bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Existential loneliness: An attempt at an analysis of the concept and the phenomenon
Authors: Bolmsjö Ingrid , Tengland Per-Anders , Rämgård Margareta 
Published: February 2018

Background: According to ethical guidelines, healthcare professionals should be able to provide care that allows for the patients’ values, customs and beliefs, and the existential issues that are communicated through them. One widely discussed issue is existential loneliness. However, much of the debate dealing with existential loneliness concludes that both the phenomenon and the concept are quite vague. Aim: To clarify what constitutes existential loneliness, and to describe its lived experiences. A further aim was to provide a definition of existential loneliness that can function as a tool for identifying the phenomenon and for differentiating it from other kinds of loneliness. Method: A literature review including theoretical and empirical studies. Different search strategies were used to gather the articles included in the study. The analysis of the empirical studies had an interpretative approach. The articles were also analysed with the aim of providing a definition of existential loneliness. This was done by means of criteria such as language, uniqueness, theory and usefulness. This study is not empirical and does therefore not require an ethics review. Results: The analysis resulted in two main characteristics. The first one was perceiving oneself as inherently separated (disconnected) from others and from the universe. The second one brings out emotional aspects of EL, such as isolation, alienation, emptiness and a feeling of being abandoned. The empirical findings were divided into two categories: experiences of EL and circumstances in which EL arises. A definition of EL is also suggested, based on the two main characteristics identified. Conclusion: In order to meet patients’ needs, it is an ethical duty for healthcare staff to be able to recognise experiences of EL, that is, to communicate with the patients about these experiences in an appropriate manner. This in turn demands knowledge about existential issues and skills to deal with them.
Barriers and facilitators to clinical trial participation among parents of children with pediatric neuromuscular disorders
Authors: Peay Holly L , Biesecker Barbara B , Wilfond Benjamin S , Jarecki Jill , Umstead Kendall L , Escolar Diana M , Tibben Aad 
Published: February 2018

Background/aims: Pediatric rare disease presents a challenging situation of high unmet need and a limited pool of potential clinical trial participants. Understanding perspectives of parents of children who have not participated in trials may facilitate approaches to optimize participation rates. The objective of this study was to explore factors associated with parental interest in enrolling children with pediatric neuromuscular disorders in clinical trials. Methods: Parents of individuals with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy and spinal muscular atrophy were recruited through advocacy organizations, a registry, and clinics. These parents ( N = 203) completed a questionnaire including assessments of barriers and facilitators to clinical trial participation, parents’ interest in trial participation, and their perceptions of others’ views about participation in a clinical trial. Results: Trial interest in participating parents was high (64% combined group). The most highly endorsed barrier to participation was the possibility of receiving placebo, followed by not having enough information on risks and trial procedures. Compared to parents of children with Duchenne or Becker muscular dystrophy, parents of children with spinal muscular atrophy endorsed significantly more information and knowledge barriers. The greatest facilitators of participation were (1) confidence in improving disease understanding and (2) guarantee to receive the treatment after a successful trial. A logistic regression model, χ2 (4, n = 188) = 80.64, p < .001, indicated that higher perceived barriers and more frequent trial communication by the provider were associated with lower interest, while positive trial perceptions by the child’s providers and concordance in trial perceptions among those close to the decision-maker were associated with higher interest. Conclusion: We found high parental interest in pediatric neuromuscular trials that was tempered by concerns about the potential for randomization to a placebo arm. Participants perceived that their trial participation would be facilitated by additional education and guidance from their clinicians. Yet, intentions were negatively associated with frequency of provider communication, perhaps reflecting waning parental interest with a greater understanding of limitations in trial access, increased sophistication in their understanding of trial design, and appreciation of potential burden. To support parents’ informed decisions, it is important to educate them to evaluate the quality of research, as well as providing lay information explaining the use of placebo, trial processes, and potential barriers to long-term drug access. Our findings should inform the development of targeted educational content, clinician training, and decision support tools.
Markers of neutrophil extracellular traps are associated with adverse clinical outcome in stable coronary artery disease
Authors: Langseth Miriam Sjåstad , Opstad Trine Baur , Bratseth Vibeke , Solheim Svein , Arnesen Harald , Pettersen Alf Åge , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Helseth Ragnhild 
Published: February 2018

Background Neutrophil extracellular traps, comprising chromatin and granule proteins, have been implicated in atherothrombosis. Design and methods We investigated whether the circulating neutrophil extracellular traps markers, double-stranded DNA and myeloperoxidase-DNA were associated with clinical outcome and hypercoagulability in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Patients with angiographically verified stable coronary artery disease ( n = 1001) were included. Follow-up was 2 years, recording 106 clinical endpoints (unstable angina, non-haemorrhagic stroke, myocardial infarction or death). Serum collected at baseline was used to determine double-stranded DNA and myeloperoxidase-DNA levels. Results The neutrophil extracellular traps markers were weakly intercorrelated ( r = 0.103, P = 0.001). Patients with the highest quartile of double-stranded DNA had weakly but significantly elevated hypercoagulability markers (prothrombin fragment 1+2, D-dimer, free and total tissue factor pathway inhibitor ( P < 0.001 for all)). Men, smokers, patients with metabolic syndrome and patients with a previous myocardial infarction had significantly elevated double-stranded DNA levels ( P ≤ 0.002 for all). Significantly higher double-stranded DNA levels were observed in the group experiencing a clinical endpoint compared to the group without ( P = 0.019). When categorising double-stranded DNA into quartiles, a distinct cut-off between the lowest and upper three quartiles was observed. Adjusting for relevant covariates, patients in the upper three quartiles had an odds ratio of 2.01 (95% confidence interval 1.12, 3.58, P = 0.019) for experiencing a clinical endpoint. Myeloperoxidase-DNA was not significantly associated with clinical outcome or hypercoagulability. Conclusions Double-stranded DNA levels were significantly related to adverse clinical outcome after 2 years, but only weakly associated with hypercoagulability. These observations suggest that the detrimental effects of neutrophil extracellular traps in coronary artery disease might extend beyond those related to hypercoagulability.
Leaks during multiple-breath washout: characterisation and influence on outcomes
Authors: Lenherr Nina , Ramsey Kathryn A. , Jost Kerstin , Hornwall Linn , Singer Florian , Yammine Sophie , Latzin Philipp 
Published: February 2018

Nitrogen multiple-breath washout (N2MBW) is increasingly used in patients with cystic fibrosis. The current European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society consensus statement for MBW recommends the rejection of measurements with leaks. However, it is unclear whether this is necessary for all types of leaks. Here, our aim was to 1) model and 2) apply air leaks, and 3) to assess their influence on the primary MBW outcomes of lung clearance index and functional residual capacity.We investigated the influence of air leaks at various locations (pre-, intra- and post-capillary), sizes, durations and stages of the washout. Modelled leaks were applied to existing N2MBW data from 10 children by modifying breath tables. In addition, leaks were applied to the equipment during N2MBW measurements performed by one healthy adolescent.All modelled and applied leaks resulted in statistically significant but heterogeneous effects on lung clearance index and functional residual capacity. In all types of continuous inspiratory leaks exceeding a certain size, the end of the washout was not reached. For practical application, we illustrated six different “red flags”,i.e.signs that enable easy identification of leaks during measurements.Air leaks during measurement significantly influence N2MBW outcomes. The influence of leaks on MBW outcomes is dependent on the location, relation to breath cycle, duration, stage of washout and size of the leak. We identified a range of signs to help distinguish leaks from physiological noise.
Reproducibility of hypercapnic ventilatory response measurements with steady-state and rebreathing methods
Authors: Mannée Denise C. , Fabius Timon M. , Wagenaar Michiel , Eijsvogel Michiel M.M. , de Jongh Frans H.C. 
Published: February 2018

In this study, the hypercapnic ventilatory response (HCVR) was measured, defined as the ventilation response to carbon dioxide tension (PCO2). We investigated which method, rebreathing or steady-state, is most suitable for measurement of the HCVR in healthy subjects, primarily based on reproducibility. Secondary outcome parameters were subject experience and duration.20 healthy adults performed a rebreathing and steady-state HCVR measurement on two separate days. Subject experience was assessed using numeric rating scales (NRS). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICCs) of the sensitivity to carbon dioxide above the ventilatory recruitment threshold and the projected apnoea threshold were calculated to determine the reproducibility of both methods.The ICCs of sensitivity were 0.89 (rebreathing) and 0.56 (steady-state). The ICCs of the projected apnoea threshold were 0.84 (rebreathing) and 0.25 (steady-state). The steady-state measurement was preferred by 16 out of 20 subjects; the differences in NRS scores were small.The hypercapnic ventilatory response measured using the rebreathing setup provided reproducible results, while the steady-state method did not. This may be explained by high variability in end-tidalPCO2. Differences in subject experience between the methods are small.
3D correlative electron microscopy reveals continuity of Brucella-containing vacuoles with the endoplasmic reticulum
Authors: Sedzicki Jaroslaw , Tschon Therese , Low Shyan Huey , Willemart Kevin , Goldie Kenneth N. , Letesson Jean-Jacques , Stahlberg Henning , Dehio Christoph 
Published: February 2018

ABSTRACT
Entry of the facultative intracellular pathogen Brucella into host cells results in the formation of endosomal Brucella-containing vacuoles (eBCVs) that initially traffic along the endocytic pathway. eBCV acidification triggers the expression of a type IV secretion system that translocates bacterial effector proteins into host cells. This interferes with lysosomal fusion of eBCVs and supports their maturation to replicative Brucella-containing vacuoles (rBCVs). Bacteria replicate in rBCVs to large numbers, eventually occupying most of the cytoplasmic volume. As rBCV membranes tightly wrap each individual bacterium, they are constantly being expanded and remodeled during exponential bacterial growth. rBCVs are known to carry endoplasmic reticulum (ER) markers; however, the relationship of the vacuole to the genuine ER has remained elusive. Here, we have reconstructed the 3-dimensional ultrastructure of rBCVs and associated ER by correlative structured illumination microscopy (SIM) and focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopic tomography (FIB/SEM). Studying B. abortus-infected HeLa cells and trophoblasts derived from B. melitensis-infected mice, we demonstrate that rBCVs are complex and interconnected compartments that are continuous with neighboring ER cisternae, thus supporting a model that rBCVs are extensions of genuine ER.
Effect of Drainage Water Management on Nitrate Nitrogen Loss to Tile Drains in North Carolina
Authors: Poole Chad A. , Skaggs R. Wayne , Youssef Mohamed A. , Chescheir George M. , Crozier Carl R. 
Published: February 2018

Abstract. Short-term studies have demonstrated that drainage water management (DWM), or controlled drainage (CD), can be used to substantially reduce the loss of nitrogen (N) from drained lands for a wide range of soils, crops, locations, and climates. Long-term studies on the effects of the practice are limited. This article presents results on the effects of CD on nitrate-N (NO3-N) losses for three crops, corn ( L.), wheat ( L.), and soybean ( [L.] Merr.), in a two-year rotation in North Carolina. Nitrate losses were measured on replicated plots under CD and conventional, or free drainage (FD), treatments for nine years between 1992 and 2012 on a tile-drained site near Plymouth, North Carolina. The site is on a Portsmouth sandy loam soil with parallel drains 22.9 m apart and 1.15 m deep. The subsurface drainage characteristics under FD were drainage intensity (DI) = 8 mm d-1, drainage coefficient (DC) = 14 mm d-1, and Kirkham coefficient (KC) = 18 mm d-1. Compared to FD, CD reduced annual drainage outflow by 33% and NO3-N export by 30%, with an average annual reduction of 6.3 kg ha-1 year-1. CD increased average NO3-N concentrations by 0.9 mg L-1, but the difference was not significant. The reduction in NO3-N export observed in the CD treatment was equal to the increase in N removed by the harvested grain. The results document the effects of CD on NO3-N export over a wide range of weather conditions during the nine-year study. While the average 30% reduction in NO3-N losses in drainage water is in the midrange of that reported by previous studies for different soils and climates, this is believed to be the first time such a reduction has been attributed to the effect of CD on increasing yields and N removed in the harvested grain. Keywords: Controlled drainage (CD), Corn, Drainage water, Drainage water management (DWM), Nitrate, Nitrogen, Soybean, Water quality, Wheat.
Ontology of the Pee-Cock Gen2 3-in-1
Authors: Jenkins Kevin 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
Between the tensions of Jane Bennett’s human-nonhuman heterogeneous assemblage and Ian Bogost’s alienness of things to each other and humans, the author questions the agency of a prosthesis by speculating on its daily experiences and its thing-power (Bennett) on the user. As a visual essay in the form of shaped prose, the thingness of textual components becomes evident as their proximity and isolation across the surface of the page or at page breaks forces the reader to move back and forth between content and form. Thus, we may also consider how words are both manipulated in the construction of assemblages and have the power to shape ideas and aesthetic ideals that necessitate the existence of some objects, including prostheses.
Burning cotton: Art education and the unemptied dustbin of history
Authors: Stabler Albert 
Published: February 2018

Abstract
Developed by Graham Harman, the philosophical approach known as ‘object-oriented ontology’ examines reality on the basis of objects. Harman has referenced an image of burning cotton, which he uses to illustrate the point that, as objects, fire and cotton interact without changing the essential nature of either object. In keeping with Harman’s speculative and poetic approach, I invoke as an example the incidences of cotton being burned during the American Civil War, undertaken first by the Confederacy and later by Union soldiers, including freed slaves; the slaves followed the model of Haitian revolutionaries who famously burned sugarcane fields. Using Harman’s ideas about objects, and drawing on one of his major influences, Bruno Latour, I relate the image of burning cotton to other acts of destruction, including repeated attempts made by African Americans to overcome the legacy of being reduced to the status of objects and repeated attempts by whites to sustain this legacy. I link this history to my decade-long tenure as a full-time art teacher on the southeast side of Chicago, and discuss education in an apartheid school system as a conflicted and asymmetrical transaction mediated by objects with distinct boundaries and roles. In closing, I argue for a consideration of objects by art teachers thinking about their students’ historical context, and an examination of their own role in the community as teachers.
DISKRIMINASI PENEGAKAN HUKUM DALAM PENANGANAN PENCURIAN ARUS LISTRIK DI DISTRIK DILI
Authors: Da Silva Fatima Nuno Saldanha 
Published: February 2018

Diskriminasi Penegakan Hukum Dalam Penanganan PencurianAliran Listrik Di Distrik Dili Timor-Leste, tentang perlakuan terhadap sesama warga negara secara (Diskriminasi) karenakesejahteraan rakyat harus menjadi hukum tertinggi dalam suatu negara “salus publica suprema lex”. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitianhukum yuridis Empirik. Sifat penelitian ini adalah deskriptif yang mempergunakan data primer dan data sekunder.Hasil penelitian nenunjukan bahwa Setiap pelayanan yang diberikan pemerintah melalui Electricidade de Timor Leste(EDTL) sebagai penyalur energi kelistrikan mulai dari pembangkitan transmisi dan distribusi energi listrik yangmenjadi sumber pasokan ke seluruh masyarakat yang menyebar luas di Distrik Dili Timor Leste pada kenyataanya menyimpang dari amanat konstitusi yang ada untuk kesejahteraan rakyat. Penyimpangan yang terjadi ditindaklanjuti dengan tindakan hukum yang tidak adil terhadap berbagai tingkatan/golongan yang ada dalam masyarakat sebagai pelanggan. Ketidakadilan dalam penanganan yang semestinya pada dasarnya terjadi karena adanya interfensi kekuasaan, baik ekonomi maupun politik.
Experimental Investigation into the Influence of Roundness and Sphericity on the Undrained Shear Response of Silty Sand Soils
Authors: Cherif Taiba Abdellah , Mahmoudi Youcef , Belkhatir Mostefa , Schanz Tom 
Published: February 2018

AbstractParticle shape represents one of the key parameters that significantly influences the mechanical response, shear strength, deformation, and settlement characteristics of cohesionless soil deposits when subjected to static or dynamic loading conditions. Shear behavior of coarse-grained soils (gravel, gravelly sand, sandy gravel, sand, silty sand, or sandy silt) depends heavily on the two essential particle shape characteristics, which are termed roundness and sphericity. However, there are limited published studies available in the literature that deal solely with the effects of particle shape on shear-strain characteristics and shear behavior of granular soil deposits. Therefore, the veritable role of the particle shape parameter on soil behavior remains incomplete and requires further investigation. The present research work attempts to investigate the effects of particle shape on shear response of different categories of sand-silt mixtures under static triaxial loading conditions. For this purpose, a series of undrained compression triaxial tests was carried out on mixtures of Chlef (Algerian) rounded sand, Fontainebleau (France) subrounded sand, and Hostun (France) subangular sand mixed with low-plastic (Ip=5 %) rounded silty fines. All the sand-silt mixture samples were reconstituted at an initial relative density (Dr=52 %) and subjected to a constant confining pressure (P’c=100 kPa). An evaluation of particle shape characteristics of the tested materials (sand and silt) was performed using a digital microscope device. Two new indexes, termed combined roundness and combined sphericity based on the combination of sand and silt to account for the coupled effects of particle shape and fines content, were proposed. The test results are used to correlate the undrained shear strength of the silty sand soils to the particle shape characteristics. Therefore, particle shape appears to be an important soil index property that needs to be adequately identified, particularly for silty sand–silt mixture soils. The systematic identification of particle shape characteristics leads to a better understanding of silty sand behavior.
Positive Allosteric Modulation as a Potential Therapeutic Strategy in Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis
Authors: Warikoo Natasha , Brunwasser Samuel J. , Benz Ann , Shu Hong-Jin , Paul Steven M. , Lewis Michael , Doherty James , Quirk Michael , Piccio Laura , Zorumski Charles F. , Day Gregory S. , Mennerick Steven 
Published: February 2018

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are ionotropic glutamate receptors important for synaptic plasticity, memory, and neuropsychiatric health. NMDAR hypofunction contributes to multiple disorders, including anti-NMDAR encephalitis (NMDARE), an autoimmune disease of the CNS associated with GluN1 antibody-mediated NMDAR internalization. Here we characterize the functional/pharmacological consequences of exposure to CSF from female human NMDARE patients on NMDAR function, and we characterize the effects of intervention with recently described positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) of NMDARs. Incubation (48 h) of rat hippocampal neurons of both sexes in confirmed NMDARE patient CSF, but not control CSF, attenuated NMDA-induced current. Residual NMDAR function was characterized by lack of change in channel open probability, indiscriminate loss of synaptic and extrasynaptic NMDARs, and indiscriminate loss of GluN2B-containing and GluN2B-lacking NMDARs. NMDARs tagged with N-terminal pHluorin fluorescence demonstrated loss of surface receptors. Thus, function of residual NMDARs following CSF exposure was indistinguishable from baseline, and deficits appear wholly accounted for by receptor loss. Coapplication of CSF and PAMs of NMDARs (SGE-301 or SGE-550, oxysterol-mimetic) for 24 h restored NMDAR function following 24 h incubation in patient CSF. Curiously, restoration of NMDAR function was observed despite washout of PAMs before electrophysiological recordings. Subsequent experiments suggested that residual allosteric potentiation of NMDAR function explained the persistent rescue. Further studies of the pathogenesis of NMDARE and intervention with PAMs may inform new treatments for NMDARE and other disorders associated with NMDAR hypofunction.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAnti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis (NMDARE) is increasingly recognized as an important cause of sudden-onset psychosis and other neuropsychiatric symptoms. Current treatment leaves unmet medical need. Here we demonstrate cellular evidence that newly identified positive allosteric modulators of NMDAR function may be a viable therapeutic strategy.