bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diabetes Mellitus–Induced Long Noncoding RNA
Dnm3os
Regulates Macrophage Functions and Inflammation via Nuclear Mechanisms
Authors: Das Sadhan , Reddy Marpadga A. , Senapati Parijat , Stapleton Kenneth , Lanting Linda , Wang Mei , Amaram Vishnu , Ganguly Rituparna , Zhang Lingxiao , Devaraj Sridevi , Schones Dustin E. , Natarajan Rama
Published: June 2018

Objective—

Macrophages play key roles in inflammation and diabetic vascular complications. Emerging evidence implicates long noncoding RNAs in inflammation, but their role in macrophage dysfunction associated with inflammatory diabetic complications is unclear and was therefore investigated in this study.

Approach and Results—

RNA-sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that a long noncoding RNA
Dnm3os
(dynamin 3 opposite strand) is upregulated in bone marrow-derived macrophages from type 2 diabetic db/db mice, diet-induced insulin-resistant mice, and diabetic ApoE
−/−
mice, as well as in monocytes from type 2 diabetic patients relative to controls. Diabetic conditions (high glucose and palmitic acid) induced
Dnm3os
in mouse and human macrophages. Promoter reporter analysis and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that diabetic conditions induce
Dnm3os
via NF-κB activation. RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and real-time quantitative PCRs of subcellular fractions demonstrated nuclear localization and chromatin enrichment of
Dnm3os
in macrophages. Stable overexpression of
Dnm3os
in macrophages altered global histone modifications and upregulated inflammation and immune response genes and phagocytosis. Conversely, RNAi-mediated knockdown of
Dnm3os
attenuated these responses. RNA pull-down assays with macrophage nuclear lysates identified nucleolin and ILF-2 (interleukin enhancer-binding factor 2) as protein binding partners of
Dnm3os
, which was further confirmed by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization immunofluorescence. Furthermore, nucleolin levels were decreased in diabetic conditions, and its knockdown enhanced
Dnm3os
-induced inflammatory gene expression and histone H3K9-acetylation at their promoters.

Conclusions—

These results demonstrate novel mechanisms involving upregulation of long noncoding RNA
Dnm3os
, disruption of its interaction with nucleolin, and epigenetic modifications at target genes that promote macrophage inflammatory phenotype in diabetes mellitus. The data could lead to long noncoding RNA-based therapies for inflammatory diabetes mellitus complications.
Bmi1-Progenitor Cell Ablation Impairs the Angiogenic Response to Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Herrero Diego , Cañón Susana , Pelacho Beatriz , Salvador-Bernáldez María , Aguilar Susana , Pogontke Cristina , Carmona Rosa María , Salvador Jesús María , Perez-Pomares Jose María , Klein Ophir David , Prósper Felipe , Jimenez-Borreguero Luis Jesús , Bernad Antonio
Published: June 2018

Objective—

Cardiac progenitor cells reside in the heart in adulthood, although their physiological relevance remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that after myocardial infarction, adult Bmi1
+
(B lymphoma Mo-MLV insertion region 1 homolog [PCGF4]) cardiac cells are a key progenitor-like population in cardiac neovascularization during ventricular remodeling.

Approach and Results—

These cells, which have a strong in vivo differentiation bias, are a mixture of endothelial- and mesenchymal-related cells with in vitro spontaneous endothelial cell differentiation capacity. Genetic lineage tracing analysis showed that heart-resident Bmi1
+
progenitor cells proliferate after acute myocardial infarction and differentiate to generate de novo cardiac vasculature. In a mouse model of induced myocardial infarction, genetic ablation of these cells substantially deteriorated both heart angiogenesis and the ejection fraction, resulting in an ischemic-dilated cardiac phenotype.

Conclusions—

These findings imply that endothelial-related Bmi1
+
progenitor cells are necessary for injury-induced neovascularization in adult mouse heart and highlight these cells as a suitable therapeutic target for preventing dysfunctional left ventricular remodeling after injury.
Cell-Specific Functions of ADAM17 Regulate the Progression of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm
Authors: Shen Mengcheng , Hu Mei , Fedak Paul W.M. , Oudit Gavin Y. , Kassiri Zamaneh
Published: June 2018

Rationale:

ADAM17 (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase-17) is a membrane-bound enzyme that regulates bioavailability of multiple transmembrane proteins by proteolytic processing. ADAM17 has been linked to several pathologies, but its role in thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) has not been determined.

Objective:

The objective of this study was to explore the cell-specific functions of vascular ADAM17 in the pathogenesis and progression of TAA.

Methods and Results:

In aneurysmal thoracic aorta from patients, ADAM17 was increased in tunica media and intima. To determine the function of ADAM17 in the major cells types within these regions, we generated mice lacking ADAM17 in smooth muscle cells (SMC;
Adam17

f/f

/Sm22

Cre/+

) or endothelial cells (
Adam17

f/f

/Tie2

Cre/+

). ADAM17 deficiency in either cell type was sufficient to suppress TAA dilation markedly and adverse remodeling in males and females (in vivo) although through different mechanisms. ADAM17 deficiency in SMCs prevented the contractile-to-synthetic phenotypic switching in these cells after TAA induction, preventing perivascular fibrosis, inflammation, and adverse aortic remodeling. Loss of ADAM17 in endothelial cells protected the integrity of the intimal barrier by preserving the adherens junction (vascular endothelial-cadherin) and tight junctions (junctional adhesion molecule-A and claudin). In vitro studies on primary mouse thoracic SMCs and human primary aortic SMCs and endothelial cells (±
ADAM17
small interfering RNA) confirmed the cell-specific functions of ADAM17 and demonstrated the cross-species validity of these findings. To determine the impact of ADAM17 inhibition in treating TAA, we used an ADAM17-selective inhibitor (PF-548) before or 3 days after TAA induction. In both cases, ADAM17 inhibition prevented progression of aneurysmal growth.

Conclusions:

We have identified distinct cell-specific functions of ADAM17 in TAA progression, promoting pathological remodeling of SMC and impairing integrity of the intimal endothelial cell barrier. The dual impact of ADAM17 deficiency (or inhibition) in protecting 2 major cell types in the aortic wall highlights the unique position of this proteinase as a critical treatment target for TAA.
Capital Control and Monetary Policy in Asian Emerging Market Economies
Authors: Jung Yongseung , Kim Soyoung , Yang Doo Yong
Published: June 2018

This paper explores two policy options in emerging market economies (EMEs) to cope with volatile capital flows due to external monetary policy shocks; capital control policy and choice of exchange rate regime. Both tools reinforce each other when a foreign exchange risk premium shock hits the economy. A contractionary U.S. monetary policy shock has significant real effects in EMEs. Conventional wisdom tells us that a free floating exchange rate with inflation targeting is better when a country faces foreign shocks. However, we show that a flexible exchange rate with less capital controls is not the best option in EMEs based on vector autoregression analysis. Moreover, we set up a small open economy new Keynesian model with real wage and price rigidities. It shows that the small economy with labor market frictions is more vulnerable to exogenous shocks such as a foreign exchange rate shock under a fixed exchange rate regime than under a flexible exchange regime. We show that maintaining price stability is not desirable when there are substantial frictions in the labor market and the intratemporal elasticity of substitution is high. Finally, the model shows that the welfare cost difference between a policy of maintaining purchasing power and a policy aimed at price stability reverses as the intratemporal elasticity of substitution between home and foreign goods increases.
Navigating Migrant Trajectories through Private Actors
Authors: Franck Anja K. , Brandström Arellano Emanuelle , Anderson Joseph Trawicki
Published: June 2018

Recent research on the ‘migration industry’ has provided a means to interrogate how private actors come to be used as a means to facilitate, direct and control migration. Both through incorporating private actors into security functions and outsourcing certain functions to labour brokers, the use of migration industry actors is an important part of the ways in which the state works to maintain its sovereign control over territory and the ways people move across it. Yet this is not the only way in which migration industry actors are used. Instead, private actors also play a key role for migrants, although attention towards how migrants themselves perceive and use these actors during the migration process has received far less attention. Using timelines of migrant trajectories from Burma/Myanmar to Malaysia, the following study therefore sets out to map the private actors involved in the migrants’ projects to travel to and stay in Malaysia—and to investigate how these actors are strategically used by migrants as a means to increase their room to manoeuvre during the migration process. In approaching this, the study combines literature on the privatisation and commercialisation of international migration with scholarship on migration trajectories and migrant agency. Empirically the study builds upon fieldwork conducted in the Burmese migrant community in the city of George Town in northern Malaysia.
Narratives of Change: Healing and Pentecostal Belonging in Zanzibar
Authors: Olsson Hans
Published: June 2018

In the predominantly Muslim context of Zanzibar, Pentecostal Christianity is slowly on the rise as a result of an influx of labor migrants from mainland Tanzania. A paramount feature in these churches is the provision of divine healing and deliverance from spiritual affliction. This article analyses how narratives of healing in one of Zanzibar’s major Pentecostal churches, the City Christian Center, influence how religious belonging is negotiated and manifested. Focusing on Zanzibar-born Pentecostals with Roman Catholic backgrounds, the analysis suggests that healing and practices conducted to deliver individuals from pain and suffering are connected to a wider revaluation of moral and social actions characterizing Zanzibar society. It stresses that Pentecostal belonging builds on Zanzibar-born members’ previous experiences of Zanzibar in a process of both affirmation and rejection, in which adherence to Christianity is intensified by an increased knowledge of God’s power to heal, and opposition to the Muslim majority is strengthened by connecting it to sickness.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and International Human Rights Law
Authors: Seatzu Francesco
Published: June 2018

This article argues that it is not possible to interpret or apply the International Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities or CRPD) and its related Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities without drawing on the texts of other human rights treaties and the related jurisprudence of their judicial or quasi-judicial supervisory bodies. Conversely, it is not possible to supervise the implementation of other human rights treaties, where persons with disabilities are concerned, without drawing on the text of the CRPD and related interpretative conclusions of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD Committee).
Reading Tafsīr Tarbawī (Qurʾānic Educational Interpretation) of Abuddin Nata from the Perspective of Paul Ricoeur’s Hermeneutics
Authors: Rosidin Mohammed
Published: June 2018

This paper analyzes Abuddin Nata’s book oftafsīr tarbawī(Qurʾānic educational interpretation) entitledTafsīr Ayat-Ayat Pendidikan(“Interpretation of Educational Verses”) on the basis of Paul Ricoeur’s ideas of hermeneutics. It does so through its main postulation of distanciation and appropriation through the dialectics of understanding or comprehension (verstehen) and explanation (erklären), using two primary stages: from naïve understanding to explanation through guessing; and from explanation to comprehension (deep understanding) through contextualization. This paper claims that the still contested methodology oftafsīr tarbawīis reflected in the dominance of the author’s subjectivity vis-à-vis the objectivity of the text. Such a claim is based on its minimal distanciation using the original verbal meanings of the Qurʾān, while the appropriation is dominated by the author’s own horizon. The implication is thatTafsīr Ayat-Ayat Pendidikandoes not reflect the correct degree of fusion between the text-horizon and the author’s horizon as Paul Ricoeur suggested should be the case.
The Circular Vision of Existence: From Ismāʿīlī Writings to the Works of Ibn al-ʿArabī
Authors: Ebstein Michael
Published: June 2018

The purpose of the article is to analyze the symbol of the circle and elucidate its significance in two medieval Islamic corpora: classical Ismāʿīlī writings, composed in the 4th/10th-6th/12th centuries, and the works of the famous Andalusī mystic Muḥyī l-Dīn Ibn al-ʿArabī (560/1165-638/1240). The discussion in the article focuses on two main areas: cosmology and sacred human history. Attention is also given to notions that are in this context unique to Ibn al-ʿArabī. The study reveals that the symbol of the circle and cyclical conceptions figure prominently in both Ismāʿīlī and Akbarian thought; moreover, the article demonstrates how Ismāʿīlī teachings are important for understanding the background against which Ibn al-ʿArabī developed his distinctive circular vision of existence.
Recovering Yemen’s Cultural Heritage: The Stookey Microfilms
Authors: Correa Dale J.
Published: June 2018

In 1973, recent PhD and newly-affiliated Research Associate at the University of Texas at Austin, Robert W. Stookey, made microfilm copies of a number of Arabic manuscripts in Yemen on a variety of subjects. Stookey was not himself a manuscripts expert, but was instead invested in preserving and making available for research the intellectual tradition of Yemen, a country in which he had spent considerable time as a researcher and member of the Foreign Service. Stookey’s microfilms were accessioned to the UT Libraries’ Middle East collection in 1980, and digitized starting in 2014. This article discusses the importance of the Stookey microfilms as an early post-custodial arrangement for preserving, making accessible, and ultimately recovering the intellectual heritage of Zaydism in Yemen. Through their inclusion in the Zaydi Manuscript Tradition portal, these microfilms will be made freely and openly available for anyone to discover and study on the Internet. While the destruction of life, property, and cultural memory continues in Yemen, this is an example of a way for North American library collections to help to recover Yemen’s precious heritage.
Traditionalist Spirits and Rationalist Bodies
Authors: Abdulsater Hussein Ali
Published: June 2018

Different attempts to address the question of the definition of the human being (insān) reveal the tensions between various scholarly disciplines and intellectual trends in classical Islam. This article investigates the various definitions of the human being proposed by classical Muslim theologians, particularly Imāmīs who were influenced by Muʿtazilism. It focuses primarily on the works of al-Shaykh al-Ṣadūq (d. 381/991-2), al-Shaykh al-Mufīd (d. 413/1022) and al-Sharīf al-Murtaḍā (d. 436/1044). Though seemingly a question of subtle theology (laṭīf al-kalām; daqīq al-kalām), the essence of the human being is in fact intimately related to the main premise of grand theology (jalīl al-kalām), that is, the question of moral obligation (taklīf). For the concern of theologians in the discussion is to identify the subject of moral obligation, themukallaf, in every human being, to which they refer as the living and/or active being (al-ḥayy al-faʿʿāl; al-dhāt al-faʿʿāla). In their attempts to produce a satisfying answer, theologians relied on the contributions of thephilosophers, jurists, mystics and traditionalists, thus arriving at different answers that betray the extent of the influence of other scholarly disciplines on various theological schools at different points in time.
Didogobius janetarum sp. nov., a new cryptobenthic goby species from the Cape Verde Islands (Teleostei: Gobiidae)
Authors: SCHLIEWEN ULRICH K. , WIRTZ PETER , KOVAČIĆ MARCELO
Published: June 2018

Didogobius janetarum sp. nov. is described from five specimens collected from small caves and rock crevices between 12 and 20 m depth off two locations of Santiago Island, Cape Verde Islands. The species differs from all currently described congeners by the combination of the following characters: (1) 27 vertebrae, (2) second dorsal fin I + 10, (3) posterior quarter of predorsal region in front of first dorsal fin origin scaled, with several rows of cycloid scales, (4) body squamation cycloid anteriorly and ctenoid posteriorly, (5) scales in the lateral series 30–32, (6) anterior oculoscapular canal present, (7) preopercular head canal absent, (8) suborbital row 7 each a single papilla, (9) suborbital rows 2 and 4 close to orbit, and by (10) branchiostegal membranes uniformely black below preopercle, forming a V-shaped mark. Definitions for all used meristic counts are presented to serve as a reference for gobioid meristic studies. The genus is rediagnosed to accommodate recently described Didogobius species.
New records of cotylean flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Polycladida: Rhabditophora) from coastal habitats of Israel
Authors: VELASQUEZ XIMENA , BOLAÑOS D. MARCELA , BENAYAHU YEHUDA
Published: June 2018

Seven new records of cotylean flatworms belonging to two families and four genera were identified from Israel collected in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and the northern Red Sea. The family Pseudocerotidae was represented by three genera and six species (Pseudoceros duplicinctus, Pseudobiceros apricus, Pseudobiceros damawan, Pseudobiceros murinus, Pseudobiceros stellae, and Thysanozoon brocchii), followed by the Euryleptidae with a single species (Maritigrella fuscopunctata). Pseudoceros duplicinctus is recognized as a senior synonym of Pseudoceros prudhoei and color and pattern variations are reported for Maritigrella fuscopunctata. In addition, the presence of Pericelis byerleyana in the northern Gulf of Aqaba is confirmed, illustrated, and properly described with morphological and molecular data. Pseudoceros duplicinctus and Pseudobiceros stellae represent new geographic records for the Mediterranean Sea and Pseudobiceros apricus and Pseudobiceros damawan are new for the Red Sea. Detailed morphological analysis with emphasis on the color and pattern was applied for species identifications including high quality photographs of live and fixed animals. Partial sequences of the 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) of four of the species were obtained and deposited in GenBank with accession numbers provided with the corresponding species description. Our results represent a significant taxonomic contribution for the diversity and distribution of the Polycladida in Israel pointing out the importance for more integrative and comprehensive surveys in these two regions to advance the knowledge of marine biodiversity worldwide and along both Israeli coasts.
A new skink of the genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 (Squamata: Scincidae) from Hon Ba Nature Reserve, southern Vietnam
Authors: NGUYEN SANG NGOC , NGUYEN LUAN THANH , NGUYEN VU DANG HOANG , ORLOV NIKOLAI L. , MURPHY ROBERT W.
Published: June 2018

A new forest skink of the genus Sphenomorphus Fitzinger, 1843 is described from Khanh Hoa Province, southern Vietnam based on morphological characters of four specimens and a fragment of 653 nucleotides of the gene COI. Sphenomorphus yersini sp. nov. is characterized by the following morphological characters: medium size in adults (snout-vent length up to 55 mm); tail length/snout-vent length ratio 1.81; toes reach to fingers when limbs adpressed; midbody scale rows 32–34, smooth; paravertebral scales 61–69; ventral scale rows 58–67; subcaudal scales 112; supraoculars four, rarely five; prefrontals in broad contact with one another; loreal scales two; tympanum deeply sunk; smooth lamellae beneath finger and toe IV 10–12 and 18–20 respectively; a pair of enlarged precloacal scales; hemipenis deeply forked and asymmetrical with two differently sized smooth lobes. The new species differs from its most similar congener, Sphenomorphus buenloicus Darevsky & Nguyen, 1983, by 16.4–16.7% uncorrected p-distance in COI sequences.
Two Countries in Crisis: Economic Inequality in the EU and Disidentification With Europe in Spain and Greece
Authors: Petkanopoulou Katerina , Sánchez-Rodríguez Ángel , Willis Guillermo B. , Chryssochoou Xenia , Rodríguez-Bailón Rosa
Published: June 2018

European identity is currently facing important challenges. From the beginning, European identity has been related to the national identities of Member States with different economic strengths. The recent economic recession made these disparities salient across countries. In this research conducted in two countries with relative low status in the European Union (EU), we explored whether the perceived disparities in wealth between the countries of the EU—perceived economic inequality—predicted disidentification with Europe. We also examined the mediators of this relationship. Study 1, conducted in Spain, revealed that perceived economic inequality positively predicted disidentification with Europe; importantly, this effect remained when controlling for individuals’ subjective socioeconomic status and the perceived status of the country. The experience of fear of economic inequality in the EU mediated this relationship. The results of Study 1 were replicated comparing a Spanish sample (Study 2a) and a Greek sample (Study 2b). These studies delved deeper into the specific appraisals of fear that mediate the relationship between economic inequality and disidentification with Europe. Four categories of fear appraisals obtained in a preliminary qualitative study were measured as potential mediators: losing national sovereignty, worsening of living conditions, being negatively stereotyped, and Europe losing fundamental values. The relationship between economic inequality in the EU and disidentification with Europe was mediated by fear of losing national sovereignty and fear of Europe losing fundamental values.
Family History of MI, Smoking, and Risk of Periodontal Disease
Authors: Yu Y.H. , Doucette-Stamm L. , Rogus J. , Moss K. , Zee R.Y.L. , Steffensen B. , Ridker P.M. , Buring J.E. , Offenbacher S. , Kornman K. , Chasman D.I.
Published: June 2018

Periodontal disease (PD) shares common risk factors with cardiovascular disease. Our hypothesis was that having a family history of myocardial infarction (FamHxMI) may be a novel risk factor for PD. Risk assessment based on FamHxMI, conditional on smoking status, was examined given the strong influence of smoking on PD. Exploratory analysis with inflammatory biomarkers and genetic determinants was conducted to understand potential mechanistic links. The Women’s Genome Health Study (WGHS) is a prospective cohort of US female health care professionals who provided blood samples at baseline in the Women’s Health Study, a 2 × 2 factorial clinical trial investigating vitamin E and aspirin in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer. PD was ascertained via self-report over 12 y of follow-up. Prevalence (3,442 cases), incidence (1,365 cases), and survival analysis of PD were investigated for associations of FamHxMI as well as in strata of FamHxMI by smoking. Kruskal-Wallis, chi-square tests, multivariate regression, and Cox proportional hazard models were used for the analyses. In the WGHS, women with FamHxMI showed higher risk of ever having PD. A particularly high-risk group of having both FamHxMI and smoking at baseline was highlighted in the prevalence and risk of developing PD. PD risk increased according to the following strata: no FamHxMI and nonsmokers (reference), FamHxMI and nonsmokers (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.2, 95% CI = 1.0 to 1.5), smokers without FamHxMI (HR = 1.3, 95% CI = 1.2 to 1.5), and smokers with FamHxMI (HR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.2 to 1.8). An independent analysis by the dental Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study ( N = 5,552) identified more severe periodontitis cases among participants in the high-risk group (smokers with FamHxMI). Further examination of interactions among inflammatory biomarkers or genetic exploration with FamHxMI did not explain the risk increase of PD associated with FamHxMI in the WGHS. Future efforts based on an integrative-omics approach may facilitate validation of these findings and suggest a mechanistic link between PD and FamHxMI.
“It’s Not Really My Job”: A Mixed Methods Framework for Language Ideologies, Monolingualism, and Teaching Emergent Bilingual Learners
Authors: Bacon Chris K.
Published: June 2018

Teacher education has redoubled efforts to prepare a predominantly monolingual teaching force for linguistic diversity in U.S. schools. Some jurisdictions are requiring specific teacher preparation, such as mandated Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) endorsement in Massachusetts, the context of this study. Previous research has explored the intersections of language ideologies and practice through such coursework. However, few studies have accounted for the underlying monolingual ideologies that inform U.S education. Therefore, this study employs a mixed methods approach to analyze language ideologies among 127 preservice and beginning teachers engaged in SEI methods coursework. Drawing on written reflections, survey data, and reported practices, this study offers a framework for exploring teacher language ideologies. This framework highlights a trajectory of lived ontologies, pedagogical orientations, and key contextual “filters” that may distort language ideologies in practice. The framework is operationalized through an analysis of monolingual ideologies across educational policy, practice, and teacher preparation.
Screening for Latent Tuberculosis Infection Among HIV-Infected Medicaid Enrollees
Authors: Friedman Eleanor E. , Khan Awal , Duffus Wayne A.
Published: June 2018

Objectives:

In the United States, universal screening for latent tuberculosis (TB) infection among people with HIV is recommended, but the percentage receiving screening is unknown. This study assessed screening for latent TB infection among people with HIV enrolled in Medicaid during 2006-2010.

Methods:

We used nationwide fee-for-service Medicaid records to identify people with HIV, measure screening for latent TB infection, and examine associated demographic, social, and clinical factors. We used logistic regression analysis to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We created 2 multivariate models to prevent collinearity between variables for length of HIV infection.

Results:

Of 152 831 people with HIV, 26 239 (17.2%) were screened for latent TB infection. The factor most strongly associated with screening was TB exposure or suspected TB (OR = 3.78; 95% CI, 3.27-4.37). Significant demographic characteristics associated with screening included being African American (OR = 1.28; 95% CI, 1.24-1.32) or ≤20 years of age (OR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.28-1.42). Significant clinical and social factors associated with screening included poor housing conditions, low body mass index, chemotherapy treatment, and use of certain substances (ORs ranged from 1.24 [95% CI, 1.20-1.27] to 1.47 [95% CI, 1.22-1.76]). The screening rate for latent TB infection was higher among people with newly diagnosed HIV infection than among those with established infection (OR = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.32-1.41) and among people with a longer established HIV infection than among those with shorter HIV infection (OR = 1.24; 95% CI, 1.23-1.26 for each additional year).

Conclusion:

Screening for latent TB infection among fee-for-service Medicaid beneficiaries with HIV was suboptimal, despite the presence of demographic, social, or clinical characteristics that should have increased the likelihood of screening. The lack of certain data in Medicaid may have resulted in an underestimation of screening.
Everyday Cosmopolitanism in Representations of Europe among Young Romanians in Britain
Authors: Andreouli Eleni , Howarth Caroline
Published: June 2018

The article presents an analysis of everyday cosmopolitanism in constructions of Europe among young Romanian nationals living in Britain. Adopting a social representations approach, cosmopolitanism is understood as a cultural symbolic resource that is part of everyday knowledge. Through a discursively oriented analysis of focus group data, we explore the ways in which notions of cosmopolitanism intersect with images of Europeanness in the accounts of participants. We show that, for our participants, representations of Europe are anchored in an Orientalist schema of West-vs.-East, whereby the West is seen as epitomising European values of modernity and progress, while the East is seen as backward and traditional. Our findings further show that representations of cosmopolitanism reinforce this East/West dichotomy, within a discourse of ‘Occidental cosmopolitanism’. The article concludes with a critical discussion of the diverse and complex ideological foundations of these constructions of European cosmopolitanism and their implications.
Distributed event-triggered mechanism for secondary voltage control with microgrids
Authors: Shi Jing , Yue Dong , Weng Shengxuan
Published: June 2018

This paper presents a secondary voltage control scheme with a distributed event-triggered mechanism for multiple distributed generators in droop-controlled microgrids. First, considering the issue of limited bandwidth of a communication network in a practical application, two types of distributed event-triggered mechanisms are proposed to reduce the information transmission pressure, while preserving the desired control performance. Then, based on the proposed triggering schemes, distributed secondary controllers are designed for distributed generators. Finally, simulation results demonstrate that by using the control strategy, the voltages of distributed generators are synchronised to their nominal values.
A neurofuzzy controller for active front steering system of vehicle under road friction uncertainties
Authors: Aalizadeh B
Published: June 2018

In this study, a neurofuzzy controller is proposed to improve vehicle handling in different road friction coefficients. This controller adapts itself to neutralize the effects of unpredictable changes in road friction coefficient on vehicle handling. This adaptive neurofuzzy controller can improve vehicle handling, manoeuvrability and path tracking. First a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller is proposed and tuned by using PSO (particle swarm optimization). Then, this tuned PID controller is applied to the vehicle system and training data is gathered. The next step is to train a fuzzy controller by importing thistraining data tothe ANFIS (adaptive neurofuzzy inference system) toolbox of MATLAB software. Then the trained fuzzy controller is applied to a vehicle that exploits AFS (active front steering system). This controller is able to adapt itself during manoeuvres, by using back propagation of error as a learning algorithm. Results show that neurofuzzy controller can improve handling of the vehicle in different road conditions, because neurofuzzy conteroller can adapt itself in unpredictable situations.
The Temple of Immigrant Memory: B. Amore's Visual Memoir
Authors: Giunta Edvige
Published: June 2018

What is not remembered is forgotten.
The use of antipsychotics is associated with lower mortality in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: A nationwide population-based nested case-control study in Taiwan
Authors: Chu Che-Sheng , Li Wan-Rung , Huang Kuan-Lun , Su Pei-Yu , Lin Ching-Heng , Lan Tsuo-Hung
Published: June 2018

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to identify the association between antipsychotics and mortality in Alzheimer’s disease patients.

Methods:

Using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, 735 newly diagnosed Alzheimer’s disease patients aged over 65 years and receiving antipsychotic treatments, and 735 age, sex, physical comorbidity, and entry year with propensity scores, matched control subjects were enrolled and followed for a 10-year period until the end of 2011. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used for analysis.

Results:

The mortality rate was 56% in Alzheimer’s disease patients treated with antipsychotics, and 65% in Alzheimer’s disease patients not treated with antipsychotics during an average of 5.2 years of follow-up. The use of antipsychotics, typical antipsychotics, and atypical antipsychotics was found to be associated with lower mortality (adjusted hazard ratio=0.66, 95% confidence interval 0.58–0.75; 0.69, 0.60–0.79; 0.56, 0.44–0.71, respectively, all p<0.001). In addition, Alzheimer’s disease patients with higher cumulative dose and longer duration of exposure to antipsychotics showed a significantly reduced risk of mortality. Other variables associated with higher risk of mortality included age (adjusted hazard ratio=1.08, 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.09, p<0.001), male gender (1.27, 1.11–1.45, p<0.001), diabetes mellitus (1.30, 1.10–1.54, p<0.01), congestive heart failure (1.54, 1.11–2.12, p<0.01), and stroke (1.23, 1.05–1.44, p<0.01).

Conclusion:

The use of antipsychotics was found to be associated with lower mortality in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Moreover, dose and duration response effects were also identified.
Test–retest reliability of perfusion of the precentral cortex and precentral subcortical white matter on three-dimensional pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling
Authors: Liu Mengqi , Chen Zhiye , Ma Lin
Published: June 2018

Objective

This study was performed to evaluate the test–retest reliability of perfusion of the cortex and subcortical white matter on three-dimensional spiral fast spin echo pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-ASL).

Methods

Eight healthy subjects underwent 3D-ASL and structural imaging at the same time each day for 1 week. ASL data acquisition was performed in the resting state and right finger-tapping state. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) images were calculated, and the CBF values of the precentral cortex (PCC) and precentral subcortical white matter (PCSWM) were automatically extracted based on the structural images and CBF images.

Results

In the resting state, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the bilateral PCC was 0.84 (left) and 0.81 (right) and that of the bilateral SCWM was 0.89 (left) and 0.85 (right). In the finger-tapping state, the ICC of the bilateral PCC was 0.91 (left) and 0.87 (right) and that of the bilateral PCSWM was 0.87 (left) and 0.92 (right). The CBF value of the left PCC and PCSWM was not significantly different between the resting state and finger-tapping state on two ASL scans.

Conclusion

3D-ASL provides reliable CBF measurement in the cortex and subcortical white matter in the resting or controlled state.
Non-linear forced vibration analysis of higher-order shear-deformable functionally graded material beam in thermal environment subjected to harmonic excitation and resting on non-linear elastic foundation
Authors: Paul Amlan , Das Debabrata
Published: June 2018

Geometrically non-linear forced vibration analysis of higher-order shear-deformable functionally graded material beam under harmonic excitation and supported on three-parameter non-linear elastic foundation is presented. The beam is immovably clamped and is considered to be under static thermal loading due to uniform temperature rise. Reddy’s third-order shear-deformable beam theory in conjunction with von Kármán geometric non-linearity is considered to derive the governing equations employing Hamilton’s principle, and Ritz method is followed for approximating the displacement and rotation fields. A numerical algorithm based on iterative substitution method and Broyden’s method is proposed to predict the stable regions of frequency-response behavior. The frequency-response curves are presented in normalized plane for variations of load-amplitude, elastic foundation parameters, temperature rise, gradation index and functionally graded material composition, and their effects are discussed in detail. It is found that the load-amplitude, elastic foundation parameters, thermal loading and some of the functionally graded material compositions significantly affect the frequency response; whereas, the effect of gradation index is found to be relatively small. A comparative frequency-response curve between Voigt model and Mori–Tanaka scheme of functionally graded material modeling is presented, and it shows negligible difference between these two models. The present problem under thermal environment is studied for the first time through this work, and the proposed model and the numerical algorithm provide a simplified approach to study the non-linear frequency-response behavior.
Intelligent Compaction for Quality Control and Acceptance for Soil and Base Compaction through Statistical Analysis
Authors: Si Jimmy Z.
Published: June 2018

This paper presents the results of the intelligent compaction data that were collected from various layers including subgrade soil, lime-treated subgrade, cement-treated base and flexible aggregate base layers. Sets of proof-mapping data were collected from each layer upon completion of compaction. The data was then downloaded and analyzed using a computer program. Based on the data analysis and field compaction observation, a new statistical methodology for analyzing intelligent compaction data is proposed. The method is used to assess the uniformity of soil and base compaction quality and this is successfully demonstrated through a case study. A typical normal distribution of an intelligent compaction dataset indicates that a good and uniform compaction is achieved. It is, therefore, possible to assess the compaction quality by evaluating the perfection of normal districtuion of an intelligent compaction (IC) dataset. The compaction uniformity is evaluated by a compaction uniformity index, which is defined as the ratio of the probability within the specified limits in a field compaction data distribution to the probability in a target normal distribution.
Data-Driven Modeling of Aircraft Engine Fuel Burn in Climb Out and Approach
Authors: Chati Yashovardhan S. , Balakrishnan Hamsa
Published: June 2018

Fuel burn is a key driver of aircraft performance, and contributes to airline costs and emissions. Low-altitude fuel burn and emissions, such as those that occur during climb out and approach, have a significant impact on the environment in the vicinity of airports. This paper proposes a new methodology to statistically model fuel burn in the climb out and approach phases using the trajectory of an aircraft. The model features are chosen by leveraging a physical understanding of aircraft and engine dynamics. Model development is conducted through the use of Gaussian Process Regression on a limited Flight Data Recorder archive, which also provides ground truth estimates of the fuel flow rate and total fuel burn. The result is a class of models that provide predictive distributions of the fuel burn corresponding to a given aircraft trajectory, thereby also quantifying the uncertainty in the predictions. The performance of the proposed models is compared with other frequently used Aircraft Performance Models. The statistical models are found to reduce the error in the estimated total fuel burn by more than 73% in climb out and by 59% in approach.
Determining Effective Sample Size to Calibrate a Transit Assignment Model: A Bayesian Perspective
Authors: Rahbar Mohadeseh , Hickman Mark , Mesbah Mahmoud , Tavassoli Ahmad
Published: June 2018

A transit assignment model is used to predict passenger loads in order to evaluate existing and future transit network scenarios. One fundamental issue affecting the calibration of a transit assignment model is the amount of data required. The present study is designed to determine the effect of different sample sizes on the accuracy level of the estimated passenger flow. A Bayesian model is adapted for transit assignment, and the sample size for three types of priors, namely: uninformative, informative, and overly informative, are examined. In order to assess the value of prior information on passenger flow, the root-mean-square error (RMSE) between each posterior estimate and the actual observation is computed. The posterior estimate that minimizes the %RMSE defines the effective sample size (ESS). This paper uses one day’s automatic fare collection data from the South East Queensland (Australia) transit network to evaluate the effect of sample size and prior information on the posterior passenger flow estimates. The results show that it is not possible to determine the ESS for the Bayesian model with an uninformative prior. With an informative prior, the ESS is 50% of the population and, for the model with an overly informative prior, the ESS is 10% of the population. This means that the lack of prior information cannot simply be compensated by increasing the sample size in this Bayesian model. However, good prior information reduces the necessary sample size substantially.
Reducing Thermal Reflections for Infrared Thermography Applications on Tunnel Liners with Reflective Finishes
Authors: Meng Dewei , Azari Hoda
Published: June 2018

Infrared thermography (IRT) has been employed as a non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method to detect delaminations in bridge decks by ASTM standards since 2003. Compared with other NDE methods, IRT is fast for data acquisition and processing. In addition to applications on bridge decks, IRT can be employed to detect defects in other structures such as roadway pavements and tunnel liners. Recent IRT applications on tunnel liners with reflective finishes such as ceramic tiles show that the IRT results can be severely contaminated by infrared reflections of the vehicles and the illuminating systems in the tunnels. In this study, an algorithm is developed to mitigate the contamination caused by the thermal reflections in the IRT results. The reflection is reduced by combining thermal data from multiple thermographs. Perspective projection is employed to map thermal data to the same coordinates if the thermographs are taken with an infrared camera moving in the space. The algorithm is proven to be successful from the results from the lab experiments and field tests. The algorithm can work with IRT data collected by vehicle-mounted infrared cameras to achieve high-speed IRT for tunnel liners with reflective finishes.
Does Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Improve Functional and Radiographic Outcomes Over Nonoperative Management 5 Years After Injury?
Authors: Wellsandt Elizabeth , Failla Matthew J. , Axe Michael J. , Snyder-Mackler Lynn
Published: June 2018

Background:

Current practice patterns for the management of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury favor surgical reconstruction. However, long-term outcomes may not differ between patients completing operative and nonoperative treatment of ACL injury. Differences in outcomes between operative and nonoperative treatment of patients in the United States is largely unknown, as are outcomes in long-term strength and performance measures.

Purpose:

To determine if differences exist in 5-year functional and radiographic outcomes between patients completing operative and nonoperative treatment of ACL injury when both groups complete a progressive criterion-based rehabilitation protocol.

Study Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

From an original group of 144 athletes, 105 participants (mean ± SD age, 34.3 ± 11.4 years) with an acute ACL rupture completed functional testing (quadriceps strength, single-legged hop, and knee joint effusion testing; patient-reported outcomes) and knee radiographs 5 years after ACL reconstruction or completion of nonoperative rehabilitation.

Results:

At 5 years, patients treated with ACL reconstruction versus rehabilitation alone did not differ in quadriceps strength ( P = .817); performance on single-legged hop tests ( P = .234-.955); activity level ( P = .349-.400); subjective reports of pain, symptoms, activities of daily living, and knee-related quality of life ( P = .090-.941); or presence of knee osteoarthritis ( P = .102-.978). When compared with patients treated nonoperatively, patients treated operatively did report greater global ratings of knee function ( P = .001), and lower fear ( P = .035) at 5 years but were more likely to possess knee joint effusion ( P = .016).

Conclusion:

The current findings indicate that favorable outcomes can occur after both operative and nonoperative management approaches with the use of progressive criterion-based rehabilitation. Further study is needed to determine clinical algorithms for identifying the best candidates for surgical versus nonoperative care after ACL injury. These findings provide an opportunity to improve the educational process between patients and clinicians regarding the expected clinical course and long-term outcomes of operative and nonoperative treatment of ACL injuries.
Canada Should Retain Its Reservation on the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Authors: Dufour Mathieu , Hastings Thomas , O’Reilly Richard
Published: June 2018

The United Nations adopted the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in 2006. When Canada ratified the CRPD, it reserved the right to continue using substitute decision making schemes even if the CRPD was ‘interpreted as requiring their elimination’. This was a prescient decision because the CRPD Committee, which is tasked with overseeing the interpretation and implementation of the CRPD, subsequently opined that all legislation supporting substitute decision making schemes contravene the CRPD and must be revoked. The CRPD Committee insists that every person can make decisions with sufficient support and that if a person lacks capacity to make a decision, we must rely on their ‘will and preferences’. Many international legal scholars have called this interpretation unrealistic. We agree and, in this article, describe how this unrealistic approach would result in extensive harm and suffering for people with severe cognitive or psychotic disorders. The reader should also be aware that the CRPD Committee also calls for the elimination of all mental health acts and the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights for the abandonment of the not criminally responsible (NCR) defence.