bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vulnerability as a Virtue: An Attempt to Transpose the Care Ethic in International Law
Authors: Blondel Marion
Published: January 2020

The utilisation of the concept of vulnerability in international law has risen exponentially. This contribution intends to analyse the issues underlying this phenomenon. Vulnerability is frequently used in a functional manner in order to enhance the protection of individuals. Therefore, even if vulnerability has been initially developed as a non-legal concept, it has now become integrated into legal discourse. As it inevitably supposes the contributions of other disciplines such as moral philosophy and legal sociology, vulnerability reshapes the ways in which individuals are protected by law. Hence, the reconsideration of several concepts, especially individual autonomy and international responsibility, paves the way for better protection of individuals.
Nomenclatural revision and lectotypification of five species of Mexican oaks: Quercus (Fagaceae)

Authors: VALENCIA-A. SUSANA , COOMBES ALLEN J.
Published: January 2020

The nomenclature of Quercus splendens, Q. peduncularis, Q. sororia, Q. lancifolia, Q. leiophylla, Q. toxicodendrifolia, Q. gentryi and Q. confertifolia is reviewed by a study of the type specimens, original descriptions and herbarium material. Quercus splendens is regarded as a synonym of Q. peduncularis; Q. sororia and Q. toxicodendrifolia are recognized as accepted names and Q. confertifolia is regarded as the accepted name for Q. gentryi. Fourteen names are lectotypified and one epitype is designated.
Typifications in fossil-species of Brasenia, Magnolia, Vitis, and Symplocos from the central European Neogene

Authors: WINTERSCHEID HEINRICH
Published: January 2020

The following names of fossil Magnoliidae with some synonyms are typified: Brasenia victoria (syn. Nymphaea doliolum) (Nymphaeaceae), M. ludwigii (syn. Magnolia lignita) and Magnolia cor (syn. Magnolia hoffmannii) (Magnoliaceae), Vitis teutonica (Vitaceae), and Symplocos casparyi (Symplocaceae).
Filling a knowledge gap of two centuries: rediscovery of Eugenia subamplexicaulis (Myrtaceae) with notes on its morphology, distribution and conservation

Authors: FERNANDES THIAGO , FARIA JAIR EUSTÁQUIO QUINTINO , PROENÇA CAROLYN ELINORE BARNES , BRAGA JOÃO MARCELO ALVARENGA
Published: January 2020

Eugenia subamplexicaulis belongs to Eugenia sect. Pilothecium and was described based on a collection made in São Paulo state by C.F.P. von Martius in 1817. After that, no other collection of this species was made until May 2018, over 200 years later, when this species was rediscovered in the rocky formation Monumento Natural da Pedra de Itaocaia, a protected area located in Rio de Janeiro state. This study provides an enhanced morphological description of the species, notes on its morphological affinities, geographic distribution and conservation status. The species can be recognized by its subsessile leaves, dichasial inflorescences and oblate fruits with up to three seeds. The fruits are described for the first time, since the original description was based only on a single flowering specimen. Additionally, the first photographic documentation of the live plant in its habitat is presented.
Typification of two Gandoger’s names in Rhamnus (Rhamnaceae)

Authors: FERRER-GALLEGO P. PABLO , ROSSELLÓ JOSEP A. , SÁEZ LLORENÇ
Published: January 2020

Gandoger’s names for Rhamnus bourgaeana and R. hispanorum (Rhamnaceae) are typified. A neotype is selected for R. bourgaeana, and a specimen preserved at M is designated as the lectotype of R. hispanorum.
Construction of Visible Light Responsive CdSe/g-C3N4 Nanocomposites for H2 Production
Authors: Kadi Mohammad W. , Mohamed Reda M. , Ismail Adel. A. , Bahnemann Detlef W.
Published: January 2020

Utilization of heterogeneous photocatalysts for H2 production using water splitting reaction under visible light is a promising approach for production of large scale sustainable, renewable, and clean energy. CdSe/g-C3N4 nanocomposites were synthesized
in this study by employing a simple aqueous synthesis method. Various CdSe contents were tested as a photocatalyst in the H2 production. XRD diffraction results confirmed the hexagonal arrangement of CdSe and its incorporation onto g-C3N4. Spherical shaped
CdSe nanoparticles were distributed on the g-C3N4 nanosheets in an orderly fashion. The photocatalytic efficiency of CdSe/g-C3N4 composites was assessed utilizing glycerol as a scavenger. The photocatalytic activity for H2 production was
enhanced by increasing the CdSe content, reaching H2 yield of up to 26000 μmol·g-1 using 5% CdSe/g-C3N4 nanocomposite. The produced H2 was higher ∼86 and 52 times than g-C3N4
and CdSe. The H2 production yield also increased with increased 5% CdSe/g-C3N4 photocatalyst load.
A Survey on Stability of Time-Delay and Networked Systems—From Nanometer, Biology, Economy to Electricity
Authors: Cui Yujia , Xiao Shenping , Xiao Huiqin
Published: January 2020

In this paper, common problems for some relatively independent systems are discussed in nature and productive activities for human society. The time-delay or networked systems and its stability are mainly analyzed in the fields of nanomaterial, biology, economy and electricity, by comparing
the mathematical models of several systems and development processes in the fields respectively. The relationship and its stability for the time-delay and networked systems are obtained through composing the above objects, and internal essence and correlation of systems are further revealed.
Finally, the development trends for the time-delay and networked systems and their stability in nanomaterial, biological, economic and electrical fields are prospected.
H2S Gas Sensor Based on WO3 Nanostructures Synthesized via Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition Technique
Authors: Shujah T. , Ikram M. , Butt A. R. , Shahzad M. K. , Rashid K. , Zafar Q. , Ali S.
Published: January 2020

Herein we demonstrate tungsten oxide (WO3 nanostructures based resistive type sensors for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas sensing utility. The WO3 dynamic layers have been deposited upon alumina substrates pre-patterned with gold (Au) interdigitated electrodes.
For comparative study, two distinct WO3 nanostructures (S-425 and S-450) have been synthesized using Aerosol Assisted Chemical Vapor Deposition (AACVD) technique at varied deposition temperatures i.e., 425 and 450 °C, respectively. The gas detecting properties of both sensors
were investigated against varied concentration (0-60 ppm) of H2S gas levels. The electrical resistance of fabricated gas detectors has been observed at DC bias of 5 V and low operating temperature 250 °C. Specifically, when concentration of H2S gas increases
from 0-10 ppm, average resistance of the S-425 and S-450 gas sensors was observed to decrease by 96.5% and 97.6%, respectively. In general, the sensing mechanism of gas sensors proposed in this work can be associated with ionosorption of oxygen species over WO3 nanostructured
surfaces. However, the significantly enhanced sensing performance of S-450 sensor may be attributed to improved crystallinity in its structure and improved ions adsorption/desorption kinetics at nanorods surface morphology.
Synthesis of Catalyst-Free Al Doped β-Ga2O3 Nanorod Arrays on Quartz Substrate by a Simple Chemical Vapor Deposition
Authors: Wang Xianghu , Pan Chengyu , You Hongyu , Li Rongbin , Zhang Jing , Jin Min , Jiao Shujie , Zhang Fabi , Guo Qixin
Published: January 2020

The Al doped β-Ga2O3 (β-Ga2O3:Al) nanorod arrays with 3.14 at% Al were successfully synthesized on quartz substrate with β-Ga2O3 seed layer by using chemical vapor deposition (CVD)
method. The experimental results showed that the β-Ga2O3 seed layer thickness had important effects on alignment of β-Ga2O3:Al nanorods. At the synthesized temperature of 910 °C, the β-Ga2O3:Al
nanorods were random, uneven length and size on seedless layer quartz substrates, disorderly stacked together to shape on quartz substrates with 17 nm thick β-Ga2O3 seed layer and inclined nanorod arrays on quartz substrates with 91 nm thick β-Ga2O3
seed layer. The XRD, XPS and EDX measurements proved that Al was doped into nanorods and substituted for Ga atom. The optical transmittances of all β-Ga2O3:Al nanorods were above 70% in the region with wavelength greater than 276 nm and showed a sharp drop
around wavelength of 250 nm. The band gap of β-Ga2O3 nanorods increased from 4.85 eV to 4.93 eV after 3.14 at% Al doping.
Improved Estimation of Proxy Sea Surface Temperature in the Arctic
Authors: Banzon Viva , Smith Thomas M. , Steele Michael , Huang Boyin , Zhang Huai-Min
Published: January 2020

Arctic sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are estimated mostly from satellite sea ice concentration (SIC) estimates. In regions with sea ice the SST is the temperature of open water or of the water under the ice. A number of different proxy SST estimates based on SIC have been developed. In recent years more Arctic quality-control buoy SSTs have become available, allowing better validation of different estimates and the development of improved proxy estimates. Here proxy SSTs from different approaches are evaluated and an improved proxy SST method is shown. The improved proxy SSTs were tested in an SST analysis, and showed reduced bias and random errors compared to the Arctic buoy SSTs. Almost all reduction in errors is in the warm melt season. In the cold season the SIC is typically high and all estimates tend to have low errors. The improved method will be incorporated into an operational SST analysis.
Image Guided Sclerotherapy of Masseteric Venous Malformations
Authors: Kumar Subhash , Bhavana Kranti , Kumar Bindey , Sinha Amit Kumar , Kumar Prem
Published: January 2020

Objective:

To describe results of image guided sclerotherapy of venous malformations (VM) localized in the masseter muscle.

Methods:

Retrospective review of prospectively maintained data was done to include consecutive cases treated over 5-year period, with minimum 6 months follow-up. Sclerotherapy was done using ultrasound (US) guided needle puncture(s) of the lesions percutaneously, and 3% polidocanol foam injected under image guidance.

Results:

Seventeen cases (10 male, 7 female) with mean age 15.6 years (range 6-28 years) were identified. Clinical presentation was with facial asymmetry, becoming pronounced on jaw clenching, and three cases had mild local pain. On US, the lesions appeared as partially compressible masses with anechoic spaces, showing color filling on releasing probe pressure. Fourteen had phleboliths. Eight patients had undergone magnetic resonance imaging, lesions appearing as oval, homogenous, lobulated, T2 hyperintense masses, with heterogeneous contrast enhancement. Number of sclerotherapy sessions were—single in four cases, two in eight cases and three in five cases, for total of 35 sessions (average 2.05 session per patient). The mean dose of drug injected per session was 1.85 mL and total mean dose per patient was 2.79 mL. Post-procedure vomiting occurred in one patient while all had local swelling and mild pain, lasting between 3 to 7 days. No facial nerve palsy or sloughing/ulceration/skin necrosis was noted. On US follow-up (6-26 months, mean 15.9 months), 12 patients had small echogenic masses without any vascularity, and five had small anechoic areas <25%. All patients had complete resolution of swelling and pain.

Conclusions:

For VMs localized to the masseter muscle, image guided sclerotherapy is highly effective and safe, and recommended as first line treatment.
Convict police and the enforcement of British order: Policing the rum economy in early New South Wales
Authors: Allen Matthew
Published: January 2020

Among the many peculiarities of early New South Wales was the absence of a police force to manage a population largely composed of convicted criminals. Instead, the early Governors were forced to employ trusted convicts and ex-convicts to act as watchmen and constables and police their fellows. This article explores the history of these neglected convict police in the context of the contemporary development of modern policing in the British world. Using a case-study of a crack-down on illicit distilling under Governor King in 1805–1806, I demonstrate that the convict police were both surprisingly effective and prone to corruption, reflecting the legacy of British policing traditions and the influence of reformist ideas.
Perspectives of End Users on the Potential Use of Trunk Exoskeletons for People With Low-Back Pain: A Focus Group Study
Authors: Baltrusch Saskia J. , Houdijk Han , van Dieën Jaap H. , van Bennekom Coen A. M. , de Kruif Anja J. T. C. M.
Published: January 2020

Objective

The objective of this study was to identify criteria to be considered when developing an exoskeleton for low-back pain patients by exploring the perceptions and expectations of potential end users.

Background

Psychosocial, psychological, physical load, and personality influence incidence of low-back pain. Body-worn assistive devices that passively support the user’s trunk, that is exoskeletons, can decrease mechanical loading and potentially reduce low-back pain. A user-centered approach improves patient safety and health outcomes, increases user satisfaction, and ensures usability. Still, previous studies have not taken psychological factors and the early involvement of end users into account.

Method

We conducted focus group studies with low-back pain patients ( n = 4) and health care professionals ( n = 8). Focus group sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed, using the general inductive approach. The focus group discussions included trying out an available exoskeleton. Questions were designed to elicit opinions about exoskeletons, desired design specifications, and usability.

Results

Important design characteristics were comfort, individual adjustability, independency in taking it on and off, and gradual adjustment of support. Patients raised concerns over loss of muscle strength. Health care professionals mentioned the risk of confirming disability of the user and increasing guarded movement in patients.

Conclusion

The focus groups showed that implementation of a trunk exoskeleton to reduce low-back pain requires an adequate implementation strategy, including supervision and behavioral coaching.

Application

For health care professionals, the optimal field of application, prevention or rehabilitation, is still under debate. Patients see potential in an exoskeleton to overcome their limitations and expect it to improve their quality of life.
Why and How to Approach User Experience in Safety-Critical Domains: The Example of Health Care
Authors: Grundgeiger Tobias , Hurtienne Jörn , Happel Oliver
Published: January 2020

Objective

To highlight the importance of the personal experience of users who interact with technology in safety-critical domains and summarize three interaction concepts and the associated theories that provide the means for addressing user experience.

Background

In health care, the dominant concepts of interaction are based on theories arising from classic cognitive psychology. These concepts focus mainly on safety and efficiency, with too little consideration being given to user experience.

Method

Users in complex socio-technical and safety-critical domains such as health care interact with many technological devices. Enhancing the user experience could improve the design of technology, enhance the well-being of staff, and contribute to modern safety management. We summarize concepts of “interaction” based on modern theories of human–computer interaction, which include the personal experience of users as an important construct.

Results and Conclusion

Activity theory, embodiment, and interaction as experience provide a theoretical foundation for considering user experience in safety-critical domains. Using an example from anesthesiology, we demonstrate how each theory provides a unique but complementary view on experience. Finally, the methodological possibilities for considering personal experience in design and evaluations vary among the theories.

Application

Considering user experience in health care and potentially other safety-critical domains can provide an additional means of optimizing interaction with technology, contributing to the well-being of staff, and improving safety.
Epithelial Wnt10a Is Essential for Tooth Root Furcation Morphogenesis
Authors: Yu M. , Liu Y. , Wang Y. , Wong S.W. , Wu J. , Liu H. , Feng H. , Han D.
Published: January 2020

WNT10A (Wingless-type MMTV integration site family, member 10A) plays a crucial role in tooth development, and patients with biallelic WNT10A mutation and mice lacking Wnt10a show taurodontism. However, whether epithelial or mesenchymal WNT10A controls the initiation of the root furcation formation remains unclear, and the functional significance of WNT10A in regulating root morphogenesis has not been clarified. Here, we investigated how Wnt10a affects tooth root development by generating different tissue-specific Wnt10a conditional knockout mice. Wnt10a knockout in the whole tissue ( EIIa-Cre;Wnt10aflox/flox) and in dental epithelium ( K14-Cre;Wnt10aflox/flox) led to an absence of or apically located root furcation in molars of mice, a phenotype that resembled taurodontism. An RNAscope analysis showed that the dynamic epithelial and mesenchymal Wnt10a expression pattern occurred during root development. Immunofluorescent staining of E-cadherin and EdU revealed decreased epithelial cell proliferation at the cervical region of the molar in K14-Cre;Wnt10aflox/flox mice at postnatal day 0 (PN0), just before the initiation of root morphogenesis. Interestingly, we found increased pulpal mesenchymal cell proliferation in the presumptive root furcating region of the molar in K14-Cre;Wnt10aflox/flox mice at PN4 and PN7. RNA-seq indicated that among the Wnt ligands with high endogenous expression levels in molars, Wnt4 was increased after epithelial knockout of Wnt10a. The RNAscope assay confirmed that the expression of Wnt4 and Axin2 in the dental papilla of the presumptive root furcating region, where dental pulp overgrowth occurred, was increased in K14-Cre;Wnt10aflox/flox molars. Furthermore, after suppression of the elevated Wnt4 level in K14-Cre;Wnt10aflox/flox molars by Wnt4 shRNA adenovirus and kidney capsule grafts, the root furcation defect was partially rescued. Taken together, our study provides the first in vivo evidence that epithelial Wnt10a guides root furcation formation and plays a crucial role in controlling the organized proliferation of adjacent mesenchymal cells by regulating proper Wnt4 expression during root furcation morphogenesis.
A Grounded Theory of Musical Independence in the Concert Band
Authors: Weidner Brian N.
Published: January 2020

Defined as the ability to engage in music activities on one’s own, musical independence is a frequent goal of music education. This yearlong study investigated musical independence within concert bands through interviews and observations of participants of secondary programs that included musical independence as a primary objective. Constructivist grounded theory analyses of the participants’ experiences led to a model of musical independence that included three interrelated outcomes: student agency, critical decision making, and lifewide/lifelong musicianship. These outcomes were the result of specific instructional practices that utilized cognitive modeling, scaffolded instruction, and authentic, regular, student-led music-making in curricular ensembles to promote student agency and decision making. These instructional practices relied upon preconditions for independence, including musical, social, and 21st-century skills foundations frequently found in large-ensemble classrooms. This study provides a model that can be situated within current large-ensemble practices to support the development of musical independence.
Bowling Together? Practices of Belonging and Becoming in a London Ten-Pin Bowling League
Authors: Jackson Emma
Published: January 2020

This article uses the case of an ethnographic study of a London ten-pin bowling alley to propose a framework of ‘practices of belonging and becoming’ for understanding convivial participation in urban space. Drawing insights from the bowling league, the article puts forward four propositions for rethinking belonging through bowling: as a practice that embeds people in place; as a relational practice experienced across time and place; as a performance that acts on the sense of self and the body; and as a theatrical performance that enriches and resonates through a scene. The article proposes that these four intertwined registers can be used beyond this example to advance dynamic theories of belonging and to enrich an understanding of the production of convivial urban spaces in the contemporary city.
‘The tiger’s leap’: The role of history in legitimating the authority of modern Chinese planners
Authors: Feng Xin , Chapman Kiera
Published: January 2020

Much has been written about the ways in which recent economic reforms have changed Chinese cities. Chinese planning is often discussed as a profession in an equivalent state of flux, as urban planners struggle to develop a new concept of their role that can find a coherent middle course between conflicting priorities: the pursuit of market-driven growth; the demands of a centralised and relatively authoritarian state; and the need to maintain a participative openness to local communities. This paper questions this emphasis on coherence within professionalism, arguing that planners in modern China define their role by sliding between very different sets of values and priorities. The term ‘public interest’ acts as a pivot in this negotiation, allowing the tensions between competing rationales to be downplayed. Furthermore, the challenges of the contemporary context do not entail leaving history behind but rather using it as a creative resource for ideas of legitimacy, authority and professionalism. Inspired by Walter Benjamin’s reflections on history, we argue that earlier models of professional authority from the Confucian and socialist traditions are mined and reinvented to cope with the uncertainties of professional decision-making in a highly conflicted present.
Gender Difference in the Relationship Among Family Function, Health Behavior, and Stress in Midlife
Authors: Yeom Hyun-E , Lee Jungmin
Published: January 2020

This study investigated whether there are gender-based differences in the process wherein family functions influence stress through various health behaviors in midlife adults. A cross-sectional study was done using a convenience sample of 250 middle-aged Koreans. Data on the family APGAR index, four health behaviors (i.e., seeking health information, physical activity, healthy diet, and social interaction), and stress were collected by a self-administered survey and analyzed using hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses and a PROCESS macro for SPSS. The study results showed that an indirect effect of family function on stress through health behaviors was significant in women, whereas such a relationship was not shown in men. This study found that the process wherein family function is linked with stress through health behaviors differs by gender. Developing gender-specific interventions is essential to decrease stress in midlife adults.
Prediction of mechanical properties of quaternary nanocomposites based on polypropylene using fuzzy logic
Authors: Daneshpayeh Sajjad , Ghasemi Faramarz Ashenai , Masoumi Shahnoosh , Niyaraki Meysam Nouri
Published: January 2020

The goal of the present study is to investigate and predict the mechanical properties, including impact strength, elastic modulus, and elongation-at-break of quaternary nanocomposites based on polypropylene (PP)/ethylene–propylene–diene monomer (EPDM)/glass fiber (GL)/graphene nanosheets (GPn) by fuzzy logic. Three parameters in different levels, including EPDM, GL, and GPn, were chosen for combination with a PP matrix. The fuzzy logic surfaces showed that the EPDM rubber and GPn had the main role in the elastic modulus of nanocomposites. The high levels of EPDM content resulted in a considerable increase in impact strength and, generally, the presence of EPDM had no effect on elongation-at-break.
The effect of an integrated multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme alternating inpatient interventions with home-based activities for patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Schmidt Anne Mette , Schiøttz-Christensen Berit , Foster Nadine E , Laurberg Trine Bay , Maribo Thomas
Published: January 2020

Objective:

To compare the effectiveness of an integrated rehabilitation programme with an existing rehabilitation programme in patients with chronic low back pain.

Design:

A single-centre, pragmatic, two-arm parallel, randomized controlled trial (1:1 ratio).

Setting:

A rheumatology inpatient rehabilitation centre in Denmark.

Subjects:

A total of 165 adults (aged ⩾ 18 years) with chronic low back pain.

Interventions:

An integrated rehabilitation programme comprising an alternation of three weeks of inpatient stay and 12 weeks of home-based activities was compared with an existing rehabilitation programme of four weeks of inpatient stay.

Main measures:

Patient-reported outcomes were collected at baseline and at the 26-week follow-up. The primary outcome was back-specific disability (Oswestry Disability Index). Secondary outcomes included pain intensity (Numerical Rating Scale), pain self-efficacy (Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire), health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5 Domain 5-level (EQ-5D)), and depression (Major Depression Inventory). A complete case analysis was performed.

Results:

A total of 303 patients were assessed for eligibility of whom 165 (mean age: 50 years (SD 13) and mean Oswestry Disability Index score 42 (SD 11)) were randomized (83 to existing rehabilitation programme and 82 to integrated rehabilitation programme). Overall, 139 patients provided the 26-week follow-up data. Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were comparable between programmes. The between-group difference in the Oswestry Disability Index score when adjusting for the corresponding baseline score was −0.28 (95% confidence interval (CI): −4.02, 3.45) which was neither statistically nor clinically significant. No significant differences were found in the secondary outcomes.

Conclusion:

An integrated rehabilitation programme was no more effective than an existing rehabilitation programme at the 26-week follow-up.
Drugs used to treat bipolar disorder act via microRNAs to regulate expression of genes involved in neurite outgrowth
Authors: Kidnapillai Srisaiyini , Wade Ben , Bortolasci Chiara C , Panizzutti Bruna , Spolding Briana , Connor Timothy , Crowley Tamsyn , Jamain Stéphane , Gray Laura , Leboyer Marion , Berk Michael , Walder Ken
Published: January 2020

Background:

The drugs commonly used to treat bipolar disorder have limited efficacy and drug discovery is hampered by the paucity of knowledge of the pathophysiology of this disease. This study aims to explore the role of microRNAs in bipolar disorder and understand the molecular mechanisms of action of commonly used bipolar disorder drugs.

Methods:

The transcriptional effects of bipolar disorder drug combination (lithium, valproate, lamotrigine and quetiapine) in cultured human neuronal cells were studied using next generation sequencing. Differential expression of genes ( n=20) and microRNAs ( n=6) was assessed and the differentially expressed microRNAs were confirmed with TaqMan MicroRNA Assays. The expression of the differentially expressed microRNAs were inhibited to determine bipolar disorder drug effects on their target genes ( n=8). Independent samples t-test was used for normally distributed data and Kruskal-Wallis/Mann-Whitney U test was used for data not distributed normally. Significance levels were set at p<0.05.

Results:

We found that bipolar disorder drugs tended to increase the expression of miR-128 and miR-378 ( p<0.05). Putative target genes of these microRNAs targeted pathways including those identified as “neuron projection development” and “axonogenesis”. Many of the target genes are inhibitors of neurite outgrowth and neurogenesis and were downregulated following bipolar disorder drug combination treatment (all p<0.05). The bipolar disorder drug combination tended to decrease the expression of the target genes ( NOVA1, GRIN3A, and VIM), however this effect could be reversed by the application of microRNA inhibitors.

Conclusions:

We conclude that at a transcriptional level, bipolar disorder drugs affect several genes in concert that would increase neurite outgrowth and neurogenesis and hence neural plasticity, and that this effect is mediated (at least in part) by modulation of the expression of these two key microRNAs.
Effect of lurasidone treatment on chronic mild stress-induced behavioural deficits in male rats: The potential role for glucocorticoid receptor signalling
Authors: Calabrese Francesca , Brivio Paola , Sbrini Giulia , Gruca Piotr , Lason Magdalena , Litwa Ewa , Niemczyk Monika , Papp Mariusz , Riva Marco A
Published: January 2020

Background:

Stress represents one of the main precipitating factors for psychiatric diseases, characterised by an altered function of glucocorticoid receptors (GR), known to play a role in mood and cognitive function. We investigated the ability of the antipsychotic lurasidone to modulate the involvement of genomic and non-genomic GR signalling in the behavioural alterations due to chronic stress exposure

Methods:

Male Wistar rats were exposed to seven weeks of chronic mild stress (CMS) and treated with lurasidone (3 mg/kg/day) starting from the second week of stress for more five weeks. Gene expression and protein analyses were conducted in dorsal hippocampus.

Results:

Seven weeks of CMS induced anhedonia and cognitive impairment, which were normalised by lurasidone. At molecular level, CMS rats showed an increase of GR protein levels by 60% ( p<0.001 vs. CTRL/VEH) in the membrane compartment, which was paralleled by an up-regulation of phosphoSINAPSYN Ia/b by 88% ( p<0.01 vs. CTRL/VEH) and of the mitochondrial marker Cox3 by 21% ( p<0.05 vs. CTRL/VEH). Moreover, while exposure to the novel object recognition test increased the nuclear translocation of GRs by 96% ( p<0.01 vs. CTRL/VEH/Naïve) and their transcriptional activity in non-stressed rats, such mechanisms were impaired in CMS rats. Interestingly, the genomic and non-genomic alterations of GR, induced by CMS, were normalised by lurasidone.

Conclusion:

Our results further support the role of glucocorticoid signalling in the dysfunction associated with stress exposure. We provide novel insights on the mechanism of lurasidone, suggesting its effectiveness on different domains associated with psychiatric disorders.
Cannabinoid receptor type 1 in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis modulates cardiovascular responses to stress via local N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor/neuronal nitric oxide synthase/soluble guanylate cyclase/protein kinase G signaling
Authors: Gomes-de-Souza Lucas , Costa-Ferreira Willian , Oliveira Leandro A , Benini Ricardo , Crestani Carlos C
Published: January 2020

Background:

Endocannabinoid neurotransmission in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis is involved in the control of cardiovascular responses to stress. However, the local mechanisms involved is this regulation are not known.

Aims:

The purpose of this study was to assess an interaction of bed nucleus of the stria terminalis endocannabinoid neurotransmission with local nitrergic signaling, as well as to investigate the involvement of local N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor and nitric oxide signaling in the control of cardiovascular responses to acute restraint stress by bed nucleus of the stria terminalis endocannabinoid neurotransmission in rats.

Methods:

The first protocol evaluated the effect of intra-bed nucleus of the stria terminalis microinjection of the selective cannabinoid receptor type 1 receptor antagonist AM251 in nitrite/nitrate content in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis following restraint stress. The other protocols evaluated the impact of local pretreatment with the selective N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor antagonist LY235959, the selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor Nω-propyl-L-arginine, the soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, or the protein kinase G inhibitor KT5823 in restraint-evoked cardiovascular changes following bed nucleus of the stria terminalis treatment with AM251.

Results:

Bilateral microinjection of AM251 into the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis increased local nitric oxide release during restraint stress. Bed nucleus of the stria terminalis treatment with the cannabinoid receptor type 1 receptor antagonist also enhanced the tachycardia caused by restraint stress, but without affecting arterial pressure increase and sympathetic-mediated cutaneous vasoconstriction. The facilitation of restraint-evoked tachycardia following bed nucleus of the stria terminalis treatment with the cannabinoid receptor type 1 receptor antagonist was completely inhibited by local pretreatment with LY235959, Nω-propyl-L-arginine, 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one, or KT5823.

Conclusions:

Our results provide evidence that bed nucleus of the stria terminalis endocannabinoid neurotransmission inhibits local N-methyl-D-aspartate/neuronal nitric oxide synthase/soluble guanylate cyclase/protein kinase G signaling, and this mechanism is involved in the control of the cardiovascular responses to stress.
Approximation algorithms for tours of orientation-varying view cones
Authors: Stefas Nikolaos , Plonski Patrick A , Isler Volkan
Published: January 2020

This article considers the problem of finding a shortest tour to visit viewing sets of points on a plane. Each viewing set is represented as an inverted view cone with apex angle [Formula: see text] and height [Formula: see text]. The apex of each cone is restricted to lie on the ground plane. Its orientation angle (tilt) [Formula: see text] is the angle difference between the cone bisector and the ground plane normal. This is a novel variant of the 3D Traveling Salesman Problem with Neighborhoods (TSPN) called Cone-TSPN. One application of Cone-TSPN is to compute a trajectory to observe a given set of locations with a camera: for each location, we can generate a set of cones whose apex and orientation angles [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] correspond to the camera’s field of view and tilt. The height of each cone [Formula: see text] corresponds to the desired resolution. Recently, Plonski and Isler presented an approximation algorithm for Cone-TSPN for the case where all cones have a uniform orientation angle of [Formula: see text]. We study a new variant of Cone-TSPN where we relax this constraint and allow the cones to have non-uniform orientations. We call this problem Tilted Cone-TSPN and present a polynomial-time approximation algorithm with ratio [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the set of all cone heights. We demonstrate through simulations that our algorithm can be implemented in a practical way and that by exploiting the structure of the cones we can achieve shorter tours. Finally, we present experimental results from various agriculture applications that show the benefit of considering view angles for path planning.
Relation between optic and carotid canals with sphenoid sinus in patients with communicant hydrocephalus: a computed tomography evaluation study
Authors: Şencan Ziya , Bayar Muluk Nuray , Yilmazsoy Yunus , Özdemir Adnan , Mutlucan Havva Meltem
Published: January 2020

Background

There are neuro-ophthalmologic findings in patients with communicant hydrocephalus (CH).

Purpose

To investigate the relationships of the optic canal and carotid canal classifications at sphenoid sinus and anterior clinoid process (ACP) pneumatization in patients with CH.

Material and Methods

In this multicentric retrospective cross-sectional study, the cranial computed tomography (CT) images of 38 patients with CH (20 men, 18 women) and 40 controls (25 men, 15 women) were included. Optic and carotid canal classification at sphenoid sinus, ACP pneumatization, and sphenoid sinus septation were evaluated.

Results

In the CH group, type 3 optic canal was detected in 21.1% of the patients and type 4 optic canal was detected in 2.6% of the patients on the left side which was significantly different from the control group ( P<0.05). In the CH group, type 3 carotid canal was detected in 21.1% of the patients (left) and 18.4% of the patients (right). ACP pneumatization was present in 13.2% of the patients in the CH group bilaterally. There were positive correlations between optic canal classifications and ACP pneumatization ( P<0.05). There were also positive correlations between the right and left carotid canal classifications and ACP pneumatization ( P<0.05).

Conclusion

To avoid complications, CT should be evaluated carefully in patients with CH before surgical interventions in sphenoid sinuses and surgeons should work carefully in the sphenoid sinus or adjacent structures. The protrusion possibility of the optic canal or carotid canal to the sphenoid sinus may be higher in pneumatized ACP patients.
Relationship of radiometabolic biomarkers to KRAS mutation status and ALK rearrangements in cases of lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Aras Gulfidan , Kanmaz Zehra Dilek , Tuncay Esin , Çetinkaya Erdoğan , Yentürk Esin , Kocatürk Celalettin , Öz Büge , Çermik Tevfik Fikret , Purisa Sevim
Published: January 2020

Purpose:

Rapid diagnosis of genetic mutations is important for targeted therapies such as EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. KRAS mutation and ALK rearrangement are also important in determining treatment. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET to predict KRAS mutation and ALK rearrangement in order to determine the frequency of these genetic markers in our lung adenocarcinoma cases and contribute to forthcoming meta-analysis studies.

Methods:

A total of 218 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (EGFR analyzed) who were seen at our clinic between 2012 and 2014 were included in the study. The results of the 18 F-FDG-PET scans for each patient were retrospectively recorded with the associated medical documents. ALK rearrangements were analyzed in 166 of the 218 patients, while 50 of the 218 patients were analyzed for KRAS mutational status. SPSS 15.0 for Windows was used for statistical analysis.

Results:

FDG avidity was higher in cases with KRAS mutations and ALK rearrangements than those without, but the difference was not significant. ALK rearrangements were more common in younger, female, and nonsmoking patients with lung adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions:

The small numbers of KRAS mutations and ALK rearrangements are the limitation of this study for evaluation of diagnostic imaging. The frequency of these genetic alterations was as reported in the literature. We believe that our work will contribute to future meta-analysis.
Appropriating rent from greenfield affordable housing: developer practices in Johannesburg
Authors: Butcher Siân
Published: January 2020

‘Affordable housing’ for Johannesburg’s growing middle class is a developmentalist imperative and potentially lucrative market. However, few greenfield developers have found this market profitable. Fundamental to those who have, is control over land and its development. This paper puts heterodox urban land rent theory to work vis-à-vis the logics and practices of these developers. I illustrate how greenfield affordable housing developers work to (re)produce differential and monopoly rents in this context. Differential rents rely on investing in cheap land produced through the city’s racialised geography, and controlling land’s development through vertical integration, dynamic negotiations with local government and development finance institutions, and steering money and people into developments. Monopoly rents rely on the power of developers to act together as a class to secure land, give the appearance of competition and lobby the state in their interests. This power is built through racialised control over land and long personal connections. It is also consolidated by the state’s own land development bureaucracy and preference for ‘mega’ developments and recognisable developers. Together, these developer strategies to accrue differential and monopoly rents demonstrate their active role in the everyday making of land and housing markets. They also demand extensions of heterodox urban land rent theory: first, a more articulated understanding of how class monopoly power over land is built through race, and second, a more contingent analysis of capital’s relations to other actors and institutions, especially the state.
Using Concept Mapping Methods to Define “Healthy Aging” in Anchorage, Alaska
Authors: Howell Britteny M. , Seater Mariah , McLinden Daniel
Published: January 2020

This exploratory research project captured a multidimensional model of healthy aging in Anchorage, Alaska, by utilizing the Concept Mapping (CM) methodology with a sample of 53 older adults (aged 55+), aging advocates, public health professionals, and senior service providers. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analyses were conducted to map the relationship between 100 aspects of healthy aging, resulting in 12 distinct concepts of healthy aging. Study participants identified both lifestyle factors and aspects of their environment, providing results that can inform future research and policy development. The perspectives of older adults are scarce in the literature, but how they conceptualize the factors that contribute to healthy aging can have profound influence on behaviors and health outcomes. In addition, CM is a little-used methodology in gerontology that fosters community capacity building, meaningful contributions, and trusting research partnerships. We also provide recommendations for using these methods with older adults.
Promising Results From a Video-Feedback Interaction Guidance Intervention for Improving Maternal–Infant Interaction Quality of Depressed Mothers: A Feasibility Pilot Study
Authors: Tryphonopoulos Panagiota D. , Letourneau Nicole
Published: January 2020

Background

Mothers and infants affected by postpartum depression are known to have (1) reduced quality interactions and (2) elevated cortisol levels, both of which are linked to negative developmental outcomes in children. Parent training promoting sensitive and responsive maternal–infant interactions may help optimize development in children of mothers with postpartum depression.

Objectives

This pilot study tested a video-feedback interaction guidance intervention designed to improve maternal–infant interaction, depressive symptoms, and cortisol patterns of depressed mothers and their infants.

Method

An experimental, pre-test, post-test design was employed to randomly assign mothers with postpartum depression to intervention ( n = 6) and control ( n = 6) conditions. Intervention mothers received three video-feedback sessions during home visits, provided at three-week intervals. Control participants received three home visits on the same schedule.

Results

Significant differences favoring the intervention group were observed in maternal–infant interaction quality, especially maternal sensitivity and cognitive growth fostering activities, and in reduced infant diurnal cortisol.

Conclusion

Professionally guided video-feedback intervention appears to support improvements in interactions between depressed mothers and their infants and optimizes infants’ diurnal cortisol patterns. The findings from this feasibility pilot study have been used to support a large-scale follow-up exploration.
Employees’ Refusals to Participate in an Employer-Sponsored Wellness Program: Barriers and Benefits to Engagement
Authors: Perrault Evan K. , Hildenbrand Grace M. , Rnoh Rachel HeeJoon
Published: January 2020

While worksite wellness programs are generally designed to help employees realize better overall health, some employees may not see them in that light. The current study sought to better understand why employees refuse to participate in a new employer-sponsored wellness program. This study also investigated how participation in the program is related to employees’ self-perceived health, efficacy to be healthier and their perceptions toward their organization providing useful resources to engage in a healthy lifestyle. A survey of more than 1,500 employees at a large Midwest organization was conducted after their annual open-enrollment period. Open-ended responses from participants refusing to participate in the wellness program ( n = 297) indicated privacy considerations as their primary concern. They also thought participation would take too much time, conceptually thought the program was unfair or not useful and felt they were already healthy and not in need of the program. Both participants and nonparticipants had no differences in self-perceived overall health. However, participants had greater self-efficacy, and perceptions that their employer offered useful resources to engage in a healthy lifestyle, than nonparticipants. Recommendations for communicating new wellness programs to employees are discussed.
Facing the challenge of migratory vulnerability in the European Court of Human Rights
Authors: Baumgärtel Moritz
Published: January 2020

The European Court of Human Rights has struggled to integrate the lived experience of migrants into the legal reasoning that underlies a determination of human rights violations. This article introduces the concept of migratory vulnerability in an effort to remedy that shortcoming by making an already existing legal principle fit for the daunting task posed by migration cases. The objective is to preserve (and potentially expand) the legal effects of the principle of vulnerability whilst approximating it to the more consistent conception of vulnerability theorists, which would remove some of its ambiguities and negative side effects. Migratory vulnerability describes a cluster of objective, socially induced, and temporary characteristics that affect persons to varying extents and in different forms. It therefore should be conceptualized neither as group membership nor as a purely individual characteristic, but rather determined on a case-by-case basis and in reference to identifiable social processes. Depending on its specific expression, migratory vulnerability may give rise to distinct legal effects such as enlarged scopes of protection, shifts in the burden of proof, procedural and positive obligations, a narrower margin of appreciation, and possibly even the ‘triggering’ of proceedings under Article 14 ECHR.
The Professional Politician and the Activist
Authors: O’Donovan Oliver
Published: January 2020

Luke Bretherton wishes to encourage informal political activity, and asserts a contrast between two complementary and alternative ways of doing politics, formal and informal. But the tendency in his descriptions is to replace formal with informal politics, which is then in danger of being left without responsibility to the structures of political society.
Improved atomic oxygen erosion resistance of the carbon fibre–epoxy interface with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane
Authors: Zhao Dan , He Jinmei , Zheng Nan , Huang Yudong
Published: January 2020

Polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) was grafted onto the surface of carbon fibres (CFs) to fabricate carbon fibre/epoxy (CF/EP) composites with improved interlaminar shear strength (ILSS) and atomic oxygen (AO) erosion resistance. POSS-CF was prepared by reacting amine groups on the pretreated CF surface with the POSS to form a continuous uniform layer of siloxane oligomers. X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that POSS was successfully grafted onto the CF surface. The ILSS and AO erosion resistance of the POSS-treated CFs and CF-EP interface were improved because a SiO2 passivation layer formed with AO exposure, especially with POSS-EP0409. This is an effective solution for enhancing the interfacial bonding force and interfacial AO erosion resistance for the low-Earth orbit environment.