bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patterns of Care and Costs for Older Patients With Colorectal Cancer at the End of Life: Descriptive Study of the United States and Canada
Authors: Bremner Karen E. , Yabroff K. Robin , Coughlan Diarmuid , Liu Ning , Zeruto Christopher , Warren Joan L. , de Oliveira Claire , Mariotto Angela B. , Lam Clara , Barrett Michael J. , Chan Kelvin K.-W. , Hoch Jeffrey S. , Krahn Murray D.
Published: October 2019

PURPOSE:

End-of-life (EOL) cancer care is costly, with challenges regarding intensity and place of care. We described EOL care and costs for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) in the United States and the province of Ontario, Canada, to inform better care delivery.

METHODS:

Patients diagnosed with CRC from 2007 to 2013, who died of any cancer from 2007 to 2013 at age ≥ 66 years, were selected from the US SEER cancer registries linked to Medicare claims (n = 16,565) and the Ontario Cancer Registry linked to administrative health data (n = 6,587). We estimated total and resource-specific costs (2015 US dollars) from public payer perspectives over the last 360 days of life by 30-day periods, by stage at diagnosis (0-II, III, IV).

RESULTS:

In all months, especially 30 days before death, higher percentages of SEER-Medicare than Ontario patients received chemotherapy (15.7% v 8.0%), and imaging tests (39.4% v 31.1%). A higher percentage of Ontario patients were hospitalized (62.5% v 51.0%), but 43.2% of hospitalized SEER-Medicare patients had intensive care unit (ICU) admissions versus 17.9% of hospitalized Ontario patients. Cost differences between cohorts were greater for patients with stage IV disease. In the last 30 days, mean total costs for patients with stage IV disease were $15,881 (SEER-Medicare) and $12,034 (Ontario) versus $19,354 and $17,312 for stage 0-II. Hospitalization costs were higher for SEER-Medicare patients ($11,180 v $9,434), with lower daily hospital costs in Ontario ($1,067 v $2,004).

CONCLUSION:

These findings suggest opportunities for reducing chemotherapy and ICU use in the United States and hospitalizations in Ontario.
Bayesian Approaches to Subgroup Analysis and Related Adaptive Clinical Trial Designs
Authors: Nugent Ciara , Guo Wentian , Müller Peter , Ji Yuan
Published: October 2019

We review Bayesian and Bayesian decision theoretic approaches to subgroup analysis and applications to subgroup-based adaptive clinical trial designs. Subgroup analysis refers to inference about subpopulations with significantly distinct treatment effects. The discussion mainly focuses on inference for a benefiting subpopulation, that is, a characterization of a group of patients who benefit from the treatment under consideration more than the overall population. We introduce alternative approaches and demonstrate them with a small simulation study. Then, we turn to clinical trial designs. When the selection of the interesting subpopulation is carried out as the trial proceeds, the design becomes an adaptive clinical trial design, using subgroup analysis to inform the randomization and assignment of treatments to patients. We briefly review some related designs. There are a variety of approaches to Bayesian subgroup analysis. Practitioners should consider the type of subpopulations in which they are interested and choose their methods accordingly. We demonstrate how subgroup analysis can be carried out by different Bayesian methods and discuss how they identify slightly different subpopulations.
Model-Assisted Designs for Early-Phase Clinical Trials: Simplicity Meets Superiority
Authors: Yuan Ying , Lee J. Jack , Hilsenbeck Susan G.
Published: October 2019

Drug development enterprise is struggling because of prohibitively high costs and slow progress. There is urgent need for adoption of novel adaptive designs to improve the efficiency and success of clinical trials. A major barrier is that many conventional designs are inadequate for modern drug development, yet most novel adaptive designs are difficult to understand, require complicated statistical modeling, demand complex computation, and need expensive infrastructure for implementation. The objective of this article is to introduce and review a class of novel adaptive designs, known as model-assisted designs, to remove this barrier and increase the use of novel adaptive designs. Model-assisted designs enjoy superior performance comparable to more complicated, model-based adaptive designs, but their decision rule can be pretabulated and included in the protocol—thus implemented as simply as the conventional designs. We review state-of-the-art model-assisted designs for phase I clinical trials for single-agent, drug-combination and late-onset toxicity scenarios. We also briefly introduce model-assisted designs for phase II trials to handle binary, coprimary endpoints and delayed response. Freely available user-friendly software and trial examples (trialdesign.org) facilitate the adoption of model-assisted designs.
Discussion of Trial Designs for Biomarker Identification and Validation Through the Use of Case Studies
Authors: Ou Fang-Shu , An Ming-Wen , Ruppert Amy S. , Mandrekar Sumithra J.
Published: October 2019

With the launch of the National Cancer Institute’s Precision Medicine Initiative in 2015, there has been a shift to trial designs that tailor health care solutions to individual patients by using a screening platform and by moving away from the one-trial/one-biomarker-at-a-time approach. To make precision medicine a reality, it is critical to identify and validate potential biomarkers to help select patients who will truly benefit from a targeted therapy. In this article, we discuss five trial designs: enrichment, umbrella, basket, subgroup, and window of opportunity. For each trial design, we describe the design characteristics, use ongoing or completed trials as case studies, provide any recent advances to the trial design, and discuss advantages and disadvantages of each design.
MiR145-5p inhibits proliferation of PMVECs via PAI-1 in experimental hepatopulmonary syndrome rat pulmonary microvascular hyperplasia
Authors: Chen Yang , Yang Congwen , Li Yujie , Chen Lin , Yang Yong , Belguise Karine , Wang Xiaobo , Lu Kaizhi , Yi Bin
Published: October 2019

Background/aim: Hepatopulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a triad of advanced liver disease, intrapulmonary vasodilatation (IPVD), and arterial hypoxemia. Increasing evidence show HPS is associated with pulmonary microvascular hyperplasia. The aim of this work was to investigate the underlying mechanism of miR-145 in regulating the proliferation of pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) and angiogenesis in HPS via PAI-1.

Methods: Morphology score and number of pulmonary microvascular were assessed in lung tissues from rats with HPS by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Expression levels of PAI-1 were assessed in lung tissues from HPS rats, as well as in PMVECs treated with HPS rat serum. We also selected the putative microRNA binding site on PAI-1 by bioinformatics analysis. Then, miR145-3p and miR145-5p expression levels in the lung and PMVECs of rats were detected by qRT-PCR because miR145-5p is a microRNA binding site on PAI-1. In addition, the effects of miR-145-5p regulation on PAI-1 were examined by upregulation and downregulation of miR-145-5p. And specific lentivirus transfection was used to overexpression and knockdown PAI-1 to assess PAI-1 function on PMVECs proliferation.

Results: Our data showed that levels of PAI-1 expression in lung tissue of rats increased significantly when rats were treated with common bile duct ligation (CBDL). We found that levels of miR-145-5p were frequently downregulated in HPS tissues and cell lines, and overexpression of miR-145-5p dramatically inhibited PMVECs proliferation. We further verified PAI-1 as a novel and direct target of miR-145-5p in HPS. MiR-145-5p inhibits PAI-1 synthesis. And the expression changes of PAI-1 directly affect the proliferation of PMVECs.

Conclusion: MiR-145-5p negatively regulates PMVECs proliferation through PAI-1 expression. In addition, overexpression of miR-145-5p may prove beneficial as a therapeutic strategy for HPS treatment.
A methodological evaluation of the determination of critical oxygen threshold in an estuarine teleost
Authors: Negrete Benjamin , Esbaugh Andrew J.
Published: October 2019

One measure of hypoxia tolerance is critical oxygen threshold, Pcrit, which is the point where standard metabolism can no longer be maintained through aerobic processes. Traditionally, Pcrit was determined using closed respirometry, whereby the fish's respiration naturally lowered O2. More recently intermittent-flow techniques have been adopted, where N2 is used to displace O2, which ostensibly reduces end-product build-up. This study used a paired design on the marine teleost, red drum. Pcrit is comparable between closed (4.6±0.2 kPa; mean±s.e.m.) and intermittent-flow (4.4±0.2 kPa; mean±s.e.m.) respirometry. pCO2, ammonia, and pH changes within the chamber were measured prior to the onset of Pcrit and at the end of a typical Pcrit trial and revealed changes in water chemistry in both closed and intermittent-flow. Pcrit values were similar in both methods of hypoxia induction regardless of subsequent water chemistry changes that occurred in both methods.
Translational medicine in neuromuscular disorders: from academia to industry
Authors: Cowling Belinda S. , Thielemans Leen
Published: October 2019

Although around half of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs originate from discoveries made in academic research laboratories, the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates that nearly 90% of therapies developed in preclinical stages never reach clinical trials. From those in clinical trials, only 10% obtain marketing approval. Despite the recent advances in our understanding and diagnosis of neuromuscular disease, and the development of rational therapies in clinical trials, these numbers have not changed dramatically over the past two decades. This article discusses the advantages and challenges for translational research initiated from academia, and the trend towards bridging the gap between discovery and translation to the clinic. A focus is made on recent advances in therapeutic development for neuromuscular disorders.
PROCESS MODELING AND IMPROVEMENT OF MEASURES TO IMPROVE WORKING CONDITIONS AT THE MINING AND PROCESSING PLANT
Authors: Звягинцева Алла , Zvyaginceva Alla , Сазонова Светлана , Sazonova Svetlana , Асминин Виктор , Asminin Viktor
Published: October 2019

The data of field measurements of harmful production factors at JSC "Lebedinsky GOK" in the working areas and at the enterprise as a whole are given. The data correspond to the types of official control and monitoring of the current state of the situation in the enterprise. The impact of harmful production factors in the workplace on the health of personnel, as well as the dust released during the work on environmental pollution of the adjacent territories is considered. The analysis of the results of control activities and existing environmental measures with a view to their improvement. The proposed types of control have been proposed to be used to improve working conditions in industries with increased exposure to harmful production factors due to the improvement of the types of control carried out and the necessary measures.
ANALYSIS OF THE SHAPING REGRESSION MODELS OF THE SPECIFIC LOSSES TO ENERGY FOR DIFFERENT TYPES HEAVY CHARGED PARTICLES
Authors: Савченко Андрей , Savchenko Andrey
Published: October 2019

The article is dedicated to analysis approach in shaping regression models of the specific losses energy, with reference to different types heavy charged particles. In given article are presented results of the formed equations regression analysis with reference to experimental study data of the specific losses to energy to electron, mu-meson, meson, proton, deuteron and alpha-particle. Having statistical data experiment, are conducted calculation factor to regressions and are valued their accuracy, with reference to to specific loss of the energy each of particles.
Moral injury in paramedicine
Authors: Murray Esther
Published: October 2019

World Mental Health Day took place on 10th October 2019. In this issue's comment, Esther Murray discusses the concept of moral injury and why it is becoming increasingly relevant to the modern-day paramedic.
Improving the quality and transparency of prehospital case reports using CARE
Authors: Pearce James , Simpson Paul
Published: October 2019

Clinical case reports play an important role in supporting evidence-based paramedicine. When research on a topic is limited and there is no robust evidence, a case report may be the best available, especially for rare or unusual presentations or in novel clinical practice. Case reports in paramedicine journals are common. However, adherence to the published consensus-based reporting guideline is rare, which may weaken the evidence arising from this body of case report literature. There is a need for greater awareness of the structured reporting guideline for case reports, and for the development of a paramedicine-specific extension. The objectives of this paper are to: describe the current state of case reports in paramedicine; promote the adoption of an internationally accepted, consensus-based reporting guideline; and propose an extension to that guideline, adapted to the unique characteristics of prehospital practice.
The PI3K signaling pathway as a pharmacological target in Autism related disorders and Schizophrenia
Authors: Enriquez-barreto Lilian , Morales Miguel
Published: October 2019

This review is focused in PI3K’s involvement in two widespread mental disorders: Autism and Schizophrenia. A largebody of evidence points to synaptic dysfunction as a cause of these diseases, either during the initial phases ofbrain synaptic circuit’s development or later modulating synaptic function and plasticity. Autism related disordersand Schizophrenia are complex genetic conditions in which the identification of gene markers has proved difficult,although the existence of single-gene mutations with a high prevalence in both diseases offers insight into the roleof the PI3K signaling pathway. In the brain, components of the PI3K pathway regulate synaptic formation and plasticity;thus, disruption of this pathway leads to synapse dysfunction and pathological behaviors. Here, we recapitulate recentevidences that demonstrate the imbalance of several PI3K elements as leading causes of Autism and Schizophrenia,together with the plausible new pharmacological paths targeting this signaling pathway.
Improving the identification of cancer patients’ caring relationships
Authors: White Sian , Hart Natalie , Lewis Suzanne
Published: October 2019

The Carer Support Unit of the Central Coast Local Health District (New South Wales, Australia) is working with the District’s inpatient cancer services to improve the identification of caring relationships for cancer inpatients. The first stage of the project was to do a literature review and environmental scan to assess the extent of the issue. We found significant barriers to carer identification, including: carer self-identification issues; definitional issues around the label ‘carer’; system and process issues; and health workforce issues. This article outlines the findings of the literature review and environmental scan, supported by quotes from carers and health professionals. It incorporates recommendations for increasing the rate of carer identification for cancer inpatients at Central Coast Local Health District.
“Fútbol moderno”: la ideología, los sentidos y las disputas en la apropiación de una categoría futbolística
Authors: Tavares Paes Lopes Felipe , Borges Buarque De Hollanda Bernardo
Published: October 2019

El presente artículo examina los usos y sentidos de la categoría “fútbol moderno”, en la forma en que es empleada por subgrupos y vanguardias de hinchas de clubes deportivos en Brasil. A la luz del concepto de ideología que ha sido desarrollado por John B. Thompson, se analizan una serie de discursos de liderazgos de hinchas organizados y de grupos de hinchas que se contraponen a las transformaciones económicas, arquitectónicas y organizativas en curso en el fútbol profesional contemporáneo. Por medio de nueve encuestas semiestructuradas, se busca entender cómo el término “contra el fútbol moderno”, originado en Europa en los años 1970 y difundido como eslogan por los movimientos emultras/em europeos desde los años 1990, está siendo apropiado en Brasil durante la última década, como reacción a los grandes eventos deportivos realizados en el país (2007-2016) y a la construcción de arenas multiuso, que suplantan el modelo de estadios públicos, vigente desde la segunda mitad del siglo XX. El análisis de discurso aquí realizado llega a la conclusión de que, aunque se trate de una temática unificadora importante para ese segmento de actores futbolísticos, involucrados en relaciones asimétricas de poder, la lucha contra el “fútbol moderno” comporta una serie de ambigüedades en sus narrativas, ya que se configura más reactiva y circunstancial que efectivamente propositiva y programática. Al dirigir sus fuerzas contra la no caracterización de la tradición futbolística, se certifica una ambivalencia en la valoración del pasado, por regla general idealizado como autentico, espontáneo y festivo, en contraposición a un presente comprometedor de la “esencia” y de la “autenticidad” perdida con la nueva configuración del fútbol mediático y mercantilizado.
Quilombos y comunidades remanentes: resistencia contra la esclavitud y afirmación en la lucha por la tierra
Authors: Fiabani Adelmir
Published: October 2019

Las comunidades remanentes de quilombos conquistaron el derecho a la titularidad de sus tierras, de acuerdo con la Constitución Federal de 1988. Estas comunidades se formaron antes y después de la Abolición de la esclavitud y presentan un problema común: la falta del título de propiedad la tierra. El Estado es el responsable de la emisión de los títulos, pero no atiende las expectativas de las comunidades, ya que el proceso es largo. Las comunidades necesitan la regularización de la tierra para poder desarrollarse. La omisión del Estado causa inestabilidad en las comunidades y las expone directamente a la acción de los emgrileiros/em, hacendados y representantes del agronegocio que se apoderan ilegalmente de sus tierras.
Un laberinto borgeano al estilo brasileño
Authors: Ceccarello Vera
Published: October 2019

Santiago, S. (2016). Machado. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras.El objetivo de esta reseña es discutir los elementos presentes en la novela Machado, de Silviano Santiago. A pesar de ser una obra de ficción, la obra presenta cierto hibridismo, ya que mezcla historia, crítica literaria, novela y las cartas que el escritor Machado de Assis intercambió en los últimos años de su vida. Silviano revive el cambio de siglo en Río de Janeiro, junto a personalidades de la corte, mostrando las coincidencias existentes entre las vidas de los personajes y teje un escenario que oscila entre la memoria, el análisis literario y la ficción. La búsqueda de la posible relación entre la epilepsia Machado de Assis y su estilo literario es una de las hipótesis exploradas por el autor a lo largo de esta novela. El laberinto borgeano de la obra parece unir la presencia de la muerte y la soledad para componer una intrincada trama que conecta la vida, la historia y la escritura literaria de Machado de Assis y Silviano Santiago.
La crítica en el proceso de construcción del formato telenovela brasileña en los años 1970
Authors: Carlos Magno Maria Ignês , Baccega Maria Aparecida
Published: October 2019

El propósito del texto es mostrar cómo la crítica practicada por periódicos y revistas en esos años, al comentar, analizar los temas, los aspectos técnicos y estéticos y dialogar con los directores, autores y público, contribuyeron a que el formato de la telenovela alcanzase el nivel en que se encuentra y el reconocimiento cultural que se le da. Para discutir el tema propuesto elegimos las telenovelas: O BemAmado (1973), de Dias Gomes y O Casarão (1976), de Lauro Cesar Muniz y la crítica de Artur da Távola del diario O Globo (RJ) y de Helena Silveira del periódico Folha de São Paulo. La elección de estas producciones se debe a que permite mostrar al mismo tiempo las innovaciones que promovieron en las telenovelas brasileñas y cómo la crítica realizada a diario en los periódicos contribuyó a la construcción del formato de telenovela brasileña.
Prevalence and risk factors associated with Ehrlichia infections in smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County, Kenya
Authors: Peter Shepelo Getrude , Gakuya Daniel Waweru , Maingi Ndichu , Mulei Charles Matiku
Published: October 2019

Background and Aim: Ehrlichiosis caused by Ehrlichia ruminantium is a tick-borne disease of great economic importance in cattle production worldwide. Despite its economic impact, limited knowledge is available on its epidemiology in Africa, including Kenya. Suspected cases of E. ruminantium infections have been reported in the recent past to the University of Nairobi's Veterinary Hospital, prompting the need to investigate their possible re-emergence. Therefore, this study was aimed at determining the prevalence of E. ruminantium among smallholder dairy cattle in Nairobi City County and to assess potential risk factors. This knowledge may guide the development of appropriate control strategies of ehrlichiosis, subsequently reducing associated losses.

Materials and Methods: A total of 107 smallholder dairy farms from Nairobi City County were recruited for the study. Blood samples were collected from 314 apparently healthy dairy cattle, and Giemsa-stained blood smears were screened under the microscope for Ehrlichia species. A commercial antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was then used to confirm the presence of the infections in serum samples. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect data on management practices that may be potential risk factors. A univariate and mixed-effects logistic regression was then used to determine significant risk factors.

Results: On microscopy, 79.3% (249/314) of the sampled animals had Ehrlichia-like inclusion bodies in white blood cells, though only 18.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 14.2-23.0) of these were confirmed to be E. ruminantium on ELISA. A farm-level prevalence of 35.5% (95% CI 27.0-45.3) was reported. Female-headed households (p=0.013), farms in Langata region (p=0.027), cleaning of cowsheds fortnightly (p=0.019), and roofing of cowshed (p=0.022) were factors significantly associated with E. ruminantium infections.

Conclusion: There is a relatively high prevalence of E. ruminantium infections in apparently healthy cattle in smallholder dairy farms in this area, warranting control measures. It is critical to improve animal welfare-related factors, such as cowshed cleaning and roofing, as well as the strategic location of farms, especially, since reservoirs may reduce infection levels in the farms, in relation to wildlife. However, since Ehrlichia-like inclusion bodies other than those of E. ruminantium were observed in this study, there is a need to investigate further these factors and the possibility of other Ehrlichia species infecting cattle in the study area.
DOS NUEVAS ESPECIES DE FABACEAE EXÓTICAS PARA LA FLORA DE SANTA FE
Authors: Bedetti Fernando , Rimoldi Pablo , Sanabria Cristián
Published: October 2019

En el presente trabajo se reportan dos nuevas especies de Fabaceae para la flora de la provincia de Santa Fe: Spartium junceum y Robinia pseudoacacia. Además, se presentan datos sobre su localización, hábitos, descripción y categorización de status ecológico.
RESEÑA DE PECES Y PESCA DEPORTIVA ARGENTINA, MAR Y PATAGONIA.
Authors: López Hugo L.
Published: October 2019

IRIGOYEN, A.; G. TROBBIANI; M. CASALINUOVO; M. ALONSO et al., 2018. Peces y pesca deportiva argentina,Mar y Patagonia. IRIGOYEN, A.; G. TROBBIANI; M. CASALINUOVO; M. ALONSO (eds.). Remitente Patagonia,Trelew, Chubut, Argentina, 272 pp.
Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Melalui Program Non Formal Education di Kampung Blunyah Gede
Authors: Maikowati Riski
Published: October 2019

This paper tries to unravel the empowerment process by the Paguyuban Pengajar Pinggir Sungai (P3S) in Kampung Blunyah Gede. In the context of empowerment, I emphases the concepts and implementation of activities that have been permitted. This activity is expected to have an impact on the Code River community so that they can be empowered and live independently. The definition of independence can be identified through active participation in non formal education programs. Explosively, this study found that the Sungai Code community can improve well-being by taking alternative education. This offer is known collectively with Free Tutoring, Cheerful Sunday, annual Art Performances, provision of Reading Houses, organizing parents through Parent Committees, and Volunteer Schools. Program routines have an impact on children’s learning enthusiasm, new work produced by children, reporting on learning outcomes, reading group activities, regeneration of volunteers, and children’s potential to develop artistic skills.Tulisan ini berusaha mengeksplorasi proses pemberdayaan yang dilakukan oleh Paguyuban Pengajar Pinggir Sungai (P3S) di Kampung Blunyah Gede. Dalam konteks pemberdayaan, penulis menyoroti konsep dan implementasi kegiatan yang sudah dilakukan. Kegiatan ini diharapkan memberi dampak kepada masyarakat pinggir Sungai Code sehingga dapat berdaya dan hidup mandiri. Definisi kemandirian dapat diketahui melalui partisipasi aktif sehingga dapat mengikuti program non formal education. Secara eksploratif, dalam kajian ini ditemukan bahwa masyarakat sungai Code dapat meningkatkan kesejahteraan dengan mengikuti pendidikan alternatif. Tawaran ini diketahui secara kolektif dengan Bimbingan Belajar Gratis, Minggu Ceria, Pentas Seni tahunan, pengadaan Rumah Baca, pengorganisasian Paguyuban Pengajar Pinggir Sungai (P3S) orang tua melalui Komite Orangtua dan Sekolah Relawan. Rutinitas program berdampak pada semangat belajar, pelaporan hasil belajar, dan karya baru yang dihasilkan anak-anak. Program tersebut juga berdampak pada aktivitas reading group, regenerasi relawan, serta pengembangan skill dan potensi kesenian pada anak-anak.
Pengaruh Prosentase Serat Kelapa Sawit Terhadap Umur Fatik Beban Aksial Komposit Matriks Resin
Authors: Fitri Muhamad
Published: October 2019

Palm Oil Industries, not only provide so many benefits, but also has a negative impact in the form of organic waste as by products of palm oil industries. Therefore, the utilization of oil palm fiber waste needs to be developed, including for structural components that retain load, through various studies in order to reduce the volume of waste caused by oil palm. One of the simplest types of load is axial load. The purpose of this study is to make polymer matrix composite materials reinforced with oil palm  fiber, and then test the life cycle of fatigue failure axial load, of polymer matrix composite materials with several different percentages of fiber content. The material used as a matrix is Yukalac® 157 BTQN-EX unsaturated polyester resin (UPRs), and the catalyst uses methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) and Oil palm fibers as reinforcement. The content of palm oil fiber is divided into three level i.e: 3%, 5%, and 7%. The effect of the percentage content of the volume of palm oil fiber on the cycle of fatigue failure of the polymer matrix composite material were analyzed. So that later this palm matrix resin fiber composite material can really be utilized for structural components that retain load. By utilizing palm oil fiber in the production of composite materials, it is hoped that this will reduce the volume of organic waste from palm oil processing. Fatigue testing results on the percentage of palm oil fiber content of 3% obtained the shortest failure cycle life is 7.67 cycles. As for the percentage of palm oil content of 7%, the longest failure cycle was obtained to 18.33 cycles.
Making Pedagogic Sense of Design Thinking in the Higher Education Context
Authors: Beligatamulla Gnanaharsha , Rieger Janice , Franz Jill , Strickfaden Megan
Published: October 2019

This paper explores the educator experience and sense-making of design thinking pedagogy in the higher education context. Design thinking has become a pedagogical phenomenon in higher education due to its widespread relevance across many disciplines. Some studies discuss design thinking asa pedagogyin the educational context; however, there is a lack of empirical research to understand the educator perspective on design thinking pedagogy. Three design thinking educators who have had more than fifteen years of teaching experience were interviewed to explore their experiences. The data from these individual in-depth, semi-structured interviews were analysed employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). One super-ordinate theme;capability building for everyone, and four subordinate themes;developing a participatory approach towards world issues;developing an open, explorative attitude;developing creative ability; anddeveloping an ethical mindsetwere identified. From these findings, the paper argues that design thinking educators have the basis for a pedagogical rationale that transcends disciplinary boundaries and provides common ground for collaboration and on-going development of design thinking pedagogy as an emerging field in education.
Key agreement based on automaton groups
Authors: Grigorchuk Rostislav , Grigoriev Dima
Published: October 2019

We suggest several automaton groups as platforms for Anshel–Anshel–Goldfeld key agreement metascheme.
They include Grigorchuk and universal Grigorchuk groups, Hanoi 3-towers group, the Basilica group and a subgroup of the affine group

Aff
4

⁢

(
ℤ
)

{\mathrm{Aff}_{4}(\mathbb{Z})}

.
Rheological Investigation of GO Doped p(APTMACl) Composite Hydrogel
Authors: Rehman Tanzil Ur , Shah Luqman Ali
Published: October 2019

The aim of the present work is an approach towards the exploration of comprehension of rheological work on polymer composites synthesized by ex-situ dispersion of graphene oxide (GO) in poly(3-acrylamidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (APTMACl) cationic hydrogel template. FTIR was carried out for confirmation of polymer synthesis and existence of GO in hydrogel network. The rheological investigation via frequency sweep curve (shear measurement) and oscillatory sweep (dynamic mechanical analysis) at different temperature 20, 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 °C was performed. The storage (G′) and loss (G′′) moduli as a function of angular frequency, yield stress, tangent loss, damping factor and retention property were also studied to confirm the visco-elastomeric nature of the GO@p(APTMACl) composite and their semi solid response at different range of temperature. Various rheological models like Bingham model, modified Bingham model and Ostwald’s power law were applied. The temperature dependency was further tested via Arrhenius-Frenkel-Eyring equation. The sample showed best fitting in the modified Bingham model, which justified the pseudo plastic semi solid behavior of GO@p(APTMACl) composite within the linear visco-elastic region (LVER). All the properties from rheological study show best mechanical property and make the composite hydrogel good for drug delivery and for other environmental applications.
The impact of caffeic acid phenethyl ester, chrysin and ethanolic extracts of propolis on PLD1 gene expression in AGS cell line
Authors: Jafari-Ghahfarokhi Hamideh , Jazaeri Ali , Amini-Sarteshnizi Nematallah , Teimori Hossein
Published: October 2019

Introduction: Up-regulation of phospholipase D (PLD) is functionally related to tumorigenesis and oncogenic signals. Chrysin, caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) and ethanolic extract of propolis (EEP) are three safe compounds which have been shown to possess antiproliferative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antineoplastic properties. In this study, the effects of these three compounds on PLD1 gene expression were examined in AGS cell line. Methods: After determining the appropriate concentrations of EEP, CAPE, and chrysin, AGS cells were cultured in mediums with proper ratios of the compounds. AGS cells were maintained in exponential growth and the culture mediums refreshed every other day. Finally, after extracting total RNA from AGS cells, real-time PCR was performed to evaluate the mRNA expression of PLD1 in the presence of each compound. Results: CAPE decreased the mRNA level of PLD1 gene in a dose-dependent manner. A solution with 30 μM concentration of CAPE was the effective dose in comparison to control group as well as 15 and 20 μM concentrations of the compound, whereas no changes were observed in the presence of EEP and chrysin. Conclusion: Taken together, the results of the study indicated that CAPE might exert its anti-neoplastic effect by targeting PLD1 expression in AGS cell line.
Evaluating the Performance of the Asphalt Mixes Containing Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement by Considering the Effect of Silo Storage Time
Authors: Kadhim Hawraa , Baaj Hassan
Published: October 2019

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in hot mix asphalt (HMA) has been increasing in the last few decades because of its cost benefits and because of a compelling need to preserve the environment and natural resources. It is commonly assumed that HMA containing RAP (HMA-RAP) has an improved resistance to permanent deformation (rutting) and decreased resistance to the fatigue cracking. This is due to the fact that asphalt binder contained in the RAP has been oxidized over the years and is typically stiffer than virgin asphalt binder. However, during the production stage of the HMA-RAP, the blending between aged and virgin asphalt binders would be incomplete or partial, which would lead to heterogeneous distribution of the aged and virgin asphalt binders within the asphalt mix with RAP. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to evaluate the effect of silo storage on the blending mechanism between virgin and RAP asphalt binders and the impact that this would have on performance of the mix. Two plant-produced asphalt mixes (HL-3 and HL-8), typically used in the province of Ontario for surface and base courses in flexible pavements, were considered in this study. The mixes were designed with 15 and 30 % RAP, respectively, and the samples were collected immediately after the production (0 h) or at different silo storage times (1, 4, 8, and 12 h). The temperatures of the collected materials were closely monitored and recorded. The findings of this research indicated that silo-stored samples exhibited some improvement in their rutting and fatigue resistance. The examination of the dynamic modulus master curves indicated that the rheology of the mixes evolved with silo storage and that blending between the aged and the virgin binders has been improved.
Gastronomic Practice in Zhang Tongzhi's List of Jinling's Delicacies
Authors: Montanari Andrea
Published: October 2019

Zhang Tongzhi (1875–1948) was a Chinese scholar, educator, and gourmet from Nanjing, today the capital of Jiangsu province. In 1947, he published the List of Jinling's Delicacies, in which he described and extolled the best raw ingredients, processed foods, and cooked dishes he had tasted in Nanjing throughout his life. In this article, I offer a translation of twenty-four of the sixty-one entries of the List and I read them as portraying not only the city's delicacies but also the practice of gastronomy, of Zhang as well as of the people of Nanjing. As a social and consumption practice, gastronomy can be defined, with Priscilla Parkhurst Ferguson, as “the systematic, socially valorized pursuit of culinary excellence.” Yet gastronomy, in the context of Western and especially French culinary history, has mainly been analyzed as a textualized discourse. While I do not challenge the idea that gastronomic words matter, in this article I suggest that gastronomic practice matters, too, and that, as far as the development of Chinese culinary culture is concerned, it may have mattered more than words. The List affords us glimpses into a little-known foodscape and it vividly captures this “applied” dimension of gastronomy. My hope is that this text will also stimulate more comparative thinking about culinary cultures and their sociohistorical development.
IL-34 causes inflammation and beta cell apoptosis and dysfunction in gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Piao Chenghao , Wang Xiaojie , Peng Shiqiao , Guo Xinyu , Zhao Hui , He Li , Zeng Yan , Zhang Fan , Zhu Kewen , Wang Yiwei
Published: October 2019

Objective

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is characterized by glucose intolerance during gestation. It is associated with a series of maternal and foetal complications. Interleukin (IL)-34 is a recently discovered pro-inflammatory cytokine that functions as a ligand for colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor (CSF-1R). The contribution of IL-34 in the development of multiple chronic inflammatory diseases and autoimmune diseases has been recently discovered. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether IL-34 participates in the pathogenesis of GDM.

Method

A total of 120 women were enrolled in this study, which included 60 GDM patients and age- and sex-matched healthy pregnant women. The expression of IL-34 in serum, cord blood and placental tissues was analysed by ELISA and Western blot assays. The association between IL-34 levels and clinical features was also studied. We additionally evaluated the effect of recombinant mouse IL-34 (rmIL-34) on apoptosis and pancreatic β cell function.

Results

We found that IL-34 expression is highly increased in serum, cord blood and placental tissues in patients with GDM. In addition, there was a positive association between serum IL-34 and insulin resistance and glucose concentrations. Our data also revealed that IL-34 contributes to the apoptosis of pancreatic β cells in GDM caused by CSF-1R. Furthermore, functional studies found that IL-34 inhibited pancreatic β cell function and cell viability, while CSF-1R inhibitor blocked this effect.

Conclusion

IL-34 plays a crucial role in the development of GDM by targeting CSF-1R, insulin production and β cell function.
Immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated thyroid dysfunction: a disproportionality analysis using the WHO Adverse Drug Reaction Database, VigiBase
Authors: Bai Xuefeng , Chen Xiaoyu , Wu Xiaohong , Huang Yinqiong , Zhuang Yong , Lin Xiahong
Published: October 2019

Objective

Our study aimed to identify and characterize thyroid dysfunctions associated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs).

Design

Data were obtained from VigiBase, between January 1, 2011 to March 6, 2019.

Methods

All thyroid drug-adverse events are classified by group queries according to the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. Information component (IC) and reporting odds ratio (ROR) were considered as measures of disproportionality for the assessment of association between ICIs and thyroid dysfunctions. We used IC to identify meaningful drug-adverse events while using ROR to compare differences in the reporting of drug-adverse events caused by different ICI subgroups. Positive IC values are deemed significant.

Results

Compared with the full database, the following ICI-associated thyroid dysfunctions were over-reported: hypothyroidism (1125 reports for ICIs vs 12495 for all drugs; Information Component 4.28 (95% CI: 4.18–4.35)), hyperthyroidism (926 vs 7538; 4.66 (95% CI: 4.55–4.74)), thyroiditis (294 vs 1237; 5.40 (95% CI: 5.21–5.54)), thyrotoxic crisis (11 vs 288; 3.55 (95% CI: 2.61–4.20)). Hypothyroidism was over-reported for patients treated with ICI combination therapy versus those treated with ICI monotherapy (ROR 1.3 (95% CI: 1.1–1.7)), and the same was observed for hyperthyroidism (ROR: 1.9 (95% CI: 1.5–2.4)), thyroiditis (ROR: 3.3 (95% CI: 2.3–4.8)), thyrotoxic crisis (ROR: 11.5 (95% CI: 2.4–53.8)). All 11 thyrotoxic crisis cases were malignant melanoma patients, of which seven occurred under ICI combination therapy.

Conclusions

Thyroid dysfunction may occur after ICI therapies, and severe thyrotoxic crisis may even occur. Raising awareness of ICI-associated thyroid dysfunction can improve the detection and treatment of these diseases.
Network-Based Functional Prediction Augments Genetic Association To Predict Candidate Genes for Histamine Hypersensitivity in Mice
Authors: Tyler Anna L , Raza Abbas , Krementsov Dimitry N , Case Laure K , Huang Rui , Ma Runlin Z , Blankenhorn Elizabeth P , Teuscher Cory , Mahoney J Matthew
Published: October 2019

Genetic mapping is a primary tool of genetics in model organisms; however, many quantitative trait loci (QTL) contain tens or hundreds of positional candidate genes. Prioritizing these genes for validation is often ad hoc and biased by previous findings. Here we present a technique for prioritizing positional candidates based on computationally inferred gene function. Our method uses machine learning with functional genomic networks, whose links encode functional associations among genes, to identify network-based signatures of functional association to a trait of interest. We demonstrate the method by functionally ranking positional candidates in a large locus on mouse Chr 6 (45.9 Mb to 127.8 Mb) associated with histamine hypersensitivity (Histh). Histh is characterized by systemic vascular leakage and edema in response to histamine challenge, which can lead to multiple organ failure and death. Although Histh risk is strongly influenced by genetics, little is known about its underlying molecular or genetic causes, due to genetic and physiological complexity of the trait. To dissect this complexity, we ranked genes in the Histh locus by predicting functional association with multiple Histh-related processes. We integrated these predictions with new single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association data derived from a survey of 23 inbred mouse strains and congenic mapping data. The top-ranked genes included Cxcl12, Ret, Cacna1c, and Cntn3, all of which had strong functional associations and were proximal to SNPs segregating with Histh. These results demonstrate the power of network-based computational methods to nominate highly plausible quantitative trait genes even in challenging cases involving large QTL and extreme trait complexity.
The Nehari Manifold for p-Laplacian Equation with Dirichlet Boundary Condition
Authors: Afrouzi G. A. A. , Mahdavi S. , Naghizadeh Z.
Published: October 2019

The Nehari manifold for the equation −∆pu(x) = λu(x)|u(x)|p−2 + b(x)|u(x)|γ−2u(x) for x ∈ Ω together with Dirichlet boundary condition is investigated in the case where 0 < γ < p. Exploiting the relationship between the Nehari manifold and fibrering maps (i.e., maps of the form of t → J(tu) where J is the Euler functional associated with the equation), we discuss how the Nehari manifold changes as λ changes, and show how existence results for positive solutions of the equation are linked to the properties of Nehari manifold.
Conjugate Effects of Heat and Mass Transfer on Natural Convection Flow Across an Isothermal Horizontal Circular Cylinder With Chemical Reaction
Authors: Hye Md. A. A. , Molla Md. M. M. , Khan M. A. H. A. H.
Published: October 2019

Natural convection flow across an isothermal cylinder immersed in a viscous incompressible fluid in the presence of species concentration and chemical reaction has been investigated. The governing boundary layer equations are transformed into a system of non-dimensional equations and the resulting nonlinear system of partial differential equations is reduced to a system of local non-similarity boundary layer equations, which is solved numerically by a very efficient implicit finite difference method together with the Keller-box scheme. Numerical results are presented by the velocity, temperature and species concentration profiles of the fluid as well as the local skin-friction coefficient, local heat transfer rate and local species concentration transfer rate for a wide range of chemical reaction parameter γ (γ = 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0), buoyancy ratio parameter N (N = −1.0, −0.5, 0.0, 0.5, 1.0), Schmidt number Sc (Sc = 0.7, 10.0, 50.0, 100.0) andPrandtl number Pr (Pr = 0.7, 7.0).
Mathematical Modelling of Nitric Oxide Release Caused by Exocytosis and Determination of a Stellate Neuron Activity Function in Rat Brain
Authors: Oleinick A. , Amatore C. , Klymenko O. , Svir I.
Published: October 2019

In this work we report the results of the mathematical modelling of NO◦ -release by neurons considering a series of Gaussian bursts, together with its transport in the brain by diffusion. Our analysis relies on the NO◦ -release from a neuron monitored before, during and after its patch-clamp stimulation as detected by an ultramicroelectrode introduced into a slice of living rat’s brain. The parameters of the neuron activity function have been obtained by numerical fitting of experimental data with simulated theoretical results. Within our initial hypothesis about the Gaussian decomposition of NO◦ -release that allowed drawing qualitative and quantitative conclusions about the considered neuron activity function. It is noted that since the activity function can be readily modified this signal processing may be adapted to the treatment of other and maybe more physiologically relevant hypotheses.
Conjugate Heat Transfer for a Vertical Flat Plate with Heat Generation Effect
Authors: Mamun A. A. A. , Chowdhury Z. R. R. , Azim M. A. A. , Maleque M. A. A.
Published: October 2019

The heat generation effect on natural convection flow along and conduction inside a vertical flat plate is investigated. The developed governing equations with the associated boundary conditions for this analysis are transferred to dimensionless forms using a local non-similar transformation. The transformed non-linear equations of the non-dimensional equations are then solved using the implicit finite difference method with Keller box-scheme. Numerical results are found for different values of the heat generation parameter, conjugate conduction parameter and Prandtl number. The overall investigation of the velocity, temperature, skin friction and heat transfer rate are presented graphically.
Improving the Performance of the Continued Fractions Method Using New Bounds of Positive Roots
Authors: Akritas A. G. G. , Strzebonski A. W. W. , Vigklas P. S. S.
Published: October 2019

In this paper we compare four implementations of the Vincent-AkritasStrzebo´nski Continued Fractions (VAS-CF) real root isolation method using four different (two linear and two quadratic complexity) bounds on the values of the positive roots of polynomials. The quadratic complexity bounds were included to see if the quality of their estimates compensates for their quadratic complexity. Indeed, experimentation on various classes of special and random polynomials revealed that the VAS-CF implementation using LMQ, the Quadratic complexity variant of our Local Max bound, achieved an overall average speed-up of 40 % over the original implementation using Cauchy’s linear bound.