bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Augmented expression of RUNX1 deregulates the global gene expression of U87 glioblastoma multiforme cells and inhibits tumor growth in mice
Authors: Bogoch Yoel , Friedlander-Malik Gilgi , Lupu Lior , Bondar Ekaterina , Zohar Nitzan , Langier Sheila , Ram Zvi , Nachmany Ido , Klausner Joseph M , Pencovich Niv
Published: April 2017

Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. A mesenchymal phenotype was associated with tumor aggressiveness and poor prognosis in glioblastoma multiforme patients. Recently, the transcription factor RUNX1 was suggested as a driver of the glioblastoma multiforme mesenchymal gene expression signature; however, its independent role in this process is yet to be described. Here, we assessed the role of RUNX1 in U87 glioblastoma multiforme cells in correspondence to its mediated transcriptome and genome-wide occupancy pattern. Overexpression of RUNX1 led to diminished tumor growth in nude and severe combined immunodeficiency mouse xenograft tumor model. At the molecular level, RUNX1 occupied thousands of genomic regions and regulated the expression of hundreds of target genes, both directly and indirectly. RUNX1 occupied genomic regions that corresponded to genes that were shown to play a role in brain tumor progression and angiogenesis and upon overexpression led to a substantial down-regulation of their expression level. When overexpressed in U87 glioblastoma multiforme cells, RUNX1 down-regulated key pathways in glioblastoma multiforme progression including epithelial to mesenchymal transition, MTORC1 signaling, hypoxia-induced signaling, and TNFa signaling via NFkB. Moreover, master regulators of the glioblastoma multiforme mesenchymal phenotype including CEBPb, ZNF238, and FOSL2 were directly regulated by RUNX1. The data suggest a central role for RUNX1 as master regulator of gene expression in the U87 glioblastoma multiforme cell line and mark RUNX1 as a potential target for novel future therapies for glioblastoma multiforme.
High expression of partitioning defective 3–like protein is associated with malignancy in colorectal cancer
Authors: Li Taiyuan , Liu Xiaoyang , Jiang Qunguang , Lei Xiong , Liu Dongning
Published: April 2017

Partitioning defective 3–like protein is a novel cell polarity protein. Recently, partitioning defective 3–like protein has been demonstrated with tumor-promoting function by disrupting tight junction, inhibiting tumor suppressor liver kinase B1, and maintaining mammary stem cells. For the first time, we studied partitioning defective 3–like protein expression in malignant colorectal cancer. We used immunohistochemistry scoring system to evaluate partitioning defective 3–like protein expression in 196 colorectal cancer tissues and 33 adjacent normal tissues. We found that colorectal cancer tissues had much stronger partitioning defective 3–like protein immunoreactivity than normal tissues, and colorectal cancer patients with positive partitioning defective 3–like protein expression were characterized with higher cancer stages, metastasis, poor tumor differentiation, larger tumor size, as well as high levels of colorectal cancer markers carcinoembryonic antigen and cancer antigen 19-9. Besides, partitioning defective 3–like protein overexpression was independently predictive of lower survival rate in colorectal cancer patients, even after adjusting the influence of cofactors. Moreover, we also found that partitioning defective 3–like protein was associated with rapid growing colorectal cancer, while knockdown of partitioning defective 3–like protein expression largely inhibited cancer cell proliferation. Our study provided the first evidence that partitioning defective 3–like protein was overexpressed in colorectal cancer and associated with disease malignancy. Also, partitioning defective 3–like protein may serve as a promising prognostic marker and a potential therapeutic target for colorectal cancer treatment. Further study is necessary to understand the regulatory mechanism of partitioning defective 3–like protein in colorectal cancer and the feasibility of its application in clinic.
Effects of temperature on performance of compressible magnetorheological fluid suspension systems
Authors: McKee Michael , Gordaninejad Faramarz , Wang Xiaojie
Published: April 2017

The temperature effect on performance of compressible magnetorheological fluid suspension systems is studied. Magnetorheological fluid is a temperature-dependent material where its compressibility and rheological properties change with temperature. Experimental studies were conducted to explore the temperature effects on the properties of the magnetorheological fluid and the compressible magnetorheological fluid suspension systems. The temperature effect on magnetorheological fluid properties included the bulk modulus, shear yield stress, and viscosity. It was found that the shear yield stress of the magnetorheological fluid remains unchanged within the testing range while both the plastic viscosity, using the Bingham plastic model, and the bulk modulus of the magnetorheological fluid decrease as the temperature of the fluid increases. A theoretical model that incorporates the temperature-dependent properties of magnetorheological fluid was developed to predict behavior of a compressible magnetorheological fluid suspension system. An experimental study was conducted using an annular flow compressible magnetorheological fluid suspension system with varying temperatures, motion frequencies, and magnetic fields. The experimental results are used to verify the theoretical model. Moreover, the stiffness and energy dissipation of the compressible magnetorheological fluid suspension system were obtained, experimentally. The effects of the temperature on performance characteristics of the compressible magnetorheological fluid suspension system were analyzed. It was found that both the stiffness and the energy dissipation decrease with an increase in the temperature of magnetorheological fluid.
The Factors Motivating Voluntary Disclosure of Carbon Information: Evidence Based on Italian Listed Companies
Authors: Jaggi Bikki , Allini Alessandra , Macchioni Riccardo , Zagaria Claudia
Published: April 2017

The purpose of this research is to examine how environmental committees, institutional shareholdings, and board independence affect managerial carbon disclosure decisions, particularly those of firms belonging to highly polluting industries. We focus on Italian firms that operate in a code law environment but that have the option either to adopt the unitary corporate structure prevalent in common law countries or to retain the dual corporate structure used in code law countries. We use weighted and unweighted carbon disclosure indexes based on the Kyoto Protocol requirements. The findings show that all factors greatly affect voluntary carbon disclosure and that their impact is especially strong for firms in highly polluting industries. This study has important implications for managers and regulators.
Indigenous perspectives of ecosystem-based management and co-governance in the Pacific Northwest: lessons for Aotearoa
Authors: Tiakiwai Sarah-Jane , Kilgour Jonathan Timatanga , Whetu Amy
Published: April 2017

This article presents a case study of the ecosystem-based management model embedded within British Columbia’s Marine Plan Partnership for the Pacific North Coast and the Great Bear Initiative. These are two distinct, yet linked, examples of resource management and economic development that use ecosystem-based management in a way that incorporates indigenous perspectives and aspirations. The model potentially provides a framework that other countries, including Aotearoa (New Zealand), could examine and adapt to their own contexts using new governance structures and working with indigenous perspectives that include traditional ecological knowledge and aspirations. The case study is presented from a Māori perspective that represents both an insider (indigenous) and outsider (non-First Nations) view.
Setting priorities for EU healthcare workforce IT skills competence improvement
Authors: Li Sisi , Bamidis Panagiotis D , Konstantinidis Stathis Th , Traver Vicente , Car Josip , Zary Nabil
Published: April 2017

A major challenge for healthcare quality improvement is the lack of IT skills and knowledge of healthcare workforce, as well as their ambivalent attitudes toward IT. This article identifies and prioritizes actions needed to improve the IT skills of healthcare workforce across the EU. A total of 46 experts, representing different fields of expertise in healthcare and geolocations, systematically listed and scored actions that would improve IT skills among healthcare workforce. The Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative methodology was used for research priority-setting. The participants evaluated the actions using the following criteria: feasibility, effectiveness, deliverability, and maximum impact on IT skills improvement. The leading priority actions were related to appropriate training, integrating eHealth in curricula, involving healthcare workforce in the eHealth solution development, improving awareness of eHealth, and learning arrangement. As the different professionals’ needs are prioritized, healthcare workforce should be actively and continuously included in the development of eHealth solutions.
“Madness” and penal confinement: Some observations on mental illness and prison pain
Authors: Haney Craig
Published: April 2017

Unprecedented numbers of mentally ill persons are now housed in prisons and jails in the United States and elsewhere in the world. In many jurisdictions penal institutions have become the default placement for the mentally ill, in lieu of more humane and appropriate facilities in which to treat them. This article briefly reviews some of the causes of the unprecedented influx of the mentally ill into prisons and jails, examines the characteristics of these environments that render them singularly inappropriate placements in these cases, and discusses the various ways that the pains of imprisonment can exacerbate rather than alleviate various forms of mental illness and psychological vulnerability.
Why the voting age should be lowered to 16
Authors: Peto Tommy
Published: April 2017

This article examines whether the voting age should be lowered to 16. The dominant view in the literature is that 16-year-olds in the United Kingdom are not politically mature enough to vote since they lack political knowledge, political interest and stable political preferences (Chan and Clayton, 2006). I reject this conclusion and instead argue that the voting age should be lowered to 16. First, I look at Chan and Clayton’s empirical claims and show that these features of 16- and 17-year-olds are in fact created by exclusionary social practices and therefore that these features cannot be used to justify their exclusion from the vote. Second, I evaluate preliminary evidence from Austria which suggests that 16- and 17-year-olds, when actually given the vote, are politically mature. Third, I show that, on a balance of harms, considering that some 16- and 17-year-olds are mature, we still should lower the voting age even if some 16- and 17-year-olds are not politically mature. I conclude that the voting age should be lowered to (at least) 16.
Writing with the sea: reflections on in/experienced encounters with ocean space
Authors: Peters Kimberley , Brown Mike
Published: April 2017

How does being with the sea change how we write about the sea? This article is constructed as a reflective/reflexive consideration of being at sea as part of an experimental week-long symposium held on board an 80-foot yacht in the Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, in early 2016. The event focused on the ways society lives with the sea in the 21st century – how awareness is raised and action is instigated – in light of growing threats to ocean spaces worldwide. While generating conversation on this theme, the location of the symposium was also pivotal in generating embodied knowledge of the topic under investigation. This article follows the afterthoughts of the symposium organiser (an outdoor educator and professional yacht skipper) and an attendee (a geographer of the sea, non-swimmer and first-time sailor). It investigates how academic events that take place in place – in this case at sea – may generate unique knowledge on conference themes, and for academic work more generally, by opening up new experiential worlds.
Strong popular sovereignty and constitutional legitimacy
Authors: Duke George
Published: April 2017

Recent critiques of attempts to ground constitutional legitimacy in the constituent power of a strong popular sovereign have tended to focus upon the tension between strong popular sovereignty and central assumptions of liberal constitutionalism. Foremost among these assumptions are the need to reconcile disagreement regarding controversial matters of common concern and the value of the rule of law. The weakness of such critiques, however, is that they presuppose a commitment to liberal principles and values that an advocate of strong popular sovereignty need not share. In this paper, I argue that recourse to liberal assumptions is unnecessary in order to demonstrate the inability of a theory of strong popular sovereignty to issue in a viable account of constitutional legitimacy. Theories of constitutional legitimacy grounded in strong popular sovereignty and constituent power, I contend, simply lack the basic resources for an adequate theory of constitutional legitimacy because they do not offer normative grounds for an assessment of whether any particular constitution is or is not legitimate. The paper is structured in three sections. Section 1 demonstrates that Carl Schmitt’s theory of constitutional legitimacy – which remains the primary source of contemporary appeals to strong popular sovereignty and constituent power – sustains a normative interpretation. Section 2 then develops a minimal constraint on an adequate normative theory of constitutional legitimacy. Finally, in Section 3, I demonstrate why a normative account of constitutional legitimacy based on strong popular sovereignty and constituent power is, at least without supplementation from normative concepts derived from a weaker conception of popular sovereignty, unable to meet this constraint.
How should we use the Chinese past? Contemporary Confucianism, the ‘reorganization of the national heritage’ and non-Western histories of thought in a global age
Authors: Jenco Leigh
Published: April 2017

In this essay I argue that recent philosophical attempts to ‘modernise’ Confucianism rehearse problematic relationships to the past that – far from broadening Confucianism’s appeal beyond its typical borders – end up narrowing its scope as a source of scholarly knowledge. This is because the very attempt to modernise assumes a rupture with a past in which Confucianism was once alive and relevant, fixing its identity to a static historical place disconnected from the present. I go on to explore alternative means of situating past thought to present inquiry, by examining a debate among early 20th-century Chinese intellectuals over the value of their past heritage in a modern age. Their diverse responses undermine the certainty of a singular or persistent Chinese past, enabling a creative presentism that encourages deliberate filiation with alternative ‘tracks’ of past practice and thought.
Provocative encounters reflecting struggles with change: Power and coercion in a Japanese university situation
Authors: Toh Glenn
Published: April 2017

This article examines a case of what Olssen et al. (2004) call ‘managerial oppression’ set in a faculty of international studies of a Japanese university. Japanese universities have, in recent times, been facing the financial pressures of a falling birthrate and dwindling enrolments. To remain solvent, some universities have had to reinvent their curriculum in the hope of attracting students. Institutional renewal, as will be noted, does not occur without accompanying complications relating to power and politics. In the present case, these complications are attributable to tensions created within an ideological dialectic of openness and closedness ( Peters and Roberts, 2012 ) as universities face the dilemmas of globalization alongside the endurance of conservative mercantilist philosophies traceable to policies set during Japan’s post-war occupation by Allied forces. Through a critical examination of a series of instances of bullying and coercion, I seek in this article to argue that bullying and coercion are not random or idiosyncratic but are instead embedded in larger socio-political epistemologies that impinge on education and influence the way institutional agendas and managerialist decisions can adversely affect or defile human behavior. In this way, I seek not only to make a contribution to current understandings of language policy, ideology, power and higher education in Japan, but more uniquely, to establish a connection between ideological closed mindedness, corporate managerialism and acts of institutionalized bullying and coercion.
Review of the use of pretest probability for molecular testing in non-small cell lung cancer and overview of new mutations that may affect clinical practice
Authors: Martin Petra , Leighl Natasha B.
Published: April 2017

This article considers the use of pretest probability in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and how its use in EGFR testing has helped establish clinical guidelines on selecting patients for EGFR testing. With an ever-increasing number of molecular abnormalities being identified and often limited tissue available for testing, the use of pretest probability will need to be increasingly considered in the future for selecting investigations and treatments in patients. In addition we review new mutations that have the potential to affect clinical practice.
Multidrug intolerance in the treatment of hypertension: result from an audit of a specialized hypertension service
Authors: Okeahialam Basil N.
Published: April 2017

Background:

Hypertension as a cardiovascular disease risk factor continues to take a heavy toll on the population despite efforts with containment. Poor control, even among those on treatment, is part of the challenge and results from patient, physician and health system factors. When the problem resides at patient level, adherence is largely responsible. An entity defined as multidrug intolerance (MDI) is hardly considered. A situation when a patient is willing to adhere but is compelled otherwise could frustrate both patient and physician. Encountering a few such cases prompted the author to audit his specialized hypertension service in order to evaluate the burden of MDI and its associations.

Methods:

Between 7 May and 30 July 2016 (to cover a 12-week cycle which ensured all attendees were captured), all patients attending follow up for blood pressure control had their records evaluated for intolerance to three or more different classes of anti-hypertensives, which defines MDI. Their ages, sex, control state and co-morbidities were extracted from the records.

Results:

A total of 489 patients with hypertension were seen over the period; 271 (55.4%) of whom were women and 248 (50.7%) were uncontrolled. Overall 15 (3.1%) satisfied the definition of MDI; 10 women and 5 men. All the men with MDI were uncontrolled while 7 out of the 10 women were uncontrolled; with two having premenstrual syndrome as co-morbidity. A total of four patients (three men, one woman) had history suggesting allergy and two (one man, one woman) were on treatment for anxio-depressive illness.

Conclusion:

MDI does occur in sub-Sahara African patients with hypertension and should be considered before describing hypertension as resistant or considering alternative treatments including device therapy. Staggering doses or trying different formulations could be of benefit.
When a Bad Bias Can Be Good: Anxiety-Linked Attentional Bias to Threat in Contexts Where Dangers Can Be Avoided
Authors: Notebaert Lies , Tilbrook Madison , Clarke Patrick J. F. , MacLeod Colin
Published: April 2017

Anxiety vulnerability is associated with an attentional bias to threat. When threat cues signal dangers that can be mitigated through behavioural action, vigilance for these threat cues can have an adaptive function. It is unknown, however, whether the anxiety-linked attentional bias is maintained or eliminated in contexts where threat cues signal dangers that can be mitigated. The current study used a probe task to assess anxiety-linked attentional bias to threat cues signalling a danger (noise burst) that in one condition could and in another condition could not be mitigated. Results showed that high trait anxious participants exhibited a larger attentional bias to threat than low trait anxious participants, and importantly, this anxiety-linked attentional bias did not differ as a function of danger mitigability. These findings suggest that anxiety-linked attentional bias is a rather pervasive processing style that may be insensitive to contextual variation in the adaptiveness of attending to threat.
Attention Bias Modification (ABM): Review of Effects of Multisession ABM Training on Anxiety and Threat-Related Attention in High-Anxious Individuals
Authors: Mogg Karin , Waters Allison M. , Bradley Brendan P.
Published: April 2017

Attention bias modification (ABM) aims to reduce anxiety by reducing attention bias (AB) to threat; however, effects on anxiety and AB are variable. This review examines 34 studies assessing effects of multisession-ABM on both anxiety and AB in high-anxious individuals. Methods include ABM-threat-avoidance (promoting attention-orienting away from threat), ABM-positive-search (promoting explicit, goal-directed attention-search for positive/nonthreat targets among negative/threat distractors), and comparison conditions (e.g., control-attention training combining threat-cue exposure and attention-task practice without AB-modification). Findings indicate anxiety reduction often occurs during both ABM-threat-avoidance and control-attention training; anxiety reduction is not consistently accompanied by AB reduction; anxious individuals often show no pretraining AB in orienting toward threat; and ABM-positive-search training appears promising in reducing anxiety. Methodological and theoretical issues are discussed concerning ABM paradigms, comparison conditions, and AB assessment. ABM methods combining explicit goal-directed attention-search for nonthreat/positive information and effortful threat-distractor inhibition (promoting top-down cognitive control during threat-cue exposure) warrant further evaluation.
Return to Sport in the Younger Patient With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Webster Kate E. , Feller Julian A. , Whitehead Timothy S. , Myer Gregory D. , Merory Peter B.
Published: April 2017

Background:

Although anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is generally regarded as a successful procedure, only 65% of patients return to their preinjury sport. While return-to-sport rates are likely higher in younger patients, there is a paucity of data that focus on the younger patient and their return-to-sport experience after ACL reconstruction.

Purpose:

To investigate a range of return-to-sport outcomes in younger athletes who had undergone ACL reconstruction surgery.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A group of 140 young patients (<20 years old at surgery) who had 1 ACL reconstruction and no subsequent ACL injuries completed a survey regarding details of their sport participation at a mean follow-up of 5 years (range, 3-7 years).

Results:

Overall, 76% (95% CI, 69%-83%) of the young patient group returned to the same preinjury sport. Return rates were higher for males than females (81% vs 71%, respectively; P > .05). Of those who returned to their sport, 65% reported that they could perform as well as before the ACL injury and 66% were still currently participating in their respective sport. Young athletes who never returned to sport cited fear of a new injury (37%) or study/work commitments (30%) as the primary reasons for dropout. For those who had successfully returned to their preinjury sport but subsequently stopped participating, the most common reason cited for stopping was study/work commitments (53%). At a mean 5-year follow-up, 48% of female patients were still participating in level I (jumping, hard pivoting) sports, as were 54% of males.

Conclusion:

A high percentage of younger patients return to their preinjury sport after ACL reconstruction surgery. For patients in this cohort who had not sustained a second ACL injury, the majority continue to participate and are satisfied with their performance.
Predatory Inclusion and Education Debt: Rethinking the Racial Wealth Gap
Authors: Seamster Louise , Charron-Chénier Raphaël
Published: April 2017

Analyses of the recent surge in racial wealth inequality have tended to focus on changes in asset holdings. Debt patterns, by contrast, have remained relatively unexplored. Using 2001 to 2013 data from the Survey of Consumer Finances, we show that after peaking in 2007, racial inequalities for most debt types returned to prefinancial crisis levels. The exception has been educational debt—on which we focus in this article. Our analyses show that educational debt has increased substantially for blacks relative to whites in the past decade. Notably, this unequal growth is not attributable to differences in educational attainment across racial groups. Rather, and as we argue, this trend reflects a process of predatory inclusion—a process wherein lenders and financial actors offer needed services to black households but on exploitative terms that limit or eliminate their long-term benefits. Predatory inclusion, we propose, is one of the mechanisms behind the persistence of racial inequality in contemporary markets.
Impact of Health Literacy on Senior Citizen Engagement in Health Care IT Usage
Authors: Noblin Alice M. , Rutherford Ashley
Published: April 2017

Objective: Patient engagement in health care information technology (IT) is required for government reimbursement programs. This research surveyed one older adult group to determine their willingness to use health information from a variety of sources. Health literacy was also measured using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) and eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) tools. Method: Regression models determined engagement in health care IT usage and impact of literacy levels based on survey data collected from the group. Results: Although most participants have adequate literacy, they are not more likely to use health care IT than those with limited literacy scores. Knowledge of how to use the Internet to answer questions about health was statistically associated with IT usage. Discussion: Health care IT usage is important for healthy aging. The ability of older adults to understand information provided to them can impact population health including medication usage and other important factors.
Urban Street Addressing: A Means for Managing Historic Urban Precincts of India
Authors: Routh Rajdeep , Bhavsar Dhruma
Published: April 2017

The historic precinct of Ahmedabad has a numbering system that was put in place by colonial rulers and got followed in the post-Independence era. The growth of the city around the historic precinct as well as increase of population has led to a number of issues regarding the existing numbering systems. The demographic explosion has resulted in an undesired development within the historic precincts across various cities in India. Such a scenario has made the existing system redundant as the density of building fabric has increased, within the areas, leading to inconsistent numbering systems. While the road hierarchy as well as the numbering system outside the historic precinct differs from that of the old city, centres have led to the difference between the naming and numbering system of the roads inside and outside the old city area. Most of the streets, except the main, have no nomenclature; also, the streets with names have no particular logic or framework behind the naming system.

The aim of this prospective study would be to understand and analyze the street addressing approaches and their benefits within the historic precincts, with a focus on the old core of Ahmedabad. The approach of the article would be to understand the various applications of street addressing, especially within historic precincts, and understand the benefits presented by the system. The article will end with the implementation of street addressing at Ahmedabad and what would be the phases of implementation. Furthermore, devising a sample coding system for a particular area of historic Ahmedabad would support this understanding.
Contextual Approach to the Question of Authenticity in Heritage Management and Tourism
Authors: Chapagain Neel Kamal
Published: April 2017

Moving beyond the objectives of conservation, today’s heritage profession aims for heritage management. The management approach reminds professionals and host communities to consider sustainability of heritage in economic, environmental and socio-cultural frameworks. Integration of tourism within heritage management frameworks can provide economic incentives for managing heritage sites and activities, whereas well managed and interpreted heritage resources can be popular destinations for tourism. However, there might be other unwanted and unforeseen consequences of these practices. While providing an economic support for heritage management, the economic attraction may entice exploitation of heritage resources, including over-use, theft and vandalism. Over-marketing of heritage resources may trigger promotion of cheap mimicries of heritage manifestations and values. Such consequences and discussion often revolve around the notion of authenticity—one of the much-talked about and widely used terminologies in both heritage management and tourism. The notion of authenticity may have different meanings for different contexts, resulting in a mismatch of perceptions of what and how to be conserved, preserved, managed and presented. This article explores some of the complications associated with the notion of authenticity in heritage management and tourism, and suggests a contextual approach to authenticity.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Confalonieri Marco , Salton Francesco , Fabiano Francesco
Published: April 2017

Since its first description, the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been acknowledged to be a major clinical problem in respiratory medicine. From July 2015 to July 2016 almost 300 indexed articles were published on ARDS. This review summarises only eight of them as an arbitrary overview of clinical relevance: definition and epidemiology, risk factors, prevention and treatment. A strict application of definition criteria is crucial, but the diverse resource-setting scenarios foster geographic variability and contrasting outcome data. A large international multicentre prospective cohort study including 50 countries across five continents reported that ARDS is underdiagnosed, and there is potential for improvement in its management. Furthermore, epidemiological data from low-income countries suggest that a revision of the current definition of ARDS is needed in order to improve its recognition and global clinical outcome. In addition to the well-known risk-factors for ARDS, exposure to high ozone levels and low vitamin D plasma concentrations were found to be predisposing circumstances. Drug-based preventive strategies remain a major challenge, since two recent trials on aspirin and statins failed to reduce the incidence in at-risk patients. A new disease-modifying therapy is awaited: some recent studies promised to improve the prognosis of ARDS, but mortality and disabling complications are still high in survivors in intensive care.
A biopsychosocial model of violence when sleepwalking: Review and reconceptualisation
Authors: Stallman Helen M. , Bari Andrea
Published: April 2017

Violence towards others during sleepwalking is relatively uncommon, but can result in serious injury or even death. Much of the research in this field has focused on the forensic consequences of violence during sleepwalking without sufficient attention to an understanding of the risk factors for violence during sleepwalking and the development of prevention and interventions based on these risk factors. This paper reviews the characteristics of impulsive violence in general and reconceptualises violence during sleepwalking as an extension of this prior vulnerability. We propose a biopsychosocial model of the risk for violence during sleepwalking that is supported through a review of empirical literature both within sleepwalking and violent behaviour more generally. Biological, psychological and social risk factors are hypothesised to mediate the relationship between sleepwalking and violence. Implications for prevention and treatment of this potentially fatal problem are discussed.
Strategic Policy Choice in State-Level Regulation: The EPA's Clean Power Plan
Authors: Bushnell James B. , Holland Stephen P. , Hughes Jonathan E. , Knittel Christopher R.
Published: April 2017

The EPA's Clean Power Plan sets goals for CO2 emissions rate reductions by 2030 that vary substantially across states. States can choose the regulatory mechanism they use and whether or not to join with other states in implementing their goals. We analyze incentives to adopt rate standards versus cap-and-trade with theory and simulation. We show conditions where adoption of inefficient rate standards is a dominant strategy from both consumers' and generators’ perspectives. Numerical simulations of the western electricity system highlight incentives for uncoordinated policies that lower welfare and increase emissions relative to coordination. (JEL H76, Q53, Q54, Q58)
Manipulation of Procurement Contracts: Evidence from the Introduction of Discretionary Thresholds
Authors: Palguta Ján , Pertold Filip
Published: April 2017

We present evidence of how policies that create opportunities to avoid open competition in procurement lead to the manipulation of procurement values. We exploit a policy reform in which public bodies were given the autonomy to preselect potential contractors below newly defined discretionary thresholds. Manipulation is revealed through bunching of procurements just below the thresholds in construction works and services, and to a lesser degree, in goods. Among manipulated contracts, we document a threefold increase in the probability that procurements are allocated to anonymous firms, which can hide their owners. This sorting violates assumptions behind regression-discontinuity designs. (JEL D73, D86, H57, K23, L74)
Sustaining Superior Performance in Business Ecosystems: Evidence from Application Software Developers in the iOS and Android Smartphone Ecosystems
Authors: Kapoor Rahul , Agarwal Shiva
Published: April 2017

We study the phenomenon of business ecosystems in which platform firms orchestrate the functioning of ecosystems by providing platforms and setting the rules for participation by complementor firms. We develop a theoretical framework to explain how the structural and evolutionary features of the ecosystem may shape the extent to which participating complementor firms can sustain their superior performance. The structural feature, which we refer to as ecosystem complexity, is a function of the number of unique components or subsystems that interact with the complementor’s product. We incorporate the evolutionary features by considering the role of generational transitions initiated by platform firms over time as well as the role of complementors’ ecosystem-specific experience. Evidence from Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android smartphone ecosystems supports our arguments that higher ecosystem complexity helps app developers sustain their superior performance, and that this effect is stronger for more experienced firms. In contrast, platform transitions initiated by Apple and Google make it more difficult for app developers to sustain their performance superiority, and that this effect is exacerbated by the extent of ecosystem complexity. The study offers a novel account of how the performance of complementor firms in platform-based business ecosystems may be shaped by their ecosystem-level interdependencies.
A culture of caring: how nurses promote emotional wellbeing and aid recovery following a stroke
Authors: Bennett Beverley
Published: April 2017

Experiencing a stroke can significantly impact on a person's emotional wellbeing. As nurses play a key role in stroke rehabilitation, their responses to the emotional experience of stroke may be crucial to the wellbeing of the patient and their relatives. This interpretive ethnographic study involved a purposive sample of 10 cases, with each ‘case’ comprising a patient, their closest relative and the nurses who provided their care. Data were constructed through participant observation, interviews and document review. Analysis revealed that the relationships built and sustained between nurses, patients and relatives were central to creating a positive culture of caring, which promotes emotional wellbeing and aids recovery in stroke rehabilitation. The importance of this culture should be more fully acknowledged, both within nursing and the wider multi-professional rehabilitation team.
International networks of production and distribution of scientific instruments in eighteenth-century Europe
Authors: Malaquias Isabel
Published: April 2017

The eighteenth century met a growing interest in the production of scientific instruments (mathematical, astronomical, nautical and philosophical) offering the means to achieve new physics concepts and greater precision, offering answers to some of the big questions, such as the shape of the Earth and longitude at sea. International scientific programmes promoted the production, acquisition and perfection of instruments and the progressive dissemination of experimental physics education set the tone for these instruments. The connections between instrument makers and the gentry in relation to these instruments produced or constituted important influences that were previously almost unthinkable. The spread of scientific instruments developed in close connection between producers and recipients, with the global spread of major scientific quests to solve and naturally with the impact Newtonian physics and experimental philosophy acquired at the time. J. H. de Magellan, who had a particular interest in and knowledge of scientific instruments, was actively engaged in this process of dissemination across Europe. After spending twenty years in London he could accept the demands of the Iberian courts for instruments that would allow them to carry out their work in South America.
Botany in war and peace: France and the circulation of plants in Brazil (late eighteenth and early nineteenth century)
Authors: Kury Lorelai
Published: April 2017

Plant circulation in Portuguese America and Independent Brazil was significantly indebted to the French colonial network, during the Napoleonic wars as well as from 1815. French Guiana, that share borders with Brazil, was under many circumstances a strategic element for the transfer and the acclimatization of exotic plants in Americas. Exchanges of seeds and natural products could be spontaneous or intentional. From the last decades of the eighteenth century, the role of botany became more evident in regard to plant transfers. The French naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire collaborated to establish a type of botanical knowledge that, from the beginning of the nineteenth century, became a requirement for anyone who would identify, classify or acclimatize plants.
In communist Geneva: Portuguese political opposition and Czechoslovakia, 1950s–1970s
Authors: Szobi Pavel
Published: April 2017

This article deals with the activities of the opposition in Czechoslovakia to the Portuguese New State government during the 1950s to 1970s. It focuses on the most important personalities living in the country and explores their encounters with the communist regime in Czechoslovakia. The article also analyses the approach of the Czechoslovak government towards the Portuguese activists and the assistance is offered to Portuguese emigrants in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (ČSSR – Československá Socialistická Republika). Special attention is paid to the meeting of representatives of the Portuguese opposition in Prague in January 1964, and to the perception these Portuguese residents had of the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. It follows the activities of the remaining emigrants in Czechoslovakia up until the Carnation Revolution of 25 April 1974. Finally, the author describes the relations between both countries on cultural exchanges and Portuguese students in Czechoslovakia after 1974.
Performance of Dye-sensitized Solar Cells Based on Gel Electrolyte
Authors: Muliani Lia , Nursam Natalia M. , Hidayat Jojo
Published: April 2017

Electrolyte is one of the crucial elements in dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) due to the reduction-oxidation reactions take place in this area and it has the function as the charge transfer medium. An electrolyte solution contains redox couple such as I-/I3 is filled up into a space between the photo-anodes and the counter electrode. Usually, the DSC employs a liquid electrolyte which using organic solution because easy preparation. But it has disadvantage, solvent evaporation occurs and this can decrease the cell performance. One of way to solve this problem is change liquid electrolyte to gel electrolyte. This paper describes fabrication of DSC based on gel electrolyte. Performance of the DSC is compared to the cell which using a liquid electrolyte. The result shows that the energy conversion efficiency of the solar cells based on gel electrolyte was lower than liquid electrolyte solar cell that is 1.51% and 2.23% respectively. Based on life time investigation obtained the performance of gel electrolyte solar cell is much stable than liquid electrolyte solar cell.
Antena Patch Array untuk Portable Coastal Radar pada Frekuensi S-Band
Authors: Oktafiani Folin , Saputera Yussi Perdana
Published: April 2017

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendesain antena Portabel Coastal Radar yang bekerja pada frekuensi S-band dengan frekuensi tengah 3 GHz. Jenis antena yang digunakan adalah antena patch mikrostrip. Satu modul antena terdiri dari 4 patch yang di-array secara horisontal dan dicatu dengan menggunakan konektor SMA. Bahan yang digunakan untuk mendesain antena adalah FR4 dengan ketebalan substrat 3,2 mm serta memiliki nilai r= 4,3. Bandwidth yang diperoleh dari hasil simulasi satu modul antena sebesar 80,1 MHz untuk nilai VSWR ≤ 1,5 di mana sudah memenuhi spesifikasi antena yang diinginkan. Hasil simulasi beamwidth horisontal dan gain satu modul antena secara berturut-turut yaitu 37° dan 8,049 dB. Untuk mendapatkan beamwidth horisontal <1° maka satu modul antena di-array secara horisontal sebanyak 30 buah sehingga panjang keseluruhan antena menjadi 3600 mm. Beamwidth horisontal antena array hasil simulasi diperoleh sebesar 0,9° sedangkan gain antena meningkat menjadi 21,11 dB.
Desain dan Realisasi Filter Bandpass Mikrostrip Dengan Struktur Hairpin
Authors: Praludi Teguh , Sulaeman Yaya
Published: April 2017

Kebutuhan akan sebuah filter dalam sebuah rangkaian elektronik mutlak diperlukan, dikarenakan sesuai dengan fungsi filter adalah meloloskan frekuensi yang diinginkan dan akan menahan frekuensi yang tidak diinginkan. Desain dan realisasi filter bandpass menggunakan teknologi mikrostrip dengan struktur hairpin akan dipaparkan pada makalah ini. Strukur hairpin merupakan perbaikan dari filter yang menggunakan parallel coupled bila ditinjau dari sisi dimensi sebuah filter, di mana pada struktur hairpin ini, panjang dari stripline akan dilipat membentuk huruf U sebesar ½ λ dengan sudut lekukan 90o. Filter bandpass struktur hairpin dengan teknologi mikrostrip akan didesain dengan insertion loss ≤ -3 dB pada daerah passband, return loss ≥ -20 dB, lebar bandwidth 200 MHz, impedansi karakteristik 50 Ω, frekuensi kerja 2,9–3,1 GHz dengan respon filter Chebyshev 0,1 dB. Filter bandpass yang didesain menggunakan bahan dari roger RO4350 yang mempunyai ketebalan 1,44 mm, dan permitivitas relatif (εr) = 3,77. Filter bandpass struktur hairpin ini dirancang dan disimulasikan dengan menggunakan perangkat lunak ADS (Advanced Design System) dari Agilent.
Karakterisasi Sensor Gas CO Berbasis Bahan SnO2 dengan Metoda Solgel Menggunakan Teknologi Film Tebal
Authors: Hermida I Dewa Putu , Sinaga Parlindungan , Soleha Gesi
Published: April 2017

Sensor gas SnO2 termasuk sensor yang paling banyak digunakan dan dikembangkan di pasaran, tapi sampai saat ini belum bisa menghasilkan sensitivitas yang tinggi. Dalam penelitian ini dibahas mengenai karakterisasi sensor gas CO dengan teknologi film tebal yang berbahan SnO2 dan diharapkan dapat menghasilkan sensor dengan sensitivitas yang tinggi. Hasil XRD menunjukan bahwa struktur dari SnO2 adalah rutile tetragonal. Dari pola difraksi terlihat puncak-puncak 110 dan 101 yang menunjukkan pola difraksi yang dibentuk oleh kristal SnO2. Hasil SEM menunjukkan bahwa ukuran sensor dapat mencapai 264 nanometer. Hasil EDS (Energy Dispersive X Ray Spectroscopy) menunjukkan bahwa lapisan sensor yang terbentuk memiliki komposisi O2 (Oksigen) dengan persen massa 21,23% dan Sn (Stanum) dengan persen massa 78,77%. Pengujian sensor dilakukan untuk mengetahui pengaruh perubahan temperatur operasional dan konsentrasi gas terhadap resistansi sensor. Perubahan yang terjadi dalam sensor gas ini, berupa resitansi yang menurun dengan bertambahnya temperatur dan konsentrasi gas CO. Dari hasil pengujian tersebut diketahui bahwa komponen-komponen penyusun sensor dapat merespon adanya gas CO. Nilai sensitivitas yang baik didapat dari hasil pengujian untuk rentang konsentrasi gas 0-500 ppm adalah 9,10-3/ppm.
Perancangan dan Implementasi Pengontrol Arah Pancaran Radar Pengawas Pantai Terhadap Sudut Tertentu
Authors: Mahmudin Dadin , Dharma Andri Setya , Susanto Erwin , Wahyu Yuyu
Published: April 2017

Dewasa ini telah banyak dilakukan  penelitian dan pengembangan radar . Salah satunya adalah radar yang ditempatkan di Kapal Laut. Penempatan radar di kapal laut mempunyai kendala pada tiang agung kapal. Tiang agung akan mengganggu fungsi radar karena adanya pantulan sinyal jarak dekat pada tiang agung. Hal ini dapat diantisipasi dengan mematikan pancaran radar saat arah pancaran radar menuju pada tiang agung kapal laut.Oleh sebab itu didalam penelitian ini dirancang  prototype untuk mengatur otomatis aktif dan tidaknya pancaran radar berdasarkan arah pancaran radar. Kontrol aktif  dan tidaknya pancaran radar ini dikontrol menggunakan perpaduan sensor ultrasonik dan sensor kompas dengan dilengkapi metode fuzzy sebagai logika jauh dekatnya tiang agung. Jika sensor ultrasonik membaca adanya halangan maka pancaran tidak aktif begitu sebaliknya. Penggabungan kedua sensor ini bertujuan jika sensor ultrasonik tidak dapat bekerja karena hujan maka kontrol sudut pada sensor kompas yang akan bekerjaSetelah dilakukan perancangan dan pengujian pada alat ini maka diperoleh sudut deviasi dengan range 14,30 – 29,30 dengan eror ± 30. Dengan acuan jangkauan titik tiang agung 60-120cm dari poros radar dengan lebar tiang 30cm. Kecepatan yang diperoleh saat fuzzy berlangsung sebesar 20 kali rpm dari kecepatan normal saat prototype mengenai halangan. Serta adanya sensor hujan berperan sebagai switch sensor ultrasonik ke mode off dan mode on untuk sensor kompas dengan menggunakan inisialisasi awal. Dari data yang dihasilkan prototype ini maka diperoleh keberhasilan sebesar 85% dilihat dari pengujian beberapa sensor dan peggabungannya. Oleh sebab itu apabila prototype ini direalisasikan akan membantu penelitian industri perkapalan dalam pembuatan radar sesungguhnya.