bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Invasive shigellosis in MSM
Authors: Serafino Wani Robert L , Filson Sarah A , Chattaway Marie A , Godbole Gauri
Published: October 2015

Shigella flexneri is an emerging pathogen in men who have sex with men (MSM); recent outbreaks related to sexual practices have been noted in this population in the UK and other developed countries. While the majority of cases of shigellosis present with gastroenteritis, some vulnerable patients with underlying immunosuppression can develop complications like bacteraemia and may present atypically as an acute surgical emergency. This case report highlights such a case of S. flexneri bacteraemia in a man who had sex with men.
Efficacy of raltegravir-containing regimens in antiretroviral-naïve and -experienced individuals in routine clinical practice
Authors: Jaeckle M , Khaykin P , Haberl A , De Leuw P , Schüttfort G , Stephan C , Wolf T
Published: October 2015

Summary

Raltegravir is one of the standard antiretroviral therapy (ART) options in treatment-experienced and -naïve patients. However, efficacy data from clinical practice are scarce. Therefore, the efficacy of raltegravir-containing ART in clinical practice was investigated retrospectively. In all, 295 treatment-naïve and -experienced patients were analysed using two different cut-offs for virological failure (200 or 50 copies/ml). The response at week 24 and onwards was evaluated as a ‘time to loss of virological response’ analysis and estimated as a survival function. Additionally, dual therapy regimens (raltegravir plus boosted protease inhibitor) were compared to standard combinations in experienced patients performing a snapshot analysis at weeks 24 and 48, as well as a time to loss of virological response analysis. A total of 86.2% of the 64 treatment-naïve patients maintained virological suppression using a cut-off of 200 copies/ml (c/ml), while 67.7% maintained virological suppression with a 50 copies/ml cut-off from week 24 until the end of observation. Among the 231 treatment-experienced patients, 84.8% maintained virological suppression from week 24 onwards using a cut-off of 200 copies/ml; and 71.0% using 50 copies/ml, respectively. In the subgroup snapshot analysis at week 24, 98.3% (86.7% using a cut-off of 50 copies/ml) and at week 48, 93.3% (80.0%) of patients responded to dual therapy. Patients who were receiving a standard background therapy responded in 88.3% (81.3%) at week 24 and in 86.0% (80.7%) at week 48. Differences were not significant. This study shows again the overall long-term efficacy of raltegravir-based ART and furthermore gives reference for a comparable efficacy of dual and standard nucleos(t)ide reverse transcriptase inhibitor–backbone regimens in experienced patients on raltegravir over a period of 48 weeks in a real-life cohort where patients with severe comorbidities were included.
Combination of paracetamol or ketamine with meperidine enhances antinociception
Authors: Kula A , Akkar OB , Gulturk S , Cetin M , Cetin A
Published: October 2015

Objectives:

Dealing with pain is one of the most important issues of medicine. All of the studies aim to find a drug or combination of drugs in order to have more effective analgesia and less side effects. In this study, we aimed to investigate the antinociceptive effects of combination of paracetamol or ketamine with meperidine.

Methods:

In this study, we evaluated the systemic antinociceptive effects of meperidine, paracetamol, and ketamine one by one with their combinations. We used 50 mice (weighing 25–30 g), which were divided into 5 groups with each group consisting of 10 mice. Meperidine was applied to animals with increasing doses and their tail flick latencies (TFL) were noted at 20, 40, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min. The same protocol was repeated after the combination of meperidine with paracetamol or ketamine.

Results:

There was no analgesic effect on low doses of ketamine and paracetamol at TFL measurements. But the combination of low doses of these drugs with meperidine significantly increased TFL ( p < 0.05).

Conclusion:

It was observed that meperidine + ketamine and meperidine + paracetamol combinations have potent analgesic effect.
Medical Students’ Professionalism Narratives Reveal That Experiences With Death, Dying, or Palliative Care Are More Positive Than Other Experiences During Their Internal Medicine Clerkship
Authors: Cripe Larry D. , Hedrick David G. , Rand Kevin L. , Burns Debra , Banno Daniella , Cottingham Ann , Litzelman Debra , Hoffmann Mary L. , Martenyi Nora , PhD Richard M. Frankel
Published: October 2015

Purpose:

More physicians need to acquire the skills of primary palliative care. Medical students’ clerkship experiences with death, dying, and palliative care (DDPC), however, may create barriers to learning such skills during residency. Whether professional development is differentially affected by DDPC is unknown. This knowledge gap potentially hinders the development of educational strategies to optimize students’ preparedness for primary palliative care.

Method:

Third-year students submitted professionalism narratives (N = 4062) during their internal medicine clerkship between 2004 and 2011. We identified DDPC-related narratives and then randomly selected control narratives. Narratives were compared by valence (positive or negative) and professionalism-related themes.

Results and Conclusion:

Less than 10% of the narratives were related to DDPC, but the majority was positive. There was a significant overlap in professionalism themes between DDPC and control narratives. The results suggest student preparedness for primary palliative care may be improved by addressing the common professionalism challenges of clinical clerkships.
Physical activity across the life-span: Does feeling physically younger help you to plan physical activities?
Authors: Wienert Julian , Gellert Paul , Lippke Sonia
Published: October 2015

We tested whether the relationship between subjective physical age and physical activity is mediated by planning. Participants came from a broad age range (25–78 years, M = 39.57, standard deviation = 10.75) and reported relatively good health ( M = 3.36, standard deviation = 0.90). The model supported the suggested mediation ( β = −.01, standard error = .01, p = .042). Feeling physically younger is associated with higher planning to adopt higher levels of physical activity and more planning is associated with more subsequent physical activity. Results open avenues for interventions that help people to become more active by focusing on subjective age. One way to do so might be tailoring approaches for interventions.
Prevalence of burnout in Polish anesthesiologists and anesthetist nursing professionals: A comparative non-randomized cross-sectional study
Authors: Misiołek Aleksandra , Gil-Monte Pedro R , Misiołek Hanna
Published: October 2015

The purpose of the study was to assess the burnout levels in nurses ( N = 161) versus physicians ( N = 373). The levels of burnout were evaluated by the Polish adaptation of the Spanish Burnout Inventory (Cronbach’s alpha > .70). High burnout level was found in 18.63 percent nurses and 12.06 percent anesthesiologists, and critical level in 3.74 percent nurses and 5.90 percent anesthetists. There were statistically significant differences in Burnout global score, Enthusiasm toward the job, Psychological exhaustion, and Indolence subscales between nurses and physicians. No significant differences were found between sexes in any variable.
Discerning the impact of personal and situational variables in risk perception of coronary heart disease
Authors: Figueiras Maria João , Maroco João , Monteiro Rita , Caeiro Raúl , Neto David D
Published: October 2015

Research into how people perceive risk has highlighted the interaction between the available information and personal variables and their impact on judgement. This study sought to identify demographic and health variables that influenced risk and the influence of individual risk assessment, dispositional optimism and negative affect on judgement. A total of 476 participants were asked to make risks judgements of 24 vignettes depicting hypothetical risk scenarios. The findings showed that while people are able to correctly recognise, in others, relevant risk factors for coronary heart disease, risk perception is likely to imply a personal consideration of the same risk factors in themselves.
Care as social organization: Creating, maintaining and dissolving significant relations
Authors: Thelen Tatjana
Published: October 2015

Although increasingly debated in public, scholarly discourses on care remain frag- mented. This is not only due to the scientific division of labor, but also to different national research traditions as well as to categories that link predefined relations to specific practices. In this article I set out to establish care practices as vital elements of social organization in order to overcome commonplace dichotomies such as private-public, good–bad, modern–traditional, and micro–macro. In order to facilitate making care a central element of anthropological theory, I revisit diverse theoretical frameworks from Marxism and feminism to disability, social security and humanitarianism studies. With the decline of Marxist anthropology, the awareness it once raised regarding `public' aspects of care has virtually vanished. Today practices of care are mostly discussed in kinship debates, with the result that the importance of care for other social relations is underestimated. Finally, I propose a processual conceptualization of care with a focus on practices that can enhance our understanding of the links and overlaps between relationships that are usually analysed within distinct spheres of social life, such as economics and politics.
Digital work
Authors: Gandini Alessandro
Published: October 2015

Existing research shows that self-branding in the knowledge economy is a key promotional device for the pursuit of self-realization in a context that reifies entrepreneurialism as the main ideological stance. However, there is still reluctance to fully acknowledge the processes of sociality that constitute self-branding practice. While the relationship between branding and the affective dynamics of social production of value fostered by the diffusion of Web 2.0 is widely acknowledged in the literature, there still seems to be a lack of understanding of the extent to which self-branding relates to social relationships in the production of socialized value for individuals. The study of self-branding practices across digital freelance professions in the knowledge economy reveals how social media has come to represent a working tool that serves the curation of a professional image and the management of social relationships via the enactment of performative practices of sociality, which exist around a shared notion of reputation as value. Here, self-branding becomes an investment in social relationships with expected return for the acquisition of a reputation. This substantially equates self-branding with what social theory calls social capital, being instrumental to secure employment in the freelance-based labour market of the digital knowledge economy.
Featured Article: Nuclear export of opioid growth factor receptor is CRM1 dependent
Authors: Kren Nancy P , Zagon Ian S , McLaughlin Patricia J
Published: October 2015

Opioid growth factor receptor (OGFr) facilitates growth inhibition in the presence of its specific ligand opioid growth factor (OGF), chemically termed [Met5]-enkephalin. The function of the OGF-OGFr axis requires the receptor to translocate to the nucleus. However, the mechanism of nuclear export of OGFr is unknown. In this study, endogenous OGFr, as well as exogenously expressed OGFr-EGFP, demonstrated significant nuclear accumulation in response to leptomycin B (LMB), an inhibitor of CRM1-dependent nuclear export, suggesting that OGFr is exported in a CRM1-dependent manner. One consensus sequence for a nuclear export signal (NES) was identified. Mutation of the associated leucines, L217 L220 L223 and L225, to alanine resulted in decreased nuclear accumulation. NES-EGFP responded to LMB, indicating that this sequence is capable of functioning as an export signal in isolation. To determine why the sequence functions differently in isolation than as a full length protein, the localization of subNES was evaluated in the presence and absence of MG132, a potent inhibitor of proteosomal degradation. MG132 had no effect of subNES localization. The role of tandem repeats located at the C-terminus of OGFr was examined for their role in nuclear trafficking. Six of seven tandem repeats were removed to form deltaTR. DeltaTR localized exclusively to the nucleus indicating that the tandem repeats may contribute to the localization of the receptor. Similar to the loss of cellular proliferation activity (i.e. inhibition) recorded with subNES, deltaTR also demonstrated a significant loss of inhibitory activity indicating that the repeats may be integral to receptor function. These experiments reveal that OGFr contains one functional NES, L217 L220 L223 and L225 and can be exported from the nucleus in a CRM1-dependent manner.
Influence of Spinal Cord Integrity on Gait Control in Human Spinal Cord Injury
Authors: Awai Lea , Bolliger Marc , Ferguson Adam R. , Courtine Grégoire , Curt Armin
Published: October 2015

Background. Clinical trials in spinal cord injury (SCI) primarily rely on simplified outcome metrics (ie, speed, distance) to obtain a global surrogate for the complex alterations of gait control. However, these assessments lack sufficient sensitivity to identify specific patterns of underlying impairment and to target more specific treatment interventions. Objective. To disentangle the differential control of gait patterns following SCI beyond measures of time and distance. Methods. The gait of 22 individuals with motor-incomplete SCI and 21 healthy controls was assessed using a high-resolution 3-dimensional motion tracking system and complemented by clinical and electrophysiological evaluations applying unbiased multivariate analysis. Results. Motor-incomplete SCI patients showed varying degrees of spinal cord integrity (spinal conductivity) with severe limitations in walking speed and altered gait patterns. Principal component (PC) analysis applied on all the collected data uncovered robust coherence between parameters related to walking speed, distortion of intralimb coordination, and spinal cord integrity, explaining 45% of outcome variance (PC 1). Distinct from the first PC, the modulation of gait-cycle variables (step length, gait-cycle phases, cadence; PC 2) remained normal with respect to regained walking speed, whereas hip and knee ranges of motion were distinctly altered with respect to walking speed (PC 3). Conclusions. In motor-incomplete SCI, distinct clusters of discretely controlled gait parameters can be discerned that refine the evaluation of gait impairment beyond outcomes of walking speed and distance. These findings are specifically different from that in other neurological disorders (stroke, Parkinson) and are more discrete at targeting and disentangling the complex effects of interventions to improve walking outcome following motor-incomplete SCI.
Qualitative research in critical care: Has its time finally come?
Authors: Charlesworth Michael , A Foëx Bernard
Published: October 2015

As clinicians, we are well acquainted with using randomised controlled trials, case–control studies and cohort studies together with p-values, odds ratios and confidence intervals to understand and improve the way in which we care for our patients. We have a degree of familiarity, trust and confidence with well-performed scientific quantitative studies in critical care and we make a judgment about our practice based on their recommendations. The same cannot be said of qualitative research, and its use accounts for only a small proportion of published studies in critical care. There are many research questions in our environment that lend themselves to a qualitative research design. Our positivistic education as doctors potentially incites distrust towards such studies and, as such, they are seldom undertaken in our units. We aim to describe and discuss the differences between quantitative and qualitative research with focus being given to common misunderstandings and misconceptions. An overview of the methods of data collection and analysis is provided with references towards published qualitative studies in critical care. Finally, we provide pragmatic and practical instruction and guidance for those wishing to undertake their own qualitative study in critical care.
Exercise and the Development of the Artificial Pancreas
Authors: Riddell Michael C. , Zaharieva Dessi P. , Yavelberg Loren , Cinar Ali , Jamnik Veronica K.
Published: October 2015

Regular physical activity (PA) promotes numerous health benefits for people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). However, PA also complicates blood glucose control. Factors affecting blood glucose fluctuations during PA include activity type, intensity and duration as well as the amount of insulin and food in the body at the time of the activity. To maintain equilibrium with blood glucose concentrations during PA, the rate of glucose appearance (Ra) to disappearance (Rd) in the bloodstream must be balanced. In nondiabetics, there is a rise in glucagon and a reduction in insulin release at the onset of mild to moderate aerobic PA. During intense aerobic -anaerobic work, insulin release first decreases and then rises rapidly in early recovery to offset a more dramatic increase in counterregulatory hormones and metabolites. An “exercise smart” artificial pancreas (AP) must be capable of sensing glucose and perhaps other physiological responses to various types and intensities of PA. The emergence of this new technology may benefit active persons with T1D who are prone to hypo and hyperglycemia.
Accuracy of four-dimensional CT angiography in detection and characterisation of arteriovenous malformations and dural arteriovenous fistulas
Authors: Biswas Shubhabrata , Chandran Arun , Radon Mark , Puthuran Mani , Bhojak Maneesh , Nahser Hans Christean , Das Kumar
Published: October 2015

A retrospective review was made to assess the accuracy of four dimensional CT angiogram (4D-CTA) in diagnosis of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) and dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVF), with catheter-based digital-subtraction angiogram (DSA) being gold standard. 33 pairs of investigations (DSA and 4D-CTA) were performed primarily for suspicion of AVM/DAVF. Based on blinded reports, sensitivity and specificity for detection of AVM/DAVF were 77% (95% CI: 46 - 95%) and 100% (95% CI: 83 - 100%) respectively. Positive predictive value was 100% (95% CI: 69 - 100%) and negative predictive value 87% (95% CI: 66-97%). 4D-CTA is a practical minimally-invasive technique for evaluating cerebrovascular pathologies. There is good agreement between the findings of 4D-CTA and DSA despite the differences in temporal and spatial resolutions. 4D-CTA may obviate the need for DSA in a subgroup of patients who would otherwise have undergone this invasive investigation, which carries a risk of important complications.
Imaging of skull base pathologies: Role of advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques
Authors: Mathur Ankit , Jain Narendra , Kesavadas C , Thomas Bejoy , Kapilamoorthy TR
Published: October 2015

Imaging plays a vital role in evaluation of skull base pathologies as this region is not directly accessible for clinical evaluation. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have played complementary roles in the diagnosis of the various neoplastic and non-neoplastic lesions of the skull base. However, CT and conventional MRI may at times be insufficient to correctly pinpoint the accurate diagnosis. Advanced MRI techniques, though difficult to apply in the skull base region, in conjunction with CT and conventional MRI can however help in improving the diagnostic accuracy. This article aims to highlight the importance of advanced MRI techniques like diffusion-weighted imaging, susceptibility-weighted imaging, perfusion-weighted imaging, and MR spectroscopy in differentiation of various lesions involving the skull base.
Neuroimaging evaluation in refractory epilepsy
Authors: Granados Ana M , Orejuela Juan F , Rodriguez-Takeuchi Sara Y
Published: October 2015

Purpose

To describe the application of neuroimaging analysis, compared to neuropsychological tests and video-electroencephalogram, for the evaluation of refractory epilepsy in a reference centre in Cali, Colombia.

Methods

Between March 2013 and November 2014, 29 patients, 19 men and 10 women, aged 9–65 years and with refractory epilepsy, were assessed by structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing tasks related to language, verbal and non-verbal memory. Also, volumetric evaluation was performed. A 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner was used in all cases.

Results

Neuroimaging evaluation identified 13 patients with mesial temporal sclerosis. The remaining patients were classified as: 10 patients with neoplastic masses, two patients with cortical atrophy, two patients with scarring lesions and two patients with non-structural aetiology. Among patients with mesial temporal sclerosis, comparison between techniques for lateralising the epileptogenic foci was made; the κ index between functional magnetic resonance imaging and hippocampi volumetry was κ = 1.00, agreement between neuroimaging and video-electroencephalogram was good (κ = 0.78) and comparison with a neuropsychological test was mild (κ = 0.24).

Conclusions

Neuroimaging studies allow the assessment of functional and structural damage related to epileptogenic lesions and foci, and are helpful to select surgical treatment, conduct intraoperative neuronavigation techniques, predict surgical deficits and evaluate patient recovery.
Final infarct volume discriminates outcome in mild strokes
Authors: Vagal Achala S , Sucharew Heidi , Prabhakaran Shyam , Khatri Pooja , Jovin Tudor , Michel Patrik , Wintermark Max
Published: October 2015

Introduction

Knowledge of whether final infarct volume (FIV) predicts disability after mild stroke is limited. We sought to determine if FIV could differentiate good versus poor outcome after mild stroke.

Methods

We retrospectively identified 65 patients with mild stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≤5) in a multicenter registry of 2453 patients. We evaluated associations between FIV and clinical outcome and evaluated the optimal FIV threshold that discriminated favorable (modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0–1) versus poor (mRS 2–6) outcome.

Results

The FIV cut-point of 20 mL differentiated favorable and poor outcomes (area under curve (AUC) 0.73, 95% confidence interval: 0.58–0.88). Favorable outcome was observed in 37/45 (82%) with FIV < 20 mL, compared to 5/14 (36%) with FIV ≥ 20 mL ( p < 0.01). FIV ≥ 20 mL remained strongly associated with poor outcome independent of age, gender, stroke severity, Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS), and proximal arterial occlusion.

Conclusion

In our small sample size, an FIV of 20 mL best differentiated between the likelihood of good versus poor outcome in patients with mild stroke. Further validation of infarct volume as a surrogate marker in mild stroke is warranted.
Neurologic injuries after primary total ankle arthroplasty: prevalence and effect on outcomes
Authors: Primadi Andri , Xu He‐Xing , Yoon Taek‐Rim , Ryu Je‐Hwang , Lee Keun‐Bae
Published: October 2015

Background

Neurologic injuries are complications that can arise after total joint arthroplasty. However, no comprehensive study has been conducted on peripheral nerve injuries after total ankle arthroplasty. The purpose of the present study was to identify the prevalence of neurologic injury following primary total ankle arthroplasty, the predisposing factors, and evaluate the effect on clinical outcomes.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 150 consecutive primary total ankle arthroplasty using the mobile‐bearing prosthesis between January 2005 and December 2011, in 150 patients with symptomatic ankle end‐stage arthritis. All the patients were divided into groups according to whether they had postoperative peripheral neuropathy (23 patients) or not (127 patients). We investigated the prevalence, predisposing factors, and effect on clinical outcomes of neurologic injuries. The mean age was 61.3 years, and the mean follow‐up period was 41.8 months.

Results

There were 23 nerve injuries (15.3 %), including nine in posterior tibial nerves, six superficial peroneal nerves, six deep peroneal nerves, one saphenous nerve, and one sural nerve. Neurologic injury was significantly associated with the development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis, but it was not significantly associated with other predisposing factors, such as age, gender, body mass index, and symptom duration. Of the 23 nerve injuries, 13 (56.5 %) presented a complete, spontaneous recovery, 9 (39.1 %) presented an incomplete recovery, and 1 (4.3 %) presented no recovery. The patients with neurologic injury had significantly lower American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society scores and lower levels of patient satisfaction.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that the prevalence of neurologic injury after total ankle arthroplasty is considerable, and that neurologic injury is associated with low levels of patient satisfaction and poor clinical outcomes at mean of 3 years, postoperatively. Care is needed to reduce the occurrence of neurologic injuries.
Development of an Enhanced Sensitivity Bead-Based Immunoassay for Real-Time In Vivo Detection of Pancreatic β-Cell Death
Authors: Costa Olivier R. , Stangé Geert , Verhaeghen Katrijn , Brackeva Benedicte , Nonneman Ellen , Hampe Christiane S. , Ling Zhidong , Pipeleers Daniel , Gorus Frans K. , Martens Geert A.
Published: October 2015

There is a clinical need for plasma tests to detect and quantify the in vivo destruction of pancreatic β-cells in type 1 diabetes. We previously developed a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay (TRFIA) to glutamate decarboxylase 65 kDa (GAD65) (GAD65-TRFIA) that was able to detect the synchronous necrotic destruction of transplanted β-cells in the hours after their infusion in the liver. This GAD65-TRFIA, however, lacked sensitivity to detect continued β-cell rejection beyond this acute phase. The aim of present study was to gain at least an order of magnitude in analytical sensitivity by switching to Becton Dickinson cytometric bead array (CBA) (GAD65-CBA) enhanced sensitivity format, using the same couple of monoclonal antibodies. We compared the performances of GAD65-CBA and GAD65-TRFIA using Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute protocols for linearity, imprecision, specificity, limit of detection, and functional sensitivity. We conducted a method comparison and assessed the biologic potential on samples from human recipients of islet grafts. The GAD65-CBA showed acceptable linearity and imprecision. Switching from TRFIA to CBA lowered functional sensitivity by a factor 35 and lowered limit of detection by a factor 11 with minimal need for method optimization. The enhanced sensitivity greatly expands the application domain of our biomarker and allowed for the first time to detect ongoing β-cell destruction up to at least 1 day after islet transplantation. We conclude that the GAD65-CBA is suitable for biological and clinical assessment of the real-time destruction of β-cells in intraportal transplantation.
Imperialism as a Way of Life
Authors: Briggs Laura
Published: October 2015

This article reflects on the continued importance of feminist and queer activism and scholarship to understanding US imperialism, whether its subjects are taken to be war, securitization, and militarism; globalizing neoliberal capitalism; or ecological devastation. It explores the rape and sexualized torture of Arab/Muslim men in the war on terror, the targeting of women as the proper subjects of microfinance and other credit products, and women, men, cyborgs, and sex in speculative fiction about climate change.
“Hordes of Red-Skinned Warriors”
Authors: Phillips Katrina
Published: October 2015

This essay examines four images from the Apostle Islands Indian Pageant staged on the Red Cliff Ojibwe Reservation in northern Wisconsin in the mid-1920s. The essay argues that these photographs embody the gendered, racialized, and sexualized tropes of American Indians wherein indigenous bodies and indigenous histories were used to justify conquest and colonization. Painting Indians as exotic, erotic “others” served a dual purpose: not only did it rationalize colonialism, but it also created a market demand for cultural tourism in which non-Natives leapt at the opportunity to see live performances of traditional songs and dances and to traverse the country to see productions of Indian history performed by Indians. The Apostle Islands Indian Pageant symbolizes the juncture of race, sex, empire, and indigeneity in the early twentieth century.
Homomilitarism
Authors: Camacho Keith L.
Published: October 2015

This article examines articulations for and against gay marriage in the successful legalization of Bill 232 in Hawai‘i and in the failed passage of Bill 185 in Guam to signal a profound ideological shift in the US colonization of these locations. The article likens this shift to a discursive and material process it calls “homomilitarism,” wherein the same-sex erotics of gay marriage have emerged to confront and reproduce the dominant paradigm of heteronormativity in the militarist and tourist industries of the Pacific. While these systems appear unrelated, the article demonstrates how they, in fact, constitute a new discourse of American rule in the post-9/11 Pacific. In this way, homomilitarism can be read as a contemporary brand of imperial discourse through which debates on same-sex rights, legislation, and marriage are vigorously advanced or restricted while simultaneously upholding the US empire in Guam and Hawai‘i and marginalizing indigenous claims to these islands.
Targeting of ribosomal protein S6 to dendritic spines byin vivohigh frequency stimulation to induce long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus
Authors: Nihonmatsu Itsuko , Ohkawa Noriaki , Saitoh Yoshito , Inokuchi Kaoru
Published: October 2015

Late phase long-term potentiation (L-LTP) in the hippocampus is believed to be the cellular basis of long-term memory. Protein synthesis is required for persistent forms of synaptic plasticity, including L-LTP. Neural activity is thought to enhance local protein synthesis in dendrites, and one of the mechanisms required to induce or maintain the long-lasting synaptic plasticity is protein translation in the dendrites. One regulator of translational processes is ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6), a component of the small 40S ribosomal subunit. Although polyribosomes containing rpS6 are observed in dendritic spines, it remains unclear whether L-LTP induction triggers selective targeting of the translational machinery to activated synapses in vivo. Therefore, we investigated synaptic targeting of the translational machinery by observing rpS6 immunoreactivity during high frequency stimulation (HFS) for L-LTP induction in vivo. Immunoelectron microscopic analysis revealed a selective but transient increase in rpS6 immunoreactivity occurring as early as 15 min after the onset of HFS in dendritic spine heads at synaptic sites receiving HFS. Concurrently, levels of the rpS6 protein rapidly declined in somata of granule cells, as determined using immunofluorescence microscopy. These results suggest that the translational machinery is rapidly targeted to activated spines and that this targeting mechanism may contribute to the establishment of L-LTP.
Mechano-logical model of C. elegans germ line suggests feedback on the cell cycle
Authors: Atwell Kathryn , Qin Zhao , Gavaghan David , Kugler Hillel , Hubbard E. Jane Albert , Osborne James M.
Published: October 2015

The C. elegans germ line is an outstanding model system to study the control of cell division and differentiation. While many of the molecules that regulate germ cell proliferation and fate decisions have been identified, how these signals interact with cellular dynamics and physical forces within the gonad remains poorly understood. We therefore developed a dynamic, 3D in silico model of the C. elegans germ line, incorporating both the mechanical interactions between cells and the decision-making processes within cells. Our model successfully reproduces key features of the germ line during development and adulthood, including a reasonable ovulation rate, correct sperm count, and appropriate organization of the germ line into stably maintained zones. The model highlights a previously overlooked way in which germ cell pressure may influence gonadogenesis, and also predicts that adult germ cells may be subject to mechanical feedback on the cell cycle akin to contact inhibition. We provide experimental data consistent with the latter hypothesis. Finally, we present cell trajectories and ancestry recorded over the course of a simulation. The novel approaches and software described here link mechanics and cellular decision-making, and are applicable to modeling other developmental and stem cell systems.
Biocompatible Nanoparticle Based on Dextran-b-Poly(l-lactide) Block Copolymer Formed by Flash Nanoprecipitation
Authors: Wang Mingwei , Xu Yisheng , Wang Jie , Liu Miaomiao , Yuan Zhenyu , Chen Kai , Li Li , Prud’homme Robert K , Guo Xuhong
Published: October 2015

Biocompatible amphiphilic block copolymer dextran-b-poly(l-lactide) was synthesized by the end-to-end coupling of amino-terminated dextran and acryloyl-terminated poly(l-lactide). The dextran block copolymer was used to rapidly prepare nanoparticles encapsulating β-carotene through flash nanoprecipitation. The nanoparticle size can be tuned by different solvent ratios and stream velocities. The nanoparticles could be stably preserved for more than half a month, and an “anti-Ostwald” phenomenon was observed in the first week. The results indicate that flash nanoprecipitation is a promising method to prepare polysaccharide nanoparticles as drug carriers.
Composite HZSM-5 with Nanosheets for Higher Light Olefin Selectivity and Longer Lifetime in Catalytic Cracking Mixed Light Hydrocarbons
Authors: Fan Subing , Zhou Jiao , Lv Junmin , Liu Min , Huang Hantao , Zhang Jianli , Zhao Tian-Sheng
Published: October 2015

Composite HZSM-5 with nanosheets was dynamically synthesized using the soft template method. The textural and acid properties obtained by means of XRD, SEM, TEM, N2 sorption, NH3-TPD, and so on were characterized and their effect in catalytic cracking of mixed C4–C6 hydrocarbons to light olefins was investigated. Mesopores showed a positive effect on light olefin selectivity much greater than acidity. Composite samples with more mesopores and appropriate acidity exhibited higher light olefin selectivity and longer lifetime in a fixed bed reactor.
Sonochemiluminescence from Lucigenin in an Aqueous Solution Using Alcohols as Coreactant
Authors: Matsuoka Masanori , Jin Jiye
Published: October 2015

Sonochemiluminescence (SCL) from aqueous lucigenin (Luc2+) solutions is described in this study for the first time. It is found that strong SCL can be generated from the oxygen-saturated solution containing a small amount of Luc2+ and alcohol, and the possible pathways for the Luc2+ SCL system are discussed.
Various Actuating Motions of Conducting Polymers Actuators on Inorganic Conductive Substrate Formed from Polypyrrole and Gold
Authors: Tamesue Shingo , Endo Genki , Ishizaki Ryota , Mitsumata Tetsu , Tsubokawa Norio , Yamauchi Takeshi
Published: October 2015

In order to create more flexible and robust soft actuators, organic/inorganic hybrid actuating fibers were prepared by coating gold fibers in polypyrrole using electropolymerization. The linear, coiled, and helical hybrid fibers were prepared by deforming gold fibers in advance. The obtained fibers exhibit various actuating motions, such as bending, stretching, and rotating motions, due to shrinking and expanding of polypyrrole by doping and de-doping of lithium cations. Merit of the actuating fibers prepared in this research is that the fibers are thin and can be easily combined. Hence, the actuating forces of the fibers caused by doping and de-doping can be amplified by combining the fibers. As a result, heavier weights could be lifted, proportional to the number of fibers combined.
Disability Insurance and the Dynamics of the Incentive Insurance Trade-Off
Authors: Low Hamish , Pistaferri Luigi
Published: October 2015

We provide a life-cycle framework for comparing insurance and disincentive effects of disability benefits. The risks that individuals face and the parameters of the Disability Insurance (DI) program are estimated from consumption, health, disability insurance, and wage data. We characterize the effects of disability insurance and study how policy reforms impact behavior and welfare. DI features high rejection rates of disabled applicants and some acceptance of healthy applicants. Despite worse incentives, welfare increases as programs become less strict or generosity increases. Disability insurance interacts with welfare programs: making unconditional means-tested programs more generous improves disability insurance targeting and increases welfare. (JEL D14, J24, J65)
Competition, Markups, and the Gains from International Trade
Authors: Edmond Chris , Midrigan Virgiliu , Xu Daniel Yi
Published: October 2015

We study the procompetitive gains from international trade in a quantitative model with endogenously variable markups. We find that trade can significantly reduce markup distortions if two conditions are satisfied: (i) there is extensive misallocation, and (ii) opening to trade exposes hitherto dominant producers to greater competitive pressure. We measure the extent to which these two conditions are satisfied in Taiwanese producer-level data. Versions of our model consistent with the Taiwanese data predict that opening up to trade strongly increases competition and reduces markup distortions by up to one-half, thus significantly reducing productivity losses due to misallocation. (JEL D43, F12, F14, L13, L60, O47)
Non-Optimal Mechanism Design
Authors: Hartline Jason D. , Lucier Brendan
Published: October 2015

The optimal allocation of resources in complex environments—like allocation of dynamic wireless spectrum, cloud computing services, and Internet advertising—is computationally challenging even given the true preferences of the participants. In the theory and practice of optimization in complex environments, a wide variety of special and general purpose algorithms have been developed; these algorithms produce outcomes that are satisfactory but not generally optimal or incentive compatible. This paper develops a very simple approach for converting any, potentially non-optimal, algorithm for optimization given the true participant preferences, into a Bayesian incentive compatible mechanism that weakly improves social welfare and revenue. (JEL D82, H82, L82)
Types to the rescue as technology taxes taxonomists, or The New Disappearance
Authors: Figueiredo Estrela , Smith Gideon F.
Published: October 2015

We argue that type specimens, and the designation of type specimens, for the names of algae, fungi and plants (and other organisms for that matter) remain critically important as technological advances approach the point where taxonomy, and by implication taxonomists, may become redundant. Types must serve as the link between the enormous amount of information accumulated on these organisms and the organisms' correct names. Types best accomplish this when the information for an organism can be applied to the type itself. To this end, we propose the establishment of an official database of types and typifications and we suggest that researchers refrain from drawing conclusions about taxa for which the types were not considered. Additional recommendations regarding the integration of types into taxonomic research are also made.
Commentary on the place of valid publication of the name Sarcococca longipetiolata (Buxaceae)
Authors: Deng Yun-Fei
Published: October 2015

Some have concluded that Sarcococca longipetiolata M. Cheng was not validly published in the 1979 publication where it was originally proposed because, even though only one gathering (Gao 53542) was cited as type in English, two gatherings (Gao 53542, Gao 54811) were indicated as types in Chinese, contrary to Art. 40. However, based on further evaluation of Cheng's trilingual (Chinese, English, Latin) protologue, it is concluded that the Chinese and English portions indicate the same thing, namely, two specimens from two gatherings were cited, with only one (Gao 53542) being given as the type. Therefore, S. longipetiolata M. Cheng was validly published in 1979. A lectotype for S. longipetiolata is designated using one of the two specimens at IBSC from the Gao 53542 gathering.
Tipping Points: The Gender Segregating and Desegregating Effects of Network Recruitment
Authors: Rubineau Brian , Fernandez Roberto M.
Published: October 2015

Current scholarship commonly posits that network recruitment contributes to job sex segregation and that the segregated nature of personal contact networks explains this effect. A variety of empirical findings inconsistent with this explanation demonstrate its inadequacy. Building on Kanter’s observation that recruitment processes often resemble “homosocial reproduction” [Kanter RM (1977) Men and Women of the Corporation (Basic Books, New York)], we develop a population dynamics model of network recruitment. The resulting formal model builds a parsimonious theory regarding the segregating effects of network recruitment, resolving the puzzles and inconsistencies revealed by recent empirical findings. This revised theory also challenges conventional understandings of how network recruitment segregates: in isolation, network recruitment—even with segregated networks—is more likely to desegregate rather than segregate. Network recruitment segregates primarily through its interactions with other supply-side (e.g., gendered self-sorting) or demand-side (e.g., gendered referring rates) biasing mechanisms. Our model reveals whether and to what extent network recruitment segregates or desegregates, and it reveals opportunities for organizational intervention. There is an easily calculable tipping point where demand-side factors such as gender differences in referring can counteract and neutralize other segregating effects from referring. Independent of other personnel practices, organizational policies affecting employees’ referring behaviors can tip the balance to determine whether network recruitment serves as a segregating or desegregating force. We ground our model empirically using three organizational cases.
Multiplexed Quantification of Proglucagon-Derived Peptides by Immunoaffinity Enrichment and Tandem Mass Spectrometry after a Meal Tolerance Test
Authors: Lee Anita Y H , Chappell Derek L , Bak Monika J , Judo Michael , Liang Linda , Churakova Tatyana , Ayanoglu Gulesi , Castro-Perez Jose , Zhou Haihong , Previs Stephen , Souza Sandra C , Lassman Michael E , Laterza Omar F
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND

Proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs), which include glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1, glucagon, and oxyntomodulin, are key regulators of glucose homeostasis and satiety. These peptide hormones are typically measured with immuno-based assays (e.g., ELISA, RIA), which often suffer from issues of selectivity.

METHODS

We developed a multiplexed assay for measuring PGDPs including GLP-1 (7–36) amide, GLP-1 (9–36) amide, glucagon, and oxyntomodulin by mass spectrometry and used this assay to examine the effect of a meal tolerance test on circulating concentrations of these hormones. Participants fasted overnight and were either given a meal (n = 8) or continued to fast (n = 4), with multiple blood collections over the course of 3 h. Plasma samples were analyzed by microflow immunoaffinity (IA)-LC-MS/MS with an isotope dilution strategy.

RESULTS

Assay performance characteristics were examined and established during analytical validation for all peptides. Intra- and interassay imprecision were found to be 2.2%–10.7% and 6.8%–22.5%, respectively. Spike recovery was >76%, and dilution linearity was established up to a 16-fold dilution. Immediately after the meal tolerance test, GLP-1 and oxyntomodulin concentrations increased and had an almost identical temporal relationship, and glucagon concentrations increased with a slight delay.

CONCLUSIONS

IA-LC-MS/MS was used for the simultaneous and selective measurement of PGDPs. This work includes the first indication of the physiological concentrations and modulation of oxyntomodulin after a meal.
DMSO Increases Mutation Scanning Detection Sensitivity of High-Resolution Melting in Clinical Samples
Authors: Song Chen , Castellanos-Rizaldos Elena , Bejar Rafael , Ebert Benjamin L , Makrigiorgos G Mike
Published: October 2015

BACKGROUND

Mutation scanning provides the simplest, lowest-cost method for identifying DNA variations on single PCR amplicons, and it may be performed before sequencing to avoid screening of noninformative wild-type samples. High-resolution melting (HRM) is the most commonly used method for mutation scanning. With PCR-HRM, however, mutations less abundant than approximately 3%–10% that can still be clinically significant may often be missed. Therefore, enhancing HRM detection sensitivity is important for mutation scanning and its clinical application.

METHODS

We used serial dilution of cell lines containing the TP53 exon 8 mutation to demonstrate the improvement in detection sensitivity for conventional-PCR-HRM in the presence of DMSO. We also conducted coamplification at lower denaturation temperature (COLD)-PCR with an extra step for cross-hybridization, followed by preferential denaturation and amplification at optimized critical temperature (full-COLD-PCR), to further enrich low-level mutations before HRM with or without DMSO, and we used droplet-digital PCR to derive the optimal conditions for mutation enrichment. Both conventional PCR-HRM and full-COLD-PCR-HRM with and without DMSO were used for mutation scanning of TP53 exon 8 in cancer samples containing known mutations and myelodysplastic syndrome samples with unknown mutations. Mutations in other genes were also examined.

RESULTS

The detection sensitivity of PCR-HRM scanning increases 2- to 5-fold in the presence of DMSO, depending on mutation type and sequence context, and can typically detect mutation abundance of approximately 1%. When mutation enrichment is applied during amplification with full-COLD-PCR followed by HRM in the presence of DMSO, mutations with 0.2%–0.3% abundance in TP53 exon 8 can be detected.

CONCLUSIONS

DMSO improves HRM mutation scanning sensitivity with saturating dyes. When full-COLD-PCR is used, followed by DMSO-HRM, the overall improvement is about 20-fold compared with conventional PCR-HRM.
Emotional priming of digital images through mobile telesmell and virtual food
Authors: Braun Marius Hans , Pradana Gilang Andi , Buchanan George , Cheok Adrian David , Velasco Carlos , Spence Charles , Aduriz Andoni Luis , Gross Jade , Lasa Dani
Published: October 2015

The sense of smell has been recognized as an important factor governing our emotions and memory. Nevertheless, it remains the most underexplored sense and is still a relatively new modality in the domain of Human–Computer Interaction. In this article, we report on initial findings from our ongoing research to find support for the significance of smell next to and above other senses as a medium of digital communication. Firstly, we examine the effect of olfactory cues on the emotional perception of digital images on mobile devices with a hardware tele-smell device, Scentee. The preliminary results reveal that the addition of scent significantly modulated the emotional perception of the images, with the effect especially noticeable when scents had a contrasting emotional valence to the image content. We also introduce the application of Scentee as a virtual multi-sensory dining experience aimed at sharing the experience or preparing dishes and scents more publicly.