bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prisoner incorporation: The work of the state and non-governmental organizations
Authors: Kaufman Nicole
Published: January 2015

This article brings the concept of incorporation as used in studies of citizenship into the analysis of the reception of ex-prisoners by non-governmental organizations (NGOs). I introduce the concept of ‘prisoner incorporation’ to illustrate the ways in which NGOs, tasked with reentry work through devolution policies, include ex-prisoners as citizens. I use data from policy and organizational documents, interviews with staff at 18 NGOs, and program observations to demonstrate that incorporation varies by religious and political orientation and the receipt of Department of Corrections (DOC) funding. I distinguish between NGOs focused on ‘classic reentry’, which emphasizes treatment and work-focused economic incorporation, and those focused on ‘broader incorporation’, in which domestic labor, culture, religion, and politics warrant the inclusion of ex-prisoners as citizens in particular communities. Based on the results, I reconsider arguments that NGOs have a limited ability to shape the citizenship of criminalized people.
Intangible cultural heritage webs: Comparing national networks with digital methods
Authors: Severo Marta , Venturini Tommaso
Published: January 2015

The 2003 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Convention for the safeguard of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is addressed to the States and assigns them several tasks. However, no State can accomplish all these tasks without mobilizing a wide network of institutions, associations, and individuals. The national ICH policies intersect, overlap, and often transform the existing relationships among these actors. This study aims at comparing several national networks (France, Italy, and Switzerland) involved in the implementation of the 2003 UNESCO Convention to highlight national trends and specificities. The analysis has employed an innovative methodology based on digital methods and is aimed at exploring the landscapes of websites dedicated to the intangible heritage. By analyzing the hyperlinking strategies of ICH actors, we have identified the specific web topology of each nation, showing which actors are central and peripheral, whether clusters or cliques are formed, and who plays the roles of authority and hub.
Boundaries and conflict in a NSFW community on tumblr: The meanings and uses of selfies
Authors: Tiidenberg Katrin
Published: January 2015

This article is an exploration of what selfies and other images are and do in Not Safe For Work (NSFW) communities on tumblr.com . By analyzing ethnographic and interview data, images and blog outtakes, this article spotlights four kinds of conflicts that arise around how selfies and images are used. These are about: (a) reactions to photo-shopped images, (b) altering other people’s selfies and/or reposting them as your own, (c) misunderstandings from separating text from image (caption-stripping), (d) disrespecting the self-shooters’ way of curating their blogs. Boundary theory as well as concepts of social afterlife of content and assumed trust are used to illuminate that images, including selfies, have significant, yet different meanings to different people and play an important part in creating and maintaining meaningful relationships and communities.
The mobile Internet: Access, use, opportunities and divides among European children
Authors: Mascheroni Giovanna , Ólafsson Kjartan
Published: January 2015

Based on data collected through the Net Children Go Mobile survey of approximately 3500 respondents aged 9–16 years in seven European countries (Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the United Kingdom), this article examines the diffusion of smartphones among children and contributes to existing research on mobile digital divides by investigating what influences the adoption of smartphones among children and whether going online from a smartphone is associated with specific usage patterns, thus bridging or widening usage gaps. The findings suggest the resilience of digital inequalities among children, showing how social inequalities intersect with divides in access and result in disparities in online activities, with children who benefit from a greater autonomy of use and a longer online experience also reaching the top of the ladder of opportunities.
Revaluating urban space through tweets: An analysis of Twitter-based mobile food vendors and online communication
Authors: Wessel Ginette , Ziemkiewicz Caroline , Sauda Eric
Published: January 2015

The rise of mobile food vending in US cities combines urban space and mobility with continuous online communication. Unlike traditional urban spaces that are predictable and known, contemporary vendors use information technology to generate impromptu social settings in unconventional and often underutilized spaces. This unique condition requires new methods that interpret online communication as a critical component in the production of new forms of public life. We suggest qualitative approaches combined with data-driven analyses are necessary when planning for emergent behavior. In Charlotte, NC, we investigate the daily operations, tweet content, and spatial and temporal sequencing of six vendors over an extended period of time. The study illustrates the interrelationship between data, urban space, and time and finds that a significant proportion of tweet content is used to announce vending locations in a time-based pattern and that the spatial construction of events is often independent of traditional urban form.
‘The Muslim woman activist’: Solidarity across difference in the movement against the ‘War on Terror’
Authors: Massoumi Narzanin
Published: January 2015

Feminist scholars have widely noted the centrality of gendered discourses to the ‘War on Terror’. This article shows how gendered narratives also shaped the collective identities of those opposing the ‘War on Terror’. Using interview data and analysis of newspaper editorials from movement leaders alongside focus groups with grassroots Muslim women activists, this article demonstrates how, in responding to the cynical use of women’s rights to justify war, participants in the anti-‘War on Terror’ movement offered an alternative story. Movement activists deployed representations of Muslim women’s agency to challenge the trope of the ‘oppressed Muslim woman’. I argue that these representations went beyond strategic counternarratives and offered an emotional basis for solidarity. Yet, respondents in the focus groups illustrated the challenges of seeking agency through an ascribed identity; in that they simultaneously refused and relied upon dominant terms of the debate about Muslim women.
Guideline treatment results in regression of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Strang Aart C , van Wijk Diederik F , Mutsaerts Henri JMM , Stroes Erik SG , Nederveen Aart J , Rotmans Joris I , Rabelink Ton J , Box Frieke MA
Published: January 2015

Background:

Efficacy of guideline cardiovascular disease prevention regimens may differ between patients with or without type II diabetes mellitus. We therefore compared change in carotid artery wall dimensions in type II diabetes mellitus and non-type II diabetes mellitus patients with a history of a major cardiovascular disease event, using magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods:

Thirty type II diabetes mellitus patients and 29 age- and sex-matched non-diabetes mellitus patients with a history of stroke or myocardial infarction and a carotid artery stenosis (15%–70%) were included. In all patients, treatment was according to cardiovascular risk management guidelines. At baseline and follow-up, carotid artery vessel wall dimensions were measured using 1.5 T magnetic resonance imaging.

Results:

After 2 years of follow-up, total wall volume of the carotid artery in type II diabetes mellitus patients decreased by 9.6% ( p = 0.016). In contrast, stabilization rather than regression of carotid artery wall dimensions was observed in non-diabetes mellitus patients over a 2-year period. Body mass index was identified as a predictor of total wall volume decrease.

Conclusions:

Guideline treatment arrests atherogenesis in non-diabetes mellitus patients and even decreases vessel wall dimensions in type II diabetes mellitus patients. Baseline body mass index predicts cardiovascular disease prevention efficacy expressed as decrease in total wall volume. These data emphasize the importance of optimal cardiovascular-prevention, particularly in diabetes patients with a high body mass index.
SGLT-2 inhibitors and cardiovascular risk: Proposed pathways and review of ongoing outcome trials
Authors: Inzucchi Silvio E , Zinman Bernard , Wanner Christoph , Ferrari Roberto , Fitchett David , Hantel Stefan , Espadero Rosa-Maria , Woerle Hans-Jürgen , Broedl Uli C , Johansen Odd Erik
Published: January 2015

Given the multi-faceted pathogenesis of atherosclerosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), it is likely that interventions to mitigate this risk must address cardiovascular (CV) risk factors beyond glucose itself. Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors are newer antihyperglycaemic agents with apparent multiple effects. Inherent in their mode of action to decrease glucose reabsorption by the kidneys by increasing urinary glucose excretion, these agents improve glycaemic control independent of insulin secretion with a low risk of hypoglycaemia. In this review, we outline those CV risk factors that this class appears to influence and provide the design features and trial characteristics of six ongoing outcome trials involving more than 41,000 individuals with T2DM. Those risk factors beyond glucose that can potentially be modulated positively with SGLT-2 inhibitors include blood pressure, weight, visceral adiposity, hyperinsulinaemia, arterial stiffness, albuminuria, circulating uric acid levels and oxidative stress. On the other hand, small increases in low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol levels have also been observed for the class, which theoretically might offset some of these benefits. The potential translational impact of these effects is being tested with outcome trials, also reviewed in this article, powered to assess both macrovascular as well as certain microvascular outcomes in T2DM. These are expected to begin to report in late 2015.
Upgrading Preschool Environment in a Swedish Municipality
Authors: Altin Carolina , Kvist Lindholm Sofia , Wejdmark Mats , Lättman-Masch Robert , Boldemann Cecilia
Published: January 2015

Redesigning outdoor preschool environment may favorably affect multiple factors relevant to health and reach many children. Cross-sectional studies in various landscapes at different latitudes have explored the characteristics of preschool outdoor environment considering the play potential triggering combined physical activity and sun-protective behavior due to space, vegetation, and topography. Criteria were pinpointed to upgrade preschool outdoor environment for multiple health outcomes to be applied in local government in charge of public preschools. Purposeful land use policies and administrative management of outdoor land use may serve to monitor the quality of preschool outdoor environments (upgrading and planning). This study evaluates the process of implementing routines for upgrading outdoor preschool environments in a medium-sized municipality, Sweden, 2008-2011, using qualitative and quantitative analysis. Recorded written material (logs and protocols) related to the project was processed using thematic analysis. Quantitative data (m2 flat/multileveled, overgrown/naked surface, and fraction of free visible sky) were analyzed to assess the impact of implementation (surface, topography, greenery integrated in play). The preschool outdoor environments were upgraded accordingly. The quality of implementation was assessed using the theory of policy streams approach. Though long-term impact remains to be confirmed the process seems to have changed work routines in the interior management for purposeful upgrading of preschool outdoor environments. The aptitude and applicability of inexpensive methods for assessing, selecting, and upgrading preschool land at various latitudes, climates, and outdoor play policies (including gender aspects and staff policies) should be further discussed, as well as the compilation of data for monitoring and evaluation.
Do High School Athletes Get Better Grades During the Off-Season?
Authors: Schultz Katie
Published: January 2015

A great deal of recent research has employed instrumental variables to estimate the effect of participation in athletics on academic or labor market outcomes, finding evidence of small positive effects from participation. This research proposes several theories of how participation affects success but cannot distinguish between them. I ask a fundamentally different question, whether an athlete performs better or worse, academically, during the season in which they participate in sports, focusing on the time allocation theory of participation. Time spent on sports may substitute from time on academics or negative leisure activities, causing academic performance to improve or decline in-season, respectively. This paper finds a small negative and significant in-season effect on academic performance for varsity athletes and a small positive and significant in-season effect on academic performance for junior varsity (JV) athletes. Decreases in in-season grade point average (GPA) for varsity athletes occur through a decline in performance in English and history courses, while increases in in-season GPA for JV athletes operate through an improvement in math and science courses. Results are robust to controlling for various measures of course ease across semesters. The relatively small in-season effects suggest that estimates of the effects of participation in the rest of the literature operate primarily through mechanisms other than time allocation.
Bowling for Dollars
Authors: Fizel John , McNeil Chris R.
Published: January 2015

Corporate title sponsorship of college football bowl games has proliferated over the past two decades, yet little analysis has been made concerning the returns to these investments. This article examines the impact that title sponsorships have had on the stock value of the corporate sponsors. Using event study analysis, we find that there was no significant change, on average, in the stock prices following the sponsorship announcements. However, a cross-sectional analysis of changes in firm stock prices relative to corporate and bowl characteristics reveals that markets view sponsorships by large and high-tech firms negatively and major bowls positively.
Drama without Drama
Authors: Chalaby Jean K.
Published: January 2015

This article revisits the history of television (TV) formats—concepts of TV shows that are licensed for local adaptations—focusing on scripted entertainment. While the TV format revolution of the 1990s bypassed scripted formats, they have been catching up in recent years. This article analyzes both the reasons for this late rise and the factors behind the recent growth. It argues that the adaptation of scripted formats is more complex, and risks remain higher than for other genres. The underlying economics of their production and distribution also differ from nonscripted formats. The stars aligned when demand for drama increased worldwide, Hollywood studios began to mine their catalogues, new exporters and scripted genres emerged, and knowledge transfer techniques improved. Finally, this paper analyzes the significance of the rise of scripted entertainment in the global TV format trading system.
Serum sEPCR Levels Are Elevated in Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Zhu Yongjian , Chen Zhilong , Chen Xugang , Hu Sheng
Published: January 2015

Blood–brain barrier impairment and endothelial cell dysfunction have both been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The presence of vascular risk factors is also known to increase the risk of AD. Soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR) should thus produce procoagulant and proinflammatory effects. Serum sEPCR levels have been found to be associated with several diseases. To date, no reports have been published regarding serum sEPCR levels in AD. In this study, we found that serum sEPCR levels were significantly increased in patients with AD when compared to control participants ( P = .0005). There was no significant difference between patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls ( P = .055) or between patients with AD and MCI ( P = .054). Importantly, our results also indicate that the degree of cognitive impairment is significantly correlated with serum sEPCR levels in all patients and healthy controls. These findings suggest that serum sEPCR levels could be a potential candidate for a biomarker panel for AD diagnosis.
The Effectiveness of Reality Orientation in the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Camargo Carlos Henrique Ferreira , Justus Filipe Fernandes , Retzlaff Giuliano
Published: January 2015

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia. This work aims to assess the effectiveness of reality orientation (RO), a traditional, extensively documented cognitive enhancement technique, when combined with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors in the treatment of AD. Fourteen patients with AD having mild to moderate dementia receiving standard treatment with donepezil were randomly assigned to control and treatment groups. Patients in the treatment group were submitted to weekly RO sessions for 6 months. Cognitive outcomes were assessed based on scores in the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease (CERAD) neuropsychological battery and the Clock Drawing Test (CDT). Mean CERAD neuropsychological battery, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and CDT scores improved in the treatment group and worsened in the control group. A number of CERAD neuropsychological battery and MMSE scores were statistically significant. Our findings suggest that RO is a valuable long-term complementary intervention for dementia in AD.
The role of the body in end-stage kidney disease in young adults: Gender, peer and intimate relationships
Authors: Lewis Helen , Arber Sara
Published: January 2015

Objectives

To understand how the physical body, and changes in the physical body, influence peer and intimate relationships and parenting in young adults on renal replacement therapies (RRT).

Methods

Qualitative interview data from 40 young adults aged 16–30 years with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), first diagnosed aged 0–19 years, were analysed using modified grounded theory.

Findings

Alternating modalities of RRT had a ‘yo-yo’ effect on the bodies of interviewees, repeatedly reconstructing them as either ‘transplanted’ bodies, often initially obese, or as ‘dialysis’ bodies’, often underweight. Invisible somatic changes had a major impact on gendered social identity, making intimate social relationships and parenthood problematic. Prepubertal onset interviewees were generally less successful in forming partnerships than those with postpubertal onset; and interviewees on dialysis were likely to postpone partnering until they were transplanted. Social networks were essential for finding a partner, but male interviewees had fewer networks than females. Parenthood was particularly challenging for female interviewees.

Conclusions

In ESKD, life-saving RRT brings major changes to the body. These adversely affect social relationships and family formation during the crucial period of early adulthood. Effects vary according to age of onset, RRT modality, and gender, with those who were ill before puberty and those on dialysis worst affected.
Inflammatory eye reactions with bisphosphonates and other osteoporosis medications: what are the risks?
Authors: Clark Emma M. , Durup Darshana
Published: January 2015

Inflammatory eye reactions (IERs) are rare but have been associated with medications to treat osteoporosis. The aim of this review is to summarize the current literature on the association between IERs and specific medications to treat osteoporosis (bisphosphonates, selective estrogen receptor modulators, strontium, denosumab and teriparatide). We cover the known epidemiology, potential pathogenic mechanisms and a resume of unanswered questions. Briefly, this review highlights that none of the existing randomized clinical trials were powered to identify these rare adverse events, and the majority of the information available is from spontaneous case reports and case series reporting associations between bisphosphonates and IERs. No case reports describe IERs after other anti-osteoporosis medications. Importantly, some case reports describe recurrence of the IER after affected patients were rechallenged with the same or another bisphosphonate, and that no reported cases resolved without discontinuation of the bisphosphonate. However, three large population-based cohort studies have shown conflicting results between osteoporosis treatments and IERs, but overall these studies suggest that IERs may actually be part of underlying inflammatory disease processes that also cause osteoporosis, rather than due to the medications used to treat osteoporosis themselves. There are no clear pathogenic mechanisms for how bisphosphonates could potentially cause IERs. However, the drug is secreted into the tears by the lacrimal gland and could cause irritation to the mucous membranes with subsequent release of inflammatory mediators, similar to the systemic response typically seen after infusion of bisphosphonates. However, in summary it is still not known whether there is a true causal association between bisphosphonates or other anti-osteoporosis medications and IERs, or whether it is confounding by indication and is actually due to underlying inflammatory diseases that cause both osteoporosis and IERs.
Therapeutic effects of prolotherapy with intra-articular dextrose injection in patients with moderate knee osteoarthritis: a single-arm study with 6 months follow up
Authors: Eslamian Fariba , Amouzandeh Bahman
Published: January 2015

Objectives:

Prolotherapy is an injection-based complementary treatment, which has shown promising results in the treatment of different musculoskeletal disorders. The aim of this study was to determine the therapeutic efficacy of dextrose prolotherapy on pain, range of motion, and function in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods:

In this single-arm prospective study, participants with symptomatic moderate knee osteoarthritis underwent prolotherapy with intra-articular injection of 20% dextrose water at baseline, and at 4 weeks and 8 weeks later. Patients were followed for 24 weeks. Pain severity at rest and activity, according to the visual analog scale (VAS), articular range of motion (ROM), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities arthritis index (WOMAC) scores were measured at baseline, 4, 8, and 24 weeks later.

Results:

A total of 24 female patients (average age: 58.37 ± 11.8 years old) received 3-monthly injection therapies. Before the treatment, the mean articular range of motion was 105.41 ± 11.22°. Mean VAS scale at rest and activity was 8.83 ± 1.37 and 9.37 ± 1.31, respectively. At the end of week 24, knee ROM increased by 8°. Pain severity in rest and activity decreased to 4.87 ± 1.39, 45.86%, and 44.23%, respectively ( p < 0.001). Total WOMAC score and its subcategories showed a continuous improvement trend in all the evaluation sessions, so that at the end of the study, the total score decreased by 30.5 ± 14.27 points (49.58%) ( p < 0.001). Improvements of all parameters were considerable until week 8, and were maintained throughout the study period.

Conclusions:

Prolotherapy with three intra-articular injections of hypertonic dextrose given 4 weeks apart for selected patients with knee OA, resulted in significant improvement of validated pain, ROM, and WOMAC-based function scores, when baseline levels were compared at 24 weeks. Further studies with randomized controlled trials involving a comparison group are suggested to confirm these findings.
Distal biceps reconstruction 13 years post-injury
Authors: Burrus M. Tyrrell , Chhabra A. Bobby
Published: January 2015

Distal biceps tendon ruptures are relatively rare injuries most commonly caused by an eccentric contraction of the biceps brachii. The majority of complete ruptures receive early surgical intervention, however, some patients do present in a delayed fashion. There are many surgical options at this time for acute and chronic injuries, and this case report describes an Achilles allograft reconstruction in a male who sustained a complete tear 13 years prior to presentation. At 12-month follow up, he had regained full function of his dominant extremity as evidence by returning to work with no limitations and by a Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score of zero. We are unaware of a successfully surgically reconstructed distal biceps tendon of this chronicity. As the literature on this subject is sparse, this case report gives credence to the idea that certain patients with a chronic distal biceps rupture should be considered for operative reconstruction and not relegated to continued failed conservative treatment. Discussed are the surgical treatment options and controversies for chronic distal biceps ruptures, and we review various outcome studies using different surgical techniques.
Exposure to Racial Out-Groups and Implicit Race Bias in the United States
Authors: Rae James R. , Newheiser Anna-Kaisa , Olson Kristina R.
Published: January 2015

The industrialized world is becoming more ethnically diverse. Research in several disciplines has suggested that exposure to racial out-groups may be associated with more positive and more negative intergroup attitudes. Given that U.S. states are often at the center of debate regarding diversity-related public policy, we examined how exposure to out-groups is associated with state-level implicit and explicit race bias among White and Black Americans. We found that larger proportions of Black residents across U.S. states were associated with stronger implicit and explicit in-group bias among both White and Black respondents. State-level bias was predicted by proportions of Black residents even when controlling for (a) state-level demographic control variables (e.g., median income), (b) proportions of non-Black minorities, and (c) historical membership in the Confederacy. Our results convey the importance of investigating why diversity may not always have the positive impact on intergroup relations that one might hope it to have.
Kenya’s Business Networks
Authors: Irwin David
Published: January 2015

It has been suggested that business leaders—insofar as they are able to exert influence over public policy—do so through their personal networks rather than acting through, or on behalf of, wider groups of businesses. The purpose of this article is to explore the extent to which personal networks in Kenya give business leaders easy access to policy makers. The concern is that a few business leaders may be able to influence public policy, for good or ill, for public benefit or private gain, irrespective of the views of the majority of private businesses or, at least, the majority of businesses in their sector. This article takes a novel approach mapping relationships to explore the extent to which business leaders are appointed to public bodies. It finds little evidence to support the thesis that an inner circle of business leaders has undue influence.
Adrenal Insufficiency as a Result of Ritonavir and Exogenous Steroid Exposure
Authors: Wood Brian R. , Lacy John Matthew , Johnston Christine , Weigle David S. , Dhanireddy Shireesha
Published: January 2015

Numerous cases of Cushing syndrome have been reported as a result of the interaction between ritonavir (RTV) and exogenous steroid medications. Another complication that frequently occurs is secondary adrenal insufficiency, which can be profound and has not been well described. Here, we report 6 cases of adrenal suppression caused by RTV and exogenous steroids, all of which required corticosteroid replacement therapy and 2 of which were severe enough to require hospitalization. These cases add to the body of literature on the dangerous interaction between RTV and corticosteroids and highlight the risk of secondary adrenal suppression. We also review the literature on this complication and make a recommendation for managing and monitoring such cases.
Perception of HIV Testing and Counseling among Integrated Counseling and Testing Center Clients of Tertiary Level Hospitals
Authors: Holla Ramesh , Maroli Swathi , Wettasinghe Dulakshi , Unnikrishnan Bhaskaran , Kamath Shiwani , De Rijuta , Kumar Santosh Bhat , Thapar Rekha , Mithra Prasanna , Kumar Nithin , Kulkarni Vaman , Bhagawana Darshan , Kumar Avinash
Published: January 2015

Background:

The purpose of establishing integrated counseling and testing center (ICTC) is to detect HIV at the earliest time, providing information on modes of transmission and prevention of HIV by promoting behavioral change and reducing vulnerability, and informing individuals on HIV prevention, care, and treatment services.

Objective:

To know the awareness of the clients about ICTC before pretest counseling.

Methods:

This facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 105 pretest counseling clients who visited ICTC for the first time in 3 ICTCs of tertiary care hospitals attached to a medical college in Mangalore.

Result:

Majority of the clients were pregnant women (n = 57, 54.30%), and most of the clients were referred by the treating doctor (n = 91, 86.7%). Most of the clients, being unaware of ICTC, are not aware of its functions and activities.

Conclusion:

Although ICTCs have been functional for nearly a decade, the awareness of ICTC and its functions among the people is poor.
Extracorporeal life support as bridge to lung transplantation: a systematic review
Authors: Chiumello Davide , Coppola Silvia , Froio Sara , Colombo Andrea , Del Sorbo Lorenzo
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Patients with acute respiratory failure requiring respiratory support with invasive mechanical ventilation while awaiting lung transplantation are at a high risk of death. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been proposed as an alternative bridging strategy to mechanical ventilation. The aim of this study was to assess the current evidence regarding how the ECMO bridge influences patients’ survival and length of hospital stay.

Methods

We performed a systematic review by searching PubMed, EMBASE and the bibliographies of retrieved articles. Three reviewers independently screened citation titles and abstracts and agreement was reached by consensus. We selected studies enrolling patients who received ECMO with the intention to bridge lung transplant. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs), case–control studies and case series with ten or more patients. Outcomes of interest included survival and length of hospital stay. Quantitative data summaries were made when feasible.

Results

We identified 82 studies, of which 14 were included in the final analysis. All 14 were retrospective studies which enrolled 441 patients in total. Because of the broad heterogeneity among the studies we did not perform a meta-analysis. The mortality rate of patients on ECMO before lung transplant and the one-year survival ranged from 10% to 50% and 50% to 90%, respectively. The intensive care and hospital length of stay ranged between a median of 15 to 47 days and 22 to 47 days, respectively. There was a general paucity of high-quality data and significant heterogeneity among studies in the enrolled patients and technology used, which confounded analysis.

Conclusions

In most of the studies, patients on ECMO while awaiting lung transplantation also received invasive mechanical ventilation. Therefore, whether ECMO as an alternative, rather than an adjunction, to invasive mechanical ventilation is a better bridging strategy to lung transplantation still remains an unresolved issue. ECMO support as a bridge for these patients could provide acceptable one-year survival. Future studies are needed to investigate ECMO as part of an algorithm of care for patients with end-stage lung disease.
Loss of periostin/OSF-2 in ErbB2/Neu-driven tumors results in androgen receptor-positive molecular apocrine-like tumors with reduced Notch1 activity
Authors: Sriram Roshan , Lo Vivian , Pryce Benjamin , Antonova Lilia , Mears Alan J , Daneshmand Manijeh , McKay Bruce , Conway Simon J , Muller William J , Sabourin Luc A
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Periostin (Postn) is a secreted cell adhesion protein that activates signaling pathways to promote cancer cell survival, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. Interestingly, Postn is frequently overexpressed in numerous human cancers, including breast, lung, colon, pancreatic, and ovarian cancer.

Methods

Using transgenic mice expressing the Neu oncogene in the mammary epithelium crossed into Postn-deficient animals, we have assessed the effect of Postn gene deletion on Neu-driven mammary tumorigenesis.

Results

Although Postn is exclusively expressed in the stromal fibroblasts of the mammary gland, Postn deletion does not affect mammary gland outgrowth during development or pregnancy. Furthermore, we find that loss of Postn in the mammary epithelium does not alter breast tumor initiation or growth in mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-Neu expressing mice but results in an apocrine-like tumor phenotype. Surprisingly, we find that tumors derived from Postn-null animals express low levels of Notch protein and Hey1 mRNA but increased expression of androgen receptor (AR) and AR target genes. We show that tumor cells derived from wild-type animals do not proliferate when transplanted in a Postn-null environment but that this growth defect is rescued by the overexpression of active Notch or the AR target gene prolactin-induced protein (PIP/GCDFP-15).

Conclusions

Together our data suggest that loss of Postn in an ErbB2/Neu/HER2 overexpression model results in apocrine-like tumors that activate an AR-dependent pathway. This may have important implications for the treatment of breast cancers involving the therapeutic targeting of periostin or Notch signaling.
CD55 deposited on synovial collagen fibers protects from immune complex-mediated arthritis
Authors: Karpus Olga N , Kiener Hans P , Niederreiter Birgit , Yilmaz-Elis A Seda , van der Kaa Jos , Ramaglia Valeria , Arens Ramon , Smolen Josef S , Botto Marina , Tak Paul P , Verbeek J Sjef , Hamann Jörg
Published: January 2015

Introduction

CD55, a glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored, complement-regulating protein (decay-accelerating factor), is expressed by fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) with high local abundance in the intimal lining layer. We here explored the basis and consequences of this uncommon presence.

Methods

Synovial tissue, primary FLS cultures, and three-dimensional FLS micromasses were analyzed. CD55 expression was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), in situ hybridization, flow cytometry, and immunohistochemistry. Reticular fibers were visualized by Gomori staining and colocalization of CD55 with extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins by confocal microscopy. Membrane-bound CD55 was released from synovial tissue with phospholipase C. Functional consequences of CD55 expression were studied in the K/BxN serum transfer model of arthritis using mice that in addition to CD55 also lack FcγRIIB (CD32), increasing susceptibility for immune complex-mediated pathology.

Results

Abundant CD55 expression seen in FLS of the intimal lining layer was associated with linearly oriented reticular fibers and was resistant to phospholipase C treatment. Expression of CD55 colocalized with collagen type I and III as well as with complement C3. A comparable distribution of CD55 was established in three-dimensional micromasses after ≥3 weeks of culture together with the ECM. CD55 deficiency did not enhance K/BxN serum-induced arthritis, but further exaggerated disease activity in Fcgr2b−/− mice.

Conclusions

CD55 is produced by FLS and deposited on the local collagen fiber meshwork, where it protects the synovial tissue against immune complex-mediated arthritis.
Overexpression of cystatin C in synovium does not reduce synovitis or cartilage degradation in established osteoarthritis
Authors: Kyostio-Moore Sirkka , Piraino Susan , Berthelette Patricia , Moran Nance , Serriello Joseph , Bendele Alison , Sookdeo Cathleen , Nambiar Bindu , Ewing Patty , Armentano Donna , Matthews Gloria L
Published: January 2015

Introduction

Cathepsin K (catK) expression is increased in cartilage, bone and synovium during osteoarthritis (OA). To study the role of catK expression and elevated cathepsin activity in the synovium on cartilage destruction in established OA, we overexpressed cystatin C (cysC), a natural cysteine protease inhibitor, in the synovium of rabbit OA joints.

Methods

The ability of cysC to inhibit activity of cathepsins in rabbit OA synovium lysates was tested in vitro using protease activity assay. In vivo, the tissue localization of recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) with LacZ gene after intra-articular injection was determined by β-galactosidase staining of rabbit joints 4 weeks later. To inhibit cathepsin activity in the synovium, a rAAV2-encoding cysC was delivered intra-articularly into rabbit joints 4 weeks after OA was induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). Seven weeks postinjection, endogenous catK and cysC levels as well as the vector-derived cysC expression in the synovium of normal and OA joints were examined by RNA quantification. Synovial cathepsin activity and catK, catB and catL protein levels were determined by activity and Western blot analyses, respectively. Synovitis and cartilage degradation were evaluated by histopathological scoring.

Results

In vitro, the ability of cysC to efficiently inhibit activity of purified catK and OA-induced cathepsins in rabbit synovial lysates was demonstrated. In vivo, the intra-articular delivery of rAAV2/LacZ showed transduction of mostly synovium. Induction of OA in rabbit joints resulted in fourfold increase in catK mRNA compared to sham controls while no change was detected in endogenous cysC mRNA levels in the synovium. Protein levels for catK, catB and catL were also increased in the synovium with a concomitant fourfold increase in cathepsin activity. Joints treated with rAAV2/cysC showed both detection of vector genomes and vector-derived cysC transcripts in the synovium. Production of functional cysC by the vector was demonstrated by complete block of cathepsin activity in the synovium. However, this did not decrease synovitis, bone sclerosis or progression of cartilage degradation.

Conclusions

Increased production of natural cathepsin inhibitor, cysC, in OA synovium does not alleviate synovitis or cartilage pathology during a preexisting OA.
Prediction of the potency of mammalian cyclooxygenase inhibitors with ensemble proteochemometric modeling
Authors: Cortes-Ciriano Isidro , Murrell Daniel S , van Westen Gerard JP , Bender Andreas , Malliavin Thérèse E
Published: January 2015

Cyclooxygenases (COX) are present in the body in two isoforms, namely: COX-1, constitutively expressed, and COX-2, induced in physiopathological conditions such as cancer or chronic inflammation. The inhibition of COX with non-steroideal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is the most widely used treatment for chronic inflammation despite the adverse effects associated to prolonged NSAIDs intake. Although selective COX-2 inhibition has been shown not to palliate all adverse effects (e.g. cardiotoxicity), there are still niche populations which can benefit from selective COX-2 inhibition. Thus, capitalizing on bioactivity data from both isoforms simultaneously would contribute to develop COX inhibitors with better safety profiles. We applied ensemble proteochemometric modeling (PCM) for the prediction of the potency of 3,228 distinct COX inhibitors on 11 mammalian cyclooxygenases. Ensemble PCM models (

$R_{0\ test}^{2}=0.65$

R

0

test

2

=
0.65

, and RMSEtest = 0.71) outperformed models exclusively trained on compound (

$R_{0\ test}^{2}=0.17$

R

0

test

2

=
0.17

, and RMSEtest = 1.09) or protein descriptors (

$R_{0\ test}^{2}=0.16$

R

0

test

2

=
0.16

and RMSEtest = 1.10) on the test set. Moreover, PCM predicted COX potency for 1,086 selective and non-selective COX inhibitors with

$R_{0\ test}^{2}=0.59$

R

0

test

2

=
0.59

and RMSEtest = 0.76. These values are in agreement with the maximum and minimum achievable

$R_{0\ test}^{2}$

R

0

test

2

and RMSEtest values of approximately 0.68 for both metrics. Confidence intervals for individual predictions were calculated from the standard deviation of the predictions from the individual models composing the ensembles. Finally, two substructure analysis pipelines singled out chemical substructures implicated in both potency and selectivity in agreement with the literature.
A psychrotolerant strain of Serratia marcescens (MTCC 4822) produces laccase at wide temperature and pH range
Authors: Kaira Gaurav Singh , Dhakar Kusum , Pandey Anita
Published: January 2015

A psychrotolerant bacterial strain ofSerratia marcescens, originally isolated from a glacial site in Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), has been investigated for laccase production under different culture conditions. The bacterial strain was found to grow between 4 to 45°C (opt. 25°C) and 3 to 14 pH (opt. 5 pH) on prescribed growth medium, coinciding with production of laccase in laccase producing medium. However, the production of laccase was more consistent toward alkaline pH. Laccase enzyme was partially purified using gel filtration chromatography. The molecular mass of laccase was determined ~53 kDa on native PAGE. The Km and Vmax values were determined to be 0.10 mM and 50.00 μM min−1, respectively, with ABTS. Inoculum size (4.0% v/v at 1.5 O.D.) resulted in significantly higher production of laccase. Carbon and nitrogen sources also affected the laccase production significantly. All the carbon sources enhanced laccase production, xylose being the best enhancer (P < 0.01). Among nitrogen sources, organic sources were found to act as inhibitors (P < 0.01), and among the in-organic sources only sodium nitrate enhanced the laccase production. Low molecular weight organic solvents significantly (P < 0.01) enhanced laccase production up to 24 h of incubation with a decline in later incubation period. Production of laccase by the psychrotolerant bacterium in wide range of temperature and pH is likely to have inference in biotechnological processes.
Some convergence results for multivalued quasi-nonexpansive mappings in $\operatorname{CAT}(\kappa)$ spaces
Authors: Wan Li-Li
Published: January 2015

In this paper, we prove some strong and △-convergence theorems for a finite family of multivalued quasi-nonexpansive mappings satisfying condition $(E)$
(
E
)
in $\operatorname{CAT}(\kappa)$
CAT
(
κ
)
spaces. Our results extend the corresponding results of Abkar and Eslamian (Nonlinear Anal. 75:1895-1903, 2012), Panyanak (Fixed Point Theory Appl. 2014:1, 2014), Shahzad and Zegeye (Nonlinear Anal. 71:838-844, 2009) and many others.
Visualization requirements of engineers for risk assessment of embankment dams
Authors: Kasireddy Varun , Ergan Semiha , Akinci Burcu , Gulgec Nur Sila
Published: January 2015

Background

Aging infrastructure in the US has gained quite a bit of attention in the past decade. Being one type of a critical infrastructure, embankment dams in the US require significant investment to upgrade the deteriorated parts. Due to limited budgets, understanding the behavior of structures over time through risk assessment is essential to prioritize dams. During the risk assessment for embankment dams, engineers utilize current and historical data from the design, construction, and operation phases of these structures. The challenge is that during risk assessment, various engineers from different disciplines (e.g., geotechnical, hydraulics) come together, and how they would like to visualize the available datasets changes based on the discipline-specific analyses they need to perform. The objective of this research study is to understand the discipline-specific visualization needs of engineers from US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) who are involved in risk assessment of embankment dams when they deal with large set of data accumulated since the inception of dams.

Methods

The requirements were identified through a three-phased research approach including interviews with engineers who are regularly involved in risk assessment processes, a card game and review of standards and published work on risk assessment of embankment dams.

Results

This paper provides the findings of research conducted with engineers coming from different disciplines within USACE. Findings comprise discipline-specific visualization requirements of engineers for viewing large datasets, containing static data (e.g. design information) and time-series data (e.g. piezometer data, monument measurements etc.), accumulated since the inception of dams.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that the visualization of the dam layout, components and geometry within 3D settings overlaid with sensor data (which could be queried based on engineers’ discipline-specific needs) and data analytics results provide a better flexibility to engineers to understand the risk associated with potential failure modes.
Feeding interactions in an assemblage of terrestrial carnivores in central Mexico
Authors: Gómez-Ortiz Yuriana , Monroy-Vilchis Octavio , Mendoza-Martínez Germán D
Published: January 2015

Background

We evaluated the strategies of resources partitioning among species, dietary overlap and niche breadth in an assemblage of carnivores integrated by top predators (Puma concolorandPanthera onca) and mesopredators (Leopardus pardalis,Leopardus wiedii,Puma yagouaroundi,Nasua naricaandUrocyon cinereoargenteus). The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms explaining the coexistence among species at a temperate zone in central Mexico.

Results

We collected 259 scats of carnivores and identified 45 food items. The analysis showed the common consumption of mammals in the assemblage, and the correspondence analysis showed three guilds: 1) top predators associated with the use of medium-sized mammals and the exclusive consumption of large mammals, 2) carnivore mesopredators associated with the consumption of small mammals and birds and 3) omnivore mesopredators associated with the consumption of arthropods and plants. The dietary overlap analysis indicated a low overlap between guilds and a high overlap within them. Top predators were specialist foragers, whilst the carnivore mesopredators showed generalist consumption.

Conclusions

The coexistence in this carnivore assemblage seems to be related to body size, morphology and prey segregation because such characteristics suggest the presence of three guilds. We observed high dietary overlap within guilds and resource partitioning between guilds.