bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sufentanil Sublingual Tablet 30 mcg for the Management of Pain Following Abdominal Surgery: A Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled, Phase‐3 Study
Authors: Minkowitz Harold S. , Leiman David , Melson Timothy , Singla Neil , DiDonato Karen P. , Palmer Pamela P.
Published: October 2016

Background

Results from a phase‐3, prospective, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial evaluating sufentanil sublingual tablet 30 mcg (SST) for the management of pain after ambulatory abdominal surgery are presented.

Methods

Adults with American Society of Anesthesiologists status 1 to 3 scheduled to undergo abdominoplasty, open tension‐free inguinal hernioplasty, or laparoscopic abdominal surgery under general or spinal anesthesia that did not include intrathecal opioids during the operation were eligible. Opioid‐tolerant patients were excluded. The primary endpoint was the time‐weighted summed pain intensity difference to baseline (SPID) over 12 hours. Secondary endpoints included SPID over 24 and 48 hours, total pain relief, and patient and healthcare professional (HCP) global assessments.

Results

Overall, 161 patients were randomized to SST (N = 107) or placebo (N = 54); pain scores were recorded for up to 48 hours. SPID 12 was higher (greater pain intensity reduction from baseline) in the SST group compared with placebo (25.8 vs. 13.1; P < 0.001, with a difference of 12.7 [95% confidence interval 7.16, 18.23]). In the SST group, a greater proportion of patients and HCPs responded “good” or “excellent” on the global assessments compared with placebo (P < 0.001 for both). There was a numerically, but not statistically, higher incidence of nausea and headache in the SST group.

Conclusions

In patients following abdominal surgery in an ambulatory care setting, SST was an effective opioid analgesic in postoperative pain management. In addition, SST was well tolerated with mild‐to‐moderate side effects, similar to those found in placebo‐treated patients.
The theory of resilience and relational load
Authors: AFIFI TAMARA D. , MERRILL ANNE F. , DAVIS SHARDE
Published: October 2016

Resilience is one of the most profound constructs across disciplines. Yet, the largely atheoretical nature of the research on resilience continues to make it elusive. A new theory of stress and resilience in close relationships—the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL)—is advanced to fill this void in the literature. The theory bridges communicative, perceptual, and physiological aspects of stress within the context of social relationships to explain personal/relational risk, resilience, and thriving. The TRRL examines how relational partners' and family members' communal orientation and maintenance of their relationships on a daily basis influence their communication during stressful moments, as well as their appraisals of the stress. The theory also details how these communication patterns and appraisals influence personal and relational health and adaptation. Finally, the concept of relational load is set forth, which is the wear and tear that chronic stress and depletion of one's emotional, psychological, and relational resources through repeated, stress‐related conversations can have on relationships. Ultimately, people need to continually invest in their relationships to prevent relational load and foster resilience and possible thriving.
Mass cytometry reveals a distinct immunoprofile of operational tolerance in pediatric liver transplantation
Authors: Lau Audrey H. , Vitalone Matthew J. , Haas Kelly , Shawler Todd , Esquivel Carlos O. , Berquist William E. , Martinez Olivia M. , Castillo Ricardo O. , Krams Sheri M.
Published: October 2016

Long‐term IS in transplant patients has significant morbidity, poorer quality of life, and substantial economic costs. TOL, defined as graft acceptance without functional impairment in the absence of IS, has been achieved in some pediatric LT recipients. Using mass cytometry, peripheral blood immunotyping was performed to characterize differences between tolerant patients and patients who are stable on single‐agent IS. Single‐cell mass cytometry was performed using blood samples from a single‐center pediatric LT population of operationally tolerant patients to comprehensively characterize the immune cell populations in the tolerant state compared with patients on chronic low‐dose IS. Specific T‐cell populations of interest were confirmed by flow cytometry. This high‐dimensional phenotypic analysis revealed distinct immunoprofiles between transplant populations as well as aCD4+TOT(CD4+CD5+CD25+CD38−/loCD45RA) that correlates with tolerance in pediatric LT recipients. In TOL patients, theTOTwas significantly increased as compared to patients stable on low levels of IS. ThisTOTcell was confirmed by flow cytometry and is distinct from classic Treg cells. These results demonstrate the power of mass cytometry to discover significant immune cell signatures that have diagnostic potential.
Endoscopic antireflux surgery leading to obstruction in pediatric renal transplant patients
Authors: Cambareri Gina , Carpenter Christina , Stock Jeffrey , Lewis Jane , Marietti Sarah
Published: October 2016

To describe a multicenter experience with management of ureteral obstruction after injection of Dx/HA for VUR in pediatric renal transplant patients. The records of all pediatric renal transplant patients who underwent Dx/HA injection for VUR and had subsequent obstruction were identified, and the management and outcomes were reviewed. Follow‐up ranged from 1 to 10 years. There were four patients identified, all of whom had a history of rising creatinine, recurrent UTI, and increasing hydronephrosis which led to the diagnosis of high‐grade VUR. Obstruction was diagnosed within 24‐72 hours after injection in three patients. One patient was asymptomatic, and rising creatinine and hydronephrosis were noted 1 month after injection. One patient was managed expectantly, while three patients underwent ureteral stent placement. After the stent was removed, one patient went on to open reimplant due to delayed obstruction, the second patient with voiding dysfunction is currently managed with an indwelling ureteral stent and may require further definitive surgery, the third patient recovered, and the fourth is being observed. Our cases illustrate that despite initial successful management of the obstruction in some, delayed obstruction is possible and may necessitate open reimplant. It is imperative that these patients have close follow‐up after Dx/HA.
Simvastatin alleviates airway inflammation and remodelling through up‐regulation of autophagy in mouse models of asthma
Authors: Gu Wen , Cui Rong , Ding Tao , Li Xiaoming , Peng Juan , Xu Weiguo , Han Fengfeng , Guo Xuejun
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACT

Background and objective

Statins have been widely used in inflammatory diseases including asthma, because of their anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. It has been shown that simvastatin induces autophagy and cell death in some circumstances. However, the possible cross‐talk between simvastatin and autophagic processes in lung disease is largely unknown. Thus, we investigated the impact of simvastatin on airway inflammation and airway remodelling and the possible relationship of these processes to a simvastatin‐induced autophagic pathway in mouse models of asthma.

Methods

Ovalbumin (OVA)‐sensitized and challenged mice were treated with simvastatin and sacrificed. The autophagy‐related proteins Atg5, LC3B and Beclin1 were quantified, as well as the autophagy flux in bronchial smooth muscle cells (BSMCs). The relationship between airway inflammation and the autophagic process was investigated.

Results

We show that simvastatin treatment mediates activation of autophagy in BSMCs, which is correlated with airway inflammation and airway remodelling in mouse models of asthma. Simvastatin increases autophagy‐related protein Atg5, LC3B and Beclin1 expression and autophagosome formation in lung tissue. Simvastatin‐induced autophagy is associated with increased interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) and decreased IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13 cytokines production in BSMCs, as well as reversed extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition. In contrast, autophagy inhibitor 3‐methyladenine (3‐MA) eliminates the therapeutic effect of simvastatin.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate that simvastatin inhibits airway inflammation and airway remodelling through an activated autophagic process in BSMCs. We propose a crucial function of autophagy in statin‐based therapeutic approaches in asthma.
Effect of Parental Migration on Children's Health in Rural China
Authors: Guo Qian , Sun Wenkai , Wang Yijie
Published: October 2016

Using 2003–2006RCRE(Research Center for Rural Economy) panel data, we estimate the effect of parental migration on the health of children left behind, with a difference‐in‐differences and propensity score matching combined model. On average we do not find any significant effect on children's health; however, the effect varies among different groups. Children's health may improve as a result of parental migration in families with lower income in the base year and families with higher‐income growth rates. Furthermore, children's health may deteriorate with maternal migration but improve with longer distance of paternal migration and longer time of paternal migration. We argue that parental migration affects children's health through complex mechanisms: income increase may have a positive impact while decreased parental care may have a negative effect. The two effects seem to offset each other in rural China.
Paths towards Family‐friendly Working Time Arrangements: Comparing Workplaces in Different Countries and Industries
Authors: Wiß Tobias
Published: October 2016

Although studies have examined the distribution and conditions of employer‐provided work–family arrangements, we still lack a systematic investigation of how these vary for different countries and industries. Based on the European Working Conditions Survey 2010, this study examines the conditions under which firms provide family‐friendly working time arrangements and what the differences are across four countries (Austria, Denmark, Italy and the UK) and four industries. The impact of employee representatives, employee involvement, manager support and female managers varies across countries and industries because of the institutional environment (prevailing family model, industrial relations) and workforce composition (gender). The impact of employee representatives depends on their co‐determination rights, and the direction of their effect on the prevailing family model (e.g. negative in conservative countries such as Austria) and the gender composition of the workforce (negative in male‐dominated production, but positive in services). Employee involvement in the work organization is significantly positive in Austria and Denmark (both with co‐operative industrial relations), while manager support has the strongest effect in the UK (liberal regime). At the industry level, female supervisors are positively associated with family‐friendly working time arrangements only in the male‐dominated production industry. These findings suggest that the effects of agency variables and their direction vary depending on the institutional context.
Reflectance confocal microscopy for the evaluation of sensitive skin
Authors: Ma Y.‐F. , Yuan C. , Jiang W.‐C. , Wang X.‐L. , Humbert P.
Published: October 2016

Background

Nowadays, the diagnosis for sensitive skin relies on subjective assessment or on the combination of subjective and objective evaluation. No quantitative evaluation is available. It could be expected that confocal microscopy imaging could be of interest to better define the condition.

Methods

Total 166 healthy female subjects were recruited in this study. Firstly, all subjects completed the sensitive questionnaire. Then, the cutaneous structures were measured by the reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) on the face and fossa cubitalia. The lactic acid sting test was conducted finally. According to the results of self‐perception sensitive skin questionnaire and lactic acid stinging test to evaluate facial skin sensitivity the both positive subjects were regarded as sensitive skin group and both negative group as healthy control group.

Result

The results of RCM indicating that the proportion of ‘disarranged honeycomb pattern’ and ‘spongiform edema’ in the sensitive group and healthy control group were statistically different (P < 0.05), respectively; The following report ‘damaged dermal papilla rings’ was not a distinctive pattern, with no significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). The epidermal thickness was 38.88 ± 6.81 μm, healthy control group was 40.31 ± 9.37 μm in, respectively, sensitive skin group and healthy control group, there was no significant statistical difference between the two groups (P > 0.05). The honeycomb structure depth of sensitive group was 20.57 ± 4.86 μm. It was for 23.27 ± 6.38 μm, healthy control group the difference being statistically different between the two groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Based on the RCM results, ‘epidermal honeycomb structure’ and ‘spongiform edema’ may be used as new skin signs of RCM evaluation of sensitive skin effectively. Indeed, sensitive skin honeycomb structure depth was thinner compared with healthy control group. Such a specific pattern has good clinical and monitoring value for the further exploration. RCM could provide new data and patterns for the evaluation of sensitive skin.
A Convenient Truth: University Employees as Heterogeneous and Inexpensive Experimental Samples
Authors: Kelly Dimitri , Vidal Logan , Burden Barry C.
Published: October 2016

Objectives

Building on work by Kam, Wilking, and Zechmeister, we argue that academic researchers ought to make greater use of campus employees for survey experiments. For applications where a representative sample is unattainable and student samples provide too little variation on key characteristics, staff members provide an inexpensive alternative that offers greater statistical leverage and the ability to detect conditional treatment effects

Methods

Using an e‐mail survey experiment conducted on employees at a large public university, we explore how two modest incentives for participation affect the quantity and quality of responses.

Results

While overall differences among conditions are modest, a cash lottery generates somewhat higher response rates with little effect on sociodemographic skew or level of satisficing. The condition offering a charitable contribution fared worse on both counts.

Conclusion

University employees provide a convenient, heterogeneous, and inexpensive population for experimental studies.
A novel allele, HLA‐A*33:97 was identified in a Chinese bone marrow donor
Authors: Zhu F.‐M. , Zhang W. , Chen N.‐Y. , Dong L.‐N. , He J.
Published: October 2016

HLA‐A*33:97 has one base substitution at position 287 A>T in exon 2 compared to HLA‐A*33:03:01.
The Muzakki’s Compliance to Pay Income Zakat at the Kelantan Islamic and Malay Customs Council (MAIK): An Analysis of the Influencing Factors
Authors: Mohd Yusoff Nur Farhana , Hanapi Mohd Shukri
Published: October 2016

The obligation to pay income zakat has a significant effect on increasing the total collection of income zakat in Kelantan. Income zakat here refers to zakat that is liable on earnings that include emoluments and other forms of income. The Kelantan Islamic Religion and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) made this mandatory in Kelantan on 16 March 1999. The creation of this fatwa (religious decree) had inadvertently affected the increase in total collection of income zakat in Kelantan. For example, from 2001 to 2013, the percentage of zakat collected had increased to 18.55%, from 5.98%. The question is, what are the factors that influence the compliance by the muzakki to pay income zakat at MAIK? This qualitative study used primary and secondary data. The primary data was obtained by distributing questionnaires to respondents, whereas the secondary data was obtained from previous studies and literature reviews related to the compliance to pay income zakat. All the data were analysed using the content analysis method. Lastly, this study found that the factors that influenced the muzakki compliance to pay income zakat at MAIK were factors such as the level of satisfaction, needs of the state, attitude towards the state, facilities, confidence and quality of service.
Tinjauan Relevansi Tret Personaliti Kaunselor Muslim di Institusi Pendidikan Tinggi Melalui Profil Personaliti TAJMA
Authors: Hj Abu Kassim Hasbullah , Baharuddin Ahmad Syukran , Ninggal Mohd Tajudin
Published: October 2016

The psychometric knowledge base created by the West to dominate the psychological counseling in the national higher education sector. Towards Independence Day celebration of the country to 59 years, it was time for psychological counseling knowledge groove countries on the psychometric creation by local Muslims scholar's. This paper discusses the relevance of two (2) trait of 12 personality traits through Islam by psychometric perspective TAJMA Personality Profile. This finding would indicate empirical personality traits necessary to be  a Muslim counselor in the improvement of guidance and counseling services organization. Data from 27 Muslim counselors in higher education institutions Malaysia were analyzed and as a conclusion, personality trait of Assertive and Caring among muslim counsellors are salient for improving their competence and knowledge.
Kepatuhan Pengiraan Zakat Pendapatan Kumpulan Profesional di Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris
Authors: Muhammad Fidlizan , Abdul Razak Azila , Abdul Hadi Fatimah Salwa , Saidin Nor Hamizah
Published: October 2016

Sumber pendapatan seseorang individu daripada penggajian semasa adalah pelbagai dan berbeza mengikut sektor pekerjaan  dan jawatan. Selain pendapatan dikenali gaji pokok, seseorang pekerja turut menikmati pendapatan berbentuk elaun, bonus, insentif dan sebagainya sama ada secara bulanan atau tahunan. Bagi kumpulan profesional pula, pendapatan sampingan turut diperoleh menerusi  aktiviti perundingan atau kepakaran, penyeliaan, penyelidikan dan sebagainya. Memandangkan sumber pendapatan ini semakin meluas, kepatuhan dalam menghitung jumlah pendapatan yang perlu ditunaikan zakat adalah signifikan. Sehubungan itu, setiap individu Muslim berkelayakan perlu menunaikan zakat pendapatan bagi memastikan harta yang dicari dan diperoleh adalah bersih daripada hak orang lain di dalamnya. Justeru itu, kajian ini bertujuan mengenal pasti tahap kepatuhan zakat pendapatan yang dilihat dari aspek pengiraan jumlah pendapatan daripada setiap sumber penggajian yang diperoleh. Kajian ini menggunakan analisis deskriptif daripada 10 sumber pendapatan diperoleh oleh kakitangan akademik melibatkan 112 orang kakitangan akademik Muslim yang berkhidmat di Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Perak sebagai responden kajian. Hasil analisis menunjukkan tahap pengetahuan mengenai sumber penggajian yang perlu dihitung dalam pengiraan zakat adalah tinggi bagi gaji pokok dan elaun tetap bulanan dan tahap sederhana dan rendah bagi sumber-sumber lain. Tahap pengetahuan ini didapati merupakan punca kepada ketidakupayaan responden untuk menghitung pendapatan sebenar dalam pengiraan zakat pendapatan.  Implikasi kajian ini menunjukkan keperluan kepada pihak berautoriti untuk memberikan lebih penerangan berkaitan zakat pendapatan bagi memastikan pemilikan harta individu lebih bersih serta meningkatkan keadilan dalam agihan kekayaan.
Model Regressi Penggunaan Rangkaian Sosial Pendidikan
Authors: Shamsudin Nur Amalina , Aris Baharuddin , Rosli Mohd Shafie
Published: October 2016

Tujuan kajian ini adalah untuk mengkaji kekerapan penggunaan rangkaian sosial dalam kalangan pelajar sarjana teknologi pendidikan di Universiti Teknologi Malaysia serta mengkaji faktor-faktor penggunaannya. Kajian ini menggunakan rekabentuk kajian tinjauan, soal selidik digunakan sebagai instrumen kajian dan 70 orang sampel kajian dilibatkan menggunakan kaedah persampelan rawak mudah. Faktor penggunaan dibahagikan kepada empat faktor iaitu faktor teknologi, faktor pendedahan, faktor kandungan serta faktor pengaruh sosial. Kebolehpercayaan instrumen kajian adalah 0.88. Ujian regresi pelbagai kaedah prosedur penyelesaian ke belakang digunakan bagi membangunkan model regressi penggunaan rangkaian sosial pendidikan. Hasil dapatan kajian mencadangkan pembangunan fizikal tidak perlu difokuskan, namun pembangunan infrastruktur bagi tujuan menyokong pembelajaran ubiquitous adalah disarankan.
Function Module Partition for Complex Products and Systems Based on Weighted and Directed Complex Networks
Authors: Li Yupeng , Wang Zhaotong , Zhang Lei , Chu Xuening , Xue Deyi
Published: October 2016

Modular design is an effective approach to shorten lead-time and reduce cost for development of complex products and systems (CoPS). Because the physical details of the product are not available at the conceptual design stage, considerations in the downstream product development phases such as manufacturing and assembly cannot be used for partition of modules at the conceptual design stage. Since design solution at the conceptual design stage can be modeled by functions and relationships among these functions such as function flows including information flows, material flows, and energy flows, a novel approach is introduced in this research for function module partition of CoPS through community detection using weighted and directed complex networks (WDCN). First, the function structure is obtained and mapped into a weighted and directed complex network. Based on the similarity between behaviors of communities in WDCN and behaviors of modules in CoPS, a LinkRank-based community detection approach is employed for function module partition through optimization with simulated annealing. The function module partition for the power mechanism in a large tonnage crawler crane is conducted as a case study to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed approach.
Chebyshev Wavelet Quasilinearization Scheme for Coupled Nonlinear Sine-Gordon Equations
Authors: Harish Kumar K. , Antony Vijesh V.
Published: October 2016

Radial basis function (RBF) has been found useful for solving coupled sine-Gordon equation with initial and boundary conditions. Though this approach produces moderate accuracy in a larger domain, it requires more grid points. In the present study, we develop an alternative numerical scheme for solving one-dimensional coupled sine-Gordon equation to improve accuracy and to reduce grid points. To achieve these objectives, we make use of a wavelet scheme and solve coupled sine-Gordon equation. Based on the numerical results from the wavelet-based scheme, we conclude that our proposed method is more efficient than the radial basic function method in terms of accuracy.
Further Comments on Taylor Series Expansion of the Delay/Advance Operator
Authors: García-Ramírez Eduardo , Peñaloza-Mejía Ollin , Moog Claude H.
Published: October 2016

The limitations of the Taylor series approximations of the delayed variables have been documented by means of examples in several works. This note unifies these previous comments through a higher-level analysis of the issue. It is shown that the use of the truncated Taylor series expansion of the (inverse) advance operator does not feature the same drawbacks.
Thriving in a Net-Zero Office—Looking Beyond Energy to Create Quality in Human Work Spaces
Authors: Hutchinson Robert
Published: October 2016

Better energy performance (i.e., net-zero or carbon neutral) is not the only dimension where better buildings quality is needed. It may just be the easiest one to measure. Three interrelated dimensions—productivity and its cousins, health and comfort—are the next in line. The building of the future will bring far more intelligence—and quality—to those dimensions, in order to compete for occupants and potentially to help to pay for the efficiency needed on the energy side. The economics of productivity and health gains or losses can dwarf—in upside or downside—what happens on the energy front. This paper describes specific drivers of health and productivity and comfort, and discusses their use in the design and occupancy of Rocky Mountain Institute’s (RMI’s) new net-zero building in Colorado as a test case to look at design and occupant engagement issues. The paper details the most important design and behavior tradeoffs encountered, and discusses paths to effectively resolving them and accelerating change.
An experimental demonstration of a new type of proton computed tomography using a novel silicon tracking detector
Authors: Taylor J. T. , Poludniowski G. , Price T. , Waltham C. , Allport P. P. , Casse G. L. , Esposito M. , Evans P. M. , Green S. , Manger S. , Manolopoulos S. , Nieto‐Camero J. , Parker D. J. , Symons J. , Allinson N. M.
Published: October 2016

Purpose

Radiography and tomography using proton beams promise benefit to image guidance and treatment planning for proton therapy. A novel proton tracking detector is described and experimental demonstrations at a therapy facility are reported. A new type of proton CT reconstructing relative “scattering power” rather than “stopping power” is also demonstrated. Notably, this new type of imaging does not require the measurement of the residual energies of the protons.

Methods

A large area, silicon microstrip tracker with high spatial and temporal resolution has been developed by the Proton Radiotherapy Verification and Dosimetry Applications consortium and commissioned using beams of protons at iThemba LABS, Medical Radiation Department, South Africa. The tracker comprises twelve planes of silicon developed using technology from high energy physics with each plane having an active area of ∼10 × 10 cm segmented into 2048 microstrips. The tracker is organized into four separate units each containing three detectors at 60° to one another creating an x‐u‐v coordinate system. Pairs of tracking units are used to reconstruct vertices for protons entering and exiting a phantom containing tissue equivalent inserts. By measuring the position and direction of each proton before and after the phantom, the nonlinear path for each proton through an object can be reconstructed.

Results

Experimental results are reported for tracking the path of protons with initial energies of 125 and 191 MeV. A spherical phantom of 75 mm diameter was imaged by positioning it between the entrance and exit detectors of the tracker. Positions and directions of individual protons were used to create angular distributions and 2D fluence maps of the beam. These results were acquired for 36 equally spaced projections spanning 180°, allowing, for the first time, an experimental CT image based upon the relative scattering power of protons to be reconstructed.

Conclusions

Successful tracking of protons through a thick target (phantom) has demonstrated that the tracker discussed in this paper can provide the precise directional information needed to perform proton radiography and tomography. When synchronized with a range telescope, this could enable the reconstruction of proton CT images of stopping power. Furthermore, by measuring the deflection of many protons through a phantom, it was demonstrated that it is possible to reconstruct a new kind of CT image (scattering power) based upon this tracking information alone.
Short- and Long-term Retention of Challenge Course Outcomes: A Classroom-based Longitudinal Study
Authors: Schary David P. , Wozniak Tyler , Jenny Seth E. , Morrow Geoffrey S.
Published: October 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the retention of challenge course outcomes with the addition of intentional follow-up activities. The Challenge Course Experience Questionnaire (CCEQ) was administered to 101 participants in an introductory college course. The sample was divided into two separate groups: experimental group (EG; n = 67) and control group (CG; n = 34). Both groups completed a classroom-based challenge course program. Participants in the EG also included guided reflection-based activities throughout the semester and a facilitator-led activity. The CG only participated in the initial challenge course program. All participants significantly increased in CCEQ variables immediately following the program. However, the three-month follow-up revealed that the majority of variables decreased to preprogram levels for both groups. However, the variables had larger decreases in the CG. These findings have implications for challenge course programming in terms of long-term outcome retention. Suggestions for facilitators and future research are provided.
Ticket and Sponsorship Sales: Student Perceptions of Learning Through Revenue Generation Projects
Authors: Wanless Elizabeth A. , Brewer Ryan M. , Johnson James E. , Judge Lawrence W.
Published: October 2016

To prepare students for employment in sport, many sport management programs involve students in revenue generation activities, such as ticket or sponsorship sales. Literature evaluating student perceptions of this specific type of experiential learning remains sparse. This constructivist qualitative study evaluated student perceptions of learning from two courses containing experiential revenue generation projects. Data were gathered via structured-question electronic survey. Fifty-one of 60 students participated. Results generally supported previous research conclusions; conducting experiential learning projects increases skill and professional development and offers a realistic career preview but demands significant time commitment. Important contradictions, however, were present in comparison with past literature. The unique nature of sales-based projects involving students in ticket sales and sponsorship sales served as a platform for students to develop critically important interpersonal skills. This benefit was not identified in studies evaluating experiential learning opportunities that did not contain a sales-based component.
Hacking T cells with synthetic circuits to program antitumor responses
Authors: Wood Kris C.
Published: October 2016

T cells are engineered to activate modular, user-specified antitumor programs in response to defined antigens.
Mechanism of Gene Regulation by a Staphylococcus aureus Toxin
Authors: Joo Hwang-Soo , Chatterjee Som S. , Villaruz Amer E. , Dickey Seth W. , Tan Vee Y. , Chen Yan , Sturdevant Daniel E. , Ricklefs Stacy M. , Otto Michael
Published: October 2016

The virulence of many bacterial pathogens, including the important human pathogen
Staphylococcus aureus
, depends on the secretion of frequently large amounts of toxins. Toxin production involves the need for the bacteria to make physiological adjustments for energy conservation. While toxins are primarily targets of gene regulation, such changes may be accomplished by regulatory functions of the toxins themselves. However, mechanisms by which toxins regulate gene expression have remained poorly understood. We show here that the staphylococcal phenol-soluble modulin (PSM) toxins have gene regulatory functions that, in particular, include inducing expression of their own transport system by direct interference with a GntR-type repressor protein. This capacity was most pronounced in PSMs with low cytolytic capacity, demonstrating functional specification among closely related members of that toxin family during evolution. Our study presents a molecular mechanism of gene regulation by a bacterial toxin that adapts bacterial physiology to enhanced toxin production.

IMPORTANCE
Toxins play a major role in many bacterial diseases. When toxins are produced during infection, the bacteria need to balance this energy-consuming task with other physiological processes. However, it has remained poorly understood how toxins can impact gene expression to trigger such adaptations. We found that specific members of a toxin family in the major human pathogen
Staphylococcus aureus
have evolved for gene regulatory purposes. These specific toxins interact with a DNA-binding regulator protein to enable production of the toxin export machinery and ascertain that the machinery is not expressed when toxins are not made and it is not needed. Our study gives mechanistic insight into how toxins may directly adjust bacterial physiology to times of toxin production during infection.
Systemic sarcoidosis first manifesting in a tattoo in the setting of immune checkpoint inhibition
Authors: Kim Charissa , Gao Jianjun , Shannon Vickie R , Siefker-Radtke Arlene
Published: October 2016

The use of immune checkpoint inhibitors is revolutionising the treatment of cancer. However, their unique toxicity profile is substantially different from what has been observed with traditional chemotherapy, resulting in a novel learning curve for medical oncologists. Early recognition of these toxicities can make a substantial impact in ameliorating these side effects in the oncological and medical–surgical fields. Here, we present a case of Lofgren syndrome sarcoidosis, which first manifested in a tattoo in a patient with metastatic urothelial cancer on therapy with anti-CTLA-4 (ipilimumab) and anti-PD1 (nivolumab).
Amyloidosis: an unusual cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Siau Keith , Elzubeir Amera , Cooper Sheldon C , Iqbal Tariq
Published: October 2016

We report a rare case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a 55-year-old man with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance presenting with abdominal pain, weight loss and melaena. Gastroscopy was unremarkable, but melaena persisted, with the development of symptomatic anaemia. While colonoscopy excluded a lower gastrointestinal aetiology, CT revealed jejunitis, confirmed at capsule endoscopy. Histopathological examination of specimens obtained at single balloon enteroscopy revealed an unusual aetiology: small bowel AL-amyloidosis. We review his clinical presentation, radiological, endoscopic and histological findings and review the literature of this unusual condition.
Invasive thymoma presenting as classic superior vena cava syndrome: a case of venous spread metastasis
Authors: Panda Prasan Kumar , Wig Naveet , Kumar Sanjeev , Arava Sudheer
Published: October 2016

The approach to an intrinsic cause of superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is usually difficult but rewarding. We report a case of a middle-aged man who presented with progressive oedema of the upper half of the body, dyspnoea, cough and weight loss for a 1-year duration. He was a non-smoker without prior hospitalisation. Chest radiography showed right-sided pleural effusion with an apparent normal superior mediastinum. Contrast-enhanced CT of the chest revealed a right atrial mass extending and completely obliterating to superior vena cava. The differentials were tuberculosis, invasive fungal granuloma, sarcoidosis, primary vasculitis, chronic venous thrombosis, cardiac sarcoma/lymphoma and metastatic thyroid tumour or thymoma. He underwent transvenous (femoral approach) biopsy of the mass and then cardiothoracic surgery after haemodynamic instability. Pathology showed invasive thymoma type B3. This case highlights the approach to an intrinsic cause of SVCS, a complication of the transvenous approach, and importantly a noble finding of venous spread metastasis.
A quality improvement initiative on the management of osteoporosis in older people with Parkinsonism
Authors: Singh Inderpal , Fletcher Rachel , Scanlon Linda , Tyler Mandy , Aithal Shridhar
Published: October 2016

The risk of falls is higher in patients with people with Parkinsonism (PwP) compared to those without Parkinsonism, and leads to adverse outcomes including fragility fractures. Osteoporosis is under-recognised, and the prevalence of fragility fractures in not well studied. The primary aim of this project is for 100% of new patient referrals to, and 80% of follow up patients within the movement disorder (MD) service with osteoporosis to be treated in accordance with evidence based osteoporosis guidance.

Routinely captured information regarding demographics and fragility fractures was retrospectively extracted from the clinical workstation, clinic letters, and clinical coding between July and November 2015. The prevalence of fragility fracture was 22.6% (68/300), and only 40% (27/68) were on appropriate treatment for osteoporosis.

A quality improvement (QI) methodology based on the model of improvement, Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were used, and a monthly multidisciplinary team (MDT) meeting was introduced.

This QI initiative has shown that MDT input can reduce referrals to physiotherapists; and also 100% of new patients, and 91% of follow up patients received evidence based osteoporosis treatment.
Fentanyl and methadone used as adjuncts to bupivacaine for lumbosacral epidural analgesia in sheep
Authors: DeRossi R. , Pagliosa R. C. , de Carvalho A. Q. , Macedo G. G. , Hermeto L. C.
Published: October 2016

Six healthy, female, mixed‐breed 18–24‐month‐old sheep weighing 30–48 kg were submitted to lumbosacral epidural bupivacaine in combination with either methadone or fentanyl. Epidural catheters were placed in six sheep that were given three treatments: (Bup) bupivacaine (0.5 mg/kg) alone; (BupMet) bupivacaine (0.25 mg/kg) plus methadone (0.3 mg/kg); and (BupFent) bupivacaine (0.25 mg/kg) plus fentanyl (0.002 mg/kg). Haemodynamic variables, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, analgesia by applying a standard painful stimulus, motor block and sedative scores were compared among the three treatments. These parameters were determined before epidural administration and at 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120 minutes after treatment administration, and then every 60 minutes thereafter until the end of analgesic effect. Parametrical data were analysed by proc glimmix (SAS) for repeated measures on time and means tested by ls‐means. Non‐parametrical data were analysed by Fisher's exact test. Duration of analgesia was longer with BupMet (240 minutes) compared with BupFent (180 minutes; P=0.0127), but BupMet was similar to Bup (240 minutes). Both treatments with opioids produced moderate motor blockade. BupMet and BupFent produced mild sedation. Only treatment with bupivacaine alone induced cardiovascular and respiratory rate changes that stayed within acceptable limits.
Does exercise pose a challenge to glucoregulation after clinical islet transplantation?
Authors: Funk Deanna R. , Boulé Normand G. , Senior Peter A. , Yardley Jane E.
Published: October 2016

Islet transplantation (ITx) is effective in preventing severe hypoglycemia by restoring glucose-dependent insulin secretion in type 1 diabetes (T1D), but may not normalize glucose regulation. Studies suggest that physical activity plays a role in maintaining β-cell mass and function in individuals with type 2 diabetes and animal models of diabetes. This could indicate that physical activity plays a role in graft survival in ITx recipients. This review’s objective is to assess current knowledge related to physical activity in ITx recipients. Responses to other challenges in blood glucose control (i.e., hypoglycemia) in human ITx recipients were examined to provide in-depth background information. To identify studies involving exercise in ITx recipients, a systematic search was performed using PubMed, Medline, and Embase, which revealed 277 English language publications. Publications were excluded if they did not involve ITx recipients; did not involve physical activity or hypoglycemia; or did not report on glucose, insulin, or counterregulatory hormones. During induced hypoglycemia, studies indicate normal suppression of insulin in ITx individuals compared with healthy non-T1D controls. Studies involving exercise in ITx animals have conflicting results, with time since transplantation and transplantation site (spleen, liver, kidney, peritoneal cavity) as possible confounders. No study examining blood glucose responses to physical activity in human ITx recipients was identified. A small number of induced-hypoglycemia studies in humans, and exercise studies in animals, would suggest that glucoregulation is greatly improved yet is still imperfect in this population and that ITx does not fully restore counterregulatory responses to challenges in blood glucose homeostasis.
MicroRNA-149 is epigenetically silenced tumor-suppressive microRNA, involved in cell proliferation and downregulation of AKT1 and cyclin D1 in human glioblastoma multiforme
Authors: Ghasemi Asghar , Fallah Soudabeh , Ansari Mohammad
Published: October 2016

Aberrant DNA methylation has been shown to inactivate tumor suppressor genes during carcinogenesis. MicroRNA-149 (miR-149) was recently demonstrated to function as a tumor suppressor gene in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). However, the potential linkage of miR-149 levels and the underlying epigenetic regulatory mechanism in human GBM has not been studied. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to investigate the levels of miR-149 in GBM tissues, their matched adjacent normal tissues, and glioblastoma U87MG cell line. Using bisulfite genomic sequencing technology, DNA methylation status of upstream region of miR-149 was evaluated in study population groups and the U87MG cell line. After treatment of cells with 5-aza-2′-deoxycitidine (5-aza-dC), the DNA methylation status, gene expression, and target protein levels of miR-149 were investigated. Our studies revealed that methylation and expression levels of miR-149 were significantly increased and decreased, respectively in GBM patients relative to the adjacent normal tissues (P < 0.01). MiR-149 suppressed the expression of AKT1 and cyclin D1 and reduced the proliferative activities of the U87MG cell line. Treatment of U87MG cells with 5-aza-dC reversed the hypermethylation status of miR-149, enhanced the expression of its gene, and decreased target mRNA and proteins levels (P < 0.01). These findings suggest that the methylation mechanism is associated with decreased expression levels of miR-149, which may in turn lead to the increased levels of its oncogenic target proteins.
Conjugate boundary condition, hidden particles and gauge-Higgs inflation
Authors: Abe Yugo , Goto Yuhei , Kawamura Yoshiharu , Nishikawa Yasunari
Published: October 2016

We propose an idea that hidden particles can be separated according to gauge quantum numbers from the visible ones by the difference of boundary conditions (BCs) on extra dimensions. We formulate five-dimensional (5D) gauge theories yielding conjugate BCs besides ordinary ones on S1/Z2, and examine physical implications concerning hidden particles on an extension of the Standard Model (SM) coexisting different types of BCs. A model with conjugate boundary conditions is applied on a gauge-Higgs inflation scenario.
A Novel Algorithm of Human-Like Motion Planning for Robotic Arms
Authors: Zhao Jing , Wei Yuan
Published: October 2016

As robots get closer to humans, higher requests to robots are put forward. Human-like motion is one of those important issues, especially for humanoid service robots, advanced industrial robots and assistive robots. In this paper, a motion-decision algorithm is proposed and applied to human-like motion planning of robotic arms. The algorithm consists of two parts: intelligent decision and calculation of the joint trajectory. The former includes two parts: the hierarchical planning strategy (HPS) and the Bayesian decision. The HPS reflects the general rules of human arm movements and the robotic arms using the HPS can simulate the movements of human arms accurately. The Bayesian decision is used to make robotic arms choose an appropriate mode of motion. The calculation of the joint trajectory builds a motion framework of robotic arms to generate human-like movements. The human performance measures (HPMs) in different planning hierarchies are proposed. Finally, the validity of the proposed algorithm is verified by experiments.
Approximate Constraint Satisfaction Requires Large LP Relaxations
Authors: Chan Siu On , Lee James R. , Raghavendra Prasad , Steurer David
Published: October 2016

We prove super-polynomial lower bounds on the size of linear programming relaxations for approximation versions of constraint satisfaction problems. We show that for these problems, polynomial-sized linear programs are no more powerful than programs arising from a constant number of rounds of the Sherali--Adams hierarchy. In particular, any polynomial-sized linear program for M
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has an integrality gap of ½ and any such linear program for M
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has an integrality gap of ⅞.
Robust Protocols for Securely Expanding Randomness and Distributing Keys Using Untrusted Quantum Devices
Authors: Miller Carl A. , Shi Yaoyun
Published: October 2016

Randomness is a vital resource for modern-day information processing, especially for cryptography. A wide range of applications critically rely on abundant, high-quality random numbers generated securely. Here, we show how to expand a random seed at an exponential rate without trusting the underlying quantum devices. Our approach is secure against the most general adversaries, and has the following new features: cryptographic level of security, tolerating a constant level of imprecision in devices, requiring only unit size quantum memory (for each device component) in an honest implementation, and allowing a large natural class of constructions for the protocol. In conjunction with a recent work by Chung et al. [2014], it also leads to robust unbounded expansion using just 2 multipart devices. When adapted for distributing cryptographic keys, our method achieves, for the first time, exponential expansion combined with cryptographic security and noise tolerance. The proof proceeds by showing that the Rényi divergence of the outputs of the protocol (for a specific bounding operator) decreases linearly as the protocol iterates. At the heart of the proof are a new uncertainty principle on quantum measurements and a method for simulating trusted measurements with untrusted devices.
Harnessing Music-Related Visual Stereotypes for Music Information Retrieval
Authors: Schindler Alexander , Rauber Andreas
Published: October 2016

Over decades, music labels have shaped easily identifiable genres to improve recognition value and subsequently market sales of new music acts. Referring to print magazines and later to music television as important distribution channels, the visual representation thus played and still plays a significant role in music marketing. Visual stereotypes developed over decades that enable us to quickly identify referenced music only by sight without listening. Despite the richness of music-related visual information provided by music videos and album covers as well as T-shirts, advertisements, and magazines, research towards harnessing this information to advance existing or approach new problems of music retrieval or recommendation is scarce or missing. In this article, we present our research on visual music computing that aims to extract stereotypical music-related visual information from music videos. To provide comprehensive and reproducible results, we present the Music Video Dataset, a thoroughly assembled suite of datasets with dedicated evaluation tasks that are aligned to current Music Information Retrieval tasks. Based on this dataset, we provide evaluations of conventional low-level image processing and affect-related features to provide an overview of the expressiveness of fundamental visual properties such as color, illumination, and contrasts. Further, we introduce a high-level approach based on visual concept detection to facilitate visual stereotypes. This approach decomposes the semantic content of music video frames into concrete concepts such as vehicles, tools, and so on, defined in a wide visual vocabulary. Concepts are detected using convolutional neural networks and their frequency distributions as semantic descriptions for a music video. Evaluations showed that these descriptions show good performance in predicting the music genre of a video and even outperform audio-content descriptors on cross-genre thematic tags. Further, highly significant performance improvements were observed by augmenting audio-based approaches through the introduced visual approach.