bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research protocol for the Picture Talk Project: a qualitative study on research and consent with remote Australian Aboriginal communities
Authors: Fitzpatrick Emily F M , Carter Maureen , Oscar June , Lawford Tom , Martiniuk Alexandra L C , D’Antoine Heather A , Elliott Elizabeth J
Published: December 2017

Introduction

Research with Indigenous populations is not always designed with cultural sensitivity. Few publications evaluate or describe in detail seeking consent for research with Indigenous participants. When potential participants are not engaged in a culturally respectful manner, participation rates and research quality can be adversely affected. It is unethical to proceed with research without truly informed consent.

Methods and analysis

We describe a culturally appropriate research protocol that is invited by Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley in Western Australia. The Picture Talk Project is a research partnership with local Aboriginal leaders who are also chief investigators. We will interview Aboriginal leaders about research, community engagement and the consent process and hold focus groups with Aboriginal community members about individual consent. Cultural protocols will be applied to recruit and conduct research with participants. Transcripts will be analysed using NVivo10 qualitative software and themes synthesised to highlight the key issues raised by the community about the research process. This protocol will guide future research with the Aboriginal communities of the Fitzroy Valley and may inform the approach to research with other Indigenous communities of Australia or the world. It must be noted that no community is the same and all research requires local consultation and input. To conduct culturally sensitive research, respected local people from the community who have knowledge of cultural protocol and language are engaged to guide each step of the research process from the project design to the delivery of results.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was granted by the University of Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee (No. 2012/348, reference:14760), the Western Australia Country Health Service Ethics Committee (No. 2012:15), the Western Australian Aboriginal Health Ethics Committee and reviewed by the Kimberley Aboriginal Health Planning Forum Research Sub-Committee (No. 2012–008). Results will be disseminated through peer review articles, a local Fitzroy Valley report and conference presentations.
Cohort profile: the Emory Cardiovascular Biobank (EmCAB)
Authors: Ko Yi-An , Hayek Salim , Sandesara Pratik , Samman Tahhan Ayman , Quyyumi Arshed
Published: December 2017

Purpose

The Emory Cardiovascular Biobank (EmCAB) is an ongoing prospective registry of patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation, which was established to identify novel factors associated with the pathobiological process and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Participants

Individuals aged 18 years and older undergoing cardiac catheterisation at three Emory Healthcare sites in Atlanta are asked to participate in this prospective registry. Around 95% agree to participate. Around 7000 unique patients have been enrolled. The current data set contains detailed phenotyping, patient outcomes, genomics, protein biomarkers, regenerative markers, transcriptomic analysis, metabolomics profiling and longitudinal follow-up for adverse cardiovascular outcomes.

Findings to date

Thus far, the EmCAB has approximately 3000 major cardiovascular events. About 48% of the EmCAB participants have more than 5 years of follow-up. It is a great resource for discovery of novel predictive factors for cardiovascular disease outcomes, including genomics, transcriptomics, protein biomarkers, oxidative stress markers and circulating progenitor cells. Several circulating inflammatory markers have shown to improve risk prediction metrics beyond standard risk factors.

Future plans

Future integrative –omics analyses will provide the cardiovascular research community opportunities for subsequent mechanistic confirmation studies, which will promote the development of effective personalised therapy that leads to clinical care tailored to the individual patient.
Current outcomes of blunt open pelvic fractures: how modern advances in trauma care may decrease mortality
Authors: Siada Sammy S , Davis James W , Kaups Krista L , Dirks Rachel C , Grannis Kimberly A
Published: December 2017

Background

Open pelvic fracture, caused by a blunt mechanism, is an uncommon injury with a high mortality rate. In 2008, evidence-based algorithm for managing pelvic fractures in unstable patients was published by the Western Trauma Association (WTA). The use of massive transfusion protocols has become widespread as has the availability and use of pelvic angiography. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of open pelvic fractures in association with related advances in trauma care.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed, at an American College of Surgeon verified level I trauma center, of patients with blunt open pelvic fractures from January 2010 to April 2016. The WTA algorithm, including massive transfusion protocol, and pelvic angiography were uniformly used. Data collected included injury severity score, demographic data, transfusion requirements, use of pelvic angiography, length of stay, and disposition. Data were compared with a similar study from 2005.

Results

During the study period, 1505 patients with pelvic fractures were analyzed; 87 (6%) patients had open pelvic fractures. Of these, 25 were from blunt mechanisms and made up the study population. Patients in both studies had similar injury severity scores, ages, Glasgow Coma Scale, and gender distributions. Use of angiography was higher (44% vs. 16%; P=0.011) and mortality was lower (16% vs. 45%; P=0.014) than in the 2005 study.

Conclusions

Changes in trauma care for patients with open blunt pelvic fracture include the use of an evidence-based algorithm, massive transfusion protocols and increased use of angioembolization. Mortality for open pelvic fractures has decreased with these advances.

Level of evidence

Level IV.
The visualCMAT: A web-server to select and interpret correlated mutations/co-evolving residues in protein families
Authors: Suplatov Dmitry , Sharapova Yana , Timonina Daria , Kopylov Kirill , Švedas Vytas
Published: December 2017

The visualCMAT web-server was designed to assist experimental research in the fields of protein/enzyme biochemistry, protein engineering, and drug discovery by providing an intuitive and easy-to-use interface to the analysis of correlated mutations/co-evolving residues. Sequence and structural information describing homologous proteins are used to predict correlated substitutions by the Mutual information-based CMAT approach, classify them into spatially close co-evolving pairs, which either form a direct physical contact or interact with the same ligand (e.g. a substrate or a crystallographic water molecule), and long-range correlations, annotate and rank binding sites on the protein surface by the presence of statistically significant co-evolving positions. The results of the visualCMAT are organized for a convenient visual analysis and can be downloaded to a local computer as a content-rich all-in-one PyMol session file with multiple layers of annotation corresponding to bioinformatic, statistical and structural analyses of the predicted co-evolution, or further studied online using the built-in interactive analysis tools. The online interactivity is implemented in HTML5 and therefore neither plugins nor Java are required. The visualCMAT web-server is integrated with the Mustguseal web-server capable of constructing large structure-guided sequence alignments of protein families and superfamilies using all available information about their structures and sequences in public databases. The visualCMAT web-server can be used to understand the relationship between structure and function in proteins, implemented at selecting hotspots and compensatory mutations for rational design and directed evolution experiments to produce novel enzymes with improved properties, and employed at studying the mechanism of selective ligand’s binding and allosteric communication between topologically independent sites in protein structures. The web-server is freely available at https://biokinet.belozersky.msu.ru/visualcmat and there are no login requirements.
Gabor frames on non-Archimedean fields
Authors: Ahmad Owais , Shah Firdous A. , Sheikh Neyaz A.
Published: December 2017

In this paper, we introduce the concept of periodic Gabor frames on non-Archimedean fields of positive characteristic. We first establish a necessary and sufficient condition for a periodic Gabor system to be a Gabor frame for [Formula: see text]. Then, we present some equivalent characterizations of Parseval Gabor frames on non-Archimedean fields by means of some fundamental equations in the time domain. Finally, potential applications of Gabor frames on non-Archimedean fields are also discussed.
Optimal portfolio in the presence of transaction costs and convex risk measure
Authors: Doctor O. , Offen E. R. , Lungu E. M.
Published: December 2017

We analyze the optimal portfolio selection problem of maximizing the utility of an agent who invests in a stock and a money market account in the presence of transaction costs. The stock price follows a geometric process. The preference of the investor is assumed to follow the constant relative risk aversion (CRRA). We further investigate the risk minimizing portfolio through a zero-sum stochastic differential game (SDG). To solve this two-player SDG we use the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman–Isaacs (HJBI) for general zero-sum SDG in a jump setting.
Asymmetries in financial returns
Authors: Madan Dilip B. , Wang King
Published: December 2017

Market clichés assert that markets take escalators up and elevators down. The observation suggests differentiating models for up and down moves. Non-diffusive models allow for this and we model the move as the difference of two independent mean reverting increasing processes driven by gamma process shocks. The model is estimated on time series data as well as option data. Broadly speaking, the rise occurs with more frequent and smaller jumps with a faster rate of convergence to equilibrium. The down tick process has larger, less frequent moves with longer memories. Applications to delta hedging and the setting of profit targets and stop losses are also presented.
Family control and corporate social responsibility: Evidence from Iranian companies
Authors: Safaee Morteza , Gerayli Mehdi Safari
Published: December 2017

Today, the necessity for disclosing corporate social responsibility (henceforth, CSR) to increase transparency and non-financial accountability in capital markets have attracted the attention of regulators and stock exchange. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the impact of family ownership on CSR level. To do so, a checklist of 39 items of disclosure which accord with Iran’s reporting environment was employed to measure the social responsibility. The research hypothesis was developed based on the data collected from 98 firms listed in Tehran Stock Exchange during the years 2011–2015 and then tested using multivariate regression analysis model based on panel data. The results of the study reveal that family ownership reduces the level of CSR disclosure. The findings of current study not only fill existing gaps in the field, but also contribute to decision-making practices in Stock Exchange.
Intrinsically-typed definitional interpreters for imperative languages
Authors: Bach Poulsen Casper , Rouvoet Arjen , Tolmach Andrew , Krebbers Robbert , Visser Eelco
Published: December 2017

A definitional interpreter defines the semantics of an object language in terms of the (well-known) semantics of a host language, enabling understanding and validation of the semantics through execution. Combining a definitional interpreter with a separate type system requires a separate type safety proof. An alternative approach, at least for pure object languages, is to use a dependently-typed language to encode the object language type system in the definition of the abstract syntax. Using such intrinsically-typed abstract syntax definitions allows the host language type checker to verify automatically that the interpreter satisfies type safety. Does this approach scale to larger and more realistic object languages, and in particular to languages with mutable state and objects?

In this paper, we describe and demonstrate techniques and libraries in Agda that successfully scale up intrinsically-typed definitional interpreters to handle rich object languages with non-trivial binding structures and mutable state. While the resulting interpreters are certainly more complex than the simply-typed λ-calculus interpreter we start with, we claim that they still meet the goals of being concise, comprehensible, and executable, while guaranteeing type safety for more elaborate object languages. We make the following contributions: (1) A
dependent-passing style
technique for hiding the weakening of indexed values as they propagate through monadic code. (2) An Agda library for programming with
scope graphs
and
frames
, which provides a uniform approach to dealing with name binding in intrinsically-typed interpreters. (3) Case studies of intrinsically-typed definitional interpreters for the simply-typed λ-calculus with references (STLC+Ref) and for a large subset of Middleweight Java (MJ).
Effective stateless model checking for C/C++ concurrency
Authors: Kokologiannakis Michalis , Lahav Ori , Sagonas Konstantinos , Vafeiadis Viktor
Published: December 2017

We present a stateless model checking algorithm for verifying concurrent programs running under RC11, a repaired version of the C/C++11 memory model without dependency cycles. Unlike most previous approaches, which enumerate thread interleavings up to some partial order reduction improvements, our approach works directly on execution graphs and (in the absence of RMW instructions and SC atomics) avoids redundant exploration by construction. We have implemented a model checker, called RCMC, based on this approach and applied it to a number of challenging concurrent programs. Our experiments confirm that RCMC is significantly faster, scales better than other model checking tools, and is also more resilient to small changes in the benchmarks.
Monadic refinements for relational cost analysis
Authors: Radiček Ivan , Barthe Gilles , Gaboardi Marco , Garg Deepak , Zuleger Florian
Published: December 2017

Formal frameworks for cost analysis of programs have been widely studied in the unary setting and, to a limited extent, in the relational setting. However, many of these frameworks focus only on the cost aspect, largely side-lining functional properties that are often a prerequisite for cost analysis, thus leaving many interesting programs out of their purview. In this paper, we show that elegant, simple, expressive proof systems combining cost analysis and functional properties can be built by combining already known ingredients: higher-order refinements and cost monads. Specifically, we derive two syntax-directed proof systems, U
C
and R
C
, for unary and relational cost analysis, by adding a cost monad to a (syntax-directed) logic of higher-order programs. We study the metatheory of the systems, show that several nontrivial examples can be verified in them, and prove that existing frameworks for cost analysis (RelCost and RAML) can be embedded in them.
Go with the flow: compositional abstractions for concurrent data structures
Authors: Krishna Siddharth , Shasha Dennis , Wies Thomas
Published: December 2017

Concurrent separation logics have helped to significantly simplify correctness proofs for concurrent data structures. However, a recurring problem in such proofs is that data structure abstractions that work well in the sequential setting are much harder to reason about in a concurrent setting due to complex sharing and overlays. To solve this problem, we propose a novel approach to abstracting regions in the heap by encoding the data structure invariant into a local condition on each individual node. This condition may depend on a quantity associated with the node that is computed as a fixpoint over the entire heap graph. We refer to this quantity as a
flow
. Flows can encode both structural properties of the heap (e.g. the reachable nodes from the root form a tree) as well as data invariants (e.g. sortedness). We then introduce the notion of a
flow interface
, which expresses the relies and guarantees that a heap region imposes on its context to maintain the local flow invariant with respect to the global heap. Our main technical result is that this notion leads to a new semantic model of separation logic. In this model, flow interfaces provide a general abstraction mechanism for describing complex data structures. This abstraction mechanism admits proof rules that generalize over a wide variety of data structures. To demonstrate the versatility of our approach, we show how to extend the logic RGSep with flow interfaces. We have used this new logic to prove linearizability and memory safety of nontrivial concurrent data structures. In particular, we obtain parametric linearizability proofs for concurrent dictionary algorithms that abstract from the details of the underlying data structure representation. These proofs cannot be easily expressed using the abstraction mechanisms provided by existing separation logics.
Symbolic types for lenient symbolic execution
Authors: Chang Stephen , Knauth Alex , Torlak Emina
Published: December 2017

We present lambda_sym, a typed λ-calculus for
lenient symbolic execution
, where some language constructs do not recognize symbolic values. Its type system, however, ensures safe behavior of all symbolic values in a program. Our calculus extends a base occurrence typing system with symbolic types and mutable state, making it a suitable model for both functional and imperative symbolically executed languages. Naively allowing mutation in this mixed setting introduces soundness issues, however, so we further add
concreteness polymorphism
, which restores soundness without rejecting too many valid programs. To show that our calculus is a useful model for a real language, we implemented Typed Rosette, a typed extension of the solver-aided Rosette language. We evaluate Typed Rosette by porting a large code base, demonstrating that our type system accommodates a wide variety of symbolically executed programs.
Simplicitly: foundations and applications of implicit function types
Authors: Odersky Martin , Blanvillain Olivier , Liu Fengyun , Biboudis Aggelos , Miller Heather , Stucki Sandro
Published: December 2017

Understanding a program entails understanding its context; dependencies, configurations and even implementations are all forms of contexts. Modern programming languages and theorem provers offer an array of constructs to define contexts, implicitly. Scala offers
implicit parameters
which are used pervasively, but which cannot be abstracted over.

This paper describes a generalization of implicit parameters to
implicit function types
, a powerful way to abstract over the context in which some piece of code is run. We provide a formalization based on bidirectional type-checking that closely follows the semantics implemented by the Scala compiler.

To demonstrate their range of abstraction capabilities, we present several applications that make use of implicit function types. We show how to encode the builder pattern, tagless interpreters, reader and free monads and we assess the performance of the monadic structures presented.
Measurable cones and stable, measurable functions: a model for probabilistic higher-order programming
Authors: Ehrhard Thomas , Pagani Michele , Tasson Christine
Published: December 2017

We define a notion of stable and measurable map between cones endowed with measurability tests and show that it forms a cpo-enriched cartesian closed category. This category gives a denotational model of an extension of PCF supporting the main primitives of probabilistic functional programming, like continuous and discrete probabilistic distributions, sampling, conditioning and full recursion. We prove the soundness and adequacy of this model with respect to a call-by-name operational semantics and give some examples of its denotations.
CD47 Blockade as an Adjuvant Immunotherapy for Resectable Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Michaels Alex D. , Newhook Timothy E. , Adair Sara J. , Morioka Sho , Goudreau Bernadette J. , Nagdas Sarbajeet , Mullen Matthew G. , Persily Jesse B. , Bullock Timothy N. J. , Slingluff Craig L. , Ravichandran Kodi S. , Parsons J. Thomas , Bauer Todd W.
Published: December 2017

Purpose: Patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who undergo surgical resection and adjuvant chemotherapy have an expected survival of only 2 years due to disease recurrence, frequently in the liver. We investigated the role of liver macrophages in progression of PDAC micrometastases to identify adjuvant treatment strategies that could prolong survival.

Experimental Design: A murine splenic injection model of hepatic micrometastatic PDAC was used with five patient-derived PDAC tumors. The impact of liver macrophages on tumor growth was assessed by (i) depleting mouse macrophages in nude mice with liposomal clodronate injection, and (ii) injecting tumor cells into nude versus NOD-scid-gamma mice. Immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry were used to measure CD47 (“don't eat me signal”) expression on tumor cells and characterize macrophages in the tumor microenvironment. In vitro engulfment assays and mouse experiments were performed with CD47-blocking antibodies to assess macrophage engulfment of tumor cells, progression of micrometastases in the liver and mouse survival.

Results: In vivo clodronate depletion experiments and NOD-scid-gamma mouse experiments demonstrated that liver macrophages suppress the progression of PDAC micrometastases. Five patient-derived PDAC cell lines expressed variable levels of CD47. In in vitro engulfment assays, CD47-blocking antibodies increased the efficiency of PDAC cell clearance by macrophages in a manner which correlated with CD47 receptor surface density. Treatment of mice with CD47-blocking antibodies resulted in increased time-to-progression of metastatic tumors and prolonged survival.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that following surgical resection of PDAC, adjuvant immunotherapy with anti-CD47 antibody could lead to substantially improved outcomes for patients. Clin Cancer Res; 24(6); 1415–25. ©2017 AACR.
MYC Drives a Subset of High-Risk Pediatric Neuroblastomas and Is Activated through Mechanisms Including Enhancer Hijacking and Focal Enhancer Amplification
Authors: Zimmerman Mark W. , Liu Yu , He Shuning , Durbin Adam D. , Abraham Brian J. , Easton John , Shao Ying , Xu Beisi , Zhu Shizhen , Zhang Xiaoling , Li Zhaodong , Weichert-Leahey Nina , Young Richard A. , Zhang Jinghui , Look A. Thomas
Published: December 2017

The amplified MYCN gene serves as an oncogenic driver in approximately 20% of high-risk pediatric neuroblastomas. Here, we show that the family member MYC is a potent transforming gene in a separate subset of high-risk neuroblastoma cases (∼10%), based on (i) its upregulation by focal enhancer amplification or genomic rearrangements leading to enhancer hijacking, and (ii) its ability to transform neuroblastoma precursor cells in a transgenic animal model. The aberrant regulatory elements associated with oncogenic MYC activation include focally amplified distal enhancers and translocation of highly active enhancers from other genes to within topologically associating domains containing the MYC gene locus. The clinical outcome for patients with high levels of MYC expression is virtually identical to that of patients with amplification of the MYCN gene, a known high-risk feature of this disease. Together, these findings establish MYC as a bona fide oncogene in a clinically significant group of high-risk childhood neuroblastomas.

Significance: Amplification of the MYCN oncogene is a recognized hallmark of high-risk pediatric neuroblastoma. Here, we demonstrate that MYC is also activated as a potent oncogene in a distinct subset of neuroblastoma cases through either focal amplification of distal enhancers or enhancer hijacking mediated by chromosomal translocation. Cancer Discov; 8(3); 320–35. ©2017 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 253
ПОШИРЕНІСТЬ ЛАЙМ-БОРЕЛІОЗУ СЕРЕД ХВОРИХ НА ТУБЕРКУЛЬОЗ
Authors: Melnyk L. P. , Vasylieva N. А. , Klymniuk S. I. , Shkilna M. I.
Published: December 2017

Мета дослідження – виявити поширеність Лайм-бореліозу у хворих на туберкульоз та його вплив на перебіг основного захворювання.Пацієнти і методи. Спостерігали 99 пацієнтів з туберкульозом (ТБ), які лікувались стаціонарно протягом 2015-2017 рр. у Тернопільському обласному протитуберкульозному диспансері. Хворі дали відповіді на питання уніфікованої міжнародної анкети-опитувальника щодо наявності в анамнезі укусів кліща та бореліозу та обстежені методом ІФА на наявність антитіл  до B. burgdorferi sensu lato.Результати. Антитіла хоча б одного класу IgM і/чи IgG до B. burgdorferi sensu lato виявлено у 25,2 % обстежених хворих на туберкульоз. З числа обстежених пацієнтів, які вказували на укуси кліщів, серологічне підтвердження бореліозу отримано у 9 із 53 (17,0 %), серед 46 хворих на туберкульоз, які не пам’ятали про укуси кліща, – у 16 (34,7 %) (p<0,05). У хворих на туберкульоз із супутнім ЛБ суттєво частіше відзначено сповільнене загоєння порожнин розпаду через 2 місяці ОКХТ - у (36,0±9,6) % випадків порівняно з (14,9±4,1) % хворих без нього та зміни ЕКГ (синусова брадикардія, сповільнення провідності та розлади реполяризації) (p<0,05). Висновки. Поширеність Лайм-бореліозу у хворих на туберкульоз становить 25,2 %. Супутній Лайм-бореліоз негативно впливає на перебіг туберкульозу, що проявляється у сповільненому загоєнні порожнин розпаду та змінами ЕКГ у даної категорії пацієнтів (p<0,05).
ЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ПРОТИВІРУСНОЇ ТЕРАПІЇ ЖИТЕЛІВ ТЕРНОПІЛЬЩИНИ З ХРОНІЧНИМИ ГЕПАТИТАМИ В І С, ЯКИХ ЛІКУВАЛИ ЗА ДЕРЖАВНОЮ ПРОГРАМОЮ
Authors: Vasylieva N. A. , Ivakhiv O. L. , Vyshnevska N. Yu. , Iosyk Ya. I. , Herasymenko O. A.
Published: December 2017

Протягом останніх десятиліть до проблеми парентеральних вірусних гепатитів прикута увага не лише лікарів, а й громадськості через дуже небезпечні їх медико-соціальні наслідки.Мета роботи – оцінити ефективність сучасної противірусної терапії (ПВТ) хронічного гепатиту (ХГ)В, ХГ В+С і ХГС у жителів Тернопільської області, яких лікували за Державною програмою.Пацієнти і методи. У межах Державної програми у 2013-2016 рр. проліковано 79 хворих, у тому числі з ХГС – 47, ХГ В+С – 3, ХГВ – 29. Чоловіків було 74,7 %, жінок – 25,3 %. Ефективність ПВТ оцінювали за біохімічними, вірусологічними, гістологічними критеріями.Висновки. Використання софосбувіра при ХГС суттєво підвищує ефективність ПВТ. ПВТ ХГВ не достатня, що потребує подальшого її удосконалення. Ерадикація HCV не гарантує від прогресування фіброзу печінки
БРУЦЕЛЬОЗ У СУЧАСНИХ УМОВАХ
Authors: Chemych M. D. , Ilyina N. I. , Ilyina V. V. , Malysh N. H. , Bolotin V. I. , Obukhovska O. V. , Fotina T. I. , Fotina H. A.
Published: December 2017

Мета дослідження: на підставі даних сучасної літератури проаналізувати епідеміологічні особливо­сті бруцельозу, поширеність, захворюваність населення, клінічний перебіг, діагностику в умовах сьогодення в Україні та інших країнах.Результати. Проведено дослідження та наведені дані про захворюваність на бруцельоз сільськогосподарських тварин і людей в Україні та інших країнах. Зростання захворюваності на бруцельоз населення пов’язано з епізоотичним процесом у приватних господарствах як наслідок послаблення ветеринарного контролю. В Україні майже 25 років не реєструється бруцельоз сільськогосподарських тварин. Серед людей підтверджені поодинокі завезені випадки бруцельозу. Змінилась епідеміологія недуги під впливом сучасних соціально-економічних чинників і міграційних процесів, а також відкриття нових видів бруцел та їх природних резервуарів. Відмічається формування осередків хвороби на територіях, раніше вільних від бруцельозу, внаслідок транскордонного занесення інфекції.
ОРГАНІЗАЦІЯ ФАРМАЦЕВТИЧНОЇ ДОПОМОГИ В УКРАЇНІ: РЕАЛІЇ АПТЕЧНОГО ВИГОТОВЛЕННЯ ЛІКАРСЬКИХ ЗАСОБІВ
Authors: Samborskyi О. S. , Ievtushenko О. М. , Slobodyanyuk N. N.
Published: December 2017

Мета роботи. Аналіз стану екстемпорального виготовлення лікарських засобів в Україні та вивчення можливих шляхів подальшого розвитку цього виду фармацевтичної допомоги.Матеріали і методи. У роботі використано загальнонаукові та спеціальні методи: системного аналізу, історичний, аналітичний, маркетингових досліджень, кластерний аналіз. Інформаційну базу досліджень становили статистичні матеріали МОЗ України та інших організацій, сайти вітчизняних та закордонних аптек, публікації.Результати й обговорення. Проаналізовано асортимент виробничих аптек різних регіонів України. Отримані дані свідчать, що найбільш поширеними є групи екстемпоральних лікарських засобів, які застосовують в алергології, дерматології, педіатрії, стоматології, офтальмології, проктології, неврології, для лікування грипу та ГРВІ, анальгетики для місцевого застосування, засоби для електрофорезу. Проведено аналіз регіонів України щодо забезпеченості виробничими аптеками, який свідчить про суттєве скорочення останніх − частка виробничих аптек за областями не перевищує 3,8 % від загальної кількості аптек. Слід зазначити, що за певними територіями виробничу практику в аптеках зведено до мінімуму − у Вінницькій, Донецькій, Кіровоградській, Луганській, Полтавській та Закарпатській областях кількість виробничих аптек не перевищує 1%. Також проведено кластерний аналіз, що розподілив регіони України за ступенем забезпеченості виробничими аптеками та показниками захворюваності.Висновки. Охарактеризовано асортимент екстемпоральної рецептури українських аптек із погляду фармакологічної спрямованості препаратів, а також форм випуску. Проведено аналіз фізичної доступності виробничих аптек. Відзначається низька доступність екстемпоральної рецептури в сільській місцевості, де на сьогодні налічується 21 аптека за всіма регіонами, а це становить 5,9 % від загальної кількості усіх виробничих аптек по Україні. Проведений та опрацьований кластерний аналіз дав змогу показати взаємний вплив рівня забезпеченості аптеками (включно виробничі) та показників захворюваності в регіонах.
ВАЛІДАЦІЯ ВИРОБНИЦТВА ТАБЛЕТОК «УРОНЕФРОН»
Authors: Shevina V. L. , Khokhlenkova N. V. , Borshchevska M. I. , Konovalenko V. A.
Published: December 2017

Мета роботи. Надати документальні докази, які підтвердять, що процес виробництва препарату «Уронефрон» у формі таблеток, вкритих плівковою оболонкою, приводить до отримання продукту встановленої якості.Матеріали і методи. Валідаційні дослідження проводили на 3 серіях препарату.Валідація процесу виробництва таблеток «Уронефрон» проведена на всіх стадіях технологічного процесу з визначенням критичних параметрів, а саме: підготовка сировини, отримання маси для таблетування, зберігання таблетмаси, таблетування, нанесення плівкової оболонки на таблетки-ядра.Результати й обговорення. Для визначених критичних параметрів технологічного процесу отримання продукту проводили валідаційні випробування, які дозволяють визначити допустимі межі відхилення цих параметрів.Результати проведення валідаційних випробувань на кожній стадії технологічного процесу виготовлення таблеток «Уронефрон» відповідають критеріям прийнятності.Висновки. Валідація процесу виробництва таблеток «Уронефрон» підтвердила кваліфікацію виробничого персоналу і дотримання ним прописаних параметрів; показала, що технологічне обладнання ділянки в змозі забезпечити відтворюваність параметрів технологічного процесу виробництва, що призводить до очікуваного рівня якості напівпродукту і готової продукції; продемонструвала відтворюваність і стандартність показників якості напівпродукту і готової продукції відповідно до нормативної документації.
Jesuits, Jews, Christianity, and Bolshevism: An Existential Threat to Germany?
Authors: Griech-Polelle Beth Ann
Published: December 2017

The long-standing stereotypes of Jesuits as secretive, cunning, manipulative, and greedy for both material goods as well as for world domination led many early members of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party to connect Jesuits with “Jewishness.” Adolf Hitler, Alfred Rosenberg, Dietrich Eckart, and others connect Jesuits to Jews in their writings and speeches, conflating Catholicism and Judaism with Bolshevism, pinpointing Jesuits as supposedly being a part of the larger “Judeo-Bolshevik conspiracy” aiming to destroy the German people. Jesuits were lumped in with Jews as “internal enemies” and this led to further discrimination against the members of the order.
Method for Identifying Maize Haploid Seeds by Applying Diffuse Transmission Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Lin Jianchu , Yu Lina , Li Weijun , Qin Hong
Published: December 2017

The identification for haploid seeds is an important process in maize haploid breeding. Thanks to the diffuse transmission (DT) technology of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, maize haploid seeds can be selected automatically using NIR spectrum features. However, the NIR spectra of maize seeds contain a large number of redundant features and noise that will degrade the identification performance. We resolved this problem by designing a low dimension and uniform space of seed spectrum features to improve the collected spectra. The zero-phase component analysis (ZCA) method was utilized to uniform the feature space and the partial least squares regression (PLSR) was employed to design the low dimension space. Then, by using the classifier of back propagation neural network (BPNN), a high qualitative identification method was developed for selecting maize haploid seeds. The study results demonstrate that the average accuracy of the proposed method is outstanding (96.16%) with a minor standard deviation (SD) compared with other methods. Therefore, our proposed method is potentially useful for automatically identifying maize haploid seeds.
Identification of Uranium Minerals in Natural U-Bearing Rocks Using Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy
Authors: Beiswenger Toya N. , Gallagher Neal B. , Myers Tanya L. , Szecsody James E. , Tonkyn Russell G. , Su Yin-Fong , Sweet Lucas E. , Lewallen Tricia A. , Johnson Timothy J.
Published: December 2017

The identification of minerals, including uranium-bearing species, is often a labor-intensive process using X-ray diffraction (XRD), fluorescence, or other solid-phase or wet chemical techniques. While handheld XRD and fluorescence instruments can aid in field applications, handheld infrared (IR) reflectance spectrometers can now also be used in industrial or field environments, with rapid, nondestructive identification possible via analysis of the solid’s reflectance spectrum providing information not found in other techniques. In this paper, we report the use of laboratory methods that measure the IR hemispherical reflectance of solids using an integrating sphere and have applied it to the identification of mineral mixtures (i.e., rocks), with widely varying percentages of uranium mineral content. We then apply classical least squares (CLS) and multivariate curve resolution (MCR) methods to better discriminate the minerals (along with two pure uranium chemicals U3O8 and UO2) against many common natural and anthropogenic background materials (e.g., silica sand, asphalt, calcite, K-feldspar) with good success. Ground truth as to mineral content was attained primarily by XRD. Identification is facile and specific, both for samples that are pure or are partially composed of uranium (e.g., boltwoodite, tyuyamunite, etc.) or non-uranium minerals. The characteristic IR bands generate unique (or class-specific) bands, typically arising from similar chemical moieties or functional groups in the minerals: uranyls, phosphates, silicates, etc. In some cases, the chemical groups that provide spectral discrimination in the longwave IR reflectance by generating upward-going (reststrahlen) bands can provide discrimination in the midwave and shortwave IR via downward-going absorption features, i.e., weaker overtone or combination bands arising from the same chemical moieties.
Nonconformance With Regulatory Codes in the Nonprofit Sector: Accountability and the Discursive Coupling of Means and Ends
Authors: Dick Penny , Coule Tracey
Published: December 2017

Means–ends decoupling has recently been suggested as one consequence of the problems organizations face in trying to comply with institutional rules in contexts of institutional complexity. Such decoupling is characterized by the adoption, implementation, and scrutiny of particular codes of practice, which tend not to deliver the outcomes they were developed to produce. Recent scholarship focusing on this issue has suggested that such decoupling is a consequence of the trade-off organizations need to make between compliance and goal achievement, most especially when the latter is difficult to evaluate. Although recent scholarship has suggested that this tension might be mitigated by the activities of developers of compliance rules, in this article, we explore how actors internal to organizations, in this case, two charitable organizations, mitigate this tension via nonconformance with particular codes. We focus on how the process of accounting for nonconformance results in the discursive coupling of means and ends as actors creatively develop vocabularies of motive, which respond to anticipated social criticism.
Militarization of Politics in Myanmar and Thailand
Authors: Kipgen Nehginpao
Published: December 2017

Consolidation of democracy is one common problem found in majority of Southeast Asian countries. Lack of stable democratic institutions often leads a country to hybrid regime or some form of authoritarianism, such as military dictatorship or one-party rule. Myanmar and Thailand, the two immediate neighbours, are two such examples of weak democratic institutions where the role of military has been dominant in politics. Since its independence from Great Britain in 1948, there have been two military coups in Myanmar: 1962 and 1988. The military has played an important role in politics by successfully ruling the country for over four decades until the general election in 2010, which formally ended direct military rule. Despite the democratic transition and political reforms since 2011, the military continues to play a significant role in the country’s politics. Whereas in Thailand, there have been as many as 12 successful coups since the removal of absolute monarchy in 1932, with the latest coup in 2014. The article discusses the militarization of politics by examining the role of military in Myanmar, particularly under the National League for Democracy (NLD)-led civilian government which assumed power in 2016, and the entrenchment of military role in politics in Thailand, especially since the 2014 military coup. The article attempts to understand the conditions under which military intervenes and then holds on to power.
Combating Transnational Crimes in the Era of Globalization
Authors: Srikanth H.
Published: December 2017

The Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have emerged as one of the biggest threats to sovereignty and economic development of the modern States. With globalization of business, improved connectivity and rapid development of technologies, TCOs have attained global presence. Traditionally, the States are tuned to deal with threats arising out of other State actors. Hence, they were initially not clear as to how non-traditional threats posed by transnational criminal networks should be dealt. Developing military capabilities, effective border patrol, strengthening military intelligence, etc., were then viewed as effective deterrents to the challenges that these non-State actors pose. However, the experience has compelled the States to devise appropriate strategies at regional and global levels to counter the transnational threats. In the background of different initiatives taken at regional and global levels, the article evaluates the initiatives taken by India and the ASEAN countries in combating the threats posed by the TCOs. The article emphasizes on the need to develop a comprehensive approach that looks beyond military solutions and advocates that it is essential to address the genuine problems and concerns of the people, and involve the people in fighting against the TCOs.
Synthesis and cryogenic mechanical properties of CO2-blown carbon-reinforced polyurethane foam
Authors: Kim Jeong-Hyeon , Kim Jong-Min , Park Sungkyun , Park Kang Hyun , Lee Jae-Myung
Published: December 2017

In the present study, carbon-nanotube-polyurethane foams were synthesized by adding (0.02, 0.1, and 0.3 wt%) carbon nanotubes during the polymerization reaction between polyol and isocyanate liquids. After the synthesis process, the microstructural cell morphology of the carbon-nanotube-polyurethane foams, based on the amount of carbon nanotubes, was observed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. To evaluate the mechanical characteristics of the carbon-nanotube-polyurethane foams, temperature-dependent (20°C, −90°C, and −163°C) compressive tests were performed, and the results were compared to those of the pure polyurethane foam to verify the effectiveness of the developed carbon-nanotube-polyurethane foams. Specifically, the effects of the weight percent of carbon nanotubes, density, and temperature on the overall behavior of the carbon-nanotube-polyurethane foams were considered. Finally, the permanent deformation ratio and material failure characteristics were investigated. The results showed that the cell morphology and compressive strength of the carbon-nanotube-polyurethane foam with 0.02 wt% carbon nanotubes were superior to those of pure polyurethane foam, and these properties showed a significant dependence on the weight percent of carbon nanotubes, test temperatures, and the density.
Sexual harassment experienced by police staff serving in England, Wales and Scotland: A descriptive exploration of incidence, antecedents and harm
Authors: Brown Jennifer , Gouseti Ioanna , Fife-Schaw Chris
Published: December 2017

An online survey (N = 1,776) was conducted with support staff to explore the type and incidence of sexual harassment within the police working environment and the explanatory value of known antecedent factors. Univariate results indicated that the highest levels of sexual harassment were associated with sexual banter, reported by three quarters of those surveyed, and diminishing levels of exposure to more serious types of harassment. Multivariate analyses showed statistically significant associations between levels of exposure and organisational variables but few demographic factors. Having established a better understanding of salient risk factors, the discussion identifies implications for organisational preventative interventions.
Suburban Black Lives Matter
Authors: Lewis-McCoy R. L’Heureux
Published: December 2017

This article explores the range of experiences and meanings of Black life in suburban space. Drawing from educational, historical, and sociological literatures, I argue that an underconsideration of suburban space has left many portraits of educational inequality incomplete. The article outlines the emergence of American suburbs and the formation of the city suburb divide which governs much framing of educational inequality and why this frame has limited thinking about what suburbs are and who lies within them. I follow with a discussion of the contemporary state of the suburbs which are now often more racially, ethnically, and economically diverse than their proximal central cities. There are a variety of suburb types, and this article explores three: majority–minority suburbs, exclusive enclaves, and gateway communities. Each suburb type leads to unique challenges such as demographic mismatch between leadership and school population to considering how ethnicity and race interact with Afro-Latino communities. A discussion of how racialized poverty in suburbia shapes the school and social experiences of Black youth is offered. The article closes with the consideration of the directions researchers should consider and areas of policy that are ripe for reengagement given the diversity of Black experiences in suburban schools.
The Sociological Imagination and Community-based Learning: Using an Asset-based Approach
Authors: Garoutte Lisa
Published: December 2017

Fostering a sociological imagination in students is a central goal for most introductory sociology courses and sociology departments generally, yet success is difficult to achieve. This project suggests that using elements of asset-based community development can be used in sociology classrooms to develop a sociological perspective. After introducing asset-based community development, ways of incorporating this process into the classroom are discussed. Then, t tests are used to compare students’ ability to describe the relationship between individuals and society before and after engaging in asset-based activities; the sample group is also compared to a control group who did not engage in asset mapping. Results show significant improvement in the ability to think sociologically after completing asset-mapping projects.
State capacity and regime resilience in Putin’s Russia
Authors: White David
Published: December 2017

Vladimir Putin’s state-building project, which has included a ‘war on the oligarchs’, the reining in of regional power, the co-optation or marginalization of civil society and political opposition, and the establishment of a ‘power vertical’, has not been based on state strengthening but has had much more to do with regime consolidation. It is argued that, in the Russian case, the building of state capacity may not be a crucial factor in determining the medium or even the long-term survival of the authoritarian system. Although Russia has relatively weak state capacity, the Putin regime has remained stable. The regime’s resilience is built on the distribution of rents among political and economic elites, the provision of social welfare, the coercion or co-opting of civil society and political opposition, and the mobilization of public support through the provision of economic benefits and national-patriotic appeal.
Delayed inhibition of tonic inhibition enhances functional recovery following experimental ischemic stroke
Authors: Orfila James E , Grewal Himmat , Dietz Robert M , Strnad Frank , Shimizu Takeru , Moreno Myriam , Schroeder Christian , Yonchek Joan , Rodgers Krista M , Dingman Andra , Bernard Timothy J , Quillinan Nidia , Macklin Wendy B , Traystman Richard J , Herson Paco S
Published: December 2017

The current study focuses on the ability to improve cognitive function after stroke with interventions administered at delayed/chronic time points. In light of recent studies demonstrating delayed GABA antagonists improve motor function, we utilized electrophysiology, biochemistry and neurobehavioral methods to investigate the role of α5 GABAA receptors on hippocampal plasticity and functional recovery following ischemic stroke. Male C57Bl/6 mice were exposed to 45 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion and analysis of synaptic and functional deficits performed 7 or 30 days after recovery. Our findings indicate that hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) is impaired 7 days after stroke and remain impaired for at least 30 days. We demonstrate that ex vivo administration of L655,708 reversed ischemia-induced plasticity deficits and importantly, in vivo administration at delayed time-points reversed stroke-induced memory deficits. Western blot analysis of hippocampal tissue reveals proteins responsible for GABA synthesis are upregulated (GAD65/67 and MAOB), increasing GABA in hippocampal interneurons 30 days after stroke. Thus, our data indicate that both synaptic plasticity and memory impairments observed after stroke are caused by excessive tonic GABA activity, making inhibition of specific GABA activity at delayed timepoints a potential therapeutic approach to improve functional recovery and reverse cognitive impairments after stroke.