bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Program Monitoring Practices for Teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Early Intervention
Authors: Thomas Anne E. , Marvin Christine A.
Published: July 2015

Program monitoring is an important and necessary assessment practice within the field of early childhood deaf education. Effective program monitoring requires a focus on both the consistent implementation of intervention strategies (fidelity) and the assessment of children’s ongoing progress in response to interventions (progress monitoring). Teachers of the deaf and hard of hearing (TODs) who provide early intervention services need to conduct regular program monitoring to evaluate the merit of their efforts. However, progress monitoring is a practice often overlooked by practitioners within the field of early intervention. It is recommended that TODs monitor children’s progress “regularly,” but evidence of such practices by TODs is as yet unavailable. In this article, we describe how TODs can use both progress monitoring and fidelity checks to achieve the goal of effective program monitoring for young children who are deaf and hard of hearing.
The Meriden School Climate Survey–Student Version
Authors: Gage Nicholas A. , Larson Alvin , Chafouleas Sandra M.
Published: July 2015

School climate has been linked with myriad positive student outcomes and the measurement of school climate is widely advocated at the national and state level. However, districts have little guidance about how to define and measure school climate. This study examines the psychometric properties of a district-developed school climate measure that was created in response to state policy pressure and an interest in student perceptions of school climate. Initial evaluation of the Meriden School Climate Survey–Student Version (MSCS-SV), a 38-item scale, indicates evidence of validity and reliability based on principal component analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, test–retest reliability, and comprehensive assessment of internal consistency. Overall, results suggest that the MSCS-SV may be an adequate measure of student perceptions of a broad school climate construct, but more research is warranted.
Comparative study on the effectiveness of corticosteroid injections between trigger fingers with and without proximal interphalangeal joint flexion contracture
Authors: Shinomiya R. , Sunagawa T. , Nakashima Y. , Kawanishi Y. , Masuda T. , Ochi M.
Published: July 2015

Trigger fingers with proximal interphalangeal joint flexion contracture are suggested to have a poorer response to corticosteroid injection than those without contracture, though this has not been proven scientifically. We compared the clinical response to corticosteroid injection between trigger fingers with and without proximal interphalangeal joint contracture, and investigated the influence of the injection on the A1 pulley and flexor digitorum tendons using ultrasonography. One month after injection, pain was significantly reduced in the no contracture group, and 56% of trigger fingers with proximal interphalangeal joint contracture resolved. Before injection, relative thickening of the A1 pulley and flexor digitorum tendons, and a partial hypoechoic lesion of the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon were observed in the contracture group. One month after injection, the thickening of the tendons and the A1 pulley was reduced, but the partial hypoechoic lesion was still observed in significant numbers. We have demonstrated that the presence of a proximal interphalangeal joint contracture was associated with a reduced clinical response to corticosteroid injection, and we suggest that the pathologic change in the flexor digitorum superficialis tendon, represented by the partial hypoechoic lesion, contributed to corticosteroid injection resistance.

Level of evidence: IV
When can I drive? Return to driving following a wrist fracture: A critical review
Authors: Stinton Susan B , Edgar Dale W , Moloney Niamh A , Refshauge Kathryn , Pappas Evangelos
Published: July 2015

Introduction

The primary aim of this review was to identify literature that examined factors which influence driving performance following a wrist fracture. Given the known scarcity of research in this area, secondary aims were to detail current practices including the driving habits of patients following a wrist fracture and health professionals’ opinions on safe return to driving.

Methods

We performed a search in April 2015 using three electronic databases to obtain relevant literature in the English language. Relevant studies including clinical trials, surveys and case reports were reviewed.

Results

The search identified 12 relevant studies. Five of these were clinical studies with a crossover design that investigated the driving ability of uninjured individuals with the wrist immobilised in a cast. The remaining were survey-based studies. The clinical trials showed that the presence of a wrist cast reduced driving performance in uninjured individuals. No studies investigated driving performance in individuals with a wrist fracture. The surveys showed that this patient group returns to driving despite perceived safety risks. Inconsistency in expert opinions on whether individuals with a wrist fracture are safe to drive was highlighted.

Conclusions

There is evidence to suggest that driving performance is reduced in uninjured individuals when wearing a cast immobilising the wrist; however, the influence of wrist fracture is unknown. This, along with safety implications resulting from current driving behaviours and inconsistent information provided to patients regarding return to driving, highlights the need for further studies to ascertain which factors influence driving performance following wrist fracture.
Dyslipidemia in Overweight and Obese School-Aged Children
Authors: Finn Pamela
Published: July 2015

Dyslipidemia often affects overweight and obese adolescents and can be present along with hypertension, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. This article is the third of six discussing the comorbidities of childhood obesity and will focus on the individual parts of the lipid profile and the impact of dyslipidemia on the heart and other body systems. Since few pharmacologic therapies are approved to treat dyslipidemia in children and adolescents younger than 18, treatment consists of lifestyle changes that can be supported and modeled by the school nurse. The school nurse can also be an advocate for a healthy lifestyle in the school district and community. More success in the treatment of dyslipidemia will be realized with less attention to changing the individual and more attention to changing the wider populations, including schools and the community.
Effects of Dexamethasone Concentration and Timing of Exposure on Chondrogenesis of Equine Bone Marrow–Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Tangtrongsup Suwimol , Kisiday John D.
Published: July 2015

Objective

Dexamethasone is known to support mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) chondrogenesis, although the effects of dose and timing of exposure are not well understood. The objective of this study was to investigate these variables using a laboratory model of MSC chondrogenesis.

Design

Equine MSCs were encapsulated in agarose and cultured in chondrogenic medium with 1 or 100 nM dexamethasone, or without dexamethasone, for 15 days. Samples were analyzed for extracellular matrix (ECM) accumulation, prostaglandin E2 and alkaline phosphatase secretion, and gene expression of selected collagens and catabolic enzymes. Timing of exposure was evaluated by ECM accumulation after dexamethasone was withdrawn over the first 6 days, or withheld for up to 3 or 6 days of culture.

Results

ECM accumulation was not significantly different between 1 and 100 nM dexamethasone, but was suppressed ~40% in dexamethasone-free cultures. Prostaglandin E2 secretion, and expression of catabolic enzymes, including matrix metalloproteinase 13, and type X collagen was generally lowest in 100 nM dexamethasone and not significantly different between 1 nM and dexamethasone-free cultures. Dexamethasone could be withheld for at least 2 days without affecting ECM accumulation, while withdrawal studies suggested that dexamethasone supports ECM accumulation beyond day 6.

Conclusion

One nanomolar dexamethasone supported robust cartilage-like ECM accumulation despite not having an effect on markers of inflammation, although higher concentrations of dexamethasone may be necessary to suppress undesirable hypertrophic differentiation. While early exposure to dexamethasone was not critical, sustained exposure of at least a week appears to be necessary to maximize ECM accumulation.
Promoting organ donation through the ‘intensity of discussions’ with next of kin: role of superstition, taboo of death and personality variables
Authors: Zouaghi Sondes , Chouk Inès , Rieunier Sophie
Published: July 2015

In France, more than 16,000 patients hope to receive a donated organ each year. Only one third of these patients receive transplants and 500 people die before being called for a transplant. However, the number of donations could be increased considerably by encouraging donor card holders to discuss the subject with their families. The objective of this research is to develop a better understanding of discussion behaviours with families regarding a decision to donate one’s organs post mortem. To this end, a quantitative survey was carried out on a broad sample of 11,235 holders of organ donor cards. This work introduces two main contributions in relation to previous work. First, it demonstrates that the intensity of discussions with next-of-kin has an impact on the donor’s confidence in having their wishes respected. Second, it demonstrates the need to take into account individual determinants such as the taboo of death, superstition and extraversion in order to better understand the intensity of discussions with next-of-kin. Our research also confirms the impact of altruism on discussions about organ donation. In light of our results, managerial implications are proposed below.
Effect of the economic crisis on the production of immunology patents managed through the Patent Cooperation Treaty agreement from 2004–2011
Authors: Campos Elena , Campos Adolfo
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To determine the evolution of patents in immunology, as a result of research and innovation in the years 2004–2011.

Design

The search for patents published internationally in immunology was made by using the SCOPUSTM database. SCOPUS gives information about over 23 million patents. The extracted data from patents were: inventors and applicants; their nationalities; sections, classes and subclasses of the International Patent Classification.

Participants

89 countries

Setting

Data have been obtained from the database SCOPUS. It has been used for the international patent classification.

Main outcome measures

Patents by country, Productive sectors, Productive areas

Results

A total of 17,281 patents were applied for immunology during 2004–2011 of which 16,811 were from 30 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries, and 5326 from 28 countries in the European Union. These patents were granted in 89 countries and 13,699 of them were submitted by researchers from only one country. Private entities applied for 62.45% of all patents, universities 17.48%, hospitals 3.40% and public research organisations and private applicants applied for the rest. The university that made more applications was the University of California with 315 and the company was Genentech Inc. (US) with 302. The reduction in the number of applications of international patents in all disciplines of science also affected the area of immunology.

Conclusions

Collaboration in immunology between universities, companies and hospitals is hard because their interests are different. It is shown in patent applications that the majority of patents in immunology are applied for by only one entity. Patents in immunology are developed, mainly, in aspects such as medical preparations, peptides, mutation or genetic engineering, therapeutic activity of chemical compounds and analysing materials by determining their chemical or physical properties.
Sleep paralysis and folklore
Authors: Cox Ann M
Published: July 2015

Sleep paralysis is a relatively new term to describe what for hundreds of years many believed to be a visitation by a malevolent creature which attacked its victims as they slept. The first clinical description of sleep paralysis was published in 1664 in a Dutch physician’s case histories, where it was referred to as, ‘Incubus or the Night-Mare [sic]’. In 1977, it was discovered more than 100 previously healthy people from various South East Asian communities had died mysteriously in their sleep. The individuals affected were dying at a rate of 92/100,000 from Sudden Unexplained Nocturnal Death Syndrome. No underlying cause was ever found, only that subsequent studies revealed a high rate of sleep paralysis and belief in the dab tsog (nightmare spirit) amongst members of the community. The nightmare/succubus is descended from Lilith. The earliest reference to Lilith is found in the Sumerian King list of 2400 BC known as Lilitu or she-demon, she bore children from her nocturnal unions with men. In other derivations, she was Adam’s first wife who rather than ‘obey’ became a demon that preyed on women during childbirth. In modern Middle Eastern maternity wards, some women still wear amulets for protection. Today, clinical cause of these disturbances is sleep paralysis due to the unsuitable timing of REM sleep. During the ‘Nightmare’ episode, the sleeper becomes partially conscious during REM cycle, leaving the individual in a state between dream and wakefulness. For some, culture and the tradition of the nightmare is explanation enough.
Digital flexor tendon contracture treated by tenectomy: different clinical presentations in three cats
Authors: Cabon Quentin , Plante Jérôme , Gatineau Matthieu
Published: July 2015

Case series summary

Three cats, Siamese or Siamese cross, were presented with a chronic thoracic limb weightbearing lameness. Previous anti-inflammatory administrations were unable to improve lameness consistently in the three cats. Two of the three cats had undergone onychectomy several years before presentation. A permanent flexion of the proximal interphalangeal joint of one or more digits, associated with a difficult and painful extension of the proximal interphalangeal joint, was noticed during orthopedic examination. A digital flexor tendon contracture was suspected and confirmed with radiographic examination. Surgical exploration was then performed. For all cats, treatment consisted of a tenectomy or tenotomy of the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons in order to release the contracture. The three cats responded well to the surgical treatment and became sound around 2–4 weeks after surgery.

Relevance and novel information

Digital flexor tendon contracture is rarely reported as a cause of lameness in cats. It should be considered in a differential diagnosis of feline lameness whenever onychectomy has been performed in the past. The precise etiology that explains this tendon contracture is unknown, but trauma or breed predisposition could represent potential causes.
Cryptococcal nasopharyngeal polypoid mass in a cat
Authors: Livet Véronique , Javard Romain , Alexander Kate , Girard Christiane , Dunn Marilyn
Published: July 2015

Case summary

An indoor 9-year-old castrated male domestic cat was referred with a 4 month history of increased upper airway noise. Computed tomography revealed a nasopharyngeal polypoid mass, which was removed endoscopically with basket forceps. Histopathology was compatible with a polypoid granulomatous pharyngitis with Cryptococcus-like organisms. This was supported by a positive serum latex cryptococcal antigen agglutination test (LCAT). Minimal inflammation of the nasal tissue was noted on histopathology, with no evidence of fungus. Following endoscopic removal of the mass, the patient was treated with systemic antifungal medication (itraconazole). One year after diagnosis, the LCAT titer was negative and the cat remained free of clinical signs.

Relevance and novel information

This case report emphasizes the importance of considering Cryptococcus species as a potential etiology in cats presented with signs of nasopharyngeal obstruction with an isolated nasopharyngeal polypoid mass, even if kept indoors.
Spontaneous thoracolumbar hematomyelia secondary to hemophilia B in a cat
Authors: Barnard Laura R , Leblond Guillaume , Nykamp Stephanie G , Gaitero Luis
Published: July 2015

Case summary

A 10-year-old neutered male domestic shorthair cat presented for evaluation of acute onset of paraplegia with loss of nociception and thoracolumbar spine hyperesthesia and no history of trauma. Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) was markedly prolonged, and specific coagulation factor testing revealed a factor IX level of 4% of normal activity, confirming the presence of mild hemophilia B. Prior abnormal bleeding had occurred at the time of castration as a kitten, as well as with laceration to a toe. Advanced imaging, including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoracolumbar spine, confirmed the presence of multifocal intradural and intramedullary spinal cord hemorrhage through demonstration of focal ring enhancement on CT and multifocal areas of signal void on gradient echo T2* images on MRI. Despite factor IX supplementation through the use of fresh frozen plasma transfusions and normalization of the aPTT time, the cat’s neurological status did not improve. Owing to repeated urinary tract infections, with increasing resistance to antibiotic therapy, the cat was ultimately euthanized. Post-mortem examination showed no evidence of another underlying primary pathology for the hematomyelia.

Relevance and novel information

To our knowledge, this case demonstrates the first reported occurrence of spontaneous hematomyelia secondary to hemophilia B in a cat.
Atrial septal defect closure through a right thoracotomy in adults
Authors: Ishida Narihiro , Shimabukuro Katsuya , Ogura Hiroki , Iwata Hisashi
Published: July 2015

Background:

Minimally invasive approaches have become a feature of cardiac surgery. We compared the outcomes of atrial septal defect closure through either a right thoracotomy or a median sternotomy in adults.

Methods:

Patients who underwent atrial septal defect closure of ostium secundum defects through either a right thoracotomy ( n = 14) or a median sternotomy ( n = 7) were analyzed. The atrial septal defect was closed with cardiac arrest of the ascending aorta clamped under a cardiopulmonary bypass in both groups.

Results:

The preoperative characteristics of the two groups did not significantly differ. The durations of cardiopulmonary bypass and of cardiac arrest were significantly longer, but the amount of intraoperative blood loss was significantly lower, in the right thoracotomy than in the median sternotomy group. The early postoperative course did not significantly differ between the groups, whereas postoperative minor complications developed in three and two patients in the right thoracotomy and median sternotomy groups, respectively.

Conclusion:

The outcomes of atrial septal defect closure through a right thoracotomy and a median sternotomy were comparable, suggesting that right thoracotomy is a safe and effective alternative to median sternotomy for atrial septal defect closure in adults.
A case of asbestos-related constrictive pericarditis
Authors: Kurumisawa Soki , Futoh Yurie , Kaminishi Yuichiro , Akutsu Hirohiko , Misawa Yoshio
Published: July 2015

A 78-year-old man presented with exertional dyspnea and lower leg edema for 3 months. He had a 25-year history of the exposure to asbestos, and pulmonary asbestosis was diagnosed 3 years ago. An echocardiogram and cardiac catheterization were compatible with constrictive pericarditis. He underwent pericardiectomy. On the right ventricle, the pericardium was firmly attached to the epicardium. Pathological examination confirmed the thickness of the pericardium and epicardium without specific findings indicating pathogeneses.
Race and Youth Crime
Authors: Agnew Robert
Published: July 2015

Criminologists have devoted much effort to explaining why African American youth have higher rates of serious offending than Whites. But data suggest that African American youth have similar rates of minor offending than Whites and that the large share of African American youth are no more likely to engage in serious crime than Whites. This is the case even though African American youth are much more likely than White youth to be exposed to many of the leading causes of crime, including discrimination, poverty, and residence in very poor communities. This raises a major question that has been neglected by criminologists: Why isn’t the relationship between race and youth crime stronger? Drawing on limited criminological research and several literatures outside criminology, this article describes a range of protective factors that may reduce the likelihood that African American youth respond to discrimination and its negative consequences with crime. These factors fall into four groups: skills in coping, strengths in the face of adversity, social supports, and social controls (the four “S”s).
Comparison of the Effects of Elaeagnus angustifolia Flower Capsule and Sildenafil Citrate Tablet on Anxiety Resulting From Sexual Dysfunction in Women Referring to the Selected Clinics of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences
Authors: Zeinalzadeh Sanaz , Akbarzadeh Marzieh , Mohagheghzadeh Abdolali , Faridi Pouya , Sayadi Mehrab
Published: July 2015

Dissatisfaction from sexual relationships can result in deprivation as well as problems, such as depression, anxiety, and destruction of family’s mental health. One hundred twenty-five women (18 to 40 years) who suffered from hypoactive sexual desire disorder were divided into Elaeagnus angustifolia flower (4.5 g g daily for 35 days), sildenafil citrate tablet (50 mg for 4 weeks), and control groups. The study data were collected using the Female Sexual Function Index and Spielberger’s questionnaire and measurement of thyroid-stimulating hormone and prolactin hormone. In the Elaeagnus angustifolia group, the mean score of state and trait anxiety decreased after the intervention. In the sildenafil citrate group also, the mean score of state anxiety decreased from 22.15 ± 4.98 to 20.1 ± 5.15 ( P = .001) and that of trait anxiety decreased from 23.07 ± 4.44 to 21.55 ± 4.82 ( P = .002) after the intervention. Consumption of sildenafil citrate tablet was effective in reduction of the mean score of anxiety resulting from sexual dysfunction.
Emails From the Boss—Curse or Blessing? Relations Between Communication Channels, Leader Evaluation, and Employees’ Attitudes
Authors: Braun Stephan , Hernandez Bark Alina , Kirchner Alexander , Stegmann Sebastian , van Dick Rolf
Published: July 2015

The present research investigates if and how a more digitally centered communication between supervisors and employees satisfies employees’ needs regarding the communication with their supervisors and influences employees’ attitudes toward the supervisor and the job. In a cross-sectional online study, 261 employees rated their supervisors’ actual and ideal use of different communication channels (i.e., telephone, face-to-face, email) regarding quality and quantity. Employees’ job satisfaction and their perceptions of their supervisors’ effectiveness and team identification were measured as dependent variables. Employees perceived face-to-face communication to be of higher quality than telephone and email communication, and they indicated a preference for more face-to-face communication with their supervisors than they actually had. Moreover, the perceived quality of communication, especially via face-to-face, was strongly and positively related to the dependent variables. These results provide insights into potential problems of increasing e-leadership in organizations. We conclude with recommendations to reduce these problems.
Full- and Part-Time Dissent: Examining the Effect of Employment Status on Dissent Expression
Authors: Kassing Jeffrey W. , Fanelli Shea A. , Chakravarthy Laasya
Published: July 2015

This study examined whether employment status affected the amount and type of dissent employees expressed to management. To address this full-time and part-time employees in separate data collections completed the Upward Dissent Scale. A comparison of participant scores indicated that full-time employees used comparatively more prosocial (direct-factual appeals and solution presentation) and repetition upward dissent tactics compared to part-time employees. Contrastingly, part-time employees relied more heavily on upward dissent expressions that involved circumventing their bosses and threatening to quit their jobs. The findings indicate that employment status has a notable effect on the expression of upward dissent—with full- and part-time employees relying on differing tactics.
Transmembrane TNF-α preferentially expressed by leukemia stem cells and blasts is a potent target for antibody therapy
Authors: Zhou Xiaoxi , Zhou Shiqiu , Li Baihua , Li Qinlu , Gao Lili , Li Dan , Gong Quan , Zhu Li , Wang Jue , Wang Na , Huang Liang , Zhao Lei , Li Zhuoya , Zhou Jianfeng
Published: July 2015

Key Points

tmTNF-α expressed on LSC and leukemia cells correlates with poor risk stratification and adverse clinical parameters. Targeting tmTNF-α by monoclonal antibody eradicates LSC and blasts, preventing leukemia regeneration in secondary transplant in NOD-SCID mice.
Ezh2 loss in hematopoietic stem cells predisposes mice to develop heterogeneous malignancies in an Ezh1-dependent manner
Authors: Mochizuki-Kashio Makiko , Aoyama Kazumasa , Sashida Goro , Oshima Motohiko , Tomioka Takahisa , Muto Tomoya , Wang Changshan , Iwama Atsushi
Published: July 2015

Key Points

Ezh2 loss in hematopoietic stem cells predisposes mice to develop heterogeneous hematologic malignancies. Ezh1 is essential to maintain hematopoiesis in the setting of Ezh2 loss.
Real-time digital pathogen surveillance — the time is now
Authors: Gardy Jennifer , Loman Nicholas J. , Rambaut Andrew
Published: July 2015

It is time to shake up public health surveillance. New technologies for sequencing, aided by friction-free approaches to data sharing, could have an impact on public health efforts.
So rare we need to hunt for them: reframing the ethical debate on incidental findings
Authors: Schuol Sebastian , Schickhardt Christoph , Wiemann Stefan , Bartram Claus R. , Tanner Klaus , Eils Roland , Meder Benjamin , Richter Daniela , Glimm Hanno , von Kalle Christof , Winkler Eva C.
Published: July 2015

Incidental findings are the subject of intense ethical debate in medical genomic research. Every human genome contains a number of potentially disease-causing alterations that may be detected during comprehensive genetic analyses to investigate a specific condition. Yet available evidence shows that the frequency of incidental findings in research is much lower than expected. In this Opinion, we argue that the reason for the low level of incidental findings is that the filtering techniques and methods that are applied during the routine handling of genomic data remove these alterations. As incidental findings are systematically filtered out, it is now time to evaluate whether the ethical debate is focused on the right issues. We conclude that the key question is whether to deliberately target and search for disease-causing variations outside the indication that has originally led to the genetic analysis, for instance by using positive lists and algorithms.
Common fixed point theorems for three pairs of self-mappings satisfying the common $(E.A)$ property in Menger probabilistic G-metric spaces
Authors: Zhu Chuanxi , Tu Qiang , Wu Zhaoqi
Published: July 2015

In this paper, we generalize the algebraic sum ⊕ of Fang. Based on this concept, we prove some common fixed point theorems for three pairs of self-mappings satisfying the common $(E.A)$
(
E
.
A
)
property in Menger $PGM$
P
G
M
-spaces. Finally, an example is given to exemplify our main results.
INSPECT: extending plane-casting for 6-DOF control
Authors: Katzakis Nicholas , Teather Robert J , Kiyokawa Kiyoshi , Takemura Haruo
Published: July 2015

INSPECT is a novel interaction technique for 3D object manipulation using a rotation-only tracked touch panel. Motivated by the applicability of the technique on smartphones, we explore this design space by introducing a way to map the available degrees of freedom and discuss the design decisions that were made. We subjected INSPECT to a formal user study against a baseline wand interaction technique using a Polhemus tracker. Results show that INSPECT is 12% faster in a 3D translation task while at the same time being 40% more accurate. INSPECT also performed similar to the wand at a 3D rotation task and was preferred by the users overall.
Dehydroandrographolide enhances innate immunity of intestinal tract through up-regulation the expression of hBD-2
Authors: Xiong Wen-Bi , Shao Zhen-Jun , Xiong Yao , Chen Jian , Sun Yun , Zhu Ling , Zhou Li-Ming
Published: July 2015

Background

Dehydroandrographolide (DA) is one of major active components in the well-known oriental herbal medicine Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f) Nees which belongs to the Acanthaceae family. DA is used for the treatment of infections in China. However, DA has not been found to significantly inhibit bacterial and viral growth directly. The current study investigates the effect of DA on the expression of human β –defensin-2 (hBD-2) in human intestinal epithelial cells and the possible signaling pathways.

Methods

Human intestinal epithelial HCT-116 cells were incubated with 1–100 μM DA for 2–24 h. RT–PCR and Western blot were used to assess the expression of hBD-2. The specific inhibitors were used and the levels of phosphorylation of signaling molecules were detected for dissecting the signaling pathways leading to the induction of hBD-2.

Results

MTT assay showed there was no obvious cytotoxicity for HCT-116 cells by 1–100 μM DA treatment. RT-PCR and Western blot assays showed that DA (1–100 μM) could up-regulate the expression of hBD-2, and the effect lasted longer than 24 h. By using SB203580 and SB202190 (inhibitors of p38), the enhancement of hBD-2 expression were significantly attenuated. However, inhibitor of ERK and inhibitor of JNK could not block the effect of DA. Furthermore, Western blot found activation of p38 but not ERK and JNK in DA-treated HCT-116 cells.

Conclusion

The results suggested that DA enhanced innate immunity of intestinal tract by up-regulating the expression of hBD-2 through the p38 MAPK pathways.
Comparing voxel-based absorbed dosimetry methods in tumors, liver, lung, and at the liver-lung interface for 90Y microsphere selective internal radiation therapy
Authors: Mikell Justin K , Mahvash Armeen , Siman Wendy , Mourtada Firas , Kappadath S Cheenu
Published: July 2015

Background

To assess differences between four different voxel-based dosimetry methods (VBDM) for tumor, liver, and lung absorbed doses following 90Y microsphere selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) based on 90Y bremsstrahlung SPECT/CT, a secondary objective was to estimate the sensitivity of liver and lung absorbed doses due to differences in organ segmentation near the liver-lung interface.

Methods

Investigated VBDM were Monte Carlo (MC), soft-tissue kernel with density correction (SKD), soft-tissue kernel (SK), and local deposition (LD). Seventeen SIRT cases were analyzed. Mean absorbed doses (

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

) were calculated for tumor, non-tumoral liver (NL), and right lung (RL). Simulations with various SPECT spatial resolutions (FHWMs) and multiple lung shunt fractions (LSs) estimated the accuracy of VBDM at the liver-lung interface. Sensitivity of patient RL and NL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

on segmentation near the interface was assessed by excluding portions near the interface.

Results

SKD, SK, and LD were within 5 % of MC for tumor and NL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

. LD and SKD overestimated RL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

compared to MC on average by 17 and 20 %, respectively; SK underestimated RL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

on average by −60 %. Simulations (20 mm FWHM, 20 % LS) showed that SKD, LD, and MC were within 10 % of the truth deep (>39 mm) in the lung; SK significantly underestimated the absorbed dose deep in the lung by approximately −70 %. All VBDM were within 10 % of truth deep (>12 mm) in the liver. Excluding 1, 2, and 3 cm of RL near the interface changed the resulting RL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

by −22, −38, and −48 %, respectively, for all VBDM. An average change of −7 % in the NL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

was realized when excluding 3 cm of NL from the interface.

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

was realized when excluding 3 cm of NL from the interface.

Conclusions

SKD, SK, and LD are equivalent to MC for tumor and NL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

. SK underestimates RL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

relative to MC whereas LD and SKD overestimate. RL

$$ \overline{AD} $$

AD
¯

is strongly influenced by the liver-lung interface.
Fluvial reservoirs stacked in thin deltaic successions of the Lower Cretaceous Grand Rapids Formation, east-central Alberta, Canada
Authors: Pouderoux Hugo F. , Pedersen Per K. , Coderre Adam B.
Published: July 2015

The Manatokan Field in east-central Alberta offers a unique opportunity to characterize paralic sandstone reservoirs in 3D using a dense network of well data (approximately [Formula: see text]). Within the [Formula: see text] study area, the 100-m thick Lower Cretaceous Grand Rapids Formation is dominantly composed of sediment deposited in two depositional environments: river-dominated deltas and marine-influenced fluvial rivers. Up to 33 individual fluvial bodies, occurring at five stratigraphic levels and eroding into deltaic parasequences, are identified in the oil-charged upper part of the formation. The width and thickness of fluvial bodies typically range from 50 to 9000 m and from 5 to 50 m, respectively. Examination of cores, wireline logs, and strategically located 3D seismic data indicates that fluvial bodies are dominantly filled by inclined heterolithic deposits emplaced as downflow translation point bars (PBs) separated by mud-filled abandoned channels. Although individual PBs are relatively small ([Formula: see text]), the dense subsurface data set provides the means to build facies maps that illustrate their internal architecture and the distribution of reservoir heterogeneities. Reservoir-quality sandstone occurs on the upstream portion of PBs and usually forms continuous beds along the base of fluvial bodies that extend underneath abandoned channel deposits. High reservoir connectivity along the base of these heterolithic fluvial bodies constitutes a major advantage for heavy oil reservoir production driven by gravity. Core evidences also indicate potential communication between fluvial bodies and surrounding deltaic sandstones or older underlying fluvial reservoirs, which may lead to unexpected results during field development. The Grand Rapids Formation provides a good subsurface analogue of complex marginal-marine clastic reservoirs, and its study may help to explain unanticipated production results in similar hydrocarbon areas.
Characterization of Cep85: A novel antagonist of Nek2A that is involved in the regulation of centrosome disjunction
Authors: Chen Canhe , Tian Fang , Lu Lin , Wang Yun , Xiao Zhe , Yu Chengtao , Yu Xianwen
Published: July 2015

Nek2 is implicated in centrosome disjunction at the onset of mitosis to promote bipolar spindle formation, and hyperactivation of Nek2 leads to the premature centrosome separation. Its activity therefore needs to be strictly regulated. In this study, we report that Cep85, an uncharacterized centrosomal protein, acts as a binding partner of Nek2A. It co-localizes with Nek2A at centrosomes and forms a granule meshwork enveloping the proximal ends of centrioles. Opposite to the effects of Nek2A, overexpression of Cep85 in conjunction with inhibition of the motor protein Eg5 leads to the failure of centrosome disjunction. Conversely, depletion of Cep85 results in the precocious centrosome separation. We also define the Nek2A binding and centrosome localization domains within Cep85. While the Nek2A binding domain alone is sufficient to inhibit Nek2A kinase activity in vitro, both domains are indispensable for full suppression of centrosome disjunction in cells. Thus, we propose that Cep85 is a bona fide Nek2A binding partner surrounding the proximal ends of centrioles where it cooperates with PP1γ to antagonize Nek2A activity to maintain the centrosome integrity in interphase in mammalian cells.
Partitioning of Vanillin in Aqueous Two-Phase Systems Formed by Cholinium Chloride and K3PO4
Authors: Pourebrahimi Fatemeh , Shahriari Shahla , Salehifar Mania , Mozafari Hamid
Published: July 2015

In recent years, the partitioning of food and pharmaceutical materials in ionic liquid-based aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) has attracted the attention of researchers to itself as a new approach. A new type of these aqueous two-phase systems is based on cholinium chloride. Cholinium chloride is a type of vitamin B, which is an appropriate and biocompatible ionic liquid (IL) for the processes of the extraction and separation in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In this study, with respect to the effective development of aqueous two-phase systems in vanillin separation, an aqueous two-phase system containing cholinium chloride and potassium phosphate salt has been used. The effect of the variables such as the temperature, salt weight fractions, ionic liquid weight fractions, and vanillin concentration on the partitioning coefficient of vanillin was evaluated. The results indicated that by increasing the salt weight fraction and decreasing the cholinium chloride weight fraction, the partition coefficient of vanillin increased. Nevertheless, in all stages the vanillin showed a tendency to migrate toward the ionic liquid-rich phase. The recovery percentage of vanillin showed that the cholinium chloride-based systems have the ability to improve the vanillin recovery in the ionic liquid-rich phase.
Housing Vouchers and the Price of Rental Housing
Authors: Eriksen Michael D. , Ross Amanda
Published: July 2015

We estimate the effect of increasing the supply of housing vouchers on rents using a panel of housing units in the American Housing Survey. We do not find that an increase in vouchers affected the overall price of rental housing but do estimate differences in effects based on an individual unit's rent before the voucher expansion. Our results are consistent with voucher recipients renting more expensive units after receiving the subsidy. We also find that the largest price increases were for units near the maximum allowable voucher rent in cities with an inelastic housing supply. (JEL H23, I38, R31, R38)
Complex Tax Incentives
Authors: Abeler Johannes , Jäger Simon
Published: July 2015

How does complexity affect people's reaction to tax changes? To answer this question, we conduct an experiment in which subjects work for a piece rate and face taxes. One treatment features a simple tax system, the other a complex one. Subjects' economic incentives are identical across treatments. We introduce the same sequence of additional taxes in both treatments. Subjects in the complex treatment underreact to new taxes; some ignore new taxes entirely. The underreaction is stronger for subjects with lower cognitive ability. Contrary to predictions from models of rational inattention, subjects are equally likely to ignore large or small incentive changes. (JEL D14, H24, H31)
The Inherent Drawbacks of the Pressure to Publish in Health Sciences: Good or Bad Science
Authors: Dinis-Oliveira Ricardo Jorge , Magalhães Teresa
Published: July 2015

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of scientific publications– it is the era of “hunting the article”. This commentary discusses the drawbacks of the pressure to publish that certainly contribute to the ‘dark side’ of science. In fact, health science career progression greatly relies on the number of scientific publications a researcher has, and in many cases these may be more valorized than the health services provided. Of course, scientific publications help to develop the skills of health care professionals, but as Einstein highlighted “not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts”.
Truthmakers (are Indexed Combinations)
Authors: Freitag Wolfgang
Published: July 2015

My aim is to show that theories which try to construct truthmakers out of objects and properties/relations alone are not tenable: The Frege–Wittgenstein idea of incompleteness does not yield truthmakers. Armstrong’s theory of partial identity and the theory of moments, i.e., of non-transferable properties, yield truthmakers, but these theories have counter-intuitive consequences. I conclude that the notion of a truthmaker makes ontological demands beyond objects and properties/relations and propose that truthmakers are exemplification relations which are necessarily tied to objects and properties/relations.
Popper and Free Will
Authors: Frederick Danny
Published: July 2015

Determinism seems incompatible with free will. However, even indeterminism seems incompatible with free will, since it seems to make free actions random. Popper contends that free agents are not bound by physical laws, even indeterministic ones, and that undetermined actions are not random if they are influenced by abstract entities. I argue that Popper could strengthen his account by drawing upon his theories of propensities and of limited rationality; but that even then his account would not fully explain why free actions are not random. I offer a solution to this problem which draws on Hornsby's analysis of action. I then borrow an idea of Kant about self-consciousness to distinguish free agents from sub-human animals. I make a brief evaluation of Popper's contribution.
Objectivities
Authors: Rush Penelope A
Published: July 2015

I argue that one in particular of Crispin Wright’s attempts to capture our common or intuitive concepts of objectivity, warrant, and other associated notions, relies on an ambiguity between a given constructivist reading of the concepts and at least one other, arguably more ‘ordinary’, version of the notions he tries to accommodate. I do this by focusing on one case in point, and concluding with a brief argument showing how this case generalises. I demonstrate why this ambiguity is unacceptable and also that its resolution undermines the aim it serves: to account for and accommodate our ordinary conception of (at least) objectivity, warrant (or justification) and truth.
A.W. Carus: Carnap and Twentieth-century Thought. Explication as Enlightenment
Authors: Issajeva Jelena
Published: July 2015

A review of A.W. Carus "Carnap and Twentieth-century Thought. Explication as Enlightenment".
Approaches to Realism
Authors: Harre Rom
Published: July 2015

Scientific realism asserts that the methods of science, combined with the intellectual powers of human beings can give us reliable knowledge of states of the world beyond the limits of perception. Among the varieties of realism, policy realism is based on the principle that taking plausible theories to be putative descriptions of actual states of affairs is the best way to design experiments and to advance our knowledge. We carve out the umwelt from the welt by the use of our instruments and apparatus. The key procedure in science has been and still is the invention and testing of models---plausibility and empirical adequacy are the marks of a theory based on a model capable of supporting policy realism.
(Anti)Hermeneutical Philosophy for Science
Authors: Juozelis Evaldas
Published: July 2015

Philosophical hermeneutics claims that human understanding, while being contingent and historical, is likewise universal and bears within itself some pervasive features detectable via hermeneutical analyses of historically imparted tradition and language. Similarly, hermeneutical philosophy of science is confident that hermeneutical methods are the only proper tool to adequately assess, reconstruct, explain or give a meaning to historical but universal scientific knowledge and its various forms. I point out two versions of hermeneutical philosophy of science and argue that whenever philosophical hermeneutics pursues rescuing "scientificity", human rationality, human rights, common values, and so forth under the pretence of its universality and competence, it necessarily transcends and violates the tenets of its own. I conclude in the favour of moderate interpretation of practical hermeneutics, perhaps in the very essence of it rest postmodern concepts of historicality, transparency and tolerance, without which there is no possibility of extricating oneself from hermeneuticism.
Measurement Theory, Nomological Machine And Measurement Uncertainties (In Classical Physics)
Authors: Mets Ave
Published: July 2015

Measurement is said to be the basis of exact sciences as the process of assigning numbers to matter (things or their attributes), thus making it possible to apply the mathematically formulated laws of nature to the empirical world. Mathematics and empiria are best accorded to each other in laboratory experiments which function as what Nancy Cartwright calls nomological machine: an arrangement generating (mathematical) regularities. On the basis of accounts of measurement errors and uncertainties, I will argue for two claims: 1) Both fundamental laws of physics, corresponding to ideal nomological machine, and phenomenological laws, corresponding to material nomological machine, lie, being highly idealised relative to the empirical reality; and also laboratory measurement data do not describe properties inherent to the world independently of human understanding of it. 2) Therefore the naive, representational view of measurement and experimentation should be replaced with a more pragmatic or practice-based view.
Wittgensteinian Perspectives on the Turing Test
Authors: Beran Ondřej
Published: July 2015

This paper discusses some difficulties in understanding the Turing test. It emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between conceptual and empirical perspectives and highlights the former as introducing more serious problems for the TT. Some objections against the Turingian framework stemming from the later Wittgenstein’s philosophy are exposed. The following serious problems are examined: 1) It considers a unique and exclusive criterion for thinking which amounts to their identification; 2) it misidentifies the relationship of speaking to thinking as that of a criterion; 3) it neglects the “natural” course of the development in semantics. However, these considerations suggest only that it is problematic to label a successful chatbot as a “thinking entity” without further qualifications, but not necessarily and once and for all incorrect. Philosophy has only little to say about the technical possibility of creating such an effective program.
Dependence and Fundamentality
Authors: Zylstra Justin
Published: July 2015

I argue that dependence is neither necessary nor sufficient for relative fundamentality. I then introduce the notion of 'likeness in nature' and provide an account of relative fundamentality in terms of it and the notion of dependence. Finally, I discuss some puzzles that arise in Aristotle's Categories, to which the theory developed is applied.