bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients With Cancer and Social Media: Harness Benefits, Avoid Drawbacks
Authors: Gentile Danielle , Markham Merry Jennifer , Eaton Tara
Published: November 2018

Social media (SM) platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and online cancer support groups are an emerging source of social support. However, oncology care professionals may be unfamiliar with how patients use SM related to their cancer diagnosis. SM can be potentially beneficial by providing an avenue for patient engagement and empowerment, increasing psychosocial and informational support, strengthening patient–physician relationships, and relaying opportunities for clinical and research study participation. Conversely, it can spread misinformation, overwhelm with information overload, violate privacy, and expose users to financial exploitation. The purpose of this article is to describe five potential benefits and five potential drawbacks patients may experience while using SM and to encourage oncologists to become aware of these, to guide patients in using SM to their benefit. This review also provides specific care practice behaviors that oncologists can apply during care delivery to guide patients’ SM use, to help avoid the potential drawbacks and harness the potential benefits.
Circulating Adiponectin Levels Are Paradoxically Associated With Mortality Rate: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Scarale Maria Giovanna , Fontana Andrea , Trischitta Vincenzo , Copetti Massimiliano , Menzaghi Claudia
Published: November 2018

Context

Some studies have surprisingly indicated that serum adiponectin level is positively related to mortality rate, thus casting doubts on its role as a therapeutic target for cardiovascular disease.

Objective

To summarize evidence about direction, strength, and modulators of this controversial association.

Methods

MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINHAL, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases were searched from their inception dates through June 2018 for English-language prospective studies reporting the association between adiponectin and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. Two investigators independently extracted data and assessed study quality using standard criteria following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses and The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Pooled hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs were derived using fixed- or random-effects models when appropriate, and results were expressed to a 1-SD increment of adiponectin.

Results

We identified 55 studies (n = 61,676 subjects) with all-cause mortality data and 28 (n = 43,979 subjects) studies with cardiovascular mortality data. Pooled HRs were 1.24 (1.17-1.31) and 1.28 (1.19-1.37) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, respectively. Similar results were obtained for high-molecular-weight adiponectin. When meta-analyses were restricted to studies reporting data on natriuretic peptides, reductions of 43% and 28% on a log scale of these respective associations were observed after adjusting for natriuretic peptides.

Conclusions

Our results point strongly to a paradoxical association between high adiponectin levels and increased mortality rate, which is partly modulated by natriuretic peptides.
Severe Familial Hypertriglyceridemia: Successful Treatment With Insulin and a Modified Meal Plan
Authors: Ayyavoo Ahila , Raghupathy Palany , Agarwal Meenal , Hofman Paul
Published: November 2018

Context

Mutations in genes encoding the lipoprotein lipase enzyme, its cofactor, or transport proteins can cause severe familial hypertriglyceridemia, resulting in serious complications, such as severe pancreatitis, hepatosplenomegaly, lipid encephalopathy, and failure to thrive. Current treatment includes a low-saturated-fat formula enriched with high medium-chain triglyceride (TGs), oral fibrates, omega-3 fatty acids, or plasmapheresis.

Case Description

A 71-day-old infant with very severe hypertriglyceridemia and recurrent pancreatitis associated with a likely pathogenic variant in the LPL gene was treated successfully with insulin infusion and a locally prepared low-fat formula feed after stopping breast milk. Subcutaneous insulin was administered daily from 9 to 30 months of age. His serum TG level was markedly lower, although higher than normal. No episodes of hypoglycemia were noted. Fenofibrate and omega-3 fatty acids were ineffective in this infant. At the last follow-up visit, he was 36 months old and growing normally. He was consuming a special meal plan and receiving insulin injections during high-fat meals. Two other young infants with severe hypertriglyceridemia were growing normally after a short course of insulin infusion and the same modified reduced long chain fat diet.

Conclusions

Insulin is an unusual and affordable therapeutic option for some patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia and can be helpful in the prevention of acute and chronic complications. Locally available cereals and millets with high crude fiber and a low glycemic index, along with medium chain TGs, was used to prepare an economical special formula at home to maintain TG concentrations in the acceptable limits.
Caffeine Augments the Prothrombotic but Not the Fibrinolytic Response to Exercise
Authors: NAGELKIRK PAUL R. , SACKETT JAMES R. , AIELLO JOSEPH J. , FITZGERALD LIAM F. , SAUNDERS MICHAEL J. , HARGENS TRENT A. , WOMACK CHRISTOPHER J.
Published: November 2018

Caffeine, a popular ergogenic supplement, induces neural and vascular changes that may influence coagulation and/or fibrinolysis at rest and during exercise.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a single dose of caffeine on measures of coagulation and fibrinolysis before and after a single bout of high-intensity exercise.

Methods

Forty-eight men (age, 23 ± 3 yr; body mass index, 24 ± 3 kg·m−2) completed two trials, with 6 mg·kg−1 of caffeine (CAFF) or placebo (PLAC), in random order, followed by a maximal cycle ergometer test. Plasma concentrations of fibrinogen, factor VIII antigen, active tissue plasminogen activator (tPA:c), tissue plasminogen activator antigen (tPA:g), and active plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1:c) were assessed at baseline and immediately after exercise.

Results

Exercise led to significant changes in tPA:c (Δ 8.5 ± 4.36 IU·mL−1 for CAFF, 6.6 ± 3.7 for PLAC), tPA:g (Δ 2.4 ± 3.2 ng·mL−1 for CAFF, 1.9 ± 3.1 for PLAC), fibrinogen (Δ 30.6 ± 61.4 mg·dL−1 for CAFF, 28.1 ± 66.4 for PLAC), and PAI-1:c (Δ −3.4 ± 7.9 IU·mL−1 for CAFF, −4.0 ± 12.0 for PLAC) (all P < 0.05), but no effect of condition or time–condition interactions were observed. Main effects of time, condition, and a significant time–condition interaction were observed for factor VIII, which increased from 1.0 ± 0.4 IU·mL−1 to 3.3 ± 1.3 IU·mL−1 with CAFF and 1.0 ± 0.4 IU·mL−1 to 2.4 ± 0.9 IU·mL−1 with PLAC.

Conclusions

Coagulation potential during exercise is augmented after caffeine intake, without a similar increase in fibrinolysis. These results suggest caffeine intake may increase risk of a thrombotic event during exercise.
Exercise Mode Specificity for Preserving Spine and Hip Bone Mineral Density in Prostate Cancer Patients
Authors: NEWTON ROBERT U. , GALVÃO DANIEL A. , SPRY NIGEL , JOSEPH DAVID , CHAMBERS SUZANNE K. , GARDINER ROBERT A. , WALL BRAD A. , BOLAM KATE A. , TAAFFE DENNIS R.
Published: November 2018

Purpose

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in men with prostate cancer (PCa) is associated with an array of adverse effects, including reduced bone mineral density (BMD) predisposing patients to increased fracture risk. Our purpose was to examine the effects of targeted exercise modes on BMD in men with PCa undergoing ADT.

Methods

Between 2009 and 2012, 154 PCa patients 43–90 yr old on ADT were randomized to exercise targeting the musculoskeletal system (impact loading + resistance training [ImpRes], n = 57) supervised for 12 months, cardiovascular and muscular systems (aerobic + resistance training, n = 50) supervised for 6 months followed by a 6-month home-based program, or delayed aerobic exercise (DelAer, n = 47) received exercise information for 6 months followed by 6 months of supervised aerobic exercise (stationary cycling). End points were lumbar spine, hip and whole-body BMD measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry with secondary end points of lean and fat mass, appendicular skeletal muscle mass, and neuromuscular strength. ANOVA was used to compare the exercise groups with DelAer at 6 and 12 months.

Results

There was a between-group difference in BMD for ImpRes and DelAer at the spine (6 months, P = 0.039; 12 months, P = 0.035) and femoral neck (6 months, P = 0.050), with decline attenuated in ImpRes (~−1.0% vs ~−2.0%). Compared with DelAer, ImpRes increased appendicular skeletal muscle at 6 months (0.3 kg, P = 0.045) and improved muscle strength at 6 and 12 months (P ≤ 0.012) by 9%–34%. A limitation was inclusion of well-functioning patients.

Conclusion

Combined impact loading and resistance exercise attenuates bone loss at the spine and enhances overall musculoskeletal function in PCa patients undergoing ADT.
ranacapa: An R package and Shiny web app to explore environmental DNA data with exploratory statistics and interactive visualizations
Authors: Kandlikar Gaurav S. , Gold Zachary J. , Cowen Madeline C. , Meyer Rachel S. , Freise Amanda C. , Kraft Nathan J.B. , Moberg-Parker Jordan , Sprague Joshua , Kushner David J. , Curd Emily E.
Published: November 2018

Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is becoming a core tool in ecology and conservation biology, and is being used in a growing number of education, biodiversity monitoring, and public outreach programs in which professional research scientists engage community partners in primary research. Results from eDNA analyses can engage and educate natural resource managers, students, community scientists, and naturalists, but without significant training in bioinformatics, it can be difficult for this diverse audience to interact with eDNA results. Here we present the R package ranacapa, at the core of which is a Shiny web app that helps perform exploratory biodiversity analyses and visualizations of eDNA results. The app requires a taxonomy-by-sample matrix and a simple metadata file with descriptive information about each sample. The app enables users to explore the data with interactive figures and presents results from simple community ecology analyses. We demonstrate the value of ranacapa to two groups of community partners engaging with eDNA metabarcoding results.
Interpretation of Undefined Legal Concepts and Fulfilling of Legal Gaps, in Juri Lotman’s Semiotic Framework
Authors: Reisberg Liina
Published: November 2018

The article examines whether the structure of meaning proposed in cultural semiotics by the Tartu–Moscow School of Semiotics is applicable for the interpretation of undefined legal concepts and to the filling of legal gaps. With the assistance of Lotman’s cultural semiotics, one is able to formulate the regularities that operate in legal interpretation in the same way as in culture. One of these is the binary structure of legal concepts and gaps. In interpreting norms and striving to overcome legal gaps, it is necessary to define the external reference (‘utterance’) and the self-reference (‘text’) in law. The article clarifies and examines these in the legal context and reiterates the value of bearing in mind throughout the process that interpretation always takes place in relation to this binary structure.
Current Challenges of the Labour Law of Ukraine: On the Way to European Integration
Authors: Simutina Yana
Published: November 2018

The article describes the main challenges facing labour law and its practice in modern conditions. In particular, the author concludes that the long and complex process of codifying the labour laws of Ukraine has, regrettably, not yet achieved its main objective – namely, to bring radical change from the old model of socialist labour. The draft Labor Code submitted for consideration would, in reality, introduces some cosmetic changes, which lack the ability to modernise Ukrainian labour law. It is emphasised that in the context of Ukraine’s European integration and the rapid development of innovative information technology, labour legislation should take into account and, in fact, legalise long-standing practices in atypical employment relationships, so as to ensure labour rights and guarantees for persons involved in such activities. The author presents various elements as necessary: revision to the legislative definition of an employment contract, further differentiation and clarification in the legal regulation of labour relations, and rejection of these relations’ ‘excessive regulation’. Also proposed is an approach that renders labour relations more flexible while maintaining and ensuring the fundamental rights of employees.
Amendments to the Tax Code, Dictated by Law Enforcement Practice
Authors: Смирнов Е. , Smirnov E.
Published: November 2018

The Russian Parliament continues to work on improving the Tax Code of the Russian Federation on the basis of consideration of law enforcement practice. In line with this work, in particular, in the summer of the current 2018, Federal Law No. 199-FZ was passed, establishing a tax on additional income from the extraction of hydrocarbons, and Federal Law of 03.08.2018 No. 301-FZ, aimed at completing the «tax maneuver» in the oil and gas industry.
A Decomposition Method for Finding Optimal Container Stowage Plans
Authors: Roberti R. , Pacino D.
Published: November 2018

In transportation of goods in large container ships, shipping industries need to minimize the time spent at ports to load/unload containers. An optimal stowage of containers on board minimizes unnecessary unloading/reloading movements, while satisfying many operational constraints. We address the basic container stowage planning problem (CSPP). Different heuristics and formulations have been proposed for the CSPP, but finding an optimal stowage plan remains an open problem even for small-sized instances. We introduce a novel formulation that decomposes CSPPs into two sets of decision variables: the first defining how single container stacks evolve over time and the second modeling port-dependent constraints. Its linear relaxation is solved through stabilized column generation and with different heuristic and exact pricing algorithms. The lower bound achieved is then used to find an optimal stowage plan by solving a mixed-integer programming model. The proposed solution method outperforms the methods from the literature and can solve to optimality instances with up to 10 ports and 5,000 containers in a few minutes of computing time.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2017.0795 .
Efficacy of oral glucose tolerance testing of pregnant women post bariatric surgery
Authors: Newlan Lisa , Geraghty Sadie
Published: November 2018

Worldwide, a large proportion of childbearing women are overweight or obese, and it is becoming increasingly common for pregnant women to have undergone bariatric surgery before conceiving. Women with a history of sleeve gastrectomy may not be able to undertake the oral glucose tolerance test, due to the risk of dumping syndrome. There is limited research on the effects of weight loss surgery on the pregnancy oral glucose tolerance test and conducting this test on a woman who has had bariatric surgery may be an inadequate form of diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus. A cost-effective alternative to an oral glucose tolerance test is to monitor pre-and post-meal blood glucose levels.
The F word: Midwifery students' understanding of feminism
Authors: Davison Clare , Geraghty Sadie , Dobbs Kirsten
Published: November 2018

Background

Not all midwives embrace the word feminism however, it could be argued that providing midwifery care is an expression of feminism's core values.

Aims

To describe and explain the views and knowledge of midwifery students on feminism and midwifery.

Methods

A qualitative descriptive approach, employing an anonymous online questionnaire was implemented and analysed using thematic and content analysis.

Findings

Eight themes were identified in this study that revealed midwifery student's views and knowledge on feminism and the impact it may have on midwifery clinical practice.

Conclusions

This study suggests midwifery students should receive adequate education regarding feminism. The advantages of midwifery students understanding feminism within the midwifery professional are undeniable and it is important that feminism is integrated into midwifery programmes.
Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction without the use of a tourniquet
Authors: Yaghmour KM , Al-Khateeb H
Published: November 2018

Introduction

Anterior cruciate ligament tears are a common ligamentous knee injury and are usually managed with arthroscopic reconstruction surgery using a tourniquet. The employment of a tourniquet in the management of an anterior cruciate ligament tear has been a debatable topic for some time. Here, we discuss our technique in the reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament tears without the use of a tourniquet.

Materials and methods

We performed 26 anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgeries using hamstring grafts without the use of a tourniquet. The outcomes measured were pain using the visual analogue scale, knee swelling, range of movement and bleeding.

Results

Using this technique, we have noted considerable reduction in knee swelling and pain. In addition, there was considerable improvement in the range of movement postoperatively, and there were no bleeding complications noted.

Conclusions

We consider ACL reconstruction without a tourniquet to be an excellent alternative to conventional reconstruction with the use of tourniquet.
Interruptions and Silences in Conversations: A Turn-Taking Analysis
Authors: Lestary Agustina , Krismanti Ninuk , Hermaniar Yulieda
Published: November 2018

This study is set to investigate the purposes behind interruptions and the meanings of silences in conversations. The data are taken from three casual conversations among friends. To analyze the data, the recorded conversations are first transcribed based on Jefferson’s the Glossary of Transcript Symbols (Jefferson, 2004). The transcribed conversations are analyzed using turn-taking approach in Conversation Analysis. To interpret the results of analysis, inferential method is applied. As the findings, the writers find that speakers interrupt for two purposes: to complete turns and to cut them. To go deeper, speakers interrupt when they have shared knowledge and/or similar perspective on something. In terms of silence, the meanings behind it are highly dependent on what are uttered prior to or after the occurrence of silence. Silences can indicate topic switch, speaker’s wish to continue the same topic, and disagreement. In a conversation, silences lead to awkward situations among speakers and show troubles in conversation flows.
Materiały ze zniszczonych grobów kultury iwieńskiej z terenu Kujaw i Pałuk
Authors: Łoś Józef , Makarowicz Przemysław
Published: November 2018

The article presents archive pottery from the Regional Museum in Bydgoszcz coming from destroyed burials of the Iwno culture. On the basis of typological and chronological analysis, and in one case by using radiocarbon dates, as well as numerous analogies especially from the Polish lowlands, three beakers studied here were attributed to particular phases of formal periodization of this culture development. A beaker from an unknown site near Żnin is dated to phase I in the development of the Iwno culture (ca. 2400-2250 BC) while two vessels from Mycielewo, site 1, and Tarkowo to phase II (ca. 2250-2000 BC).
Manowce polskiej egiptologii XIX wieku. Jerzego Ręczyńskiego „przekład” tekstu kamienia z Rosetty
Authors: Kaczmarek Hieronim
Published: November 2018

The paper is one of a number of publications devoted to perception of the history of ancient Egyptian civilization in Poland by the end of the 19th century. It presents Jerzy Ręczyński’s (1905-1899) ‘attempts’ to study Egyptian inscriptions (the Rosetta Stone), results of which have to be absolutely rejected according to contemporary research standards.
Materiały krzemienne ze Szczecina-Płoni, stanowisko 2
Authors: Galiński Tadeusz
Published: November 2018

ANEKS
Pierwsze dendrodaty z białogardzkiego grodziska
Authors: Cnotliwy Eugeniusz
Published: November 2018

Settlement phases of the Białogard stronghold, excavated in the years 1970-1972, have been dated by pottery typology so far. These dates, in particular those from the earliest phases, have been recently questioned. Twelve wooden samples from well preserved wooden constructions from the sixth phase of the stronghold fortification were taken in 1991 from a section of the former trench. The following dates of truncation were obtained: 878-892 and 902/903 AD. Pottery chronology of the sixth phase gave 25 years older dates. There are still no precise dates from the earliest phases of occupation.
Primary School Teachers’ Awareness of Chronic Diseases of Children
Authors: Plisková Barbora , Snopek Petr
Published: November 2018

Introduction: More and more children and adolescents suffering from chronic diseases are included in common school education. Unfortunately, teachers do not feel confident enough about how to cope, fulfil and satisfy the needs of these children in the educational, social and emotional spheres. The aim ofp this part of research was to discover how teachers work with chronically ill children of younger school-age. There were three aims. The first aim was to investigate if teachers have basic awareness and knowledge about selected chronic diseases in children of younger school-age. The second aim was to discover what experience and attitudes towards chronically ill children of younger school-age teachers have. The third aim was to discover, how the quality of school care of chronically ill children of younger school-age can be improved. Methods: We used qualitative research methodology. Data were processed and gathered from semi-structured interviews. Interviews were conducted with 12 teachers. Results: Our findings revealed that teachers should be acquainted with the disease itself and its consequences in all aspects. In some cases, teachers must be acquainted also with the practical aspects of a chronic disease, e.g. first aid and application of drugs and aids in order to assist children if necessary. Discussion: The study offers unique insights into primary teachers’ views and experiences with chronically ill children, how teachers work with chronically ill pupils of younger school-age and how the quality of school care of chronically ill children of younger school-age can be improved. Limitations: The research is still being conducted and therefore, it is not possible to provide more detailed results and conclusions. However, our main aim was to draw attention to the very problem from the point of view of teachers themselves and to highlight their vivid experiences. Conclusions: It is necessary to create interconnected networks of experts and families who will cooperate and communicate and who will participate in satisfying needs of a child together. These networks will ensure that children will be integrated into common school life in spite of their disease without serious consequences affecting their development and education.
Study of different extraction methods on finger print and fatty acid of raw beef fat using fourier transform infrared and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Authors: Aminullah  , Mardiah  , Sutsuga Hanna , Kemala Tetty
Published: November 2018

Beef fat was an extracted fat that a byproduct of beef processing industry. In this research, the objective was to study the effect of extraction methods on finger prints and fatty acid profiles of beef fat and to obtain the chosen extraction method. This study consisted of two steps namely extracting beef fat using Soxhlet, Folch, Bligh and Dyer, and Hara and Radin methods as well as characterizing the finger print using FTIR and fatty acid profiling using GCMS. The total lipid by Soxhlet, Folch, Bligh & Dyer, and Hara & Radin methods were 89.67%, 81.73%, 55.16%, and 84.40%, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the saturated fatty acid in Folch was not significantly different with that in Soxhlet and Hara and Radin at a 5% level. Polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and linolenic acids are present in all methods, where linoleic acid was the highest in Folch and linolenic acid was the lowest in Bligh and Dyer. The PCA analysis showed that only Folch that can be differentiated and has minimal residual error values. The results of the finger print analysis showed the extraction methods which were used are not different. These data showed that Folch was the chosen method for extracting beef fat.
DMFDMA catalyzed synthesis of 2-((Dimethylamino)methylene)-3,4-dihydro-9-arylacridin-1(2H)-ones and their derivatives: in-vitro antifungal, antibacterial and antioxidant evaluations
Authors: Jyothish Kumar L. , Sarveswari S. , Vijayakumar V.
Published: November 2018

A series of 3,4-dihydro-9-arylacridin-1(2H)-ones was synthesized and enaminone function was introduced at the C-2 position using DMFDMA catalyst which in turn successfully converted into pyrazole, isoxazol, 1-phenyl-1H-pyrazole by treating it with reagents such as hydrazine, hydroxylamine and phenylhydrazine. These newly synthesized compounds were evaluated for their antibacterial activity against a series of Gram-Positive bacteria including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus MLS16 and Gram-Negative bacteria including Klebsiella planticol, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and also against fungal strains including Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, Candida aaseri, Aspergillus niger and Issatchenkia hanoiensis. The compounds 3a and 6a exhibited considerable antifungal activity (MIC value 0.007 and 0.006 μM) against Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger respectively. The compound 4a showed excellent antibacterial activity towards Escherichia Coli (MIC = 0.003 μM) and the compound 5a found to show prominent DPPH radical scavenging activity with EC50 value 16.85±1.5μg mL−1.
The diachronic semantics of the Dissociative Past Completive construction in the Kikongo Language Cluster (Bantu)
Authors: Dom Sebastian , de Schryver Gilles-Maurice , Bostoen Koen
Published: November 2018

This article aims to give a semantic study of the reflexes of one specific tense/aspect form, namely the so-called*-a-B-aconstruction, in a cluster of about 40-odd Kikongo language varieties spoken in a wide area around the mouth of the Congo River in Central Africa. We first present a detailed analysis of the multiple uses of these cognate constructions at sentence level, in order to arrive at a formal and semantic reconstruction for the most recent common ancestor of the Kikongo Language Cluster, namely Proto-Kikongo. The analysis departs from the overall aspectual meaning of the linguistic expression in which the tense-aspect construction is used. Therefore, we also take into consideration the contribution of different aspectual tiers, such as lexical and grammatical aspect, adverbials and taxis constructions. Through the discussion of the multiple uses of the-a-B-aconstruction, we argue that its overall meaning is complex, combining both temporal and aspectual semantics. It is furthermore shown that a lexical-aspect distinction between states-of-affairs with transitional versus non-transitional temporal structure is crucial in order to understand the various uses of the-a-B-aconstruction. Methodologically, the formal and semantic reconstruction to Proto-Kikongo are based on a thorough comparison of a multitude of existing data sources, some of which several centuries old, as well as original fieldwork. This bottom-up approach has rarely been pursued over the past half century in Bantu grammatical reconstructions.
Style-shifting and accommodative competence in Late Middle English written correspondence: Putting Audience Design to the test of time
Authors: Hernández-Campoy Juan M. , García-Vidal Tamara
Published: November 2018

Style constitutes an essential component for the non-referential indexicality of speakers’ sociolinguistic behaviour in interpersonal communication. Historical Sociolinguistics applies tenets and findings of present-day research to the interpretation of linguistic material from the past, but without giving intra-speaker variation the same relevance as to inter-speaker variation. The aim of this paper is to show results obtained from the investigation of style-shifting processes in late medieval England by applying contemporary models of Audience Design to diaphasic variation from historical corpora of written correspondence. The study is carried out through the analysis of the use of the orthographic variable (TH) by male members of the Paston family from thePaston Letterscorpus when addressing recipients from different social ranks. The data show both addressee and referee-based accommodation patterns in the communicative practice of medieval individuals. In addition to tracing language variation and change in speech communities, private letters may also shed light onto the motivations and mechanisms for intra-speaker variation in individuals and their stylistic choices in past societies.
Semantic bleaching ofnuin Old Saxon
Authors: Louviot Elise
Published: November 2018

In many Present-Day Germanic languages, reflexes of Proto-Germanic *nuhave developed pragmatic and grammatical uses: in such uses, the earlier, lexical meaning of the word (“now”, “presently”) has been weakened or lost while new meanings have appeared.

Pragmatic (especially connective) uses ofnuhave been identified in several ancient Germanic languages, but in such corpora, it can be difficult to distinguish between a genuine discourse marker and mere pragmatic inferences based on the lexical meaning of a given word. Such is certainly the case for Old Saxon, wherenuseems to be used as a discourse marker in some cases, but where it is hard to determine whether such uses ever truly supplantnu’s temporal meaning. This paper systematically examinesnu’s patterns of co-occurrence to determine whethernuis showing any sign of having undergone semantic bleaching.

Examination of the data shows no evidence of semantic bleaching. There is a very strong connection betweennuand markers referring to the moment of utterance or the situation of utterance more generally. Conversely, there are no cases of co-occurrence with markers whose meaning is strictly incompatible withnu’s lexical meaning and few instances of co-occurrence with markers expressing distance (temporal or otherwise) from the situation of utterance. Some patterns hint at the possibility of pragmatic uses ofnuhaving already started to conventionalize to a limited extent, but such uses seem to have co-existed withnu’s temporal meaning without ever supplanting it.
The Influence of nano-TiO2 and Nano-Silica Particles Effects on Yield and Morphological Traits of Sunflower
Authors: Sabaghnia Naser , Javanmard Abdollah , Janmohammadi Mohsen , Nouraein Mojtaba
Published: November 2018

Present study is performed to evaluate the effects of foliar application of salicylic acid, glycine betaine, ascorbic acid, nano-silica and nano titanium dioxide on yield and yield component of sunflower. Chlorophyll content, leaf length, leaf width, days to 50 % flowering, day to maturity, plant height, husk percentage, number of seeds per head, head number per plant, percentage of empty achenes, 1000-seed weight, kernel weight, grain length, straw yield, harvest index, grain yield and oil percent were measured. Results showed that the first two principal components accounted 49 % and 19 %, respectively of sums of squares of the TT interaction and were used to create a two-dimensional treatment by trait (TT) biplot. The vertex treatments in polygon of TT biplot were ascorbic acid, glycine betaine, nano-TiO2and control which Nano-Ti2treatment indicated high performance in chlorophyll content, day to maturity, number of seeds per head, head number per plant, kernel weight, grain length, straw yield, harvest index, grain yield and oil percent. The identification of ideal treatment, the treatment that is most favorable treatment among all treatments, showed that the nano-TiO2might be used in selecting superior traits and it can be considered as the candidate treatment. Treatments suitable for obtaining of high seed yield were identified in the vector-view function of TT biplot and displayed nano-silica and nano titanium dioxide as the best treatments suitable for obtaining of high seed yield. In short, nano-fertilizer could increase crop yields and improve the fertilizer efficiency.
Introduction of selenium and tellurium into reaction systems
Authors: Laitinen Risto S. , Oilunkaniemi Raija , Chivers Tristram
Published: November 2018

The introduction of selenium and tellurium into both organic and inorganic compounds frequently begins with the elements. This chapter provides an overview of the main reactivity of the hexagonal allotropes of selenium and tellurium, which are the most stable form of the elements under ambient conditions. While the two elements have very similar chemical properties, there are also notable differences. Upon reduction, both elements form mono- and poly-chalcogenides, which are useful nucleophilic reagents in several reactions. The elements also react with many main group compounds as well as with transition metal complexes. They also form homopolyatomic cations upon oxidation. Both selenium and tellurium react with Grignard reagents and organyllithium compounds affording organylchalcogenolates, which upon oxidation form dichalcogenides that are themselves useful reagents in organic synthetic chemistry as well as in materials applications. This chapter provides a short introduction to the various topics that will be developed further in the subsequent chapters of this book.
Stress Distributions and Pullout Responses of Extensible and Inextensible Reinforcement in Soil Using Different Normal Loading Methods
Authors: Rahmaninezhad Seyed Mustapha , Han Jie , Kakrasul Jamal Ismael , Weldu Mehari
Published: November 2018

In design of reinforced soil structures, pullout capacity of reinforcement in an anchorage zone is an important parameter for stability analysis. This parameter is generally quantified by conducting laboratory or field pullout tests. In the laboratory pullout test, the reinforcement is embedded in the soil mass at a normal stress, which is commonly applied by a pressurized airbag or a hydraulic jack through a rigid plate, and then a horizontal tensile force is applied to the reinforcement. This article reports an experimental study conducted to evaluate the effect of the load application method using an airbag with and without stiff wooden plates on the vertical stress distribution and the pullout capacities and deformations of extensible (geogrid) and inextensible reinforcement (steel strip) in the soil in a large pullout box. This study monitored the distributions of the vertical earth pressures at the top and bottom of the soil mass in the pullout box, and at the level of reinforcement using earth pressure cells. The measured earth pressures show that the airbag with stiff plates resulted in a nonuniform pressure distribution, whereas the tests with an airbag directly on the soil had an approximately uniform pressure distribution. The nonuniform pressure distribution resulting from the airbag with stiff plates reduced the pullout resistance of the reinforcement as compared with that using the same airbag without stiff plates. The nonuniform pressure distribution effect was more significant for narrow inextensible reinforcements than wide extensile reinforcements. The test results also show that the displacements in the cross section of the same transverse bar were not equal when the normal load was applied through stiff plates.
Integration of Mahalanobis-Taguchi System and activity based costing for remanufacturing decision
Authors: Nik Mohd Kamil Nik Nurharyantie , Abu Mohd Yazid
Published: November 2018

Remanufacturing is a process that returns the second hand and used product that have theperformance similar or better than the new product. The remanufacturer cannot bepredicting the end of life (EOL) of crankshaft to remanufacture, repair or reject due to thelimited information provided by Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) which depend on atraditional inspection to make a decision. Subsequently, Traditional Cost Accounting (TCA)which the manufacturing overhead are driven by the production volume are being applied.The aim of this work is to develop a distinctive pattern of crankshaft and identify the criticaland non-critical parameter of crankshaft based on the Mahalanobis Taguchi System (MTS),then applied the Activity Based Costing (ABC) as a method of estimation for theremanufacturing cost of crankshaft. In methodology, the scatter diagram is construct todevelop the pattern recognition using T Method-3, Taguchi orthogonal array (OA) areapplied to identify the important parameter using T Method and lastly, the ABC system isanalysed the costing of critical parameters. Quality inspection is the most important in qualityinspection to reduce the number of parameter of each engine model and to compare whichcosting system can produce the cheapest price. Therefore, it is also to prove the combinationof applying MTS method with ABC system will make the profitability and manufacturing costare more accurate.
Hypoglycaemia is associated with increased risk of fractures in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a cohort study
Authors: Ntouva Antiopi , Toulis Konstantinos A , Keerthy Deepikshana , Adderley Nicola J , Hanif Wasim , Thayakaran Rasiah , Gokhale Krishna , Thomas G Neil , Khunti Kamlesh , Tahrani Abd A , Nirantharakumar Krishnarajah
Published: November 2018

Objective

Type 2 diabetes is associated with an increased risk of fracture. Any factor that incrementally increases this risk should be taken into account when individualising treatment. Hypoglycaemia is a common complication of antidiabetes medications and suggested as a risk factor for fractures; yet, its real-life clinical impact is unclear.

Design

A population-based, retrospective open cohort study using routinely collected data between 1st of January 1995 and 1st of May 2016 in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) database.

Methods

Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with documented hypoglycaemic events were compared to randomly matched patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without documented hypoglycaemic events matched to exposed patients on age, sex, duration of diabetes and BMI. The primary outcome was any incident fracture. Secondary outcome was incident fragility (osteoporotic) fracture.

Results

A total of 41 163 patients with type 2 diabetes were included: 14 147 patients in the exposed cohort and 27 016 patients in the unexposed cohort. Patients with a documented hypoglycaemic event were significantly more likely to sustain any fracture compared to patients with no record of hypoglycaemic events: adjusted IRR = 1.20 (95% CI: 1.12–1.30; P < 0.0001). Patients who had a documented hypoglycaemic event were significantly more likely to suffer a fragility fracture compared to controls: adjusted IRR = 1.24 (95% CI: 1.13–1.37; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Hypoglycaemic events are a significant risk factor for fractures in patients with diabetes mellitus. This observation is clinically relevant when individualising targets for glycaemic control and selecting antidiabetic agents.
Artificial intelligence and echocardiography
Authors: Alsharqi M. , Woodward W. J. , Mumith J. A. , Markham D. C. , Upton R. , Leeson P.
Published: November 2018

Echocardiography plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease. However, interpretation remains largely reliant on the subjective expertise of the operator. As a result inter-operator variability and experience can lead to incorrect diagnoses. Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies provide new possibilities for echocardiography to generate accurate, consistent and automated interpretation of echocardiograms, thus potentially reducing the risk of human error. In this review, we discuss a subfield of AI relevant to image interpretation, called machine learning, and its potential to enhance the diagnostic performance of echocardiography. We discuss recent applications of these methods and future directions for AI-assisted interpretation of echocardiograms. The research suggests it is feasible to apply machine learning models to provide rapid, highly accurate and consistent assessment of echocardiograms, comparable to clinicians. These algorithms are capable of accurately quantifying a wide range of features, such as the severity of valvular heart disease or the ischaemic burden in patients with coronary artery disease. However, the applications and their use are still in their infancy within the field of echocardiography. Research to refine methods and validate their use for automation, quantification and diagnosis are in progress. Widespread adoption of robust AI tools in clinical echocardiography practice should follow and have the potential to deliver significant benefits for patient outcome.
Histone demethylase LSD1 deficiency and biological sex: impact on blood pressure and aldosterone production
Authors: Huang Yuefei , Ting Pei Yee , Yao Tham M , Homma Tsuyoshi , Brooks Danielle , Katayama Rangel Isis , Adler Gail K , Romero Jose R , Williams Jonathan S , Pojoga Luminita H , Williams Gordon H
Published: November 2018

Human risk allele carriers of lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) and LSD1-deficient mice have salt-sensitive hypertension for unclear reasons. We hypothesized that LSD1 deficiency causes dysregulation of aldosterone’s response to salt intake resulting in increased cardiovascular risk factors (blood pressure and microalbumin). Furthermore, we determined the effect of biological sex on these potential abnormalities. To test our hypotheses, LSD1 male and female heterozygote-knockout (LSD1+/−) and WT mice were assigned to two age groups: 18 weeks and 36 weeks. Plasma aldosterone levels and aldosterone production from zona glomerulosa cells studied ex vivo were greater in both male and female LSD1+/− mice consuming a liberal salt diet as compared to WT mice consuming the same diet. However, salt-sensitive blood pressure elevation and increased microalbuminuria were only observed in male LSD1+/− mice. These data suggest that LSD1 interacts with aldosterone’s secretory response to salt intake. Lack of LSD1 causes inappropriate aldosterone production on a liberal salt diet; males appear to be more sensitive to this aldosterone increase as males, but not females, develop salt sensitivity of blood pressure and increased microalbuminuria. The mechanism responsible for the cardiovascular protective effect in females is uncertain but may be related to estrogen modulating the effect of mineralocorticoid receptor activation.
Modification of sperm fatty acid composition during epididymal maturation in bats
Authors: Fasel Nicolas J , McMillian Kevin , Jakop Ulrike , Méné-Saffrané Laurent , Engel Kathrin M , Genoud Michel , Müller Karin , Christe Philippe
Published: November 2018

Biochemical properties of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are fundamental to sperm movements. Amongst all adjustments operated during epididymal maturation, sperm membrane lipid composition is remodelled. Specifically, the proportion of PUFAs usually increases from the caput towards the cauda epididymidis. In mammals, PUFAs are predominantly acquired through the diet, which can consequently impact male fertility. We aimed at analysing to what extent n-6 and n-3 PUFAs are incorporated into sperm in the Seba’s short-tailed bat (Carollia perspicillata), and at demonstrating the effect of the sperm fatty acid composition on sperm mobility. We therefore provided food varying in fatty acid composition to males of C. perspicillata and measured the fatty acid composition and mobility traits in spermatozoa collected from the caput and cauda epididymides. We found that n-6 and n-3 PUFAs and saturated fatty acids were significantly related to sperm velocity but not to the proportion of progressive sperm (i.e. motility). Concomitant to an increase in sperm velocity, the level of fatty acid saturation increased from the caput to the cauda epididymidis, while the proportion of PUFAs remained similar along the epididymis. A reduction in n-6 PUFAs counterbalanced an increase in n-3 PUFAs. The food treatments did not affect the sperm fatty acid composition. Our results suggest that a precise endogenous control rather than dietary effects determines sperm fatty acid composition in C. perspicillata.
Perceptions of Parental Tobacco Dependence Treatment Among a Children’s Hospital Staff
Authors: Torok Michelle R. , Lowary Michelle , Ziniel Sonja I. , Rohde Jolene , Kerby Gwendolyn S. , Hovell Melbourne F. , Winickoff Jonathan P. , Klein Jonathan D. , Wilson Karen
Published: November 2018

OBJECTIVES:

To assess employee support for and knowledge of smoking cessation programs for patients’ parents and staff and employees’ level of comfort discussing smoking with patients and their families before and during a hospital-wide study of a tobacco cessation and/or exposure reduction program for inpatients’ parents who smoke.

METHODS:

Clinical staff were invited to complete online surveys at the beginning of and 19 months into a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of an inpatient tobacco cessation and exposure reduction program for parents of hospitalized children. The program included educating pediatric inpatient clinical staff about available resources, such as the Colorado QuitLine, and smoking cessation interventions for the parents of hospitalized children. Clinical staff were recruited via e-mail listservs, a weekly e-mail newsletter, and posted flyers. Baseline and midstudy results were compared, and χ2 tests were performed.

RESULTS:

At the baseline, 192 clinical staff responded; 235 responded midstudy. At the baseline and midstudy, at least 90% of the respondents believed that the hospital should support parents in quitting smoking, although the support for free nicotine replacement therapy was low (27% at the baseline to 35% at midstudy). One-fifth of the respondents were uncomfortable discussing smoking; this proportion decreased after educational interventions. Knowledge about hospital cessation resources had also increased at midstudy.

CONCLUSIONS:

There was strong support for helping parents and staff quit smoking. Comfort among clinical staff in addressing tobacco dependence in patients and families and awareness of cessation resources increased over the course of the study.