bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Critical Aspects of a Sustainable Clinical Research Program in the Community-Based Oncology Practice
Authors: Ersek Jennifer L. , Graff Stephanie L. , Arena Francis P. , Denduluri Neelima , Kim Edward S.
Published: May 2019

Increasing enrollment into clinical trials is a top priority across the field of oncology. Because the vast majority of those afflicted with cancer receive their care in the community, creating strong clinical research programs in the community-based setting is important. This article comprehensively outlines the most important elements of creating and sustaining a successful community-based research program. Establishing a clear mission and defining the scope of the research program in collaboration with key physicians and administrative leadership are critical to success. Standard operating procedures should detail operational processes. Ensuring sound financial planning and protected physician time are crucial for a healthy program. Providing mentorship opportunities to investigators and other team members will provide necessary guidance for junior investigators and long-term program stability. Prioritizing provider and patient volunteer engagement through education and awareness will potentially improve enrollment and research ownership. Incorporating administrative and clinical research staff and health care providers, including physicians, advanced practice providers, and pharmacists, will result in a multidisciplinary and unified approach and may also promote research as a routine part of patient care. Regular safety and scientific meetings will reduce regulatory complications and, most importantly, improve patient care. Other keys to a successful program include establishing a diverse trial portfolio, collaboration between different institutions, and ensuring appropriate technological infrastructure. Serial programmatic review provides opportunities to refine suboptimal practices and recognize successful strategies. Community-based research programs are critical to improve access to optimal cancer care. Implementation of successful programs is possible with a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach.
Novel Therapeutics Affecting Metabolic Pathways
Authors: Punekar Salman , Cho Daniel C.
Published: May 2019

Cancer cells are known to have distinct metabolic characteristics compared with normal cells, given the catabolic and anabolic demands of increased cell growth and proliferation. This altered metabolism in cancer cells imbues differential dependencies, and substantial effort has been invested in developing therapeutic strategies to exploit these potential vulnerabilities. Parallel to these efforts has been a growing appreciation for the presence of notable intratumoral metabolic heterogeneity. Although many novel agents are showing some promising results in targeting specific metabolic processes, the challenge moving forward will be to develop combination strategies to address the aforementioned metabolic heterogeneity and its interplay with both epigenetic and immune factors in the tumor microenvironment. In this review, we discuss recent developments in targeting tumor catabolism, lipid biosynthesis, glycolysis, and the citric acid cycle as well as efforts to combine these approaches with immunotherapy.
Wanna Get Away? Maintenance Treatments and Chemotherapy Holidays in Gynecologic Cancers
Authors: Madariaga Ainhoa , Rustin Gordon J.S. , Buckanovich Ronald J. , Trent Jonathan C. , Oza Amit M.
Published: May 2019

Epithelial ovarian cancer has a very high rate of relapse after primary therapy; historically approximately 70% of patients with a complete clinical response to surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy will relapse and die of the disease. Although this number has slowly improved, cure rates remain less than 50%. As such, maintenance therapy with the aim of preventing or delaying disease relapse and the goal of improving overall survival has been the subject of intense study. Numerous earlier studies with agents ranging from radioactive phosphorus to extended frontline therapy or to monthly taxol administration demonstrated encouraging improvements in progression-free survival (PFS) only to find, disappointingly, no benefit in overall survival. In addition, the PFS advantage of maintenance therapy was associated with disconcerting side effects such that maintenance therapy was not adapted as standard of care. Studies with bevacizumab and PARP inhibitors have demonstrated a PFS advantage with a manageable side-effect profile. However, an overall survival advantage remains unclear, and the use of these approaches thus remains controversial. Furthermore, in recurrent disease, the length of chemotherapy and benefits of extended chemotherapy is unclear. Thus, additional trials assessing maintenance strategies in ovarian and other gynecologic malignancies are needed.
Immunotherapy in Older Adults: A Checkpoint to Palliation?
Authors: Elias Rawad , Odejide Oreofe
Published: May 2019

The excitement about immunotherapy is justified. Patients with advanced disease and limited life expectancy before immune checkpoint inhibitors are now having prolonged and sometimes complete responses to treatment; however, most patients do not respond to checkpoint inhibitors. The hope for a meaningful response with only a limited risk of high-grade toxicity generated a prognostic dilemma for patients with advanced cancers and their treating oncologists. Older adults with advanced cancers are at the intersection of multiple biologic and clinical factors that can influence the efficacy of immunotherapy. Treating physicians should take all of these elements into account when considering treatment options for an older adult with advanced disease. Oncologists should have an honest conversation with their patients regarding the uncertainty around the clinical profile of checkpoint inhibitors. Early high-quality goals of care discussions can help manage expectations of older adults with advanced cancer treated with immunotherapy. We review in this paper select clinical characteristics that are important to consider when evaluating an older adult for checkpoint inhibitor therapy. In addition, we discuss strategies to optimize goals of care discussion given the increasing complexity of prognostication in the immunotherapy era.
International Collaborations and Regional Challenges in Providing Specialist Multidisciplinary Sarcoma Care
Authors: Loong Herbert H. , Blay Jean-Yves , Munhoz Rodrigo R.
Published: May 2019

Sarcomas represent a highly heterogeneous group of malignancies of mesenchymal original that pose significant therapeutic challenges. Although surgery still represents the cornerstone of therapeutics for those amenable to treatment with curative intent, advances have been achieved with radiation therapy and systemic agents, highlighting the need for a multidisciplinary approach to patients with sarcomas. Significant heterogeneity occurs within this group of rare diseases, as well as in the pattern of care provided to these patients, with significant global and regional discrepancies in diagnosis, frontline treatments, access to emerging therapies, and clinical trials. In this setting, establishing reference centers and cooperative networks represents a successful approach to optimizing the care and improving the outcomes of patients with sarcomas. In this article, we discuss the importance of international and regional collaborations and propose frameworks for the construction of integrated groups based on successful examples of existing referral networks and multidisciplinary collaborations.
Integrating Biomarkers and Targeted Therapy Into Colorectal Cancer Management
Authors: Lieu Christopher H. , Corcoran Ryan B. , Overman Michael J.
Published: May 2019

There have been substantial advances in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) over the past 15 years. Molecular characteristics of mCRC and identification of specific mutations can serve as predictive and prognostic indicators of disease and response to targeted therapies. When incorporated into clinical decision-making, these biomarkers can serve as critical tools in personalizing therapy to ensure the best outcomes. Additional improvements in the survival of patients with mCRC will be made possible with the identification of new predictive molecular biomarkers and their evaluation using rational and innovative clinical trials.
GH Knockout Mice Have Increased Subcutaneous Adipose Tissue With Decreased Fibrosis and Enhanced Insulin Sensitivity
Authors: List Edward O , Berryman Darlene E , Buchman Mathew , Jensen Elizabeth A , Funk Kevin , Duran-Ortiz Silvana , Qian Yanrong , Young Jonathan A , Slyby Julie , McKenna Savannah , Kopchick John J
Published: May 2019

In 1997, our laboratory used targeted gene disruption of the GH receptor (GHR) to generate GHR knockout (GHR−/−) mice, which have been used in >127 published studies to help elucidate GH’s numerous activities. However, because GH replacement studies cannot be performed using this line, a GH knockout mouse line via targeted disruption of the GH gene is needed. Therefore, we created and characterized GH gene–disrupted (GH−/−) mice. GH−/− mice have severely decreased IGF-1 levels, small body size, and altered body composition with increased adiposity. GH−/− mice are extremely insulin sensitive but glucose intolerant, with a dramatic reduction in pancreatic islet size. Importantly, disruption of the GH gene had profound and depot-specific effects on white adipose tissue (WAT). Subcutaneous WAT from male and female GH−/− mice have significantly larger adipocytes and reduced fibrosis, neither of which occurred in perigonadal WAT, suggesting that GH has a more pronounced effect on subcutaneous WAT. Comparisons of GH−/− mice to previously published data on GHR−/− mice show a remarkably similar phenotype. Finally, we demonstrate that GH−/− mice are responsive to GH treatment, as shown by changes to serum IGF-1 levels; body length, weight, and composition; and insulin sensitivity. This study not only provides characterization of the first mouse line with targeted mutation of the GH gene but also indicates that GH gene disruption dramatically influences fibrosis of subcutaneous WAT.
Myocardial Adaptations to Competitive Swim Training
Authors: WASFY MEAGAN M. , WEINER RORY B. , WANG FRANCIS , BERKSTRESSER BRANT , DELUCA JAMES , HUTTER ADOLPH M. , PICARD MICHAEL H. , BAGGISH AARON L.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Swim training is performed in the prone or supine position and obligates water immersion, factors that may augment cardiac volume loading more than other endurance sports. At present, prospective data defining the cardiac responses to swim training are lacking. We therefore studied myocardial adaptations among competitive swimmers to establish a causal relationship between swim training and left ventricular (LV) remodeling.

Methods

Collegiate swimmers were studied before and after a 90-d period of training intensification. Transthoracic echocardiography was used to examine LV structural and functional adaptations under resting conditions and during an acute LV afterload challenge generated by isometric handgrip testing (IHGT). A sedentary control population was identically studied with IHGT.

Results

In response to a discrete period of swim training intensification, athletes (n = 17, 47% female, 19 ± 0.4 yr old) experienced eccentric LV remodeling, characterized by proportionally more chamber dilation than wall thickening, with attendant enhancements of resting LV systolic (LV twist) and diastolic (early and late phase tissue velocities) function. Compared with baseline and controls, athletes posttraining demonstrated greater systolic twist impairment during IHGT. However, training-induced LV dilation coupled with gains in diastolic function offsets this acquired systolic susceptibility to acute afterload, resulting in the relative preservation of stroke volume during IHGT.

Conclusion

Swim training, a sport characterized by unique cardiac loading conditions, stimulates eccentric LV remodeling with the concomitant augmentation of systolic twist and diastolic relaxation. This volume-mediated cardiac remodeling appears to result in greater systolic susceptibility to acute afterload challenge. Further work is required to establish how training-induced changes in function translate to human performance and whether these are accompanied by physiologic trade-offs with relevance to common forms of heart disease.
The Effect of Growth Restriction on Voluntary Physical Activity Engagement in Mice
Authors: LESZCZYNSKI ERIC C. , VISKER JOSEPH R. , FERGUSON DAVID P.
Published: May 2019

Introduction

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of growth restriction on the biological regulation of physical activity.

Methods

Using a cross-fostering, protein-restricted nutritive model, mice were growth-restricted during either gestation (GUN; N = 3 litters) or postnatal life (PUN; N = 3 litters). At 21 d of age, all mice pups were weaned and fed a nonrestrictive healthy diet for the remainder of the study. At 45 d of age, mice were individually housed in cages with free moving running wheels to assess physical activity engagement. At day 70, mice were euthanized, and the nucleus accumbens was analyzed for dopamine receptor 1 expression. Skeletal muscle fiber type and cross-sectional area of the soleus, extensor digitorom longus, and diaphragm were analyzed by immunohistochemistry. The soleus from the other hindleg was evaluated for calsequestrin 1 and annexin A6 expression.

Results

The PUN female mice (15,365 ± 8844 revolutions per day) had a reduction (P = 0.0221) in wheel revolutions per day as compared with the GUN (38,667 ± 8648 revolutions per day) and CON females (36,421.0 ± 6700 revolutions per day). The PUN female mice also expressed significantly higher dopamine receptor 1 compared (P = 0.0247) to the other groups. The PUN female soleus had a higher expression of calsequestrin 1, along with more type IIb fibers (P = 0.0398).

Conclusions

Growth restriction during lactation reduced physical activity in female mice by reducing the central drive to be active and displayed a more fatigable skeletal muscle phenotype.
Healthcare needs of the Muslim patient community in the undergraduate medical curriculum – Are we there?
Authors: Haq Hameed ul , Khan Rehan Ahmed , Yasmin Raheela
Published: May 2019

Objective: Muslim patients have a unique set of healthcare needs that are related to their faith. These are generally not formally addressed in the medical curricula. The study aimed to recommend additional content that would better tailor the undergraduate curriculum to cater to the needs of this large cohort – Muslim patients. This is with the expectation that patients would have their faith-related health queries resolved by healthcare providers.

Methods: A quantitative descriptive survey design was adopted. A 46-item questionnaire formulated through a literature review was put forth to experts using the Delphi Technique. Experts were selected based on having an academic rank of associate professor and above or medical education credentials. Three iterative rounds were conducted for exploring consensus over a period of five months. Panel agreement of >70% was the criteria for inclusion.

Results: Items were categorized under 7 subject themes: Medicine, Psychiatry, Surgery, Gynecology, Obstetrics, Medical Ethics, and Islamic Studies. Consensus was eventually reached for 41 out of 46 items. These topics included but were not limited to “The Muslim patient in Ramadan: to fast or not to fast?” and “Muslim women and decision-making on pregnancy termination”.

Conclusion: The study suggested that the topics proposed herein were in fact legitimate faith-related healthcare needs of Muslim patients. Their inclusion would add value to the undergraduate medical curriculum and would train practitioners to improve patient outcomes more holistically.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.3.861

How to cite this:Haq H, Khan RA, Yasmin R. Healthcare needs of the Muslim patient community in the undergraduate medical curriculum – Are we there?. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(3):836-841. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.3.861

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Intercultural Mediation and Accessibility in Heritage
Authors: HAMAOUI NAJWA KH , STAVROU CHRISTOS
Published: May 2019

This article aims to propose a strategy taking in consideration the accessibility of each European citizen to information in all its forms especially audio-visual Media and Heritage. It is known that interlingual mediators are playing a huge part in the world of Information and Communication with the involving difficulties of common core theory and training. Moreover, technology can be the ideal tool to enhance accessibility. Thus, mobile phone applications can offer sometimes both audio and visual content to Museum visitors as well as sign language and text. This part of our work clarifies the needs and the values of an adapted methodology for training.In addition, this project gives to inter-cultural mediators the opportunity to work and to research on different applications and software programs in screen-titling, dubbing, re-speaking and screen-titling for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, audio description and to obtain a training at professional agencies as well as to present a final assistance of quality.
On Legal Regulation of Accounting in Microenterprises: a Theoretical Aspect
Authors: Поленова С. , Polenova S.
Published: May 2019

Based on the analysis of specifi c features of microenterprises, real sources of fi nancing of their activities, limited business costs, economic interests of users of accounting information and accounting (fi nancial) statements, some theoretical components of the regulatory framework of accounting support of micro enterprises were analyzed and proposals for their improvement were justifi ed.
The Role of Business Processes in the Formation of the Account- Analytical “Road Map” of Increasing the National Wealth
Authors: Телеев Джамалутдин , Teleev Dzhamalutdin
Published: May 2019

Business processes carried out by organizations of all forms of ownership are the constituent elements of national wealth, which requires accounting refl ection and analytical management. To do this, the article draws up the road maps of the business process and the Strategy for the Scientifi c and Technological Development of the Russian Federation. This made it possible to determine the “input resources”, the operation and the “output resources”, with accounting assigned to the relevant accounts and the system of national accounts. Identifi cation of the identity of these indicators made it possible to form an accounting and analytical «road map» of the increment of national wealth.
Probability theory and mathematical statistics
Authors: Коган Ефим , Kogan Efim , Юрченко Алевтина , Yurchenko Alevtina
Published: May 2019

The textbook is written in accordance with the standard program of the course "Probability theory and mathematical statistics". A systematic presentation of the main sections of the elementary course of probability theory and mathematical statistics on random events, one-dimensional and two-dimensional random variables and the laws of their distribution, limit theorems of probability theory is given. The concepts and methods of mathematical statistics, the most commonly used in the statistical processing of experimental data. A large number of typical tasks and tasks for independent solution are given.
Meets the requirements of the Federal state educational standard of higher education of the last generation.
For students of various fields of study in the field of Humanities and natural Sciences. The textbook can be used by students for independent work and teachers for practical training.
The Dynamics of Learning and Competition in Schumpeterian Environments
Authors: Giustiziero Gianluigi , Kaul Aseem , Wu Brian
Published: May 2019

In this study, we examine the nature of Schumpeterian competition between entrants and incumbents. We argue that incumbents may respond to the threat of entry by either attacking the entrant or trying to learn from it, and that entrants, in turn, may react by either reciprocating the incumbent’s advances or retreating from it. Putting these competitive choices together, we develop a framework of four distinct potential scenarios of Schumpeterian competition. In particular, we emphasize a scenario we term creative divergence, wherein incumbents try to learn from entrants and build on their technologies, but their investments to do so cause entrants to retreat, resulting in diminishing returns to learning investments by incumbents. Exploratory analyses of the U.S. cardiovascular medical device industry find patterns consistent with the creative divergence scenario, with incumbent knowledge investments helping them to learn from entrants, but these learning benefits being undermined as entrants move away from incumbents.

The online appendices are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2018.1264 .
Range-compatible homomorphisms over the field with two elements
Authors: De Seguins Pazzis Clément
Published: May 2019

Let U and V be finite-dimensional vector spaces over a field K, and S be a linear subspace of the space L(U, V ) of all linear operators from U to V. A map F : S â V is called range-compatible when F(s) â Im s for all s â S. Previous work has classified all the range-compatible group homomorphisms provided that codimL(U,V )S â¤ 2 dim V â 3, except in the special case when K has only two elements and codimL(U,V )S = 2 dim V â 3. This article gives a thorough treatment of that special case. The results are partly based upon the recent classification of vector spaces of matrices with rank at most 2 over F2. As an application, the 2-dimensional non-reflexive operator spaces are classified over any field, and so do the affine subspaces of Mn,p(K) with lower-rank at least 2 and codimension 3.
The Hafnian and a Commutative Analogue of the Grassmann Algebra
Authors: Efimov Dmitry
Published: May 2019

A close relationship between the determinant, the pfaffian, and the Grassmann algebra is well-known. In this paper, a similar relation between the permanent, the hafnian, and a commutative analogue of the Grassmann algebra is described. Using the latter, some new properties of the hafnian are proved.
Proof of a Conjecture of Graham and Lovasz concerning Unimodality of Coefficients of the Distance Characteristic Polynomial of a Tree
Authors: Aalipour Ghodratollah , Abiad Aida , Berikkyzy Zhanar , Hogben Leslie , Kenter Franklin , Lin Jephian C.-H. , Tait Michael
Published: May 2019

The conjecture of Graham and Lov Ìasz that the (normalized) coefficients of the distance characteristic polynomial of a tree are unimodal is proved; it is also shown that the (normalized) coefficients are log-concave. Upper and lower bounds on the location of the peak are established.
Block Representation and Spectral Properties of Constant Sum Matrices
Authors: Hill Sally , Lettington Matthew , Schmidt Karl Michael
Published: May 2019

An equivalent representation of constant sum matrices in terms of block-structured matrices is given in this paper. This provides an easy way of constructing all constant sum matrices, including those with further symmetry properties. The block representation gives a convenient description of the dihedral equivalence of such matrices. It is also shown how it can be used to study their spectral properties, giving explicit formulae for eigenvalues and eigenvectors in special situations, as well as for quasi-inverses when these exist.
BOUNDS ON THE SUM OF MINIMUM SEMIDEFINITE RANK OF A GRAPH AND ITS COMPLEMENT
Authors: Narayan Sivaram , Sharawi Yousra
Published: May 2019

The minimum semi-definite rank (msr) of a graph is the minimum rank among all positive semi-definite matrices associated to the graph. The graph complement conjecture gives an upper bound for the sum of the msr of a graph and the msr of its complement. It is shown that when the msr of a graph is equal to its independence number, the graph complement conjecture holds with a better upper bound. Several sufficient conditions are provided for the msr of different classes of graphs to equal to its independence number.
A note on the matrix arithmetic-geometric mean inequality
Authors: Zhang Teng
Published: May 2019

This note proves the following inequality: If $n=3k$ for some positive integer $k$, then for any $n$ positive definite matrices $\bA_1,\bA_2,\dots,\bA_n$, the following inequality holds: \begin{equation*}\label{eq:main} \frac{1}{n^3} \, \Big\|\sum_{j_1,j_2,j_3=1}^{n}\bA_{j_1}\bA_{j_2}\bA_{j_3}\Big\| \,\geq\, \frac{(n-3)!}{n!} \, \Big\|\sum_{\substack{j_1,j_2,j_3=1,\\\text{$j_1$, $j_2$, $j_3$ all distinct}}}^{n}\bA_{j_1}\bA_{j_2}\bA_{j_3}\Big\|, \end{equation*} where $\|\cdot\|$ represents the operator norm. This inequality is a special case of a recent conjecture proposed by Recht and R\'{e} (2012).
On the Largest Distance (Signless Laplacian) Eigenvalue of Non-transmission-regular Graphs
Authors: Liu Shuting , Shu Jinlong , Xue Jie
Published: May 2019

Let $G=(V(G),E(G))$ be a $k$-connected graph with $n$ vertices and $m$ edges. Let $D(G)$ be the distance matrix of $G$. Suppose $\lambda_1(D)\geq \cdots \geq \lambda_n(D)$ are the $D$-eigenvalues of $G$. The transmission of $v_i \in V(G)$, denoted by $Tr_G(v_i)$ is defined to be the sum of distances from $v_i$ to all other vertices of $G$, i.e., the row sum $D_{i}(G)$ of $D(G)$ indexed by vertex $v_i$ and suppose that $D_1(G)\geq \cdots \geq D_n(G)$. The $Wiener~ index$ of $G$ denoted by $W(G)$ is given by $W(G)=\frac{1}{2}\sum_{i=1}^{n}D_i(G)$. Let $Tr(G)$ be the $n\times n$ diagonal matrix with its $(i,i)$-entry equal to $TrG(v_i)$. The distance signless Laplacian matrix of $G$ is defined as $D^Q(G)=Tr(G)+D(G)$ and its spectral radius is denoted by $\rho_1(D^Q(G))$ or $\rho_1$. A connected graph $G$ is said to be $t$-transmission-regular if $Tr_G(v_i) =t$ for every vertex $v_i\in V(G)$, otherwise, non-transmission-regular. In this paper, we respectively estimate $D_1(G)-\lambda_1(G)$ and $2D_1(G)-\rho_1(G)$ for a $k$-connected non-transmission-regular graph in different ways and compare these obtained results. And we conjecture that $D_1(G)-\lambda_1(G)>\frac{1}{n+1}$. Moreover, we show that the conjecture is valid for trees.
Bounds for the Completely Positive Rank of a Symmetric Matrix over a Tropical Semiring
Authors: Dolžan David , Oblak Polona
Published: May 2019

In this paper, an upper bound for the CP-rank of a matrix over a tropical semiring is obtained, according to the vertex clique cover of the graph prescribed by the positions of zero entries in the matrix. The graphs that beget the matrices with the lowest possible CP-ranks are studied, and it is proved that any such graph must have its diameter equal to $2$.
Fast verified computation for the solvent of the quadratic matrix equation
Authors: Miyajima Shinya
Published: May 2019

Two fast algorithms for numerically computing an interval matrix containing the solvent of the quadratic matrix equation $AX^2 + BX + C = 0$ with square matrices $A$, $B$, $C$ and $X$ are proposed. These algorithms require only cubic complexity, verify the uniqueness of the contained solvent, and do not involve iterative process. Let $\ap{X}$ be a numerical approximation to the solvent. The first and second algorithms are applicable when $A$ and $A\ap{X}+B$ are nonsingular and numerically computed eigenvector matrices of $\ap{X}^T$ and $\ap{X} + \inv{A}B$, and $\ap{X}^T$ and $\inv{(A\ap{X}+B)}A$ are not ill-conditioned, respectively. The first algorithm moreover verifies the dominance and minimality of the contained solvent. Numerical results show efficiency of the algorithms.
New Contributions to Semipositive and Minimally Semipositive Matrices
Authors: Choudhury Projesh , Kannan Rajesh , Sivakumar K.
Published: May 2019

Semipositive matrices (matrices that map at least one nonnegative vector to a positive vector) and minimally semipositive matrices (semipositive matrices whose no column-deleted submatrix is semipositive) are well studied in matrix theory. In this article, this notion is revisited and new results are presented. It is shown that the set of all $m \times n$ minimally semipositive matrices contains a basis for the linear space of all $m \times n$ matrices. Apart from considerations involving principal pivot transforms and the Schur complement, results on semipositivity and/or minimal semipositivity for the following classes of matrices are presented: intervals of rectangular matrices, skew-symmetric and almost skew-symmetric matrices, copositive matrices, $N$-matrices, almost $N$-matrices and almost $P$-matrices.
Rank Function and Outer Inverses
Authors: Karantha Manjunatha Prasad , Bhat K. Nayan , Mishra Nupur Nandini
Published: May 2019

For the class of matrices over a field, the notion of `rank of a matrix' as defined by `the dimension of subspace generated by columns of that matrix' is folklore and cannot be generalized to the class of matrices over an arbitrary commutative ring. The `determinantal rank' defined by the size of largest submatrix having nonzero determinant, which is same as the column rank of given matrix when the commutative ring under consideration is a field, was considered to be the best alternative for the `rank' in the class of matrices over a commutative ring. Even this determinantal rank and the McCoy rank are not so efficient in describing several characteristics of matrices like in the case of discussing solvability of linear system. In the present article, the `rank--function' associated with the matrix as defined in [{\it Solvability of linear equations and rank--function}, K. Manjunatha Prasad, \url{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00927879708825854}] is discussed and the same is used to provide a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an outer inverse with specific column space and row space. Also, a rank condition is presented for the existence of Drazin inverse, as a special case of an outer inverse, and an iterative procedure to verify the same in terms of sum of principal minors of the given square matrix over a commutative ring is discussed.
Algebraic Methods for the Construction of Algebraic-Difference Equations With Desired Behavior
Authors: Moysis Lazaros , Karampetakis Nicholas
Published: May 2019

For a given system of algebraic and difference equations, written as an Auto-Regressive (AR) representation $A(\sigma)\beta(k)=0$, where $\sigma $ denotes the shift forward operator and $A\left( \sigma \right) $ a regular polynomial matrix, the forward-backward behavior of this system can be constructed by using the finite and infinite elementary divisor structure of $A\left( \sigma \right) $. This work studies the inverse problem: Given a specific forward-backward behavior, find a family of regular or non-regular polynomial matrices $A\left( \sigma \right) $, such that the constructed system $A\left( \sigma \right) \beta \left( k\right) =0$ has exactly the prescribed behavior. It is proved that this problem can be reduced either to a linear system of equations problem or to an interpolation problem and an algorithm is proposed for constructing a system satisfying a given forward and/or backward behavior.
Two linear preserver problems on graphs
Authors: Hu Yanan , Lyu Zhenhua
Published: May 2019

Let n, t, k be integers such that 3 â¤ t,k â¤ n. Denote by G_n the set of graphs with vertex set {1,2,...,n}. In this paper, the complete linear transformations on G_n mapping K_t-free graphs to K_t-free graphs are characterized. The complete linear transformations on G_n mapping C_k-free graphs to C_k-free graphs are also characterized when n â¥ 6.
A note on linear preservers of semipositive and minimally semipositive matrices
Authors: Choudhury Projesh , Kannan Rajesh , Sivakumar K.
Published: May 2019

Semipositive matrices (matrices that map at least one nonnegative vector to a positive vector) and minimally semipositive matrices (semipositive matrices whose no column-deleted submatrix is semipositive) are well studied in matrix theory. In this short note, the structure of linear maps which preserve the set of all semipositive/minimally semipositive matrices is studied. An open problem is solved, and some ambiguities in the article [J. Dorsey, T. Gannon, N. Jacobson, C.R. Johnson and M. Turnansky. Linear preservers of semi-positive matrices. {\em Linear and Multilinear Algebra}, 64:1853--1862, 2016.] are clarified.
Inequalities between $\mid A\mid + \mid B\mid $ and $\mid A^{*} \mid + \mid B^{*} \mid$
Authors: Zhang Yun
Published: May 2019

Let $A$ and $B$ be complex square matrices. Some inequalities between $\mid A \mid + \mid B \mid$ and $\mid A^{*} \mid + \mid B^{*} \mid$ are established. Applications of these inequalities are also given. For example, in the Frobenius norm, $$ \parallel\, A+B \,\parallel_{F} \leq \sqrt[4]{2} \parallel \mid A\mid + \mid B\mid \, \parallel_{F}. $$
Greening the Concept of State Crime
Authors: Heydon James
Published: May 2019

Green criminologists often deploy the notion of harm to capture patterns of environmental victimization sitting outside the narrow and legalistic confines of environmental “crime”. In doing so, their analytical gaze is cast wide, resulting in a lack of focus on states and their specific obligations to protect citizens from such victimization. The current article addresses this by using the dialectic conception of state crime to direct criminological attention towards these obligations. Using its constituent elements of human rights, deviance and legitimacy, the article examines the state duty to protect environmental human rights, the importance of involving opposition groups in research on deviant state activity and the challenges faced by scholars attempting to evidence the illegitimacy of such practice. In doing so, the literature from state crime and green criminological scholarship is synthesized, resulting in a concept of state environmental crime that is of utility to both fields.
Denouncing Human Trafficking in China: North Korean Women's Memoirs as Evidence
Authors: García Ana Belén Martínez
Published: May 2019

China's policy of returning North Koreans without a previous screening of their particular cases goes against international agreements, such as the Refugee Convention and Protocol. Multiple organizations have discussed this issue, quoting from legal documents as well as anonymized interviews. What this essay aims to do is present autobiographical texts that deal with the same topic but from a personal point of view. The conditions of North Koreans in China, relived in testimonial accounts, deserve special attention because of their first-person account of victimization. This essay situates North Korean women's memoirs within the tradition of life writing for testimonial purposes, aimed at raising awareness of the critical absence of human rights in the context of North Korean refugees, and the ongoing atrocities committed against girls and women.
G. Barak,
Unchecked Corporate Power: Why the Crimes of Multinational Corporations are Routinized Away and What We Can do About It
Authors: Stańczak Dawid
Published: May 2019

None
A educação popular perante a questão das drogas: uma incursão no tema e um marco conceitual
Authors: Leite Ivonaldo
Published: May 2019

Este trabalho decorre de uma pesquisa de pós-doutorado mais ampla. Ele tem como objetivo desenvolver uma análise no sentido de apresentar uma perspectiva de abordagem sobre as drogas a partir da educação popular. Para atingir esse propósito, metodologicamente, apoia-se em dois pressupostos: 1) uma revisão da literatura em língua portuguesa, espanhola, francesa e inglesa; 2) a base teórica que foi utilizada na fundamentação de um estudo sobre a implementação da política uruguaia de descriminalização da Cannabis. Alguns dos seus resultados são, por exemplo, 1) a abordagem da educação popular sobre as drogas requer um escrutínio sócio-histórico delas no contexto da relação sociedade e desvio social; 2) a educação popular demanda uma mudança discursiva na forma de se referir às pessoas que usam drogas, na perspectiva de superar a linguagem estigmatizada; 3) o trabalho socioeducativo no âmbito das ações de redução de danos, sob a educação popular, implica conhecimentos interdisciplinares. Dentre as conclusões, afirma-se que o estudo das drogas necessita ser situado analiticamente no plano social, e não na esfera dos fatores individuais, que tendem a definir o seu uso como uma patologia estritamente pessoal.
A rua é minha casa: condições de vida de pessoas em situação de rua em um município de Santa Catarina
Authors: Duarte Junior Carlos Francisco , Lima Duarte da Silva Cláudia Regina , Da Ros Marco Aurélio , Boso Ana Claudia
Published: May 2019

A população em situação de rua constitui um grupo de pessoas que está Ã  margem da sociedade. Considerando que as condições sociais são determinantes do processo saúde-doença, as iniquidades sociais acabam por tornar essa população extremamente vulnerável ao adoecimento, visto que muitas de suas necessidades básicas não são contempladas. Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo conhecer histórias de vida e estratégias de sobrevivência de pessoas em situação de rua em um município de grande porte do estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil. Foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa em que cinco pessoas em situação de rua maiores de 18 anos participaram de uma entrevista semiestruturada. Os relatos das histórias de vida dos entrevistados foram organizados com base na técnica de análise de conteúdo de Bardin (2011) e neste artigo será discutida a categoria "Sobrevivendo nas ruas e às ruasâ€. Os dados da pesquisa permitiram identificar que as histórias de vida das pessoas em situação de rua no município em questão são marcadas por uma sucessão de tragédias, perdas, violências, exclusão social, dificuldade de acesso aos serviços públicos e negação aos direitos humanos e, paradoxalmente, algum sentimento de pertencimento, de identidade com grupo, de facilidades para sobrevivência.
Caminhos e desafios da articulação de projetos de extensão orientados pela educação popular: reflexões com base em experiência na Universidade Federal da Paraíba
Authors: Da Silva Alves Aline , Da Silva Santos Marcilane , Santos Carneiro Cruz Pedro José
Published: May 2019

O presente estudo pretende situar caminhos e desafios do processo histórico do Programa de Educação Popular em Saúde (PROGEPS) da Universidade Federal da Paraíba, enfatizando estratégias, metodologias, ações da articulação em rede de quatro projetos de extensão. Caracteriza-se como uma pesquisa qualitativa com coleta de dados por meio de fontes documentais. A presente pesquisa inferiu que a aproximação entre experiências extensionistas em educação popular pode fortalecer as possibilidades de criação de espaços institucionais de cunho crítico, proativo e participativo. Podem-se difundir, nas ações acadêmicas, metodologias orientadas para o desenvolvimento e aperfeiçoamento de trabalhos sociais, de estudos e de processos de formação voltados ao enfrentamento dos problemas sociais de grupos em situação de vulnerabilidade e exclusão. Assim, a dimensão do fazer dos projetos extrapola a prática comunitária e é capaz de propor alterações nos modos de pensar o fazer acadêmico como um todo. Um fazer voltado para a emancipação de sujeitos.
Pesquisa participativa com mulheres assentadas: possibilidades a partir da educação popular em saúde
Authors: De Campos Teixeira Iraí Maria , Waldenez Oliveira Maria , Sevilha Stofel Natália
Published: May 2019

Neste artigo apresentamos algumas reflexões teóricas e metodológicas oriundas de pesquisa participante com mulheres assentadas. Foram realizadas 24 idas a campo, dentre elas, 14 observações participantes, 9 entrevistas e uma roda de conversa. Nos primeiros encontros, conversamos sobre o andamento que daríamos à pesquisa anterior. Decidimos que a forma como planejam, se organizam, agem e se avaliam ao praticarem os cuidados à saúde seria um importante objeto desse estudo porque seus resultados possibilitam melhorar suas ações e também servirão de suporte para que outros grupos possam aprender com suas ações. Acreditamos na importá‚ncia de aprendermos com as formas de ser, de saber e de fazer das mulheres camponesas, cujas práticas de cuidado á€ saúde contribuem para a superação das desigualdades e desafios que lhes são impostos, para manutenção de sua sobrevivé‚ncia material e simbólica e para uma efetiva promoção da saúde da população do campo. Com esse trabalho, espera-se fortalecer as ações de cuidado á€ saúde realizadas por essas mulheres a partir de um processo dialógico de construção de pesquisa, que trará mais visibilidade às suas ações nos meios acadé‚micos, políticos e sociais.
O público e o privado em relação: a privatização da educação na rede estadual do Rio Grande do Sul
Authors: Estormovski Renata Cecilia
Published: May 2019

As redefinições do papel do Estado, impulsionadas pelo diagnóstico de crise do Estado, alteram as fronteiras entre o público e o privado e materializam políticas públicas que propõem processos de privatização da educação. Como discute Peroni (2015a), privatizar não significa unicamente alterar a propriedade das instituições, mas envolve estratégias e processos variados com profundas implicações para educação. Neste artigo, analisa-se uma das estratégias de privatização da educação na rede estadual do Rio Grande do Sul: o Programa Escola Melhor: Sociedade Melhor, que incentiva pessoas físicas e jurídicas a fazerem doações, reformas e ampliações em instituições da rede, desresponsabilizando o Estado. Como materiais de investigação estão os documentos (Lei, Decreto e Portaria) que esclarecem o funcionamento do projeto, matérias jornalísticas disponibilizadas no portal eletrônico da Secretaria de Educação, além da página do Programa, em que constam dados sobre seu funcionamento, sendo que tais dados serão confrontados com o referencial teórico-metodológico que embasa o estudo por meio de uma pesquisa bibliográfico-documental.
Desafios e possibilidades do método de educação popular na escola pública
Authors: Gonçalves Saggiomo Thaís , Silveira Azevedo Michele , Gonçalves Dias Vanessa , Rutz Bierhals Patricia
Published: May 2019

O artigo parte de reflexões e debates mais amplos realizados nos seguintes seminários: Fundamentos da Educação Popular I e Educação Popular na Escola Pública II, no Programa de Pós-Graduação da Universidade Federal de Pelotas - FaE/PPGE/UFPel. E tem por objetivo central refletir sobre as possibilidades de desenvolvimento do método de educação popular no contexto da escola pública. Para tanto, dialogamos ao longo deste ensaio com autores, como: Marx (1978), Freire (1987), Mészáros (2008), Paludo (2012; 2015), Frigotto (1985; 2002). Caracteriza-se enquanto um estudo de revisão teórica, sua perspectiva teórico-metodológica de abordagem da realidade é o materialismo histórico dialético, tendo como base os autores: Kosik (1995) e TriviÃ±os (1987). Na conclusão, argumenta-se que ao evidenciarmos o ambiente escolar como um espaço de potencialidades pedagógicas, reafirma-se neste, que o diálogo como instrumento político, quando articulado à práxis educativa num horizonte democrático, possibilita campo fértil no desafio de aproximar a educação popular como um método de trabalho no/do contexto da educação escolar.
A behavior genetic analysis of the relationship between humor styles and depression
Authors: Kfrerer Marisa L. , Martin Nicholas G. , Schermer Julie Aitken
Published: May 2019

The present study examined the relationship between humor styles and depression using two methods of examination: (1) the mean humor style differences between individuals who reported that they had been diagnosed with depression versus those who did not report being depressed; and (2) the phenotypic, genetic, and environmental correlations between humor styles and a short scale assessing depressed affect created from preexisting measures in archival data. Participants were 1154 adult Australians, consisting of 339 monozygotic twin pairs and 238 dizygotic twin pairs. With respect to mean differences, depressed individuals were found to use self-defeating humor more and self-enhancing humor less than non-depressed adults. When the depressed affect scale score was analyzed, negative correlations were found with both affiliative and self-enhancing humor. A positive correlation was found between depressed affect and both aggressive and self-defeating humor. These phenotypic correlations were also found to have some significant genetic and environmental correlations.
Dual-Buffer-Based Optical Datacenter Switch Design
Authors: Bhattacharya Pronaya , Tiwari Amod Kumar , Singh Arunendra
Published: May 2019

The unbounded growth of Cloud-based services and Internet-of-Things (IoT) using Software Defined Networking (SDN) has resulted in bandwidth requirements that have grown enormously over the years. To meet this exponential growth that is currently outpacing Moore’s Law, we need Optical Interconnection Networks (OIN) that can satisfy the user’s requirements. In a similar direction Arrayed Waveguide Gratings (AWG)-based optical interconnects have been heavily investigated in past and many switch designs have emerged over the period of time. This paper proposes a dual-buffer-based optical switch design where the primary buffer stores the contending packets, while the secondary input buffer stores the contending packets which are blocked by AWG for one slot duration only. Moreover, if a blocked packet is generated on the same node then All-Optical Negative Acknowledgement (AO-NACK) will be used for blocked packets. This paper investigates the various issues related to storage of blocked packets, the analysis is done both at physical and network layers in terms of bit error rate (BER) and packet loss probability, respectively. It is found that with proposed switch design BER is 10 times lower than the earlier design, and the number of re-transmitted packets at the load of 0.8, reduces to 26 from 32 as in earlier switch design.
Weak solutions for generalized p-Laplacian systems via Young measures
Authors: Azroul Elhoussine , Balaadich Farah
Published: May 2019

We prove the existence of weak solutions to a generalized p-Laplacian systems in degenerate form. The techniques of Young measure for elliptic systems are used to prove the existence result.
Opial type inequalities for double Riemann-Stieltjes integrals
Authors: Budak Hüseyin
Published: May 2019

In this paper, we establish some Opial type inequalities for Riemann-Stieltjes integrals of functions with two variables. The obtained inequalities generalize those previously demonstrated (see [2])
Hydrothermal synthesis and crystal structure of cylo[tetraaqua-bis(μ2-1,4-bis(1H-benzo[d]imidazol-1-yl)but-2-ene-κ2
N:N′)-bis(μ2-4-nitro-phthalate-κ2
O,O′)dinickel(II)], C26H23N5O8Ni
Authors: Wei-Dong Yin , Gui-Lian Li , Qian-Long Liu
Published: May 2019

C26H23N5O8Ni, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 15.4152(5) Å, b = 10.8836(3) Å, c = 16.1172(5) Å, β = 112.097(4)°, V = 2505.42(14) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0361, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0876, T = 293(2) K.