bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reduction in the occurrence of distressing involuntary memories following propranolol or hydrocortisone in healthy women
Authors: Kamboj Sunjeev K. , Gong An Tong , Sim ZhiHui , Rashid Adrihani A. , Baba Ami , Iskandar Georges , Das Ravi K. , Curran H. Valerie 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundPharmacological treatments targeting the neuroendocrine stress response may hold special promise in secondary prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, findings from clinical trials have been inconsistent and the efficacy of specific drugs, their temporal window of efficacy, effective doses and the characteristics of likely treatment responders remain unclear.MethodUsing an experimental human model of distressing involuntary memory formation, we compare the effects of two drugs that have theoretical or empirical support as secondary preventive agents in PTSD. Eighty-eight healthy women (average age: 23.5 years) received oral propranolol (80 mg), hydrocortisone (30 mg), or matched placebo immediately after viewing a ‘trauma film’. They then completed daily, time-stamped intrusion diaries for 1 week, at the end of which, voluntary memory was tested.ResultsWhile neither drug affected voluntary memory for the trauma narrative, propranolol treatment was associated with 42% fewer, and hydrocortisone with 55% fewer intrusions across the week, relative to placebo. Additionally, propranolol reduced general trauma-like symptoms, and post-drug cortisol levels were negatively correlated with intrusion frequency in the hydrocortisone group.ConclusionsOverall, this study shows substantial reductions in intrusive memories and preserved voluntary narrative-declarative memory following either propranolol or hydrocortisone in an experimental model of psychological trauma. As such, despite some inconsistencies in clinical trials, our findings support continued investigation of propranolol and hydrocortisone as secondary preventive agents for re-experiencing symptoms of PTSD. The findings also suggest that it is critical for future research to identify the conditions governing the preventive efficacy of these drugs in PTSD.
Controlling the movement of molecules
Authors: Langer Robert 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe ability to control the movement of molecules is both fascinating scientifically as well as being critically important to the well-being of our planet and its people. In particular, the sustained release of molecules over prolonged periods at controlled rates has had and will continue to have enormous implications for the delivery of substances in medicine, agriculture, the environment, nutrition, aquaculture, household consumer products, and numerous other areas. This field is advancing at a rapidly accelerating pace. In this article, I largely discuss our own work, starting 45 years ago, in enabling the controlled release of macromolecules from biocompatible polymers. I also discuss the synthesis of novel materials to affect molecular movement and I then examine external approaches for controlling the movement of molecules through materials, using forces such as electric, acoustic, and magnetic fields. I further discuss approaches for controlling molecular movement through physiologic barriers, such as the skin, lung, and intestine. Finally, I outline several future areas of this field, including how it can affect the developing world, the ability to control the movement of molecules into mammalian cells, and the design of intelligent approaches to control molecular delivery.
Race Equality Policy Making in a Devolved Context: Assessing the Opportunities and Obstacles for a ‘Scottish Approach’
Authors: MEER NASAR 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThere is a burgeoning literature that suggests that, across a number of social policy domains, ‘Scotland is different’. Hitherto however, race equality policy has been largely overlooked and this article addresses this within the context of recent and historical developments in a devolved policy context. Adopting a mixed-method case-study analysis, including thirty-two semi-structured interviews with civil society and Scottish Government, the article shows how policy actors lack a consensus on the underlying causes of racial inequality, in ways that may impede policy making. In this sense, the article shows how Scotland ‘orbits’ around existing settlements, rather than necessarily setting off in a new course that goes beyond the fact of contingency. The implications of this analysis have a much broader relevance, including an account of how race equality policy opportunities encounter political obstacles, in a way that bears both specific and generalizable qualities. These include the role of policy coalitions in holding and promoting a coherent set of positions, the particularity of race as an idea or ‘cognitive problem’, and how prevailing narratives about national identities can feed into this process.
ALLE ORIGINI DELLA SCIENZA POLITICA ITALIANA: GAETANO MOSCA EPISTEMOLOGO
Authors: Fisichella Domenico 
Published: May 2019

IntroduzioneLa riflessione epistemologica di Gaetano Mosca prende le mosse dall'osservazione che la scienza politica, come studio dei fenomeni politici con il metodo scientifico, è nel suo tempo ancora in fase di significativa arretratezza, per non dire nell'infanzia. Basta guardare allo sviluppo delle scienze naturali per rendersene conto. Già dalle pagine iniziali della Teorica dei governi e governo parlamentare, pubblicato in prima edizione nel 1884, il rilievo è esplicito e ricorrente: “i risultati ci dicono che, fino al giorno d'oggi, il metodo sperimentale ha fatto assai migliori prove nelle scienze fisiche che nelle sociali” (Mosca 1982, 197). D'altra parte, “che una scienza sociale non sia ancora nata”, talché ne deriva appunto “l'inferiorità di sviluppo scientifico che hanno le scienze sociali in rapporto alle naturali”, è tema ritornante anche negli Elementi di scienza politica, usciti in prima edizione nel 1896. “La scienza politica”, nota infatti il nostro autore, “non crediamo che neanche ora sia entrata interamente nel vero periodo scientifico” (ivi, 202, 199, 555).
SHEA-CDC TB Survey, Part I: Status of TB Infection Control Programs at Member Hospitals, 1989-1992
Authors: Fridkin Scott K. , Manangan Lilia , Bolyard Elizabeth ,   The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, Jarvis William R. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjective:To determine trends in Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers, tuberculosis (TB) control measures, and compliance with the 1990 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guideline for preventing transmission of TB in healthcare facilities.Design:Voluntary questionnaire sent to all members of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, representing 359 hospitals.Results:Respondents’ hospitals (210 [58%]) had a median of 2,400 healthcare workers (range, 396 to 13,745), 437 beds (range, 48 to 1,250), 5.6 patients with TB per year (range, 0 to 492), and 0 multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB patients per year (range, 0 to 33). Of 166 respondents’ hospitals for which data were provided for 1989 through 1992, the number caring for MDR-TB patients increased from 10 (6%) in 1989 to 49 (30%) in 1992. Reported policies for routine healthcare worker tuberculin skin testing varied. The median skin-test positivity rate for healthcare workers at the time of hire increased from 0.54% in 1989 to 0.81% in 1992, but the median conversion rate during routine testing remained similar: 0.35% in 1989 and 0.33% in 1992. Among 196 hospitals with reported data on respiratory protection use for 1989 through 1992, the use of either surgical submicron, dust-mist, or dust-fume-mist respirators for healthcare workers increased from 9 (5%) in 1989 to 85 (43%) in 1992. Of 181 hospitals with reported data, 113 (62%) had acid-fast bacilli isolation facilities consistent with the 1990 CDC guideline (ie, a single patient room, negative air pressure relative to the hallway, air exhausted directly outside, and ≥ 6 air exchanges per hour).Conclusions:While the number of surveyed hospitals caring for TB and MDR-TB patients increased during 1989 through 1992, TB infection control measures at many hospitals still did not meet the 1990 CDC guideline recommendations.
Evaluation of Infection Control Measures in Preventing the Nosocomial Transmission of Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis in a New York City Hospital
Authors: Stroud Leonardo A. , Tokars Jerome I. , Grieco Michael H. , Crawford Jack T. , Culver David H. , Edlin Brian R. , Sordillo Emilia M. , Woodley Charles L. , Gilligan Mary Ellen , Schneider Nancy , Williams Julie , Jarvis William R. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the efficacy of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended infection control measures implemented in response to an outbreak of multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB).Design:Retrospective cohort studies of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients and healthcare workers. The study period (January 1989 through September 1992) was divided into period I, before changes in infection control; period II, after aggressive use of administrative controls (eg, rapid placement of TB patients or suspected TB patients in single-patient rooms); and period III, while engineering changes were made (eg, improving ventilation in TB isolation rooms).Setting:A New York City hospital that was the site of one of the first reported outbreaks of MDR-TB among AIDS patients in the United States.Participants:All AIDS patients admitted during periods I and II. Healthcare workers on nine inpatient units with TB patients and six without TB patients.Results:The epidemic (38 patients) waned during period II and only one MDR-TB patient presented during period III. The MDR-TB attack rate among AIDS patients hospitalized on the same ward on the same days as an infectious MDR-TB patient was 8.8% (19 of 216) during period I, decreasing to 2.6% (5 of 193; P= 0.01) during period II. In a small group of healthcare workers with tuberculin skin test data, conversions during periods II through III were higher on wards with than without TB patients (5 of 29 versus 0 of 15; P= 0.15), although the difference was not statistically significant.Conclusions:Transmission of MDR-TB among AIDS patients decreased markedly after enforcement of readily implementable administrative measures, ending the outbreak. However, tuberculin skin-test conversions among healthcare workers may not have been prevented by these measures. CDC guidelines for prevention of nosocomial transmission of TB should be implemented fully at all US hospitals.
Addressing Control Implementation Issues in Robotic Systems Using Adaptive Control
Authors: Hayat Rameez , Leibold Marion , Buss Martin 
Published: May 2019

SummaryThis paper addresses three control implementation issues for trajectory tracking of robotic manipulators: unmodeled dynamics, unknown input saturation and peaking effects during the transient phase. A model-free first-order robust-adaptive control method is used to deal with the unmodeled dynamics. Robust optimality and stability of the controller are proved using the 𝓗∞ technique and the game-algebraic Riccati equation. An intuitive approach is devised to incorporate the unknown input saturation by modifying the speed of the desired trajectory. The trajectory scaling is performed by using only the state errors. Furthermore, two different techniques are utilized to suppress peaking during the transient response of the trajectory tracking. The first method adds an extra term in the input while the second method uses variable gain to improve the transient response. A systematic procedure for finding the controller parameters is formulated using features, such as rise time and settling time. A three-degree-of-freedom robot manipulator is used for the validation of the proposed controller in simulations and experiments.
From Design to Evaluation: Applications of Health Technology Assessment in Myanmar and Lessons for Low or Lower Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Dabak Saudamini Vishwanath , Teerawattananon Yot , Win Thiri 
Published: May 2019

AbstractObjectivesHealth technology assessment (HTA) has been widely used to inform coverage decisions in high-income countries over the past few decades and has been getting increasing attention in middle-income countries as a tool for healthcare decision making in recent years. This study aims to use the case of the Maternal and Child Health Voucher Scheme (MCHVS) in Myanmar to understand how HTA can have a policy impact in a low or lower middle-income country.MethodsThe stages heuristic framework was used to describe the policy-making process. A document review was conducted and tacit knowledge of researchers involved was recorded.ResultsThe opportunity for a grant propelled maternal and child health to the policy agenda. An ex-ante HTA, which included a model-based health economic evaluation, informed the design of the scheme. The framework and key parameters from the ex-ante HTA were used for a mid-term review, which provided feedback to the policy implementation process. An ex-post HTA involved fielding a household survey to assess the impact of the scheme.ConclusionsHTA can be a useful method for informing resource allocation throughout the policy process in low and lower middle-income settings where no formal mechanism for making coverage decisions exists.
Biotechnology and plant breeding: relevance of cell genetics in potato improvement
Authors: Meyer R. , Salamini F. , Uhrig H. 
Published: May 2019

SynopsisThe adoption of emerging biotechnological methods in plant breeding is presented discussing specifically the relevance of cell genetics to potato improvement. The finding and use of efficient anther plant producing strains of potato (EAPP clones) is first discussed. This is followed by the presentation of recent progress toward the obtaining of diploid potato strains producing a high percentage of monohaploids from anthers. The selection of homozygous diploid regenerants (potato ‘pure lines’) by using an RFLP approach is also presented. A summary chart is presented, containing the description of an integrated breeding procedure that may be considered for future breeding of this species.
Computer-aided drug discovery
Authors: Richards W. Graham 
Published: May 2019

Synopsis:The role of computers in drug discovery depends on just how much is known about the target macromolecule. If atomic detail of the receptor is known, binding free energy differences between drug variants may be computed. Major effort is being expended in extending the area of applicability of such studies by predicting protein structure based on homologies with known protein crystal data. Where no target structure is available, computational methods can provide leads by defining transition state structures and then using the approach of molecular similarity to define stable mimics to act as blockers.
Arteriovenous Malformations of the Brain in Children: A Forty Year Experience
Authors: Kondziolka Douglas , Humphreys Robin P. , Hoffman Harold J. , Hendrick E. Bruce , Drake James M. 
Published: May 2019

ABSTRACT:Despite the great capacity for the pediatric brain to recover from stroke, the morbidity and mortality in children who harbor an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) remains high. This study examines the clinical data and management experience with 132 patients with brain AVM from 1949 to 1989. Although the high tendency for a childhood AVM to present with hemorrhage (79%) remained constant for the forty year study period, the associated morbidity and mortality of hemorrhage changed. The mortality rate from hemorrhage for the entire series was 25%, which was reduced from 39% to 16% after the introduction of computed tomography. The mortality from AVM hemorrhage since 1975 was dependent on location; 8 of 14 patients (57%) with a cerebellar AVM died from hemorrhage while only 2 of 44 patients (4.5%) with a cerebral hemisphere AVM died (p < 0.0001). Sixteen children (12%) presented with a chronic seizure disorder. Surgical excision of the malformation resulted in complete seizure control off anti-convulsant medication in 73% of patients. Although 21% of patients were treated non-operatively (many with terminal poor-grade hemorrhage), 79% had a surgical procedure with total AVM excision achieved in 70 patients (53.1%). Complete AVM resection was followed by a normal neurological outcome in 47 children (67%). Most partial excisions (n=9) and clipping of feeding arteries (n=7) were performed in the early years of this study, and did not provide protection from rehe-morrhage. Although conservative management has been advocated for selected non-hemorrhagic AVMs, we conclude that essentially all children with an AVM should be treated in order to eliminate the risk of hemorrhage. Long-term conservative management in pediatric patients is warranted only in patients with large AVMs not amenable to treatment using current multimodality techniques.
Processes and patterns of glacier-influenced sedimentation and recent tidewater glacier dynamics in Darbel Bay, western Antarctic Peninsula
Authors: Batchelor C.L. , Dowdeswell J.A. , Hogan K.A. , Larter R.D. , Parsons E. , West O. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBathymetric data of unprecedented resolution are used to provide insights into former ice dynamics and glacial processes in a western Antarctic Peninsula embayment. An assemblage of submarine glacial landforms, which includes subglacially produced streamlined features and ice-marginal ridges, reveals the former pattern of ice flow and retreat. A group of more than 250 small (< 1–3 m high, 10–20 m wide) and relatively evenly spaced recessional moraines was identified beyond the margin of Philippa Glacier. The small recessional moraines are interpreted to have been produced during short-lived, possibly annual re-advances of a grounded ice margin during overall retreat. This is the first time that these features have been shown to be part of the assemblage of landforms produced by tidewater glaciers on the Antarctic Peninsula. Glacier-terminus changes during the last four decades, mapped from LANDSAT satellite images, were analysed to determine whether the moraines were produced during recent still-stands or re-advances of Philippa Glacier and to further investigate the short-term (annual to decadal) variability in ice-marginal position in tidewater glacier systems. The asynchronous response of individual tidewater glaciers in Darbel Bay is interpreted to be controlled mainly by local topography rather than by glacier catchment-area size.
Emotion regulation processes linking peer victimization to anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescence
Authors: Adrian Molly , Jenness Jessica L. , Kuehn Kevin S. , Smith Michele R. , McLaughlin Katie A. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractDifficulties with emotion regulation can take many forms, including increased sensitivity to emotional cues and habitual use of maladaptive cognitive or behavioral regulation strategies. Despite extensive research on emotion regulation and youth adjustment, few studies integrate multiple measures of emotion regulation. The present study evaluated the underlying structure of emotion regulation processes in adolescence using both task- and survey-based measures and determined whether differences in these emotion regulation latent factors mediated the association between peer victimization and internalizing psychopathology. Adolescents aged 16–17 years (n= 287; 55% female; 42% White) recruited in three urban centers in the United States completed baseline and follow-up assessments 4 months apart. Three models of emotion regulation were evaluated with confirmatory factor analysis. A three-factor model fit the data best, including cognitive regulation, behavioral regulation, and emotional reactivity latent factors. Task-based measures did not load onto these latent factors. Difficulties with behavioral regulation mediated the association between peer victimization and depression symptoms, whereas cognitive regulation difficulties mediated the association with anxiety symptoms. Findings point to potential targets for intervention efforts to reduce risk for internalizing problems in adolescents following experiences of peer victimization.
FAMINE FOODS AND FOOD SECURITY IN THE NORTHERN MAYA LOWLANDS: MODERN LESSONS FOR ANCIENT RECONSTRUCTIONS
Authors: Dine Harper , Ardren Traci , Bascopé Grace , Báez Celso Gutiérrez 
Published: May 2019

AbstractInequality and changing responses to food scarcity may create a stigmatization complex around certain foods. Here, we conduct a literature search to develop a working definition of “famine foods” in the Maya lowlands, centering qualities such as hardiness, productivity, nutrition, preparation, and stigmatization complexes. An analysis of the nutritional characteristics that might make up such a food yields the idea that famine foods are likely members of a time- and place-specific arsenal of plant resources. We compare the results of the literature search to botanical data from arejolladasurvey from Xuenkal and asolar(house garden) survey conducted in Yaxunah. Examining the data through the lens of a history of manipulation of food access, shifting relations of power, and modern responses to food insecurity illuminates cultural plasticity and resilience in diet and agricultural strategies in the Maya lowlands. We conceptualizesolaresandrejolladasas food-related resilience strategies.
ETHNOECOLOGY IN PRE-HISPANIC CENTRAL AMERICA: FOODWAYS AND HUMAN-PLANT INTERFACES
Authors: Morell-Hart Shanti , Joyce Rosemary A. , Henderson John S. , Cane Rachel 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn recent years, researchers in pre-Hispanic Central America have used new approaches that greatly amplify and enhance evidence of plants and their uses. This paper presents a case study from Puerto Escondido, located in the lower Ulúa River valley of Caribbean coastal Honduras. We demonstrate the effectiveness of using multiple methods in concert to interpret ethnobotanical practice in the past. By examining chipped-stone tools, ceramics, sediments from artifact contexts, and macrobotanical remains, we advance complementary inquiries. Here, we address botanical practices “in the home,” such as foodways, medicinal practices, fiber crafting, and ritual activities, and those “close to home,” such as agricultural and horticultural practices, forest management, and other engagements with local and distant ecologies. This presents an opportunity to begin to develop an understanding of ethnoecology at Puerto Escondido, here defined as the dynamic relationship between affordances provided in a botanical landscape and the impacts of human activities on that botanical landscape.