bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancement of the antimycobacterial activity of macrophages by ajoene
Authors: Choi Ji-Ae , Cho Soo-Na , Lim Yun-Ji , Lee Junghwan , Go Dam , Kim Seon-Hwa , Song Chang-Hwa
Published: December 2017

Ajoene, a garlic-derived sulfur-containing compound, has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity. To assess the potential of ajoene for treating tuberculosis (TB), we determined whether it induces the stress response of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which plays an important role in TB. We showed that ajoene stimulation induced the production of ER stress sensor molecules and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Ajoene-induced ROS production was dependent on c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) activation. Interestingly, the inhibition of JNK activity and suppression of ROS production reduced ajoene-induced CHOP production in macrophages. Because ER stress activates autophagy, the activation of which suppresses the growth of mycobacteria, we investigated the ajoene-induced production of autophagy-related factors, including LC3-II, P62 and Beclin-1. As expected, ajoene treatment increased the levels of these factors in RAW 264.7 cells. Remarkably, the total amount of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) H37Rv was significantly reduced in ajoene-treated RAW 264.7 cells. The treatment of macrophages with ajoene resulted in the activation of JNK, induction of ROS synthesis and accumulation of ROS, possibly leading to the activation of ER stress and autophagy. These results reveal the mechanism of the antimycobacterial effects of ajoene against Mtb H37Rv. Our findings might facilitate the development of novel therapies for patients with TB.
What is the correlation between patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) scores and patient satisfaction following elective reverse total shoulder replacement?
Authors: Daw Rachael L. C. , Gibson Jo , Prescot Denise , Bonnett Laura , Smith Matthew
Published: December 2017

Background

Outcomes of reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) have typically been assessed using the same instruments as anatomical shoulder arthroplasties. However, to date, there has been a lack of investigation with respect to the correlation of such scores and patient satisfaction in the RTSA population.

Methods

The Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QD) score were prospectively collected in 38 RTSA patients (41 shoulders) postoperatively. Scores were then evaluated to establish whether or not they correlated with patient satisfaction at a minimum of 1 year postoperatively.

Results

The correlation coefficient for the OSS and patient satisfaction was found to be 0.313 ( p = 0.011) and the correlation coefficient for the QD score and patient satisfaction was −0.292 ( p = 0.017), showing a statistically significant but moderately weak relationship between the OSS and QD scores with patient satisfaction ( p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The present study showed no strongly significant relationship between patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) scores and patient satisfaction following elective RTSA. These findings emphasise the need to question the appropriateness of standard PROM scores for the assessment of outcome and success following elective RTSA.
Safely Converting an Entire Academic Medical Center From Sliding Scale to Basal Bolus Insulin via Implementation of the eGlycemic Management System
Authors: Newsom Rosalina , Patty Christopher , Camarena Emma , Sawyer Regina , McFarland Raymie , Gray Thomas , Mabrey Melanie
Published: December 2017

Objective:

Hyperglycemia is common in the inpatient setting and providers frequently rely on sliding scale insulin. This case study reviews the experience of one hospital moving from high utilization of sliding scale to basal bolus insulin therapy.

Method:

This Retrospective Quality Improvement Study describes the journey of clinicians at a 580-bed hospital to convert from high usage of SSI to BBI. Hyperglycemic adult patients prescribed insulin, with/without a diagnosis of diabetes, were included.

Results:

Data over the first year showed that patients treated with Glucommander (GM) spent more time in the target range of 70-180 mg/dL than patients treated with non-Glucommander (non-GM), with 2,434 fewer hypoglycemic events and 40,589 fewer hyperglycemic events. Prior to implementation of GM, SSI was close to 95%, BBI at 5%. Within the first month of use, 96% usage of BBI was achieved. Reduction of hypoglycemic events (% of BG < 70 mg/dL) by 21% with 2.16% non-GM compared to GM at 1.74% and severe Hypoglycemia (% of BG < 50 mg/dL) by 50% in the ICU 3% non-GM compared to GM at 1.5%. In addition, patients treated with GM had a shorter LOS than patients treated with non-GM by 3.18 days and used 47.4% less point of care tests per patient.

Conclusion:

Glycemic management improved with use of eGMS. The conversion from SSI to BBI enhanced overall patient safety, eliminated the time and effort otherwise required when manually titrating insulin and reduced overall cost of care for patients on insulin therapy.
Factors associated with second-hand smoke awareness in Malaysia
Authors: Cheah Yong Kang , Teh Chien Huey , Lim Hock Kuang
Published: December 2017

Background:

The proportion of people exposed to second-hand smoke increases dramatically with a sharp increase in the prevalence of smoking. It is expected that awareness of the effect of second-hand smoke plays an important role in curbing smoking.

Objectives:

The objective of this study is to examine factors affecting awareness of second-hand smoke in Malaysia.

Methods:

Nationally representative data, covering a large sample size (4153 respondents) and collected based on multistage sampling, are used. Multiple logistic regression is employed to analyse the effects of demographic and lifestyle variables on the likelihood of being aware of second-hand smoke.

Results:

Results show that older people are less likely to be aware of second-hand smoke than youngsters and that less-educated individuals are less likely to be aware of second-hand smoke than well-educated individuals. Significant relationships are found between second-hand smoke awareness and wealth index, ethnicity and smoking behaviour.

Conclusion:

Demographic profiles should be considered when drawing up policies aimed at improving awareness of second-hand smoke among adults. The government needs to focus more on older people, wealthy individuals, less-educated individuals, Chinese individuals and smokers if a successful policy is to be implemented.
Pace of Life in Cities and the Emergence of Town Tweeters
Authors: Gross Alexander Jones , Murthy Dhiraj , Varshney Lav R.
Published: December 2017

Long-standing results in urban studies have shown correlation of population and population density to a city’s pace of life, empirically tested by examining whether individuals in bigger cities walk faster, spend less time buying stamps, or make greater numbers of telephone calls. Contemporary social media presents a new opportunity to test these hypotheses. This study examines whether users of the social media platform Twitter in larger and denser American cities tweet at a faster rate than their counterparts in smaller and sparser ones. Contrary to how telephony usage and productivity scale superlinearly with city population, the total volume of tweets in cities scales sublinearly. This is similar to the economies of scale in city infrastructures like gas stations. When looking at individuals, however, greater population density is associated with faster tweeting. The discrepancy between the ecological correlation and individual behavior is resolved by noting that larger cities have sublinear growth in the number of active Twitter users. This suggests that there is a more concentrated core of more active users that may serve an information broadcast function for larger cities, an emerging group of “town tweeters” as it were.
What Is Wrong With the Fiscal Social Contract of Taxation in Developing Countries? A Dialogue With Self-Employed Business Owners in Nigeria
Authors: Umar Mohammed Abdullahi , Derashid Chek , Ibrahim Idawati
Published: December 2017

Contemporary societies are bound in a fiscal social contract between citizens and their elected governments who administer the states in the interest of all members. The fiscal social contract implies that citizens should pay tax which is utilized by government to execute programs for the collective good. While the advanced countries have done a better job of mobilizing tax as a resource for societal development, developing countries have performed poorly. A large number of high-income earners in developing countries avoid the tax system thus hampering development efforts. Previous studies have alluded to a culture of tax evasion among citizens of developing countries as a key factor influencing noncompliance. However, this study argues that these studies did not reach the best conclusion as their methodology excluded the taxpayers’ narratives. We interviewed self-employed taxpayers in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja. Results of the analysis revealed taxpayers’ frustration with an opaque tax system, deplorable socioeconomic condition, and nonfunctioning of the tax audit system. We argue that the massive tax noncompliance in developing countries may be better understood as “tax boycott” arising from taxpayers’ frustration with the fiscal social contract of governance. Policy implications of the findings were discussed in the concluding section.
Civilizing the Child: Violence, Masculinity, and Race in Media Narratives of James Harrison
Authors: Rugg Adam
Published: December 2017

This article critically examines the media coverage surrounding National Football League (NFL) player James Harrison in 2010 and 2011. In 2009, medical research linking hits to the head and the Alzheimer’s-like condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy prompted the league to institute rule changes to limit violent tackles. Harrison was repeatedly punished by the league office and criticized by sports media outlets for his violent tackles and recalcitrant attitude. Guiding both the discipline and media coverage of Harrison are narratives rooted in a neoliberal logic situating the existence of and responsibility for football violence within the individual decisions of football players. Intensifying these narratives is the NFL and its media partners’ invocation of discourses of Black criminality to construct the most damaging moments of football violence as unsanctioned acts that operate “outside the game.” This invocation serves to place the authority over the judgment and legitimation of football violence within the White corporate morality of the league’s offices and its media partners, allowing them to preserve the sport’s central place in producing and maintaining dominant American masculinities through football violence while casting off the responsibility for the consequences of that violence to the footballing bodies that administer and receive it.
Attachment, Appraisal Support, and the Transition to College Among Underrepresented Students
Authors: Tan Joseph S. , Hurd Noelle M. , Albright Jamie N.
Published: December 2017

This study investigated associations among attachment to caregivers, peer appraisal support, and depressive symptoms during the transition to college among underrepresented college students attending an elite predominantly White institution (PWI). It was hypothesized that more secure attachment to caregivers would be related to reductions in the experience of depressive symptoms during the transition to college both directly and indirectly through peer appraisal support. Participants in this longitudinal study included 340 first-year undergraduate students attending a selective PWI. The results of this study show that secure attachment to caregivers was related to fewer depressive symptoms during the first semester of college and indirectly related to reductions in depressive symptoms from the first to the second semester through increased peer appraisal support. The results of this study suggest an enduring role of attachment to caregivers in underrepresented students’ mental health during this challenging life transition.
Do Emerging Adults Learn What They Live? The Frequency and Importance of Childhood Family Faith Activities on Emerging Adults’ Prosocial Behavior Toward Family, Friends, and Strangers
Authors: Barry Carolyn McNamara , Prenoveau Jason M. , Morgan Casie H.
Published: December 2017

Since most religions emphasize helping others and childhood family experiences contribute to emerging adults’ behavior, we explored how childhood family religious socialization was related to future emerging adults’ self-reported prosocial behavior after accounting for their current self-reported prosocial behavior. Specifically, we investigated the extent to which emerging adults’ (NT1=551) retrospective views of how frequent (FAITHS-Freq) and important (FAITHS-Importance) their childhood family faith activities were related to their future self-reported prosocial behavior toward family (PBFa), friends (PBFr) and strangers (PBSt) one year later (T2). After accounting for PB-T1 behaviors, FAITHS-frequency T1 significantly predicted T2 self-reported prosocial behavior towards strangers (PBSt), but not future (T2) PBFa or PBFr. The same pattern emerged for FAITHS-importance T1: after accounting for T1 PBs, it was only a significant predictor of T2 PBSt. Thus, for emerging adults both FAITHS-frequency and importance appear to contribute to self-perceptions as helpful toward unfamiliar others in emerging adulthood.
Acute Kidney Injury, Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura, and the Infection That Binds Them Together: Disseminated Histoplasmosis
Authors: Sethi Pooja , Treece Jennifer , Onweni Chidinma , Pai Vandana , Arikapudi Sowminya , Kallur Lakshmi , Kohli Varun , Moorman Jonathan
Published: December 2017

Untreated human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can be complicated by opportunistic infections, including disseminated histoplasmosis (DH). Although endemic to portions of the United States and usually benign, DH can rarely act as an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients presenting with uncommon complications such as acute kidney injury and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura. We report a rare presentation of DH presenting with acute kidney injury and immune thrombocytopenic purpura in an immunocompromised patient with HIV.
A Challenging Case of Pseudohyperkalemia in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Alhaj Moustafa Muhamad , Malkovska Vera , Elmahdy Sherif , Catlett Joseph
Published: December 2017

Pseudohyperkalemia is an uncommon finding in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. It is a misleading condition that could lead to iatrogenic hypokalemia when unwarranted treatment is administered. We describe an interesting case of pseudohyperkalemia in severe leukocytosis and how we identified it.
Radiological Changes in the Cervical Spine in Freshman Collegiate Sumo Wrestlers
Authors: Nakagawa Yasuaki , Mukai Shogo , Minami Kazufumi , Hattori Yuji , Nakamura Takashi
Published: December 2017

Background:

Sumo has long been a traditional sport in Japan and is rapidly attracting enthusiasts abroad. Sumo wrestling entails a risk of impact to the cervical spine during an initial charge. Few reports are available in the English-language literature regarding radiological changes in the cervical spine in sumo wrestlers.

Purpose:

To examine radiological changes in the cervical spine in freshmen collegiate sumo wrestlers.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 53 freshmen sumo wrestlers (age, 18-19 years) who belonged to the Japan Sumo Federation underwent routine radiographic examination of the cervical spine and completed questionnaires on cervical symptoms.

Results:

Of the 53 wrestlers, 81% showed loss of lordosis, 45% showed osteophyte formation (mainly at C3-C4), 11% showed disc space narrowing (mainly at C5-C6), and 51% showed narrowing of the cervical nerve root foramina (mainly at C3-C4). Fifty-one percent had some cervical symptoms. A correlation was found between deformity of the cervical bodies (such as intervertebral disc ballooning) and cervical symptoms, but no correlation was found between cervical degenerative changes and cervical symptoms.

Conclusion:

Our data suggest that loss of lordosis, osteophyte formation, and narrowing of the cervical nerve root foramina at C3-C4 were frequently present in freshmen wrestlers and may be due to the axial load incurred prior to their collegiate careers.
Biased IGH VDJ gene repertoire and clonal expansions in B cells of chronically hepatitis C virus–infected individuals
Authors: Tucci Felicia A. , Kitanovski Simo , Johansson Patricia , Klein-Hitpass Ludger , Kahraman Alisan , Dürig Jan , Hoffmann Daniel , Küppers Ralf
Published: December 2017

Key Points

Chronic HCV infection leads to extensive BCR immunoglobulin gene repertoire alterations with pathological features even in absence of MC. Many large B-cell clones are consistently found, mainly among IgM+ memory B cells, showing a massive influence of HCV on this compartment.
Interleukins 12 and 15 induce cytotoxicity and early NK-cell differentiation in type 3 innate lymphoid cells
Authors: Raykova Ana , Carrega Paolo , Lehmann Frank M. , Ivanek Robert , Landtwing Vanessa , Quast Isaak , Lünemann Jan D. , Finke Daniela , Ferlazzo Guido , Chijioke Obinna , Münz Christian
Published: December 2017

Key Points

Human type 3 ILCs acquire features of early differentiated NK cells upon cytokine stimulation. IL-12 and IL-15–differentiated human ILC3s acquire cytotoxicity and kill leukemic targets.
Aftershock Hazard Assessment Based on Utilization of Observed Main Shock Demand
Authors: Muderrisoglu Ziya , Yazgan Ufuk
Published: December 2017

This paper presents an aftershock hazard assessment method that is based on taking into account the macroseismic indicators of the main shock observed at the site. The proposed method is referred to as conditional aftershock hazard assessment (CAHA). The essence of the CAHA method is to estimate the aftershock hazard at the site conditioned on the main shock intensity exhibited at that location. This is achieved by exploiting the correlation between the ground motion intensities exhibited during the main shock and the aftershock events. Specifically, the correlation of the epsilons registered for the two events, is utilized. Investigation of the epsilon correlation indicates that highest correlation occurs at the range of periods between 0.8 and 1.0 s. Based on the estimated epsilon correlation, the mean and the dispersion of the aftershock ground motion intensity, are estimated. An application of the proposed method to a set of sites affected by the 2011 Van (Turkey) M w7.2 earthquake sequence is illustrated. The performance of the method is assessed in comparison with the conventional approaches. For the considered example application, the hazard estimated using the proposed method shows a better agreement with the actual aftershock recordings, compared to the existing approaches.
Comparison of the Reinforced-Concrete Seismic Provisions of the Design Codes of the United States, Colombia, and Ecuador for Low-Rise Frames
Authors: Arroyo Orlando , Barros José , Ramos Lilibeth
Published: December 2017

This paper presents a comparison between the seismic design provisions of the U.S. ASCE 7, the Colombian NSR-10, and the Ecuadorian NEC-2015 for the design of low-rise reinforced-concrete (RC) frames. The code provisions are compared, illustrating the main differences in the requirements for ductility, strength, and analysis for low-rise RC frames. A four-story building is designed according to each design code, and its performance is evaluated according to ASCE 41-13 using pushover and incremental dynamic analysis. In terms of code language, differences are observed in the strong column-weak beam requirement, the allowable drift limit, and the R and C d factors used by the codes. The results show that the NEC-2015 design is controlled by the strong column-weak beam requirement, while drift limit and strength are the controlling factors in the NSR-10 and ASCE 7 designs. The seismic performance evaluation shows adequate behavior of the three buildings, with columns in the NEC-2015 building showing a slightly better behavior.
Addition of Estradiol to Cross-Sex Testosterone Therapy Reduces Atherosclerosis Plaque Formation in Female ApoE−/− Mice
Authors: Goetz Teddy G. , Mamillapalli Ramanaiah , Sahin Cagdas , Majidi-Zolbin Masoumeh , Ge Guanghao , Mani Arya , Taylor Hugh S.
Published: December 2017

The contributions of estradiol and testosterone to atherosclerotic lesion progression are not entirely understood. Cross-sex hormone therapy (XHT) for transgender individuals dramatically alters estrogen and testosterone levels and consequently could have widespread consequences for cardiovascular health. Yet, no preclinical research has assessed atherosclerosis risk after XHT. We examined the effects of testosterone XHT after ovariectomy on atherosclerosis plaque formation in female mice and evaluated whether adding low-dose estradiol to cross-sex testosterone treatments after ovariectomy reduced lesion formation. Six-week-old female ApoE−/− C57BL/6 mice underwent ovariectomy and began treatments with testosterone, estradiol, testosterone with low-dose estradiol, or vehicle alone until euthanized at 23 weeks of age. Atherosclerosis lesion progression was measured by Oil Red O stain and confirmed histologically. We found reduced atherosclerosis in the estradiol- and combined testosterone/estradiol–treated mice compared with those treated with testosterone or vehicle only in the whole aorta (−75%), aortic arch (−80%), and thoracic aorta (−80%). Plaque size was similarly reduced in the aortic sinus. These reductions in lesion size after combined testosterone/estradiol treatment were comparable to those obtained with estrogen alone. Testosterone/estradiol combined therapy resulted in less atherosclerosis plaque formation than either vehicle or testosterone alone after ovariectomy. Testosterone/estradiol therapy was comparable to estradiol replacement alone, whereas mice treated with testosterone only fared no better than untreated controls after ovariectomy. Adding low-dose estrogen to cross-sex testosterone therapy after oophorectomy could improve cardiovascular outcomes for transgender patients. Additionally, these results contribute to understanding of the effects of estrogen and testosterone on atherosclerosis progression.
The Effect of Testosterone on Cardiovascular Biomarkers in the Testosterone Trials
Authors: Mohler Emile R , Ellenberg Susan S , Lewis Cora E , Wenger Nanette K , Budoff Matthew J , Lewis Michael R , Barrett-Connor Elizabeth , Swerdloff Ronald S , Stephens-Shields Alisa , Bhasin Shalender , Cauley Jane A , Crandall Jill P , Cunningham Glenn R , Ensrud Kristine E , Gill Thomas M , Matsumoto Alvin M , Molitch Mark E , Pahor Marco , Preston Peter E , Hou Xiaoling , Cifelli Denise , Snyder Peter J
Published: December 2017

Context

Studies of the possible cardiovascular risk of testosterone treatment are inconclusive.

Objective

To determine the effect of testosterone treatment on cardiovascular biomarkers in older men with low testosterone.

Design

Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting

Twelve academic medical centers in the United States.

Participants

In all, 788 men ≥65 years old with an average of two serum testosterone levels <275 ng/dL who were enrolled in The Testosterone Trials.

Intervention

Testosterone gel, the dose adjusted to maintain the testosterone level in the normal range for young men, or placebo gel for 12 months.

Main Outcome Measures

Serum markers of cardiovascular risk, including lipids and markers of glucose metabolism, fibrinolysis, inflammation, and myocardial damage.

Results

Compared with placebo, testosterone treatment significantly decreased total cholesterol (adjusted mean difference, −6.1 mg/dL; P < 0.001), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (adjusted mean difference, −2.0 mg/dL; P < 0.001), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (adjusted mean difference, −2.3 mg/dL; P = 0.051) from baseline to month 12. Testosterone also slightly but significantly decreased fasting insulin (adjusted mean difference, −1.7 µIU/mL; P = 0.02) and homeostatic model assessment‒insulin resistance (adjusted mean difference, −0.6; P = 0.03). Testosterone did not change triglycerides, d-dimer, C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, troponin, glucose, or hemoglobin A1c levels more than placebo.

Conclusions and Relevance

Testosterone treatment of 1 year in older men with low testosterone was associated with small reductions in cholesterol and insulin but not with other glucose markers, markers of inflammation or fibrinolysis, or troponin. The clinical importance of these findings is unclear and requires a larger trial of clinical outcomes.
Case Report: Synchronous primary malignancy including the breast and endometrium
Authors: Banimostafavi Elham Sadat , Tayebi Sepideh , Tayebi Maryam , Montazer Fatemeh
Published: December 2017

Breast and endometrial cancer are the most common types of female cancers, but the incidence of both of these malignancies in a single patient is a rare event. Multiple primary malignancy has been increasingly reported over the past decade, and double primary cancer is considered as the most common type.  In this study, we present a 53-year-old woman with synchronous primary malignancy of breast and endometrium. This patient had a history of breast and endometrial cancer in her family. Mammography and chest CT of the patient revealed a mass in the right breast and left supraclavicular region. However, the patient did not want to initiate treatment. Subsequently, the patient returned with a chief complaint of persistent abnormal vaginal bleeding. Abdominopelvic CT scan of the patient revealed a huge soft tissue mass in the pelvic cavity. She underwent hysterectomy, and pathology revealed endometrioid carcinoma, which had invaded the full thickness of uterine wall. Since this type of malignancy is rare and several risk factors are associated with it, it is worth being considered by clinicians when making decisions about screening or strategy for prevention.
Recent advances in understanding NRF2 as a druggable target: development of pro-electrophilic and non-covalent NRF2 activators to overcome systemic side effects of electrophilic drugs like dimethyl fumarate
Authors: Satoh Takumi , Lipton Stuart
Published: December 2017

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an electrophilic compound previously called BG-12 and marketed under the name Tecfidera®. It was approved in 2013 by the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis. One mechanism of action of DMF is stimulation of the nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) transcriptional pathway that induces anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory phase II enzymes to prevent chronic neurodegeneration. However, electrophiles such as DMF also produce severe systemic side effects, in part due to non-specific S-alkylation of cysteine thiols and resulting depletion of glutathione. This mini-review presents the present status and future strategy for NRF2 activators designed to avoid these side effects. Two modes of chemical reaction leading to NRF2 activation are considered here. The first mode is S-alkylation (covalent reaction) of thiols in Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), which interacts with NRF2. The second mechanism involves non-covalent pharmacological inhibition of protein-protein interactions, in particular domain-specific interaction between NRF2 and KEAP1 or other repressor proteins involved in this transcriptional pathway. There have been significant advances in drug development using both of these mechanisms that can potentially avoid the systemic side effects of electrophilic compounds. In the first case concerning covalent reaction with KEAP1, monomethyl fumarate and monoethyl fumarate appear to represent safer derivatives of DMF. In a second approach, pro-electrophilic drugs, such as carnosic acid from the herb Rosmarinus officinalis, can be used as a safe pro-drug of an electrophilic compound. Concerning non-covalent activation of NRF2, drugs are being developed that interfere with the direct interaction of KEAP1-NRF2 or inhibit BTB domain and CNC homolog 1 (BACH1), which is a transcriptional repressor of the promoter where NRF2 binds.
Tumor cell dormancy as an adaptive cell stress response mechanism
Authors: Vera-Ramirez Laura , Hunter Kent W.
Published: December 2017

Metastases are responsible for most cancer-related deaths. The kinetics of tumor relapse is highly heterogeneous, ranging from recurrences shortly after diagnosis to years or even decades after the initial treatment. This subclinical period is known as tumor dormancy, in which residual disease remains in an undetectable state before finally appearing as an overtly proliferative metastasis. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the molecular mechanisms leading to tumor dormancy, it is still a poorly understood phase of cancer progression, which limits opportunities for the design of successful therapeutic interventions. The influence of the tumor microenvironment at the metastatic site and anti-metastatic immune responses have been shown to play a crucial role in the onset and maintenance of metastatic dormancy. However, there is still a significant gap in our understanding of how dormant cells remain viable in a quiescent state for long periods of time. Here, we review the latest experimental evidence shedding light on the biological processes that enable dormant tumor cells to endure the multiple stresses encountered at the metastatic site.
Dominância de tipos de comprometimento em distintas redes
Authors: D'Arruda Augusto Cezar , Arruda Maria Carolina , Almeida Lucimar Ferreira , Giglio Ernesto Michelangelo
Published: December 2017

O trabalho propõe a correspondência entre tipos de comprometimentos em distintas redes, a partir do conceito relacional de comprometimento. Após revisão bibliográfica construiu-se um modelo com seis variações de comprometimento: (1) social; (2) racional; (3) econômico; (4) utilitarista; (5) afetivo e (6) institucional. Foram pesquisadas três redes da região de Cuiabá: uma de natureza comercial; uma com função social e uma de políticas públicas. Os resultados das análises das entrevistas indicaram sustentação da afirmativa de diferentes comprometimentos em redes distintas. Secundariamente, encontraram-se diferenças entre o tipo de comprometimento dominante em cada rede e o obtido, o que possibilita o refinamento do desenho de pesquisa. O trabalho abre um campo de discussões teóricas sobre o comprometimento e as diferentes redes e também oferece um benefício metodológico na apresentação e teste de indicadores especialmente construídos para o fenômeno de redes.
Control As Mechanism for Improving Customs Administration
Authors: Глазкова Галина , Glazkova G.
Published: December 2017

Th e article considers the issues of improving customs administration and customs control with the participation of customs representatives. Th e main purpose of the article is to investigate the mechanism for replacing state regulation of the activities of customs representatives in self-regulation.
Stakeholder Management in Collaborative Research Projects
Authors: Яковлева Анна , Yakovleva Anna
Published: December 2017

Mechanisms of collaborative project and programme stakeholder management by the example of technological platform “Intellectual energy system” (a tool of state innovation policy) are analyzed. During the research the aspects of collaborative projects stakeholder management, including stakeholder’s diversity, contradictory expectations, geographic fragmentation are considered. Using the open data source, the lack of collaborative project stakeholder management system in Project/Programme of technological platform “Intellectual energy system” development was diagnosed. There is the necessity of revealing to European experience in technological platform collaborative projects implementation, as far as this phenomenon is successfully adopted abroad and facilitates creation of benefits to the diverse number of its stakeholders.
Cyber-Physical Systems: Project Management Approach: the introduction of BIM
Authors: Ильина Ольга , Ilina Olga
Published: December 2017

In the era of the digital economy, the task of developing approaches to project management, the subject area of which is at the intersection of IT and real production processes, becomes especially urgent. This clearly demonstrates the challenges of the construction industry, where today the tasks of complex development of territories, the construction of unique facilities and structures are being solved, all based on modern information technologies. In fact, we are talking about a new era in construction — the era of cyber-physical systems. All this predetermines the need to change the methodology of project management in this area. As a methodological basis of project management for the creation of cyber-physical systems in the design, construction and operation of construction sites, an integrated methodological solution is proposed, formed on the basis of the synthesis of methodologies existing in project management. A scheme for the formation of the project management system for the creation of cyber-physical systems is developed on the basis of the project management methodology, which includes elements of project management methodologies such as PMBOK, P2M, PRINCE2, Agile (SCRUM).
Análisis empírico del Modelo de Elección Secuencial en Humanos
Authors: García-Leal Óscar , Rodríguez Macías Enzo Leandro , Camarena Pérez Héctor Octavio
Published: December 2017

Los resultados encontrados en situaciones de elección entre animales humanos y no humanos son en algunos casos contradictorios. Se han propuesto dos posibles explicaciones: (1) los procesos de elección son diferentes en animales humanos y no humanos o (2) los procedimientos utilizados para el estudio de la elección en unos y otros no son comparables. Particularmente, en humanos se observan mayores tiempos de respuesta a medida que se incrementa el número de alternativas que constituyen el contexto de elección. Esto ha sido interpretado como evidencia a favor de un proceso de comparación entre las alternativas presentadas. Sin embargo, estudios recientes con estorninos han encontrado resultados opuestos. Para dar razón de estos resultados se ha propuesto el Modelo de Elección Secuencial, que no asume la existencia de un proceso de comparación y permite realizar predicciones concretas en situaciones de elección momento a momento. Se diseñó una tarea equivalente a las empleadas con animales no humanos para su presentación en humanos. Los resultados apoyaron parcialmente las predicciones del Modelo de Elección Secuencial si bien no permiten descartar la existencia de un mecanismo de comparación en humanos.
La comunidad andina: las fuerzas centrífugas ejercidas por los Estados Unidos sobre un régimen comercial en formación
Authors: Prado Espinosa María Mercedes
Published: December 2017

La región andina se compone de cuatro países latinoamericanos: Bolivia,  Colombia, Ecuador y Perú, unificados en la asociación regional: Pacto Andino, suscrito en 1969, que se redefine como la Comunidad Andina de Naciones (can) en 1996. Al cabo de más de 45 años de existencia se requiere comprender las causas profundas de los resultados económicos de la región andina: un comercio intrarregional que no registra el despegue esperado, y un comercio con países por fuera del perímetro regional, dominado por las materias primas, a pesar de las recurrentes tentativas por instaurar programas regionales de desarrollo industrial. El presente artículo propone estudiar el caso de las relaciones económicas y políticas de los países miembros de la can con actores hemisféricos relevantes, en este caso con los Estados Unidos. Se propone como explicación de los escasos avances de la can en materia económica y comercial, la configuración de los principales mercados de exportación que arrastran y determinan las estructuras productivas de las economías andinas, en detrimento del proceso de una integración económica regional profunda.
Comercio y trabajo: utilidades subjetivas y derechos humanos en la negociación de acuerdos comerciales – los casos de Colombia y Perú
Authors: Fernández Dusso Juan José
Published: December 2017

En 2004, los gobiernos de Perú y Colombia iniciaron, conjuntamente con Ecuador, la negociación de un acuerdo de libre comercio con el Gobierno de Estados Unidos. Retirado Ecuador del proceso y desligadas las negociaciones de los dos países restantes, el documento negociado entre Perú y Estados Unidos fue ratificado en 2006 y 2007 por los congresos de cada uno respectivamente. Por su parte, el negociado por Colombia vio prolongada su revisión y aprobación por parte del congreso norteamericano. ¿Qué explica las mayores dificultades para la aprobación del acuerdo entre Colombia y Estados Unidos? Para el periodo en revisión, se encuentra una mayor oposición conjunta al acuerdo colombiano que condiciona su aprobación a la solución de asuntos relacionados con derechos fundamentales de los trabajadores. Pero la divergencia se explica aquí tras un análisis de la respuesta del Gobierno colombiano a la presión trasnacional, que devela una ineficaz estrategia del expresidente Uribe condicionada por la incompatibilidad percibida entre las demandas de la oposición y su política de seguridad interna.
Efecto de la similitud con el protagonista de narraciones contra el racismo en las actitudes hacia la inmigración. El rol mediador de la identificación con el protagonista
Authors: Igartua Juan-José , Guerrero-Martín Iñigo , Cachón-Ramón Diego , Rodríguez-de-Dios Isabel
Published: December 2017

El principal objetivo de la presente investigación fue generar nuevo conocimiento en torno a los procesos de persuasión narrativa y su aplicación para reducir el prejuicio hacia inmigrantes altamente estigmatizados. Se analizó el efecto de la similitud entre el protagonista de una narración diseñada para reducir el prejuicio y la audiencia del mensaje en la identificación con el protagonista y en las actitudes hacia la inmigración. Para ello se llevó a cabo una investigación experimental en la que participaron 90 estudiantes de universidad. Como estímulos experimentales se utilizaron narraciones cortas escritas en primera persona que relataban la experiencia migratoria de un inmigrante estigmatizado. Los participantes fueron asignados aleatoriamente a dos condiciones experimentales diseñadas en función de cómo aparecía caracterizado el protagonista de la narración. Los resultados mostraron que la similitud influía positivamente en la identificación con el protagonista lo que se asociaba, a su vez, a actitudes más favorables hacia la inmigración. La investigación realizada abre una línea de estudio sobre los factores vinculados con la construcción de los personajes y de los mensajes narrativos, y su incidencia en procesos de recepción (identificación, enganche narrativo), e indirectamente, en variables vinculadas con el cambio social y la promoción de la tolerancia.
The Cognitive Foundations of Visionary Strategy
Authors: Schilling Melissa A.
Published: December 2017

Some strategic decisions will long be remembered for being remarkably successful, providing dramatic benefits to customers, investors, or social welfare. The individuals who make these decisions are often called “visionary.” But what enables some people to be visionary? Is it a gift or skill, and can it be learned? In this paper I identify three main cognitive processes that underlie the creation of visionary strategy: abstraction, idealism, and long paths of analytical reasoning. Using a combination of examples and cognitive science, I explain how they work individually and in combination, and how they may be cultivated.
An Exploration of Discerning Search
Authors: Podolny Joel M.
Published: December 2017

This paper argues that great strategies come from individuals or organizations that engage in “discerning search.” A discerning searcher has heightened taste, sensitivity, and judgment as to how individual elements of a strategy contribute to overall organizational fitness. This paper draws on Kauffman’s (1993) [ Kauffman S (1993) The Origins of Order: Self-Organization and Selection in Evolution (Oxford University Press, New York).] NK model to compare the fitness impact of local and discerning search. The more rugged the fitness landscape, the more that discerning search outperforms local search. Organizations capable of performing discerning search in rugged landscapes are able to overcome what are generally regarded as inevitable trade-offs between organizational exploration and exploitation. Implications for modularization and organizational design are briefly discussed.
Analysis of flowering gene in palm oil (Elaeis guineensis)
Authors: FAIZAL IRVAN , EMDI AXEL
Published: December 2017

Abstract. Faizal I, Emdi A. 2017. Analysis of flowering gene in palm oil (Elaeis guineensis). Asian J Agric 1: 53-58. Palm oil has always been an important commodity in Indonesia. The most common species of palm oil is Elaeis guineensis. Palm oil is a monoecious plant with a tendency to be a temporal dioecious. The female flower will be the one that produces palm oil fruit, which later is treated with palm oil while the male flower only takes part in the fertilization process. To know the ratio between female and male flower trees in a plantation, this study was performed to detect a distinction between female and male flowering gene sequences from DNA samples of E. guineensis. Based on a previous study that managed to characterize MADS-box gene of palm oil, a primer was designed and named GmG (Globosa-male-Gaps). The result shows that the primer can differentiate DNA sequence female and male flower of E.guineensis, Palm oil. However, further studies with full sequence and more samples are needed to find distinctive results between female and male flower sequences as the GmG primer could be used to design a specific marker or primer to detect the presence of female or male flower within a tree.
Prácticum y prácticas docentes: la intervención de los profesionales en la docencia
Authors: Alvarez Cortés Juan Carlos , Ordoñez Casado Iluminada
Published: December 2017

La comunicación trata de examinar el modo en que los profesionales que intervienen en las prácticas externas pueden colaborar, además, en otros cometidos docentes, por ejemplo, prácticas en clase o codirección de Trabajos de Fin de Grado. Este proyecto se configura como un estudio de las relaciones entre las prácticas externas o prácticum y los profesionales que intervienen en las mismas, ya que muchos de los profesores que ofrecen prácticas externas son colaboradores honorarios del Departamento de Derecho del Trabajo; sin embargo, a pesar de tener venia docendi, no poseen experiencia docente, ni se han formado didácticamente para la impartición de clases prácticas. En este Proyecto, se pretenden crear protocolos de calidad en la actividad docente práctica, centrándonos en aquellos que son profesores colaboradores honorarios de nuestro departamento o Universidad y ampliando este colectivo a otros tutores externos que sean seleccionados por los Colegios Profesionales que intervienen en el mismo.
La utilización de twitter como herramienta docente: su aplicación al Grado de Relaciones Laborales y Empleo.
Authors: Nieto Rojas Patricia
Published: December 2017

El uso de redes sociales se ha convertido en algo generalizado, alcanzando también al mundo académico. Este artículo dará cuenta de un proyecto de innovación docente, llevado a cabo por varios profesores de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, consistente en la utilización de Twitter como material docente, habida cuenta que esta red social aparece como un medio altamente compatible con la educación en competencias. El proyecto surge con el convencimiento del potencial de las redes sociales como herramienta docente en varias asignaturas del área del Derecho del Trabajo aunque esta contribución se centrará en su ejecución en una asignatura obligatoria del 3º Curso del Grado de Relaciones Laborales y Empleo, denominada “Análisis del marco regulador de las relaciones laborales en España”.
Otra manera de acercarnos al Derecho de Sociedades: el caso Azkue vs.Azkue en busca de su segunda oportunidad.
Authors: Leiñena Mendizabal Elena
Published: December 2017

En esta oportunidad se presenta la experiencia de innovación docente implementada en un grupo de primer curso del Grado de Relaciones Laborales y Recursos Humanos de la UPV/EHU en 2016. La experiencia consistió en el planteamiento en el aula de un caso real, siguiendo la metodología del caso. En el mencionado caso se adjudicaba a los y a las estudiantes un rol de asesores jurídico-laborales, con objeto de que abordasen el problema planteado por una ex-trabajadora de una PYME en concurso de acreedores. La ex-trabajadora que se encontraba en una situación personal extrema y delicada, formulaba al alumnado una cuestión directa y relevante que implicaba contestar necesariamente acerca de los compromisos que la ex-trabajadora adquiriría como socia, así como acerca de la pertinencia de la inversión de 20.000 euros en la nueva empresa, la cual se constituía con parte de los activos de la anterior.
La impronta del showrunner en las series de ficción televisiva: El caso de Jenji Kohan
Authors: Higueras Ruiz María José , Gómez Pérez Francisco Javier
Published: December 2017

El presente artículo tiene como objetivo analizar la figura de Jenji Kohan como showrunner de la industria televisiva norteamericana, para valorar la existencia de un estilo personal sobre los proyectos que produce. Con dicho propósito, revisamos la biofilmografía de la autora y evaluamos Weeds (2005-2012) y Orange Is The New Black (2013- ) a través de una metodología de análisis que incluye el contexto de producción y los elementos de la narrativa, estética y temática audiovisual. Finalmente, los resultados obtenidos permiten evidenciar una serie de estilemas comunes presentes en ambas series de televisión, conformando el sello creativo de su showrunner.
El retrato de Garfio como Vengador Obsesivo en Peter Pan: Un acercamiento desde la comunicación verbal y no verbal
Authors: Sanz-Simón Laura
Published: December 2017

La existencia de estereotipos relacionados con la discapacidad en el cine es evidente. Pero, puesto que la mayoría de los estudios son intuitivos, hay que preguntarse de qué manera son percibidos los personajes para clasificarlos así. Esta investigación pretende probar que la comunicación verbal y la no verbal son herramientas esenciales en la percepción de estereotipos. Los resultados del análisis del personaje Garfio (Peter Pan), junto con las opiniones de 100 niños encuestados, han desvelado que estos procesos engloban la mayor cantidad de información que procesamos. Por ello, resulta fundamental prestarles atención a la hora de crear personajes.
Disonancias semánticas e impugnaciones discursivas en el cine (aparentemente) religioso de Nieves Conde: el caso de Balarrasa (1950)
Authors: Higueras Flores Rubén
Published: December 2017

El presente texto aborda la riqueza semántica y discursiva de Balarrasa mediante el detenido análisis textual del largometraje, revelando cómo el componente temático religioso del filme es problematizado mediante insistentes comentarios enunciativos que distancian críticamente su discurso del presupuesto patrón de lectura. Nuestra intención es evidenciar las tensiones internas que recorren el texto fílmico, cuyo epicentro discursivo es tangencialmente desplazado hacia cuestiones sociales y morales al tiempo que esboza temáticas subalternas que complican la aparente sencillez y esquematismo de su planteamiento argumental.