bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
All Aboard the Metro Rail? LTMRHL’s Campaign for Stakeholder Support
Authors: Kaul Asha , Chaudhri Vidhi
Published: July 2018

On March 6, 2015 the Brand Ambassador campaign by L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Ltd. (LTMRHL) had taken place for a little over two years. Launched in 2013 to bring about awareness and dispel negativity about the Metro Rail project, this campaign had succeeded in securing visibility and garnering support. The corporate communication team was now debating the feasibility of the ongoing campaign and exploring various options. Based on the current review, a decision had to be taken to continue or abandon the campaign post commercial operations scheduled in July 2017.

The campaign was launched in Hyderabad on January 8, 2013 through a press conference. Designed with the purpose of selecting brand ambassadors for the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) project, it targeted the ‘common man’ rather than a celebrity. The choice of a common man was deliberate as the project required support from stakeholders who had become hostile due to varied political and economic reasons. Reaching out to and engaging with these stakeholders in an effort to garner support were the focal points of the campaign. The launch generated excitement and in the first week itself, there was a surge to register for the campaign. However, the intensity staggered post the felicitation ceremony on November 23, 2013. Queries related to the success and sustainability of the campaign were raised by multiple stakeholders.

A two-year review in 2015 revealed that although many of the initial problems had been overcome, and negativity considerably reduced, the campaign had only achieved partial success. Will the current strategy be the gateway to success once commercial operations began, mulled Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, General Manager & Head of Corporate Communications, PR & Advertising Business, LTMRHL.
Tamul Plates Marketing Pvt. Ltd.: The Growth Challenge
Authors: Aithal Rajesh K. , Dasgupta Arindam
Published: July 2018

Tamul Plates Marketing Private Limited (TPMC) is a four-year-old organization in the production of aercanut sheath based plates and dinnerware. It is jointly promoted by the arecanut leaf plate producers of Assam. The main work of TPMC is production and marketing of disposable plates and marketing of the leaf plate making machines. The initial journey has been pretty exciting with the organization moving from a turnover of INR 12.9 lakh to over INR 2 corers.

The products offered by TPMC are unique as they make use of fallen sheaths which traditionally have been considered a waste, and turn them into an environment-friendly product which is superior to the current substitutes in the market. The market for the product is enormous, but so are the challenges of producing and marketing them.

One of the many challenges which TPMC is facing is the location of the production facilities. It has been decided for production facilities to be closest to the source of raw materials, that is, the villages. However, the most lucrative markets are farthest from the source of raw material and matching the demand patterns and preferences is not easy. TPMC is taking care of this challenge by setting up entrepreneurs at the village level, but marketing and distribution remains a challenge with the reliance on wholesalers being very heavy.

TPMC is preparing for the next round of growth with the expected funding around the corner. The team has done their projections and set the typical growth targets for the next phase. However, along with the typical growth targets, TPMC has also identified the triple bottom line targets for the organization. The overall growth plan has to be seen in the light of these goals as they are expected to become more and more relevant to all companies in the future.
Determinants of Open Innovation and their Interrelations
Authors: Sag Serhat , Sezen Bülent , Alpkan Lütfihak
Published: July 2018

Based on an extensive literature review, this paper identifies nine erosion factors that lead to the birth of open innovation and discovers their interrelations by using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). As a result, digital technologies and globalization emerged as major drivers. More interestingly, erosion factors proposed by leading open innovation scholars emerged as weak drivers, meaning that open innovation is driven by other factors. We argue that a better understanding of these factors and their interrelations provide valuable insights for managers and policy makers in emerging markets on facilitating the adoption of open innovation and promoting a more open business environment.
Identification of Critical Factors Contributing to International Technological Collaborations: The Case of Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Mehralian Gholamhossein , Ahmady Razieh , Majidpour Mehdi , Peiravian Farzad
Published: July 2018

International technology-based collaborations require that industry managers adequately deal with multiple factors. This is particularly the case in the pharmaceutical industry where strict standards, advanced technologies, and complex managerial aspects exist. This paper studies the critical factors affecting international technology transfer (TT) projects in the Iranian pharmaceutical industry. To this end, it adopted a qualitative method to investigate participants’ experiences and their viewpoints regarding the factors contributing to TT success. The main finding of the research revealed that, among others, supportive governmental policies and large market size were the main environmental factors which facilitate TT processes. Findings also showed that there are some imperative issues such as regulatory frameworks, lack of intellectual property regimes, and political factors which have to be taken into account in the process of TT.
On applications for Mahler expansion associated with p-adic q-integrals
Authors: Duran Ugur , Acikgoz Mehmet
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we primarily consider a generalization of the fermionic [Formula: see text]-adic [Formula: see text]-integral on [Formula: see text] including the parameters [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and investigate its some basic properties. By means of the foregoing integral, we introduce two generalizations of [Formula: see text]-Changhee polynomials and numbers as [Formula: see text]-Changhee polynomials and numbers with weight [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-Changhee polynomials and numbers of second kind with weight [Formula: see text]. For the mentioned polynomials, we obtain new and interesting relationships and identities including symmetric relation, recurrence relations and correlations associated with the weighted [Formula: see text]-Euler polynomials, [Formula: see text]-Stirling numbers of the second kind and Stirling numbers of first and second kinds. Then, we discover multifarious relationships among the two types of weighted [Formula: see text]-Changhee polynomials and [Formula: see text]-adic gamma function. Also, we compute the weighted fermionic [Formula: see text]-adic [Formula: see text]-integral of the derivative of [Formula: see text]-adic gamma function. Moreover, we give a novel representation for the [Formula: see text]-adic Euler constant by means of the weighted [Formula: see text]-Changhee polynomials and numbers. We finally provide a quirky explicit formula for [Formula: see text]-adic Euler constant.
Some inequalities of Hermite–Hadamard, Ostrowski and Simpson type for (ξ,m,MT)-preinvex functions
Authors: Nasiri Leila , Shakoori Mahmood
Published: July 2018

In this paper, we first introduce a new class of [Formula: see text]-preinvex functions, which are called [Formula: see text]-preinvex functions, then we give some new estimates of Hermite–Hadamard, Ostrowski and Simpson type inequalities using Riemann–Liouville fractional integral. The obtained results in this paper generalize the well-known results in recent years.
Science/Art/Culture Through an Oceanic Lens
Authors: Helmreich Stefan , Jones Caroline A.
Published: July 2018

Since the year 2000, artists have increasingly employed tools, methods, and aesthetics associated with scientific practice to produce forms of art that assert themselves as kinds of experimental and empirical knowledge production parallel to and in critical dialogue with science. Anthropologists, intrigued by the work of art in the age of its technoscientific affiliation, have taken notice. This article discusses bio art, eco art, and surveillance art that have gathered, or might yet reward, anthropological attention, particularly as it might operate as an allied form of cultural critique. We focus on art that takes oceans as its concern, tuning to anthropological interests in translocal connection, climate change, and the politics of the extraterritorial. We end with a call for decolonizing art–science and for an anti-colonial aesthetics of oceanic worlds.
Police and Policing
Authors: Martin Jeffrey T.
Published: July 2018

The anthropology of policing draws from a range of intellectual traditions to generate new understandings of the police as an institution and policing as a social practice. This article reviews recent anthropological work on police, situating it in longer-term disciplinary concerns. I begin with the connection between policing and personhood, exploring how the subject–object dynamics of police domination are related to anthropological conceptions of kinship, law, and social control. I then turn to the contribution that anthropological ethnography makes to a critical theory of the relationship between sovereignty, violence, and police power. I conclude by reflecting on the situation of scholarship in our current political environment, suggesting that the anthropological turn to policing is animated, in part, by hope for a better understanding of the nature of moral agency under difficult conditions.
Stellate Cells in Tissue Repair, Inflammation, and Cancer
Authors: Sherman Mara H.
Published: July 2018

Stellate cells are resident lipid-storing cells of the pancreas and liver that transdifferentiate to a myofibroblastic state in the context of tissue injury. Beyond having roles in tissue homeostasis, stellate cells are increasingly implicated in pathological fibrogenic and inflammatory programs that contribute to tissue fibrosis and that constitute a growth-permissive tumor microenvironment. Although the capacity of stellate cells for extracellular matrix production and remodeling has long been appreciated, recent research efforts have demonstrated diverse roles for stellate cells in regulation of epithelial cell fate, immune modulation, and tissue health. Our present understanding of stellate cell biology in health and disease is discussed here, as are emerging means to target these multifaceted cells for therapeutic benefit.
Acute isoproterenol leads to age-dependent arrhythmogenesis in guinea pigs
Authors: Woulfe Kathleen C. , Wilson Cortney E. , Nau Shane , Chau Sarah , Phillips Elisabeth K. , Zang Shulun , Tompkins Christine , Sucharov Carmen C. , Miyamoto Shelley D. , Stauffer Brian L.
Published: July 2018

Sudden cardiac death from ventricular arrhythmias is more common in adult patients with with heart failure compared with pediatric patients with heart failure. We identified age-specific differences in arrhythmogenesis using a guinea pig model of acute β-adrenergic stimulation. Young and adult guinea pigs were exposed to the β-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (ISO; 0.7 mg/kg) for 30 min in the absence or presence of flecainide (20 mg/kg), an antiarrhythmic that blocks Na+ and ryanodine channels. Implanted cardiac monitors (Reveal LINQ, Medtronic) were used to monitor heart rhythm. Alterations in phosphorylation and oxidation of ryanodine receptor 2 (RyR2) were measured in left ventricular tissue. There were age-specific differences in arrhythmogenesis and sudden death associated with acute β-adrenergic stimulation in guinea pigs. Young and adult guinea pigs developed arrhythmias in response to ISO; however, adult animals developed significantly more premature ventricular contractions and experienced higher arrhythmia-related mortality than young guinea pigs treated with ISO. Although there were no significant differences in the phosphorylation of left ventricular RyR2 between young and adult guinea pigs, adult guinea pigs exposed to acute ISO had significantly more oxidation of RyR2. Flecainide treatment significantly improved survival and decreased the number of premature ventricular contractions in young and adult animals in association with lower RyR2 oxidation. Adult guinea pigs had a greater propensity to develop arrhythmias and suffer sudden death than young guinea pigs when acutely exposed to ISO. This was associated with higher oxidation of RyR2. The incidence of sudden death can be rescued with flecainide treatment, which decreases RyR2 oxidation.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Clinically, adult patients with heart failure are more likely to develop arrhythmias and sudden death than pediatric patients with heart failure. In the present study, older guinea pigs also showed a greater propensity to arrhythmias and sudden death than young guinea pigs when acutely exposed to isoproterenol. Although there are well-described age-related cardiac structural changes that predispose patients to arrhythmogenesis, the present data suggest contributions from dynamic changes in cellular signaling also play an important role in arrhythmogenesis.
Oxidation of ryanodine receptor after ischemia-reperfusion increases propensity of Ca2+ waves during β-adrenergic receptor stimulation
Authors: Bovo Elisa , Mazurek Stefan R. , Zima Aleksey V.
Published: July 2018

β-Adrenergic receptor (β-AR) activation produces the main positive inotropic response of the heart. During ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), however, β-AR activation can trigger life-threatening arrhythmias. Because I/R is frequently associated with oxidative stress, we investigated whether ryanodine receptor (RyR) oxidation contributes to proarrythmogenic Ca2+ waves during β-AR activation. Measurements of contractile and electrical activity from Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts revealed that I/R produces tachyarrhythmias. Ventricular myocytes isolated from I/R hearts had an increased level of oxidized glutathione (i.e., oxidative stress) and a decreased level of free thiols in RyRs (i.e., RyR oxidation). Furthermore, myocytes from I/R hearts were characterized by increased sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+ leak and enhanced fractional SR Ca2+ release. In myocytes from nonischemic hearts, β-AR activation with isoproterenol (10 nM) produced only a positive inotropic effect, whereas in myocytes from ischemic hearts, isoproterenol at the same concentration triggered spontaneous Ca2+ waves. β-AR activation produced a similar effect on RyR phosphorylation in control and I/R myocytes. Treatment of myocytes from I/R hearts with the reducing agent mercaptopropionylglycine (100 μM) attenuated RyR oxidization and decreased Ca2+ wave frequency during β-AR activation. On the other hand, treatment of myocytes from nonischemic hearts with H2O2 (50 μM) increased SR Ca2+ leak and triggered Ca2+ waves during β-AR activation. Collectively, these results suggest that RyR oxidation after I/R plays a critical role in the transition from positive inotropic to arrhythmogenic effects during β-AR stimulation. Prevention of RyR oxidation can be a promising strategy to inhibit arrhythmias and preserve positive inotropic effect of β-AR activation during myocardial infarction.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Oxidative stress induced by ischemia plays a critical role in triggering arrhythmias during adrenergic stimulation. The combined increase in sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ leak (because of ryanodine receptor oxidation) and sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ load (because of adrenergic stimulation) can trigger proarrythmogenic Ca2+ waves. Restoring normal ryanodine receptor redox status can be a promising strategy to prevent arrhythmias and preserve positive inotropic effect of adrenergic stimulation during myocardial infarction.
Reducing Ex Vivo Culture Improves the Antileukemic Activity of Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T Cells
Authors: Ghassemi Saba , Nunez-Cruz Selene , O'Connor Roddy S. , Fraietta Joseph A. , Patel Prachi R. , Scholler John , Barrett David M. , Lundh Stefan M. , Davis Megan M. , Bedoya Felipe , Zhang Changfeng , Leferovich John , Lacey Simon F. , Levine Bruce L. , Grupp Stephan A. , June Carl H. , Melenhorst J. Joseph , Milone Michael C.
Published: July 2018

The success of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)–mediated immunotherapy in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) highlights the potential of T-cell therapies with directed cytotoxicity against specific tumor antigens. The efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy depends on the engraftment and persistence of T cells following adoptive transfer. Most protocols for T-cell engineering routinely expand T cells ex vivo for 9 to 14 days. Because the potential for engraftment and persistence is related to the state of T-cell differentiation, we hypothesized that reducing the duration of ex vivo culture would limit differentiation and enhance the efficacy of CAR T-cell therapy. We demonstrated that T cells with a CAR-targeting CD19 (CART19) exhibited less differentiation and enhanced effector function in vitro when harvested from cultures at earlier (day 3 or 5) compared with later (day 9) timepoints. We then compared the therapeutic potential of early versus late harvested CART19 in a murine xenograft model of ALL and showed that the antileukemic activity inversely correlated with ex vivo culture time: day 3 harvested cells showed robust tumor control despite using a 6-fold lower dose of CART19, whereas day 9 cells failed to control leukemia at limited cell doses. We also demonstrated the feasibility of an abbreviated culture in a large-scale current good manufacturing practice–compliant process. Limiting the interval between T-cell isolation and CAR treatment is critical for patients with rapidly progressing disease. Generating CAR T cells in less time also improves potency, which is central to the effectiveness of these therapies. Cancer Immunol Res; 6(9); 1100–9. ©2018 AACR.
Metformin and FTY720 Synergistically Induce Apoptosis in Multiple Myeloma Cells
Authors: Zhao Yi , Zhang Enfan , Lv Ning , Ma Liang , Yao Shunnan , Yan Meidi , Zi Fumin , Deng Gang , Liu Xinling , He Jingsong , Wu Wenjun , Cai Zhen , Yu Rui
Published: July 2018

Background/Aims: Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) invariably relapse with chemotherapy-resistant disease, underscoring the need for new therapeutic options that bypass these resistance mechanisms. Metformin is a widely prescribed antidiabetic drug with direct antitumor activity against various tumor cell lines. FTY720, also known as fingolimod, is an immune-modulating agent approved by the FDA as oral medication to treat the relapsing form of multiple sclerosis (MS). In recent years, FTY720 has attracted attention due to its anti-tumor activity. To explore an optimized combinational therapy, interactions between metformin and FTY720 were examined in MM cells. Methods: MTT assays were employed to assess the viability of MM cells. An apoptotic nucleosome assay was employed to measure apoptosis. Loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP, ΔΨm) and cellular levels of ROS were measured by flow cytometry. qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression of mRNAs. Western blotting assays were applied to measure the levels of proteins involved in different signaling pathways. Results: Coadministration of metformin and FTY720 synergistically inhibited the proliferation of MM cells. Increased levels of apoptosis, activation of caspase-3 and cleavage of PARP were detected after cotreatment with metformin and FTY720. These events were associated with modulation of Bcl-2 proteins, loss of MMP, ER stress induction, and inhibition of the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway. The metformin/FTY720 regimen markedly induced ROS generation; moreover, apoptosis, ER stress and inhibition of PI3K/AKT/ mTOR were attenuated by the ROS scavenger NAC. Conclusions: Exposure to metformin in combination with FTY720 potently induces apoptosis in MM cells in a ROS-dependent manner, suggesting that a strategy combining these agents warrants further investigation in MM.
The periodontal status of young age persons depending on the psychophysiological state
Authors: Luchynskiy M. A. , Piasetska L. V. , Luchynska Yu. I.
Published: July 2018

Summary. Theviolation of the functional state of the nervous system, psycho-emotional sphere and concomitant disorders of the neuroendocrinological regulation considerably make an influence on motion and prognosis of inflammatory and inflammatory-atrophic periodontal diseases.Summary. The violation of the functional state of the nervous system, psycho-emotional sphere and concomitant disorders of the neuroendocrinological regulation considerably make an influence on motion and prognosis of inflammatory and inflammatory-atrophic periodontal diseases.The aim of the study – to analyze periodontal status of oral cavity on the background of psychophysiological status in young age persons.Materials and Methods. The study involved 96 patients 18–44 year old with periodontal diseases. For the evaluation of periodontal status, we determined the РМА index and community periodontal index СРІ. Psychophysiological tests were provided with the specialists of corresponding profile.Results and Discussion. The result of undertaken studies was that for the group 1 of patients a mean value of PMA index was in 1.6 times less than, as for the persons of the group 2 (36.49±2.87) versus (57.8±3.70) р<0.01). The detailed analysis of СРІ showed that during increasing of psychophysiological disadaptations in patients with the periodontal diseases the amount of healthy sextants diminished at one inspected.Conclusions. The high prevalence of the initial signs of psychophysiological displays have patients with inflammatory periodontal diseases, while persons with inflammatory-atrophic periodontal diseases have certainly greater frequency of sharp neurotic disorders and neurotic disorders are determined with the protracted motion.
Оцінка інтенсивності запальних процесів у тканинах пародонта в пацієнтів із рецесією ясен залежно від віку та біотипу пародонта
Authors: Iskiv M. O.
Published: July 2018

Summary. Prevention and treatment of periodontal diseases remains one of the most important tasks of modern dentistry in connection with their high prevalence among all age groups of the population. Recently, much attention has been paid to the study of gum recession, as one of the clinical forms of periodontal disease. The paper presents data on paraclinical indexes in patients with gum recession, depending on age and biotype of periodontal disease. The aim of the study – to evaluate the intensification of inflammatory processes in periodontal tissues in patients with gum recession, depending on age and periodontal biotype using paraclinical indices. Materials and Methods. The article presents a comparative assessment of the intensity of inflammatory processes in periodontal tissues, depending on age and periodontal biotype in 204 somatically healthy patients who had a recession of the gums caused by different etiological factors. Results and Discussion. As a result of our research, it was found that with increasing age, there was a clear tendency to increase the indexes of all paraclinical indexes analyzed by us. Also, attention was drawn to the fact that the carriers of biotype periodontal A1-Thin S flow of inflammatory processes proceeded more pronounced and more intense.Conclusions. In persons with recession gum, the intensification of inflammatory processes in periodontal tissues increased with age, but depended on the periodontal biotype.Conclusions. In persons with recession gum, the intensification of inflammatory processes in periodontal tissues increased with age, but depended on the periodontal biotype.
Клінічна ефективність використання різних видів шинуючих конструкцій у пацієнтів із генералізованим пародонтитом ІІІ ступеня тяжкості
Authors: Bida V. I. , Guryn P. O. , Viun G. I.
Published: July 2018

Summary. The use of orthopedic methods as a complex treatment of periodontal diseases significantly improves the results of treatment and contributes to the achievement of stabilization and long-term remission, as they are aimed at eliminating aggravating factors of periodontitis development, reducing the progression of the disease or already existing complications, normalizing the function of periodontal tissues.The aim of the study – to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the use of various splints in patients with generalized periodontitis of the III degree of severity and 3 degrees of mobility of the mandibular anterior teeth.Materials and Methods. 51 patients with generalized periodontitis of the III degree of severity and 3 degrees of mobility of the mandibular anterior teeth were splinted using an adhesive fiber splint (comparative group) or a universal folding periodontal splint (main group). The indices of the oral hygiene (OHI-S and O’Lear’s plaque index) and the periodontal indices (PMA index, gingival index, periodontal pockets, epithelial attachment loss, recession level) were used.Results and Discussion. The indices of the oral hygiene in the main group were significantly better (OHI-S=0.8±0.33, O’Leary=25.7±10.15), comparable to the comparative group (OHI-S=1.3±0.32; O’Leary=59.79±12.52) and statistically significant (p>0.05). Periodontal indices of in the main group were slightly better, but statistically did not differ between the groups. In the comparison group, the periodontal indices were worse, but statistical difference between the groups was not noted (p>0.05). After 12 months in the main group, there was no damage of the splint and no return of the mobility of the teeth. In the comparison group, 71 % of patients had splints damage and a return to mobility of some teeth.Conclusions. Improvement of the oral hygiene in the main group of the hygienic construction of the universal folding periodontal splint allowed to maintain indicators of the periodontal status at one level, which contributed to the stabilization of the pathological process. The deterioration of oral hygiene in the comparison group, 12 months after treatment, caused a slight deterioration, and other indicators of the periodontal status.
Клінічний випадок защемленої ретростернальної грижі
Authors: Shulga D. F. , Tkachuk O. A. , Chapil I. V.
Published: July 2018

У статті висвітлено досвід успішного хірургічного лікування рідкісного випадку защемлення ретростернальної грижі в умовах хірургічного стаціонару Волинської обласної клінічної лікарні.У відділення абдомінальної та ендокринної хірургії Волинської обласної клінічної лікарні госпіталізована хвора Н.,1968 р.н. зі скаргами на болі в епігастрії вираженого характеру, нудоту, одноразове блювання, затримку випорожнень та газів, здуття живота. Після короткочасної підготовки виконано операційне втручання – верхньосерединна лапаротомія. При ревізії виявлено дефект у ретростернальному відділі діафрагми до 7,0 см в діаметрі, в якому защемлений великий сальник та частково (одна стінка) попереково-ободова кишка. Різновидом діафрагмальних гриж являються парастернальні грижі, які зустрічаються порівняно рідко, складають від 2 до 6 % всіх діафрагмальних гриж. Парастернальні грижі, у свою чергу, поділяються на ретрокостостернальну та ретростернальну грижі.
Перший досвід лапароскопічної холедохолітотомії з флюоресцентною холангіографією
Authors: Malinovsky A. V. , Mayorenko M. N. , Serhiieva A. S.
Published: July 2018

Мета роботи: вивчення результатів першого досвіду флюоресцентної холангіографії в оцінці прохідності позапечінкових жовчних проток при виконанні лапароскопічної холедохолітотомії.Матеріали і методи. Лапароскопічну холецистектомію, холедохоскопію, холедохолітотомію, холедохостомію за Кером виконано пацієнту 22 роки з жовчокам’яною хворобою, гострим калькульозним холециститом, холедохолітіазом, механічною жовтяницею, гострим обструктивним холангітом, гострим біліарним панкреатитом. Операція виконана через 5 троакарів, два – 10 мм, три – 5 мм.Результати досліджень та їх обговорення. При введенні індоціаніну зеленого встановлено відсутність виділення флюоресціюючого агента в холедох, що підтвердило повну його обструкцію конкрементом. Операція тривала 5 годин, пацієнта виписали зі стаціонару на 6-ту добу з добре функціонуючим дренажем Кера, без жовтяниці, з даними холангіографії про повну прохідність холедоха і відсутність конкрементів. Післеопераційних ускладнень не було. У двох інших випадках, де мав місце транзиторний холедохолітіаз при флюоресцентній холангіографії, спостерігалось виділення флюоресціюючого агента в холедох, а також заповнення ним початкових відділів голодної кишки.
Validade e confiabilidade teste-reteste do questionário ‘Expectativas sobre o trabalho’
Authors: Silva-Junior João Silvestre , Souto Ester Paiva , Fischer Frida Marina , Griep Rosane Härter
Published: July 2018

OBJETIVO: Analisar a validade e a confiabilidade teste-reteste da versão brasileira do questionário holandês “Expectativas sobre o trabalho”. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados os dados de um estudo longitudinal conduzido na cidade de São Paulo, SP, entre 2014 e 2016. Participaram 411 trabalhadores afastados do trabalho por mais de 15 dias devido a transtornos mentais. Uma subamostra de 126 participantes respondeu ao questionário pela segunda vez, com intervalo de sete a 21 dias. Foram analisadas a validade fatorial e concorrente, e a confiabilidade teste-reteste. RESULTADOS: A maioria dos participantes era do sexo feminino (71,5%), com média de idade de 36,7 anos; 83,1% tinham escolaridade igual ou superior a 12 anos de estudo e o tempo médio de afastamento foi de 84 dias. O valor de autoeficácia médio inclinava-se para valores abaixo do ponto médio da escala. A estrutura fatorial apresentou-se como bidimensional e a validade concorrente confirmou o constructo original. A confiabilidade teste-reteste de cada item, ajustada pela prevalência, variou de boa (0,70) a quase perfeita (0,83). CONCLUSÕES: Embora a estrutura bidimensional fosse diferente da original, outros parâmetros mostraram-se adequados. O uso do questionário “Expectativa sobre o trabalho” entre trabalhadores do Brasil pode auxiliar no planejamento de processos de retorno ao trabalho. Novos estudos devem ser desenvolvidos para complementar a análise do uso da ferramenta no Brasil.
C1q/TNF-α–Related Protein 1 (CTRP1) Maintains Blood Pressure Under Dehydration Conditions
Authors: Han Sora , Jeong Ae Lee , Lee Sunyi , Park Jeong Su , Buyanravjikh Sumiyasuren , Kang Wonku , Choi Seungmok , Park Changmin , Han Jin , Son Woo-Chan , Yoo Kyung Hyun , Cheong Jae Hoon , Oh Goo Taeg , Lee Won-Young , Kim Jongwan , Suh Suk Hyo , Lee Sang-Hak , Lim Jong-Seok , Lee Myeong-Sok , Yang Young
Published: July 2018

Rationale:

Circulating CTRP1 (C1q/TNF-α [tumor necrosis factor-α]–related protein 1) levels are increased in hypertensive patients compared with those in healthy subjects. Nonetheless, little is known about the molecular and physiological function of CTRP1 in blood pressure (BP) regulation.

Objective:

To investigate the physiological/pathophysiological role of CTRP1 in BP regulation.

Methods and Results:

CTRP1 production was increased to maintain normotension under dehydration conditions, and this function was impaired in inducible CTRP1 KO (knockout) mice (CTRP1

ΔCAG

). The increase in CTRP1 under dehydration conditions was mediated by glucocorticoids, and the antagonist mifepristone prevented the increase in CTRP1 and attenuated BP recovery. Treatment with a synthetic glucocorticoid increased the transcription, translation, and secretion of CTRP1 from skeletal muscle cells. Functionally, CTRP1 increases BP through the stimulation of the AT1R (Ang II [angiotensin II] receptor 1)-Rho (Ras homolog gene family)/ROCK (Rho kinase)–signaling pathway to induce vasoconstriction. CTRP1 promoted AT1R plasma membrane trafficking through phosphorylation of AKT and AKT substrate of 160 kDa (AS160). In addition, the administration of an AT1R blocker, losartan, recovered the hypertensive phenotype of CTRP1 TG (transgenic) mice.

Conclusions:

For the first time, we provide evidence that CTRP1 contributes to the regulation of BP homeostasis by preventing dehydration-induced hypotension.
Regenerative Potential of Neonatal Porcine Hearts
Authors: Zhu Wuqiang , Zhang Eric , Zhao Meng , Chong Zechen , Fan Chengming , Tang Yawen , Hunter Jervaughn D. , Borovjagin Anton V. , Walcott Gregory P. , Chen Jake Y. , Qin Gangjian , Zhang Jianyi
Published: July 2018

Background:

Rodent hearts can regenerate myocardium lost to apical resection or myocardial infarction for up to 7 days after birth, but whether a similar window for myocardial regeneration also exists in large mammals is unknown.

Methods:

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was surgically induced in neonatal pigs on postnatal days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 (ie, the P1, P2, P3, P7, and P14 groups, respectively). Cardiac systolic function was evaluated before AMI and at 30 days post-AMI via transthoracic echocardiography. Cardiomyocyte cell cycle activity was assessed via immunostaining for proliferation and mitosis markers, infarct size was evaluated histologically, and telomerase activity was measured by quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results:

Systolic function at day 30 post-AMI was largely restored in P1 animals and partially restored in P2 animals, but significantly impaired when AMI was induced on postnatal day 3 or later. Hearts of P1 animals showed little evidence of scar formation or wall thinning on day 30 after AMI, with increased measures of cell-cycle activity seen 6 days after AMI (ie, postnatal day 7) compared with postnatal day 7 in noninfarcted hearts.

Conclusions:

The neonatal porcine heart is capable of regeneration after AMI during the first 2 days of life. This phenomenon is associated with induction of cardiomyocyte proliferation and is lost when cardiomyocytes exit the cell cycle shortly after birth.
Emergency Department Visits for Atrial Fibrillation in the United States: Trends in Admission Rates and Economic Burden From 2007 to 2014
Authors: Rozen Guy , Hosseini Seyed Mohammadreza , Kaadan M. Ihsan , Biton Yitschak , Heist E. Kevin , Vangel Mark , Mansour Moussa C. , Ruskin Jeremy N.
Published: July 2018

Background

Atrial fibrillation (
AF
) is an increasingly prevalent public health problem and one of the most common causes of emergency department (
ED
) visits. We aimed to investigate the trends in
ED
visits and hospital admissions for
AF
.

Methods and Results

This is a repeated cross‐sectional analysis of
ED
visit‐level data from the Nationwide Emergency Department Sample for 2007 to 2014. We identified adults who visited
ED
s in the United States, with a principal diagnosis of AF. A sample of 864 759
ED
visits for
AF
, representing a weighted total of 3 886 520
ED
visits, were analyzed. The annual
ED
visits for
AF
increased by 30.7% from 411 406 in 2007 (95% confidence interval, 389 819–432 993) to 537 801 (95% confidence interval, 506 747–568 855) in 2014. Patient demographics remained consistent, with an average age of 69 to 70 years and slight female predominance (51%–53%) throughout the study period. Hospital admission rates were stable at ≈70% between 2007 and 2010, after which they gradually declined to 62% in 2014 (
P
trend
=0.017). Despite the decline in hospital admission rates,
AF
hospitalizations increased from 288 225 in 2007 to 333 570 in 2014 because of the increase in total annual
ED
visits during the study. The adjusted annual charges for admitted
AF
patients increased by 37% from $7.39 billion in 2007 to $10.1 billion in 2014.

Conclusions

Annual
ED
visits and hospital admissions for
AF
increased significantly between 2007 and 2014, despite a reduction in admission rates. These data emphasize the need for widespread implementation of effective strategies aimed at improving the management of patients with AF to reduce hospital admissions and the economic burden of
AF
.
Special-Needs Companion Animals and Those Who Care for Them
Authors: Katz Nathan , Burchfield Keri B.
Published: July 2018

Through a series of in-depth interviews asking individuals about their decisions to adopt special-needs companion animals, we discovered that a combination of anthropomorphism and empathy are at play when individuals decide to adopt them. This tendency is explained using David Blouin’s typology of guardians: humanistic and protectionistic guardians anthropomorphized their companion animals, exhibited greater empathy, and were more willing to adopt animals with special needs.
Falsely decreased ferritin concentrations in two patients with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: A case report
Authors: Roozen Geert , Revet Ingrid , Raymakers Reinier , Kemperman Hans
Published: July 2018

The high-dose hook effect, or prozone effect, can lead to negative or falsely lowered plasma ferritin results. Here, cases of a 16-year-old boy and a 70-year-old woman with haemophagocytic lymphohystiocytosis with extremely high concentrations of plasma ferritin (387,000  μg/L and 138,000  μg/L, respectively) are presented. In both cases, falsely lowered ferritin results were reported without any analyser flag. This article emphasizes the importance of recognition of the high-dose hook effect, since a watertight solution is lacking.
How are professionals recruited by external agents in misconduct projects? The infiltration of organized crime in a university
Authors: Radaelli Giovanni , Guerci Marco , Cabras Federica , Dalla Chiesa Nando
Published: July 2018

Private firms, crime organizations or states may successfully recruit professionals in misconduct projects. How they do so remains, however, under-investigated. Past studies mostly take professionals’ perspective, or limit the organizational initiative of external agents to perverse incentives and threats. Our study shows instead how external agents may penetrate governance bodies and professional events to recruit and control professionals, who are both aware of and reluctant toward misconduct. Our longitudinal case study used judicial and non-judicial sources to analyse how a mafia clan infiltrated Troy University, and controlled the trade of exams and admissions for decades. The clan selected Troy University because of the presence of professors pre-disposed toward misconduct. The clan infiltrated the pre-disposed professors inside governance bodies and students inside academic events to recruit the reluctant professors with peer pressures, situated threats and administrative controls. It then exploited a generalized code of silence to control professionals for years. Overall, the study highlights the combination of perverse and pervasive mechanisms to recruit professionals; the role of corrupt professionals as linchpin between external agents and reluctant peers; and the perverse exploitation of normal professional practices of autonomy, trusteeship and multiple embeddedness.
Reducing the Risk of Gynecologic Cancer in Hereditary Breast Ovarian Cancer Syndrome Mutation Carriers
Authors: Casey Murray Joseph , Salzman Todd A.
Published: July 2018

Hereditary breast ovarian cancer (HBOC) syndrome is an autosomal dominant disease linked to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in 90 percent of affected families. Female mutation carriers are highly susceptible to aggressive, often disseminated, usually fatal pelvic-abdominal carcinomatosis. This cancer risk can be markedly reduced by surgical removal of the internal gynecologic organs before the end of the fourth decade of life and by using estrogen–progestin formulations marketed for many years as combined oral contraceptives (COCs). Both risk-reducing methods are associated with unfavorable effects. Relying on the principle of double effect, this essay argues for the ethical justification of prophylactic surgery and the use of COC to reduce the risk of gynecologic cancer in HBOC syndrome mutation carriers.

Summary: Hereditary breast ovarian cancer syndrome is an autosomal dominant disease linked to mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in most affected families. Female mutation carriers are highly susceptible to aggressive, often disseminated, usually fatal pelvic-abdominal carcinomatosis. This cancer risk can be markedly reduced by surgical removal of the internal gynecologic organs before the end of the fourth decade of life and by using estrogen-progestin formulations marketed for many years as combined oral contraceptives. Both risk-reducing methods are associated with unfavorable effects. Relying on the principle of double effect, this essay argues for the ethical justification for those unfavorable effects.
Failure to Meet Nurse Staffing Standards: A Litigation Case Study of a Large US Nursing Home Chain
Authors: Harrington Charlene , Edelman Toby S.
Published: July 2018

Large for-profit nursing home chains in the United States have generally reported low nurse staffing levels. This historical case study examined a class action litigation case regarding staffing levels, resident rights, and quality outcomes in 12 Arkansas nursing homes owned by a large for-profit chain. The questions were as follows: (1) How did the residents’ care needs compare with actual nurse staffing levels? (2) How did the staffing levels compare with federal and state nurse staffing requirements and professional staffing standards? (3) Did the facilities comply with state and federal residents’ rights and quality of care requirements? The findings showed staffing levels marginally above state minimum standards, staffing shortages that violated state standards, staffing levels not adjusted for resident acuity, and shortages that resulted in omitted care. Staffing levels were lower than needed according to nursing directors, lower than average facilities in the state, and lower than professional standards. The findings showed many resident grievances regarding basic care and residents’ rights, clinical measures of poor quality, and state deficiencies. A large settlement was agreed on to compensate the residents. The case shows that chain’s management, as well as the regulatory system, failed to ensure adequate staffing levels that took into account regulatory requirements and professional standards and resulted in violations of residents’ rights, health, safety, and well-being.
The acquisition of object movement in Dutch: L1 transfer and near-native grammars at the syntax–discourse interface
Authors: Smeets Liz
Published: July 2018

This article investigates near-native grammars at the syntax–discourse interface by examining the second language (L2) acquisition of two different domains of object movement in Dutch, which exhibit syntax–discourse or syntax–semantics level properties. English and German near-native speakers of Dutch, where German but not English allows the same mapping strategies as Dutch in the phenomena under investigation, are tested on two felicity judgment tasks and a truth value judgment task. The results from the English participants show sensitivity to discourse information on the acceptability of non-canonical word orders, but only when the relevant discourse cues are sufficiently salient in the input. The acquisition of semantic effects on object movement was native-like for a large subset of the participants. The German group performed on target in all experiments. The results are partially in line with previous studies reporting L2 convergence at the syntax–discourse interface, but suggest that input effects should also be taken into account. Furthermore, the differences between the first language (L1) English and the L1 German group suggests that non-target performance at the syntax–discourse interface is not caused by general bilingual difficulties in integrating discourse information into syntax. The article elaborates on factors that contribute to (in)complete acquisition at the syntax–discourse interface.
Palliative care in the emergency department: A systematic literature qualitative review and thematic synthesis
Authors: Cooper Esther , Hutchinson Ann , Sheikh Zain , Taylor Paul , Townend Will , Johnson Miriam J
Published: July 2018

Background:

Despite a fast-paced environment, the emergency clinician has a duty to meet the palliative patient’s needs. Despite suggested models and interventions, this remains challenging in practice.

Aim:

To raise awareness of these challenges by exploring the experience of palliative care patients and their families and informal carers attending the emergency department, and of the clinicians caring for them.

Design:

Qualitative systematic literature review and thematic synthesis. Search terms related to the population (palliative care patients, family carers, clinicians), exposure (the emergency department) and outcome (experience). The search was international but restricted to English and used a qualitative filter. Title, abstracts and, where retrieved, full texts were reviewed independently by two reviewers against predefined inclusion criteria arbitrated by a third reviewer. Studies were appraised for quality but not excluded on that basis.

Data sources:

MEDLINE [1946-], Embase[1947-], CINAHL [1981-] and PsycINFO [1987-] with a bibliography search.

Results:

19 papers of 16 studies were included from Australia ( n = 5), the United Kingdom ( n = 5), and United States ( n = 9) representing 482 clinical staff involved in the emergency department (doctors, nurses, paramedics, social workers, technicians), 61 patients and 36 carers. Nine descriptive themes formed three analytic themes: ‘Environment and Purpose’, ‘Systems of Care and Interdisciplinary Working’ and ‘Education and Training’.

Conclusion:

In the included studies, provision of emergency palliative care is a necessary purpose of the emergency department. Failure to recognise this, gain the necessary skills or change to systems better suited to its delivery perpetuates poor implementation of palliative care in this environment.
Complexity Results and Fast Methods for Optimal Tabletop Rearrangement with Overhand Grasps
Authors: Han Shuai D , Stiffler Nicholas M , Krontiris Athanasios , Bekris Kostas E , Yu Jingjin
Published: July 2018

This paper studies the underlying combinatorial structure of a class of object rearrangement problems, which appear frequently in applications. The problems involve multiple, similar-geometry objects placed on a flat, horizontal surface, where a robot can approach them from above and perform pick-and-place operations to rearrange them. The paper considers both the case where the start and goal object poses overlap, and where they do not. For overlapping poses, the primary objective is to minimize the number of pick-and-place actions and then to minimize the distance traveled by the end-effector. For the non-overlapping case, the objective is solely to minimize the travel distance of the end-effector. Although such problems do not involve all the complexities of general rearrangement, they remain computationally hard in both cases. This is shown through reductions from well-understood, hard combinatorial challenges to these rearrangement problems. The reductions are also shown to hold in the reverse direction, which enables the convenient application on rearrangement of well-studied algorithms. These algorithms can be very efficient in practice despite the hardness results. The paper builds on these reduction results to propose an algorithmic pipeline for dealing with the rearrangement problems. Experimental evaluation, including hardware-based trials, shows that the proposed pipeline computes high-quality paths with regards to the optimization objectives. Furthermore, it exhibits highly desirable scalability as the number of objects increases in both the overlapping and non-overlapping setup.