , Wang Rong
Published: March 2019

Background

Little is known about the specificity of manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) and its neurotoxic effect of the whole visual pathway.

Purpose

To explore the specificity of MEMRI and the neurotoxic effect in the whole visual pathway.

Material and Methods

Twenty-four rats were divided into four groups, in which 50, 100, 200, and 400 nmol MnCl2 were injected into the left eye of each rat through intravitreal injection, respectively. MEMRI was performed one day after injection of MnCl2. Moreover, another 10 rats were divided into two groups, in which 200 and 400 nmol MnCl2 were injected into the left eye of each rat. One day after injecting, chemical identification and transmission electron microscopy were performed to verify the presence and pathological effects.

Results

The whole three-dimensional (3D) visual pathway of the left eye was observable on MEMRI with thin slab maximum intensity projection (TSMIP) in all rats except the 50 nmol group, which was confirmed by chemical identification. Higher dose of MnCl2 resulted in greater contrast-to-noise ratio, increasing the effectiveness of the technique. Transmission electron microscopy showed most structures of the visual pathway except the superior colliculus and visual cortex were poisoned in the 200 and 400 nmol groups, especially in the latter group.

Conclusion

Our study indicated that MEMRI with TSMIP after injection of 200 nmol MnCl2 can best show the entire and 3D visual pathway in the rat with less neurotoxic changes. Additionally, chemical identification is useful for the confirmation of the specificity of MEMRI.
The Perfect Storm: Mapping the Life Course Trajectories of Serial Killers
Authors: Reid Sasha , Katan Aleece , Ellithy Ayah , Della Stua Ran , Denisov Egor V.
Published: March 2019

Since the 1970s, scholars have produced a large body of research attempting to establish the mechanisms by which sexual serial killers come to arrive at a life of repeat fatal violence. From the standpoint of developmental psychology, however, the explanations offered are far too limited in scope. Human development is the product of complex reciprocal transactions that occur between an individual and their environment throughout their life span. This present study is meant to encourage a critical reconsideration of past knowledge (mainly static traits) in favor of the recognition of the complexity of human development. Using life span developmental psychology as a guiding framework, this study traces the developmental mechanisms that come together to shape the psychopathology that drives the motivations of sexual serial killers.
An investigation of the pretend play abilities of children with an acquired brain injury
Authors: Dooley Bridget , Stagnitti Karen , Galvin Jane
Published: March 2019

Introduction

This study describes the self-initiated pretend play abilities of children who had sustained an acquired brain injury.

Method

A non-experimental study was conducted with 26 children with acquired brain injury (15 females, mean age 5.08 years, SD 1.58 years), who were out of post-traumatic amnesia, able to sit independently and engage in a play session. The children were assessed individually on one occasion using the Child-Initiated Pretend Play Assessment.

Findings

All children in the study presented with pretend play deficits, particularly in symbolic play. Inattention, distractibility and limited concentration were common behaviours of the children. Three quarters of the sample (76.48%) were unable to complete the time of the assessment. For many of the children the cessation of their play was sudden and abrupt, even for those who showed complex play ability.

Conclusion

Cognitive fatigue is argued to have impacted on the children’s play ability due to the considerable amount of cognitive effort required to engage in pretend play. Implications for intervention are to offer short sessions for children with acquired brain injury and pay particular attention to a child’s symbolic play within pretend play ability.
Differential effect of FHM2 mutation on synaptic plasticity in distinct hippocampal regions
Authors: Iure Antonio de , Mazzocchetti Petra , Bastioli Guendalina , Picconi Barbara , Costa Cinzia , Marchionni Ivan , Casari Giorgio , Tozzi Alessandro , Pietrobon Daniela , Calabresi Paolo
Published: March 2019

Introduction

Familial hemiplegic migraine 2 is a pathology linked to mutation of the ATP1A2 gene producing loss of function of the α2 Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA). W887R/+ knock-in (KI) mice are used to model the familial hemiplegic migraine 2 condition and are characterized by 50% reduced NKA expression in the brain and reduced rate of K+ and glutamate clearance by astrocytes. These alterations might, in turn, produce synaptic changes in synaptic transmission and plasticity. Memory and learning deficits observed in familial hemiplegic migraine patients could be ascribed to a possible alteration of hippocampal neuronal plasticity and measuring possible changes of long-term potentiation in familial hemiplegic migraine 2 KI mice might provide insights to strengthen this link.

Results

Here we have investigated synaptic plasticity in distinct hippocampal regions in familial hemiplegic migraine 2 KI mice. We show that the dentate gyrus long-term potentiation of familial hemiplegic migraine 2 mice is abnormally increased in comparison with control animals. Conversely, in the CA1 area, KI and WT mice express long-term potentiation of similar amplitude.

Conclusions

The familial hemiplegic migraine 2 KI mice show region-dependent hippocampal plasticity abnormality, which might underlie some of the memory deficits observed in familial migraine.
From Inbox Reception to Compliance: A Field Experiment Examining the Effects of E-mail Address and Subject Line on Response and Compliance Rates in Initial E-mail Encounters
Authors: DeAngelo Tessa I. , Feng Bo
Published: March 2019

Within text-based computer-mediated communication, individuals use available cues to form and guide initial encounters. The goal of this study was to examine how e-mail cues influence the effectiveness of initial e-mail communication in a professional context. A field experiment was conducted to examine how two readily available inbox-level cues— e-mail address (professional vs. nonprofessional) and subject line (clear vs. unclear)—influence the likelihood that an e-mail will be opened and the likelihood of the receiver complying with the e-mail’s request to complete an online survey. Analysis of e-mails sent to professors ( N = 2,021) from 24 academic institutions across the United States revealed that e-mails sent from a professional e-mail address coupled with an unclear subject line resulted in the greatest likelihood that an e-mail would be opened. Analysis found robust support for e-mail address professionalism to increase the likelihood that an embedded survey link will be clicked on and the subsequent survey completed. Theoretical and practical implications along with directions for future research are discussed.
Anti-inflammatory role of tempol (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl) in nephroprotection
Authors: Afjal MA , Abdi SA Hasan , Sharma S , Ahmad S , Fatima M , Dabeer S , Akhter J , Raisuddin S
Published: March 2019

Inflammation is one of the mechanisms involved in the acute kidney injury (AKI) caused by cisplatin (CP)-induced nephrotoxicity. Tempol (4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-oxyl) has powerful antioxidant activity. We investigated its potential nephroprotective effects and the underlying mechanisms that may add further benefits to its clinical usefulness in a CP-induced AKI model. Male Swiss albino mice were divided randomly into four groups: control, CP (20 mg/kg intraperitoneally), tempol (100 mg/kg/day, per os) + CP, and tempol only treatments. Blood samples were collected to analyze renal function parameters. Immunoblotting and immunohistochemical analysis were used to assess the level and localization of inflammatory markers. Tempol afforded protection to animals from CP-induced elevation of inflammatory markers as indicated by reduced expression of nuclear factor-kappa B, cyclooxygenase-2, and tumor necrosis factor-α in kidney tissue. Histological findings and analysis of kidney function markers corroborated with these findings confirming a nephroprotective role for tempol. In conclusion, this study provides important evidence for the promising anti-inflammatory effects of tempol which appears to contribute significantly to its nephroprotective action.
Syringic acid triggers reactive oxygen species–mediated cytotoxicity in HepG2 cells
Authors: Gheena S , Ezhilarasan D
Published: March 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second most common cause of cancer death in the world and its incidence has dramatically increased worldwide in the past two decades. Syringic acid (SA) has been studied for its hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, free radical scavenging, and antioxidant activities. We aimed to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of SA against human hepatoma HepG2 cell line. Cytotoxicity was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. HepG2 cells were treated with SA at concentration ranges of 25, 50, and 100 µM for 24 h. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) expression was investigated by dichlorofluorescein staining assay. Morphological changes of SA-treated HepG2 cells were evaluated by acridine orange (AO) and ethidium bromide (EB) dual staining. Apoptotic marker gene expressions were evaluated by qPCR. SA treatment caused significant cytotoxicity and liberation of ROS in HepG2 cells. AO and EB staining showed membrane blebbing and distortion in SA-treated cells. Apoptotic markers such as caspases 3 and 9, cytochrome c, Apaf-1, Bax, and p53 gene expressions were significantly increased upon SA treatment indicating the possibility of apoptosis induction in HepG2 cells. This treatment also caused significant downregulation of Bcl-2 gene expression. SA has a cytotoxic effect on human HepG2 cell line, and this might be a promising agent in anticancer research.
Association between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Intracerebral Hemorrhage
Authors: Tu Sheng , Zhao Ruihong , Fang Hong , Wang Li , Shao Anwen , Sheng Jifang
Published: March 2019

To determine whether non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are connected, and assess the role played by NAFLD in ICH development. A retrospective study evaluated inpatients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University. We divided the patients into Group A (ICH with NAFLD) and Group B (ICH alone). Moreover, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the risk factors for unfavorable outcomes. A total of 128 patients were included: 34 ICH with NAFLD (group A) and 94 ICH (group B). Sixteen patients exhibited an unfavorable outcome. There was no significant difference among the two groups on the underlying diseases hypertension and heart disease. Group A had more diabetes mellitus cases (35.29% vs 12.76%, p = 0.004). Levels of alanine aminotransferase and triglyceride were higher in group A than in group B (all p < 0.05), while differences in other blood biochemistry tests were statistically insignificant (all p > 0.05). There was a similarity in bleeding sites except for brainstem hemorrhage, which was higher in group B patients ( p = 0.036). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that low-density lipoprotein (OR, 0.278; 95% CI (0.107–0.702), p = 0.008) was a protective factor for ICH patients with NAFLD. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at discharge (OR, 3.152; 95% CI (1.532–6.486), p = 0.002) was independent of risk factors for unfavorable outcomes. Serum levels of LDL was a protective factor. NAFLD did not increase the unfavorable outcome of ICH patients in our study.