bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cornus versus dentus et autres modalités d’association des animaux dans l’imaginaire inuit
Authors: Randa Vladimir
Published: July 2019

Jusqu’à nos jours, les animaux constituent, pour les Inuit, non seulement une source de subsistance irremplaçable, mais également une matière à penser inépuisable, dans leurs aspects naturaliste, cynégétique, symbolique, cosmogonique, écologique, esthétique et rituel. Les animaux ne sont pas perçus comme des entités isolées mais sont au contraire systématiquement pensés les uns par rapport aux autres, selon plusieurs modalités. Certains sont perçus comme des équivalents autour de l’axe qui sépare la terre et la mer, des espaces conçus comme opposés mais néanmoins complémentaires. D’autres forment, au sein des mêmes catégories vernaculaires, des doubles dont les participants ont pour vocation, sur la base de quelques caractéristiques partagées, de se substituer les uns aux autres. Enfin, certains sont associés dans des séries récurrentes, constituées selon les mêmes logiques dans différents registres de la culture. Débridé à souhait lorsqu’il s’agit de fabriquer des entités non-humaines, l’imaginaire inuit, en matière d’animaux, colle scrupuleusement à l’identité zoologique de chacun telle que les savoirs empiriques permettent de l’appréhender.
How Raven Marked the Land When the Earth Was New
Authors: Fienup-Riordan Ann
Published: July 2019

In Alaska, Raven is paradoxically both a lazy scavenger, relying on others to hunt for it and not adverse to eating human flesh, and the creator of light and life. Raven in southwest Alaska is also known as the creator of many landforms seen to this day, including mountains, rivers, and islands. Although Raven stories are told throughout the eastern Arctic as well as interior Alaska, specific places are rarely named in these tales. In contrast, Yup’ik narrators continue to refer to particular places, all across southwest Alaska, where Raven and his daughter left marks on the landscape, while recalling their activities in the distant past.
La perception du carcajou/glouton par les Inuit du Nord canadien : Du passé au présent
Authors: Laugrand Frédéric
Published: July 2019

Le carcajou ou glouton est un animal que les Inuit du Nord canadien perçoivent comme un être vorace et puissant. Souvent associé au loup, il occupe une place singulière dans le bestiaire de ces peuples. Prédateur, nomade, il est aussi charognard mais surtout voleur, capable de mettre en péril les humains qu’il suit et dont il détruit les caches à viande. Fourbe à l’image des « tricksters », sa ruse et sa détermination en font un adversaire redoutable pour les animaux comme pour les humains. Toutes ces caractéristiques lui donnent mauvaise réputation dans la vie quotidienne mais le prédestinent à devenir un puissanttuurngaq, un esprit auxiliaire, dans le domaine chamanique. Le carcajou est ainsi un être ambivalent qui suscite la crainte et la hantise des chasseurs.
Des loups dans l’Arctique yukonnais : Rencontre avec des personnes singulières
Authors: Cappe Aiko
Published: July 2019

À Old Crow, une petite communauté de Vuntut Gwich’in située aux confins du Yukon, s’étend un vaste territoire à la population variée. Parmi eux, se trouve un impitoyable stratège : le loup. Il est aussi difficile de suivre ses traces que celles qu’il laisse chez les humains qui le côtoient. Le loup se révèle alors de multiples manières, à condition que le chercheur s’éloigne de ses idées préconçues et qu’il adopte une certaine flexibilité. Cette flexibilité est d’autant plus nécessaire que les loups ne se montrent pas. Il s’agit alors de faire l’ethnographie d’individus à l’altérité radicale et qui demeurent invisibles. Ce terrain de recherche se situe donc à la croisée des chemins, de l’humain à l’animal, du tangible à l’intangible. Ces loups n’usent pas de mots et pourtant, cette expérience ethnographique nous plonge dans un univers sensible, riche de sens et d’informations.
A Ligand Field Molecular Mechanics Study of CO2‐Induced Breathing in the Metal–Organic Framework DUT‐8(Ni)
Authors: Melix Patrick , Paesani Francesco , Heine Thomas
Published: July 2019

Flexible metal–organic Frameworks (MOFs) are an interesting class of materials due to their diverse properties. One representative of this class is the layered‐pillar MOF DUT‐8(Ni). This MOF consists of Ni2 paddle wheels interconnected by naphthalene dicarboxylate linkers and dabco pillars (Ni2(ndc)2(dabco), ndc = 2,6‐naphthalene–dicarboxylate, dabco = 1,4‐diazabicyclo‐[2.2.2]‐octane). DUT‐8(Ni) undergoes a volume change of over 140% upon adsorption of guest molecules. Herein, a ligand field molecular mechanics (LFMM) study of the CO2‐induced flexibility of DUT‐8(Ni) is presented. LFMM is able to reproduce experimental and DFT structural features as well as properties that require large simulation cells. It is shown that the transformation energy from a closed to open state of the MOF is overcompensated fivefold by the host–guest interactions. Structural characteristics of the MOF explain the shape of the energy profile at different loading states and provide useful insights to the interpretation of previous experimental results.
Community, household, and individual correlates of sleep behaviors in Guyanese female youth
Authors: Singh Evanna I. , Vitzthum Virginia J.
Published: July 2019

Objectives

Chronic sleep loss among youth is a worldwide health problem. Since research on its predictors is often limited to high‐income countries, it is unclear if these findings are generalizable to all populations. To address this gap from an ecological perspective, we evaluated the associations between adolescents' sleep behaviors and several factors at the community, household, and individual levels in a middle‐income country.

Methods

This was a cross‐sectional study of 73 girls (mean age = 14.5 y; range = 11–18 y) in rural and urban communities in Guyana. Sleep behaviors (nap‐duration, bedtime, rise‐time, night‐bed‐duration, and sleep‐duration) were assessed with interviews and monitored up to 7 consecutive days using waist‐worn accelerometers.

Results

Similar to other settings, Guyanese urban youth reported significantly later bedtimes than rural youth, and increasing age was associated with later bedtime and shorter night‐bed‐duration. In contrast to the association observed in high‐income countries, increasing household poverty scores in Guyana were associated with longer night‐bed‐duration.

Conclusions

Although the relationships between locale, age, and sleep in Guyana paralleled patterns seen in high‐income countries, the positive relationship between poverty and sleep diverges from previous reports. These findings suggest that predictors of chronic sleep loss seen in high‐income countries are likely to differ from those in middle‐ and low‐income countries. More sleep studies in underrepresented populations are needed to gain a comprehensive understanding of adolescent sleep behavior and its correlates.
Study of carrier frequency of Warsaw breakage syndrome in the Ashkenazi Jewish population and presentation of two cases
Authors: Rabin Rachel , Hirsch Yoel , Johansson Martin M. , Ekstein Joseph , Zeevi David A. , Keena Beth , Zackai Elaine H. , Pappas John
Published: July 2019

Warsaw breakage syndrome (WABS), caused by bi‐allelic variants in the DDX11 gene, is a rare cohesinopathy characterized by pre‐ and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, intellectual disability, facial dysmorphia, and sensorineural hearing loss due to cochlear hypoplasia. The DDX11 gene codes for an iron–sulfur DNA helicase in the Superfamily 2 helicases and plays an important role in genomic stability and maintenance. Fourteen individuals with WABS have been previously reported in the medical literature. Affected individuals have been of various ethnic backgrounds with different pathogenic variants. We report two unrelated individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish descent affected with WABS, who are homozygous for the c.1763‐1G>C variant in the DDX11 gene. Their phenotype is consistent with previously reported individuals. RNA studies showed that this variant causes an alternative splice acceptor site leading to a frameshift in the open reading frame. Carrier screening of the c.1763‐1G>C variant in the Jewish population revealed a high carrier frequency of 1 in 68 in the Ashkenazi Jewish population. Due to the high carrier frequency and the low number of affected individuals, we hypothesize a high rate of miscarriage of homozygous fetuses and/or subfertility for carrier couples. If the carrier frequency is reproducible in additional Ashkenazi Jewish populations, we suggest including DDX11 to Ashkenazi Jewish carrier screening panels.
Sorting It Out: Partial Final, Interim, and Consent Awards
Authors: Singer David C. , Hanson Christina G.
Published: July 2019

Arbitrators may issue different types of awards, including partial final, interim, or consent awards, as provided for in the agreement of the parties, the rules of the arbitration provider, or applicable law. This article examines these types of awards; Part 2 next month will look at final awards.
The Framework: The U.N.'s Working Group II Debates New Expedited Arbitration Rules
Authors: Wójtowicz Piotr , Gevaerd Franco
Published: July 2019

In last month's Part 1, the authors explained how the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, best known as Uncitral, began work “to improve the efficiency and quality of arbitral proceedings” by focusing on expedited arbitration in its Working Group II deliberations beginning last year. See Piotr Wójtowicz & Franco Gevaerd, “How Uncitral's Working Group II on Arbitration Is Analyzing the Field to Help Expedited Processes,” 37 Alternatives 90 (June 2019) (available athttp://bit.ly/2XxLeDp). In this month's conclusion, the authors examine the possible forms the expedited arbitration guidance might take, and what it might look like.
From land and sea, long‐term data reveal persistent humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) breeding habitat in New Caledonia
Authors: Derville Solène , Torres Leigh G. , Dodémont Rémi , Perard Véronique , Garrigue Claire
Published: July 2019

Long‐term monitoring is a prerequisite to understanding and protecting long‐lived species such as cetaceans. In New Caledonia, South Pacific, an endangered sub‐population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) seasonally congregates for mating and nursing during the austral winter. For more than two decades, dedicated surveys have been conducted at sea and from land to monitor humpback whale presence in a coastal breeding site, the South Lagoon.

Methods were developed to investigate space use patterns and their temporal variations over the long term using a joint dataset of boat‐based and land‐based observations (1995–2017). A total of 2651 humpback whale groups were observed, including 1167 from land and 1484 at sea (of which 30% were initially detected by the land‐based observers).

Humpback whales displayed a persistent space use pattern over this 23 year period, consistent social composition over the years, and an increase in the group encounter rates from land and at sea. The core area of use by humpback whales was characterized in the austral winter by stable and relatively low sea surface temperature (22°C). Whales consistently occupied nearshore waters from 10 to 200 m deep and open to the ocean. Waters surrounded by dense coral reefs were avoided.

Although humpback whale distribution patterns were persistent and occurrence was found to increase over two decades, a mismatch between humpback whale critical habitat and marine protected areas was revealed. In the context of growing anthropogenic pressure from tourism and industrial development, these findings should be incorporated into local management efforts to protect the endangered Oceania humpback whale in one of its main breeding sites.
Reduced structural brain asymmetry during neonatal life is potentially related to autism spectrum disorders in children born extremely preterm
Authors: Eklöf Eva , Mårtensson Gustaf E. , ådén Ulrika , Padilla Nelly
Published: July 2019

Disruption of the normal patterns of structural brain asymmetry, and in language‐related areas, has been reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We tested the hypothesis that 16 children born extremely preterm (EPT), and diagnosed with ASD at 6.5 years of age (EPT‐ASD), would have different patterns of brain structural asymmetry, particularly in language‐related areas, to 21 EPT children without ASD and 15 term‐born children. They all underwent neonatal magnetic resonance imaging scans at 40 weeks of gestation. ASD diagnoses and the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children—Fourth Edition, were performed in the EPT children, but not in the term group. Asymmetry indices (AIs) were assessed at three levels: global (hemispheres), lobar (brain lobes), and modular (primary sensorimotor, unimodal, and higher‐order association areas). AIs were also assessed in language‐related regions and correlational analyses were performed between these AIs and verbal scores. The EPT‐ASD group showed reduced structural asymmetry at the modular level, mainly involving the higher‐order association cortices and the language‐related areas. Predominant positive correlations between language functioning and leftward AIs in the inferior frontal gyrus (opercular) and supplementary cortices, and rightward asymmetry in the angular and supramarginal gyri, were identified in the EPT‐ASD group. The overall results suggest that reduced brain structural asymmetry identified during the neonatal period would be a risk factor for the development of ASD in EPT infants. This finding could identify EPT children at risk at an early stage, so that tailored interventions could be used to optimize their functions and quality of life. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1334–1343. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Lay summary

Babies born before the expected date (preterm) are more likely to develop autism, due to abnormal brain development. Compared with children without autism, preterm children with autism did not display the important physical differences between the two sides of their brain that are needed for normal functioning. As this alteration was found just after birth, this information could be used to identify children who are likely to develop autism, so that they can get medical support at an earlier age.
Symptom relief during last week of life in neurological diseases
Authors: Ozanne Anneli , Sawatzky Richard , Håkanson Cecilia , Alvariza Anette , Fürst Carl Johan , Årestedt Kristofer , Öhlén Joakim
Published: July 2019

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate symptom prevalence, symptom relief, and palliative care indicators during the last week of life, comparing them for patients with motor neuron disease (MND), central nervous system tumors (CNS tumor), and other neurological diseases (OND).

Material & Methods

Data were obtained from the Swedish Register for Palliative Care, which documents care during the last week of life. Logistic regression was used to compare patients with MND (n = 419), CNS tumor (n = 799), and OND (n = 1,407) as the cause of death.

Results

The most prevalent symptoms for all neurological disease groups were pain (52.7% to 72.2%) and rattles (58.1% to 65.6%). Compared to MND and OND, patients with CNS tumors were more likely to have totally relieved pain, shortness of breath, rattles, and anxiety. They were also more likely to have their pain assessed with a validated tool; to receive symptom treatment for anxiety, nausea, rattles, and pain; to have had family members receive end‐of‐life discussions; to have someone present at death; and to have had their family members offered bereavement support. Both patients with CNS tumor and MND were more likely than patients with OND to receive consultation with a pain unit and to have had end‐of‐life discussions.

Conclusions

The study reveals high symptom burden and differences in palliative care between the groups during the last week of life. There is a need for person‐centered care planning based on a palliative approach, focused on improving symptom assessments, relief, and end‐of‐life conversations.
Hitting back at lymphoma: How do modern diagnostics identify high‐risk diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma subsets and alter treatment?
Authors: Abramson Jeremy S.
Published: July 2019

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a clinically and biologically heterogeneous disease. Diagnostic tools in the clinic can now identify distinct subsets characterized by unique molecular features, which are increasingly transforming how these patients are managed. Activated B–cell‐like DLBCL is characterized by NF‐κB activation and chronic B‐cell receptor signaling and may be targeted with lenalidomide or ibrutinib in the relapsed setting. Germinal center‐like DLBCL is enriched for activating EZH2 mutations, and encouraging activity has been observed for the EZH2 inhibitor tazemetostat, which now has a fast‐track US Food and Drug Administration designation. Double‐hit lymphoma is a high‐grade B‐cell lymphoma characterized by translocations of MYC and BCL2 and/or BCL6 and carries a poor prognosis. Intensive chemoimmunotherapy strategies appear to be superior to standard R‐CHOP (rituximab combined with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone) as initial therapy, and anti‐CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells are inducing remission in patients with relapsed/refractory disease who previously had few available options. Primary mediastinal (thymic) large B‐cell lymphoma is a molecularly distinct large‐cell lymphoma with clinical and molecular features that overlap with those of classical Hodgkin lymphoma. R‐CHOP has been associated with an unacceptably high rate of primary treatment failure in this young population, whereas dose‐adjusted EPOCH‐R (etoposide, prednisone, vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin plus rituximab) produces durable remissions without the need for radiotherapy in most patients. For relapsed/refractory disease, immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting PD‐1 have shown promising activity in chemotherapy‐refractory disease, as have anti‐CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells. Additional therapeutic targets, including JAK2, continue to be evaluated. The identification of discrete biological subsets is steadily moving us away from a “one‐size‐fits‐all” approach in DLBCL.
Soft‐tissue sarcoma in adolescents and young adults compared with older adults: A report among 5000 patients from the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group Central Register
Authors: Papworth Karin E. , Arroyo Vidal M. , Styring Emelie , Zaikova Olga , Melin Beatrice S. , Lupo Philip J.
Published: July 2019

Background

In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the distinct characteristics of adolescents and young adults (AYA) diagnosed with cancer. Soft‐tissue sarcoma (STS) accounts for approximately 1% of all cancers diagnosed in adults and 8% of cancers diagnosed in AYA. To the best of our knowledge, only a few sarcoma registers include data regarding histological subtype, age at diagnosis, and detailed clinical information. Therefore, little is known regarding clinical presentation and outcomes in AYA diagnosed with STS.

Methods

Using the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group Central Register, data were obtained regarding 4977 patients who were diagnosed with STS for the period between 1986 and 2011. AYA (those aged 18‐39 years) were compared with older adults (OA; those aged 40‐80 years) with respect to clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome.

Results

There were 868 AYA and 4109 OA. Overall and by STS subtype, there were significant differences noted between AYA and OA with regard to presentation, treatment, and survival. The distribution of STS subtypes was different between OA and AYA (eg, OA were more likely to be diagnosed with malignant fibrous histiocytoma compared with AYA [34% vs 16%; P < .001]). OA also were more likely to have tumors measuring ≥5 cm (68% vs 56%; P < .001) and a higher malignancy grade (75% vs 67%; P < .001). In the majority of STS subtypes AYA had significantly better overall survival and less disease recurrence compared with OA, but this finding was not true for those with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

Conclusions

There are several differences between AYA and OA with STS with regard to presentation, treatment, and survival, and such differences must be taken into consideration when designing clinical trials. Additional work also is needed to characterize the potential biological mechanisms underlying these differences.
Is cancer prevention influenced by the built environment? A multidisciplinary scoping review
Authors: Wray Alexander James David , Minaker Leia Michelle
Published: July 2019

The built environment is a significant determinant of human health. Globally, the growing prevalence of preventable cancers suggests a need to understand how features of the built environment shape exposure to cancer development and distribution within a population. This scoping review examines how researchers across disparate fields understand and discuss the built environment in primary and secondary cancer prevention. It is focused exclusively on peer‐reviewed sources published from research conducted in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States from 1990 to 2017. The review captured 9958 potential results in the academic literature, and this body of results was scoped to 268 relevant peer‐reviewed journal articles indexed across 13 subject databases. Spatial proximity, transportation, land use, and housing are well‐understood features of the built environment that shape cancer risk. Built‐environment features predominantly influence air quality, substance use, diet, physical activity, and screening adherence, with impacts on breast cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and overall cancer risk. The majority of the evidence fails to provide direct recommendations for advancing cancer prevention policy and program objectives for municipalities. The expansion of interdisciplinary work in this area would serve to create a significant population health impact.
Restriction‐based fragmentation of business processes over the cloud
Authors: Kallel Slim , Maamar Zakaria , Sellami Mohamed , Faci Noura , Ben Arab Ahmed , Gaaloul Walid , Baker Thar
Published: July 2019

Despite the elasticity and pay‐per‐use benefits of cloud computing (aka fifth utility computing), organizations adopting clouds could be locked into single cloud providers, which is not always a “pleasant” experience when these providers stop operations. This is a serious concern for those organizations that who would like to deploy (core) business processes on the cloud along with tapping into these two benefits. To address the lock‐into concern, this paper proposes an approach for decomposing business processes into fragments that would run over multiple clouds and hence multiple providers. To develop fragments, the approach considers both restrictions over owners of business processes and potential competition among cloud providers. On the one hand, restrictions apply to each task in a business process and are specialized into budget to allocate, deadline to meet, and exclusivity to request. On the other hand, competition leads cloud providers to offer flexible pricing policies that would cater to the needs and requirements of each process owner. A policy handles certain clouds' properties referred to as limitedness, non‐renewability, and non‐shareability that impact the availability of cloud resources and hence the whole fragmentation. For instance, a non‐shareable resource could delay other processes should the current process do not release this resource on time. During fragmentation, interactions between owners of processes and providers of clouds happen according to two strategies referred to as global and partial. The former collects offers about cloud resources from all providers, while the latter collects such details from particular providers. To evaluate these strategies' pros and cons, a system implementing them, as well as demonstrating the technical feasibility of the fragmentation approach using credit‐application case study, is also presented in the paper. The system extends BPMN2‐modeler Eclipse plugin and supports interactions of processes' owners with clouds' providers that result to identifying the necessary fragments with focus on cost optimization.
Boosting the apoptotic response of high‐grade serous ovarian cancers with CCNE1 amplification to paclitaxel in vitro by targeting APC/C and the pro‐survival protein MCL‐1
Authors: Raab Monika , Kobayashi Nene F. , Becker Sven , Kurunci‐Csacsko Elisabeth , Krämer Andrea , Strebhardt Klaus , Sanhaji Mourad
Published: July 2019

Ovarian cancer exhibits the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. Antimitotic agents, such as paclitaxel, are frontline drugs for the treatment of ovarian cancer. They inhibit microtubule dynamics and their efficiency relies on a prolonged mitotic arrest and the strong activation of the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). Although ovarian cancers respond well to paclitaxel, the clinical efficacy is limited due to an early onset of drug resistance, which may rely on a compromised mitosis exit associated with weakend intrinsic apoptosis. Accordingly, we aimed at overcoming SAC silencing that occurs rapidly during paclitaxel‐induced mitotic arrest. To do this, we used a specific anaphase‐promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) inhibitor to prevent a premature mitotic exit upon paclitaxel treatment. Furthermore, we investigated the role of the antiapoptotic BCL‐2 family member MCL‐1 in determining the fate of ovarian cancer cells lines with CCNE1 amplification that are challenged with clinically relevant dose of paclitaxel. Using time‐laps microscopy, we demonstrated that APC/C and MCL‐1 inhibition under paclitaxel prevents mitotic slippage in ovarian cancer cell lines and restores death in mitosis. Consistent with this, the combinatorial treatment reduced the survival of ovarian cancer cells in 2D and 3D cell models. Since a therapeutic ceiling has been reached with taxanes, it is of utmost importance to develop alternative strategies to improve the patient's survival. Thus, our study provides not only elements to understand the causes of taxane resistance in CCNE1‐amplified ovarian cancers but also suggests a new combinatorial strategy that may improve paclitaxel‐based efficacy in this highly lethal gynecological disease.
Exploring the underlying factors affecting capital structure decision: A quantitative analysis
Authors: Shil Nikhil , Hossain Md. Nazmul , Ullah Md. Nayamot
Published: July 2019

Objective

This study deploys an earnest effort to understand the factors that affect the managers involved in managing the portfolio of funding in companies. Capital structure decision is one of the crucial decisions that finance managers have to make. This study tries to identify a host of factors controlling the attitude of finance managers in choosing different sources of financing, as reflected in financials of respected companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the data available in different secondary sources (such as the financial statements published by the sampled companies), an exploratory form of research is applied here. The samples for the study are selected from companies which are listed in Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) under pharmaceutical, textile, and banking sectors. Different descriptive and inferential statistical tools are used to present the data and test relevant hypotheses by using statistical package for the social sciences.

Findings

Based on the literature review, the study has identified a couple of factors affecting capital structure decision. These factors are replicated in selected Bangladeshi firms to understand their implications. Although the study fails to report any determinants having strong relationship which is statistically significant, the model passes goodness‐of‐fit test and residual analysis, which shows the presence of normality.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the study could not be generalized due to some inherent limitations of the research. The study only covers selective companies from three sectors, leaving others from the preview of analysis, which limits the scope of the study. However, the findings of the research could be helpful for individual firms to find their status in the recent trend of practicing capital structure decision; thereby they can adopt or revise their policy in this regard. Another major limitation of the study is that, it applies a quantitative form of analysis based on the data published in general purpose financial statements. It would be more beneficial if quantitative findings could be validated through qualitative analysis in order to bring data triangulation which is left for further study. Extending the analysis to cover all the firms listed in DSE can give a better outlook on capital structure issues in Bangladesh.

Originality/value

This study has been conducted for the first time in Bangladesh, identifying determinants from different theories which may help the future researchers to extend the analysis. Thus, the study adds significant value to the current body of knowledge.
The systemic activin response to pancreatic cancer: implications for effective cancer cachexia therapy
Authors: Zhong Xiaoling , Pons Marianne , Poirier Christophe , Jiang Yanlin , Liu Jianguo , Sandusky George E. , Shahda Safi , Nakeeb Attila , Schmidt C. Max , House Michael G. , Ceppa Eugene P. , Zyromski Nicholas J. , Liu Yunlong , Jiang Guanglong , Couch Marion E. , Koniaris Leonidas G. , Zimmers Teresa A.
Published: July 2019

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a particularly lethal malignancy partly due to frequent, severe cachexia. Serum activin correlates with cachexia and mortality, while exogenous activin causes cachexia in mice.

Methods

Isoform‐specific activin expression and activities were queried in human and murine tumours and PDAC models. Activin inhibition was by administration of soluble activin type IIB receptor (ACVR2B/Fc) and by use of skeletal muscle specific dominant negative ACVR2B expressing transgenic mice. Feed‐forward activin expression and muscle wasting activity were tested in vivo and in vitro on myotubes.

Results

Murine PDAC tumour‐derived cell lines expressed activin‐βA but not activin‐βB. Cachexia severity increased with activin expression. Orthotopic PDAC tumours expressed activins, induced activin expression by distant organs, and produced elevated serum activins. Soluble factors from PDAC elicited activin because conditioned medium from PDAC cells induced activin expression, activation of p38 MAP kinase, and atrophy of myotubes. The activin trap ACVR2B/Fc reduced tumour growth, prevented weight loss and muscle wasting, and prolonged survival in mice with orthotopic tumours made from activin‐low cell lines. ACVR2B/Fc also reduced cachexia in mice with activin‐high tumours. Activin inhibition did not affect activin expression in organs. Hypermuscular mice expressing dominant negative ACVR2B in muscle were protected for weight loss but not mortality when implanted with orthotopic tumours. Human tumours displayed staining for activin, and expression of the gene encoding activin‐βA (INHBA) correlated with mortality in patients with PDAC, while INHBB and other related factors did not.

Conclusions

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma tumours are a source of activin and elicit a systemic activin response in hosts. Human tumours express activins and related factors, while mortality correlates with tumour activin A expression. PDAC tumours also choreograph a systemic activin response that induces organ‐specific and gene‐specific expression of activin isoforms and muscle wasting. Systemic blockade of activin signalling could preserve muscle and prolong survival, while skeletal muscle‐specific activin blockade was only protective for weight loss. Our findings suggest the potential and need for gene‐specific and organ‐specific interventions. Finally, development of more effective cancer cachexia therapy might require identifying agents that effectively and/or selectively inhibit autocrine vs. paracrine activin signalling.
Ultrasound‐Assisted Facile Synthesis and Antimicrobial Studies of Alkanediyl‐bis‐thiazolidin‐4‐ones and Alkanediyl‐bis‐thiazinan‐4‐ones
Authors: Kaur Amritpal , Kaur Avneet Pal , Gautam Poonam , Gautam Deepika , Chaudhary Ram Pal
Published: July 2019

Alkanediyl‐bis‐2‐aryl‐thiazolidin‐4‐one and alkanediyl‐bis‐2‐aryl‐1,3‐thiazinan‐4‐one derivatives have been congregated in a single step reaction of diaminoalkanes, aryl aldehydes, and sulfanyl acids in the presence of coupling agent N,N′‐dicyclohexylcarbodiimide under ultrasonic conditions. This method of constructing 4‐keto derivatives of thiazolidine and thiazinane is quick and clean besides yielding the products in quantitative yields. The spectral techniques corroborated the structures of the isolated products. Biological assay of the synthesized products has also been reported.
In Vivo Measurement of Thumb Joint Reaction Forces During Smartphone Manipulation: A Biomechanical Analysis
Authors: Kim Wanlim , Kim Yusung , Park Hyung‐Soon
Published: July 2019

The relationship between arthritis or repetitive stress injuries (RSIs) in thumbs and rapidly increasing hours of smartphone usage is not fully elucidated. We evaluated axial joint reaction forces (AJRFs) and thumb torques in 19 healthy subjects performing typical smartphone tasks, which included tapping, tap game, and swiping. We measured force and torque when a subject tapped or swiped the panel of the smartphone and analyzed the motions of each joint using surface markers and motion capture systems. We calculated AJRFs and torques on each thumb joint using inverse dynamics. The results were then compared with representative activities such as computer keyboard typing and handwriting. The mean AJRFs/torques at the thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) while tapping the smartphone and tap gaming were 12.5 N/95.5 N mm and 21.1 N/187.21 N mm, respectively. AJRFs and torques were significantly higher during tap gaming activities than during simple tapping subtasks (p = 0.003 and p < 0.001, respectively). Compared with those during computer keyboard typing, the mean AJRFs and torques at the CMCJ during smartphone tapping was 3 (p = 0.075) and 1.4 times (p = 0.680) larger, respectively. Considering the rapidly increasing dependency on smartphones in our daily lives, long‐term exposure of the thumb to repetitive AJRFs and torques may lead to an acceleration of arthritis or aggravation of RSIs in thumbs. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:2437–2444, 2019
Automated chemical resonance generation and structure filtration for kinetic modeling
Authors: Grinberg Dana Alon , Liu Mengjie , Green William H.
Published: July 2019

This work discusses efficient and automated methods for constructing a set of representative resonance structures for arbitrary chemical species, including radicals and biradicals, consisting of the elements H, C, O, N, and S. Determining the representative reactive structures of chemical species is crucial for identification of reactive sites and consequently applying the correct reaction templates to generate the set of important reactions during automated chemical kinetic model generation. We describe a fundamental set of resonance pathway types, accounting for simple resonating structures, as well as global approaches for polycyclic aromatic species. Automatically discovering potential localized structures along with filtration to identify the representative structures was shown to be robust and relatively fast. The algorithms discussed here were recently implemented in the Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG) software. The final structures proposed by this method were found to be in reasonable agreement with quantum chemical computation results of localized structure contributions to the resonance hybrid.
Preparation of Hierarchically Structured Amorphous Carbon Monoliths with Closed Spherical Mesopores via the Lower Critical Solution Temperature Phase Transition
Authors: Jeon Seung‐Yeol , Jeon Hyeonyeol , Park Tae Joon , Kang Min Kwan , Cho Byoung‐Ki , Hwang Seung Sang , Hur Kahyun
Published: July 2019

Some polymer mixture systems become immiscible above a specific temperature, the so‐called lower critical solution temperature (LCST). In this work, the LCST behavior of a mixture of poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(propylene oxide)‐block‐poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymers and phenolic resin oligomers is observed, and the corresponding phase transition is exploited to develop a facile route to hierarchically structured carbon monoliths. Whereas evaporation‐induced self‐assembly generates hexagonal channels in the monoliths, an additional phase transition at the LCST leads to an ordered arrangement of isolated pores. The fabrication method involves annealing the gel‐phased mixture with polymeric microbeads in a 3D‐structured mold at the LCST, followed by thermosetting and a carbonization process. The LCST phase transition behavior is observed experimentally by in situ small‐angle X‐ray scattering, optical transparency measurements, differential scanning calorimetry, and infrared spectroscopy. The fundamental mechanism of the LCST phase transition is further investigated by atomistic molecular dynamics simulations.
Lymphaticovenular anastomosis and venous arterialization in coexisting Raynaud's phenomenon and lymphedema: A case report
Authors: Yoshida Shuhei , Koshima Isao , Imai Hirofumi , Uchiki Toshio , Sasaki Ayano , Fujioka Yumio , Nagamatsu Shogo , Yokota Kazunori
Published: July 2019

Raynaud's phenomenon is highly prevalent in the general population. The optimal medical management for patients with severe Raynaud's phenomenon remains unclear. Venous arterialization (VA) may be considered as a salvage procedure when no distal vessels are available for vascular reconstruction. Surgical treatments for lymphedema, including lymphovenous anastomosis (LVA), are becoming popular alternatives to conservative therapy. Here, we report on a patient with comorbid primary Raynaud's phenomenon and lymphedema in whom both VA and LVA were performed. The patient was a 60‐year‐old woman with an edematous right upper limb and pain and cold sensitivity in the middle, ring, and small fingers that was refractory to medication. Indocyanine green lymphography and computed tomography angiography suggested coexistence of lymphedema and primary Raynaud's phenomenon. VA and LVA were performed to reduce the risks of cellulitis and amputation. Computed tomography angiography was performed regularly after surgery to examine the arterialized venous system and Doppler echography to search for developing branches. Five months later, three branches of the arterialized veins that flowed proximally at the level of the hand and wrist were ligated. By around 1 year after surgery, the lymphedema index in the affected upper limb had improved from 116 to 103 and the patient's numerical rating scale score for intractable pain and cold sensitivity had improved from 6–7 to 1–2. We believe that the combination of VA and LVA in the early stages of primary Raynaud's phenomenon and lymphedema was effective in this case.
Development of biobased polyurethane‐imides from maleinized cottonseed oil and castor oil
Authors: Boga Karteek , Gaddam Sashivinay Kumar , Chepuri Ramakishan Rao , Palanisamy Aruna
Published: July 2019

An eco‐friendly coating system, which is largely biobased, has been developed from castor and cottonseed oil. Cottonseed oil was functionalized with maleic anhydride by “ene” reaction to give maleinized cottonseed oil (MACSO); the anhydride groups were reacted with isocyanates to yield –NCO terminated polyurethane prepolymer. The prepolymer was further chain extended with hydroxyl groups of castor oil to give polyurethane‐imides (PUIs). The cross‐linked films thus obtained had good mechanical properties, and the imide groups in the backbone improved the corrosion resistance of PUIs as revealed by potentiodynamic polarization study. With increasing content of MACSO, thermal stability, glass transition temperatures (Tg), tensile strength, and corrosion resistance of resulting PUIs significantly increased.
Implementation fidelity of patient‐centered prescription label to promote opioid safe use
Authors: McCarthy Danielle M. , Russell Andrea M. , Eifler Morgan R. , Opsasnick Lauren A. , Lyden Abigail E. , Gravenor Stephanie J. , Montague Enid , Hur Scott I. , Cameron Kenzie A. , Curtis Laura M. , Wolf Michael S.
Published: July 2019

Purpose

Patient‐centered labels may improve safe medication use, but implementation challenges limit use. We assessed implementation of a patient‐centered “PRN” (as needed) label entitled “Take‐Wait‐Stop” (TWS) with three deconstructed steps replacing traditional wording.

Methods

As part of a larger investigation, patients received TWS prescriptions (eg, Take: 1 pill if you have pain; Wait: at least 4 h before taking again; Stop: do not take more than 6 pills in 24 h). Prescriptions labels recorded at follow‐up were classified into three categories: (1) one‐step wording (Take 1 pill every 4 h [without daily limits]), (2) two‐step wording (Take 1 pill every 4 h; do not exceed 6 pills/day), and (3) three‐step wording. There were three subtypes of three‐step wording: (3a) three‐step, not TWS (three deconstructed steps, not necessarily TWS wording), (3b) TWS format, employing three steps with leading verbs, but “with additions or replacements” (eg, replaced “do not take” with “do not exceed”), and (3c) verbatim TWS.

Results

Two hundred eleven participants completed follow‐up. Mean age was 44.3 years (SD 14.3); 44% were male. One‐step bottles represented 12% (n = 25) of the sample, whereas 26% (n = 55) had two‐step wording. The majority (44%, n = 93) had three‐deconstructed steps, not TWS (3a); 16% (n = 34) retained TWS structure, but not verbatim (3b). Only 2% (n = 4) displayed verbatim TWS wording (3c). All category three labels (utilizing deconstructed instructions) were considered adequate implementation (62%).

Conclusions

Exact intervention adherence was not achieved in the majority of cases, limiting impact. Nonetheless, community pharmacies were responsive to new instructions, but higher implementation reliability requires additional supports.
Use of opioids during pregnancy and effects of pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Fältmarch Stella , Perttilä Iiro , Tuomi Ulla , Kautiainen Hannu , Gissler Mika , Pennanen Pirjo , Eriksson Johan G. , Laine Merja K.
Published: July 2019

Purpose

To evaluate the use of opioids in pregnant primiparous women and study the effect of opioid use on maternal and offspring delivery outcomes.

Methods

The study cohort (N = 6231) consists of all primiparous women with a Finnish background who delivered a singleton between 2009 and 2015 in the city of Vantaa, Finland. Data on births, maternal characteristics, pregnancy outcomes, and purchases of prescription drugs were obtained from National Health Registers.

Results

Of the primiparous women, 5.1% used opioids during pregnancy. Of these, 95.9% used codeine. No differences were observed in purchases of opioids between the different trimesters but more women purchased opioids as pregnancy progressed (.002). Users of opioids more often also purchased other prescription drugs compared with non‐users of opioids, 89% versus 58% (P < .001); age, smoking, education, and body mass index adjusted odds ratio 5.66 (95% confidence interval 3.96 to 8.09). Caesarean sections were more common in users of opioids than in non‐users, 28.3% versus 21.9% (.007). Before the age of 7 days, the offspring of users of opioids more often needed respirator treatment compared with the offspring of non‐users, 3.1% versus 1.6% (.044).

Conclusions

One out of 20 pregnant women used opioids. Use of opioids during pregnancy was associated with the risk for deliveries by caesarean sections and need for respiratory treatment among the offspring during the first week of life. Further safety evaluations are needed.
Using students’ interest in useful plants to encourage plant vision in the classroom
Authors: Pany Peter , Lörnitzo Agnes , Auleitner Lisa , Heidinger Christine , Lampert Peter , Kiehn Michael
Published: July 2019

Societal Impact Statement

The phenomenon known as “plant blindness” leads to a restricted view on nature, which may in turn result in people and society having less understanding of important environmental and conservation issues. Biology educators must tackle this problem directly. By exploring students’ interests in useful plants (spice plants and stimulant herbal drugs), we present a route by which educators could counteract plant blindness by taking students’ plant‐related interests into account when preparing a teaching unit. We reveal that educators must carefully select the plant materials used as examples in the classroom to effectively encourage plant vision in students.

Summary

The term “plant blindness” describes the phenomenon that many people tend to overlook plants in their everyday life. Therefore, they often do not understand key biological concepts to their full extent and may develop a more restricted view of nature.

Here, we provide a possible method of counteracting plant blindness in schools by capitalizing on students’ interest in useful plants to impart botanical content in biology lessons. We investigated 172 students aged 10–18 years old in order to explore the links between students’ individual interests in spice plants and stimulant herbal drugs and their situational interest during an inquiry‐based botany teaching unit by using a questionnaire and additional semi‐structured interviews.

Data analysis shows that, for students with low and medium individual interest, stimulant herbal drugs and spice plants can be used to generate higher situational interest. Furthermore, students with initially high individual interest should get the opportunity to follow their own questions concerning a plant group before working on a structured learning task.

Using study objects from different subgroups of useful plants for introducing botanical content in biology lessons, and giving highly interested students time and space to follow their own interests, seems to be a promising way to counteract plant blindness and, thus, to help enable students to develop a more comprehensive view of nature.
Analysis of consumer preferences expressed by prioritization chains
Authors: Vanacore Amalia , Pellegrino Maria Sole , Marmor Yariv N. , Bashkansky Emil
Published: July 2019

In this paper, a novel approach is proposed to analyze and interpret consumer preference data expressed as weak orderings (ie, preference chains) over a set of alternatives. A simple distance metric based on cosine similarity is used to assess the repeatability and reproducibility of consumer preferences. These concepts have been borrowed from metrology and can be usefully adopted to evaluate the meaningfulness of aggregated measures (eg, median preference chain) defined over the preference data set. The proposed approach is fully exploited through a real case study involving a group of consumers expressing their preferences over alternative types of pizza toppings.
Stability analysis of switched nonlinear delay systems with sampled‐data inputs
Authors: Wang Zhichuang , Sun Jian , Chen Guoliang , Chen Jie
Published: July 2019

This study addresses the uniformly globally asymptotically stability (UGAS) problem of switched nonlinear delay systems (SNDSs) with sampled‐data inputs (SDIs). By using multiple Lyapunov functionals (MLFs) method, mode‐dependent average dwell times, and the total activating time length of MLFs, some stability criteria are explicitly obtained for SNDSs with SDIs. Meanwhile, the UGAS property for SNDSs with some or all unstable modes is investigated. For unstable modes and stable modes, we adopt different switching signals. Besides, we establish some sufficient stability conditions in the form of an upper bound on the sum of dwell times and sampling intervals. Simulation examples are adopted to illustrate and verify the effectiveness of our proposed methods.