bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Photoluminescent Properties and Local Structure of Tb Doped Fibrous Alumina
Authors: Bando Kyoko K , Kodaira Tetsuya , Takashima Hiroshi , Kobayashi Eiichi , Nagai Naofumi , Mizukami Fujio
Published: October 2018

A boehmite sol which contains uniform fibrous nanoparticles has a unique property to form a film by its self-assembling properties. When Tb ions were added to the sol, the film became photoluminescent (PL) and emitted bright green light due to the f–f transition of Tb by UV irradiation. The PL intensity varied with calcination temperature during pretreatment. The best performance was obtained when the sample was treated around 800 °C. The PL performance normalized by the Tb content was higher for samples with a lower Tb content. Structural analysis by TEM, XRD, and XAFS revealed that when the Tb content was lower than Tb/Al = 2.5/97.5 in the atomic ratio, Tb ions were dispersed on the alumina surface isolated from each other, and those Tb species showed a high PL performance. On the other hand, for densely Tb doped samples, excessive Tb ions aggregated and formed Tb oxide nanoparticles, which were supposed to have lower PL efficiencies.
Antidoping Science: Important Lessons From the Medical Sciences
Authors: Simon Perikles , Neuberger Elmo WI , Wang Guan , Pitsiladis Yannis P.
Published: October 2018

The ineffectiveness of antidoping programs in elite sport, largely due to human and political factors, is leading to a new resolve and greater transparency of antidoping authorities and those stakeholders interested in drug-free sport. The perception by the public, athletes, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) of antidoping science and current drug testing programs in elite sport varies widely from “ineffective” to “robust and reliable.” Here, we discuss why a careful and considered reevaluation of the underlying premise of antidoping science is needed to bring this unique application of predictive/diagnostic science more in line with other areas of medicine. We show how the validity of doping tests are neither “stand-alone figures” generated under ideal laboratory conditions, nor figures that can be used in isolation to support the efficacy of the current drug testing program. Given the consequences of a failed doping test for the athlete, the sport, and multiple stakeholders (e.g., the sponsors), there is a need for transparent decision making to ensure those affected are well informed. We identify in this perspective the minimal essential data on drug testing that should be reported by antidoping laboratories to draw meaningful conclusions about the effectiveness of specific drug testing methods to support antidoping. In the absence of information on the validity of a doping test, it is not possible to plan or conduct “intelligent testing.” It is imperative that the prevalence of doping and the likelihood of false-positive doping tests be regularly updated and made available for the wider antidoping research community to explore new approaches that could improve the validity of antidoping tests. True confirmatory testing which requires the use of different analytical technology and ideally an independent sample taken from an athlete with a positive test to transcend the present-day analysis of the B-sample. Indirect biomarkers of doping derived from new “omics”-based approaches may significantly improve the testing strategy. Biomarker molecular signatures are flexible enough to develop “normal ranges” optimized for either test sensitivity or specificity to detect a plethora of doping substances and methods.
Scapula Dyskinesis: A Review of Current Concepts and Evaluation of Assessment Tools
Authors: Jayasinghe Gihan Shantha
Published: October 2018

Scapula dyskinesis is prevalent in athletes conducting forceful overhead movements. This review summarizes our current understanding of the condition and evaluates the different options for assessing dyskinesis. Current methods for assessing scapula dyskinesis involve clinical observations, three-dimensional kinematics and three-dimensional wing computer tomography. Clinical observation is the most pragmatic method for assessing dyskinesis yielding inter-rater agreement of 79% and sensitivity of 76%. Similar sensitivities have been recorded using three-dimensional kinematics. Three-dimensional wing computer tomography has yielded a near-perfect interclass correlation coefficient of 0.972 when used to assess dyskinesis. Three-dimensional wing computer tomography, given its expense, low availability, and levels of irradiation, should be reserved for high-performance athletes where detailed assessments need to be made to aid rehabilitation. Observational assessments should remain the main modality used for general assessment.
Walking Pace Is Associated with Lower Risk of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality
Authors: CELIS-MORALES CARLOS A. , GRAY STUART , PETERMANN FANNY , ILIODROMITI STAMATINA , WELSH PAUL , LYALL DONALD M. , ANDERSON JANA , PELLICORI PIERPAOLO , MACKAY DANIEL F. , PELL JILL P. , SATTAR NAVEED , GILL JASON M. R.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Walking pace is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. Whether this association extends to other health outcomes and whether it is independent of total amount of time walked are currently unknown. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate whether usual walking pace is associated with a range of health outcomes.

Methods

UK Biobank participants (318,185 [54%] women) age 40 to 69 yr were included. Walking pace and total walking time were self-reported. The outcomes comprised: all-cause mortality as well as incidence and mortality from CVD, respiratory disease and cancer. The associations were investigated using Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Over a mean of 5.0 yr [ranging from 3.3 to 7.8], 5890 participants died, 18,568 developed CVD, 5430 respiratory disease and 19,234 cancer. In a fully adjusted model, compared to slow pace walkers, men and women, respectively, with a brisk pace having lower risk of mortality from all-causes (hazard ratio [HR], 0.79; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.69–0.90 and HR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.62–0.85), CVD (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.50–0.76 and HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.73–0.88), respiratory disease (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.43–0.78 and HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.57–0.77), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.12–0.56 and HR, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.16–0.49). No associations were found for all-cause cancer, colorectal, and breast cancer. However, brisk walking was associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer.

Conclusions

Walking pace is associated with lower risk of a wide range of important health conditions, independently of overall time spent walking.
Accelerometer Data Processing and Energy Expenditure Estimation in Preschoolers
Authors: MIGUELES JAIRO H. , DELISLE NYSTRÖM CHRISTINE , HENRIKSSON PONTUS , CADENAS-SANCHEZ CRISTINA , ORTEGA FRANCISCO B. , LÖF MARIE
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To assess the capacity of different acceleration metrics from wrist accelerations to estimate total energy expenditure (TEE) and activity energy expenditure (AEE) using doubly labeled water in preschool children.

Methods

Thirty-nine preschoolers (5.5 ± 0.1 yr) were included. Total energy expenditure was measured using doubly labeled water during 14 d, and AEE was then calculated using a predicted basal metabolic rate. Participants wore a wGT3X-BT accelerometer on their nondominant wrist for ≥5 d. We derived the following metrics from raw accelerations: raw ActiGraph activity counts using the normal filter and the low-frequency extension; and alternate summary metrics, such as the Euclidian norm minus 1g (ENMO), Euclidian norm of the high-pass-filtered accelerations (HFEN), the bandpass-filtered accelerations, the HFEN plus Euclidean norm of low-pass filtered accelerations minus 1g (HFEN+) and the mean amplitude deviation.

Results

Alternate summary metrics explained a larger proportion of the variance in TEE and AEE than ActiGraph’s activity counts (counts, 7–8 and 25% of TEE and AEE; alternate summary metrics, 13%–16% and 35%–39% of TEE and AEE). Adjustments for body weight and height resulted in an explanation of 51% of AEE by ENMO. All of the metrics adjusted for fat mass and fat-free mass explained up to 84% and 67% of TEE and AEE, respectively.

Conclusions

ENMO and the other alternate summary metrics explained more of the variance in TEE and AEE than the ActiGraph’s activity counts in 5-yr-old children, suggesting further exploration of these variables in studies on physical activity and energy expenditure in preschoolers. Our results need confirmation in other populations with wider age groups and varying body compositions.
Twenty-Year Trajectories of Physical Activity Types from Midlife to Old Age
Authors: AGGIO DANIEL , PAPACHRISTOU EFSTATHIOS , PAPACOSTA OLIA , LENNON LUCY T. , ASH SARAH , WHINCUP PETER H. , WANNAMETHEE S. GOYA , JEFFERIS BARBARA J.
Published: October 2018

Purpose

Correlates of physical activity (PA) vary according to type. However, predictors of long-term patterns of PA types into old age are unknown. This study aimed to identify 20-yr trajectories of PA types into old age and their predictors.

Methods

Seven thousand seven hundred thirty-five men (age, 40–59 yr) recruited from UK towns in 1978 to 1980 were followed up after 12, 16, and 20 yr. Men reported participation in sport/exercise, recreational activity and walking, health status, lifestyle behaviors and socio-demographic characteristics. Group-based trajectory modeling identified the trajectories of PA types and associations with time-stable and time-varying covariates.

Results

Men with ≥3 measures of sport/exercise (n = 5116), recreational activity (n = 5085) and walking (n = 5106) respectively were included in analyses. Three trajectory groups were identified for sport/exercise, four for recreational activity and three for walking. Poor health, obesity and smoking were associated with reduced odds of following a more favorable trajectory for all PA types. A range of socioeconomic, regional and lifestyle factors were also associated with PA trajectories but the magnitude and direction were specific to PA type. For example, men with manual occupations were less likely to follow a favorable sport/exercise trajectory but more likely to follow an increasing walking trajectory compared to men with nonmanual occupations. Retirement was associated with increased PA but this was largely due to increased sport/exercise participation.

Conclusions

Physical activity trajectories from middle to old age vary by activity type. The predictors of these trajectories and effects of major life events, such as retirement, are also specific to the type of PA.
Isolated caecal necrosis—a case study
Authors: Chan Nathan Howard Ho Leung , Rafiee Hameed , Beales Ian L P , Karthigan Ravindran , Ciorra Annabel , Kim Taeyang
Published: October 2018

A patient with right iliac fossa pain underwent CT angiography which demonstrated isolated caecal necrosis with associated superior mesenteric artery (SMA) stenosis. This was supported by colonoscopic findings and histopathological analysis. Isolated caecal necrosis is a rare presentation of ischaemic colitis.. Clinical and imaging findings of ischaemic colitis may mimic other pathologies. To improve diagnostic accuracy both referrers and radiologists should be aware of risk factors associated with ischaemic colitis. Isolated bowel wall thickening and pneumatosis of a colonic segment on CT are suggestive of focal bowel ischaemia, in the right clinical context.
First record of the bug Thaumastocoris peregrinus in Greece
Authors: Petrakis Panos V.
Published: October 2018

The Australian bug species Thaumastocoris peregrinus Carpineto et Dellapè (Hemiptera: Thaumastocoridae) is reported for the first time in Greece. This is a sap-sucking consumer (mesophyll feeder) of Eucalyptus spp. foliage. Feeding damage and the egg batches of the insect were found in several locations in 2016. This invasive species recently has been recorded from Portugal, Spain, and Italy. Although in Greece there are no currently forest plantations of eucalypts (experimental plantations exempted), this insect is a serious pest of these trees in roadside verges and city parks.
Classification and characterisation of brain network changes in chronic back pain: A multicenter study
Authors: Mano Hiroaki , Kotecha Gopal , Leibnitz Kenji , Matsubara Takashi , Sprenger Christian , Nakae Aya , Shenker Nicholas , Shibata Masahiko , Voon Valerie , Yoshida Wako , Lee Michael , Yanagida Toshio , Kawato Mitsuo , Rosa Maria Joao , Seymour Ben
Published: October 2018

Background. Chronic pain is a common, often disabling condition thought to involve a combination of peripheral and central neurobiological factors. However, the extent and nature of changes in the brain is poorly understood.

Methods. We investigated brain network architecture using resting-state fMRI data in chronic back pain patients in the UK and Japan (41 patients, 56 controls), as well as open data from USA. We applied machine learning and deep learning (conditional variational autoencoder architecture) methods to explore classification of patients/controls based on network connectivity. We then studied the network topology of the data, and developed a multislice modularity method to look for consensus evidence of modular reorganisation in chronic back pain.

Results. Machine learning and deep learning allowed reliable classification of patients in a third, independent open data set with an accuracy of 63%, with 68% in cross validation of all data. We identified robust evidence of network hub disruption in chronic pain, most consistently with respect to clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality. We found a consensus pattern of modular reorganisation involving extensive, bilateral regions of sensorimotor cortex, and characterised primarily by negative reorganisation - a tendency for sensorimotor cortex nodes to be less inclined to form pairwise modular links with other brain nodes. Furthermore, these regions were found to display increased connectivity with the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, a region known to be involved in endogenous pain control. In contrast, intraparietal sulcus displayed a propensity towards positive modular reorganisation, suggesting that it might have a role in forming modules associated with the chronic pain state.

Conclusion. The results provide evidence of consistent and characteristic brain network changes in chronic pain, characterised primarily by extensive reorganisation of the network architecture of the sensorimotor cortex.
Sequential Capacity Expansion Options
Authors: Bensoussan Alain , Chevalier-Roignant Benoît
Published: October 2018

We consider a firm expanding its production capacity in stages under uncertainty. The firm decides on the investment times and the size of the investment lumps. This setting gives rise to an impulse control problem for which we derive a quasi-variational inequality that involves two state variables: a stochastic price process and a controlled capacity process. We provide a general verification theorem and construct an optimal two-dimensional (s,S)-type policy for a specific case. The firm “waits and sees” before investing until the perpetuity value of newly installed capacity exceeds the total opportunity cost by a sufficient margin. Our model generalizes extant models dealing with “the option to expand” capacity and makes predictions of both the optimal investment timing and the optimal scale of production.
Passenger Advice and Rolling Stock Rescheduling Under Uncertainty for Disruption Management
Authors: van der Hurk Evelien , Kroon Leo , Maróti Gábor
Published: October 2018

Operators and passengers need to adjust their plans in cases of large-scale disruptions in railway networks. Where most previous research has focused on the operators, this paper studies the combined support of both in a system where passengers have free route choice. In cases of disruption, passengers receive route advice, which they are not required to follow: passengers’ route choice depends on the route advice and the timetable information available to them. Simultaneous to providing advice, rolling stock is rescheduled to accommodate the anticipated passenger demand. The duration of the disruption is uncertain, and passenger flows arise from a complex interaction between the passengers’ route choices and the seat capacity allocated to the trains. We present an optimization-based algorithm that aims to minimize passenger inconvenience through provision of route advice and rolling stock rescheduling, where the advice optimization and rolling stock rescheduling modules are supported by a passenger simulation model. The algorithm aims to include and evaluate solutions under realistic passenger behavior assumptions. Our computational tests on realistic instances of Netherlands Railways indicate that the addition of the travel advice effectively improves the service quality to the passengers more than only rescheduling rolling stock, even when not all passengers follow the advice.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2017.0759 .
Conveyor Merges in Zone Picking Systems: A Tractable and Accurate Approximate Model
Authors: van der Gaast J. P. , de Koster M. B. M. , Adan I. J. B. F.
Published: October 2018

Sequential zone picking systems are popular conveyor-based picker-to-parts order picking systems that divide the order picking area in work zones. When designing a zone picking system, it is important to know whether the throughput capability of the system can meet customer demand. However, the performance and maximum throughput capability of a zone picking system is largely determined by congestion and blocking that occur at the various conveyor merges in the system. In this paper we develop an analytical model to study the impact of conveyor merges in sequential zone picking systems. Because of finite buffers, blocking, recirculation, and merging, the resulting queueing model does not have a product-form stationary queue-length distribution which makes exact analysis practically infeasible. Therefore, we develop an approximate solution by using an aggregation technique and matrix-geometric methods to study the throughput capability of the system. The model is suitable to support rapid design of complex zone picking systems, in terms of number and length of zones, input and output buffer capacities, and storage allocation of products to zones to meet prespecified performance targets. Comparison of the approximation results to simulation show that for a wide range of parameters the mean relative error in the system throughput is typically less than 5%. The model accurately predicts the loss in throughput due to congestion and blocking at the merges, and can be used to allocate input and output buffer spaces to maximize the throughput capability of the system.
The stamp duty land tax time bomb
Authors: Cumberlege Justin
Published: October 2018

Justin Cumberlege of law firm Cripps looks at the stamp duty land tax regulations to help practice managers avoid any unpleasant surprises
The Fentanyl Epidemic and Evolution of Fentanyl Analogs in the United States and the European Union
Authors: Jannetto Paul J , Helander Anders , Garg Uttam , Janis Gregory C , Goldberger Bruce , Ketha Hemamalini
Published: October 2018

BACKGROUND

Since 2013, an unprecedented surge in fentanyl overdose deaths has been caused by heroin laced with illicitly produced fentanyl and/or fentanyl analogs (FAs) sold as heroin. The US Drug Enforcement Agency's National Forensic Laboratory Information System reported a >300% increase in fentanyl encounters from 4697 in 2014 to 14440 in 2015. In 2015, the CDC reported 9580 deaths caused by synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl, a 72% increase from 2014. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction has also encountered several new FAs in the heroin supply. Counterfeit pharmaceuticals containing mixtures of fentanyl and FAs continue to be a poorly recognized worldwide problem despite the WHO classifying several FAs as a serious threat to public health.

CONTENT

This review covers the epidemiology of fentanyl abuse and discusses the clinical practice implications of widespread fentanyl abuse. It includes a historical perspective on the illicit FAs that have appeared in the US and European Union and reviews the methods available to identify FAs and emerging technologies useful for identifying previously undescribed analogs. A compilation of structural and mass spectral data on FAs reported thus far is provided.

Fentanyl and FAs have evolved into a global public health threat. It is important to understand the analytical, clinical, and regulatory efforts underway to assist communities affected by the current fentanyl epidemic.
Changes in Rats’ Liver Structure Induced by Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and the Possible Protective Role of Vitamin E
Authors: A. Hegazy Abdelmonem , M. Ahmed Marwa , A. Shehata Mohammed , Abdelfattah Marwa M
Published: October 2018

Background: Oral ingestion of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) may lead to serious liver injury. Vitamin E (VE) is an important antioxidant factor that can reduce such damage. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the possible changes that could take place in the liver of adult male albino rats after oral ingestion of ZnONPs and elucidate the potential protective role of VE against such damage. Material and Methods: Forty eight male albino rats were divided into four groups of 12 animals each. Group (1) served as control group and received normal saline. Group (2) “VE-treated” received 100 mg/kg/day of VE dissolved in normal saline by oral gavage for 21 days. Group (3) “ZnONPs-treated” received a daily dose of ZnONPs dispersed in the fresh sterilized physiological saline solution 1mg/kg for 5 constitutive days. Group (4) “concomitant ZnONPs and VE-treated” was pretreated with VE 100 mg/kg/day for 14 days followed by the same dose of ZnONPs as in group (3) for 5 days. The extent of hepatic damage was evaluated by histological and immunohistochemical examination of liver samples and serological analysis of liver enzymes. Results: Body weights and liver weights showed very highly significant decrease (P <0.001) in the ZnONPs-treated group. The histological results in ZnONPs-treated group revealed congested dilated central veins and blood sinusoids, loss of normal arrangement of hepatocytes and most of hepatocytes showed marked vacuolated cytoplasm with darkly stained nuclei. Portal area affection was in the form of congested dilated portal veins with bile duct hyperplasia and cellular infiltration. There was an increase in the mount of blue stained collagen fibers around central veins together with strong positive reaction for Caspase 3 in ZnONPs-treated group. Similarly biochemical analysis indicated that the levels of serum aminotransferase (AST &ALT) significantly increased in ZnONPs-treated group when compared with other groups. Rats pretreated with VE showed improvement of the histological findings and biochemical parameters. Conclusion: Ingestion of ZnONPs could be associated with serious liver affection and pretreatment with VE is suggested to induce some improvement of such deleterious changes.
Diabetes and obesity. The role of agonists glucagon-like peptide-1 of in the treatment of type 2 diabetes
Authors: Petunina Nina A. , Telnova Milena Е.
Published: October 2018

Significant number of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are obese. It is known that even glucose intolerance, as well as diabetes, can lead to vascular complications. At the same time, weight loss can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes in obese and pre-diabetic patients. According to available data, a significant decrease in the incretin effect is observed in patients with type 2 diabetes and obese individuals. Thus, a decrease in the incretin effect leads to a violation of the insulin response to the intake of carbohydrates, and, consequently, an increase in the level of glucose in the blood. It was also found that the decrease in the incretin effect in patients with type 2 diabetes can be associated with a lower secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1. The interest is represented by groups of antidiabetic drugs capable of regulating glycemia by affecting the secretion of insulin and glucagon, depending on its level. Such drugs include glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists.
The article shows the advantage of prolonged action in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity of the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (albiglutide, dulaglutide, exenatide with slow release) dosing 1 time a week.
MEDICAMENTO PARA TRATAMENTO DA HEPATITE C: DA APROVAÇÃO DO MEDICAMENTO GENÉRICO SOFOSBUVIR PELA ANVISA ÀS DIFICULDADES SOCIAIS E COMERCIAIS.
Authors: Oliveira Anselmo Gomes de , Silveira Dâmaris
Published: October 2018

A hepatite C, uma infecção viral causada pelo vírus HCV, caracterizada por icterícia, febre, náusea, dor abdominal, urina e fezes escuras, dentre outros sintomas. Em 80% dos casos a infecção persiste por mais de seis meses e, nestes casos, a doença se torna crônica e, em 20% dos casos pode evoluir para cirrose hepática e câncer de fígado. A hepatite C é um problema de saúde pública global, que possui estimativa de cerca de 70 milhões de indivíduos com a infecção crônica, sendo que cerca d 400.000 indivíduos morrem a cada ano, principalmente devido a cirrose ou carcinoma hepatocelular. Entre as causas mais graves de transmissão da doença estão a transfusão de sangue e o compartilhamento de diversos tipos de materiais, como por exemplo agulhas de injeção, ou por contato com fluídos biológicos, particularmente da mucosa oral. A taxa de incidência da doença no Brasil em 2017 foi de 11,9 casos por 100 mil habitantes. Entretanto, mais de um milhão de pessoas tiveram contato com o vírus do tipo C.
INTERAÇÕES ENTRE MEDICAMENTOS SUJEITOS A CONTROLE ESPECIAL DISPENSADOS NA FARMÁCIA DISTRITAL CENTRO DE PORTO ALEGRE, RS, BRASIL
Authors: Pasqualotto Adriane , Rodrigues Bitencourt Paula Eliete , Nietiedt Natália Azuaga , De Paula Leonardo Fernandes , Nogueira Rafael de Oliveira , Gomez Rosane
Published: October 2018

A politerapia é uma prática útil no tratamento de patologias coexistentes ou para potencializar o efeito farmacológico em condições pouco responsivas, porém apresenta um grande risco para interações medicamentosas. Sendo assim, o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar em prescrições atendidas pela Farmácia Distrital Centro em Porto Alegre, RS, as interações medicamentosas de medicamentos sujeitos a controle especial e classificá-las quanto a potenciais interações medicamentosas e grau de severidade com auxílio da base de dados MICROMEDEX®. Após análise de 2.839 receituários, os resultados mostraram que grande parte dos pacientes pertencia ao sexo feminino e que 75% do total das prescrições apresentavam algum tipo de interação. Das 291 associações analisadas, 44,4% apresentavam risco forte de interação, 23,9% risco moderado e 6,5% risco leve. A maioria das interações com risco forte apresentava como principal risco a cardiotoxicidade. A elevada frequência de interações e o risco de efeitos tóxicos, aponta para a necessidade de um sistema adequado de informações sobre o uso de medicamentos e de orientação farmacêutica nessas unidades de saúde.
AVALIAÇÃO DA QUALIDADE DE XAMPUS ANTICASPA
Authors: Da Silva Denner Alípio , Carmo Egberto Santos , De Azevedo Maria da Glória Batista , Souza Júlia Beatriz Pereira
Published: October 2018

As micoses superficiais são infecções fúngicas localizadas em diversas partes do corpo, estando entre os principais motivos de consultas dermatológicas. Dentre as micoses superficiais mais comuns a caspa e a dermatite seborreica se destacam por terem distribuição universal, sendo frequentemente associadas à colonização por fungos do gênero Malassezia. Xampus contendo diferentes ativos antifúngicos como piritionato de zinco, cetoconazol e ciclopirox olamina, são os principais meios de tratamento para tais afecções. Estes produtos, por terem amplo uso pela população, têm a necessidade de comprovação de sua qualidade, verificando também a sua efetividade, através do controle de qualidade. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo avaliar os parâmetros de qualidade de xampus anticaspa, levando em consideração as exigências para produtos com essa finalidade. Foram realizadas análises da composição química rotulada, das características físico-químicas (pH, viscosidade, teste de centrífuga, densidade), organolépticas, índice de espuma e ensaios de eficácia microbiológica, utilizando Candida albicans e Aspergillus niger como marcadores biológicos de eficácia. Após a realização dos testes em cinco amostras comerciais, todas foram aprovadas quanto à analise organoléptica e teste de centrifuga. Enquanto que em relação ao pH, a amostra 4 mostrou-se fora dos padrões. No teste de viscosidade, apenas a amostra 5 apresentou em conformidade com o descrito na literatura. Os valores de densidade foram ligeiramente maiores que os encontrados na literatura, no entanto, não há influência deste parâmetro na qualidade dos produtos avaliados. No índice de espuma as amostras 1 e 2, apresentaram maior consistência da espuma. Após o ensaio de eficácia, apenas as amostras 1, 2 e 3 mostraram-se eficazes no combate aos microrganismos teste. Todas as amostras apresentaram ativos anticaspa com ação comprovada na literatura.
SMAR1 promotes immune escape of Tri-negative Breast Cancer through a mechanism involving T-bet/PD-1 Axis
Authors: Xiaohua Wang , Hongxia Xu , Rong Deng , Pingping Wu , Xing Huang , Yichao Zhu , Cheng Chen
Published: October 2018

This study was aimed at investigating the specific molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of immune escape of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) by SMRI, so as to provide a new clinical treatment target for the disease. Mouse original 4T1 breast cancer cells were inoculated subcutaneously in BALB/C to establish TNBC mouse model. CD8+T cells with immunological effects were selected from mouse thymus glands for primary culture. The CD8+positive T cells were infected with lentivirus interference vectors, and the proliferation of CD8+ T cells were determined by trypan blue staining and flow cytometry. CD8+T cells and 4T1 cells were cultured together so as to determine the cytotoxic effects of SMAR1-downregulated CD8+ T cells on tumor cells and the expression of cytokines (IFN-Î³, TNF-Î±, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6). The expressions of SMAR1, T-bet and PD-1 were assayed by Western blot. SMAR1-downregulated CD8+T cells were injected into 4T1 tumor-bearing mice through the caudal vein, and the growth of tumor in mice was monitored. Following the infection of CD8+T cells with SMAR1-downregulated lentiviral system, cell apoptosis level was decreased significantly (control vs. sh-SMAR1: 32.23 ± 12.4 % vs. 18.28 ± 8.93 %, p < 0.05). Results from trypan blue staining experiments showed that the proliferation of CD8+ T cells in the SMAR1-downregulated group was significantly increased; SMAR1-downregulated CD8+ T cells promoted the production of IFN-Î³, TNF-Î±, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 in 4T1 breast cancer cells (p < 0.05). Western blot showed that SMAR1 down-regulation led to significant upregulation of T-bet, while PD-1 was downregulated, when compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The downregulation of SMAR1 was associated with significant reduction in tumor size in mice (p < 0.05). SMAR1 downregulation enhances the tumor killing effect of CD8+T cells by activating T-bet and down-regulating PD-1
NET-1 promotes invasion, adhesion and growth of hepatocellular carcinoma by regulating the expression of BAX, caspase 3, caspase 8 and BCL2
Authors: Wang Mingchun , Sun Xiangjun , Jiang Yongjun , Tan Zhen
Published: October 2018

Dysregulation of neuroepithelial transforming gene-1 (NET-1) has been shown in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. We aimed to evaluate the influence of NET-1 on HCC invasion, adhesion and growth. In vitro cellular functional assays including invasion and adhesion were performed to evaluate the effects of knockdown and overexpression of NET-1. HCC cells were transplanted into nude mice, and tumor growth was assessed. BAX, caspase 3, caspase 8 and BCL2 protein levels were detected by western blot. After transfection with NET-1 siRNA, NET-1 positive ratio in HCC cells significantly decreased. Cell invasion and adhesion assay showed that knockdown of NET-1 reduced the invasion and adhesion ability of HCC cells, whereas overexpression of NET-1 increased the ability. The evaluation of tumor growth revealed that NET-1 knockdown significantly decreased tumor volume and weight, while NET-1 overexpression promoted tumor growth in nude mice. Western blot showed that NET-1 knockdown increased BAX, caspase 3 and caspase 8 expression but decreased BCL2 expression, whereas NET-1 overexpression significantly down-regulated BAX, caspase 3 and caspase 8 expression but increased BCL2 expression. Our data suggest that NET-1 promotes HCC invasion, adhesion and growth by regulating BAX, caspase 3, caspase 8 and BCL2 expression.
Thai university students studying in China: Identity, imagined communities, and communities of practice
Authors: Teng (Mark) Feng , Bui Gavin
Published: October 2018

Previous research on studying abroad has documented the value of exploring students’ interactions with the members of their host community with a focus on the theoretical concepts of identity, imagined communities, and communities of practice. Following this line of research, this qualitative study breaks new ground through investigating how nine Thai students studying in China navigated the complex process of identity negotiation in their imagined communities and communities of practice. This investigation revisits intercultural sensitivity, proximity and boundaries in exploring how the students’ communities of practice afforded different opportunities to demonstrate their identities. The findings reveal that the students envisioned belonging to an imagined community of foreign students in China by demonstrating the identities of cross-cultural mediators and dedicated language learners. However, the misalignment between the students’ imaginations and the realities in their host communities caused predicaments with their identity negotiation. The Thai students’ multi-layered experiences and the social contexts of Chinese language learning influenced their identities, which in turn mediated their senses of belonging to imagined communities of Chinese speakers, and their self-perceived Chinese language competencies. Relevant pedagogical implications of the findings are discussed.
Planetary Magnetic Fields and Habitability in Super Earths
Authors: Cuartas-Restrepo Pablo
Published: October 2018

This work seeks to summarize some special aspects of a type of exoplanets known as super-Earths (SE), and the direct influence of these aspects in their habitability. Physical processes like the internal thermal evolution and the generation of a protective Planetary Magnetic Field (PMF) are directly related with habitability. Other aspects such as rotation and the formation of a solid core are fundamental when analyzing the possibilities that a SE would have to be habitable. This work analyzes the fundamental theoretical aspects on which the models of thermal evolution and the scaling laws of the planetary dynamos are based. These theoretical aspects allow to develop models of the magnetic evolution of the planets and the role played by the PMF in the protection of the atmosphere and the habitability of the planet.
Spreading the standard:The nineteenth-century standardization of Icelandic and the first Icelandic novel
Authors: Bernharðsson Haraldur
Published: October 2018

A literary standard for Icelandic was created in the nineteenth century. The main architects of this standard were scholars of Old Norse-Icelandic language and literature who turned to the language of the medieval Icelandic literature for linguistic models. Consequently, the resulting standard included a number of features from earlier stages of the language. This standard was successfully implemented despite the relatively weak institutional infrastructure in nineteenth-century Iceland. It is argued in this paper that the first Icelandic novel,Piltur og stúlka, appearing in 1850 and again in a revised edition in 1867, played an important role in spreading the standard. The novel championed the main ideological tenets of the prevailing language policy, and at the same time it was a showcase for the new standard. A rural love story set in contemporary Iceland, the novel was a welcome literary innovation. Most importantly, the subject matter appealed to children and adolescents in their formative years, and the novel thus became a powerful and persuasive vehicle for the new linguistic standard.
Being a journalist in a multilingual country: Representations of Dutch among Belgian French-speaking journalists
Authors: Bouko Catherine , Standaert Olivier , Vandendaele Astrid
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we examine how the francophone TV audience is introduced to the Flemish community and its language through daily news broadcasts. More specifically, our research looks at how the Dutch language is used when francophone journalists prepare and produce their reports – during all stages of the process –, up until the actual broadcast. We therefore conducted 15 qualitative interviews with TV news journalists employed by the Belgian French-speaking public broadcaster. The interviews were organized around eight topics, e.g. the place of Dutch in the newsroom and the languages chosen during interactions with Dutch-speaking interviewees. From a discursive point of view, we focused on the selected lexical terms and rhetorical tropes (the various uses of the litotes, in particular) to unpack the journalists’ practices, in relation to their representations of Dutch. Our study provides notable insights into their representation of the differences between French- and Dutch-speaking Belgians as a generational issue, their tendency to assess their proficiency in Dutch measured against bilingualism, as well as their wish to beat the cliché of “the unilingual French-speaker”. These observations are coupled with criteria which explain why French might be preferred in the end: the TV audience’s comfort, general intelligibility and subtitling constraints.
Polity Stability, Economic Growth, and Investment: A Dynamic Panel Analysis
Authors: Yanıkkaya Halit , Turan Taner
Published: October 2018

In this paper, we empirically examine the effect of polity stability on economic growth and investment by using the dynamic panel estimation techniques for more than 100 countries over the period 1960–2009. Our initial results imply that democracy reduces growth in both developed and developing countries. However, there is no evidence for the existence of a significant effect of the democracy level on the overall, public and private investment. Our results also suggest that the growth and investment effects of polity stability proxied by regime durability and polity fragility measures greatly differ in developing and developed countries. Our empirical results indicate that polity stability promotes growth only in developing countries. It seems that regime durability and polity fragility affect economic growth mainly through investment. We also make a distinction between public and private investment when examining the effects of polity stability. It seems that the durability and fragility matter for private investment. Therefore, developing countries ought to put solid efforts to lessen polity instability to promote economic growth.
Molecular structure and vibrational spectra of 2-(4-bromophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) 1,3-thiazolidin-4-one and its selenium analogue: Insights using HF and DFT methods
Authors: Kavitha Helen P. , Rhyman Lydia , Ramasami Ponnadurai
Published: October 2018

2-(4-Bromophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1,3-thiazolidin-4-one and its selenium analogue were studied in the gas phase using HF and DFT methods. The functionals considered were B3LYP, BP86 and M06. The basis set for all the atoms was 6-311++ G(d,p). Molecular parameters such as bond lengths, bond angles, rotational constants, dipole moments, electronic energies, and vibrational parameters namely harmonic vibrational frequencies and relative intensities were computed for these compounds. Atomization energies, HOMO-LUMO gaps and natural charges on the atoms were also calculated. The molecular parameters and the vibrational spectra of sulfur compound are in good agreement with the experimental data. Therefore, the data for the selenium analogue should be helpful in its future characterization.
A prospective study of patients’ pain intensity after cardiac surgery and a qualitative review: effects of examiners’ gender on patient reporting
Authors: Meyer-Frießem Christine H. , Szalaty Patrycja , Zahn Peter K. , Pogatzki-Zahn Esther M.
Published: October 2018

Background and aims

As indicated by experimental studies, reports of pain intensity may depend on the examiner’s gender. Until now, it is unclear whether this is relevant in clinical routine. This study investigated prospectively whether the gender of assessor plays a role in patients’ pain reports and whether this role differs in male and female patients.

Methods

165 patients (66.4 years±0.63; 118 males) scheduled for heart surgery were allocated consecutively to one examiner out of four students of both genders: two females and two males (aged 24.3 years±1.7). Therefore, the following study groups were defined: Group 1: female assessors-female patients, 2: female-male; 3: male-female, 4: male-male. Using a standardized analgesic scheme, patients were asked to rank their pain intensity on a numeric rating scale (NRS: 0–10), postoperatively. Statistics: Kruskal-Wallis, Mann-Whitney; p<0.05. Additionally, a qualitative literature review of the databases Medline and CENTRAL was performed focusing on experimental and clinical studies on experimenter gender bias. Due to the review, this prospective clinical study was designed to investigate whether patients after surgery report lower pain intensities when assessed by a female compared to a male assessor.

Results

Summarizing all patients, pain intensity on POD_1 was rated 4.0±2.4 on NRS and decreased on POD_2 to 3.0±2.1 [H(3)=37.941, p=0.000]. On average, pain intensity did not differ between males and females (NRS: 3.5 vs. 3.6). Only on the second postoperative day, more intense pain was reported in front of female assessors and less intense pain in front of male assessors (NRS: 3.4 vs. 2.4; p=0.000). A main effect for the four groups was seen (p=0.003): male patients reported higher pain scores to female assessors (NRS: 3.5 vs. 2.3; p=0.000).

Conclusions

Together, contrary to the expectations, patients after cardiac surgery reported a higher pain intensity in front of a female and a lower pain intensity in front of a male assessor. In particular, female caregivers may heighten the reported pain intensity up to 1.2 NRS-points; this bias seems to be more relevant for male patients.

Implications

Therefore, despite some methodological weakness, our data suggest that attention should be paid to a rather small, but somehow significant and consistent examiner gender bias after cardiac surgery especially in male patients. Further clinical studies are needed to show the true extent of clinical relevance and exact mechanisms underlying these gender reporting bias.
Mercury and Air Toxics Standards: Co-Benefits and the Courts in U.S. Cost-Benefit Analysis
Authors: Levinson Arik
Published: October 2018

In April 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington DC agreed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to delay indefinitely a lawsuit over the Agency’s regulation governing mercury pollution from power plants. Lawyers for the EPA argued that they needed time to evaluate the status of the lawsuit, due to “the recent change in Administration.” The case, Murray v. EPA, centers on the Agency’s analysis of the benefits of reducing mercury pollution. Key to that litigation is the EPA’s treatment of co-benefits—the incidental reductions to pollutants aside from mercury. As of this writing, the Agency has still not decided how to proceed. This case summarizes the EPA’s 2011 Regulatory Impact Analysis at the heart of the legal dispute.1
Beyond Invisibility: A REDress Collaboration to Raise Awareness of the Crisis of Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women
Authors: Lesco Natalie Marie
Published: October 2018

This article describes the impact of a case study of the REDress project on a university campus in Nova Scotia, Canada. The REDress project is a grassroots initiative that operates at the local level to empower Aboriginal women through an evocative art exhibit: the hanging of empty red dresses symbolizing missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls and the emptiness of the societal response to the violence committed against them. Using a participatory-action research model (PAR), which guides the exploration of the kinds of ideas instilled within this community-based initiative, my research demonstrates the potential this project has to mobilize local Indigenous women’s perspectives and voices, in order to break the silence to which they are often subjected through structures of oppression. This process relies on the establishment of meaningful connections with members of the StFX Aboriginal Student’s Society and creating a transparent research process, while also encouraging action in the form of awareness building. The project makes a political statement that resists the ascribed invisibility of Aboriginal women by honouring the lives of missing and murdered Aboriginal women. As a community-based initiative, the REDress project demonstrates the beginnings of reconciliation by cultivating meaningful relationships that provide hope for the future.
Long-term outcomes of follicular variant vs classic papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Henke Lauren E , Pfeifer John D , Baranski Thomas J , DeWees Todd , Grigsby Perry W
Published: October 2018

The majority of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) cases comprise classic papillary (C-PTC) and follicular variant (FV-PTC) histologic sub-types. Historically, clinical equivalency was assumed, but recent data suggest C-PTC may have poorer outcomes. However, large single-institution series with long-term outcomes of C-PTC and FV-PTC, using modern pathologic criteria for FV-PTC, are needed. Our objective was to compare prevalence and impact of clinicopathologic factors, including BRAF mutation status, on long-term outcomes of C-PTC and FV-PTC. We hypothesized that patients with C-PTC would have higher risk disease features and worse survival outcomes. This retrospective study included 1293 patients treated at a single, US academic institution between 1943 and 2009 with mean follow-up of 8.6 years. All patients underwent either partial or total thyroidectomy and had invasive C-PTC or FV-PTC per modern pathology criteria. Primary study measurements included differences in recurrence-free survival (RFS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and associations with clinicopathologic factors including the BRAF mutation. Compared to FV-PTC, C-PTC was associated with multiple features of high-risk disease (P < 0.05) and significantly reduced RFS and DSS. Survival differences were consistent across univariate, multivariate and Kaplan–Meier analyses. BRAF mutations were more common in C-PTC (P = 0.002). However, on Kaplan–Meier analysis, mutational status did not significantly impact RFS or DSS for patients with either histologic sub-type. C-PTC therefore indicates higher-risk disease and predicts for significantly poorer long-term outcomes when compared to FV-PTC. The nature of this difference in outcome is not explained by traditional histopathologic findings or by the BRAF mutation.