bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor α (PPAR α) for the Prevention of Mitochondrial Impairment and Hypertrophy in Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Kar Dipak , Bandyopadhyay Arun 
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Morphological and biochemical maladaptation of cardiomyocytes are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and dysregulation in hypertrophic conditions. Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor α (PPARα), a drug target for dyslipidemia, is known to be downregulated in cardiomyocytes in response to hypertrophic stimuli. The current study was undertaken to investigate the role of PPARα signaling in mitochondrial remodeling and thereby dysregulation of cardiomyocytes due to hypertrophy in vitro. Methods: Rat cardiomyocytes H9c2 (2-1) and neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) were cultured and treated with α1-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (PE, 100 µM, 24 hours) in the presence or absence of 10 µM fenofibrate or bezafibrate. Cellular hypertrophy was observed by atomic force microscopy and immunofluorescence with F-actin antibody. mRNA levels of hypertrophic marker genes and other genes were examined by quantitative real time PCR. Structural as well as functional remodeling of the mitochondria were evaluated by immunofluorescence (F-actin and COX-I), live cell imaging microscopy (JC-I, mitotracker), mitochondrial complex V activity, MPTP activity and ATP assay. Oxidative stress was measured by using sensitive fluorescent indicator probes. Cellular and mitochondrial calcium were measured by using fluorescent indicator probes Rhod-2 AM and X-rhod-1 AM, respectively. Targetscan prediction analysis was performed to find out miRNAs as putative regulators of VDAC. Luciferase assay was conducted to confirm binding of miR28 with VDAC. Results: Co-treatment of H9c2(2-1) cells with PE and fenofibrate restricted increase in cell size and expression of marker genes such as atrial-natriuretic peptide (ANP), brain-natriuretic peptide (BNP) and β-myosin heavy chain (β-MHC) compared to those with PE alone. Fenofibrate prevented PE-induced down regulation of PPARα-target genes like CPT-I and MCAD. Mitochondrial trans-membrane potential (Δψm) and motility were reduced by PE which were significantly checked by fenofibrate. Increased ROS production and calcium level in PE-treated cells were ameliorated by fenofibrate. Mitochondrial activity and ATP generation were reduced by PE which was rescued by fenofibrate. Fenofibrate also prevented PE-induced down regulation of mitochondrial genes like VDAC-I and COX-IV. Expression of several miRNAs was altered in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes which were restored when co-treated with fenofibrate. miR28 was found to target 3’ untranslated region of VDAC-I. Conclusion: Overall, the results demonstrate that PPARα signaling is critically involved in mitochondrial dysfunction in hypertrophic cardiomyocytes in which miR28 plays a pivotal role.
Effects of Combination of Anti-CTLA-4 and Anti-PD-1 on Gastric Cancer Cells Proliferation, Apoptosis and Metastasis
Authors: Wang Bin , Qin Lei , Ren Mei , Sun Hao
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and lethal varieties of cancers. Anticancer activities of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies have been explored in different cancers, including GC. The study aimed to explore the role of combination therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies in GC cells, and understand the possible underlying molecular mechanism. Methods: MKN-45 and MGC-803 cells were divided into four groups, namely control, CTLA-4, PD-1, and CTLA-4&PD-1. Cell viability, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion were measured by MTT, flow cytometry, and transwell assays, respectively. Expression levels of different mRNAs and proteins associated with apoptosis, epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT), β-catenin, MAPK, and PI3K/AKT pathways were assessed by RT-qPCR and western blot analysis, respectively. The tumor formation in vivo was examined by tumor Xenograft model assay. Results: Combination with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies significantly suppressed cell proliferation, induced apoptosis, as well as inhibited migration, invasion, and EMT in MKN-45 and MGC-803 cells. Western blotting revealed that combination with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies declined the activation of β-catenin, MAPK and PI3K/AKT signal pathways. Moreover, combination of anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies inhibited tumor formation in vivo. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of CTLA-4 and PD-1 were significantly decreased in si-CTLA and si-PD-1 transfected cells, and combination with si-CTLA and si-PD-1 also suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, EMT and induced apoptosis in MKN-45 cells. Conclusion: Combination therapy with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1 antibodies presented the promising outcomes in GC, although further investigations are warranted.
Diagnostic Value of ER, PR, FR and HER-2-Targeted Molecular Probes for Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Jin Yin-Hua , Hua Qi-Feng , Zheng Jian-Jun , Ma Xue-Hua , Chen Tian-Xiang , Zhang Shun , Chen Bin , Dai Qi , Zhang Xiao-Hui
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Smart molecular probes are required in the application of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for biochemical and clinical research. This study aims to investigate the diagnostic values of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), folate receptor (FR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2)-targeted molecular probes in the MRI diagnosis of breast cancer. Methods: Initially, a total of 508 female breast cancer patients were selected for breast cancer subtype classification by immunohistochemistry. Subsequently, the tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and histological grade of different breast cancer subtypes were compared. Molecular probes of Ab-ER-USPIO, Ab-PR-USPIO, Ab-FR-USPIO and Ab-HER-2-USPIO were constructed and screened. The specific binding of molecular probes to breast cancer cells was detected both in vitro and in vivo by Prussian blue staining and MRI using T1 and T2 weighted images. Finally, in vivo toxicity of Ab-HER-2-USPIO was analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results: We identified the following subtypes of breast cancer: Luminal A (ER-positive, FR-positive, HER-2-negative), Luminal B (ER-positive, FR-positive, HER-2-positive), HER-2 overexpression (ER-negative, FR-negative, HER-2-positive), and triple-negative breast cancer (ER-negative, FR-negative, HER-2-negative). Featuring favorable in vitro biocompatibility and low in vivo toxicity, Ab-HER-2-USPIO can specifically bind to breast cancer cells BT47 and SKBR3, thus enhancing the quality of T1 weighted MRI images. Conclusion: The results indicate that HER-2-targeted MRI molecular probes may be used in the clinical diagnosis of breast cancer and facilitate the development of promising strategies for breast cancer treatments.
The Pinx1 Gene Downregulates Telomerase and Inhibits Proliferation of CD133+ Cancer Stem Cells Isolated from a Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cell Line by Regulating Trfs and Mad1/C-Myc/p53 Pathways
Authors: Shen Congxiang , Chen Fang , Wang Huigang , Li Guanxue , Yu Chaosheng , Wang Xiaoqi , Wen Zhong
Published: August 2018

Background/Aims: Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are important factors for the continuous growth, recurrence, and metastasis of malignant tumors. They are responsible for the ineffectiveness of traditional radiotherapy and chemotherapy toward malignant tumors. Currently, stem cells or side-population cells have been isolated from many cancer cell lines and malignant tumor tissues, including nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Exploring the biological characteristics of CSCs for CSC-targeted therapy has gained importance. CSCs possess higher telomerase activity; thus, the use of the gene encoding telomerase inhibitor PinX1 gene to target telomerase in CSCs and inhibit proliferation, invasion, and metastasis of CSCs has become an important means for the treatment of malignant tumors. PinX1 may regulate complex pathways, including TRF1, Mad1/c-Myc, and p53. Methods: In this study, nasopharyngeal CD133+ CSCs were sorted using CD133 immunomagnetic beads by flow cytometry The successful isolation of CD133+ CSCs was confirmed by examining their surface markers, namely CD44, NaNOG, and SOX2 as well as their ability to undergo in vivo tumorigenesis and in vitro sphere formation, proliferation, migration, and invasion. In addition, CD133+ CSCs were transfected with the constructed PinX1 overexpression plasmid or siRNA and the resulting effects on their proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis were detected using cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8), transwell assay, and scratch test, respectively. Furthermore, their effects on mRNA and protein levels of TRF1, TRF2, Mad1, c-Myc, and p53 were examined using quantitative real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. Results: The overexpression of PinX1 in CD133+ CSCs significantly decreased hTERT (P < 0.001), inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion, induced apoptosis, and significantly decreased c-Myc mRNA levels (P < 0.001), while it increased TRF1, Mad1, and p53 mRNA levels (all P < 0.001). On the other hand, PinX1 silencing in CD133+ CSCs significantly decreased TRF1, Mad1, and p53 mRNA levels (all P < 0.01), while it increased hTERT and c-Myc mRNA levels (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: These results indicate that PinX1 downregulates telomerase activity in CD133+ CSCs, inhibits its proliferation, migration, and invasion, and induces apoptosis possibly through TRF1, Mad1/c-Myc, and p53–mediated pathways.
Steinernema kandii n. sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), a new entomopathogenic nematode from northern Benin
Authors: Godjo Anique , Afouda Leonard , Baimey Hugues , Couvreur Marjolein , Zadji Lionel , Houssou Gladys , Bert Wim , Willems Anne , Decraemer Wilfrida
Published: August 2018

Two nematode isolates from the genusSteinernemawere collected in northern Benin. Morphological, morphometric, molecular and cross-hybridisation studies placed these nematodes into a new species,Steinernema kandiin. sp., within thebicornutum-group. Phylogenetic analyses based on both ITS and D2-D3 regions of 28S rDNA revealed thatS. kandiin. sp. is different from all knownSteinernemaspecies and sister toS. abbasi(97.3-97.6% ITS nucleotide similarity) andS. bifurcatum(98.3-98.4% D2-D3 similarity).Steinernema kandiin. sp. can be separated from other members of thebicornutum-group by the greater infective juvenile (IJ) max. body diam. of 35 (27-48)μm (type isolate). It differs fromS. abbasiby the greater IJ body length 707 (632-833)μm (type isolate), EP distance 55 (52-60)μm (type isolate), spicule length 67 (57-75)μm (type isolate) and the occurrence of one pair of genital papillae at the cloacal aperture.
Four new species of the spider genus Leclercera Deeleman-Reinhold (Araneae, Ochyroceratidae) from Nepal
Authors: XU MINGJIE , LI FENGYUAN , LI SHUQIANG
Published: August 2018

Four new species of the spider genus Leclercera Deeleman-Reinhold, 1995 from the spider family Ochyroceratidae Fage, 1912 are described from Nepal: L. nagarjunensis Li et Li sp. nov., L. niuqu Li et Li sp. nov. (male only), L. sidai Li et Li sp. nov. and L. zhaoi Li et Li sp. nov. Leclercera mulcatus (Brignoli, 1973) comb.n. is transferred from the genus Psiloderces Simon, 1892. All new species were collected in leaf litter of moist forests, often close to the streams or lakes, which suggest an ecological preference for moist environments. A taxonomic identification key for male Leclercera is provided. Types of all new species are deposited in the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IZCAS-Ar 34327–34339) in Beijing, China.
Two new species of Biantes from China and Malaysia (Opiliones: Laniatores: Biantidae)
Authors: GONG XUYUN , MARTENS JOCHEN , ZHANG CHAO
Published: August 2018

Two new species of Biantes Simon, 1885 (Biantidae: Biantinae) are described: Biantes calyptroideus sp. nov. (male and female) from China and Biantes spatulatus sp. nov. (male and female) from Malaysia. Biantidae is recorded from China for the first time.
A New Model to Downscale Urban and Rural Surface and Air Temperatures Evaluated in Shanghai, China
Authors: Liu Dongwei , Grimmond C. S. B. , Tan Jianguo , Ao Xiangyu , Peng Jie , Cui Linli , Ma Bingxin , Hu Yan , Du Mingbin
Published: August 2018

A simple model, the Surface Temperature and Near-Surface Air Temperature (at 2 m) Model (TsT2m), is developed to downscale numerical model output (such as from ECMWF) to obtain higher-temporal- and higher-spatial-resolution surface and near-surface air temperature. It is evaluated in Shanghai, China. Surface temperature (Ts) and near-surface air temperature (Ta) submodels account for variations in land cover and their different thermal properties, resulting in spatial variations of surface and air temperature. The net all-wave radiation parameterization (NARP) scheme is used to compute net wave radiation for the surface temperature submodel, the objective hysteresis model (OHM) is used to calculate the net storage heat fluxes, and the surface temperature is obtained by the force-restore method. The near-surface air temperature submodel considers the horizontal and vertical energy changes for a column of well-mixed air above the surface. Modeled surface temperatures reproduce the general pattern of MODIS images well, while providing more detailed patterns of the surface urban heat island. However, the simulated surface temperatures capture the warmer urban land cover and are 10.3°C warmer on average than those derived from the coarser MODIS data. For other land-cover types, values are more similar. Downscaled, higher-temporal- and higher-spatial-resolution air temperatures are compared to observations at 110 automatic weather stations across Shanghai. After downscaling with TsT2m, the average forecast accuracy of near-surface air temperature is improved by about 20%. The scheme developed has considerable potential for prediction and mitigation of urban climate conditions, particularly for weather and climate services related to heat stress.
Selecting Time Series Length to Moderate the Impact of Nonstationarity in Extreme Rainfall Analyses
Authors: DeGaetano Arthur T. , Castellano Christopher
Published: August 2018

Observed and projected increases in the frequency of extreme rainfall complicate the extreme value analyses of precipitation that are used to guide engineering design specifications, because conventional methods assume stationarity. Uncertainty in the magnitude of the trend in future years precludes directly accounting for the trend in these analyses. While previous extreme value analyses have sought to use as long a record as possible, it is shown using stochastically generated time series that this practice exacerbates the potential error introduced by long-term trends. For extreme precipitation series characterized by a trend in the location parameter exceeding approximately 0.005% yr−1, limiting the record length to fewer than 70 years is recommended. The use of longer time periods results in partial-duration series that are significantly different from their stationary counterparts and a greater percentage of rainfall extremes that exceed the 90% confidence interval corresponding to a stationary distribution. The effect is most pronounced on the shortest (i.e., 2 yr) recurrence intervals and generally becomes undetectable for recurrence intervals of more than 25 years. The analyses also indicate that the practice of including stations with records of limited length that end several decades prior to the present should be avoided. Distributions having a stationary location parameter but trended scale parameter do not exhibit this behavior.
Migrant health literacy in the European Union: A systematic literature review
Authors: Ward Markia , Kristiansen Maria , Sørensen Kristine
Published: August 2018

Objective:

The European Union (EU) has experienced an increasing intake of migrants in recent years. As its population diversifies, new challenges present themselves for healthcare delivery due to communication, cultural differences and health literacy of migrants. In the light of this, this systematic literature review examines the state of the art of migrant health literacy research within the EU.

Methods:

Based on PRISMA guidelines, a systematic literature review was conducted in 2013, 2016 and 2018 using the following databases: PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsychINFO.

Results:

A total of 21 articles were selected for inclusion. EU-related migrant health literacy research dated from 2009, but only a small number of the EU member states were represented. Eight general research themes were identifiable. Definitions of migrants varied, however, or could not be identified within a particular study, which may hamper the further dissemination of research, policy and capacity building.

Conclusion:

The review shows the evolution of migrant health literacy research in the EU. More research is needed however to support health system responses, to increase the health literacy of migrants and to improve the quality of healthcare in the EU.
Strategic Recruitment Across Borders: An Investigation of Multinational Enterprises
Authors: Banks George C. , Woznyj Haley M. , Wesslen Ryan S. , Frear Katherine A. , Berka Gregory , Heggestad Eric D. , Gordon Heather L.
Published: August 2018

As a result of globalization, large-scale modern-day businesses extend across borders as they engage in multinational enterprises. Such enterprises must conduct operations in disparate, culturally diverse contexts, which present challenges for implementing human resource management activities, such as whether to standardize or localize activities across borders. The current study focuses on recruitment activities, as they represent firms’ initial efforts to attract highly qualified talent. However, the extant recruitment literature has primarily been conducted in a single context or in Westernized societies; thus, it is unclear how organizations recruit across borders. Drawing on signaling theory, we explore how Fortune 1000 firms use recruiting signals in their domestic and international operations. In general, we find that firms standardize the recruiting signals across their domestic and international operations. Yet, the amount that each signal is emphasized differs in domestic and international operations and is contingent upon language. Furthermore, cultural distance between the home and host country largely does not explain the standardization of the recruiting signals. We summarize the findings and provide direction intended to guide future research.
Education and trust: A tale of three continents
Authors: Güemes Cecilia , Herreros Francisco
Published: August 2018

To date, most research finds education to have a positive effect on trust. Education increases people’s social intelligence, making them better able to distinguish between trustworthy and opportunistic types. Alternatively, education allows people to attain privileged social status, making them more resistant to deceit and exploitation by opportunistic types. In this article we show that this is not always the case. The relationship between education and trust is mediated by state efficacy; where the state is relatively efficacious, trustworthy types largely survive, while the opposite is true with relatively weak states. In weak states, highly educated people should be the least trustful. We empirically demonstrate this theoretical insight with survey data from three continents, Europe and Africa at the extremes and Latin America in the middle. We provide some indirect evidence in favor of social intelligence as the key mechanism linking education and trust.
Liability-driven investment and pension fund exposure to emerging markets: A Minskyan analysis
Authors: Bonizzi Bruno , Kaltenbrunner Annina
Published: August 2018

This paper explores the determinants and implications of the growing allocation of insurance companies and pension funds to emerging markets. The key contention put forward is that liabilities are at the core of the portfolio choice of insurance companies and pension funds, and that this has important consequences for the stability of asset demand. The paper supports this contention with a theoretical framework based on Hyman Minsky and the results from 22 semi-structured interviews with European insurance companies and pension funds’ executives, investment consultants, and asset managers. It shows that the rising insurance companies and pension funds’ demand for emerging markets’ assets has to be analysed in the context of the pressures resulting from structural funding deficits and low yields. Emerging markets’ assets are sought as part of the sector’s strategy to increase returns and, given their subordinate integration into a spatially uneven international monetary and financial system, remain not suited to directly meet insurance companies and pension funds’ liabilities. This causes insurance companies and pension funds’ demand for these assets to be volatile and independent of conditions in these countries, reproducing emerging markets’ monetary and financial subordination. By stressing the structural financial (in)stability implications insurance companies and pension funds’ liabilities have for emerging markets’ asset demand, the paper contributes to the literature on insurance companies and pension funds’ investments in emerging markets and bridges the gap between those which have noted the importance of liability conditions for insurance companies and pension funds and the literature pointing to the destabilising impact of insurance companies and pension funds due to behavioural and agency issues. Moreover, by basing itself on a Minskyan theoretical framework, it responds to recent calls for a more systematic incorporation of heterodox economic thought into financial geography.
Estimating Choice Models to Quantify the Effect of Herding on the Decision to Evacuate: Application of a Serious Gaming Experimental Setup
Authors: Van den Berg Mignon , van Nes Rob , Hoogendoorn Serge
Published: August 2018

Insight into factors influencing the choices people make in case of an evacuation from a natural disaster can help governments and emergency management personnel to manage people in case of such a situation. One of the aspects that influences the choices that people make in such a situation is herding. Since herding has not been quantified, this paper focuses on quantifying the effect of herding on the decision to evacuate by using an experimental setup that is based on the serious game Everscape. Around 400 people participated in 13 experiments with this setup. Choice models were estimated with the data from these experiments by including observable characteristics of herding as an attribute into the utility function. It is concluded that an important step is made in quantifying herding. It is shown that the more people someone sees leaving, the more inclined this person is to leave. Seeing people leave has more impact than seeing people stay. When people have no information from official sources, they tend to use other people as a source of information. In case of a disaster, this might result in following people who make the situation even more dangerous (for themselves and possibly for others as well). The information provided by official sources is therefore essential in managing people in the best possible way in case of a natural disaster.
Quality Management Program for Pavement Condition Data Collected on the National Highway System
Authors: Serigos Pedro A. , Visintine Beth A. , Simpson Amy L. , Rada Gonzalo R. , Groeger Jonathan L.
Published: August 2018

This paper proposes a framework for a pavement condition data Quality Management Program (QMP). The framework complies with the final rule for national performance management measure regulations published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to implement requirements from the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act and the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act. The quality check procedures and criteria recommended for the different elements of the framework are based on the experience and recommendations that resulted from developing a QMP for collecting approximately 10,000 miles of pavement condition data on Interstate Highways using an automated measurement system. The findings from implementation of the study QMP and the intervention needed for automated data collection condition metrics were documented for future improvements.
Screening for Student Subjective Well-Being: An Analog Evaluation of Broad and Targeted Models
Authors: Renshaw Tyler L. , Chenier Jeffrey S.
Published: August 2018

This brief report presents a secondary analysis of responses to the Student Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (SSWQ) with a sample of urban middle-schoolers. Relative classification validity evidence was evaluated for two screening models derived from responses to the SSWQ: one based on the Overall Wellbeing Scale (OWS) and the other based solely on the Academic Efficacy Subscale (AES). Results from Bayesian t tests, using several school-reported outcomes as dependent variables, indicated evidence in favor of classification validity for both the OWS and AES screening models. Yet findings also show that the evidence for the AES model was stronger than that for the OWS model. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
Are urban informal communities capable of co-production? The influence of community–public partnerships on water access in Lilongwe, Malawi
Authors: Adams Ellis Adjei , Boateng Godfred Odei
Published: August 2018

The failure of the conventional public and private (market-based) water policies to improve urban water access in the global South has prompted growing interest in alternative models such as community–state co-production. However, there is little evidence of whether co-production can improve water service delivery in the informal settlements of sub-Saharan Africa where a disproportionately high percentage of the urban poor lives. This paper uses household surveys, key informant interviews, and focus groups to examine the impact of co-production on household water access and service delivery in the informal settlements of Lilongwe, Malawi. Co-production increased water accessibility, reduced the cost of water, increased the number of community water kiosks, and resulted in more effective financial management and accountability. However, challenges related to poor infrastructure and limited community capacity threaten the long-term sustainability of the co-production model. Urban informal residents lamented worsening water-supply interruptions and longer waiting times after co-production, challenges that require state intervention.
Weak thruster fault prediction method for autonomous underwater vehicles based on grey model
Authors: Liu Weixin , Zhang Mingjun , Wang Yujia
Published: August 2018

When adopting the conventional grey model (GM(1,1)) to predict weak thruster fault for autonomous underwater vehicles, the prediction error is not always satisfactory. In order to solve the problem, this article develops a new weak thruster fault prediction method based on an improved GM(1,1). In the developed GM(1,1) based fault prediction method, this article mainly makes improvement in the following aspects: construction of grey background value, solution of whiting differential equation and construction of predicted sequence. Specifically, the integral operation is used in range of the two adjacent steps to obtain the grey background value at first. Second, in the solving of whiting differential equation, the point corresponding to the least difference between the accumulated generation sequence and its predicted sequence is determined, and then this special point’s value in the original sequence is considered as the initial condition of the whiting differential equation. Third, in the construction of predicted sequence, another predicted value is obtained based on the error sequence between the accumulated generating operation sequence and its predicted sequence, and then the new predicted result is used to re-adjust the accumulated generating operation sequence, so as to guarantee the re-adjustability of the fault prediction result. Finally, experiments are performed on Beaver 2 autonomous underwater vehicle to evaluate the prediction performance of the developed method.
Periorbital erythema and swelling as a presenting sign of lupus erythematosus in tertiary referral centers and literature review
Authors: Wu MY , Wang CH , Ng CY , Kuo TT , Chang YC , Yang CH , Lin JY , Ho HC , Chung WH , Chen CB
Published: August 2018

Background

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) includes a broad range of dermatologic manifestations. Periorbital involvement, however, is a relatively rare clinical presentation of CLE.

Objectives

This clinical study aimed to investigate the characteristics of this unique presentation of CLE in tertiary medical centers.

Methods

We enrolled patients with periorbital erythema and swelling as the presenting sign of lupus erythematosus, from January 2003 to November 2017, using the data of 553 pathologically proven CLE cases from the registration database of the Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals in Taiwan.

Results

We enrolled a total of 25 patients. The mean age was 46.7 years and 68% of the patients were female. Most of the patients (84.0%) presented with unilateral involvement, with the left orbit involved in 15 patients (60%); the upper eyelid was the most frequently involved (72%). Mean duration between the onset of clinical manifestations and the diagnosis of CLE was approximately 59 weeks. Nineteen patients had been previously misdiagnosed. All patients had features compatible with CLE on histopathological examination. In contrast, laboratory analysis of the autoimmune profile often revealed negative results, including those for antinuclear antibodies (25%). Notably, anti-SSA/SSB (45.5%) showed the highest positive rate. During follow-up, six patients developed systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and two patients developed Sjögren syndrome.

Conclusions

The diagnosis of CLE presenting as periorbital erythema and swelling is often delayed because of clinical mimicry and the high proportion of negative results on autoantibody tests. Increased clinical suspicion and prompt histopathological examination are crucial for early diagnosis. Moreover, one-fourth of the patients ultimately developed SLE, which highlights the importance of clinical awareness.
How to do things with silence: Rethinking the centrality of speech to the securitization framework
Authors: Guillaume Xavier
Published: August 2018

This contribution offers the first steps in a novel conceptualization of how international relations and security studies can provide an analytics of silence. Starting with an analysis of a paradigmatic use of silence in the field, Lene Hansen’s ‘Little Mermaid’, the contribution shows the limitations and issues with an analytics that concentrates on the meaning behind silences. Silence as meaning is problematic because analytically what is offered solely is the overinvestment of the analyst’s ‘horizon of expectation’ upon a sign that is not generally meant to be one. Mobilizing a feminist reading of pornography as speech act, the contribution shows how silence may also be performative, in the sense that it does something to a specific logocentric order at the heart of our analysis of the international or security. The contribution finally offers a possible way of thinking about silence as doing rather than meaning and shows how this can be a possible analytical path to invert our analytics of the international and security from the perspective of the state/the powerful to that of the subaltern.
Is privacy a problem during bedside handovers? A practice-oriented discussion paper
Authors: Malfait Simon , Van Hecke Ann , Van Biesen Wim , Eeckloo Kristof
Published: August 2018

Bedside handover is the delivery of the nurse-to-nurse handover at the patient’s bedside. Although increasingly used in nursing, nurses report many barriers for delivering the bedside handover. Among these barriers is the possibility of breaching the patient’s privacy. By referring to this concept, nurses add a legal and ethical dimension to the delivery of the bedside handover, making implementation of the method difficult or even impossible. In this discussion article, the concept of privacy during handovers is being discussed by use of observations, interviews with nurses, and interviews with patients. These findings are combined with international literature from a narrative review on the topic. We provide a practice-oriented answer in which two mutually exclusive possibilities are discussed. If bedside handover does pose problems concerning privacy, this situation is not unique in healthcare and measures can be taken during the bedside handover to safeguard the patient. If bedside handover does not pose problems concerning privacy, privacy is misused by nurses to hide professional uncertainties and/or a reluctance toward patient participation. Therefore, a possible breach of privacy—whether a justified argument or not—is not a reason for not delivering the bedside handover.
Clinical Application of a New Approach to Identify Oral–Nasal Balance Disorders Based on Nasalance Scores
Authors: Bettens Kim , de Boer Gillian , Bressmann Tim , Bruneel Laura , Van Lierde Kristiane
Published: August 2018

Objective:

A new approach to classify oral–nasal balance disorders based on instrumental measurements was developed based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA) of nasalance scores of simulated oral–nasal balance disorders by de Boer and Bressmann. The current study aimed to apply the newly developed functions to clinical data to investigate the applicability of this new approach.

Design:

Retrospective diagnostic accuracy study.

Setting:

Tertiary university hospital.

Participants:

Fifty-five Dutch-speaking Flemish children (age 4-12 years) with normal (n = 20), hypernasal (n = 18), hyponasal (n = 12), or mixed nasality (n = 5).

Interventions:

Nasalance scores of an oral and a nasal text were used to calculate 3 sets of LDA function scores. Predicted classification was consecutively based on the function values of the group centroids originally determined by de Boer and Bressmann and adapted LDA functions and group centroids based on clinical data.

Main Outcome Measures:

Discriminatory power of the linear discriminant formulas.

Results:

Based on the original LDA functions, 56% of the speech samples matched the perceptual classification. Applying a correction factor for age and language differences resulted in a 67% correct classification, although 83% of the hyponasal samples were ranked as “normal resonance.” Rederivation of the LDA functions based on current clinical data resulted in an 80% correct classification.

Conclusions:

The new approach of classifying oral–nasal balance disorders based on a combination of nasalance scores was promising. However, further clinical research is needed to refine the LDA functions and group centroids before clinical application is possible.
A progressive damage model for 3D woven composites under compression
Authors: Lu Huaiyu , Guo Licheng , Liu Gang , Zhang Li
Published: August 2018

A progressive damage model is proposed to investigate the damage initiation and evolution of 3D woven composites under uniaxial compression at a micromechanical level. The typical compressive experiments were carried out. Based on the observations, the compression failure modes of 3D woven composites mainly include fiber kinking, transverse failure of fiber tow, matrix fracture, and interfacial debonding. The initial damage criteria are according to the physically based failure criteria for the fiber kinking, the Puck criteria for the transverse failure of fiber tow, and the maximum stress criterion for the matrix. The damage of fiber tow–matrix interfacial is simulated through cohesive contact. Particularly, the fiber’s initial misalignment angle is taken into account in the damage model. The simulated compression results agree well with the experimental ones. The compressive stress–strain response of the 3D woven composite is forecasted. The damage evolution of each constituent of the 3D woven composite is obtained. The results show that the influence of the fiber’s initial misalignment angle on the compression strength of the 3D woven composite needs to be considered.
The prison as a therapeutic music scene: Exploring musical identities in music therapy and everyday life in a prison setting
Authors: Hjørnevik Kjetil , Waage Leif
Published: August 2018

Whilst most research into music therapy with offenders focuses on music interventions in forensic mental health settings, less research exists into affordances of supporting musicking as an everyday practice in prisons. This article explores the prison as a music scene supported by a music therapist, showing how musicking forms an important part of the prison’s emotional geography. Through the presentation of findings from an ethnographic study of musical life in a low secure prison in Norway, the article shows how prisoners engage in music as a technology of self, affording the performance of caring and autonomous identities. We argue that supporting everyday musicking in the prison through music therapy fosters a therapeutic music scene, and that drawing on music as data in criminological research can contribute to more nuanced understandings of prisons.
Preparation and characterization of highly porous ceramic-based nanocomposite scaffolds with improved mechanical properties using the liquid phase-assisted sintering method
Authors: Kazemi Mansure , Nazari Bahareh , Ai Jafar , Lotfibakhshaiesh Nasrin , Samadikuchaksaraei Ali , Tavangar Seyed Mohammad , Azami Mahmoud
Published: August 2018

Recent advances in the field of biomaterials have led to the development of ceramic–matrix nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical properties, which is essential for hard tissue scaffolds. In this study, the improvement in mechanical and biological properties of β-tricalcium phosphate reinforced with 45S5 bioactive glass under different sintering conditions was studied. In order to improve the thermal stability and biological responses, β-tricalcium phosphate was doped with 5 mol% strontium ions. Highly porous nanocomposites, with different weight ratios of Sr-tricalcium phosphate/bioactive glass (75/25, 50/50, 25/75), were fabricated through the foam replication method by sintering samples under various thermal conditions (1200–1250 ℃/0–1 h). The effects of bioactive glass content and sintering parameters on microstructure and mechanical behaviors of the nanocomposites were assessed. The obtained results showed that increasing 45S5 bioactive glass content, sintering temperature, and dwelling time gradually improved the mechanical properties of final products which were ascribed to the improved ceramic densification. The composites with the optimal compressive strength were selected to apply in further characterization and cell culture experiments. The selected scaffolds showed excellent bioactivity since a continuous layer of minerals covered the entire surface of composites after immersion in simulated body fluid solution for two weeks. Moreover, the cell culture studies demonstrated that the composite scaffolds could well support the attachment and proliferation of MG-63 osteoblast-like cells. This investigation clearly concluded that the appropriate incorporation of 45S5 bioactive glass into the β-tricalcium phosphate matrix can effectively promote the mechanical behavior, bioactivity, and biocompatibility of the resultant composite scaffolds.
Surviving or thriving? Enhancing the emotional resilience of social workers in their organisational settings
Authors: Rose Sarah , Palattiyil George
Published: August 2018

High rates of absence due to stress, and issues with recruitment and retention of staff suggest that social work is a challenging profession. Despite this, many social workers gain a great deal of satisfaction from their role. Various studies have focused on stress management in social work. Less attention has been paid to how social workers maintain resilience in the face of challenges and thrive in their role. Drawing on a social constructionist approach to explore how social workers conceptualise emotional resilience in the context of their profession, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 13 social workers employed in local authority teams.

Findings

The findings highlight how emotional resilience tended to be associated with stress management by the social workers interviewed. Organisational and structural factors were felt to threaten resilience more than the emotional intensity of working with service users.

Application

When resilience is conceptualised as stress management, sources of adversity need to be addressed to enable social workers to survive. Resilience needs to be reconceptualised as positive adaptation to the challenges of the social work role in order to promote factors that enable workers to thrive. The insights from the study exhort us to re-examine the scope of social work organisations to enhance the resilience of their workers.
Soft governance by hard fact? The OECD as a knowledge broker in education policy
Authors: Niemann Dennis , Martens Kerstin
Published: August 2018

As the policy field of education has become increasingly internationalized over the last two decades, international organizations like the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) play an increasingly decisive role in the diffusion of knowledge, monitoring, and research in global education policy. Although the OECD lacks any binding or coercive governance instruments in relation to states, or ability to provide material incentives for compliance, it has nevertheless successively expanded its influence regarding education. From a perspective of social constructivism, we argue that the transmission of ideas and information generated through ratings and rankings can be viewed as a crucial governance tool for the influence of an international organization (IO). Our article seeks to analyze how the OECD uses large-scale education assessments to promote the economically based idea of human capital and related learning techniques in education policy – thus influencing national education systems. Furthermore, the OECD and its distinctive approach of soft governance through putative hard fact may become a role model for other IOs, both in the field of education and beyond.
Emergent constellations: Global citizenship education and outrospective fluency
Authors: Palmer Nicholas
Published: August 2018

Global citizenship education (GCE) is an essential element of twenty-first-century teaching and learning. For some, GCE signifies an attitude of cosmopolitan purpose, placing humanity ahead of self. For others, GCE embodies a fractured sense of both learner and educator identity. For a third group, GCE is a critical interrogation of pervasive norms. How schools practise GCE, despite globalised rhetoric, poses challenges for educators and students alike. In this article, research is presented from an ongoing study into the activation of GCE in a single international school. The conceptualisation developed as part of the research is aimed at reconciling the individual learner and the learning community, without losing the strengths of either. Underpinned by Habermas’ (1984) Theory of Communicative Action and Krznaric’s (2014) outrospective empathy, outrospective GCE features pathways towards mindful-yet-active global learning. The conceptualisation presented in this article, although reflective of universal ideas, does not account for all cases and contexts. Instead, outrospective GCE applies to educators seeking a means of engaging with and enlivening situated GCE innovation.
Comparison of Blood Lead Levels in Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy People
Authors: Fathabadi Babak , Dehghanifiroozabadi Mohammad , Aaseth Jan , Sharifzadeh Gholamreza , Nakhaee Samaneh , Rajabpour-Sanati Ali , Amirabadizadeh Alireza , Mehrpour Omid
Published: August 2018

Background:

It is argued that breakdown of β-amyloid in the brain causes deposition of senescent plaques and therefore Alzheimer’s disease (AD). One of the influential factors for increasing level of this protein is exposure to lead. Our aim was to compare blood lead levels (BLLs) between patients with AD and healthy controls.

Methods:

This case–control study was performed on all patients with cognitive impairment who were referred to the Neurological Clinic of Birjand in 2016 to 2017. Patients were referred to the laboratory for measurement of their serum levels of lead. The controls and patients were matched by age and sex.

Results:

In the AD case group, the average BLL was 22.22 ± 28.57 μg/dL. Mann-Whitney U test showed that BLLs were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls. The unadjusted odds ratio for BLL among the patients was 1.05 (95% confidence interval: 1.01-1.09; P = .01) compared to the controls.

Conclusion:

In the present study, BLL was associated with AD.
Compressive sensing-based vibration signal reconstruction using sparsity adaptive subspace pursuit
Authors: Zhou Lin , Yu Qianxiang , Liu Daozhi , Li Ming , Chi Shukai , Liu Lanjun
Published: August 2018

Wireless sensors produce large amounts of data in long-term online monitoring following the Shannon–Nyquist theorem, leading to a heavy burden on wireless communications and data storage. To address this problem, compressive sensing which allows wireless sensors to sample at a much lower rate than the Nyquist frequency has been considered. However, the lower rate sacrifices the integrity of the signal. Therefore, reconstruction from low-dimension measurement samples is necessary. Generally, the reconstruction needs the information of signal sparsity in advance, whereas it is usually unknown in practical applications. To address this issue, a sparsity adaptive subspace pursuit compressive sensing algorithm is deployed in this article. In order to balance the computational speed and estimation accuracy, a half-fold sparsity estimation method is proposed. To verify the effectiveness of this algorithm, several simulation tests were performed. First, the feasibility of subspace pursuit algorithm is verified using random sparse signals with five different sparsities. Second, the synthesized vibration signals for four different compression rates are reconstructed. The corresponding reconstruction correlation coefficient and root mean square error are demonstrated. The high correlation and low error result mean that the proposed algorithm can be applied in the vibration signal process. Third, implementation of the proposed approach for a practical vibration signal from an offshore structure is carried out. To reduce the effect of signal noise, the wavelet de-noising technique is used. Considering the randomness of the sampling, many reconstruction tests were carried out. Finally, to validate the reliability of the reconstructed signal, the structure modal parameters are calculated by the Eigensystem realization algorithm, and the result is only slightly different between original and reconstructed signal, which means that the proposed method can successfully save the modal information of vibration signals.
Morphological evolution and migration behavior of silver thin films on flexible substrates during thermal cycle testing
Authors: Sun Quan , Lu Yebo , Xu Xiaobin , Huang Fengli , Tang Chengli
Published: August 2018

To understand morphological evolution and migration behavior caused by stress migration and thermal fatigue of silver thin films on flexible substrates, bending tests were conducted with different bending angles for two types of thermal tests. Furthermore, the effect of stress migration and thermal fatigue on the electrical conductivity of the silver thin films was discussed. The experimental samples were silver thin films printed on flexible paper for these tests. In an ultra-low cycle thermal test, the electrical conductivity of a silver film decreased with increasing bending angle because of the occurrence of voids caused by stress migration. Meanwhile, a high-cycle thermal test caused cracks to form and caused further deterioration of the electrical conductivity owing to a combination of stress migration and thermal fatigue.