bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Problem of God in the Presence of Grief: Exchanging “Stages” of Healing for “Trajectories” of Recovery
Authors: Maxwell Paul , Perrine John
Published: April 2018

The bereaved Christian faces not only the difficult task of grief, but also the morally charged evaluations of the grief process: whether it should be fast or slow, whether God is necessary or unhelpful, and whether grief is “proper” for Christians in light of their call to “not grieve as others do who have no hope” (1 Thess. 4:13).1 This article (1) showcases these tensions involved in defining a “proper” Christian approach to grief, (2) retrieves resources born in the engagement of similarly problematic tensions in the field of grief theory, and (3) conscripts these resources in order to read the book of Job through a new lens, which relieves some of the tensions which arise in Christian considerations of grief. In sum, Christians commonly read the book of Job through the “stage model” of grief –- as if Job's experience throughout the book conforms to and requires a logically sequential grief-progress. Conversely, a “trajectory model” of grief, a new advancement in grief theory, opens the door for reading each pericope in Job as supplying a unique and independently legitimate path for grief that does not require any preceding or subsequent stages. In the same way that Job accommodates these variegated trajectories of grief, so also the Christian faith entertains equally legitimate grief trajectories, each appropriate for the various felt needs of the bereaved.
Learning Lament between the Paws: Walking with Aslan through Pain and Suffering
Authors: Holman Scott
Published: April 2018

Our life in this broken world requires tools to own and express our grief in ways that are connected to our faith in God. We find that the biblical genre of lament is appropriate to the task. However, we do not come to lament without baggage, and we sometimes require additional help in the form of symbolic capital borrowed from stories and songs. In this case, The Chronicles of Narnia provide such capital. As we reflect on these stories, we can see lament in a new way that helps us bring our pain to God. As we engage in the discipline of lament, we are spiritually formed into the image of Jesus.
Suffering in God's Presence: The Role of Lament in Transformation
Authors: Lewis Hall M. Elizabeth
Published: April 2018

Lament is a Christian practice modeled for us by Jesus. In this article, I argue that lament is a spiritual discipline that assists the sufferer to reconstruct meaning after the disorienting effects of the suffering. Drawing on the psychological literature on stress-related growth, I show how the structure of the psalms of lament facilitates the process of growth through meaning-making. Lament is a stylized form of speech consisting of five common elements that define a specific trajectory. The elements are an address to God, complaints, request, motivation (why God should act), and confidence in God. The trajectory of lament involves a psychological move from distress to praise, and from disorientation to new orientation. I argue that the meaning that is achieved is not primarily rational or propositional, but instead is anchored in the intimate, dialogical relationship with God.
Songs of Brokenness to the Healing God
Authors: Ham T. C.
Published: April 2018

If our theology about the human condition correctly underscores our brokenness, and our understanding of the world as being fallen indeed reflects reality, then our poetry of worship should express that brokenness as well as our longing for healing. However, the Church in North America neglects laments because (1) we have essentially lost the art and practice of grieving in the West, (2) the Church silently condones some bad theology about Christian living, and (3) we lack a robust philosophy of language in Christian practices and disciplines. As this article explores, Job's curse (Job 3) and the lament of Psalm 22 offer healthy correctives to these and other missteps. The article emphasizes the important place of lament in Christian community, particularly as it functions in worship.
Reading Scripture Spiritually: Bonaventure, the Quadriga, and Spiritual Formation Today
Authors: Brandt Ryan A.
Published: April 2018

Modern Christians often polarize the otherwise inseparable realities of academic reading and personal reading of Scripture. While generally not declared outright, many Christians consider the two methods discontinuous. This article deems this bifurcation unnecessary and dangerous to the spiritual formation of individuals and the spiritual health of the church. It examines Bonaventure's insightful use of the quadriga in order to contribute to today's discussion of spiritual reading of Scripture. The article shall argue that (at least a variation of) Bonaventure's quadrigal method ought to be retrieved today for the spiritual health of scholarship and the church. This thesis will be attained organically. It will first survey his proposed method of interpretation in his Breviloquium and Commentary on the Gospel of Luke; then, it will appeal to scriptural and pastoral support to show that his method is a helpful route for retrieval.
A Spirituality of Exile: Responding to God's Absence
Authors: Beach Lee
Published: April 2018

In the journey of faith almost everyone experiences times of spiritual desolation when our sense of God's presence is stripped away and our certainty about his faithfulness is deeply eroded. Times like this are intensely disorienting as they leave us grasping for answers, but even more importantly searching for a way forward. The literature of the Bible provides us with both experiential companionship and language to guide our journey through the desolate places of spiritual experience. The prayer language of exile offers us a paradigm for engaging with God in the midst of our experience of his absence. In particular the biblical book of Lamentations and a number of Psalms (44, 74, 79, 89, 102, 106 and 137) provide language that helped Israel express the depths of their suffering in the face of their exilic experience. The prayer language of exile is the language of God's absence. Through the language of exilic prayer we encounter the bold movements of lament, remembrance, reorientation, and hope. These acts of prayerful speech form the core of a spirituality of exile that sustained the ancient community and can offer nourishment to contemporary journeys of desolation as well.
Positive Outcomes of a Discipleship Process
Authors: Lang James A. , Bochman David J.
Published: April 2018

Biblical Christianity should be a powerful, life-forming, paradigm-shifting experience leading to increasing levels of Christlikeness. Unfortunately, the experience of many Christians today is far short of the transformation described in Scripture. This article reports on a portion of mixed-methods research examining the transformative learning reported by alumni of a 22-lesson discipleship process called the Immersion Experience by Aphesis Group Ministries. Holistic spiritual health involves listening to our emotions, confronting toxic shame, addressing childhood defenses, and untangling our distorted spirituality.
Practice Makes Perfect: Corporate Worship and the Formation of Spiritual Virtue
Authors: Aniol Scott
Published: April 2018

This article argues that corporate worship is one of the primary means of making disciples through the ritual formation of spiritual virtue. It explains that a disciple is formed not only through transmission of doctrine, but also through cultivating the heart's inclinations. Christian disciples are not only “knowers”; they are “doers,” observing everything Christ has commanded. Since people act primarily according to their hearts’ desires, pastors who wish to make disciples must concern themselves with the heart's inclinations. Such inclinations are shaped most significantly through habitual behavior in community, an apt description of corporate worship. This leads, then, to a discussion of the power of corporate worship liturgy–habitual behaviors done in the context of corporate worship–to incarnate biblical values and transmit them to the worshiper/disciple. When the liturgies of corporate worship are reenactments of what God has done in the gospel, these liturgies help to make disciples, for by reenacting what they are in Christ, Christian worshipers become what they are.
The elders of Mount Athos and the discourse of charisma in modern Greece
Authors: Psaltou Stratis
Published: April 2018

This paper considers the emergence of Mount Athos’ monk elders in Greek society in recent decades until the current economic crisis. Their social influence has grown over these decades, especially after some of them were recognized as charismatic and gerontismos (elderism) became one of the most important forms of religious discourse in contemporary Greek society. These elders were presented as a kind of cultural resistance in the service of an alternative economy of desire. This analysis suggests that they have ultimately worked in the service of a series of individual or collective fantasies of power and pleasure within Greek society. The theoretical tools informing this analysis are the product of a dialog between symbolic anthropology and Lacanian theory.
Critical failures
Authors: Handman Courtney
Published: April 2018

Critique in evangelical Christian contexts has usually been seen as a practice in service of finding the universal. However, I examine a number of contexts in which Christian critique seems to produce serial difference. I suggest that this seriality may itself be seen as a basis on which possibility and alternatives can be found, rather than just as serial failures to reach the universal. I briefly compare different events of serial transformations, in the United States as well as in Papua New Guinea, the site of my ethnographic research on denominational difference.
Judgment and critique, anthropology and religion
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: April 2018

This article attempts to chart the various cross-cutting forms of critique that might surface in an ethnographic investigation of modes of religiosity. It stresses that if ethnography is to be an actual encounter, then it is important to at once understand that critique itself is not limited to merely one form of expression; nor should there be preconceptions as to what subjects are capable of voicing critique. At the same time though, it is equally important to distinguish critique from judgment; the latter can be distinguished from critique in that judgment is a ratification of an already extant metric, category, sensitivity, or esthetic, rather than an open-ended, empirical, and potentially transformative rendezvous with difference.
Specter and horizon: Critique in ethnographies of North American Christianity
Authors: King Rebekka
Published: April 2018

With reference to two different projects examining North American Christianities, this symposium contribution explores opportunities for critique when conducting fieldwork. Drawing from observations made by E. E. Evans-Pritchard, I suggest that critique is most productive when it uses the perspective and position of one’s interlocutors as its point of departure.
Does Higher Turnout Hurt Incumbents? An Analysis of State Elections in India
Authors: Vaishnav Milan , Guy Johnathan
Published: April 2018

Conventional wisdom holds that an increase in voter turnout hurts incumbents in Indian elections. This belief has become a central feature of how analysts discuss Indian voter behaviour. Yet there are few systematic analyses of the relationship between turnout and incumbent performance. To fill this gap, we analysed a dataset of elections in India’s 18 major states between 1980 and 2012. Our analyses show that an increase in turnout, relative to the prior election, has no statistically meaningful relationship with three measures of an incumbent government’s electoral performance. While the belief about the anti-incumbent nature of rising turnout is widely held, it does not appear to be supported by the data.
Orofacial consequences of systemic sclerosis: A systematic review
Authors: Smirani Rawen , Poursac Nicolas , Naveau Adrien , Schaeverbeke Thierry , Devillard Raphaël , Truchetet Marie-Elise
Published: April 2018

Orofacial involvement is common and often understated in the treatment clinical guidelines of systemic sclerosis. It impairs daily life by having repercussions on comfort, nutrition, aesthetics and self-confidence. This review aimed at describing exhaustively the different orofacial consequences of systemic sclerosis. A systematic search was conducted using four databases (PubMed, Cochrane Library, Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source and SCOPUS) up to December 2016 according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. Grey literature and hand search were also included. To be eligible for the inclusion, studies needed to meet the following criteria: randomised controlled trials, cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, pilot studies or cohort studies and full text available in English or French, with abstract. The studies had to concern at least 30 patients suffering from systemic sclerosis and having clinical and radiological oropharyngeal examination. The diagnosis of systemic sclerosis had to be determined according to precise recommendations; the retrieved oropharyngeal manifestations had to affect hard or soft tissues of the mouth and/or pharynx and needed to be evaluated with clinical measures. Study selection, risk bias assessment (Newcastle–Ottawa scale) and data extraction were performed by two independent reviewers. The retrieved features were microstomia and xerostomia associated with real hyposialia, temporomandibular joint symptoms, high caries experience, periodontal diseases as well as an increased risk of oral cavity and pharynx cancer. Early diagnosis enabling early management, prevention and oral hygiene is the key to avoid complicated and invasive procedures. Studies with higher level of evidence remain necessary to create standardised protocols.
Pregnancy in systemic sclerosis
Authors: Betelli Mauro , Breda Silvia , Ramoni Veronique , Parisi Federico , Rampello Stefania , Limonta Massimiliano , Meroni Marianna , Brucato Antonio
Published: April 2018

This comprehensive review summarizes retrospective and prospective studies on pregnancy in systemic sclerosis in order to educate physicians on critical management issues. Fertility is normal in women with established systemic sclerosis. Their rates of spontaneous losses are comparable to the general population, except for patients with late diffuse systemic sclerosis and severe internal organ involvement who may have higher risks of abortion. Prematurity is clearly higher among systemic sclerosis women, similarly to other rheumatic diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome. A placental vasculopathy has been observed in some women with systemic sclerosis. Overall, the disease generally remains stable in most pregnancies. Women with pulmonary hypertension should avoid pregnancy on account of the high maternal mortality risk. Management of systemic sclerosis patients before and during pregnancy includes evaluation of organ involvement and autoantibody analysis, preconceptional folic acid, and discontinuation of drugs with teratogenic potential (bosentan, mycophenolate mofetil, methotrexate, etc.). Management by high-risk pregnancy teams including neonatologists is very important to ensure the best outcomes.
Kidney involvement in systemic sclerosis: From pathogenesis to treatment
Authors: Bruni Cosimo , Cuomo Giovanna , Rossi Francesca W. , Praino Emanuela , Bellando-Randone Silvia
Published: April 2018

Among all possible systemic sclerosis internal organ complications, kidney involvement is frequently neglected or underestimated, except for the life-threatening scleroderma renal crisis. Fortunately, this severe clinical presentation is nowadays better controlled with available treatments, in particular angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and this has led to a reduction in its short- and longer-term mortality. Pathogenetic determinants are not well understood and many different other kidney involvements are possible in systemic sclerosis, including proteinuria, albuminuria, reduction of renal filtration, autoantibodies-related glomerulonephritis, and drug-related side effects. Different serological and radiological methods of evaluations are nowadays available, some representing promising diagnostic tool and prognostic outcome measure. Except for angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in scleroderma renal crisis, no other treatment is currently recommended for treatment of kidney involvement in systemic sclerosis. For this reason, further studies are necessary to investigate its prognostic impact, in particular in combination with other systemic sclerosis–related internal organ manifestations. This review summarizes current available literature on kidney involvement in systemic sclerosis.
14-3-3 proteins in platelet biology and glycoprotein Ib-IX signaling
Authors: Chen Yunfeng , Ruggeri Zaverio M. , Du Xiaoping
Published: April 2018

Members of the 14-3-3 family of proteins function as adapters/modulators that recognize phosphoserine/phosphothreonine-based binding motifs in many intracellular proteins and play fundamental roles in signal transduction pathways of eukaryotic cells. In platelets, 14-3-3 plays a wide range of regulatory roles in phosphorylation-dependent signaling pathways, including G-protein signaling, cAMP signaling, agonist-induced phosphatidylserine exposure, and regulation of mitochondrial function. In particular, 14-3-3 interacts with several phosphoserine-dependent binding sites in the major platelet adhesion receptor, the glycoprotein Ib-IX complex (GPIb-IX), regulating its interaction with von Willebrand factor (VWF) and mediating VWF/GPIb-IX–dependent mechanosignal transduction, leading to platelet activation. The interaction of 14-3-3 with GPIb-IX also plays a critical role in enabling the platelet response to low concentrations of thrombin through cooperative signaling mediated by protease-activated receptors and GPIb-IX. The various functions of 14-3-3 in platelets suggest that it is a possible target for the treatment of thrombosis and inflammation.
Biomarkers for posttransplantation outcomes
Authors: Paczesny Sophie
Published: April 2018

During the last decade, the development of biomarkers for the complications seen after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation has expanded tremendously, with the most progress having been made for acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD), a common and often fatal complication. Although many factors are known to determine transplant outcome (including the age of the recipient, comorbidity, conditioning intensity, donor source, donor-recipient HLA compatibility, conditioning regimen, posttransplant GVHD prophylaxis), they are incomplete guides for predicting outcomes. Thanks to the advances in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and cytomics technologies, blood biomarkers have been identified and validated for us in promising diagnostic tests, prognostic tests stratifying for future occurrence of aGVHD, and predictive tests for responsiveness to GVHD therapy and nonrelapse mortality. These biomarkers may facilitate timely and selective therapeutic intervention. However, such blood tests are not yet available for routine clinical care. This article provides an overview of the candidate biomarkers for clinical evaluation and outlines a path from biomarker discovery to first clinical correlation, to validation in independent cohorts, to a biomarker-based clinical trial, and finally to general clinical application. This article focuses on biomarkers discovered with a large-scale proteomics platform and validated with the same reproducible assay in at least 2 independent cohorts with sufficient sample size according to the 2014 National Institutes of Health consensus on biomarker criteria, as well as on biomarkers as tests for risk stratification of outcomes, but not on their pathophysiologic contributions, which have been reviewed recently.
Impact of age and comorbidity on risk stratification in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Hjalmarsson Clara , Rådegran Göran , Kylhammar David , Rundqvist Bengt , Multing Jonas , Nisell Magnus D. , Kjellström Barbro
Published: April 2018

Recent reports from worldwide pulmonary hypertension registries show a new demographic picture for patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), with an increasing prevalence among the elderly.

We aimed to investigate the effects of age and comorbidity on risk stratification and outcome of patients with incident IPAH.

The study population (n=264) was categorised into four age groups: 18–45, 46–64, 65–74 and ≥75 years. Individual risk profiles were determined according to a risk assessment instrument, based on the European Society of Cardiology and the European Respiratory Society guidelines. The change in risk group from baseline to follow-up (median 5 months) and survival were compared across age groups. In the two youngest age groups, a significant number of patients improved (18–45 years, Z= −4.613, p<0.001; 46–64 years, Z= −2.125, p=0.034), but no significant improvement was found in the older patient groups. 5-year survival was highest in patients aged 18–45 years (88%), while the survival rates were 63%, 56% and 36% for patients in the groups 46–64, 65–74 and ≥75 years, respectively (p<0.001). Ischaemic heart disease and kidney dysfunction independently predicted survival.

These findings highlight the importance of age and specific comorbidities as prognostic markers of outcome in addition to established risk assessment algorithms.
Viral infections in wheezing disorders
Authors: Le Souëf Peter
Published: April 2018

Over the past year, studies into virus-induced wheeze in children have shifted towards investigations that examine the mechanisms by which respiratory viruses cause wheeze and an increase in studies examining the effects of novel interventions to reduce wheezing exacerbations. Studies on rhinovirus species (RV)-C infection have found that this is associated with a decrease in expression of CDHR3, the cellular receptor specific for this virus, and a decrease in interferon-β expression, both of which are likely to favour RV-C infection. Recent clinical trials in children have found a decrease in wheezing exacerbations with both anti-respiratory syncytial virus antibody and anti-immunoglobulin E antibody therapy, and a clinical trial of prednisolone in children with their first RV-induced wheeze showed that only those with an RV viral count >7000 copies·mL−1responded. Further studies on the effects of bacterial lysates on immune system function continue to support the potential of this approach to reduce virus-induced wheezing exacerbations in children. These studies and many previous investigations into immunomodulation using bacterial lysates have led to the funding and commencement of a large study in which long-term administration of a bacterial lysate in young children will be assessed for its ability to prevent asthma.
Three Versus 6 Months of Oxaliplatin-Based Adjuvant Chemotherapy for Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer: Disease-Free Survival Results From a Randomized, Open-Label, International Duration Evaluation of Adjuvant (IDEA) France, Phase III Trial
Authors: André Thierry , Vernerey Dewi , Mineur Laurent , Bennouna Jaafar , Desrame Jérôme , Faroux Roger , Fratte Serge , Hug de Larauze Marine , Paget-Bailly Sophie , Chibaudel Benoist , Bez Jeremie , Dauba Jérôme , Louvet Christophe , Lepere Céline , Dupuis Olivier , Becouarn Yves , Mabro May , Egreteau Joëlle , Bouche Olivier , Deplanque Gaël , Ychou Marc , Galais Marie Pierre , Ghiringhelli François , Dourthe Louis Marie , Bachet Jean-Baptiste , Khalil Ahmed , Bonnetain Franck , de Gramont Aimery , Taieb Julien ,   for PRODIGE investigators, GERCOR, Fédération Française de Cancérologie Digestive, and UNICANCER
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Reduction of adjuvant treatment duration may decrease toxicities without loss of efficacy in stage III colon cancer. This could offer clear advantages to patients and health care providers.

Methods

In International Duration Evaluation of Adjuvant Chemotherapy (IDEA) France, as part of the IDEA international collaboration, patient with colon cancer patients were randomly assigned to 3 and 6 months of modified FOLFOX6 (mFOLFOX6: infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) or capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (CAPOX) by physician choice. The primary end point was disease-free survival (DFS), and analyses were descriptive.

Results

A total of 2,010 eligible patients received either 3 or 6 months of chemotherapy (modified intention-to-treat population); 2,000 (99%) had stage III colon cancer (N1: 75%, N2: 25%); 1,809 (90%) received mFOLFOX6, and 201 (10%) received CAPOX. The median age was 64 years, and the median follow-up time was 4.3 years. Overall, 94% (3 months) and 78% (6 months) of patients completed treatment (fluoropyrimidines ± oxaliplatin). Maximal grade 2 and 3 neuropathy rates were 28% and 8% in the 3-month arm and 41% and 25% in the 6-month arm ( P < .001). Final rates of residual neuropathy greater than grade 1 were 3% in the 3-month arm and 7% in the 6-month arm ( P < .001). There were 578 DFS events: 314 and 264 in the 3- and 6-month arms, respectively. The 3-year DFS rates were 72% and 76% in the 3- and 6-month arms, respectively (hazard ratio [HR], 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05 to 1.46; P = .0112). In the 3 and 6-month arms, respectively, for patients who received mFOLFOX6, the 3-year DFS rates were 72% and 76% (HR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.07 to 1.51); for the T4 and/or N2 population, they were 58% and 66% (HR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.82); and for the T1-3N1 population, they were 81% and 83% (HR, 1.15; 95% CI, 0.89 to 1.49).

Conclusion

IDEA France, in which 90% of patients received mFOLFOX6, shows superiority of 6 months of adjuvant chemotherapy compared with 3 months, especially in the T4 and/or N2 subgroups. These results should be considered alongside the international IDEA collaboration data.
FOLFOX or CAPOX in Stage II to III Colon Cancer: Efficacy Results of the Italian Three or Six Colon Adjuvant Trial
Authors: Sobrero Alberto , Lonardi Sara , Rosati Gerardo , Di Bartolomeo Maria , Ronzoni Monica , Pella Nicoletta , Scartozzi Mario , Banzi Maria , Zampino Maria Giulia , Pasini Felice , Marchetti Paolo , Cantore Maurizio , Zaniboni Alberto , Rimassa Lorenza , Ciuffreda Libero , Ferrari Daris , Zagonel Vittorina , Maiello Evaristo , Barni Sandro , Rulli Eliana , Labianca Roberto ,   on behalf of the TOSCA Investigators
Published: April 2018

Purpose

Given the cumulative neurotoxicity associated with oxaliplatin, a shorter duration of adjuvant therapy, if equally efficacious, would be advantageous for patients and health-care systems.

Methods

The Three or Six Colon Adjuvant trial is an open-label, phase III, multicenter, noninferiority trial randomizing patients with high-risk stage II or stage III colon cancer to receive 3 months or 6 months of FOLFOX (fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin) or CAPOX (capecitabine plus oxaliplatin). Primary end-point is relapse-free survival.

Results

3,759 patients were accrued from 130 Italian sites, 64% receiving FOLFOX and 36% CAPOX. Two-thirds were stage III. The median time of follow up was 62 months and 772 relapses or deaths have been observed. The hazard ratio (HR) of the 3 months versus 6 months for relapse/death was 1.14 (95% CI, 0.99 to 1.32; P [for noninferiority] = .514) and the CI crossed the noninferiority limit of 1.20. However, the absolute difference in 3-year RFS was 1.9% (95% CI, -0.7% to 4.4%). Counter-intuitively, while the RFS curves were similar for stage III (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.91 to 1.26) and for CAPOX treated patients (HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.77 to 1.26), they were not for stage II and for FOLFOX treated patients, with HR of 1.41 (95% CI, 1.05 to 1.89) and 1.23 (95% CI, 1.03 to 1.46), respectively, favoring the 6 months of treatment.

Conclusion

The Three or Six Colon Adjuvant trial failed to formally show noninferiority of 3 versus 6 months of treatment to the predefined margin of 20% relative increase. The results depended on the adjuvant regimen and risk. For CAPOX, 3 months were as good as 6 months; for FOLFOX, 6 months added extra benefit. Counter-intuitively, the low-risk patients benefitted more than the high-risk population from the 6-month duration. The choice of regimen and duration should depend on patient characteristics and be balanced against the extra toxicity of longer therapy.
Dual role of the RNA helicase DDX5 in post-transcriptional regulation of myelin basic protein in oligodendrocytes
Authors: Hoch-Kraft Peter , White Robin , Tenzer Stefan , Krämer-Albers Eva-Maria , Trotter Jacqueline , Gonsior Constantin
Published: April 2018

In the central nervous system, oligodendroglial expression of myelin basic protein (MBP) is crucial for the assembly and structure of the myelin sheath. MBP synthesis is tightly regulated in space and time, particularly at the post-transcriptional level. We have identified the DEAD-box RNA helicase DDX5 (also known as p68) in a complex with Mbp mRNA in oligodendroglial cells. Expression of DDX5 is highest in progenitor cells and immature oligodendrocytes, where it localizes to heterogeneous populations of cytoplasmic ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complexes associated with Mbp mRNA in the cell body and processes. Manipulation of the amount of DDX5 protein inversely affects the level of MBP. We present evidence that DDX5 is involved in post-transcriptional regulation of MBP protein synthesis, with implications for oligodendroglial development. In addition, knockdown of DDX5 results in an increased abundance of MBP isoforms containing exon 2 in immature oligodendrocytes, most likely by regulating alternative splicing of Mbp. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the complex nature of MBP post-transcriptional control in immature oligodendrocytes where DDX5 appears to affect the abundance of MBP proteins via distinct but converging mechanisms.
Behavioral and physiological adaptations to high-flow velocities in Southwestern native chubs (Gilaspp.)
Authors: Moran Clinton J. , Gerry Shannon P. , O'Neill Matthew W. , Rzucidlo Caroline L. , Gibb Alice C.
Published: April 2018

Morphological streamlining is often associated with physiological advantages for steady swimming in fishes. Though most commonly studied in pelagic fishes streamlining also occurs in fishes that occupy high flow environments. Before the installation of dams and water diversions, bonytail (Cyprinidae, Gila elegans), a fish endemic to the Colorado River (USA), regularly experienced massive, seasonal flooding events. Individuals of G. elegans display morphological characteristics that may facilitate swimming in high-flow conditions, including a narrow caudal peduncle and a high aspect-ratio caudal fin. We tested the hypothesis that these features improve sustained swimming performance in bonytail by comparing locomotor performance in G. elegans with the closely-related roundtail chub (Gila robusta) and two non-native species, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) using a Brett-style respirometer and locomotor step-tests. Gila elegans had the lowest estimated drag coefficient and the highest sustained swimming speeds, relative to the other three species. There were no detectible differences in locomotor energetics during steady swimming among the four species. When challenged by high-velocity water flows, the second native species examined in this study, G. robusta, exploited the boundary effects in the flow tank by pitching forward and bracing the pelvic and pectoral fins against the acrylic tank bottom to “hold station.” Because G. robusta can station-hold to prevent being swept downstream during high-flows and G. elegans can maintain swimming speeds greater than smallmouth bass and rainbow trout with comparable metabolic costs, we suggest that management agencies could use artificial flooding events to wash non-native competitors downstream and out of the Colorado River habitat.
Multiple spectral channels in branchiopods. I. Vision in dim light and neural correlates
Authors: Lessios Nicolas , Rutowski Ronald L. , Cohen Jonathan H. , Sayre Marcel E. , Strausfeld Nicholas J.
Published: April 2018

Animals that have true color vision possess several spectral classes of photoreceptors. Pancrustaceans (Hexapoda + Crustacea) that integrate spectral information about their reconstructed visual world do so from photoreceptor terminals supplying their second optic neuropils, with subsequent participation of the third (lobula) and deeper centers (optic foci). Here we describe experiments and correlative neural arrangements underlying convergent visual pathways in two species of branchiopod crustaceans that have to cope with a broad range of spectral ambience and illuminance in ephemeral pools, yet possess just two optic neuropils, the lamina and optic tectum. Electroretinographic recordings and multimodel inference based on modeled spectral absorptance were used to identify the most likely number of spectral photoreceptor classes in their compound eyes. Recordings from the retina provide support for four color channels. Neuroanatomical observations resolve arrangements in their laminas that suggest signal summation at low light intensities, incorporating chromatic channels. Neuroanatomical observations demonstrate that spatial summation in the lamina of the two species are mediated by quite different mechanisms, both of which allow signals from several ommatidia to be pooled at single lamina monopolar cells. We propose that such summation provides sufficient signal for vision at intensities equivalent to those experienced by insects in terrestrial habitats under dim starlight. Our findings suggest that despite the absence of optic lobe neuropils necessary for spectral discrimination utilized by true color vision, four spectral photoreceptor classes have been maintained in Branchiopoda for vision at very low light intensities at variable ambient wavelengths that typify conditions in ephemeral fresh water habitats.
Shock attenuation in the human lumbar spine during walking and running
Authors: Castillo Eric R. , Lieberman Daniel E.
Published: April 2018

During locomotion, each step generates a shock wave that travels through the body toward the head. Without mechanisms for attenuation, repeated shocks can lead to pathology. Shock attenuation (SA) in the lower limb has been well studied, but little is known about how posture affects SA in the spine. To test the hypothesis that lumbar lordosis (LL) contributes to SA, 27 adults (14 male, 13 female) walked and ran on a treadmill. Two lightweight, tri-axial accelerometers were affixed to the skin overlying T12/L1 and L5/S1. Sagittal plane accelerations were analyzed using power spectral density analysis, and lumbar SA was assessed within the impact-related frequency range. 3-D kinematics quantified dynamic and resting LL. To examine the effects of intervertebral discs on spinal SA, supine MRI scans were used to measure disc morphology. Results showed no associations between LL and SA during walking, but LL correlated with SA during running (p<0.01, R2=0.30) resulting in as much as 64% reduction in shock signal power among individuals with the highest LL. Patterns of lumbar spinal motion partially explain differences in SA: larger amplitudes of LL angular displacement and slower angular displacement velocity during running were associated with greater lumbar SA (p=0.008, R2=0.41). Intervertebral discs were associated with greater SA during running (p=0.02, R2=0.22), but after controlling for disc thickness, LL remained strongly associated with SA (p=0.001, R2=0.44). These findings support the hypothesis that LL plays an important role in attenuating impact shocks transmitted through the human spine during high-impact, dynamic activities such as running.
Crise cambial: riscos e oportunidades
Authors: Biderman Ciro
Published: April 2018

A análise das semelhanças e diferenças entre a crise cambial de 1999 e a iniciada no segundo semestre de 2002 pode resultar em uma ferramenta preciosa para a identificação dos riscos e das oportunidades que se seguirão a seu desfecho. Ao que tudo indica, os setores que utilizam insumos domésticos encontrarão um cenário mais favorável que aqueles dependentes de insumos denominados em moeda estrangeira com vendas para o mercado interno brasileiro.
Tropeços colaborativos
Authors: Kujawski Guilherme
Published: April 2018

Uma nova safra de ferramentas de cooperação está invadindo escritórios e modificando a tradicional cultura corporativa fundamentada na competição. Do já conhecido correio eletrônico a ferramentas que prometem verdadeiras jam sessions entre grupos de trabalho, os modernos recursos de colaboração prometem uma nova era ao ambiente empresarial. Mas será que a tecnologia sozinha pode resolver todos os problemas humanos das organizações, como crises de relacionamento e resistências ao trabalho em equipe?
Realidades virtuais, riscos reais
Authors: Kujawski Guilherme
Published: April 2018

A crescente complexidade do contexto competitivo e dos modelos de negócio têm levado os executivos ao mundo virtual. Neste universo paralelo, buscam reproduzir as condições reais, construir cenários e tomar decisões. Este artigo analisa duas soluções disponibilizadas pela tecnologia para enfrentar a complexidade: os jogos de empresa e os sistemas de gestão de informação.
A dimensão esquecida
Authors: Bertero Carlos Osmar
Published: April 2018

A coletânea de Harrison e Huntington mostra o papel da cultura sobre o desenvolvimento econômico e político, sobre as relações de gênero e a promoção de mudanças. Os autores demonstram a força e a influência dessa dimensão, que por muito tempo ficou de fora das preocupações de gestores, políticos e economistas.
Mudanças no setor elétrico
Authors: Pereira Filho João Lins , Costa Luiz Carlos
Published: April 2018

A nova configuração do setor elétrico brasileiro pretende sanar problemas estruturais de articulação e regulação, reduzir tarifas e viabilizar investimentos privados, criando assim as condições necessárias para o desenvolvimento do setor e do país. Contudo, para que os resultados esperados sejam alcançados, uma nova e importante etapa precisa ainda ser vencida: o detalhamento e a implantação das mudanças no modelo de organização e governança proposto pela nova legislação.
AxisMed
Authors: Wilner Adriana
Published: April 2018

Empresas de gestão de saúde, que coordenam o relacionamento entre médicos, pacientes e operadoras de plano de saúde, têm uma história recente, mesmo nos países desenvolvidos. A AxisMed é uma das primeiras empresas brasileiras do gênero. Seu foco é o gerenciamento de associados de planos de saúde que requerem tratamento e acompanhamento contínuos. Com base em um modelo de medicina preventiva, a empresa vem oferecendo soluções que contribuem para reduzir os custos das operadoras de planos de saúde e melhorar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes atendidos.
Prosperando no caos
Authors: Oliveira Júnior Moacir de Miranda
Published: April 2018

Lançamento apresenta modelo estratégico de empresas brasileiras bem-sucedidas que desafia as abordagens consolidadas. A leitura sugere que, em ambientes de negócios turbulentos como o brasileiro, a aplicação dos modelos tradicionais de estratégia, concebidos em países desenvolvidos, deve ser vista com reservas.
Paradoxos culturais
Authors: Tanure Betânia
Published: April 2018

Pressionadas pela necessidade de se tornarem competitivas, as empresas brasileiras passaram a importar modelos e metodologias de gestão de países com bases culturais muito distintas das nossas. O resultado tem sido decepcionante, pois a cultura brasileira apresenta particularidades que influenciam a forma como os modelos de gestão são aqui desenvolvidos e implementados. Este artigo mostra os pilares fundamentais de nossa cultura e explica como eles criam paradoxos. Para os executivos, é imprescindível entendêlos e tratá-los. O sucesso de nossas empresas depende, em grande medida, desse processo.
Arte, mídia e indústria hoje
Authors: Borges Julio Daio
Published: April 2018

Uma análise do relacionamento existente hoje entre arte, mídia e agentes produtores revela um quadro turbulento, tanto para os consumidores quanto para quem produz, comercializa e divulga produtos culturais. Antigas fronteiras vêm sendo superadas, como a que existia entre cultura e negócios. Neste texto introdutório a este caderno especial, Julio Daio Borges, editor do Digestivo Cultural, argumenta que o momento é de euforia e de aparente caos, e destaca a necessidade de atenção e cautela.
Tendências para a Literatura
Authors: Castello José
Published: April 2018

A renovação da literatura é um processo lento, que ocorre por movimentos nem sempre visíveis e lineares. O cenário atual é de grande dispersão, com obras que se destacam mais pelas características do autor do que por sua filiação a uma escola ou corrente. Neste ensaio, José Castello, escritor e colaborador da Revista Bravo!, observa que a pluralidade e a diversidade, assim como a aproximação da vida cotidiana, são algumas tendências fortes da literatura nos próximos anos.
Existe cultura brasileira
Authors: Matta Luis Eduardo
Published: April 2018

A discussão sobre a existência de uma identidade nacional brasileira é perene. Em sua essência está a defesa de uma identidade cultural única, capaz de integrar a diversidade étnica, religiosa e cultural existente no país. Neste ensaio, Luis Eduardo Matta, escritor e colunista do Digestivo Cultural, argumenta que o ideal da uniformidade cultural é impossível de ser alcançado em um lugar com as características do Brasil e que devemos falar em cultura brasileira sempre empregando o plural.
Boca de estômago, amor de mixaria
Authors: Ribeiro Ana Elisa
Published: April 2018

Este conto foi escrito com exclusividade para este caderno especial da GV-executivo pela escritora e colunista do Digestivo Cultural Ana Elisa Ribeiro. A trama traz o personagem Euríalo, que, incapaz de sustentar uma relação amorosa, decide matar a mulher que o havia conquistado. Entre imagens sempre fortes, o leitor encontrará reflexões sobre temas variados como desejo, relacionamento, amor, paixão e violência.
O trabalho e seus sentidos
Authors: Izzo José Rubens
Published: April 2018

O trabalho representa um valor importante para a maioria dos indivíduos. Sua natureza e as condições em que é exercido exercem influência considerável sobre a motivação e também sobre a satisfação dos profissionais. Ao mesmo tempo em que milhares de indivíduos sofrem pela falta de emrpego, outros sofrem pelo fato de terem que trabalhar excessivamente. Construir, ou reconstruir, os sentidos do trabalho é projeto de grande importância, tanto para os profissionais, como para as organizações. Todos devemos, portanto, buscar compeender o sentido do trabalho e as características que ele deveria apresentar. Alguns de nós, pela força interior e persistência, já avançaram nesta busca. Outros, talves a maioria, ainda trilham os primeiros ou segundos passos deste longo caminho.
Cultura, produção e consumo [entrevistado por Thomaz Wood Júnior]
Authors: Durand José Carlos G.
Published: April 2018

José Carlos G. Durand é sociólogo e professor da FGV-EAESP, instituição na qual coordena o Centro de Estudos de Cultura e Consumo. Nesta entrevista concedida à GV-executivo, o especialista discute mudanças de longo prazo, que vêm afetando as artes e os negócios e enfraquecendo a fronteira entre esses dois mundos. A partir de estudos de hábitos culturais e análises socioeconômicas do mundo artístico, Durand analisa a “mercantilização” da cultura e suas conseqüências, tanto para artistas quanto para o público.
Em busca de um modelo local
Authors: Guimarães Bruno Profeta
Published: April 2018

“Gestão à brasileira” analisa a influência da cultura sobre nosso estilo de administrar. Segundo Betânia Tanure, nossas características culturais determinam um estilo de gestão marcado pela flexibilidade, pelo personalismo e pela elevada concentração do poder.
Studying the peculiarities of project and program management in the pharmaceutical companies on Russian market
Authors: Фролкина Екатерина , Frolkina Ekaterina
Published: April 2018

The author singled out a typology of projects in pharmaceutical companies for the life cycle of the creation and commercializing of a new drug on the market, including research and development projects, production projects and implementation projects. In the framework of the study, the author examined only implementation projects, namely: projects for introducing new drugs to the market, projects to maintain existing drugs on the market and projects to optimize business processes. The purpose of this study was to identify key features of managing projects and programs in pharmaceutical companies operating on the Russian market, to form an approach to managing a company that increases its competitiveness.
EFISIENSI PEMISAHAN MIKROALGA DARI MEDIA TUMBUH LIMBAH CAIR AGROINDUSTRI DENGAN MENGGUNAKAN KOAGULASI/FLOKULASI
Authors: Romli Muhammad
Published: April 2018

Pemanenan mikroalga merupakan faktor penting dalam produksi alga karena menentukan biaya produksi. Penelitian ini mengevaluasi efisiensi pemisahan mikroalga dari air limbah agroindustri oleh koagulasi kimia/flokulasi. Efisiensi penggunaan alumuniumtrisulphate (tawas) dan polyaluminiumchloride (PAC) untuk koagulasi/flokulasi proses dievaluasi dalam serangkaian jartest untuk pemisahan mikroalga tumbuh di rumah buatan dan air limbah. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa mikroalga dapat dipisahkan dari air limbah secara efisien dengan metode flokulasi/koagulasi. Efisiensi pemisahan bergantung pada jenis dan dosis koagulan dan karakteristik media di mana mikroalga ditumbuhkan. Sekitar 400 g/L tawas atau 200 mg/L PAC dapat menghasilkan pemisahan optimum mikroalga yang tumbuh di rumah jagal pada air limbah. Sedangkan untuk pemisahan mikroalga tumbuh dalam air limbah buatan diperlukan dosis tawas relatif lebih tinggi dari dosis 600 mg / L atau PAC dari 400 mg / L. Nilai-nilai kekeruhan, warna, dan total padatan tersuspensi dalam efluen sangat rendah. Hal ini menyebabkan kemungkinan daur ulang limbah untuk digunakan kembali.
KAJIAN KEPMEN LINGKUNGAN HIDUP NO. 48 TAHUN 1996 DARI HASIL PENGUKURAN KEBISINGAN LINGKUNGAN TAHUN 2009
Authors: Tatang-Endi Dodi Rusjadi
Published: April 2018

Pada tahun 1996, Kementerian Negara Lingkungan Hidup mengeluarkan Kepmen No 48 sebagai peraturan untuk mengendalikan kebisingan yang mengganggu kegiatan manusia dan mengancam tingkat kenyamanan dan kesehatan manusia. Tujuan makalah ini adalah untuk meninjau dan mengevaluasi metode waktu sampling yang terlampir pada Kepmen No. 48 dengan menganalisis hasil pengukuran kebisingan per jam di beberapa kota di Indonesia dan untuk mengusulkan sebuah pedoman standar pengukuran. Pengukuran tingkat kebisingan dilakukan dengan dua cara, yaitu cara sederhana dan langsung. Cara sederhana dilakukan oleh 2 orang, seorang untuk melihat waktu dan memberikan aba-aba pembacaan tingkat kebisingan sesaat setiap lima detik dalam waktu pengukuran 10 menit. Orang kedua mencatat pembacaan tingkat tekanan bunyi sesaat dB(A) dari sound level meter (SLM). Cara langsung dilakukan dengan sebuah integrating sound level meter yang mempunyai fasilitas pengukuran LTM5, yaitu Leq dengan waktu ukur setiap 5 detik, dalam waktu pengukuran 10 menit. Hasil perbandingan dua kali perhitungan hasil pengukuran (pertama dengan 24 data, dan kedua dengan menggabungkan 4 data pada siang hari dengan 3 data pada malam hari) menunjukkan bahwa simpangan terbesar adalah 1,8 dB(A) dengan simpangan baku 0,8 dB(A). Nilai ini masih dalam batas toleransi yang diberikan oleh Kepmen LH No 48 yaitu sebesar 3 dB(A).