bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Gαi
2
(Guanine Nucleotide–Binding Protein Alpha Inhibiting Activity Polypeptide 2) Protein–Mediated Neural Control of the Kidney and the Salt Sensitivity of Blood Pressure
Authors: Carmichael Casey Y. , Kuwabara Jill T. , Pascale Crissey L. , Moreira Jesse D. , Mahne Sarah E. , Kapusta Daniel R. , Rosene Douglas L. , Williams Jonathan S. , Cunningham J. Thomas , Wainford Richard D.
Published: March 2020

We have previously reported that in salt-resistant rat phenotypes brain, Gαi
2
(guanine nucleotide–binding protein alpha inhibiting activity polypeptide 2) proteins are required to maintain blood pressure and sodium balance. However, the impact of hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) Gαi
2
proteins on the salt sensitivity of blood pressure is unknown. Here, by the bilateral PVN administration of a targeted Gαi
2
oligodeoxynucleotide, we show that PVN-specific Gαi
2
proteins are required to facilitate the full natriuretic response to an acute volume expansion (peak natriuresis [μeq/min] scrambled (SCR) oligodeoxynucleotide 41±3 versus Gαi
2
oligodeoxynucleotide 18±4;
P
<0.05) via a renal nerve-dependent mechanism. Furthermore, in response to chronically elevated dietary sodium intake, PVN-specific Gαi
2
proteins are essential to counter renal nerve-dependent salt-sensitive hypertension (mean arterial pressure [mm Hg] 8% NaCl; SCR oligodeoxynucleotide 128±2 versus Gαi
2
oligodeoxynucleotide 147±3;
P
<0.05). This protective pathway involves activation of PVN Gαi
2
signaling pathways, which mediate sympathoinhibition to the blood vessels and kidneys (renal norepinephrine [pg/mg] 8% NaCl; SCR oligodeoxynucleotide 375±39 versus Gαi
2
oligodeoxynucleotide 850±27;
P
<0.05) and suppression of the activity of the sodium chloride cotransporter assessed as peak natriuresis to hydrochlorothiazide. Additionally, central oligodeoxynucleotide-mediated Gαi
2
protein downregulation prevented PVN parvocellular neuron activation, assessed by FosB immunohistochemistry, in response to increased dietary salt intake. In our analysis of the UK BioBank data set, it was observed that 2
GNAI2
single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs2298952,
P
=0.041; rs4547694,
P
=0.017) significantly correlate with essential hypertension. Collectively, our data suggest that selective targeting and activation of PVN Gαi
2
proteins is a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of salt-sensitive hypertension.
Altered Gut Microbiome Profile in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Authors: Kim Seungbum , Rigatto Katya , Gazzana Marcelo B. , Knorst Marli M. , Richards Elaine M. , Pepine Carl J. , Raizada Mohan K.
Published: March 2020

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is considered a disease of the pulmonary vasculature. Limited progress has been made in preventing or arresting progression of PAH despite extensive efforts. Our previous studies indicated that PAH could be considered a systemic disease since its pathology involves interplay of multiple organs. This, coupled with increasing implication of the gut and its microbiome in chronic diseases, led us to hypothesize that patients with PAH exhibit a distinct gut microbiome that contributes to, and predicts, the disease. Fecal microbiome of 18 type 1 PAH patients (mean pulmonary arterial pressure, 57.4, SD 16.7 mm Hg) and 13 reference subjects were compared by shotgun metagenomics to evaluate this hypothesis. Significant taxonomic and functional changes in microbial communities in the PAH cohort were observed. Pathways for the synthesis of arginine, proline, and ornithine were increased in PAH cohort compared with reference cohort. Additionally, groups of bacterial communities associated with trimethylamine/ trimethylamine N-oxide and purine metabolism were increased in PAH cohort. In contrast, butyrate-and propionate-producing bacteria such as Coprococcus, Butyrivibrio, Lachnospiraceae, Eubacterium, Akkermansia, and Bacteroides were increased in reference cohort. A random forest model predicted PAH from the composition of the gut microbiome with 83% accuracy. Finally, virome analysis showed enrichment of Enterococcal and relative depletion of Lactococcal phages in the PAH cohort. In conclusion, patients with PAH exhibit a unique microbiome profile that has the high predictive potential for PAH. This highlights previously unknown roles of gut bacteria in this disease and could lead to new therapeutic, diagnostic, or management paradigms for PAH.
Central CYP1B1 (Cytochrome P450 1B1)-Estradiol Metabolite 2-Methoxyestradiol Protects From Hypertension and Neuroinflammation in Female Mice
Authors: Singh Purnima , Song Chi Young , Dutta Shubha Ranjan , Gonzalez Frank J. , Malik Kafait U.
Published: March 2020

Previously, we showed that peripheral administration of 2-ME (2-methoxyestradiol), a CYP1B1 (cytochrome P450 1B1)-catechol-
O
-methyltransferase (COMT) generated metabolite of E2 (17β-Estradiol), protects against angiotensin II-induced hypertension in female mice. The demonstration that central E2 inhibits angiotensin II-induced hypertension, together with the expression of CYP1B1 in the brain, led us to hypothesize that E2-CYP1B1 generated metabolite 2-ME in the brain mediates its protective action against angiotensin II-induced hypertension in female mice. To test this hypothesis, we examined the effect of intracerebroventricularly (ICV) administered E2 in ovariectomized (OVX)-wild-type (
Cyp1b1
+/+
) and OVX-
Cyp1b1
−/−
mice on the action of systemic angiotensin II. ICV-E2 attenuated the angiotensin II-induced increase in mean arterial blood pressure, impairment of baroreflex sensitivity, and sympathetic activity in OVX-
Cyp1b1
+/+
but not in ICV-injected short interfering (si)RNA-COMT or OVX-
Cyp1b1
−/−
mice. ICV-2-ME attenuated the angiotensin II-induced increase in blood pressure in OVX-
Cyp1b1
−/−
mice; this effect was inhibited by ICV-siRNA estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1 (GPER1). ICV-E2 in OVX-
Cyp1b1
+/+
but not in OVX-
Cyp1b1
−/−
mice and 2-ME in the OVX-
Cyp1b1
−/−
inhibited angiotensin II-induced increase in reactive oxygen species production in the subfornical organ and paraventricular nucleus, activation of microglia and astrocyte, and neuroinflammation in paraventricular nucleus. Furthermore, central CYP1B1 gene disruption in
Cyp1b1
+/+
mice by ICV-adenovirus-GFP (green fluorescence protein)-CYP1B1-short hairpin (sh)RNA elevated, while reconstitution by adenovirus-GFP-CYP1B1-DNA in the paraventricular nucleus but not in subfornical organ in
Cyp1b1
−/−
mice attenuated the angiotensin II-induced increase in systolic blood pressure. These data suggest that E2-CYP1B1-COMT generated metabolite 2-ME, most likely in the paraventricular nucleus via estrogen receptor-α and GPER1, protects against angiotensin II-induced hypertension and neuroinflammation in female mice.
PinX1t, a Novel PinX1 Transcript Variant, Positively Regulates Cardiogenesis of Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Chan Hing Chung , Lau Yuen Ting , Ding Qianqian , Li Chun Kit , Wong Chi Ming , Shaw Pang Chui , Waye Mary Miu Yee , Tsang Suk Ying
Published: March 2020

Background

Pin2/
TRF
1‐interacting protein, PinX1, was previously identified as a tumor suppressor. Here, we discovered a novel transcript variant of
mP
inX1 (mouse PinX1),
mP
inX1t (mouse PinX1t), in embryonic stem cells (
ESC
s). The aims of this investigation were (1) to detect the presence of
mP
inX1 and
mP
inX1t in
ESC
s and their differentiation derivatives; (2) to investigate the role of
mP
inX1 and
mP
inX1t on regulating the characteristics of undifferentiated
ESC
s and the cardiac differentiation of
ESC
s; (3) to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of how
mP
inX1 and
mP
inX1t regulate the cardiac differentiation of ESCs.

Methods and Results

By 5′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends, 3′ rapid amplification of cDNA ends, and polysome fractionation followed by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction,
mP
inX1t transcript was confirmed to be an intact
mRNA
that is actively translated. Western blot confirmed the existence of
mP
inX1t protein. Overexpression or knockdown of
mP
inX1 (both decreased
mP
inX1t expression) both decreased while overexpression of
mP
inX1t increased the cardiac differentiation of
ESC
s. Although both
mP
inX1 and
mP
inX1t proteins were found to bind to cardiac transcription factor
mRNA
s, only
mP
inX1t protein but not
mP
inX1 protein was found to bind to nucleoporin 133 protein, a nuclear pore complex component. In addition,
mP
inX1t‐containing cells were found to have a higher cytosol‐to‐nucleus ratio of cardiac transcription factor
mRNA
s when compared with that in the control cells. Our data suggested that
mP
inX1t may positively regulate cardiac differentiation by enhancing export of cardiac transcription factor
mRNA
s through interacting with nucleoporin 133.

Conclusions

We discovered a novel transcript variant of
mP
inX1, the
mP
inX1t, which positively regulates the cardiac differentiation of
ESC
s.
Is the Concept of Animal Welfare Incompatible with Chinese Culture?
Authors: Cao Deborah
Published: March 2020

In discussions about nonhuman animal protection in China in recent years, one consistent theme is many people in China believe that animal welfare and the legal protection of animals are ahead of their time, and that animal welfare is a Western concept and practice, incompatible with Chinese culture. I argue that animal welfare is compatible with Chinese culture as seen through elements in Chinese traditional philosophy, imperial laws, and some idiomatic expressions in the Chinese language that are sympathetic toward animals. It is acknowledged that the realities in Chinese society have been very harsh as far as animals are concerned and much needs to be done in Chinese society to live up to some of the ideals espoused in Chinese culture and tradition. The grassroots animal protection efforts in China for the past ten years or so have been contributing positively and gaining traction in the right direction.
Body size variation in hybrids among populations of European water frogs (Pelophylax esculentus complex) with different breeding systems
Authors: Hermaniuk Adam , Czajkowska Magdalena , Borkowska Anetta , Taylor Jan R.E.
Published: March 2020

In some populations, hybrids reproduce with a parental species by eliminating the genome of this species from their own germline and produce gametes that only contain the genome of the other parental species (sexual host). This mode of reproduction, known as hybridogenesis, leads to a conflict of interest between the two parties because the sexual host should avoid mating with the hybrid to prevent a reduction in reproductive success, whereas the hybrid depends on such matings for survival. We investigated European water frogs (Pelophylax esculentus complex), including hybrids (P. esculentus, genotype LR) and two sexual host species (P. lessonae, LL and P. ridibundus, RR). We hypothesized that to maximize fitness, hybrid males should be morphologically more similar to the sexual host that is preferred by females for successful reproduction. To test this hypothesis, we compared hybrid males in two different population types, L-E (hybrids coexist with LL) and L-E-R (hybrids coexist with both LL and RR). The latter was described in terms of genome composition, sex ratio, and mate choice preferences; the sex ratio of hybrids was significantly male-biased. We found that LR males from the L-E-R populations were significantly larger than those from the L-E, which makes them more similar to P. ridibundus, the largest species within the P. esculentus complex. We suggest that a larger body size of hybrid males may provide a reproductive advantage in the L-E-R population type, where the most common type of pair caught in the breeding season was LR males × RR females.
Transnational Law Enforcement Cooperation – Fundamental Rights in European Cooperation in Criminal Matters
Authors: Luchtman Michiel
Published: March 2020

European cooperation in criminal matters is an area full of paradoxes. This article identifies the dominant narratives that define the nature of European cooperation in criminal matters. It also aims to identify the consequences that these narratives entail for the protection of fundamental rights in that cooperation and, subsequently, for the EU’s legislative agenda for the coming years. It develops a model of deeper justice integration, based on the narrative of a common European area, fostering the proper administration of criminal justice, transnational agency for individuals and fundamental rights.
Last Night in Sweden? Using Gaussian Processes to Study Changing Demographics at the Level of Municipalities
Authors: Swain Ranjula Bali , Blomqvist Björn R. H. , Sumpter David J. T.
Published: March 2020

The increased immigration in Western Europe has been linked by some political parties to increased criminality rates. We study the statistical relationship between the proportion of foreign-born to three types of reported criminality - rapes, burglary, and assault. The analysis is based on Swedish municipality level data for 2002–2014, years with significant immigration. Using non-parametric Gaussian processes models, we find that while reported rape rates have increased, they are likely best explained by changes in reporting. The reported burglary rates have decreased, while reported assault rates are positively correlated to the proportion of foreign-born residents in the municipality.
The Paradox of Scottish Life Imprisonment
Authors: van Zyl Smit Dirk , Morrison Katrina
Published: March 2020

More people are serving life sentences in Scotland as a proportion of the national population than in any other country in Europe. Yet , in many respects, Scotland claims to adopt a welfarist rather than a penal approach to criminal justice. This paper uses a wide range of data to explain the factors underpinning this paradox. It focuses on key aspects of the imposition and implementation of life sentences, providing, for the first time, an analysis that goes behind headline figures. The paper concludes that, notwithstanding the commitment to welfare in penal policy, the high rate of life imprisonment is driven by both increased punitiveness and attempts to reduce the risk that serious crime poses to society. Finally, the paper outlines strategies for reducing the use of life imprisonment, which may be more effective because they pay close attention to the Scottish penal context, but which have relevance for other jurisdictions seeking to reverse penal excess.
The Legal Significance of Expert Treaty Bodies Pronouncements for the Purpose of the Interpretation of Treaties
Authors: Azaria Danae
Published: March 2020

Although it is widely accepted that the pronouncements of expert treaty bodies are not binding, this does not mean that they are deprived of any effect in law. This study focuses on their legal effects vis-à-vis the interpretation of treaties, and explores how the International Court of Justice and the International Law Commission have dealt with the pronouncements of expert treaty bodies in relation to the interpretation of treaties. The tale about the Court’s and the Commission’s approaches in this respect demonstrates the profound belief of both the Court and the Commission that international law is a legal system, which calls for reliance on the pronouncements of expert treaty bodies as integral actors within the legal system with some ‘authority’ concerning the determination of the law (within their mandate). This does not mean that the Court and the Commission support a ‘blind reliance’ on such pronouncements; rather the quality of each pronouncement is a criterion for relying on it. The reasoning of the Court and (and implicitly of) the Commission also shows that they consider that international law as a legal system, which necessitates ‘legal consistency’. This in turn suggests that the reliance on pronouncements of expert treaty bodies, which are mandated to supervise the application (and interpretation) of particular treaties, may constitute an exercise of ‘systemic integration’ which exceeds the confines of the rule set forth in Article 31(3)(c) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Response to Critics
Authors: Schönbaumsfeld Genia
Published: March 2020

In this paper I respond to the objections and comments made by Ranalli, Williams, and Moyal-Sharrock, participants in a symposium on my book on scepticism called The Illusion of Doubt.
First records of Trichocircus Jałoszyński and Protandroconnus Franz in Mexico, with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)
Authors: JAŁOSZYŃSKI PAWEŁ
Published: March 2020

Trichocircus and Protandroconnus are Neotropical genera of Glandulariini characterized, among other features, by unusual male cephalic modifications. The recently described Trichocircus comprises three species distributed in Panama and Costa Rica, and Protandroconnus includes one species, known to occur in Peru. Both genera are recorded as new for Mexico, and two new species are described: Trichocircus mexicanus sp. n., and Protandroconnus akeratophorus sp.n. The latter is unusual in lacking the frontal ‘horn’ known for the type species of Protandroconnus; instead the head of male bears a peculiar transverse impression.
A new species of direct-developing frog of the genus Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) from the Pacific lowlands of Guerrero, Mexico
Authors: PALACIOS-AGUILAR RICARDO , SANTOS-BIBIANO RUFINO
Published: March 2020

We describe a new species of direct-developing frog of the genus Eleutherodactylus from the Pacific lowlands of Guerrero, Mexico. Eleutherodactylus erythrochomus sp. nov. is a saxicolous species that inhabit caves or crevices formed by groups of large granitic boulders, which create contrasting climatic characteristics to the surrounding habitat. This new species is geographically restricted to the Tierra Colorada region, a biologically important area that harbors microendemic taxa. This species is the first microendemic amphibian described from this region. The new species can be easily differentiated from congeners by having long and slender limbs, lacking a lumbo-inguinal gland, and expanded digital pads. Further exploration and conservation measures should be conducted at the type locality of this new species in order to preserve and understand the herpetofaunistic composition occurring therein.
A new species of anchovy, Encrasicholina sigma (Teleostei, Clupeiformes,
Engraulidae), from Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: HATA HARUTAKA , MOTOMURA HIROYUKI
Published: March 2020

The new anchovy Encrasicholina sigma n. sp. is described on the basis of 20 specimens collected from Sulawesi, Indonesia. Although the new species can be distinguished from all other congeners except for Encrasicholina pseudoheteroloba (Hardenberg 1933) by having a long upper jaw reaching to posterior margin of preopercle, dorsal and anal fins with two unbranched rays, an exposed bony urohyal, and spine-like scutes on the abdomen, E. sigma is distinguished from E. pseudoheteroloba by lower total gill-raker counts on the first, second, third, and fourth gill arches, and on the posterior face of the third gill arch (37–42, 31–35, 18–23, 16–20, and 4–7, respectively vs. 45–55, 34–45, 22–29, 19–25, and 4–9 in E. pseudoheteroloba) and a longer head (25.2–27.0% of SL vs. 22.8–27.5%) and shorter anal-fin base (12.9–14.8% of SL vs. 13.8–18.7%).
Translation Approach for Dentine Regeneration Using GSK-3 Antagonists
Authors: Zaugg L.K. , Banu A. , Walther A.R. , Chandrasekaran D. , Babb R.C. , Salzlechner C. , Hedegaard M.A.B. , Gentleman E. , Sharpe P.T.
Published: March 2020

The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is crucial for reparative dentinogenesis following tooth damage, and the modulation of this pathway affects the rate and extent of reparative dentine formation in damaged mice molars by triggering the natural process of dentinogenesis. Pharmacological stimulation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling activity by small-molecule GSK-3 inhibitor drugs following pulp exposure in mouse molars results in reparative dentinogenesis. The creation of similar but larger lesions in rat molars shows that the adenosine triphosphate (ATP)–competitive GSK-3 inhibitor, CHIR99021 (CHIR), and the ATP noncompetitive inhibitor, Tideglusib (TG), can equally enhance reparative dentine formation to fully repair an area of dentine damage up to 10 times larger, mimicking the size of small lesions in humans. To assess the chemical composition of this newly formed dentine and to compare its structure with surrounding native dentine and alveolar bone, Raman microspectroscopy analysis is used. We show that the newly formed dentine comprises equal carbonate to phosphate ratios and mineral to matrix ratios to that of native dentine, both being significantly different from bone. For an effective dentine repair, the activity of the drugs needs to be restricted to the region of damage. To investigate the range of drug-induced Wnt-activity within the dental pulp, RNA of short-term induced (24-h) molars is extracted from separated roots and crowns, and quantitative Axin2 expression is assayed. We show that the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling is highly restricted to pulp cells in the immediate location of the damage in the coronal pulp tissue with no drug action detected in the root pulp. These results provide further evidence that this simple method of enhancement of natural reparative dentinogenesis has the potential to be translated into a clinical direct capping approach.
Effects of Contract Ambiguity in Interorganizational Governance
Authors: Zheng Xu (Vivian) , Griffith David A. , Ge Ling , Benoliel Uri
Published: March 2020

This work introduces the concept of contract ambiguity from the law literature into the interorganizational governance literature. Within the context of franchising, the authors present a three-study multimethod design empirically establishing the construct of contract ambiguity of franchisor obligations, providing new insights into the strategic design of contracts and their outcomes. In Study 1, the authors establish construct validity by demonstrating that contract ambiguity of franchisor obligations is distinct from contract specificity and contract completeness of franchisor obligations, with differential outcomes. In Studies 2 and 3, the authors demonstrate that contract ambiguity of franchisor obligations increases an interest-based (vs. a rights-based) conflict solving approach, implying greater cooperation and joint problem solving, and reduces franchisee-initiated litigation. The findings also indicate that while contract ambiguity of franchisor obligations decreases franchisee-initiated litigation, this effect is amplified by higher levels of franchisor training programs but mitigated by the presence of a franchisee association. The article closes with a discussion of implications for academics and practitioners.
Demographics and (Equal?) Voice: Assessing Participation in Online Deliberative Sessions
Authors: Kennedy Ryan , Sokhey Anand E , Abernathy Claire , Esterling Kevin M , Lazer David MJ , Lee Amy , Minozzi William , Neblo Michael A
Published: March 2020

Critics of deliberative democracy have worried that deliberation may mirror (or even exacerbate) inequalities in participation across categories such as gender, race, and age. Accordingly, we investigate the potential for technology and design to ameliorate these concerns, looking at the extent to which online deliberative sessions facilitate inclusive participation. In a large study of online deliberation (over 1600 participants nested in hundreds of online sessions), we examine differences in the amount and nature of participation across demographic categories, as well as the effect of forum characteristics on such differences. Though our results are mixed, we read them with cautious optimism: the online format is not immune to inequalities in participation and satisfaction, but we do not observe differences across some demographics, and most observed differences are substantively minor. Moreover, features of online deliberation environments show promise for addressing some of the problems plaguing in-person designs.
The financialisation of housing land supply in England
Authors: Bradley Quintin
Published: March 2020

The aim of this article is to identify the calculative practices that turn urban development planning into the supply-side of land financialisation. My focus is on the statutory planning of housing supply and the accounting procedures, or market devices, that normalise the practices of land speculation in the earliest stage of the urban development process. I provide an analysis of the accountancy regime used by planning authorities in England to evidence a 5-year supply of housing land. Drawing on the work of Michel Callon on market framing, I assess the activities of economic agents in performing or ‘formatting’ this supply, its boundaries, externalities and rules of operation. I evidence the effect of this formatting in normalising the treatment of land as a financial asset and in orienting the statutory regulation of land supply to the provision of opportunities for the capture of increased ground rent at a cost to the delivery of new homes.
Imaginary Drug Control and the Failures of Contemporary Australian Drug Policy
Authors: Pereira Margaret , Scott John , Beem Amanda
Published: March 2020

Contemporary Australian drug policy is characterized by a tension between punitive law and order responses that invoke the myth of sovereign power and responsibilizing strategies that “(re)moralize” individuals, holding them responsible for their safety, security, and well-being. This article argues that this blending of neoliberal techniques of governance, such as harm minimization, with neoconservative methods of rule typified in prohibitionist policies, presents a paradoxical policy response to illicit drug use. We explore the development and contemporary practice of a dualistic Australian drug policy that, on the one hand, promotes pragmatic interventions based on harm reduction while, on the other, relies on law and order strategies and traditional penal powers to deter illicit drug use. Drawing on Pat Carlen’s concept of imaginary penalities, we argue that this imaginary form of drug control is underpinned largely by symbolic measures that, in attempting to address public demands for safety and security, reproduce a punitive form of governance that fails to achieve its desired outcomes. Using qualitative interview data from a sample of 29 people who used drugs, and 15 professionals working in the drugs field, this article investigates responses to the contemporary governance of illicit drugs in Queensland. Based on the research findings, we argue that the conjoined nature of Australian drugs governance can be understood as imaginary drug control because it constantly recreates the conditions that perpetuate drug-related harm.
The Developmentalist Project of the PT Governments: An Economic and Political Assessment
Authors: de Paula Luiz Fernando , Santos Fabiano , Moura Rafael
Published: March 2020

An analysis of the endogenous and exogenous political and economic factors that conditioned the Partido dos Trabalhadores’s (PT) social-developmentalist project in 2003–2016 in the light of financialization and the “confidence game” conditioned by the volatility of external liquidity and commodities prices concludes that the first Lula administration faced the problem of a crisis of confidence and adopted orthodox policies but was able, with the improvement of international conditions, to launch policies of a more interventionist and distributive trend. Dilma Rousseff, facing a downright unfavorable international context, explicitly broke with the confidence game by applying the policy set of the new macroeconomic matrix. In her second term she radically reversed the policy orientation, moving toward a strong fiscal adjustment and monetary orthodoxy, and this eventually undermined her few sources of political support. The economic crisis from the second half of 2014 on undoubtedly contributed to the political crisis, which in turn made infeasible any attempt to implement policies to reverse the situation of economic crisis. Dilma’s impeachment finally interrupted the PT’s developmentalist project, allowing the emergence of new political actors.

Uma análise dos fatores endógenos e exógenos, políticos e econômicos que condicionaram o projeto social-desenvolvimentista do Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT) em 2003–2016 à luz da financeirização e do “confidence game” condicionado pela volatilidade dos ciclos externos de liquidez e preços de commodities conclui que o primeiro governo Lula enfrentou o problema de crise de confiança e adotou políticas ortodoxas, mas pôde, com a melhoria nas condições internacionais, adotar políticas de perfil mais intervencionista e redistributivista. Já Dilma Rousseff, embora enfrentando contexto internacional francamente desfavorável, rompe explicitamente com o “confidence game” ao assumir o conjunto de políticas da Nova Matriz Macroeconômica. Na transição do primeiro para o segundo mandato, Dilma inverteu radicalmente a orientação das políticas, partindo para um forte ajuste fiscal e a ortodoxia monetária, o que acabou minando os poucos focos de sustentação política com os quais contava na sociedade. A crise econômica a partir do segundo semestre de 2014 sem dúvida contribuiu para dar origem à crise política, e esta por sua vez inviabilizou qualquer tentativa de implementação de políticas para reverter o quadro de crise econômica. O impeachment de Dilma, por fim, interrompe o projeto desenvolvimentista do PT, permitindo a emergência de novos atores políticos.
Offender trajectories, health and hospital admissions: relationships and risk factors in the longitudinal Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development
Authors: Skinner Guy CM , Farrington David P , Shepherd Jonathan P
Published: March 2020

Objectives

Research suggests that antisocial lifestyles constitute significant health risks. However, there are marked individual differences in the stability of antisocial behaviour. These different offending pathways may bear differential risks for adult health.

Design

Injury and illness data were collected prospectively in the longitudinal Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development.

Setting

Working-class inner-city area of South London.

Participants

Participants included the 411 men from the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development, with interview data collected at ages 18, 32 and 48 years for each individual.

Main outcome measures

Organic illness, hospitalisation and injuries.

Results

By age 48, adjusted odds ratios showed that the incidence of organic illness was higher among Life-Course-Persistent, Late-Onset offenders and offenders in general. Based on adjusted odds ratios at age 32, the incidence of hospitalisations was higher for Late-Onset offenders. Adjusted odds ratios at age 48 also showed that the incidence of hospitalisations was higher for all three offender types and offenders in general. Our results also provide evidence that offenders were more likely to suffer injuries than non-offenders.

Conclusions

The findings of this study imply that preventing individuals from offending is likely to have substantial benefits for health.
The Woman Who Gave Her Breast For Hire. Notes on a Christian Wall-Painting from Tebtunis
Authors: Zellmann-Rohrer Michael
Published: March 2020

This article gives a new reading and interpretation of a Coptic legend accompanying a wall-painting in a medieval church at Tebtunis, first published by C. C. Walters in this journal in 1989. Among depictions of the punishment of various sinners, the figure of a woman whose breasts are attacked by snakes can be connected with a belief in the sinfulness of wet-nursing, which is paralleled in Byzantine, Zoroastrian, and Mandaean contexts. Such scruples, foreign to Egypt in earlier times, may be owed to Gnosticism.
Dual-Energy CT: A Paradigm Shift in Acute Traumatic Abdomen
Authors: Hamid Saira , Nicolaou Savvas , Khosa Faisal , Andrews Gordon , Murray Nicolas , Abdellatif Waleed , Qamar Sadia Raheez
Published: March 2020

Abdominal trauma, one of the leading causes of death under the age of 45, can be broadly classified into blunt and penetrating trauma, based on the mechanism of injury. Blunt abdominal trauma usually results from motor vehicle collisions, fall from heights, assaults, and sports and is more common than penetrating abdominal trauma, which is usually seen in firearm injuries and stab wounds. In both blunt and penetrating abdominal trauma, an optimized imaging approach is mandatory to exclude life-threatening injuries. Easy availability of the portable ultrasound in the emergency department and trauma bay makes it one of the most commonly used screening imaging modalities in the abdominal trauma, especially to exclude hemoperitoneum. Evaluation of the visceral and vascular injuries in a hemodynamically stable patient, however, warrants intravenous contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography scan. Dual-energy computed tomography with its postprocessing applications such as iodine selective imaging and virtual monoenergetic imaging can reliably depict the conspicuity of traumatic solid and hollow visceral and vascular injuries.
Emergency Imaging in Pregnancy and Lactation
Authors: Mathur Shobhit , Pillenahalli Maheshwarappa Ravishankar , Fouladirad Saman , Metwally Omar , Mukherjee Pratik , Lin Amy Wei , Bharatha Aditya , Nicolaou Savvas , Ditkofsky Noah G.
Published: March 2020

The use of diagnostic imaging studies in the emergency setting has increased dramatically over the past couple of decades. The emergency imaging of pregnant and lactating patients poses unique challenges and calls upon the crucial role of radiologists as consultants to the referring physician to guide appropriate use of imaging tests, minimize risk, ensure timely management, and occasionally alleviate unwarranted trepidation. A clear understanding of the risks and benefits involved with various imaging tests in this patient population is vital to achieve this. This review discusses the different safety and appropriateness issues that could arise with the use of ionizing radiation, iodinated-, and gadolinium-based contrast media and radiopharmaceuticals in pregnant and lactating patients. Special considerations such as trauma imaging, safety concerns with magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound, management of claustrophobia, contrast extravasation, and allergic reactions are also reviewed. The consent process for these examinations has also been described.
Syphilis infection does not affect immunodeficiency progression in HIV-infected men who have sex with men in China
Authors: Huang Liping , Cheng Weibin , Han Zhigang , Liang Yuanhao , Wu Hao , Wang Haiying , Xu Huifang , Tang Shixing
Published: March 2020

Syphilis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection is expected to play a role in HIV-1-related immunodeficiency progression; however, studies involving syphilis/HIV co-infection have not been conclusive. We investigated the factors associated with co-infection of syphilis and HIV and to assess the effect of syphilis on HIV progression in the context of HIV-1 diversity in an observational cohort of 246 newly-diagnosed HIV-infected but antiretroviral therapy-naive men who have sex with men enrolled in Guangzhou, China between 2008 and 2012. CD4+ cell counts of all the participants were measured from the time of diagnosis until 2015 with an average of 32 ± 18 months. Logistic analysis indicated that patients with syphilis/HIV co-infection were more likely to be older with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 2.48 (95% CI: 1.28–4.80) for those aged between 31 and 40 years and 3.20 (1.11–9.22) for those aged ≥40 years as compared to 16–30  year-olds. The AOR of patients infected with HIV-1 CRF07_BC as compared to CRF01_AE was 2.14 (95% CI: 1.01–4.53). Co-infection of syphilis and HIV was associated with lower baseline CD4+ cell count (0.45, 95% CI: 0.22–0.94), but was not associated with HIV disease progression (HR: 1.03; 95% CI, 0.86–1.23) based on Kaplan–Meier analysis. Our results provide new evidence about the interaction between syphilis and HIV and indicate differential rates of immunodeficiency progression as a function of HIV-1 genetic diversity.
Culture, Milieu, Phenotype: Articulating Race in Judicial Sense-making Practices
Authors: van Oorschot Irene
Published: March 2020

In this contribution, I trace the ways practicing judges articulate, as well as challenge, race. Drawing on an ethnography of everyday practices of adjudication and sentencing in a Dutch, lower Criminal Court, and working with Stuart Hall’s conception of articulation, I show how judges draw on three articulations of race – that of culture, the social milieu, and the phenotype – to make sense of individual cases. Emphasizing how and where these articulations of race serve local, pragmatic goals – of individualized sentencing, or of identification of the suspect – I also pay attention to their local impracticalities, that is, where these registers are challenged or resisted. In so doing, I do not only understand race as multiple but also situate race as a pragmatic and local accomplishment with its own uses and instabilities.
‘Both needed and threatened’: Armed mothers in militant visuals
Authors: Loken Meredith
Published: March 2020

Because women are assumed to be nonviolent, their participation in militant groups can humanize organizations and legitimize rebellion. But gender beliefs are deeply engrained, and consequently women’s involvement can also generate resistance. This article explores how militants navigate this tension through their political visuals, specifically analyzing images of ‘armed mothers’ across six diverse conflicts. Leveraging life-giving as the ‘natural’ role for women, these images signal violent disruption of everyday life and authorize political violence in response. But they also stress the temporariness of gender-role expansion, promising and preserving a ‘return to normal’. Militant groups contextualize, justify, and humanize violent struggle through these images even in cases where women rarely participate on the front lines.
Laparoscopic Surgery Versus Open Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: Impacts on Natural Killer Cells
Authors: Shi Liangpan , Guo Hailian , Zheng Zhihua , Liu Jiangrui , Jiang Yancheng , Su Yibin
Published: March 2020

Background: Laparoscopic resection is increasingly used in colorectal cancer (CRC). It has been suggested to carry short-term benefits in safety, recovery, and preservation on immune function for patients with CRC. However, the impact of laparoscopic resection on natural killer (NK) cells is largely unclear. Methods: A total of 200 patients with CRC across Dukes A/B/C stages were randomly assigned to laparoscopic or open resection. The blood samples were collected before and after the surgery. The total number of NK cells was quantified by flow cytometer. Lytic units 35 toward K562 was used to quantify NK cells activity. The outcomes between the groups across pathological stages were also analyzed. Results: The number and activity of NK cells decreased after the surgery in both groups. The laparoscopic group showed a faster recovery rate of NK cells function than the control group as assessed by cell count and lytic activity. Natural killer cells were impaired in a higher degree in patients at Dukes B/C stages. The recovery of NK cells to baseline level at day 7 postsurgery was observed in the laparoscopic group across all 3 stages. Conclusion: Generally, laparoscopically assisted surgery resulted in a better preservation on NK cells function. A better outcome was observed in patients with CRC at Dukes B/C stages.
Outcomes of outpatient total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review
Authors: Shapira Jacob , Chen Sarah L , Rosinsky Philip J , Maldonado David R , Lall Ajay C , Domb Benjamin G
Published: March 2020

Introduction:

Similar to other total joint arthroplasty procedures, total hip arthroplasty (THA) is shifting to an outpatient setting. The purpose of this study was to analyse outcomes following outpatient THA.

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search was performed in April 2019 according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) guidelines using the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases to identify articles that reported functional outcomes following outpatient total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Results:

9 articles, with 683 hips and a collective study period of 1988 to 2016, were included in this analysis. The mean age across all studies was 58.9 years and the follow-up period ranged from 4 weeks to 10 years. 4 studies reported Harris Hip Scores (HHSs) for their patient populations and in 3 studies, the average HHSs were excellent (>90) by 6 weeks postoperatively. The fourth study reported fair HHS scores for the outpatient and inpatient THA groups (75 ± 18, 75 ± 14, p = 0.77, respectively) at 4 weeks postoperatively. VAS scores improved significantly in two studies and NRS at rest and during activity improved significantly ( p < 0.001) in a separate study. Overall, 88.1% of the enrolled patients were discharged the same day of surgery, as expected. Out of the 6 studies reporting on readmissions rate, there were two (0.34%) readmissions within 3 months of surgery.

Conclusion:

In patients with no significant comorbidities, outpatient THA leads to favourable outcomes as well as low readmission rates in the short term.
Exploring Well Water Testing Behaviour Through the Health Belief Model
Authors: Munene Abraham , Lockyer Jocelyn , Checkley Sylvia , Hall David C.
Published: March 2020

Health problems can arise from consuming contaminated well water. Well water testing can help prevent negative health outcomes associated with consuming contaminated water. The aim of this study was to understand the factors influencing well owner decisions to conduct water testing through the theoretical lens of the Health Belief Model. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 well owners and used framework analysis to sort and analyse the data. The results demonstrated that well owners’ perceived susceptibility to well water contamination was low, while the perceived severity of contamination, benefits of testing, and self-efficacy towards testing were high. Cues to action to promote testing focused on increasing well owner education and awareness through well stewardship programmes and reminders to test. Participants faced some barriers to water testing. Increasing education and awareness about well water contamination and water testing, while reducing logistical barriers to testing, may improve compliance with water testing.
Arpe total joint arthroplasty for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis: 80 thumbs in 63 patients with a minimum of 10 years follow-up
Authors: Dumartinet-Gibaud Raphaëlle , Bigorre Nicolas , Raimbeau Guy , Jeudy Jérome , Saint Cast Yann
Published: March 2020

In this retrospective study, we report a series of 80 Arpe prostheses for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis in 63 patients. Twenty-seven prostheses (20 patients) were lost to follow-up. Twenty-one were revised, eight of them during the first year after operation. The calculated cumulated implant survival rate was 85% at 10 years but could be lower due to the lack of information on the patients lost to follow-up. The number of complications due to technical errors was high; but after we had done 30 cases, the number of early revisions decreased markedly. At follow-up, 23 of 32 thumbs were totally free of pain, and the patients were satisfied with 31 thumbs. We conclude that the implant survival declines progressively in the long run, with a survival rate of 80% after 15 years of follow-up and a further decline thereafter. We also found that this surgery was difficult to master. We advise selecting this implant for thumb trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis with caution.

Level of evidence: IV
Serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 level associates with severity of pulmonary hypertension associated with uncorrected atrial septal defect
Authors: Pratama Reza S. , Hartopo Anggoro B. , Anggrahini Dyah W. , Dewanto Vera C. , Dinarti Lucia K.
Published: March 2020

Uncorrected atrial septal defect undergoes right ventricle chronic volume overload which may lead to pulmonary hypertension and Eisenmenger Syndrome. The soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 is a left ventricle strain biomarker; however, its role in right ventricle strain is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the implication of serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 in adult uncorrected atrial septal defect. This was a cross‐sectional study. We enrolled 81 adult uncorrected secundum atrial septal defect patients. Clinical and hemodynamic data were collected. Serum samples were withdrawn from the pulmonary artery during right heart catheterization. Serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 and NT‐proBNP levels were measured. Subjects were divided into three groups based on clinical and hemodynamic severity. The correlation of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 with patients' data and comparison among groups were analyzed. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results showed that, there were significant correlations between serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 and mean pulmonary artery pressure (r = 0.203, p = 0.035) and right ventricle end‐diastolic diameter (r = 0.203, p <0.05). Median serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 level was incrementally increased from group I (atrial septal defect and no‐pulmonary hypertension), group II (left‐to‐right atrial septal defect and pulmonary hypertension), to group III (Eisenmenger Syndrome): (17.4 ng/mL, 21.8 ng/mL, and 29.4 ng/mL, respectively). A post‐hoc analysis showed that serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 level was significantly different between groups I and III (p = 0.01). Serum N terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) level was consistently associated with worse clinical and hemodynamic parameters. No correlation was found between serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 and NT‐proBNP level. In conclusion, serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 level had significant positive correlation with mean pulmonary artery pressure and right ventricle end‐diastolic diameter in uncorrected secundum atrial septal defect patients. Higher serum soluble suppression of tumorigenicity‐2 level was associated with the presence of pulmonary hypertension and Eisenmenger Syndrome in uncorrected secundum atrial septal defect patients.
Re-thinking site amplification in regional seismic risk assessment
Authors: Weatherill Graeme , Kotha Sreeram Reddy , Cotton Fabrice
Published: March 2020

Probabilistic assessment of seismic hazard and risk over a geographical region presents the modeler with challenges in the characterization of the site amplification that are not present in site-specific assessment. Using site-to-site residuals from a ground motion model fit to observations from the Japanese KiK-net database, correlations between measured local amplifications and mappable proxies such as topographic slope and geology are explored. These are used subsequently to develop empirical models describing amplification as a direct function of slope, conditional upon geological period. These correlations also demonstrate the limitations of inferring 30-m shearwave velocity from slope and applying them directly into ground motion models. Instead, they illustrate the feasibility of deriving spectral acceleration amplification factors directly from sets of observed records, which are calibrated to parameters that can be mapped uniformly on a regional scale. The result is a geologically calibrated amplification model that can be incorporated into national and regional seismic hazard and risk assessment, ensuring that the corresponding total aleatory variability reflects the predictive capability of the mapped site proxy.