bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting ALK With Crizotinib in Pediatric Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma and Inflammatory Myofibroblastic Tumor: A Children’s Oncology Group Study
Authors: Mossé Yael P. , Voss Stephan D. , Lim Megan S. , Rolland Delphine , Minard Charles G. , Fox Elizabeth , Adamson Peter , Wilner Keith , Blaney Susan M. , Weigel Brenda J.
Published: August 2017

Purpose

Fusions involving the ALK gene are the predominant genetic lesion underlying pediatric anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL) and inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs). We assessed the activity of the ALK inhibitor crizotinib in patients who had no known curative treatment options at diagnosis or with relapsed/recurrent disease.

Methods

In this study, 26 patients with relapsed/refractory ALK-positive ALCL and 14 patients with metastatic or inoperable ALK-positive IMT received crizotinib orally twice daily. Study objectives were measurement of efficacy and safety. Correlative studies evaluated the serial detection of NPM-ALK fusion transcripts in patients with ALCL.

Results

The overall response rates for patients with ALCL treated at doses of 165 (ALCL165) and 280 (ALCL280) mg/m2 were 83% and 90%, respectively. The overall response rate for patients with IMT (treated at 100, 165, and 280 mg/m2/dose) was 86%. A complete response was observed in 83% (five of six) of ALCL165, 80% (16 of 20) of ALCL280, and 36% (five of 14) of patients with IMT. Partial response rates were 0% (none of six), 10% (two of 20), and 50% (seven of 14), respectively. The median duration of therapy was 2.79, 0.4, and 1.63 years, respectively, with 12 patients ceasing protocol therapy to proceed to transplantation. The most common drug-related adverse event was decrease in neutrophil count in 33% and 70% of the ALCL165 and ALCL280 groups, respectively, and in 43% of patients with IMT. Levels of NPM-ALK decreased during therapy in most patients with ALCL.

Conclusion

The robust and sustained clinical responses to crizotinib therapy in patients with relapsed ALCL and metastatic or unresectable IMT highlight the importance of the ALK pathway in these diseases.
Differential Roles of the Right and Left Toe Perfusion Index in Predicting the Incidence of Postspinal Hypotension During Cesarean Delivery
Authors: Xu Zifeng , Xu Tao , Zhao Puwen , Ma Rui , Zhang Mazhong , Zheng Jijian
Published: August 2017

BACKGROUND:

Aortocaval compression by the gravid uterus, low baseline vasomotor tone, and spinal anesthesia-related sympathetic blockade contribute to spinal anesthesia-induced hypotension during cesarean delivery. The finger perfusion index (PI) can predict spinal hypotension by reflecting baseline vasomotor tone, but cannot directly reflect aortocaval compression by the gravid uterus. This study aimed to examine whether baseline toe PIs predict the incidence of maternal hypotension and reflect aortocaval compression by the gravid uterus during cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia.

METHODS:

One hundred parturients undergoing elective cesarean delivery were enrolled. The relationship between baseline toe PI and the incidence of hypotension after induction of spinal anesthesia was quantified using area under the receiver operator curves, and results compared for the right and left toe PIs.

RESULTS:

The area under the receiver operator curves for left and right toe baseline PIs were 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.71–0.88) and 0.76 (95% confidence interval, 0.66–0.84), respectively. After induction of spinal anesthesia, the toe PIs did not change in parturients with hypotension, but increased significantly among those who did not develop hypotension.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our study demonstrated that baseline toe PIs were inversely associated with the incidence of postspinal hypotension during cesarean delivery. Continuous monitoring of toe PIs during induction of spinal anesthesia might help to predict the development of postspinal hypotension and reflect the aortocaval compression by the gravid uterus.
Slaying the Chinese Jabberwock: Toward a Comparative Philosophy of Nonsense
Authors: Levinovitz Alan
Published: August 2017

This article explores the meaning of “nonsense” as it is typically employed in discussions of nonsense literature. Definitions of nonsense vary widely and often pay little attention to cultural context or the phenomenology of reading. After surveying the problems with these definitions, the article then redefines nonsense experientially, that is, as the experience, in time, of rewarding sense-juggling inspired by a semantically ambiguous text that resists conclusive interpretation. This new definition is explored and defended from a comparative perspective through an analysis of the difficulties inherent in the process of translating Lewis Carroll's “Jabberwocky” from English into Chinese, using Chinese linguist Zhao Yuanren's (趙元任) early twentieth-century translation as a case study.
Constructing a Case: Reflections on Comparative Studies, World Literature, and Theories of the Novel's Emergence
Authors: Bartoszyńska Katarzyna
Published: August 2017

This essay uses a comparative reading of two novels, Jan Potocki's Manuscrit Trouvé à Saragosse (Manuscript Found in Saragossa, 1804–15) and Charles Maturin's Melmoth the Wanderer (1820), to investigate the methodologies of comparative and world literature studies. Although these novels were written around the same time and are strikingly similar, critical reflections on their commonality have been limited to passing comments noting their resemblance. Examining ways in which a comparative reading could proceed, the article demonstrates how the historicist interpretive strategies typically mobilized in discussions of works from non-major traditions, coupled with dominant theories of the development of the novel, serve to occlude the formal innovations of both texts. Attending to their complex work of worlding yields new critical insights, revealing how these works anticipate literary techniques associated with globalization. This suggests, more broadly, a need for a more robust formalism in world literature studies, particularly in discussions of works from non-major traditions.
Constraints, Concealment, and Buried Texts: Reading Walter Abish with Georges Perec and the Oulipo
Authors: Sainsbury Daisy
Published: August 2017

This article explores the constrained writing practices of Austrian-American writer Walter Abish in relation to those of the French literary group the Oulipo, in particular Georges Perec. Specifically, it considers the formal, stylistic, and thematic similarities between Perec's La Disparition and Abish's Alphabetical Africa, focusing on the alphabetical constraint that structures Abish's novel. It demonstrates how, in true Oulipian style, the constraint goes well beyond the ludic or arbitrary imposition of a structural rule and examines how, set against the backdrops of colonial warfare and the Holocaust, Abish and Perec's novels elaborate themes of concealment, violence, and the limitations of language. I argue that, despite the common misconception that constraint-based writers are engaged in predominantly self-reflexive linguistic experimentation and lightweight textual play, novels such as La Disparition and Alphabetical Africa present powerful examples of “engaged literature,” their constrained writing techniques complementing, and often generating, their novels' themes and motifs and producing highly encoded and richly rewarding texts.
DNA methylation profiles in red blood cells of adult hens correlate to their rearing conditions
Authors: Pértille Fábio , Brantsæter Margrethe , Nordgreen Janicke , Coutinho Luiz Lehmann , Janczak Andrew M. , Jensen Per , Guerrero-Bosagna Carlos
Published: August 2017

Stressful conditions are common in the environment where production animals are reared. Stress in animals is usually determined by the levels of stress-related hormones. A big challenge, however, is in determining the history of exposure of an organism to stress, because the release of stress hormones can show an acute (and recent) but not a sustained exposure to stress. Epigenetic tools provide an alternative option to evaluate past exposure to long-term stress. Chickens provide a unique model to study stress effects in the epigenome of red blood cells (RBC), a cell type of easy access and nucleated in birds. The present study investigates in chickens whether two different rearing conditions can be identified by looking at DNA methylation patterns in their RBCs later in life. These conditions are rearing in open aviaries versus in cages, which are likely to differ regarding the amount of stress they generate. Our comparison revealed 115 genomic windows with significant change in RBCs DNA methylation between experimental groups, which were located around 53 genes and within 22 intronic regions. Our results set the ground for future detection of long-term stress in live production animals by measuring DNA methylation in a cell type of easy accessibility.
Analysis of Molecular Configuration and Conformation by (Electronic and) Vibrational Circular Dichroism: Theoretical Calculation and Exciton Chirality Method
Authors: Taniguchi Tohru
Published: August 2017

The configuration and conformation of a molecule affect its bioactivity, reactivity, physical properties, etc., but the analysis of such stereostructures is often difficult and time-consuming. Having envisioned the usefulness of VCD (vibrational circular dichroism) spectroscopy and theoretical VCD/ECD (electronic circular dichroism) calculations in the field of natural product chemistry, the author has applied these techniques to various natural products and other organic molecules. This account describes the author’s studies on molecular structural analysis by means of VCD/ECD theoretical calculations as well as exciton chirality methods. Advantages and limitations of these techniques are also briefly discussed.
Identification and analysis of functional associations among natural eukaryotic genome editing components
Authors: Swart Estienne C. , Denby Wilkes Cyril , Sandoval Pamela Y. , Hoehener Cristina , Singh Aditi , Furrer Dominique I. , Arambasic Miroslav , Ignarski Michael , Nowacki Mariusz
Published: August 2017

During development in the ciliate Paramecium, excess DNA interspersed throughout the germline genome is deleted to generate a new somatic genome. In this process, most of the intervening DNA is excised by a Piggybac-derived transposase, assisted by small RNAs (scnRNAs and iesRNAs) and chromatin remodelling. As the list of genes involved in DNA elimination has been growing, a need for a general approach to discover functional relationships among these genes now exists. We show that deep sequencing-based comparisons of experimentally-induced DNA retention provide a sensitive, quantitative approach to identify and analyze functional associations among genes involved in native genome editing. This reveals two functional molecular groups: (i) iesRNAs/scnRNAs, the putative Piwi- and RNA-binding Nowa1/2 proteins, and the transcription elongation factor TFIIS4; and (ii) PtCAF1 and Ezl1, two proteins involved in chromatin remodelling. Comparative analyses of silencing effects upon the largely unstudied regions comprising most developmentally eliminated DNA in Paramecium suggests a continuum between precise and imprecise DNA elimination. These findings show there is now a way forward to systematically elucidate the main components of natural eukaryotic genome editing systems.
Service users' perceptions of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis: A review
Authors: Stevens Harriet
Published: August 2017

This aim of this literature review was to throw light on the perceptions of service users with psychosis with regard to their experiences of cognitive behavioural therapy for psychosis (CBTp). CBTp is recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for service users with psychosis at every stage of their illness, but provision of this intervention is not widespread. This narrative literature review critically appraised six primary studies, all of which view CBTp through the eyes of service users, revealing their perceptions of CBTp experiences and of their therapists. The thematic analysis revealed much positivity among service users towards CBTp, their perceptions often contrasting with those of their therapists. It also emerged that therapist characteristics may have a significant impact on the efficacy of CBTp. Implications for the greater involvement of mental health nurses in the delivery of CBTp are considered, and recommendations made for how this might be achieved in order to extend the access of service-users with psychosis to this effective intervention.
Constraint-induced movement therapy in hemiplegic cerebral palsy: A national survey of its use by UK physiotherapists
Authors: Tucker Rachael , Moffatt Fiona , Drummond Avril
Published: August 2017

Background/aims:

There is an emerging evidence base into the use of constraint-induced movement therapy in hemiplegic cerebral palsy. However, there is little evidence of its use in the UK. This study conducted a national survey of physiotherapists to explore their use of constraint-induced movement therapy in hemiplegic cerebral palsy and to identify barriers and facilitators to its use.

Methods:

An online survey was distributed to members of the Association of Paediatric Chartered Physiotherapists within the UK. At this time, there were approximately 2300 members on the professional database. Participants were asked about their experience and views regarding constraint-induced movement therapy use/training, including their beliefs regarding delivery of the therapy in the UK health system.

Findings:

Responses were from 121 therapists from 12 regions of the UK, working across the National Health Service, private sector and education, based in inpatient, outpatient, community and school settings. Fifty-three percent had never used constraint-induced movement therapy, although 73.6% felt it was an appropriate treatment. Most therapists felt they did not have enough training to use constraint-induced movement therapy. Barriers included ethical issues, resources and training. Facilitators to its use included treatment modification, support of others and outcome appraisal. The ethical and legal ramifications of restraint were a common concern, which prevented therapists from using constraint-induced movement therapy. Family compliance influenced therapists' decision to use constraint-induced movement therapy.

Conclusions:

There is evidence to suggest physiotherapists in the UK are using constraint-induced movement therapy to some extent in this patient group and that there is established clinical interest. Further research is needed to clarify ethical and legal ramifications of restraint.
Focus group methodology. Part 2: Considerations for analysis
Authors: Plummer Prudence
Published: August 2017

Background/Aims:

Qualitative research is often criticised for its lack of scientific analysis considerations. In particular, the criticisms of qualitative research relate to issues of representativeness and generalisability of the findings, reliability, and validity. The purpose of this article is to discuss these concepts in the context of focus group data and explain how trustworthiness has been proposed as a more suitable criterion for evaluating qualitative research.

Methods:

Analytical concepts for qualitative research are defined, and suggestions based on the literature are given to enhance trustworthiness of focus group data and reporting.

Conclusions:

Focus group methodology is a highly effective technique for gathering rich, in-depth accounts of people's thinking, experiences, and attitudes. Focus groups are not just group interviews; rather, they require careful planning and design and have unique analytical and reporting procedures to ensure credibility of the findings.
Temporal and spatial variability in concentrations of phosphorus species under thermal pollution conditions of a dam reservoir – the Rybnik Reservoir case study
Authors: Kostecki Maciej , Tytła Malwina , Kernert Joanna , Stahl Katarzyna
Published: August 2017

The research objective was to study temporal and spatial relations between specific phosphorus species as well as to examine total phosphorus content in the bottom sediments of an anthropogenic, hypertrophic limnic ecosystem Rybnik Reservoir, functioning under thermal pollution conditions. The chemical extraction procedure for the speciation of bioavailable phosphorus forms was used. It was found that available algae phosphorus was the most dominant phosphorus species in both sediment layers (83%), while the lower share was readily desorbed phosphorus form (0.1%). The phosphorus species concentrations depended on the organic matter concentration. The differences between phosphorus species contents in the upper (5 cm) and lower (15–20 cm) sediment core layers were low. The biologically active sediment layer extended from the sediment surface to at least 20 cm depth of the sediment core. Distributions of the concentrations within the year and at specific sampling points resulted from the variability observed for particular points and transformation intensity. Furthermore in the following study, the reaction rate constant for the increase and decrease in the concentrations of the phosphorus species in sediments was given. It was indicated that the speed of the phosphorus species transformations was affected by the environment temperature. In the heated water discharge zone (water temp. 17–35°C) the concentrations of selected speciation phosphorus forms increased more than in the dam zone (5–25°C). It was also found that the abundance of the bottom sediments with phosphorus species was related to the oblong and transverse asymmetry of reservoir depth.
Application of environmetric methods to investigate control factors on water quality
Authors: Boyacioglu Hülya , Boyacioglu Hayal
Published: August 2017

In the study, environmetric methods were successfully performed a) to explore natural and anthropogenic controls on reservoir water quality, b) to investigate spatial and temporal differences in quality, and c) to determine quality variables discriminating three reservoirs in Izmir, Turkey. Results showed that overall water quality was mainly governed by “natural factors” in the whole region. A parameter that was the most important in contributing to water quality variation for one reservoir was not important for another. Between summer and winter periods, difference in arsenic concentrations were statistically significant in the Tahtalı, Ürkmez and iron concentrations were in the Balçova reservoirs. Observation of high/low levels in two seasons was explained by different processes as for instance, dilution from runoff at times of high flow seeped through soil and entered the river along with the rainwater run-off and adsorption. Three variables “boron, arsenic and sulphate” discriminated quality among Balçova & Tahtalı, Balçova & Ürkmez and two variables “zinc and arsenic” among the Tahtalı & Ürkmez reservoirs. The results illustrated the usefulness of multivariate statistical techniques to fingerprint pollution sources and investigate temporal/spatial variations in water quality.
Evaluation of the impact of explanatory variables on the accuracy of prediction of daily inflow to the sewage treatment plant by selected models nonlinear
Authors: Szeląg Bartosz , Bartkiewicz Lidia , Studziński Jan , Barbusiński Krzysztof
Published: August 2017

The aim of the study was to evaluate the possibility of applying different methods of data mining to model the inflow of sewage into the municipal sewage treatment plant. Prediction models were elaborated using methods of support vector machines (SVM), random forests (RF), k-nearest neighbour (k-NN) and of Kernel regression (K). Data consisted of the time series of daily rainfalls, water level measurements in the clarified sewage recipient and the wastewater inflow into the Rzeszow city plant. Results indicate that the best models with one input delayed by 1 day were obtained using the k-NN method while the worst with the K method. For the models with two input variables and one explanatory one the smallest errors were obtained if model inputs were sewage inflow and rainfall data delayed by 1 day and the best fit is provided using RF method while the worst with the K method. In the case of models with three inputs and two explanatory variables, the best results were reported for the SVM and the worst for the K method. In the most of the modelling runs the smallest prediction errors are obtained using the SVM method and the biggest ones with the K method. In the case of the simplest model with one input delayed by 1 day the best results are provided using k-NN method and by the models with two inputs in two modelling runs the RF method appeared as the best.
Optimisation of the conservation of rare and vulnerable plant species in the perspective of climate change in Lithuanian (nature) reserves
Authors: Ignatavicius Gytautas , Toleikiene Monika
Published: August 2017

Nature reserves are one of the most important measures in saving biodiversity, however, during the climate change, a real danger arises, that these territories would not be able to fulfill the objectives. In order to mitigate negative effects of climate change in protected areas it is necessary to create and apply management programs, based on future ecosystems needs. The main aim of presented study was to evaluate sensitivity of rare and vulnerable species to climate change in order to suggest measures for better management of nature reserves in the future.

According to scientific literature, 12 biological and ecological plant characteristics determining sensitivity of species (limiting factors) have been detected. 73 plant species that are protected in Lithuanian reserves were evaluated qualitatively according to limiting factors of climate change. As the result, it was offered to apply additional protection measures to 47 species in the light of climate change. Groups of plant species that should be affected highly negatively or highly positively were identified. 16% of plant species protected in nature reserves were evaluated as very sensitive to climate change and the condition of these plants may worsen. On the other hand, 14 plant species were given as least sensitive to negative effects and future climate is more favorable to species growth and spread than the existing. The highest danger is predicted for Silene chlorantha (Willd.) Ehrh., and the best condition is predicted for Mentha longifolia (L.) Huds. Dactylorhiza incarnata (L.) Soó.

The study also gives recommendations for the protection of rare plants in the future. Different management measures are taken into account: mitigation of the direct effect of climate change (I), improvement of an existing level of rareness (II), respecting the relation to physical and biological environment (III), consideration of spread and geographical limits (IV). Three management intensity levels were suggested according to species sensitivity.
Microbiota of anaerobic digesters in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant
Authors: Świątczak Piotr , Cydzik-Kwiatkowska Agnieszka , Rusanowska Paulina
Published: August 2017

Anaerobic digestion is an important technology for the bio-based economy. The stability of the process is crucial for its successful implementation and depends on the structure and functional stability of the microbial community. In this study, the total microbial community was analyzed during mesophilic fermentation of sewage sludge in full-scale digesters.

The digesters operated at 34–35°C, and a mixture of primary and excess sludge at a ratio of 2:1 was added to the digesters at 550 m3/d, for a sludge load of 0.054 m3/(m3·d). The amount and composition of biogas were determined. The microbial structure of the biomass from the digesters was investigated with use of next-generation sequencing.

The percentage of methanogens in the biomass reached 21%, resulting in high quality biogas (over 61% methane content). The abundance of syntrophic bacteria was 4.47%, and stable methane production occurred at a Methanomicrobia to Synergistia ratio of 4.6:1.0. The two most numerous genera of methanogens (about 11% total) wereMethanosaetaandMethanolinea, indicating that, at the low substrate loading in the digester, the acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic paths of methane production were equally important. The high abundance of the orderBacteroidetes, including the classCytophagia(11.6% of all sequences), indicated the high potential of the biomass for efficient degradation of lignocellulitic substances, and for degradation of protein and amino acids to acetate and ammonia.

This study sheds light on the ecology of microbial groups that are involved in mesophilic fermentation in mature, stably-performing microbiota in full-scale reactors fed with sewage sludge under low substrate loading.
Lp -L 2 estimates for solutions of the wave equation associated to the Grushin operator
Authors: Thangavelu Sundaram , Dogga Venku Naidu
Published: August 2017

This article deals with{L^{p}}-{L^{2}}estimates for solutions of the wave equation associated to the Grushin operator{G:=-\Delta-|x|^{2}\frac{\partial^{2}}{\partial t^{2}}}on{\mathbb{R}^{n+1}}. We make use of the{L^{p}}boundedness of Riesz transforms for the Grushin operator in studying the wave equation.
Souvenirs for the Capital
Authors: Strand Kendra
Published: August 2017

Around 1350, a wandering lay priest called Sōkyū (dates unknown) left his home of Tsukushi in northern Kyushu, and embarked upon a journey through what is now the Tōhoku region of Japan. The “East Country”, as Sōkyū and his peers in the Imperial Palace call it, was considered a remote and wild land. It nonetheless held a romantic appeal for certain place names that had long been famous in the poetic canon. These famous place names, or utamakura, provide the basic structure for Souvenirs, and it soon becomes clear that one great motivation for Sōkyū’s journey is to view the landscapes of those celebrated places, and to better understand the origins and history of their names. The journal begins by introducing a man who “turned away from the mundane world”, and then shifts immediately to Sōkyū’s first-person perspective. The journey is here within the realm of formal Buddhist practice. Sōkyū’s determination to “follow into the past the tracks left under trees and over rocks” is founded upon the view that wandering supports ascetic practice and facilitates a purposeful rejection of the comforts of the material world. In the translation that follows, each utamakura is rendered into English, followed by its full Japanese name, only when that name’s meaning is highly relevant to Sōkyū’s poetry. Names of provinces, temples, and shrines, as well as utamakura sites mentioned in passing, are left in the Japanese, with an indication of the type of geographical feature they represent.
University Newspaper Editorial: The Starting Point of the Student Movement
Authors: Perkins Chris
Published: August 2017

The editorial translated below appeared in the University Newspaper (Daigaku Shinbun), published out of Tokyo Imperial University, on 11 October 1945. It is a very early example of the reemergence of the Japanese student movement after years of repression under the wartime regime. The central issue animating the editorial is the question of how to guard against the rise of “liars and opportunists,” who will use the language of democracy to further their own interests. For the writer, the answer is a vigorous association of progressives, with students at its heart. But for students to be able to play their proper, indeed historically mandated role in such a movement, they first need to acquire the correct political subjectivity. This is the starting point of the student movement.
Rites of Blind Biwa Players
Authors: Khalmirzaeva Saida
Published: August 2017

Not much is known about the past activities of blind biwa players from Kyushu. During the twentieth century a number of researchers and folklorists, such as Tanabe Hisao, Kimura Yūshō, Kimura Rirō, Nomura (Ga) Machiko, Narita Mamoru, Hyōdō Hiromi and Hugh de Ferranti, collected data on blind biwa players in various regions of Kyushu, made recordings of their performances and conducted detailed research on the history and nature of their tradition. However, despite these efforts to document and publicize the tradition of blind biwa players and its representatives and their repertory, it ended around the end of the twentieth century. The most extensively documented individual was Yamashika Yoshiyuki 山鹿良之 (1901–1996), one of the last representatives of the tradition of blind biwa players, who was known among researchers and folklorists for his skill in performing and an abundant repertory that included rites and a great many tales. Yamashika was born in 1901 in a farmer family in Ōhara of Tamana District, the present-day Kobaru of Nankan, Kumamoto Prefecture. Yamashika lost the sight in his left eye at the age of four. At the age of twenty-two Yamashika apprenticed with a biwa player named Ezaki Shotarō 江崎初太郎 from Amakusa. From his teacher Yamashika learned such tales as Miyako Gassen Chikushi Kudari 都合戦筑紫下り, Kikuchi Kuzure 菊池くづれ, Kugami Gassen くがみ合戦, Owari Sōdō 尾張騒動, Sumidagawa 隅田川 and Mochi Gassen 餅合戦. After three years Yamashika returned home. He was not capable of doing much farm work because his eyesight had deteriorated further by then. Yamashika decided to become a professional biwa player and dedicate his life to storytelling. However, in order to do so he had to increase the number of pieces in his repertory. For about a year Yamashika followed a performer named Mori Yoichi 森与一. Yamashika learned from him such tales as Ichi no Tani 一の谷, Ko-Atsumori 小敦盛, Azekakehime あぜかけ姫, Shuntokumaru 俊徳丸 and Oguri Hangan 小栗判官. Yamashika learned hashira-date 柱立て, which is performed during the Watamashi わたまし, from a performer named Kyōbutsu 教仏, and sanjū-butsu (or sanjū hotoke) 三十仏 from Sakamoto Saichi 坂本さいち. Yamashika kept learning stories and pieces for ritual performances from other biwa players and ritualists throughout his early performing life. From around 1970, he became one of the most popular biwa players from Kyushu due to his many public performances organized by local and central organizations, and publications that elucidated some aspects of the performer’s life and the tradition he represented and practiced throughout his life. The translation of one ritual piece from his repertory, Watamashi わたまし, is presented in this paper.
The Chronicle of Kamatari
Authors: Bauer Mikaël Philip J.
Published: August 2017

The Chronicle of Kamatari is the first of the three extant parts of the Tōshi Kaden (The History of the Fujiwara House). Most likely composed around the middle of the eighth century, the Chronicle tells us the story of Nakatomi no Kamatari (614–669), the patriarch of the Fujiwara house. The text is important in three ways. First, if provides details regarding seventh century political developments not included in other sources. Second, borrowing from several Chinese sources and the Nihon Shoki, the text presents a fine example of East Asian intertextuality. Third, the Chronicle greatly contributes to our understanding of the establishment and formulation of sovereignty in the early Japanese state.
Raise your voice in song! The Origins of the New Japanese Literature Association
Authors: Gibeau Mark
Published: August 2017

This translation of Miyamoto Yuriko’s (1899–1951) 1946 essay constitutes a unique moment in the melding of politics and literature in Japan. Written in the heady days of immediate post-defeat Japan, the essay highlights the strategy of a profoundly optimistic literary left to win the hearts and minds of the Japanese masses. At the same time, however, it also hints at the complicated problem of how to deal with the large numbers of people – intellectuals and writers in particular – who abandoned their affiliations with the communist movement during the war and embraced the militarist regime.
Organ Donation: from Point of View of Students Doing Medical Internship in India
Authors: Bharambe Vaishaly K. , Arole Vasanti U. , Puranam Vatsalaswamy , Manvikar Purushottam , Rathod Hetal K.
Published: August 2017

Introduction. To study the knowledge and attitude of a medical student doing internship with regards to organ donation. Methods. A total of 50 specially designed questionnaires were distributed among medical students doing internship at a medical college. Those who gave their consent to participate in the study were asked to fill out the questionnaire. Results. 86% gave their consent to participate in the study. 100% were aware of the concept of organ donation. 68% had obtained this knowledge from newspapers. 4% had obtained knowledge from the Medical College. 48%, 48% and 34% believed that an organ donor was live, brain dead and cardiac dead, respectively. Awareness regarding kidney, eye, liver, heart and skin donation was found to be 82%, 80%, 80%, 62% and 64%, respectively. 54% were aware of Law pertaining to organ donation. 90% were either positive or willing to consider organ donation themselves. 10% felt that the donated organ might be misused. Conclusion. Health care professionals are the first to establish relationship with the potential donor’s family and are a crucial link in the organ procurement process. Their attitude and level of knowledge regarding organ donation would reflect directly on the organ donation activity of any region. The interns in the present study had positive attitude towards organ donation but were lacking in knowledge about some key aspects such as brain death and legality involved in organ donation. Majority of the medical professionals had obtained their knowledge from newspapers and very few were taught about organ donation in the medical college. If education on organ donation and its various aspects was included in medical curriculum, it could empower the future medical care professionals with knowledge to further study the cause of organ donation and serve the society better.
A Case of Multiple Myeloma Diagnosed by Renal Biopsy
Authors: Caliskan Lutfiye Bilge , Karadeniz Tugba , Ekmekci Sumeyye , Avcioglu Banu Yilmaz , Tanrisev Mehmet , Kaypak Muhammed Ali , Yarkici Hakan , Ceylan Cengiz , Akar Harun
Published: August 2017

Multiple myeloma is a malignant disease that results in the proliferation of a single plasma cell clone. The clinical manifestations are anemia, bone pain, bone fractures, hypercalcemia, hypergammaglobulinemia, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, rouleaux formation on the peripheral blood smear and rarely increased serum viscosity. Rarely cast nephropathy associated with acute renal failure may be the first finding of multiple myeloma. We report a clinical case of a 44-year-old female patient who presented with acute renal failure due to cast nephropathy without myeloma’s typical clinical and laboratory findings. In the clinical case presented here, we highlight that multiple myeloma can be presented with acute renal failure and without any other typical symptoms.
Predicting outcomes of EGFR-targeted therapy in non-small cell lung cancer patients using pleural effusions samples and peptide nucleic acid probe assay
Authors: Wang Mei-Chia , Wang Chih-Liang , Chen Tai-Long , Chang John Wen-Cheng , Lu Jang-Jih , Chang Pi-Yueh , Chiou Chiuan-Chian
Published: August 2017

Background:

Mutation of epidermal growth factor receptor (

Methods:

We designed a fluorophore-labeled peptide nucleic acid (PNA) probe assay for three types of

Results:

In 15 paired samples, PNA probe assay in pleural effusion samples could detect all the mutations that were identified by conventional PCR plus Sanger sequencing in tissue biopsies. In addition, PNA probe assay detected three more T790M mutations. In all 39 pleural effusions, the PNA probe assay detected 27 having at least one of the three

Conclusions:

Mutations detected in pleural effusions using PNA probe assay are highly associated with clinical outcome. This method appears to be a reliable way for the prediction of the efficacy of
Experiencing and construing spatial artifacts from within: Simulated artifact immersion as a multimodal viewpoint strategy
Authors: Mittelberg Irene
Published: August 2017

Viewpoint has been shown to be a powerful construal mechanism in multimodal spoken and signed discourse, as well as in various other modalities and genres. This paper investigates embodied viewpoint strategies that have been observed when speakers combine speech, gestures, postures, gaze, and simulated action to describe their interaction with spatial artifacts such as gallery buildings, virtual architectural models, and paintings. Simulated artifact immersion is introduced as a multimodal viewpoint strategy whereby speakers submerge into their mental representation of an artifact by perceiving and experiencing it from an internal vantage point. It is argued that this viewpoint strategy tends to be employed when there is no narrative structure for the speakers to fall back on. The paper’s aim is twofold: (a) to show that when speakers talk about their own experiences with spatial artifacts, distinguishing between immersed and non-immersed experiential viewpoint strategies may be more fitting than distinguishing between character and observer viewpoint; and (b) to discuss how considering the interaction of iconic, indexical, and metonymic principles in gesture may elucidate viewpoint phenomena in general.
New Algorithm for First order Stiff Initial Value Problems
Authors: Adesanya A. O. , Onsachi R. O. , Odekunle M. R.
Published: August 2017

In this paper, we consider the development and implementation of algorithms for the solution of stiff first order initial value problems. Method of interpolation and collocation of basis function to give system of nonlinear equations which is solved for the unknown parameters to give a continuous scheme that is evaluated at selected grid points to give discrete methods. The stability properties of the method is verified and numerical experiments show that the new method is efficient in handling stiff problems.
A Fixed Point Theorem for Contractive Mappings with Nonlinear Combinations of Rational Expressions in b-Metric Spaces
Authors: Barrera W. E. , Morales J. R. , Rojas E. M.
Published: August 2017

In this paper we discuss the existence and uniqueness of fixed points for mappings satisfying several (nonlinear-combinations) contractive inequalities of rational type controlled by altering distance functions. Our results extend several fixed point results in the literature.
On Semi δs-Irresolute Functions
Authors: Caldas M. , Jafari S.
Published: August 2017

The concept of semi δs-irresolute function in topological spaces is introduced and studied. Some of their characteristic properties are considered. Also we investigate the relationships between these classes of functions and other classes of noncontinuous functions.
Best Approximation in Metric Spaces
Authors: Narang T. D. , Gupta Sahil
Published: August 2017

The aim of this paper is to prove some results on the existence and uniqueness of elements of best approximation and continuity of the metric projection in metric spaces. For a subset M of a metric space (X; d), the nature of set of those points of X which have at most one best approximation in M has been discussed. Some equivalent conditions under which an M-space is strictly convex have also been given in this paper.
Autoclave-assisted green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using A. fumigatus mycelia extract and the evaluation of their physico-chemical properties and antibacterial activity
Authors: Ghanbari Sarah , Vaghari Hamideh , Sayyar Zahra , Adibpour Mohammad , Jafarizadeh-Malmiri Hoda
Published: August 2017

Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized usingAspergillus fumigatus(A. fumigatus) mycelia extract via the hydrothermal method. The main reducing and stabilizing groups and components ofA. fumigatusextract, such as amine, hydroxyl, amid, protein, enzymes, and cell saccharide compounds, were identified by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR). Central composition design was used to plan the experiments, and response surface methodology was applied to evaluate of the effects of independent variables, including the amount of the prepared extract (5–7 ml) and heating time (10–20 min) at 121°C and 1.5 bar), on the particle size of the synthesized AgNPs, as manifested in broad emission peak (λmax). More stable and spherical monodispersed AgNPs, with mean particle size, polydispersity index (PDI) value, and maximum ζ potential value of 23 nm, 0.270, and +35.3 mV, respectively, were obtained at the optimal synthesis conditions using 7 ml ofA. fumigatusextract and heating time of 20 min. The synthesized AgNPs indicated high antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
Sirolimus in the treatment of three infants with diffuse congenital hyperinsulinism
Authors: Al-Balwi Rana , Al-Atawi Mohsen , Al-Otaibi Ahlam , Babiker Omar , Al-Mutair Angham
Published: August 2017

Background:

Congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is a major cause of persistent hypoglycemia and brain damage. Therapeutic strategies to avoid near total pancreatectomy in patients who are unresponsive to maximum doses of diazoxide and octreotide remain to be identified, although sirolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, has been used successfully to treat diffuse type CHI.

Case presentation:

We used sirolimus to treat three infants with diffuse CHI. Diagnosis was confirmed clinically, biochemically and by genetic testing. Homozygous mutations in

Conclusions:

We conclude that sirolimus is less effective in the treatment of diffuse CHI in patients with severe mutations in the homozygous state compared with those with the mutations in the heterozygous.
Assessment of the correlation between the atherogenic index of plasma and cardiometabolic risk factors in children and adolescents: might it be superior to the TG/HDL-C ratio?
Authors: Nogay Nalan Hakime
Published: August 2017

Background:

Most of the studies investigating the correlation between the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) and cardiometabolic risk factors have been conducted with adults, while only a limited number of related studies that involved children and adolescents has been conducted. The purpose of this study is to assess the correlation between the AIP and other cardiometabolic risk factors in adolescents.

Methods:

This study was conducted with 310 girls and 90 boys who were between the ages of 6 and 18 years. After a 10-h fasting period, the biochemical values of the participants were measured in the morning. The anthropometric measurements of the participants were also taken. The AIP was calculated as Log10 (triglycerides/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; TG/HDL-C).

Results:

In adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18, the mean AIP of the group with TG ≥130 mg/dL was significantly higher than that of the groups with TG of 90–129 mg/dL and <90 mg/dL. There was a strong correlation between TG and AIP for both boys and girls among the children and adolescents, while there was a strong correlation between the TG/HDL-C ratio and TG only in the boys who were within the 6–11-year-old age group.

Conclusions:

An increase in AIP is associated with cardiovascular risk factors in children and adolescents other than those seen in adults. Based on the TG/HDL-C ratio, the AIP may be superior as a complementary index in the assessment of cardiometabolic risks in children and adolescents.
Crystal structure of tetrapropylammonium hydrogen carbonate, C13H29NO3
Authors: Wang Peizhi , Wang Peiyu , Bai Ming
Published: August 2017

C13H29NO3, monoclinic, P21/n (no. 14), a = 8.9493(3) Å, b = 15.2470(7) Å, c = 11.3846(5) Å, β = 93.824(3)°, V = 1549.97(11) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0501, wR
ref(F
2) =0.1849, T = 296 K.
Crystal structure of bis(hydroxydi(pyridin-2-yl)methanolato-κ3
N,N′,O)cobalt(III) perchlorate dihydrate, C22H22ClCoN4O10
Authors: Liu Feng , Li Weihua , Lu Hui , Sun Jianhua
Published: August 2017

C22H22ClCoN4O10, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 8.4566(7) Å, b = 11.9163(7) Å, c = 12.4333(9) Å, α = 99.770(1)°, β = 103.490(1)°, γ = 90.290(1)°, V = 1199.38(15) Å3, Z = 2, R
gt(F) = 0.0295, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.0774, T = 150 K.
Cognitive impairment in multiple sclerosis – a review of current knowledge and recent research
Authors: Grzegorski Tomasz , Losy Jacek
Published: August 2017

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic, progressive disease of the central nervous system that is characterised by inflammatory damage to the myelin sheath. Though often neglected, cognitive impairment is a common feature of MS that affects 43–70% of patients. It has a sophisticated neuroanatomic and pathophysiologic background and disturbs such vital cognitive domains as speed of information processing, memory, attention, executive functions and visual perceptual functions. In recent years there has been growing interest in neuroimaging findings with regard to cognitive impairment in MS. The possible options of managing cognitive dysfunction in MS are pharmacologic interventions, cognitive rehabilitation and exercise training; however, not enough evidence has been presented in this field. The aim of our article is to provide current knowledge on cognitive impairment in MS based on the most recent scientific results and conclusions with regard to affected cognitive domains, neuropsychological assessment, underlying mechanisms of this disturbance, neuroimaging findings and therapeutic options.
Sociology in Communist Romania: An Institutional and Biographical Overview
Authors: Bosomitu Ștefan
Published: August 2017

Suppressed on ideological grounds, banned as academic discipline, and dismantled as scientific infrastructure in the first postwar years, sociology was re-institutionalized in communist Romania during the 1960s, largely on political grounds. Subsequently, the discipline developed and augmented within an impressive scientific infrastructure - several university departments were established, research centres and facilities initiated, and specialized periodicals issued. Still, the prosperous period of Romanian sociology concluded after just one decade, through another political decision, which confined the study of sociology to post-graduate specialization and restricted research. My paper explores sociology’s institutional infrastructure, as it was established after the discipline’s renewal, focusing on the institutions created, but also on the biographical analysis of those involved within these processes. My paper will address the matter from a historical perspective, discussing the developments and the evolutions in the field by circumscribing to the political, cultural, and socio-economic contexts.
The Knowledge of the Securitate: Secret Agents as Anthropologists
Authors: Poenaru Florin
Published: August 2017

In this paper I regard the Securitate (the Romanian secret police) as an epistemic form through which the socialist state gathered knowledge about reality, while it also performatively sought to create reality in keeping with its ideological presuppositions. More generally I suggest that the Securitate was in fact a form of (social) science deployed by the state in relation to its subjects. Just as any instrument of knowledge, the work of the Securitate was not simply descriptive but also, in the process, it aimed to shape its very object of inquiry. The Securitate was one of the institutions, central no doubt, through which the Romanian socialist state sought to define and protect its own, new, version of reality and social order. From this perspective, far from being an outcome of the socialist power, the secret police was what constituted that power to define and bring into being a new reality. In this process the secret agents played the role of anthropologists of the new world.