bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The transformer species of the Ukrainian Polissya
Authors: Protopopova Vira V. , Shevera Myroslav V. , Orlov Oleksandr O. , Panchenko Sergiy M.
Published: January 2016

The investigation results of the transformer species participation (Echinocystis lobata (Michx.) Torr. & A. Gray, Heracleum sosnowskyi Manden., Impatiens glandulifera Royle, I. parviflora DC., Reynoutria japonica Houtt., Robinia pseudoacacia L.) in different plant communities of the Ukrainian Polissya (Forest zone of Ukraine) are presented. All the abovementioned species are strong edificators in the region that can significantly change important species composition parameters of communities and character of landscape.
Report of a New Case With Pentasomy X and Novel Clinical Findings
Authors: Demirhan Osman , Tanriverdi N , Yilmaz M.B , Kocaturk-Sel S , Inandiklioglu N , Luleyap U , Akbal E , Comertpay G , Tufan T , Dur O
Published: January 2016

Pentasomy X is an extremely rare sex chromosome abnormality, a condition that only affects females, in which three more X chromosomes are added to the normally present two chromosomes in females. We investigated the novel clinical findings in a 1-year-old female baby with pentasomy X, and determined the parental origins of the X chromosomes. Our case had thenar atrophy, postnatal growth deficiency, developmental delay, mongoloid slant, microcephaly, ear anomalies, micrognathia and congenital heart disease. A conventional cytogenetic technique was applied for the diagnosis of the polysomy X, and quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) using 11 inherited short tandem repeat (STR) alleles specific to the chromosome X for the determination of parental origin of X chromosomes. A cytogenetic evaluation revealed that the karyotype of the infant was 49,XXXXX. Comparison of the infant’s features with previously reported cases indicated a clinically recognizable specific pattern of malformations referred to as the pentasomy X syndrome. However, to the best of our know-ledge, this is the first report of thenar atrophy in a patient with 49,XXXXX. The molecular analysis suggested that four X chromosomes of the infant originated from the mother as a result of the non disjunction events in meiosis I and meiosis II. We here state that the clinical manifestations seen in our case were consistent with those described previously in patients with pentasomy X. The degree of early hypotonia constitutes an important early prognostic feature in this syndrome. The pathogenesis of pentasomy X is not clear at present, but it is thought to be caused by successive maternal non disjunctions.
Fungal laccases as tools for biodegradation of industrial dyes
Authors: Zucca Paolo , Cocco Gianmarco , Sollai Francesca , Sanjust Enrico
Published: January 2016

Laccases are blue copper oxidases, found in some plants and secreted by a wide range of ligninolytic fungi. These enzymes are well known for their ability in oxidizing several organic compounds, mainly phenolics and aromatic amines, at the expenses of molecular oxygen. Therefore, they could find application in the field of enzymatic bioremediation of many industrial wastewaters, and in particular to bleach and/or detoxify dye-containing effluents. Not all industrial dyes behave as laccase substrates, but this limitation is often overcome by the judicious use of redox mediators. These could substantially widen the application range of laccases as bioremediation tools. The present study encompasses the main properties of the most used industrial dyes as related to their chemical classification, fungal laccases and their molecular and catalytic features, the use of redox mediators, limitations and perspectives of the use of fungal laccases for industrial dye bleaching.
The effect of nicotine on the expressions of the α7 nicotinic receptor gene and Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in the mammary gland epithelial-7 breast cancer cell line and its relationship to drug resistance
Authors: Aali Naghmeh , Motalleb Gholamreza
Published: January 2016

The binding of nicotine with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) stimulates cell division and increases drug resistance in cancer. Experiments with specific inhibitors such as RNAi, hexamethonium, and α-bungarotoxin showed that α7 nicotinic receptor plays a key role in the proproliferation activity of nicotine. However, the mechanism of nicotine in the progress of breast cancer, the commonest malignancy in women, remains unknown. This study focuses on the effect of nicotine on the expressions of the α7 nicotinic receptor gene and Bax and Bcl-2 proteins in mammary gland epithelial-7 (MCF-7) breast cancer cells and its relationship to drug resistance. To evaluate the effect on drug resistance, human mammary gland epithelial adenocarcinomas from the MCF-7 line were exposed to 100 μl of nicotine at a concentration of 9.2 mg/ml for varying periods of time. Then, the cells were treated with 1, 2, 3 or 5 μl/ml of doxorubicin, either with or without the continued presence of nicotine. Cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. The biochemical parameters of apoptosis, including the expressions of Bax, Bcl-2 and α7 nicotinic receptor proteins were determined via western blotting, and the α7 nicotinic receptor gene expression level was assessed via real-time qPCR using the 2
Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Cathodes: Importance of Chemical Composition and Morphology
Authors: Sadykov Vladislav A. , Muzykantov Vitaliy S. , Yeremeev Nikita F. , Pelipenko Vladimir V. , Sadovskaya Ekaterina M. , Bobin Alexey S. , Fedorova Yulia E. , Amanbaeva Daiana G. , Smirnova Alevtina L.
Published: January 2016

The main aspects of the cathode materials
morphology for Intermediate Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel
Cells (IT SOFC) are considered in this paper. The approaches
for estimation of their basic properties, e.g. oxygen mobility
and surface reactivity, are described and the results
of different techniques (e.g. weight and conductivity
relaxation, oxygen isotope exchange) application for studies
of powders and dense ceramic materials are compared.
The Ruddlesden-Popper type phases (e.g. Pr2NiO4) provide
enhanced oxygen mobility due to cooperative mechanism
of oxygen interstitial migration. For perovskites, the oxygen
mobility is increased by doping, which generates oxygen
vacancies or decreases metal-oxygen bond strength. Nonadditive
increasing of the oxygen diffusion coefficients
found that for perovskite-fluorite nanocomposites, it can be
explained by the fast oxygen migration along perovskitefluorite
interfaces. Functionally graded nanocomposite
cathodes provide the highest power density, the lowest
area specific polarization resistance, and the best stability
to degradation caused by the surface layer carbonization/
hydroxylation, thus being the most promising for thin film
IT SOFC design.
Cascade Feed Forward Neural Network-based Model for Air Pollutants Evaluation of Single Monitoring Stations in Urban Areas
Authors: Capizzi Giacomo , Sciuto Grazia Lo , Monforte P. , Napoli Christian
Published: January 2016

In this paper, air pollutants concentrations for NO2, NO, NOx and PM10 in a single monitoring station are predicted using the data coming from other different monitoring stations located nearby. A cascade feed forward neural network based modeling is proposed. The main aim is to provide a methodology leading to the introduction of virtual monitoring station points consistent with the actual stations located in the city of Catania in Italy
Real-Time Cloud-based Game Management System via Cuckoo Search Algorithm
Authors: Połap Dawid , Woźniak Marcin , Napoli Christian , Tramontana Emiliano
Published: January 2016

-This paper analyses the idea of applying Swarm Intelligence in the process of managing the entire 2D board game in a real-time environment. For the proposed solution Game Management System is used as a cloud resource with a dedicated intelligent control agent. The described approach has been analysed on the basis of board games like mazes. The model and the control algorithm of the system is described and examined. The results of the experiments are presented and discussed to show possible advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method.
On Some I-Convergent Double Sequence Spaces of Fuzzy Real Numbers Defined by Modulus Function
Authors: Das Manmohan
Published: January 2016

In this article our aim to introduce some new I-convergent double sequence spaces of fuzzy real numbers defined by modulus function and studies their some topological and algebraic properties. Also we establish some inclusion relations.
Solvability of Sequence Spaces Equations of the form (Eα)Δ + Fx = Fb
Authors: Malafosse Bruno de
Published: January 2016

We present an Extended Continuous Block Backward Differentiation Formula (ECBBDF) of order k+1 for the numerical solution of stiff ordinary differential equations. This is achieved by constructing an Extended Continuous Backward Differentiation formula (ECBDF) together with the additional methods from its first derivative and are combined to form a single block of methods that simultaneously provide the approximate solutions for the stiff Initial Value Problems (IVPs). The error constant and stability property of the (ECBBDF) is discussed. We use the specific cases k = 4 and k = 5 to illustrate the process. The performance of the method is demonstrated on some numerical examples to show the accuracy and efficiency advantages of the method.
Some New Classes of Generalized Hermite-Based Apostol-Euler and Apostol-Genocchi Polynomials
Authors: Pathan M. A. , Khan Waseem A.
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we introduce a new class of generalized Apostol-Hermite-Euler polynomials and Apostol-Hermite-Genocchi polynomials and derive some implicit summation formulae by applying the generating functions. These results extend some known summations and identities of generalized Hermite-Euler polynomials studied by Dattoli et al, Kurt and Pathan.
Characterization of eating behavior disorders in school-aged children and adolescents: a population-based study
Authors: de Souza Cavalcanti Ana Márcia Tenório , de Arruda Ilma Kruze Grande , Moreno de Lima Emilly Anne Cardoso , Neto Waldemar Brandão , Meirelles Monteiro Estela Maria Leite , de Lima Luciane Soares , da Silva Diniz Alcides
Published: January 2016

Objective:

Cross-sectional study to assess the characteristics of the risk behaviors for eating disorders (EDs) in school children between 10 and 14 years of age in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.

Methods:

1405 school-aged children were assessed, using the Eating Behaviours and Body Image Test (EBBIT) to screen for EDs. The normality of the continuing variables was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test with Lilliefors correction. They were described as medians and interquartile intervals (25 and 75th percentiles).

Results:

The criteria that represented a condition of anorexia and/or bulimia nervosa were considered as strong indicators of risk for EDs in school-aged children who indicated the following behaviors with scores superior to the 75th percentile on the scales: “compulsive eating” 3.0% (CI95% 2.2–4.0); “dissatisfaction with body image/restrictive eating” 1.3% (CI95% 0.8–2.0); children scoring superior to the 30th percentile, “compulsive eating” + “dissatisfaction with body image/restrictive eating”, 0.6% (CI95% 0.3–1.2); and superior to the 50th percentile; “compensatory behavior for hyperphagia” 6.7% (CI95% 5.4–8.1). In addition, greater vulnerability of the female gender was perceived, as well as an increase in the preliminary risk factors of EDs, such as advanced age, dissatisfaction with the body image linked to restrictive behaviors and the compulsive establishment of an eating pattern.

Conclusion:

This study shows the dimension of the problem in this ecological context and the urgent need for intervention programs, developed among different sectors, from the perspective of the adolescents’ empowerment to prevent and minimize the vulnerability factors of the eating disorders.
Youth friendly health services in a rural community of Lagos, Nigeria: are the youths receptive?
Authors: Wright KIkelomo Ololade , Oluwole Esther , Adeniran Adeyinka , Kuyinu Yetunde , Goodman Olayinka , Odusanya Olumuyiwa
Published: January 2016

Background: Globally, the youths constitute a major segment of most societies particularly in developing countries. This study was undertaken to assess the perception and practices related to youth friendly health services (YFHS) by in-school adolescents in a rural community of Lagos, Nigeria.

Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted on 400 proportionately selected consenting respondents from the senior classes of the three secondary schools in Agbowa community. A pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used for data collection and analysis was done with the aid of statistical software.

Results: Most of the respondents were in the age range of 12–15 years with mean age being 15.33±1.54 years. About half (46.8%) of the respondents correctly described adolescents as persons between the ages of 10 and 19 years. The majority (83.2%) of the respondents first heard about the Youth Friendly Health facilities from parents, guardians and friends. However, only few of the respondents had ever visited a Youth Friendly Center. A good location, convenient hours and comfortable surroundings were the most appealing aspects of YFHS. The provision of a seminar room and educational materials (60.8% and 70.8%, respectively) are important to the respondents. Reproductive health (56.8%) was the most preferred health education topic chosen by the respondents.

Conclusion: Sensitization of the youths in the Agbowa community about youth friendly health services and provision of such services would be useful in reducing risky practices and improving their health.
Hydrogen Production by Hydrolysis of NaBH4 with Cr-Ni-W-B Catalyst: Effects of Cold Plasma and Chromium Content
Authors: Şahin Ömer , Saka Cafer , Ekinci Arzu , Balbay Asım
Published: January 2016

In this study, the hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of NaBH4 with Cr0.0125-Ni-W-B catalyst prepared in the presence of cold plasma was investigated based on Cr content, NaBH4 concentration, NaOH concentration, temperature, plasma applying time and plasma gases effects. The results of the activity tests indicate that the choice of Cr and the catalyst composition greatly influenced the activity as well as the selectivity for hydrogen generation from the hydrolysis of NaBH4. The Cr0.0125-Ni-W-B catalyst was treated with argon, nitrogen and carbon dioxide plasma at different treatment times. The catalysts were characterized using SEM, BET surface area measurement and XRD.
Exploring the Theories of Radicalization
Authors: Maskaliūnaitė Asta
Published: January 2016

After the London bombings in July 2005, the concern of terrorism scholars and policy makers has turned to “home-grown” terrorism and potential for political violence from within the states. “Radicalization” became a new buzz word. This article follows a number of reviews of the literature on radicalization and offers another angle for looking at this research. First, it discusses the term “radicalization” and suggests the use of the following definition of radicalization as a process by which a person adopts belief systems which justify the use of violence to effect social change and comes to actively support as well as employ violent means for political purposes. Next, it proposes to see the theories of radicalization focusing on the individual and the two dimensions of his/her motivation: whether that motivation is internal or external and whether it is due to personal choice or either internal (due to some psychological traits) or external compulsion. Though not all theories fall neatly within these categories, they make it possible to make comparisons of contributions from a variety of different areas thus reflecting on the interdisciplinary nature of the study of terrorism in general and radicalization as a part of it.
Richness, diversity and abundance of bats from a savanna landscape in central Brazil
Authors: Lima Camila S. , Varzinczak Luiz H. , Passos Fernando C.
Published: January 2016

Studies on bat ecology and distribution in the Brazilian Cerrado are scarce. Here we describe a bat assemblage from a savanna landscape in central Brazil and explore the richness, diversity, abundance and the influence of habitat and seasonality. We conducted 48 nights of sampling in both dry and wet seasons and in three habitat types. We estimated the richness and diversity indexes. We assessed the influence of habitat and season on species abundance with a generalized linear mixed model. Overall, we captured 254 individuals of 19 species and our effort sampled 90% of the estimated richness. The Phyllostomidae family was the most frequent, with 76.3% of all captures.
Scalable and Anonymous Group Communication with MTor
Authors: Lin Dong , Sherr Micah , Loo Boon Thau
Published: January 2016

This paper presents MTor, a low-latency anonymous group communication system. We construct MTor as an extension to Tor, allowing the construction of multi-source multicast trees on top of the existing Tor infrastructure. MTor does not depend on an external service to broker the group communication, and avoids central points of failure and trust. MTor’s substantial bandwidth savings and graceful scalability enable new classes of anonymous applications that are currently too bandwidth-intensive to be viable through traditional unicast Tor communication-e.g., group file transfer, collaborative editing, streaming video, and real-time audio conferencing.

We detail the design of MTor and then analyze its performance and anonymity. By simulating MTor in Shadow and TorPS using realistic models of the live Tor network’s topology and recent consensus records from the live Tor network, we show that MTor achieves a 29% savings in network bandwidth and a 73% reduction in transmission time as compared to the baseline approach for anonymous group communication among 20 group members. We also demonstrate that MTor scales gracefully with the number of group participants, and allows dynamic group composition over time. Importantly, as more Tor users switch to group communication, we show that the overall performance and utilization for group communication improves. Finally, we discuss the anonymity implications of MTor and measure its resistance to traffic correlation.
Your Choice MATor(s)
Authors: Backes Michael , Meiser Sebastian , Slowik Marcin
Published: January 2016

In this paper, we present a rigorous methodology for quantifying the anonymity provided by Tor against a variety of structural attacks, i.e., adversaries that corrupt Tor nodes and thereby perform eavesdropping attacks to deanonymize Tor users. First, we provide an algorithmic approach for computing the anonymity impact of such structural attacks against Tor. The algorithm is parametric in the considered path selection algorithm and is, hence, capable of reasoning about variants of Tor and alternative path selection algorithms as well. Second, we present formalizations of various instantiations of structural attacks against Tor and show that the computed anonymity impact of each of these adversaries indeed constitutes a worst-case anonymity bound for the cryptographic realization of Tor. Third, we use our methodology to conduct a rigorous, largescale evaluation of Tor’s anonymity which establishes worst-case anonymity bounds against various structural attacks for Tor and for alternative path selection algorithms such as DistribuTor, SelekTOR, and LASTor. This yields the first rigorous anonymity comparison between different path selection algorithms. As part of our analysis, we quantify the anonymity impact of a path selection transition phase, i.e., a small number of users decides to run an alternative algorithm while the vast majority still uses the original one. The source code of our implementation is publicly available.
XPIR : Private Information Retrieval for Everyone
Authors: Aguilar-Melchor Carlos , Barrier Joris , Fousse Laurent , Killijian Marc-Olivier
Published: January 2016

A Private Information Retrieval (PIR) scheme is a protocol in which a user retrieves a record from a database while hiding which from the database administrators. PIR can be achieved using mutuallydistrustful replicated databases, trusted hardware, or cryptography. In this paper we focus on the later setting which is known as single-database computationally- Private Information Retrieval (cPIR). Classic cPIR protocols require that the database server executes an algorithm over all the database content at very low speeds which impairs their usage. In [1], given certain assumptions, realistic at the time, Sion and Carbunar showed that cPIR schemes were not practical and most likely would never be. To this day, this conclusion is widely accepted by researchers and practitioners. Using the paradigm shift introduced by lattice-based cryptography, we show that the conclusion of Sion and Carbunar is not valid anymore: cPIR is of practical value. This is achieved without compromising security, using standard crytosystems, and conservative parameter choices.
Recent strategies to minimise fouling in electrochemical detection systems
Authors: Hanssen Benjamin L. , Siraj Shajahan , Wong Danny K.Y.
Published: January 2016

Electrode fouling is a phenomenon that can severely affect the analytical characteristics of a technique or a sensor, such as sensitivity, detection limit, reproducibility, and overall reliability. Electrode fouling generally involves the passivation of an electrode surface by a fouling agent that forms an increasingly impermeable layer on the electrode, inhibiting the direct contact of an analyte of interest with the electrode surface for electron transfer. Some potential fouling agents include proteins, phenols, amino acids, neurotransmitters, and other biological molecules. Various antifouling strategies have been reported to reduce or eliminate electrode fouling. Most antifouling strategies exploit a protective layer or barrier on an electrode substrate to prevent the fouling agent from reaching the electrode surface. Although such strategies can be quite effective, they are inappropriate for systems in which the analyte itself is also the fouling agent. In such cases, other strategies must be used, including electrode surface modification and electrochemical activation. In this review, recent strategies to minimise and efforts to overcome electrode fouling across a diverse range of analytes and fouling agents will be presented.
Recent approaches and challenges in iPSCs: modeling and cell-based therapy of Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Csöbönyeiová Mária , Polák Štefan , Danišovič L’uboš
Published: January 2016

The lack of effective therapies for different neurodegenerative disorders has placed huge burdens on society. To overcome the restricted capacity of the central nervous system for regeneration, the promising alternative would be to use stem cells for more effective treatment of chronic degenerative and inflammatory neurological conditions and also of acute neuronal damage and from injuries or cerebrovascular diseases. The generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from somatic cells by the ectopic expression of specific transcription factors has provided the regenerative medicine field with a new tool for investigating and treating neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This technology provides an alternative to traditional approaches, such as nuclear transfer and somatic cell fusion using embryonic stem cells. However, due to a problem in standardization of certain reprogramming techniques and systems research, the induced pluripotent stem cell-based technology is still in its infancy. The present paper is aimed at a brief review of the current status in modeling and cell-based therapies for AD.
Aptamer guided delivery of nucleic acid-based nanoparticles
Authors: Panigaj Martin , Reiser Jakob
Published: January 2016

Targeted delivery of bioactive compounds is a key part of successful therapies. In this context, nucleic acid and protein-based aptamers have been shown to bind therapeutically relevant targets including receptors. In the last decade, nucleic acid-based therapeutics coupled to aptamers have emerged as a viable strategy for cell specific delivery. Additionally, recent developments in nucleic acid nanotechnology offer an abundance of possibilities to rationally design aptamer targeted RNA or DNA nanoparticles involving combinatorial use of various intrinsic functionalities. Although a host of issues including stability, safety and intracellular trafficking remain to be addressed, aptamers as simple functional chimeras or as parts of multifunctional self-assembled RNA/DNA nanostructures hold great potential for clinical applications.
Exploring identities in police interrogations
Authors: Pang Jixian , Ye Ning
Published: January 2016

Throughout a police interrogation, the identities of police interrogators and suspects are not fixed as simple questioners and answerers, but are dynamic with the changing communicative purposes in an interrogation process. At the opening and closing stages, the identities of interrogators are largely those of spokespeople and attentive listeners. At the information gathering stage, while the suspects are expected to ideally assume three simultaneous identities of animator, author, and principal, the identities of interrogators are more complicated when the interrogators attempt to construct an ideal interrogation pattern with an aim to show the voluntary nature of the suspect’s confession. The identities the police interrogators attempt to construct include an institutional representative, a responsible professional, a fact verifier/lie detector, and a dominant professional. The shifting identities and positionalities of police interrogators and suspects are part of a delicate dance in an interrogation process, which will determine the effectiveness of an interrogation. The identity construction process this paper describes helps create patterns of interaction. The paper argues that the police’s keen awareness of their identity construction in the interrogation will facilitate the achievement of their intended interrogative purposes.
Negotiating language status in multilingual jurisdictions: Rhetoric and reality
Authors: Leung Janny HC
Published: January 2016

About a quarter of legal jurisdictions in the world operate in more than one language. Despite this, language policies governing the functioning of law in such jurisdictions, other than in the European Union, rarely receive much attention in research. Given, however, that the policy contrast between legal monolingualism and multilingualism is often a matter of strategic response to the rising or declining power of one or more particular language communities, the conferring of legal authority on some language(s) but not others calls for analysis. Advocacy and justification surrounding potential or actual change of legal language, for example, consists of competing rhetorics advanced by politicians, legal professionals, and campaign groups, and to this extent politics permeates both the promotion and presentation of legal multilingualism, despite reluctance among legal policy makers to engage directly with this aspect of the process. This article situates legal multilingualism within a wider understanding of multilingualism and language policy. It first surveys status labels assigned to languages in multilingual jurisdictions. It then compares, across jurisdictions, rhetorical strategies deployed in promoting and opposing specific proposals about language status, in both official and public discourses, and analyses contradictions and dilemmas embedded in them. The argument extends [Rhetoric as jurisprudence: An introduction to the politics of legal language. Oxford Journal of Legal Studies 4(1). 88–122] observation that legal discourse is pre-eminently a discourse of power. But if use of legal language is political, it is suggested, then the processes of negotiation which establish a language for such use are even more so.
Analysis on the Features of Acupuncture Recipes for Dysmenorrhea
Authors: Pan Si-An , Zhao Dao , Lu Xiang-Jun , Li Cheng-Wen , Liu Mai-Lan , Chang Xiao-Rong
Published: January 2016

Objective: To analysis and extract the features of acupuncture recipes for dysmenorrhea.

Methods: By searching the major Chinese and English databases, we included the clinical literature with defined point-based recipes and analyzed the feature of those.

Results: (1) the most frequently selected points for dysmenorrhea in order were: San Yin Jiao(SP6), Guan Yuan (RN4), Zhong Ji (CV3), Qi Hai (CV6), Ci Liao (BL32), Di Ji (SP8), Shen Shu (BL23). (2) the major characteristics of point selection was combination of local points and distant points which located on Ren meridian and spleen meridian. (3) the major treatment methods were normal acupuncture, then acupuncture combined with moxibustion or auricular therapy, for the latter, were especially stressed and confirmed by many studies.

Conclusion: The acupuncture recipes for dysmenorrhea were usually made by consideration of combining local and distant points, utilizing multiple methods especially auricular therapy.
Electro-acupuncture on Lower He-sea Points: How Does it Affect Serum HMGB1 and Tissue α7 nAChR in Ulcerative Colitis Rats
Authors: Zhang Hong
Published: January 2016

Objective: To observe the expression levels of serum high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) , nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 (α7 nAChR) and nuclear factor kappa-B mRNA(NF-κB mRNA) in colon tissue after electroacupuncture (EA) on Shangjuxu, Zusanli, Xiajuxu,Yanglingquan and Chengjin points, by comparison of the different effects we could thus explore the relative specificity of Shangjuxu on treating its corresponding viscera’ s disease.

Methods: Seventy SD rats were randomly assigned to seven groups labeled by blank control (A), Model (B), Shang Ju Xu (C), Zu San Li (D), Xia Ju Xu (E), Yang Ling Quan (F), Cheng Jin (G), ten (half males and half females) in each group. Except for the blank control group, animals in other groups were modeled to ulcerative colitis (UC) by lavation of 2-4-6 trinitro-benzene-sulfonic acid (TNBS)/ethanol solution. After successful modeling animals in the five treatment groups were respectively treated with electroaccupuncture at corresponding acupoint for 10 consecutive days. Then histological changes in the colon were observed by light microscopy. ELISA method was used to check models’serum HMGB1 content, and α7 nAChR in the colon were detected by western blot , RT-PCR was used to detecte NF-κB mRNA.

Results: ① Compared with the model group, the tissue injury changes in 5 treatment groups improved to a certain extent, and the colon tissue NF-κB mRNA expression of them decreasd signifcantly（P<0.01),as well, the α7 nAChR expression of Shang Ju Xu group, Zu San Li group and Xia Ju Xu group increased signifcantly (P<0.01 or P<0.05), and their serum HMGB1 content made obvious decrease(P<0.01 or P<0.05), the α7 nAChR expression in Yang Ling Quan group was also increased significantly（P<0.01). ② Compared with Shang Ju Xu group, the tissue injury changes of groups including Xia Ju Xu,Yang Ling Quan and Cheng Jin are much severe under light microscope, and the α7 nAChR expression of them decreased with significance（P<0.01),both serum HMGB1 content and colon tissue NF-κB mRNA expression increased significantly as well（P<0.01),the serum HMGB1 content of Zu San Li group also increased significantly（P<0.01).

Conclusion: ① Electroacupuncture on all five different acupoints can improve the UC through regulating HMGB1, α7 nAChR and NF-κB mRNA, and effectively inhibiting the immune response, reducing inflammatory response of colon and improving pathological changes of colonic mucosa. ②The effect of treating UC inflammation in rats when electroacupuncture at Shang Ju Xu was better than Zu San Li, Xiajuxu, Yang Ling Quan and Cheng Jin, which demonstrated that Shangjuxu treating UC has some relative specificity.
Differential dynamics of the mammalian mRNA and protein expression response to misfolding stress
Authors: Cheng Zhe , Teo Guoshou , Krueger Sabrina , Rock Tara M , Koh Hiromi WL , Choi Hyungwon , Vogel Christine
Published: January 2016

The relative importance of regulation at the mRNA versus protein level is subject to ongoing debate. To address this question in a dynamic system, we mapped proteomic and transcriptomic changes in mammalian cells responding to stress induced by dithiothreitol over 30 h. Specifically, we estimated the kinetic parameters for the synthesis and degradation of RNA and proteins, and deconvoluted the response patterns into common and unique to each regulatory level using a new statistical tool. Overall, the two regulatory levels were equally important, but differed in their impact on molecule concentrations. Both mRNA and protein changes peaked between two and eight hours, but mRNA expression fold changes were much smaller than those of the proteins. mRNA concentrations shifted in a transient, pulse‐like pattern and returned to values close to pre‐treatment levels by the end of the experiment. In contrast, protein concentrations switched only once and established a new steady state, consistent with the dominant role of protein regulation during misfolding stress. Finally, we generated hypotheses on specific regulatory modes for some genes.
Parechovirus Encephalitis and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes
Authors: Britton Philip N. , Dale Russell C. , Nissen Michael D. , Crawford Nigel , Elliott Elizabeth , Macartney Kristine , Khandaker Gulam , Booy Robert , Jones Cheryl A. ,   on behalf of the PAEDS-ACE Investigators
Published: January 2016

OBJECTIVE:

We aimed to describe the clinical features and outcome of human parechovirus (HPeV) encephalitis cases identified by the Australian Childhood Encephalitis (ACE) study.

METHODS:

Infants with suspected encephalitis were prospectively identified in 5 hospitals through the (ACE) study. Cases of confirmed HPeV infection had comprehensive demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, and outcome at discharge data reviewed by an expert panel and were categorized by using predetermined case definitions. Twelve months after discharge, neurodevelopment was assessed by using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ).

RESULTS:

We identified thirteen cases of suspected encephalitis with HPeV infection between May 2013 and December 2014. Nine infants had confirmed encephalitis; median age was 13 days, including a twin pair. All had HPeV detected in cerebrospinal fluid with absent pleocytosis. Most were girls (7), admitted to ICU (8), and had seizures (8). Many were born preterm (5). Seven patients had white matter diffusion restriction on MRI; 3 with normal cranial ultrasounds. At discharge, 3 of 9 were assessed to have sequelae; however, at 12 months’ follow-up, by using the ASQ, 5 of 8 infants showed neurodevelopmental sequelae: 3 severe (2 cerebral palsy, 1 central visual impairment). A further 2 showed concern in gross motor development.

CONCLUSIONS:

Children with HPeV encephalitis were predominantly young, female infants with seizures and diffusion restriction on MRI. Cranial ultrasound is inadequately sensitive. HPeV encephalitis is associated with neurodevelopmental sequelae despite reassuring short-term outcomes. Given the absent cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis and need for specific testing, HPeV could be missed as a cause of neonatal encephalopathy and subsequent cerebral palsy.
G. I. Gurdjieff and the Study of Religion/s
Authors: Sutcliffe Steven , Cusack Carole M.
Published: January 2016

This is an introduction by the guest editors to a special issue on the study of Gurdjieff approached within the comparative study of religion/s. We position this special issue within a new wave in the study of Gurdjieff that aims to eschew emic biases as well as a narrow ‘new religion’ typology in order better to engage the social, cultural and textual histories common to the general study of religion/s. We briefly indicate the existing scholarship on Gurdjieff in this light before introducing the contents of the five original articles in this special issue, with particular reference to the pioneering work of Andrew Rawlinson on Gurdjieff as a ‘western guru’.
Revisiting 'Midnight’s Children'
Authors: Betcher Sharon V.
Published: January 2016

Within postcolonial literature, “Midnight’s Children” (Rushdie) their births laden not only with supernatural expectation, but traumatically marked with cultural upheaval—appear as symbols of hope in an unreliable future. Given the presence of disability in postcolonial literature, this essay pushes Christian theology to think with our own “midnight’s child”—one born “uncomely,” disfigured (Isaiah 53). “Disability”— never without some material signature, but always a cultural representation— names the ply of rhetoric batted back and forth between colonial and anti-colonial, these volleys shifting aesthetics and bending arcs of affect. Through the optics of modern realism, Jesus appeared as healer for the regime of “ablenationalism.” This essay, however, dares to think the figure of Jesus as volleyed back at Empire by anti-colonials. Reading with the Global South—namely, with the biblical scholar Simon Samuel and the constructive theology of Marcella Althaus-Reid—makes the figure of Jesus as postcolonial crip not wholly unprecedented.
Opiate of Christ
Authors: Myles Robert J.
Published: January 2016

This article applies a Libertarian Marxist lens to the Gospel of John. In doing so, it highlights the agrarian-aristocratic class struggle that is refracted in the text and also seeks to problematize hierarchical and authoritarian ideologies. Its point of departure is the recent political interpretations of John championed by Tom Thatcher (2009) and Warren Carter (2008), but it diverges significantly from these readings by observing how the gospel’s so-called “subversive” quality has often been overstated and/or simply taken for granted. By focusing on the problematic re-inscription of hierarchies of power, the reading advanced below argues that John’s heightening of imperial ideology in Jesus is at best unsubversive and at worst normalizing of a fascist-like impulse for racial and authoritarian purity.
Luxury Communist Jesus
Authors: Sandford Michael J.
Published: January 2016

This article begins by outlining contemporary anti-work politics, which form the basis of Sandford’s reading. After providing a brief history of anti-work politics, Sandford examines recent scholarly treatments of Jesus’ relationship to work. An examination of a number of texts across the gospel traditions leads Sandford to argue that Jesus can be read as a ‘luxury communist’ whose behaviour flies in the face of the Protestant work ethic. Ultimately, Sandford foregrounds those texts in which Jesus discourages his followers from working, and undermines work as an ‘end in itself’, contextualising these statements in relation to other gospel texts about asceticism and the redistribution of wealth.
The Stone that the Builders Rejected
Authors: Rose Marika
Published: January 2016

This paper interrogates the liberationist vision of Sandford’s ‘Luxury Communist Jesus’, the reactionary Jesus of Myles’ ‘Opiate of Christ’ and the imperialist chronologies of Wan’s ‘Reflections on Empire’ in relation to broader questions concerning the ambiguities of scriptural hermeneutics and the complex relationship of Christianity to capitalism.
Responding to the Radical in RIOT Bible
Authors: Blyth Caroline
Published: January 2016

In response to the RIOT Bible articles by Sandford, Myles, and Wan, I consider what it means to be a ‘radical interpreter’ of the Bible. Reflecting in particular on the sense of ‘rootedness’ that the term ‘radical’ can convey, I explore how each author digs down to the roots of their subject, all the while pushing away from exegetical normativities to produce a reading that is both unconventional and ground-breaking.
Influência de diferentes tratamentos de superfície na força de adesão entre zircônia estabilizada por ítrio e cimentos resinosos
Authors: Rego Maria Eliza Steling , Schanuel Fabiana Ribeiro da Silva
Published: January 2016

O objetivo da presente revisão da literatura foi avaliar a influência de tratamentos de superfície na força de adesão entre zircônia e cimento resinoso. De acordo com a literatura pesquisada, concluiu-se, dentro das limitações do estudo, que a silicatização e o jateamento com óxido de alumina são atualmente os dois métodos mais investigados, apresentando bons resultados principalmente quando associados com um agente químico de união. É importante realçar que o uso de jateamento com óxido de alumina foi vinculado à indícios de fratura. Apesar de poucos relatos, a infiltração seletiva por vidro parece ser o tratamento mais promissor, obtendo resultados superiores aos outros métodos e sem que haja comprometimento da estrutura da cerâmica.

DOI: 10.18363/rbo.v72i1/2.579
Commentary: Persistence and Health-Related Consequences of the Model Minority Stereotype for Asian Americans
Authors: Yi Stella S. , Kwon Simona C. , Sacks Rachel , Trinh-Shevrin Chau
Published: January 2016

Fifty years ago, the term model minority was coined to describe the extraordinary ability of Asian Americans to overcome hardship to succeed in American society. Less well-known is how the model minority stereotype was cultivated within the context of Black-White race relations during the second half of the 20th  century, and how this stereotype, in turn, has contributed to the understanding and prioritization of health disparities experienced by Asian Americans. The objectives of this article are to define the model minority stereotype, present its controversies, and provide examples of its social and health-related consequences (ie, implications for obesity and tobacco) across multiple levels of society and institutions. A salient theme throughout the examples provided is the limitation of data presented at the aggregate level across all Asian subgroups which masks meaningful disparities. The intent is to increase the visibility of Asian Americans as a racial/ethnic minority group experiencing chronic disease health disparities and deserving of health-related resources and consideration. Ethn Dis. 2016;26(1):133-138;doi:10.18865/ed.26.1.133
Addressing Stroke Risk Factors in Black and White Americans: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2009-2010
Authors: Albright Karen C. , Boehme Amelia K. , Tanner Rikki M. , Blackburn Justin , Howard George , Howard Virginia J. , Safford Monika , Beasley Mark , Limdi Nita
Published: January 2016

Objectives:  Recurrent stroke affects 5%-15% of stroke survivors, is higher among Blacks, and preventable with secondary stroke prevention medications. Our study aimed to examine racial differences in risk factors being addressed (defined as either on active treatment or within guideline levels) among stroke survivors and those at risk for stroke.

Methods:  A cross-sectional study using NHANES 2009-2010 standardized interviews of Whites and Blacks aged ≥18 years.  Risk factors were defined as being addressed if: 1) for hypertension, SBP <140, DBP <90 (SBP<130, DBP<80 for diabetics) or using BP-lowering medications; 2) for current smoking, using cessation medications; and 3) for hyperlipidemia, LDL<100 (LDL<70 for stroke survivors) or using lipid-lowering medications.  Participants were stratified by stroke history.  Prevalence of addressed risk factors was compared by race.

Results:  Among 4005 participants (mean age 48, 52% women, 15% Black), 4% reported a history of stroke.  Among stroke survivors, there were no statistically significant differences in Blacks and Whites having their hypertension or hyperlipidemia addressed.  Among stroke naïve participants, the prevalence of addressed hypertension (P<.01) and hyperlipidemia (P<.01) was lower in Blacks compared with Whites. 
Conclusions:  We found that addressed hypertension and hyperlipidemia in stroke naïve participants were significantly lower in Blacks than Whites. Our observations call attention to areas that require further investigation, such as why black Americans may not be receiving evidence-based pharmacologic therapy for hypertension and hyperlipidemia or why Black Americans are not at goal blood pressure or goal LDL.  A better understanding of this information is critical to preventing stroke and other vascular diseases. Ethn Dis. 2016;26(1):9-16; doi:10.18865/ed.26.1.9
Compliance with a New York State 2010 HIV Testing Law: Is There Racial/Ethnic Bias in HIV Testing? Experience of Monroe County, New York, 2012
Authors: Kennedy Byron S. , Kern Anne , Ricci John , Younge Mary , Carelock Kathy , Bedard Brenda , Smith Kim , Inscho Roxana
Published: January 2016

Background: While routine HIV testing in the general population is a national recommendation, actual practice may vary.

Purpose: To determine risk factors associated with HIV testing after the adoption of a New York State law in 2010 mandating that healthcare providers offer HIV testing in all clinical settings.

Methods.: Survey data from Monroe County, New York, were collected in 2012 for adults aged 18-64 years and analyzed in 2014. Logistic regression was used to identify risk factors independently associated with HIV testing and high-risk behavior.

Results: Among adults aged 18-34 years, fewer Whites were offered HIV testing in the past year by their doctors compared with Blacks (34% vs 64%) despite having similar rates of any HIV high-risk behavior (20% overall).  For adults aged 35-64 years, fewer Whites than Blacks were ever tested for HIV (42% vs 71%), offered HIV testing in past year (17% vs 40%), and reported any HIV high-risk behavior (3% vs 13%). Latinos showed intermediate levels. With logistic regression analysis, ever tested for HIV was independently associated with only race/ethnicity; offered HIV testing in the past year was associated with females, Blacks and Latinos, aged 18-34 years, and having a routine health checkup in past year; any HIV high-risk behavior was associated with only younger age. 

Conclusions: To improve HIV testing rates as well as compliance with state laws and national guidelines, targeted efforts should be considered that improve perceptions of risk and emphasize the value of routine HIV screening, including those directed at white adults and their health care providers. Ethn Dis. 2016;26(1):91-98; doi:10.18865/ed.26.1.91
Smile Analysis in Haryanavi Females
Authors: Garg S. , Rathee S. K.
Published: January 2016

Background:The smile is one of the most important facial expressions and is essential in expressing friendliness, agreement and appreciation. The evaluation of the intrinsic characteristics of the smile is a necessary procedure to achieve consistent form in orthodontic treatments, which in turn makes it necessary to recognize the components and factors that affect these characteristics.
Objectives: The study was conducted to evaluate various characterstics of smile in Haryanavi females which may serve as a guideline for enhancement of esthetic and cosmetic surgery.

Material and Methods: The present study was conducted on 50 females age group 18-25 years in Pt. B.D. Sharma Post graduate institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak. The photographs were clicked with the digital camera with high resolution. The following parameters of smile were noted in all the subjects: Position of upper lip while smiling, alignment of upper incisal edge to lower lip, Tooth-lower lip position.

Results: The high position of upper lip while smiling was noted in 56% cases, alignment of upper incisal edge to lower lip was convex in 54% cases, Toothlower lip position was not touching in 54% cases.

Conclusions: The present study will provide baseline data of an esthetic smile in Haryanavi females. The baseline data may serve as a guideline for restoration or enhancement of esthetics for the anterior component of the dentition.