bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Framework for selecting assistive technology user-participation methods
Authors: Draffan E A , James Abi , Wald Mike , Idris Amal
Published: May 2016

Purpose

– A number of participatory research methodologies can be used to assist with developing assistive technologies. These methods vary in the amount that users lead and contribute to the work. Selecting the correct method can be important to ensure the overall success of the project and the engagement of users. The purpose of this paper is to explore factors that can impact on the degree of user participation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper considers whether criteria, that might influence assistive technology (AT) selection made during an assessment of need, review or purchasing process, could also be used to clarify the appropriate strategies for user involvement when developing assistive technologies. It outlines how this approach has been applied to two research and development projects which aimed to improve AT provision within niche markets.

Findings

– The paper demonstrates that it is possible to apply a decision making process to selecting the best participatory research method, based on factors affecting AT need. It reports on the outcomes of the user participation in the two research and development projects and discusses how this design approach has been applied to a third project.

Originality/value

– By examining a possible framework for identifying appropriate user-participation approaches, this paper will aid those designing research and development AT projects, whilst encouraging user participation within similar projects.
The Sovereign Yield Curve and Fiscal Behaviour in China
Authors: Yan Yifeng , Guo Ju'e
Published: May 2016

The present study aims to explore the relationship between the sovereign yield curve and fiscal behaviour in China. The Chinese Government is very powerful, and fiscal policy plays an important role in China's economy. A dynamic Nelson–Siegel model is adopted to estimate the level, slope and curvature factors of the yield curve. Three aspects of fiscal behaviour, including government spending, revenue and budget balance, are considered. Significant relationships between fiscal behaviour and the sovereign yield curve are found and described in the present study. Higher government expenditure raises the level and slope factors of the yield curve, while increasing government revenue reduces the level factor and enhances the slope factor. Furthermore, improved budget balance decreases the level and slope factors of the yield curve. Fiscal behaviour also interacts with the macroeconomy in China. Fiscal policy is insensitive to price surges in contrast to the strong responses of monetary policy to higher inflation. In addition, crowding‐out effects of government spending are demonstrated in this study.
Emulsifying and Foaming Properties of Different Protein Fractions Obtained from a Novel Lupin Variety AluProt‐CGNA® (Lupinus luteus)
Authors: Burgos‐Díaz César , Piornos José A. , Wandersleben Traudy , Ogura Takahiro , Hernández Xaviera , Rubilar Mónica
Published: May 2016

The use of vegetable proteins as food ingredient is becoming increasingly important due to their high versatility and environmental acceptability. This work describes a chemical characterization and techno‐functional properties (emulsifying and foaming properties) of 3 protein fractions obtained from a protein‐rich novel lupin variety, AluProt‐CGNA®. This nongenetically modified variety have a great protein content in dehulled seeds (60.6 g protein/100 g, dry matter), which is higher than soybean and other lupin varieties. A simple procedure was utilized to obtain 3 different fractions by using alkali solubilization and isoelectric precipitation. Fractions 1 and 3 were mainly composed of protein and polysaccharides (NNE), whereas fraction 2 was mainly composed by protein (97%, w/w). Fraction 3 presented interesting and potential foaming properties in comparison to the other fractions evaluated in the study. Besides, its solubility, foaming and emulsifying capacity were practically not affected by pH variations. The 3 fractions also presented good emulsion stability, reaching values above a 95%. SDS‐PAGE showed that fractions 1 and 2 contained mainly conglutin α, β, and δ, but in different ratios, whereas fraction 3 contained mainly conglutin γ and albumins. The results of this work will provide better understanding for the utilization of each protein fractions as potential ingredients in food industry.
Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 and its host interaction: a dozen years after the genome
Authors: van den Nieuwboer Maurits , van Hemert Saskia , Claassen Eric , de Vos Willem M.
Published: May 2016

Lactobacillus plantarum WCFS1 is one of the best studied Lactobacilli, notably as its genome was unravelled over 12 years ago. L. plantarum WCFS1 can be grown to high densities, is amenable to genetic transformation and highly robust with a relatively high survival rate during the gastrointestinal passage. In this review, we present and discuss the main insights provided by the functional genomics research on L. plantarum WCFS1 with specific attention for the molecular mechanisms related to its interaction with the human host and its potential to modify the immune system, and induce other health‐related benefits. Whereas most insight has been gained in mouse and other model studies, only five human studies have been reported with L. plantarum WCFS1. Hence NCIMB 8826 (the parental strain of L. plantarum WCFS1) in human trials as to capitalize on the wealth of knowledge that is summarized here.
Prenatal pesticide exposure and PON1 genotype associated with adolescent body fat distribution evaluated by dual X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA)
Authors: Tinggaard J. , Wohlfahrt‐Veje C. , Husby S. , Christiansen L. , Skakkebæk N. E. , Jensen T. K. , Grandjean P. , Main K. M. , Andersen H. R.
Published: May 2016

Many modern pesticides have endocrine disrupting abilities and early‐life exposure may affect growth and disease risk later in life. Previously, we reported associations between prenatal pesticide exposure and higher childhood body fat content measured by anthropometry. The associations were affected by child PON1 Q192R genotype. We aimed to study whether prenatal pesticide exposure was still associated with body fat content and distribution in the children at puberty and the potential impact of both maternal and child PON1 Q192R genotype. In this prospective cohort study of 247 children born by occupationally exposed or unexposed women (greenhouse workers and controls) two follow‐up examinations (age 10–15 and 11–16 years) including simple anthropometry, skinfold measurements, pubertal staging and blood sampling were performed. Total and regional fat% was determined by dual X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) at age 10–15. Prenatal pesticide exposure was associated with increased total, android, and gynoid fat percentage (DXA) at age 10–15 years after adjustment for sex, socioeconomic status, and puberty (all β = 0.5 standard deviation score (SDS) p < 0.05). Stratified by sex, the associations were significant in girls (total fat: β = 0.7 SDS, android–gynoid ratio: β = 0.1, both p < 0.05), but not in boys. Carrying the R‐allele (child or mother, separately, or both) augmented the differences between exposed and unexposed children (total fat: β = 1.0 SDS, β = 0.8 SDS, p < 0.05, respectively, and β = 1.2 SDS, p < 0.01). No exposure‐related differences were found if either the child or mother had the QQ wild‐type. At age 11–16, exposed children tended to have a higher total fat% estimated by skinfolds than unexposed children (p = 0.06). No significant associations between prenatal exposure and body mass index or waist circumference were found. Prenatal pesticide exposure was associated with higher adolescent body fat content, including android fat deposition, independent of puberty. Girls appeared more susceptible than boys. Furthermore, the association depended on maternal and child PON1 Q192R genotype.
Assessment of anxiety levels of patients awaiting surgery for suspected thyroid cancer: A case‐control study in a Chinese‐Han population
Authors: Yang Yu , Ma Hui , Wang Man , Wang Aiping
Published: May 2016

Introduction

The objective of this study was to evaluate levels and prevalence of anxiety in thyroid tumor patients awaiting surgery and diagnosis and to investigate whether significant differences existed in preoperative anxiety levels between patients with postoperative pathological diagnosis of benign thyroid tumors (BTT) or thyroid cancer (TC) in a Chinese‐Han population.

Methods

Five hundred and twenty‐nine patients awaiting surgery and diagnosis were chosen as the patient group, and 419 healthy Chinese were chosen as the control group. Anxiety levels were assessed by the State‐Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Results

The cytological and histopathologic examinations showed BTT in 390 patients and TC in 139 patients. Moderate and high state‐anxiety prevalence were 63.3%, 66.9%, and 38.9%, and moderate and high trait‐anxiety prevalence were 53.6%, 56.1%, and 20.5% for BTT, TC, and healthy groups, respectively. There were significant differences in sample distributions between low and moderate/high anxiety levels among the three groups (state‐anxiety, χ2 = 60.95, P < 0.001; trait‐anxiety, χ2 = 111.73, P < 0.001). The mean state‐anxiety scores were 41.02 ± 8.82, 42.71 ± 8.74, and 37.18 ± 7.46, and the mean trait‐anxiety scores were 41.91 ± 8.40, 42.69 ± 9.40, and 38.28 ± 6.30 for BTT, TC, and healthy groups, respectively. There were significant differences in the state‐anxiety (χ2 = 73.43, P < 0.001) and trait‐anxiety levels (χ2 = 72.21, P < 0.001) among these three groups.

Discussion

This study has demonstrated that patients with BTT or TC have a high level of anxiety. The anxiety level of patients with TC is significantly higher than those with BTT. Our results indicate that anxiety may be a relative risk of thyroid tumor in Han‐Chinese. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
Sparse representation of terrains for procedural modeling
Authors: Guérin Eric , Digne Julie , Galin Eric , Peytavie Adrien
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we present a simple and efficient method to represent terrains as elevation functions built from linear combinations of landform features (atoms). These features can be extracted either from real world data‐sets or procedural primitives, or from any combination of multiple terrain models. Our approach consists in representing the elevation function as a sparse combination of primitives, a concept which we call Sparse Construction Tree, which blends the different landform features stored in a dictionary. The sparse representation allows us to represent complex terrains using combinations of atoms from a small dictionary, yielding a powerful and compact terrain representation and synthesis tool. Moreover, we present a method for automatically learning the dictionary and generating the Sparse Construction Tree model. We demonstrate the efficiency of our method in several applications: inverse procedural modeling of terrains, terrain amplification and synthesis from a coarse sketch.
Dexterous Manipulation of Cloth
Authors: Bai Yunfei , Yu Wenhao , Liu C. Karen
Published: May 2016

This paper introduces a new technique to synthesize dexterous manipulation of cloth. Given a simple description of the desired cloth motion, our algorithm computes appropriate joint torques for physically simulated hands, such that, via contact forces, the result of cloth simulation follows the desired motion. Instead of optimizing the hand control forces directly, we formulate an optimization problem that solves for the commanding forces from the hands to the cloth, which have more direct impact on the dynamic state of the hands and that of the cloth. The solution of the optimization provides commanding forces that achieve the desired cloth motion described by the user, while respecting the kinematic constraints of the hands. These commanding forces are then used to guide the joint torques of the hands. To balance between the effectiveness of control and computational costs, we formulate a model‐predictive‐control problem as a quadratic program at each time step. We demonstrate our technique on a set of cloth manipulation tasks in daily activities, including folding laundry, wringing a towel, and putting on a scarf.
Data‐guided Model Predictive Control Based on Smoothed Contact Dynamics
Authors: Han Daseong , Eom Haegwang , Noh Junyong , Shin (formerly Sung Yong Shin) Joseph S.
Published: May 2016

In this paper, we propose an efficient data‐guided method based on Model Predictive Control (MPC) to synthesize a full‐body motion. Guided by a reference motion, our method repeatedly plans the full‐body motion to produce an optimal control policy for predictive control while sliding the fixed‐span window along the time axis. Based on this policy, the method computes the joint torques of a character at every time step. Together with contact forces and external perturbations if there are any, the joint torques are used to update the state of the character. Without including the contact forces in the control vector, our formulation of the trajectory optimization problem enables automatic adjustment of contact timings and positions for balancing in response to environmental changes and external perturbations. For efficiency, we adopt derivative‐based trajectory optimization on top of state‐of‐the‐art smoothed contact dynamics. Use of derivatives enables our method to run much faster than the existing sampling‐based methods. In order to further accelerate the performance of MPC, we propose efficient numerical differentiation of the system dynamics of a full‐body character based on two schemes: data reuse and data interpolation. The former scheme exploits data dependency to reuse physical quantities of the system dynamics at near‐by time points. The latter scheme allows the use of derivatives at sparse sample points to interpolate those at other time points in the window. We further accelerate evaluation of the system dynamics by exploiting the sparsity of physical quantities such as Jacobian matrix resulting from the tree‐like structure of the articulated body. Through experiments, we show that the proposed method efficiently can synthesize realistic motions such as locomotion, dancing, gymnastic motions, and martial arts at interactive rates using moderate computing resources.
3D Skeletons: A State‐of‐the‐Art Report
Authors: Tagliasacchi Andrea , Delame Thomas , Spagnuolo Michela , Amenta Nina , Telea Alexandru
Published: May 2016

Given a shape, a skeleton is a thin centered structure which jointly describes the topology and the geometry of the shape. Skeletons provide an alternative to classical boundary or volumetric representations, which is especially effective for applications where one needs to reason about, and manipulate, the structure of a shape. These skeleton properties make them powerful tools for many types of shape analysis and processing tasks. For a given shape, several skeleton types can be defined, each having its own properties, advantages, and drawbacks. Similarly, a large number of methods exist to compute a given skeleton type, each having its own requirements, advantages, and limitations. While using skeletons for two‐dimensional (2D) shapes is a relatively well covered area, developments in the skeletonization of three‐dimensional (3D) shapes make these tasks challenging for both researchers and practitioners. This survey presents an overview of 3D shape skeletonization. We start by presenting the definition and properties of various types of 3D skeletons. We propose a taxonomy of 3D skeletons which allows us to further analyze and compare them with respect to their properties. We next overview methods and techniques used to compute all described 3D skeleton types, and discuss their assumptions, advantages, and limitations. Finally, we describe several applications of 3D skeletons, which illustrate their added value for different shape analysis and processing tasks.
Nudging or Fudging: The World Development Report 2015
Authors: Fine Ben , Johnston Deborah , Santos Ana C. , Van Waeyenberge Elisa
Published: May 2016

The World Development Report 2015: Mind Society and Behaviour (World Bank, 2015), seeks a redesign of development policy on the basis of insights emerging from behavioural economics. This article offers a critical assessment of the Report across four dimensions. First, it situates the Report within the broader and evolving knowledge role of the Bank. Second, it locates the Report in the context of the evolution of economics as a discipline and how this informs the shaping of the Bank's development economics. Third, the Report is critically assessed for its narrow take on behavioural economics itself. Finally, the practical significance of the promotion of behavioural economics is considered through reference to its use in interventions in health in general and in response to HIV/AIDS in particular. It is argued that the Report suggests a dramatic and flawed reduction of what development is about, in that it forgoes any analysis of the structural problems facing developing countries and fails to propose major reforms to tackle these.
Pregnancy and melanoma: a European‐wide survey to assess current management and a critical literature overview
Authors: Ribero S. , Longo C. , Dika E. , Fortes C. , Pasquali S. , Nagore E. , Glass D. , Robert C. , Eggermont A.M. , Testori A. , Quaglino P. , Nathan P. , Argenziano G. , Puig S. , Bataille V. ,   Members of the Melanoma Group of the EORTC
Published: May 2016

Background

Management of melanoma during pregnancy can be extremely challenging. The reported incidence of melanoma in pregnancy ranges from 2.8 to 5.0 per 100 000 pregnancies. There are no guidelines for the management of melanoma during pregnancy.

Methods

The survey was designed to investigate the opinions of melanoma physicians on decision making in relation to pregnancy and melanoma. A clinical scenario‐based survey on management of pregnancy in melanoma was distributed all over Europe via the membership of the EORTC and other European melanoma societies.

Results

A total of 290 questionnaires were returned with a larger participation from southern Europe. A large heterogeneity was found for the answers given in the different clinical scenarios with 50% of the answers showing discordance, especially regarding sentinel lymph node biopsy during pregnancy. Discordant answers were also found for the counselling of women about a potential delay in getting pregnant after a high‐risk melanoma (35% for a 2 year wait minimum vs. 57% no waiting needed), while for thin melanomas, as expected, there was more concordance with 70% of the physicians recommending no delay. Fifteen per cent of physicians recommended an abortion in stage II melanoma during the third month of pregnancy. Twenty per cent of the responders advised against hormonal replacement therapy in melanoma patients.

Conclusions

The management of melanoma during pregnancy varies widely in Europe. At present, there is a lack of consensus in Europe, which may lead to very important decisions in women with melanoma, and guidelines are needed.
Does multitasking mediate the relationships between episodic memory, attention, executive functions and apathetic manifestations in traumatic brain injury?
Authors: Arnould Annabelle , Rochat Lucien , Dromer Emilie , Azouvi Philippe , Van der Linden Martial
Published: May 2016

Apathy is frequently described in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI); its negative consequences particularly affect functional independence. Among apathetic manifestations, lack of initiative and lack of interest have mainly been associated with cognitive impairments. However, few studies have been conducted to precisely identify the underlying cognitive processes. Our aims were (1) to determine the best predictor of apathy from among several cognitive processes, including episodic memory and attention/executive mechanisms and multitasking, and (2) to examine to what extent multitasking could mediate the relationships between specific cognitive processes and lack of initiative/interest. Seventy participants (34 patients with TBI matched with 36 control participants) were given a questionnaire to assess anxio‐depressive symptoms, four tasks to assess specific cognitive processes, and one task to assess real‐life multitasking. Participants’ relatives completed an apathy questionnaire. Multitasking, as assessed by the number of goals not achieved, was the only significant predictor of apathetic manifestations. In addition, the mediation analyses revealed that multitasking performance mediated the relationships between verbal episodic memory and lack of initiative/interest, whereas executive and attentional functions were only indirectly related to lack of initiative/interest due to their significant impacts on multitasking. These results shed new light on the aetiology of apathetic manifestations in patients with TBI, indicating how specific cognitive deficits are expressed in real‐life multitasking, and consequently, how they may lead to the development and/or maintenance of apathetic manifestations.
What Doesn't Kill You Will Only Make You More Risk‐Loving: Early‐Life Disasters and CEO Behavior
Authors: BERNILE GENNARO , BHAGWAT VINEET , RAU P. RAGHAVENDRA
Published: May 2016

The literature on managerial style posits a linear relation between a chief executive officer's (CEOs) past experiences and firm risk. We show that there is a nonmonotonic relation between the intensity of CEOs’ early‐life exposure to fatal disasters and corporate risk‐taking. CEOs who experience fatal disasters without extremely negative consequences lead firms that behave more aggressively, whereas CEOs who witness the extreme downside of disasters behave more conservatively. These patterns manifest across various corporate policies including leverage, cash holdings, and acquisition activity. Ultimately, the link between CEOs’ disaster experience and corporate policies has real economic consequences on firm riskiness and cost of capital.
Simtuzumab treatment of advanced liver fibrosis in HIV and HCV‐infected adults: results of a 6‐month open‐label safety trial
Authors: Meissner Eric G. , McLaughlin Mary , Matthews Lindsay , Gharib Ahmed M. , Wood Bradford J. , Levy Elliot , Sinkus Ralph , Virtaneva Kimmo , Sturdevant Dan , Martens Craig , Porcella Stephen F. , Goodman Zachary D. , Kanwar Bittoo , Myers Robert P. , Subramanian Mani , Hadigan Colleen , Masur Henry , Kleiner David E. , Heller Theo , Kottilil Shyam , Kovacs Joseph A. , Morse Caryn G.
Published: May 2016

Background

Chronic liver injury can result in fibrosis that may progress over years to end‐stage liver disease. The most effective anti‐fibrotic therapy is treatment of the underlying disease, however when not possible, interventions to reverse or slow fibrosis progression are needed.

Aim

The aim of this study was to study the safety and tolerability of simtuzumab, a monoclonal antibody directed against lysyl oxidase‐like 2 (LOXL2) enzyme, in subjects with hepatitis C virus (HCV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), or HCV‐HIV co‐infection and advanced liver disease.

Methods

Eighteen subjects with advanced liver fibrosis received simtuzumab 700 mg intravenously every 2 weeks for 22 weeks. Transjugular liver biopsies were performed during screening and at the end of treatment to measure hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and to stage fibrosis.

Results

Treatment was well‐tolerated with no discontinuations due to adverse events. No significant changes were seen in HVPG or liver biopsy fibrosis score after treatment. Exploratory transcriptional and protein profiling using paired pre‐ and post‐treatment liver biopsy and serum samples suggested up‐regulation of TGF‐β3 and IL‐10 pathways with treatment.

Conclusion

In this open‐label, pilot clinical trial, simtuzumab treatment was well‐tolerated in HCV‐ and HIV‐infected subjects with advanced liver disease. Putative modulation of TGF‐β3 and IL‐10 pathways during simtuzumab treatment merits investigation in future trials.
Performance in Public Organizations: Clarifying the Conceptual Space
Authors: Andersen Lotte Bøgh , Boesen Andreas , Pedersen Lene Holm
Published: May 2016

Performance in public organizations is a key concept that requires clarification. Based on a conceptual review of research published in 10 public administration journals, this article proposes six distinctions to describe the systematic differences in performance criteria: From which stakeholder's perspective is performance being assessed? Are the criteria formal or informal? Are the criteria subjective? Which process focus and product focus do they have, if any? What is the unit of analysis? Based on these distinctions, the performance criteria of existing studies used in an empirical review of management and performance are classified. The results illustrate how a systematization of the conceptual space of performance in public organizations can help researchers select what to study and what to leave out with greater accuracy while also bringing greater clarity to public debates about performance.
“Here One Moment… and Gone the Next?” Remittance as a Social Visibility Tool
Authors: Harper Robin A. , Zubida Hani
Published: May 2016

Human labor is as much an export as any good. Remittances are a critical source of income for left‐behind families and communities. Transnational labor migrants often describe themselves as ‘invisible’: neither present in the lives of left‐behind families nor members of the receiving community. Building on social remittances literature, we argue that remittances serve as a remedy for this ‘invisibility.’ Through analysis of interviews with 26 temporary labor migrants from 11 countries resident inIsrael, we find remittances can render migrants visible to transnational families and provide identity benefits to labor migrants. If visibility benefits decline because of familial role changes, reduced value as a remitter, cost exceeding benefits or because contracting partners change, remittance practices will change. Contrary to previous literature, our findings show that remittances decisions are dynamic, revealing why remittances practices change and even cease. Findings have implications for understanding the multibillion‐dollar remittances industry and immigrant incorporation.
Dynamic PET simulator via tomographic emission projection for kinetic modeling and parametric image studies
Authors: Häggström Ida , Beattie Bradley J. , Schmidtlein C. Ross
Published: May 2016

Purpose:

To develop and evaluate a fast and simple tool called dpetstep (Dynamic PET Simulator of Tracers via Emission Projection), for dynamic PET simulations as an alternative to Monte Carlo (MC), useful for educational purposes and evaluation of the effects of the clinical environment, postprocessing choices, etc., on dynamic and parametric images.

Methods:

The tool was developed in matlab using both new and previously reported modules of petstep (PET Simulator of Tracers via Emission Projection). Time activity curves are generated for each voxel of the input parametric image, whereby effects of imaging system blurring, counting noise, scatters, randoms, and attenuation are simulated for each frame. Each frame is then reconstructed into images according to the user specified method, settings, and corrections. Reconstructed images were compared to MC data, and simple Gaussian noised time activity curves (GAUSS).

Results:

dpetstep was 8000 times faster than MC. Dynamic images from dpetstep had a root mean square error that was within 4% on average of that of MC images, whereas the GAUSS images were within 11%. The average bias in dpetstep and MC images was the same, while GAUSS differed by 3% points. Noise profiles in dpetstep images conformed well to MC images, confirmed visually by scatter plot histograms, and statistically by tumor region of interest histogram comparisons that showed no significant differences (p < 0.01). Compared to GAUSS, dpetstep images and noise properties agreed better with MC.

Conclusions:

The authors have developed a fast and easy one‐stop solution for simulations of dynamic PET and parametric images, and demonstrated that it generates both images and subsequent parametric images with very similar noise properties to those of MC images, in a fraction of the time. They believe dpetstep to be very useful for generating fast, simple, and realistic results, however since it uses simple scatter and random models it may not be suitable for studies investigating these phenomena. dpetstep can be downloaded free of cost from https://github.com/CRossSchmidtlein/dPETSTEP.
Complete Genome Sequences of Five Bacteriophages That Infect Rhodobacter capsulatus
Authors: Bollivar David W. , Bernardoni Brooke , Bockman Matthew R. , Miller Brenda M. , Russell Daniel A. , Delesalle Veronique A. , Krukonis Gregory P. , Hatfull Graham F. , Cross Madeline R. , Szewczyk Marlena M. , Eppurath Atul
Published: May 2016

Five bacteriophages that infect the
Rhodobacter capsulatus
strain YW1 were isolated from stream water near Bloomington, Illinois, USA. Two distinct genome types are represented in the newly isolated bacteriophages. These genomes are different from other bacteriophage genomes previously described.
Using the Consumer Experience with Pharmacy Services Survey as a quality metric for ambulatory care pharmacies: older adults' perspectives
Authors: Shiyanbola Olayinka O , Mott David A , Croes Kenneth D
Published: May 2016

Objectives

To describe older adults' perceptions of evaluating and comparing pharmacies based on the Consumer Experience with Pharmacy Services Survey (CEPSS), describe older adults' perceived importance of the CEPSS and its specific domains, and explore older adults' perceptions of the influence of specific CEPSS domains in choosing/switching pharmacies.

Design

Focus group methodology was combined with the administration of a questionnaire. The focus groups explored participants' perceived importance of the CEPSS and their perception of using the CEPSS to choose and/or switch pharmacies. Then, using the questionnaire, participants rated their perceived importance of each CEPSS domain in evaluating a pharmacy, and the likelihood of using CEPSS to switch pharmacies if their current pharmacy had low ratings. Descriptive and thematic analyses were done.

Setting

6 semistructured focus groups were conducted in a private meeting room in a Mid-Western state in the USA.

Participants

60 English-speaking adults who were at least 65 years, and had filled a prescription at a retail pharmacy within 90 days.

Results

During the focus groups, the older adults perceived the CEPSS to have advantages and disadvantages in evaluating and comparing pharmacies. Older adults thought the CEPSS was important in choosing the best pharmacies and avoiding the worst pharmacies. The perceived influence of the CEPSS in switching pharmacies varied depending on the older adult's personal experience or trust of other consumers' experience. Questionnaire results showed that participants perceived health/medication-focused communication as very important or extremely important (n=47, 82.5%) in evaluating pharmacies and would be extremely likely (n=21, 36.8%) to switch pharmacies if their pharmacy had low ratings in this domain.

Conclusions

The older adults in this study are interested in using patient experiences as a quality metric for avoiding the worst pharmacies. Pharmacists' communication about health and medicines is perceived important and likely to influence older adults' pharmacy selection.
Double branched covers of theta-curves
Authors: Calcut Jack S. , Metcalf-Burton Jules R.
Published: May 2016

We prove a folklore theorem of Thurston, which provides necessary and sufficient conditions for primality of a certain class of theta-curves. Namely, a theta-curve in the 3-sphere with an unknotted constituent knot [Formula: see text] is prime, if and only if lifting the third arc of the theta-curve to the double branched cover over [Formula: see text] produces a prime knot. We apply this result to Kinoshita’s theta-curve.
EFFECT OF DC BIAS ON DIELECTRIC RESPONSE IN RELAXOR FERROELECTRIC TERPOLYMER FILMS
Authors: TIAN L. , SUN J. , WANG J. L. , LI Y. P.
Published: May 2016

The permittivity as a function of temperature and dc bias in the poly(vinylindene fluoride-trifluorethylene-chlorofluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE-CFE)] terpolymer was measured and analyzed using both the Vogel–Fulcher and universal Curie–Weiss law. The decreased permittivity with increasing dc bias has been observed. The lower permittivity in dc bias is due to the suppressed diffusion of phase transition rather than the nonlinear dielectric contribution. Furthermore, the suppression of phase diffusion can be explained by the molecular conformation conversion in dc bias.
A theoretical study on the elastic deformation of cellular phase and creation of necrosis due to the convection reaction process inside a spherical tumor
Authors: Dey Bibaswan , Raja Sekhar G. P.
Published: May 2016

Several biological processes, such as convective nutrient transport and convective drug delivery in biological tissues involves the transvascular and interstitial movement of biofluids. This work addresses transvascular and interstitial transport of nutrient inside a spherical tumor. Most of the biological tissues behave like deformable porous material and show mechanical behavior towards the fluid motion, due to the fact, that the forces like the drag, which is associated with fluid flow may compress the tissue material. On the macroscopic level, transport of solutes like nutrients, drug molecules, etc. within the tumor interstitial space is modeled. The hydrodynamic problem is treated with biphasic mixture theory under steady state and spherically symmetry situation. The transvascular transport of nutrient is modeled with the modified Sterling’s equation. The present model describes the overall nutrient distribution and predicts various criteria for the necrosis formation inside the tumor. Present study justifies that the parameters, which controls the nutrient supply to the tumor interstitial space through the blood vessel network inside the tumor, competes with reversible nutrient consumption kinetics of the tumor cells. This study also finds the role of some of those parameters on the deformation of cellular phase of the tumor as a consequence of interstitial fluid flow.
A priori,de novomathematical exploration of gene expression mechanism via regression viewpoint with briefly cataloged modeling antiquity
Authors: Jauhari Shaurya , Rizvi S. A. M.
Published: May 2016

Various algorithms have been devised to mathematically model the dynamic mechanism of the gene expression data. Gillespie’s stochastic simulation (GSSA) has been exceptionally primal for chemical reaction synthesis with future ameliorations. Several other mathematical techniques such as differential equations, thermodynamic models and Boolean models have been implemented to optimally and effectively represent the gene functioning. We present a novel mathematical framework of gene expression, undertaking the mathematical modeling of the transcription and translation phases, which is a detour from conventional modeling approaches. These subprocesses are inherent to every gene expression, which is implicitly an experimental outcome. As we foresee, there can be modeled a generality about some basal translation or transcription values that correspond to a particular assay.
Intra-Carboniferous deformation and unconformity at Gilnockie Bridge, SW Scotland, reinterpreted as the result of multiple channel-bank collapse
Authors: Jones N. S. , Holliday D. W.
Published: May 2016

The unconformity and deformation in Pennsylvanian strata seen at Gilnockie Bridge have previously been taken as being illustrative of the erosion and break in sedimentation between the Pennine Lower Coal Measures and Stainmore formations on nearby syndepositional anticlinal crestal areas in the Canonbie Coalfield, SW Scotland. However, Gilnockie Bridge is located in a synclinal position, and re-examination of the exposures suggests that the complex deformation seen there is a localized synsedimentary feature, resulting from multiple phases of river channel-bank collapse. This bank failure was possibly associated with contemporary movement on the nearby Gilnockie Fault, but not necessarily related to the unconformity on the nearby anticlines.
Swiss contributions to mid-nineteenth century tectonic research: a step backwards or the prologue to the nappe tectonics revolution?
Authors: Letsch D.
Published: May 2016

Tectonic research in the Swiss Alps between 1850 and the acceptance of tectonic nappes around 1900 is often reported as a rather conservative era, with much new data (mapping and stratigraphic), but very few new ideas. This paper challenges this view by proposing that Arnold Escher, a professor at Zurich University, arrived at a fundamentally new view of looking at Alpine tectonics around 1853. Whereas traditional continental European models of orogenesis assumed the vertical uplift of magmatic rocks with only minor and local crustal contraction, Escher's new model implied a net horizontal contraction of the Earth's crust across the Alps. With this proposal Escher was in agreement with the increasingly important theory of French and Anglo-Saxon geologists about the contraction of the Earth, but he broke with the traditions of his colleagues in the German-speaking community. His pupils Albert Heim and Armin Baltzer developed Escher's ideas further and helped to establish ideas about the mechanical deformation of rocks, while disproving older and not very well founded ideas about metamorphism being the main driver of orogeny. Unfortunately, Heim's later stubborn insistence on a specific detail of this new tectonic model – the famous Glarus Double Fold – delayed the acceptance of the idea of nappe tectonics, even though nappes would otherwise have fitted very well into the tectonic model of Escher and Heim.

Supplementary material:
The electronic supplementary material contains all the German original quotations which are embedded as English translations in the present chapter. They have been freely translated by the author and are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3258481.v1
Apoptosis as the focus of an authentic research experience in a cell physiology laboratory
Authors: Byrd Shere K.
Published: May 2016

Curriculum-embedded independent research is a high-impact teaching practice that has been shown to increase student engagement and learning. This article describes a multiweek laboratory project for an upper-division undergraduate cell physiology laboratory using apoptosis via the mitochondrial pathway as the overarching theme. Students did literature research on apoptotic agents that acted via the mitochondrial pathway. Compounds ranged from natural products such as curcumin to synthetic compounds such as etoposide. Groups of two to three students planned a series of experiments using one of three cultured cell lines that required them to 1) learn to culture cells; 2) determine treatment conditions, including apoptotic agent solubility and concentration ranges that had been reported in the literature; 3) choose two methods to validate/quantify apoptotic capacity of the reagent; and 4) attempt to “rescue” cells from undergoing apoptosis using one of several available compounds/methods. In essence, given some reagent and equipment constraints, students designed an independent experiment to highlight the effects of different apoptotic agents on cells in culture. Students presented their experimental designs as in a laboratory group meeting and their final findings as a classroom “symposium.” This exercise can be adapted to many different types of laboratories with greater or lesser equipment and instrumentation constraints, incorporates several core cell physiology methods, and encourages key experimental design and critical thinking components of independent research.
Yes-associated protein impacts adherens junction assembly through regulating actin cytoskeleton organization
Authors: Bai Haibo , Zhu Qingfeng , Surcel Alexandra , Luo Tianzhi , Ren Yixin , Guan Bin , Liu Ying , Wu Nan , Joseph Nora Eve , Wang Tian -Li , Zhang Nailing , Pan Duojia , Alpini Gianfranco , Robinson Douglas N. , Anders Robert A.
Published: May 2016

The Hippo pathway effector Yes-associated protein (YAP) regulates liver size by promoting cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis. However, recent in vivo studies suggest that YAP has important cellular functions other than controlling proliferation and apoptosis. Transgenic YAP expression in mouse hepatocytes results in severe jaundice. A possible explanation for the jaundice could be defects in adherens junctions that prevent bile from leaking into the blood stream. Indeed, immunostaining of E-cadherin and electron microscopic examination of bile canaliculi of Yap transgenic livers revealed abnormal adherens junction structures. Using primary hepatocytes from Yap transgenic livers and Yap knockout livers, we found that YAP antagonizes E-cadherin-mediated cell-cell junction assembly by regulating the cellular actin architecture, including its mechanical properties (elasticity and cortical tension). Mechanistically, we found that YAP promoted contractile actin structure formation by upregulating nonmuscle myosin light chain expression and cellular ATP generation. Thus, by modulating actomyosin organization, YAP may influence many actomyosin-dependent cellular characteristics, including adhesion, membrane protrusion, spreading, morphology, and cortical tension and elasticity, which in turn determine cell differentiation and tissue morphogenesis.
Colonic macrophage polarization in homeostasis, inflammation, and cancer
Authors: Isidro Raymond A. , Appleyard Caroline B.
Published: May 2016

Our review focuses on the colonic macrophage, a monocyte-derived, tissue-resident macrophage, and the role it plays in health and disease, specifically in inflammatory conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease and cancer of the colon and rectum. We give special emphasis to macrophage polarization, or phenotype, in these different states. We focus on macrophages because they are one of the most numerous leukocytes in the colon, and because they normally contribute to homeostasis through an anti-inflammatory phenotype. However, in conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease, proinflammatory macrophages are increased in the colon and have been linked to disease severity and progression. In colorectal cancer, tumor cells may employ anti-inflammatory macrophages to promote tumor growth and dissemination, whereas proinflammatory macrophages may antagonize tumor growth. Given the key roles that this cell type plays in homeostasis, inflammation, and cancer, the colonic macrophage is an intriguing therapeutic target. As such, potential macrophage-targeting strategies are discussed.
Isocitrate Dehydrogenase Mutations Confer Dasatinib Hypersensitivity and SRC Dependence in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Saha Supriya K. , Gordan John D. , Kleinstiver Benjamin P. , Vu Phuong , Najem Mortada S. , Yeo Jia-Chi , Shi Lei , Kato Yasutaka , Levin Rebecca S. , Webber James T. , Damon Leah J. , Egan Regina K. , Greninger Patricia , McDermott Ultan , Garnett Mathew J. , Jenkins Roger L. , Rieger-Christ Kimberly M. , Sullivan Travis B. , Hezel Aram F. , Liss Andrew S. , Mizukami Yusuke , Goyal Lipika , Ferrone Cristina R. , Zhu Andrew X. , Joung J. Keith , Shokat Kevan M. , Benes Cyril H. , Bardeesy Nabeel
Published: May 2016

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is an aggressive liver bile duct malignancy exhibiting frequent isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH1/IDH2) mutations. Through a high-throughput drug screen of a large panel of cancer cell lines, including 17 biliary tract cancers, we found that IDH mutant (IDHm) ICC cells demonstrate a striking response to the multikinase inhibitor dasatinib, with the highest sensitivity among 682 solid tumor cell lines. Using unbiased proteomics to capture the activated kinome and CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing to introduce dasatinib-resistant “gatekeeper” mutant kinases, we identified SRC as a critical dasatinib target in IDHm ICC. Importantly, dasatinib-treated IDHm xenografts exhibited pronounced apoptosis and tumor regression. Our results show that IDHm ICC cells have a unique dependency on SRC and suggest that dasatinib may have therapeutic benefit against IDHm ICC. Moreover, these proteomic and genome-editing strategies provide a systematic and broadly applicable approach to define targets of kinase inhibitors underlying drug responsiveness.

Significance: IDH mutations define a distinct subtype of ICC, a malignancy that is largely refractory to current therapies. Our work demonstrates that IDHm ICC cells are hypersensitive to dasatinib and critically dependent on SRC activity for survival and proliferation, pointing to new therapeutic strategies against these cancers. Cancer Discov; 6(7); 727–39. ©2016 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 681
Short-Term Dynamic Observation of the Color Change and Enhancement Effect of Polyethylenimine-Entrapped Gold Nanoparticles Used for Indirect Lymphography
Authors: Yang Yue , Shi Fang , Zhou Jian , Shi Xiangyang , Sha Yan , Wu Haitao
Published: May 2016

Aims: To dynamically observe the color change and enhancement effect of gadolinium-loaded polyethylenimine-entrapped gold nanoparticles (Gd-Au PENPs) as a dual-mode CT/MRI contrast agent for sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification. Methods: In 6 rabbits, Gd-Au PENPs were injected into the right side tongue submucosa, after which the color change of cervical draining lymph nodes was observed. Then the draining lymph nodes were examined by CT/MRI scan. Another 6 rabbits were randomly divided into a CT lymphography (CT-LG) and a MRI lymphography (MRI-LG) group and examined by CT/MRI scan 1 and 30 min after injection. Then SLNs were identified under the guidance of CT/MRI-LG. Results: The ipsilateral afferent lymphatic vessels, cervical draining lymph nodes and efferent lymphatic vessels were stained black orderly and constantly after Gd-Au PENPs injection. Thirty minutes after injection, all cervical lymph nodes were excised to be examined by CT/MRI scan, and only the black-stained draining lymph nodes were enhanced. The 6 rabbits with CT/MRI-LG showed clear enhancement of SLNs. With indirect lymphography, the black-stained SLNs were easily visualized at autopsy. In all rabbits, the identification rate of lingual SLNs was 100%. Conclusions: Rabbit lingual SLNs could be identified with indirect lymphography using Gd-Au PENPs as a dual-mode contrast agent.
Synchronous Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphomas
Authors: McFarlane Michael , Wong John Lin Hieng , Paneesha Shankara , Rudzki Zbigniew , Arasaradnam Ramesh , Nwokolo Chuka
Published: May 2016

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALToma) is a subtype of B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, comprising ∼17% of all gastrointestinal (GI) tract lymphomas. It is associated with chronic inflammation and autoimmunity, for example Helicobacter pylori gastritis and Sjogren’s syndrome, respectively. Approximately 50% of GI MALTomas occur in the stomach, with small bowel and colonic lesions being less frequent. Synchronous upper and lower GI MALTomas occur rarely, with few cases reported. We present the case of a 73-year-old patient who presented with change in bowel habit and was found to have synchronous multifocal upper and lower GI MALTomas, which did not respond to H. pylori cure or to rituximab therapy, but did respond to a combination of surgery and chemotherapy with rituximab and bendamustine.