bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Artesunate Attenuates Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine Release from Macrophages by Inhibiting TLR4-Mediated Autophagic Activation via the TRAF6-Beclin1-PI3KC3 Pathway
Authors: Kuang Mei , Cen Yanyan , Qin Rongxin , Shang Shenglan , Zhai Zhaoxia , Liu Chao , Pan Xichun , Zhou Hong
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims: Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plays a critical role in excessive inflammatory cytokine production during sepsis. Previously, artesunate (AS) was reported to protect septic mice by reducing LPS-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine release. In the present study, the possible mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of AS was further investigated. Methods: An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect TNF-α and IL-6 release from macrophages. Specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were used to knockdown the mRNA expression of target genes. Transmission electron microscopy and laser confocal microscopy were used to observe changes in autophagy. Western blotting was performed to detect the protein levels of tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor6 (TRAF6), Beclin1, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase class III (PI3KC3), autophagy-related protein 5 (ATG5), and sequestosome 1. Immunoprecipitation (IP) and fluorescent co-localization were used to detect the interactions between TRAF6–Beclin1 and Beclin1–PI3KC3, and the ubiquitination of Beclin1. Results: AS inhibited TNF-α and IL-6 release from RAW264.7 cells, mouse bone marrow-derived monocytes (BMDMs) and peritoneal macrophages (PMs) induced by LPS. However, the inhibition by AS of LPS-induced cytokine release decreased when autophagy was inhibited using 3-MA, bafilomycin A1, or a siRNA targeting the Atg5 gene. Notably, AS showed an inhibition of LPS-induced autophagic activation not degradation. Whereas, these effects of AS were lost in macrophages lacking TLR4 and decreased in macrophages with down-regulated TRAF6, indicating that AS inhibited LPS-induced cytokine release and autophagic activation via TLR4-TRAF6 signaling. Western blotting results showed AS could reduce the levels of TRAF6, Beclin1, and PI3KC3. Importantly, the IP results showed AS only inhibited K63-linked ubiquitylation not total ubiquitylation of Beclin1 by acting on TRAF6. This interrupted the TRAF6–Beclin1 interaction and subsequent the formation of Beclin1– PI3KC3 core complex of the PI3K-III complex. Conclusion: AS inhibited LPS-induced cytokine release from macrophages by inhibiting autophagic activation. This effect was tightly related to blockade of the TRAF6-Beclin1-PI3KC3 pathway via decreasing K63-linked ubiquitination of Beclin1 and then interrupting the formation of Beclin1-PI3KC3 core complex of the PI3K-III complex. Our findings reveal the mechanism of AS’s anti-inflammatory effect and is significant for future targeted investigations of sepsis treatment.
MiR-27b Impairs Adipocyte Differentiation of Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Targeting LPL
Authors: Hu Xumin , Tang Jianhua , Hu Xuyun , Bao Peng , Pan Jinxin , Chen Zhipeng , Xian Jiaqi
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims: In this study, the molecular mechanisms of miR-27b and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) that regulate human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hASCs) adipogenic differentiation were detected. Methods: Microarray analysis was applied to screen for differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNA during hASCs adipocyte differentiation induction. MiR-27b and LPL were found to have abnormal expression. Then, a dual luciferase reporter assay was employed to validate the targeting relationship between miR-27b and LPL. We also utilized qRT-PCR, western blot, cellular immunofluorescence and an oil red O staining assay to analyze the regulation of miR-27b and LPL during adipogenic differentiation. Results: The microarray analysis demonstrated that, during adipogenic differentiation, miR-27b was down-regulated, while LPL was up-regulated but tended to become stable 14 days after induction. A dual luciferase reporter assay confirmed the negative targeting regulatory relationship between miR-27b and LPL. After overexpressing and silencing miR-27b, LPL was found to be reversely regulated by miR-27b according to qRT-PCR and western blot. The fat-formation-related biomarkers CCAAT-enhancer binding protein α (c/EBPα) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors γ (PPARγ) had decreasing levels after over-expressing miR-27b or knockdown of LPL followed by adipogenic differentiation. Meanwhile, the oil red O staining assay revealed that the accumulation of lipid droplets decreased. There was no change in the expression of c/EBPα, PPARγ, or lipid droplet accumulation when overexpressing miR-27b and LPL. Conclusion: During the adipogenic differentiation of hASCs, miR-27b expression decreased, and LPL expression increased. The abnormal expression of miR-27b and LPL effectively regulated the adipogenic differentiation of hASCs.
Gremlin2 Regulates the Differentiation and Function of Cardiac Progenitor Cells via the Notch Signaling Pathway
Authors: Li Wei , Lu Yaojun , Han Ruijuan , Yue Qiang , Song Xiurong , Wang Fei , Wu Rina , Hou Feng , Yang Liu , Xu Lijuan , Zhao Ruiping , Hu Jiang
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims: The transplantation of cardiac progenitor cells (CPCs) improves neovascularization and left ventricular function after myocardial infarction (MI). The bone morphogenetic protein antagonist Gremlin 2 (Grem2) is required for early cardiac development and cardiomyocyte differentiation. The present study examined the role of Grem2 in CPC differentiation and cardiac repair. Methods: To determine the role of Grem 2 during CPC differentiation, c-Kit+ CPCs were cultured in differentiation medium for different times, and Grem2, Notch1 and Jagged1 expression was determined by RT-PCR and western blotting. Short hairpin RNA was used to silence Grem2 expression, and the expression of cardiomyocyte surface markers was assessed by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence staining. In vivo experiments were performed in a mouse model of left anterior descending coronary artery ligation-induced MI. Results: CPC differentiation upregulated Grem2 expression and activated the Notch1 pathway. Grem2 knockdown inhibited cardiomyocyte differentiation, and this effect was similar to that of Notch1 pathway inhibition in vitro. Jagged1 overexpression rescued the effects of Grem2 silencing. In vivo, Grem2 silencing abolished the protective effects of CPC injection on cardiac fibrosis and function. Conclusions: Grem2 regulates CPC cardiac differentiation by modulating Notch1 signaling. Grem2 enhances the protective effect of CPCs on heart function in a mouse model of MI, suggesting its potential as the rapeutic protein for cardiac repair.
By Activating Akt/eNOS Bilobalide B Inhibits Autophagy and Promotes Angiogenesis Following Focal Cerebral Ischemia Reperfusion
Authors: Zheng Yongqiu , Wu Zhenzhen , Yi Frank , Orange Matthew , Yao Mingjiang , Yang Bin , Liu Jianxun , Zhu Hua
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims: Ischemic stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability. To date, there is no effective treatment for stroke. Previous studies have shown that Ginkgo biloba extract has protective effects against neurodegenerative disorders. In this present study, we sought to test the potential protective role of an active component of Ginkgo biloba extract, bilobalide, in a rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Methods: A rat model of MCAO was used to test the potential protective effects of Bilobalide B on stroke protection. TTC staining was performed to evaluate infarct size of the brains. Neurological deficit score was measured to reveal the effects of the treatments on animal behavior and cognition. Immunohistochemical staining and transmission electronic microscope analysis were performed to measure the cellular responses to drug treatment. Western blotting and ELISA were performed. The expression of Cleaved- Casepase 3, Beclin-1, p62 and LC3I/II were quantified, and the Phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt were evaluated. The ratio of Bcl-2/ Bax was determined to reveal the molecular pathways that are involved in the drug treatment. Results: We found that intraperitoneal delivery of various Bilobalide doses during ischemia can protect against brain injury, as evidenced by reduced infarct size and improved neurological scores after surgery. Histochemical analysis revealed that treatment with bilobalide can significantly reduce apoptosis, autophagy, and promote angiogeneis following ischemia/reperfusion injury to the brain. The performence of increased phosphorylation of eNOS and Akt suggested that bilobalide can activate Akt prosurvival and eNOS pathways to promote cell survival and angiogenesis, respectively. Conclusions: Our results suggested that bilobalide benefits stroke symptoms by reducing cell death pathways and promoting angiogenesis. As such, bilobalide may be a potential agent for improving self-repair after ischemic stroke.
Efficacy of the MEK Inhibitor Cobimetinib and its Potential Application to Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Gong Shu , Xu Dongsheng , Zhu Jialin , Zou Fangdong , Peng Rui
Published: May 2018

Background/Aims: Mutations in the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway are detected in 50% of colorectal cancer cases and play a crucial role in cancer development and progression. Cobimetinib is a MEK inhibitor approved for the treatment of advanced melanoma and inhibits the cell viability of other types of cancer cells. Methods: HCT116 colorectal cancer cells were treated with cobimetinib, and MTT assay, colony formation assay, and flow cytometry were used to evaluate cell viability, cell cycle, and apoptosis, respectively. The expression of genes associated with the cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. To explore use of cobimetinib in colorectal cancer treatment and further understand its mechanisms, RNA-seq technology was used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between cobimetinib-treated and untreated HCT116 cells. Furthermore, we compared these DEGs with Gene Expression Omnibus data from colorectal cancer tissues and normal colonic epithelial tissues. Results: We found that cobimetinib not only inhibited cell proliferation but also induced G1 phase arrest and apoptosis in HCT116 colorectal cancer cells, suggesting that cobimetinib may useful in colorectal cancer therapy. After cobimetinib treatment, 3,495 DEGs were obtained, including 2,089 upregulated genes and 1,406 downregulated genes, and most of these DEGs were enriched in the cell cycle, DNA replication, and DNA damage repair pathways. Our results revealed that some genes with high expression in colorectal cancer tissues were downregulated by cobimetinib in HCT116 cells, including CCND1, E2F1, CDC25C, CCNE2, MYC, and PCNA. These genes have vital roles in DNA replication and the cell cycle. Furthermore, genes with low expression in colorectal cancer tissues were upregulated by cobimetinib, including PRKCA, PI3K, RTK, and PKC. Based on our results, the PKC and PI3K pathways were activated after cobimetinib treatment, and inhibition of these two pathways can increase the cytotoxicity of cobimetinib in HCT116 cells. Notably, cobimetinib appeared to enhance the efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) by decreasing TYMS expression, high expression of which is responsible for 5-FU resistance in colorectal cancer. Conclusions: Our results suggest the potential use of cobimetinib in colorectal cancer therapy.
Evolving Roles for Targeting CTLA-4 in Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Zhao Yinghao , Yang Wei , Huang Yuanyuan , Cui Ranji , Li Xiangyan , Li Bingjin
Published: May 2018

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is a membrane glycoprotein expressed by activated effector T cells (Teffs) and participates in the repression of T cell proliferation, cell cycle progression and cytokine production. Currently, antibodies targeting CTLA-4, ipilimumab and tremelimumab are widely used as a therapeutic approach in a variety of human malignancies. However, their detailed mechanism remains unclear. Therefore, in this review, we focused specifically on recent findings concerning the role of CTLA-4 in immune response and also discussed clinical studies of targeting CTLA-4, alone or in combination with other therapies for the treatment of cancers. CTLA-4 blockade is used as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of cancer through competing with CD28-positive costimulation for binding to their shared B7 ligands or exhibiting direct inhibitory effect on signaling molecules in the cytoplasmic tail. At present, antibodies for targeting CTLA-4 or in combination with other therapies significantly reinforced the anti-tumor effect and improved the prognosis of malignant disease. In addition, severe adverse events of targeting CTLA-4 therapy could be a challenge for the development of this therapeutic strategy. This review may provide some new insights for clinical studies of targeting CTLA-4.
Taiwanese deep-water chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) and survey of chiton fauna of Taiwan
Authors: SIRENKO BORIS
Published: May 2018

Sixteen deep-sea polyplacophoran species are reported in this article, fifteen of which were found for the first time in the waters of Taiwan. Two of these species, Leptochiton taiwanensis n. sp. and L. wui n. sp., are described as new to science. Several of these species are distributed near Japan and in other areas of the western Pacific Ocean. Eight of the reported species live and feed on sunken wood. A survey of the polyplacophorans of Taiwan has also been conducted. The updated list of chitons collected near Taiwan at all depths contains 34 species. Seventeen of these species are shallow-water and seventeen species are deep-water chitons.
Description of Microgomphus farrelli sp. nov. (Odonata: Anisoptera: Gomphidae) based on adults of both sexes and larvae from Northern Thailand
Authors: MAKBUN NOPPADON , FLECK GÜNTHER
Published: May 2018

The new gomphid species, Microgomphus farrelli sp. nov., is described and illustrated on the basis of male and female adult specimens and larvae collected from Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son province, Northern Thailand. It is compared with other species of the genus. Based on the larvae this species is most closely related to Microgomphus svihleri (Asahina, 1970), comb. nov., which is the senior and valid synonym of Microgomphus thailandicus Asahina, 1981, syn. nov.
On the Politics of Self-spirituality
Authors: Watts Galen
Published: May 2018

In the last quarter century, a steadily increasing number of North Americans, when asked their religious affiliation, have self-identified as “spiritual but not religious” (SBNR). Charles Taylor argues that the popularity of “spirituality” is the result of the “massive subjective turn of modern culture”; while Paul Heelas has deemed this new religious form, “self-spirituality.” Many scholars have taken a critical stance toward this recent cultural development, positing that self-spirituality is a byproduct of the self-obsessed and individualistic culture which saturates the West, or that spirituality, at its worst, is simply a rebranding of religion in order to support consumer culture and the ideology of late capitalism. In this article, I seek to problematize these accounts. Drawing from qualitative data collected from semi-structured interviews with Canadian millennials who self-identify as SBNR, I will argue that self-spirituality is less individualistic and narcissistic than these scholars assert, its relationship to late capitalism is better understood as ambivalent, rather than congenial, and due to their methodological prejudices these critiques of self-spirituality are inadequate to analyse and understand the politics of self-spirituality.
Angiotensin II
Authors: Baker Danial E. , Levien Terri L.
Published: May 2018

Each month, subscribers to The Formulary Monograph Service receive 5 to 6 well-documented monographs on drugs that are newly released or are in late phase 3 trials. The monographs are targeted to Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committees. Subscribers also receive monthly 1-page summary monographs on agents that are useful for agendas and pharmacy/nursing in-services. A comprehensive target drug utilization evaluation/medication use evaluation (DUE/MUE) is also provided each month. With a subscription, the monographs are available online to subscribers. Monographs can be customized to meet the needs of a facility. Through the cooperation of The Formulary, Hospital Pharmacy publishes selected reviews in this column. For more information about The Formulary Monograph Service, contact Wolters Kluwer customer service at 866-397-3433.
The State, Ethnic Community, and Refugee Resettlement in Japan
Authors: Lee Sang Kook
Published: May 2018

Using the case of Karen refugees in Japan, this paper examines how a state-driven refugee resettlement policy resulted in refugees suffering under difficult conditions and how, in turn, this drove the existing ethnic community to become an active player in assisting resettled refugees to adapt, in contest with the state. Japan was the first Asian country to initiate a refugee resettlement program in 2010. However, the government failed to consult with other stakeholders, notably the ethnic community, causing difficulties for the refugees in adapting to their new life. In helping resolving this crisis, the Karen community emerged as a legitimate actor in the governance of these refugees. The current study highlights the contest between the state and ethnic communities over resettlement programs and contributes to the understanding of the structural formation that influences refugees in the early stage of resettlement.
Machinery fault diagnosis via an improved multi-linear subspace and locally linear embedding
Authors: Zhang Yansheng , Ye Dong , Liu Yuanhong , Cai Yu
Published: May 2018

Traditional fault diagnosis methods mainly depend on the vector model to describe a signal, which will lead to information loss and the curse of dimensionality. In order to overcome these problems, in this paper an improved multi-linear subspace (MLS) method and locally linear embedding (LLE) are integrated (MLSLLE) to extract significant features. To obtain more information, first it is suggested that multiple sensors should be used to sample the vibration signal of a machine from different positions; then, these data are projected into different subspaces, where each sample is represented as a tensor form, respectively; finally, higher-order singular value decomposition and LLE are introduced to extract significant features. Thus a fault diagnosis method is proposed based on MLSLLE and support vector machines. The advantages of the proposed fault diagnosis method are validated by two real bearing data sets.
The effect of iodopovidone versus bleomycin in chemical pleurodesis
Authors: Bagheri Reza , Noori Marzieh , Rajayi Maryam , Attaran Davood , Mohammad Hashem Asna Ashari Amir , Mohammadzadeh Lari Shahrzad , Basiri Reza , Rezaeetalab Fariba , Afghani Reza , Salehi Maryam
Published: May 2018

Background

Malignant pleural effusion continues to be a common problem in patients with metastatic disease. This study was conducted to compare the efficacy and safety of bleomycin pleurodesis with povidone-iodine pleurodesis through a chest drain as palliative treatment for recurrent malignant pleural effusion.

Methods

Sixty cancer patients (36 males and 24 females) with recurrent malignant pleural effusion were enrolled in a prospective randomized trial. Thirty patients received povidone-iodine pleurodesis and 30 received bleomycin pleurodesis. Age, sex, side of the primary pathology, treatment outcome (recurrence and relapse time), and complications were analyzed.

Results

The mean age was 59.63 ± 7.68 years in the povidone-iodine group and 57.97 ± 9.27 years in the bleomycin group ( p = 0.452). The complications were identical in both groups: 2 (6.7%) patients had chest pain, 2 (6.7%) had fever, and one (3.3%) had hypotension. There was a good response to therapy in 20 (66.7%) patients in the bleomycin group and 25 (83.3%) in the povidone-iodine group ( p = 0.136).

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that povidone-iodine should be considered as a selective chemical agent to perform pleurodesis in patients with recurrent malignant pleural effusion because it has the same effect but costs less than bleomycin.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between vitamin A intake, serum vitamin A, and risk of liver cancer
Authors: Leelakanok Nattawut , D’Cunha Ronilda R. , Sutamtewagul Grerk , Schweizer Marin L.
Published: May 2018

Background:

Previous evidence supports that vitamin A decreases the risk of several types of cancer. However, the association between vitamin A and liver cancer is inconclusive.

Aim:

This systematic review and meta-analysis summarizes the existing literature, discussing the association between vitamin A intake, serum vitamin A, and liver cancer in adult populations.

Methods:

A systematic literature review was performed by searching the EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus and International Pharmaceutical Abstract databases using terms related to vitamin A (e.g. retinol, α-carotene, β-carotene, and β-cryptoxanthin) and hepatic cancer without applying any time restriction. A meta-analysis was performed using random effect models.

Results:

The meta-analysis of five studies showed no association between serum retinol and liver cancer (pooled risk ratio = 1.90 (0.40–9.02); n = 5 studies, I2 = 92%). In addition, the systematic review of studies from 1955 to July 2017 found studies that indicated no association between the intake and serum level of α-carotene ( n = 2) and β-cryptoxanthin ( n = 1) and the risk of liver cancer. Further, the associations between retinol intake ( n = 3), β-carotene intake ( n = 3), or serum β-carotene ( n = 3) and liver cancer were inconclusive.

Conclusions:

Current information on the association between vitamin A intake and liver cancer or serum vitamin A and liver cancer are limited. Most studies demonstrated no association between dietary vitamin A and the risk of liver cancer. However, the finding was based on a small number of studies with potential publication bias. Therefore, large observational studies should be conducted to confirm these associations.
A narrative review of the technical standards for extracorporeal life support devices (pumps and oxygenators) in Europe
Authors: Di Nardo Matteo , Vercaemst Leen , Swol Justyna , Barret Nicholas , Taccone Fabio S. , Malfertheiner Maximilian V. , Broman Lars M. , Pappalardo Federico , Belohlavek Jan , Mueller Thomas , Lorusso Roberto , Lonero Margherita , Belliato Mirko
Published: May 2018

This review summarizes the European rules to control the market when introducing new products. In particular, it shows all the steps to achieve the European Conformity (CE Mark), a certification that all new medical products must achieve before being used in Europe. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) devices are exposed to the same procedures. Hereby, we present some regulatory issues regarding pumps and oxygenators, providing technical details as released by the manufacturers on their websites and information charts.
Imaging predictors of outcome in acute spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage: a review of the literature
Authors: Fragata Isabel , Canhão Patrícia
Published: May 2018

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) accounts for about 5% of strokes, but has a very high morbidity and mortality. Many survivors are left with important cognitive impairment and are severely incapacitated. Prediction of complications such as vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia, and of clinical outcome after SAH, is challenging. Imaging studies are essential in the initial evaluation of SAH patients and are increasingly relevant in assessing for complications and prognosis. In this article, we reviewed the role of imaging studies in evaluating early brain injury and predicting complications as well as clinical and neuropsychological prognosis after acute SAH.
The epistemic culture in an online citizen science project: Programs, antiprograms and epistemic subjects
Authors: Kasperowski Dick , Hillman Thomas
Published: May 2018

In the past decade, some areas of science have begun turning to masses of online volunteers through open calls for generating and classifying very large sets of data. The purpose of this study is to investigate the epistemic culture of a large-scale online citizen science project, the Galaxy Zoo, that turns to volunteers for the classification of images of galaxies. For this task, we chose to apply the concepts of programs and antiprograms to examine the ‘essential tensions’ that arise in relation to the mobilizing values of a citizen science project and the epistemic subjects and cultures that are enacted by its volunteers. Our premise is that these tensions reveal central features of the epistemic subjects and distributed cognition of epistemic cultures in these large-scale citizen science projects.
The Impact of New-Product R&D on the Circular Flow
Authors: McClure James E. , Thomas David Chandler
Published: May 2018

Closed-system circular flow models have been ubiquitous in economics for at least half a century. Because these models account for neither new-product R&D, nor the attendant leakages and injections, they obscure understanding of (a) the distinction between new-product and process R&D, (b) the circular flow leakages and injections attending new-product R&D, and (c) Schumpeterian “creative destruction” and “swarming.” To shed light upon these matters, we present an open-system circular flow model and a price theoretic explanation of the swarming overinvestment that characterizes business cycle downturns.

JEL Classifications: B20, O31, E30
Effective Financial Decision Aids for Retirement
Authors: Rose Susan L. , Morrison John E.
Published: May 2018

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 directs the Secretaries of the Armed Forces and the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces to provide financial literacy training to Service members at certain critical points throughout their careers, including the transition to retirement. Based on a review of the literature, we find that general financial training is ineffective. More effective are decision aids that provide assistance at the time the decision is being made. This article provides a discussion of what such a decision aid would entail.
Identifying potential terrorists: Visuality, security and the Channel project
Authors: Martin Thomas
Published: May 2018

This article analyses how British counter-radicalization policy in general, and the Channel project in particular, constitute individuals who are vulnerable to radicalization as visible, producing them as subjects of intervention. It thus asks, how can potential terrorists be identified and made knowable? The article first argues that to understand Channel, it is crucial to develop a conceptual account of the security politics of (in)visibilization that draws attention to the ways in which security regimes can, at times, function primarily through the production of regimes of (in)visibility. Using this approach, the article focusses on the role of ‘indicators’ as a technology of (in)visibilization. This role is central to the functioning of Channel, visibilizing certain subjects as threatening. Yet such a production is political. In bringing together a politics of care and a politics of identity, it is a regime of (in)visibility that produces new sites of intervention, contains significant potential consequences for the expression of certain identities, and raises new and troubling possibilities for how contemporary life may be secured.
Online volunteering as a means to overcome unequal participation? The profiles of online and offline volunteers compared
Authors: Ackermann Kathrin , Manatschal Anita
Published: May 2018

A key question regarding the ongoing process of digitalization is whether it enables societies to overcome patterns of inequality or whether these patterns are fostered in the digital sphere. The article addresses this question for the case of online volunteering by examining the profiles of online and offline volunteers in terms of sociodemographics, resources, networks, and psychological engagement. We apply quantitative methods using a unique data set that provides comprehensive information on online volunteering. Our results suggest that two mechanisms are at work simultaneously: mobilization and reinforcement. The profile of “pure” online volunteers differs from the profile of “pure” offline volunteers (mobilization). Meanwhile, the hybrid type combining online and offline volunteering attracts individuals resembling offline (reinforcement) and online volunteers (mobilization). Thus, online volunteering seems to be both: a remedy for existing inequalities in volunteering and a way to reinforce existing patterns of social participation in increasingly digitized societies.
Fashionable wrist band using highly conductive fabric for electrocardiogram signal monitoring
Authors: Das Partha Sarati , Kim Jae Woo , Park Jae Yeong
Published: May 2018

In this paper, a flexible and wearable fabric-based and highly conductive wrist band with portable electrocardiogram (ECG) equipment is presented for the long-term monitoring of ECG signals. The impedance properties, skin irritation, and sensitivity are then investigated using the proposed wrist band. The wrist band was constructed using conductive fabric, a Velcro strap, a metal snap, and a nickel connector. The entire polyester fabric surface was coated with nickel, copper, and gold. The sheet resistance of the conductive fabric is 0.06 Ω/sq. It is appropriate to use a dry fabric electrode for long-term monitoring purposes, rather than a gel-based Ag/AgCl electrode. The proposed system does not require additional active electrodes, and a single-layer standard printed circuit board (PCB) was developed to allow for portable ECG signal acquisition. We measured the impedance as per the frequency change and compared the outcomes with those of Ag/AgCl electrodes. Subsequently, we measured the ECG signal and investigated the possible artifacts caused by motion. The skin-electrode impedance of the wrist band was measured and compared to the Ag/AgCl electrodes, where we found a lower impedance for the wrist band electrodes. In addition, the power spectrum of the biopotential signals obtained from the wrist band electrodes are evaluated and compared to those obtained with Ag/AgCl electrodes for estimating signal quality. The experimental results show that the proposed electrode can successfully acquire an ECG signal from the wrist when the subject is resting and fewer motion artifacts are shown when the subject moves, rendering the proposed electrode comparable with the traditional disposable and gelled Ag/AgCl electrodes.
Optimization on detent force characteristics of the permanent magnet suspension belt conveyor
Authors: Wang Zhongxun , Hu Kun , Guo Yongcun , Wang Shuang
Published: May 2018

Detent force is an important factor affecting the running of permanent magnet suspension belt conveyor. Specific to detent force characteristics of the permanent magnet suspension belt conveyor, a finite element method was adopted to perform finite element analysis on a permanent magnet support system based on diverse air gaps, parameters of permanent magnets, and different kinds of clearances between permanent magnets. Not only was a method of defining the optimal buoyancy–resistance ratio for the permanent magnet suspension belt conveyor presented but also an optimized mathematical model for buoyancy–resistance ratio that takes velocity into account was established. Furthermore, a global optimal solution [Formula: see text] and a local optimal solution [Formula: see text] were both figured out for optimal speed of the magnetic belt. In this way, references could be provided for the permanent magnet suspension belt conveyor design.
The Road to Functional Recovery: Temporal Effects of Matrix Regeneration on Amazonian Bats
Authors: Farneda Fábio Z. , Rocha Ricardo , López-Baucells Adrià , Sampaio Erica M. , Palmeirim Jorge M. , Bobrowiec Paulo E. D. , Grelle Carlos E. V. , Meyer Christoph F. J.
Published: May 2018

Across the tropics, vast deforested areas are undergoing forest regeneration due to land abandonment. Although secondary forest is an expanding type of landscape matrix that has been shown to buffer some of the negative consequences of forest loss and fragmentation on taxonomic diversity, little is known in this regard about the functional dimension of biodiversity. We took advantage of an ecosystem-wide fragmentation experiment to investigate longer term changes in functional diversity of a mega-diverse Amazonian bat assemblage associated with regrowth development in the matrix. We found that matrix regeneration affected several facets of bat functional diversity in secondary forest over time, increasing functional α diversity, species- and community-level functional uniqueness, altering functional trait composition, and resulting in functional β-diversity changes via trait gains. However, approximately 30 years of matrix regeneration were insufficient for functional diversity to recover to the same levels as in continuous forest. Our results suggest that a combination of natural, human-assisted, and active restoration is likely to be the most successful strategy for restoring functional biodiversity of bats in human-modified tropical landscapes, a finding that most likely also applies to many other taxa.
A comparative study of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with double, single, or selective bundle techniques
Authors: Chia Zi-Yang , Chee Jade N , Bin-Abd-Razak Hamid Rahmatullah , Lie Denny TT , Chang Paul CC
Published: May 2018

Purpose:

Reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is the most frequently performed reconstructive surgery in the knee. Biomechanical studies have shown that double bundle (DB) reconstruction is better than single bundle (SB) reconstruction with regard to rotational stability. It is postulated that resection of ACL fibres that remain in continuity may be counterproductive for the knee as these fibres have the capacity to produce collagen. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy among selective bundle, DB and SB ACL reconstructions over a 2-year post-operative follow-up period.

Methods:

A retrospective comparative study was conducted for comparison between selective bundle, DB and SB reconstructions. Between 2012 and 2014, 291 ACL reconstructions were performed. Of these, 68 patients had selective ACL reconstructions (group SLB), 147 had DB ACL reconstructions (group DB) and 76 had SB ACL reconstructions (group SB). Institutional Review Board approval was obtained, and all patients provided informed consent. Clinical results were assessed with the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm and Tegner scores. Stability was measured using Lachman, pivot shift and anterior drawer stress tests using the KT1000 at 30° of knee flexion.

Results:

There was no significant difference in ligament grade, function grade, IKDC grade, as well as Tegner and Lysholm means among all three groups after a 2-year follow-up period.

Conclusion:

Selective bundle reconstruction provides comparable results to DB and SB reconstruction techniques. It is a viable alternative for patients with partial tears.
Patient-reported outcome instruments for assessing Raynaud’s phenomenon in systemic sclerosis: A SCTC vascular working group report
Authors: Pauling John D , Frech Tracy M , Hughes Michael , Gordon Jessica K , Domsic Robyn T , Anderson Marina E , Ingegnoli Francesca , McHugh Neil J , Johnson Sindhu R , Hudson Marie , Boin Francesco , Ong Voon H , Matucci-Cerinic Marco , Altorok Nezam , Scolnik Marina , Nikpour Mandana , Shah Ankoor , Pope Janet E , Khanna Dinesh , Herrick Ariane L
Published: May 2018

The episodic nature of Raynaud’s phenomenon in systemic sclerosis has led to a reliance on patient-reported outcome instruments such as the Raynaud’s Condition Score diary. Little is known about the utilization in routine clinical practice and health professional attitudes toward existing patient-reported outcome instruments for assessing systemic sclerosis-Raynaud’s phenomenon. Members of the Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium Vascular Working Group (n = 28) were invited to participate in a survey gauging attitudes toward the Raynaud’s Condition Score diary and the perceived need for novel patient-reported outcome instruments for assessing patient-reported outcome. Nineteen Scleroderma Clinical Trials Consortium Vascular Working Group members (68% response rate) from academic units based in North America (n = 9), Europe (n = 8), South America (n = 1) and Australasia (n = 1) took part in the survey. There was broad consensus that Raynaud’s Condition Score diary returns could be influenced by factors including seasonal variation in weather, efforts made by patients to avoid or ameliorate attacks of Raynaud’s phenomenon, habituation to Raynaud’s phenomenon symptoms, evolution of Raynaud’s phenomenon symptom characteristics with progressive obliterative microangiopathy, patient-coping strategies, respondent burden and placebo effect. There was consensus that limitations of the Raynaud’s Condition Score diary might be a barrier to drug development (79% of respondents agree/strongly agree) and that a novel patient-reported outcome instrument for assessing systemic sclerosis-Raynaud’s phenomenon should be developed with the input of both clinicians and patients (84% agree/strongly agree). Perceived potential limitations of the Raynaud’s Condition Score diary have been identified along with concerns that such factors might impede drug development programs for systemic sclerosis-Raynaud’s phenomenon. There is support within the systemic sclerosis community for the development of a novel patient-reported outcome instrument for assessing systemic sclerosis-Raynaud’s phenomenon.
Vibrational response of coupled orthotropic protein microtubules immersed in cytosol considering small-scale and surface effects
Authors: Arani A Ghorbanpour , Haghparast E , Maraghi Z Khoddami
Published: May 2018

In this research, orthotropic Euler–Bernoulli beam and Timoshenko beam models are developed to investigate vibrational behavior of coupled protein microtubules. Microtubules are hollow cylindrical filaments in the living cells which are surrounded by filament network, which is simulated by Winkler–Riley Model. Temperature-dependent material properties for microtubules are used to study the thermal effect on vibration frequency. To apply the size effect, nonlocal theory is utilized, and the motion equations are derived based on Hamilton’s principle. In order to examine reliability of presented study, effects of various parameters such as environmental conditions, temperature change, boundary conditions and small-scale parameters on vibration characteristics of isotropic and orthotropic microtubules for both Euler–Bernoulli beam and Timoshenko beam models are discussed in detail. Results revealed that dynamic behavior of coupled microtubules is strongly dependent on the surface elasticity modulus of cytosol, so that, increasing surface elasticity modulus leads to increase in frequency of coupled microtubules. Results of this investigation can be provided as a useful reference in bio-medical clinical application.
Al/SiCNP and Al/SiCNP/X nanocomposites fabrication and properties: A review
Authors: Reddy A Prasad , Krishna P Vamsi , Rao R Narasimha
Published: May 2018

Global requirement for minimum cost, high efficiency, and good grade materials has made a diversion in research from base alloys to composite materials, since the last five decades. In the case of metal matrix composites, aluminium metal matrix composites have been certified and steadily advanced due to properties such as high strength, low density, and high wear resistance. They are widely used in automobile industry, aircraft industry, structural applications, and many other defence systems. Researchers have observed that the addition of nano-size SiCNP reinforcements to aluminium-based matrix yields superior properties and good bonding characteristics between matrix and reinforcements of nanocomposites. Along with silicon carbide particulate primary nano-reinforcements, researchers studied the properties of aluminium metal matrix nanocomposites with the addition of secondary reinforcements. These hybrid nanocomposites exhibited improved wear resistance. This article reviews the fabrication methods, mechanical properties, and tribological properties of aluminium-based hybrid metal matrix nanocomposites.
Melodramatic Tactics for Survival in the Neoliberal Era: Excess and Justice in The Heirs and My Love from the Star
Authors: Yi We Jung
Published: May 2018

This article examines two 2013 TV miniseries, The Heirs and My Love from the Star, by relating their melodramatic aesthetics to the survivalist imperative under neoliberal governance. From the colonial sinp’a theater to Golden Age films, melodrama has operated as a popular mode of imagination that expresses inarticulate experiences generated over the course of Korea’s modernization. To extend and complicate existing scholarship on modern melodrama, this study approaches recent K-dramas’ melodramatic modes as both an affective response to and an everyday tactic for coping with failing economic democracy in contemporary Korea. In this light, the intensifying fantastic elements of the genre are deemed not so much anachronistic as tactical, as they are deployed to reclaim the justice and equality that are felt to be hopelessly disappearing in daily lives. As I look at their excessive aesthetics within the context of diminishing social mobility in the neoliberal era, my analysis of the two miniseries further notes the gendered structure of these melodramatic fantasies in which the survival of women, who have fewer privileges, is achieved through the reform of male elites.
Rapid depth perception in hunting archerfish II. An analysis of potential cues
Authors: Reinel Caroline P. , Schuster Stefan
Published: May 2018

Based on the initial movement of falling prey hunting archerfish select a C-start that turns them right to where their prey is going to land and lends the speed to arrive simultaneously with prey. Our preceding study suggested that the information sampled in less than 100 ms also includes the initial height of falling prey. Here we examine which cues the fish might be using to gauge height so quickly. First, we show that binocular cues are not required: C-starts that either could or could not have used binocular information were equally fast and precise. Next, we explored whether the fish were using simplifying assumptions about the absolute size of their prey or its distance from a structured background. However, experiments with unexpected changes from the standard conditions failed to cause any errors. We then tested the hypothesis that the fish might infer depth from accommodation or from cues related to blurring in the image of their falling prey. However, the fish determined also the height of 'fake-flies' correctly, whose image could never be focused and whose combined size and degree of blurring should have mislead the fish. Our findings are not compatible with the view that the fish uses a flexible combination of cues. They also do not support the view that height is gauged relative to structures in the vicinity of starting prey. We suggest that the fish use an elaborate analysis of looming to rapidly gauge initial height.
Contribution of a natural polymorphism, protein kinase G, modulates electroconvulsive seizure recovery in D. melanogaster
Authors: Kelly Stephanie P. , Risley Monica G. , Miranda Leonor E. , Dawson-Scully Ken
Published: May 2018

Drosophila melanogaster is a well-characterized model for neurological disorders and is widely used for investigating causes of altered neuronal excitability leading to seizure-like behavior. One method used to analyze behavioral output of neuronal perturbance is recording the time to locomotor recovery from an electroconvulsive shock. Based on this behavior, we sought to quantify seizure susceptibility in larval D. melanogaster with differences in the enzymatic activity levels of a major protein, cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG). PKG, encoded by foraging, has two natural allelic variants and has previously been implicated in several important physiological characteristics including: foraging patterns, learning and memory, and environmental stress tolerance. The well-established NO/cGMP/PKG signaling pathway found in the fly, which potentially targets downstream K+ channel(s), which ultimately impacts membrane excitability; leading to our hypothesis: altering PKG enzymatic activity modulates time to recovery from an electroconvulsive seizure. Our results show that by both genetically and pharmacologically increasing PKG enzymatic activity, we can decrease the locomotor recovery time from an electroconvulsive seizure in larval D. melanogaster.
Passing for Black
Authors: Field Kendra Taira
Published: May 2018

Chapter 2 situates Monroe Coleman’s decision to participate in black freedom movements in Oklahoma against the backdrop of his early life as a “mulatto” child in Reconstruction-era Mississippi, highlighting the relationship between migration and the construction of racial categories in this period. Reading Coleman’s life alongside the lives of his contemporaries, this chapter argues that the westward migration of “mulatto” freedpeople constituted a telling response to racial violence and white racial nationalism in the aftermath of Reconstruction. While the rise of black Oklahoma was promoted, narrated, memorialized, and ultimately historicized as “all-black” and self-consciously “domestic,” such an image stands in contrast to the racial and national realities of the period.
Intimate Contracts
Authors: Dailey Anne C.
Published: May 2018

The prevailing model of contract law presumes that fully informed decision-makers exercise free and voluntary choices to further their conscious preferences and goals. The model makes sense in the context of commercial relationships. But family contracts—prenuptial agreements, separation agreements, adoption agreements, surrogacy contracts, and contracts between intimate partners—are another matter. Psychoanalysis invites us to examine the ways in which the prevailing free choice model fails to acknowledge the troubling influence of unconscious factors on the formation and breach of intimate contracts. As this chapter explains, psychoanalysis uncovers the subjective drama of intimate contracts: the role of fantasy and memory in constructing present reality; the need to replay and to master old traumas; the ambivalences, conflicts, and paradoxes of unconscious life. Psychological phenomena in the form of unconscious fantasy, transference, repression, attachment, regression, splitting, and resistance can color, distort, and undermine the parties’ decisions to enter into, and later abide by, intimate contracts in ways that go well beyond the ordinary commercial setting. By studying prenuptial agreements and surrogacy contracts carefully, this chapter sheds new light on the ways law can and should take psychoanalytic insights into account when regulating the formation and enforcement of these intimate agreements.