bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Myoelectric Computer Interface Training for Reducing Co-Activation and Enhancing Arm Movement in Chronic Stroke Survivors: A Randomized Trial
Authors: Mugler Emily M. , Tomic Goran , Singh Aparna , Hameed Saad , Lindberg Eric W. , Gaide Jon , Alqadi Murad , Robinson Elizabeth , Dalzotto Katherine , Limoli Camila , Jacobson Tyler , Lee Jungwha , Slutzky Marc W.
Published: March 2019

Background. Abnormal muscle co-activation contributes to impairment after stroke. We developed a myoelectric computer interface (MyoCI) training paradigm to reduce abnormal co-activation. MyoCI provides intuitive feedback about muscle activation patterns, enabling decoupling of these muscles. Objective. To investigate tolerability and effects of MyoCI training of 3 muscle pairs on arm motor recovery after stroke, including effects of training dose and isometric versus movement-based training. Methods. We randomized chronic stroke survivors with moderate-to-severe arm impairment to 3 groups. Two groups tested different doses of isometric MyoCI (60 vs 90 minutes), and one group tested MyoCI without arm restraint (90 minutes), over 6 weeks. Primary outcome was arm impairment (Fugl-Meyer Assessment). Secondary outcomes included function, spasticity, and elbow range-of-motion at weeks 6 and 10. Results. Over all 32 subjects, MyoCI training of 3 muscle pairs significantly reduced impairment (Fugl-Meyer Assessment) by 3.3 ± 0.6 and 3.1 ± 0.7 ( P < 10−4) at weeks 6 and 10, respectively. Each group improved significantly from baseline; no significant differences were seen between groups. Participants’ lab-based and home-based function also improved at weeks 6 and 10 ( P ≤ .01). Spasticity also decreased over all subjects, and elbow range-of-motion improved. Both moderately and severely impaired patients showed significant improvement. No participants had training-related adverse events. MyoCI reduced abnormal co-activation, which appeared to transfer to reaching in the movement group. Conclusions. MyoCI is a well-tolerated, novel rehabilitation tool that enables stroke survivors to reduce abnormal co-activation. It may reduce impairment and spasticity and improve arm function, even in severely impaired patients.
Left Internal Thoracic Artery Graft Assessment by Firefly Fluorescence Imaging for Robot-Assisted Minimally Invasive Direct Coronary Artery Bypass
Authors: Nakamura Yoshitsugu , Kuroda Miho , Ito Yujiro , Masuda Takahiko , Nishijima Shuhei , Hirano Takahisa , Hisasue Shinichi
Published: March 2019

Objective

The da Vinci Xi surgical system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) cannot give tactile feedback to surgeons. This shortcoming may increase the risk of left internal thoracic artery (LITA) injury during its harvest. We utilized Firefly Fluorescence Imaging (Firefly) to assess LITA quality in robot-assisted minimally invasive direct coronary artery bypass (R-MIDCAB).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed clinical records and intraoperative videos of 30 consecutive patients who underwent R-MIDCAB with LITA–left anterior descending (LAD) coronary bypass. All patients had post-harvest assessment of LITA blood flow by Firefly with 1 mL (2.5 mg/mL) of indocyanine green injection through a central line.

Results

Twenty-seven of the patients were male, mean age was 67.7 ± 10.7 years. In post-harvest assessment performed before transection of the distal LITA, blood flow in LITA was well visualized in 28 patients. In the remaining 2 patients, 1 had dissection and the other had severe spasm of the LITA. Firefly was also useful for locating LITA and LAD and for assessing blood flow of the graft after anastomosis. Time required for each Firefly assessment was approximately 20 seconds. There were no side effects or complications due to Firefly intraoperatively and postoperatively. Twenty-six patients had postoperative coronary computed tomography; LITA patency rate was 100% (26/26).

Conclusion

Firefly is fast, simple, and effective for locating and assessing flow in LITA and LAD before and after anastomosis in R-MIDCAB.
Clinical and Functional Outcomes Associated with Age after Transapical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Okoh Alexis Kofi , Kang Nathan , Haik Nicky , Fugar Setri , Chunguang Chen , Bruce Haik , Cohen Marc , Russo Mark J.
Published: March 2019

Objective

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) via a transapical (TA) approach has been associated with high morbidity. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of age and clinical and functional outcomes after TA-TAVR.

Methods

Patients who had TA-TAVR at a single center were divided into 3 age groups: <75 years (Group I), 75 to 85 years (Group II), and >85 years (Group III). Pre- and postoperative clinical, functional status, and procedure-related outcomes were compared among patient groups. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess the impact of age on overall all-cause mortality.

Results

Out of 183 TA-TAVR cases performed, 117 met the study criteria. These included 15 aged <75 years, 60 aged 75 to 85 years, and 42 aged >85 years. Short-term (30-day) clinical and functional status improved significantly for all age groups. The incidence of acute kidney injury, access site complications, and requirement for permanent pacemaker were similar for all age groups at 30 days. After a median follow-up of 26 months, overall all-cause survival rates were 86% for Group I, 88% for Group II, and 83% for Group III at 1 year. Cox proportional hazards model showed frailty status (HR: 1.84; 95% CI, 1.23 to 2.69; P = 0.003) but not age as an independent predictor of overall all-cause mortality.

Conclusions

Findings from this study suggest that both older and younger patients benefit from TA-TAVR with comparable operative outcomes. Age should not be an exclusion criterion for TA-TAVR.
Literature review of numerical simulation and optimisation of the shot peening process
Authors: Chen Jun S , Desai Dawood A , Heyns Stephan P , Pietra Francesco
Published: March 2019

This work provides a comprehensive review of numerical simulation and optimisation of the shot peening found in the existing literature over the past 10 years. The review found that the developed numerical models coupling finite elements with discrete elements became increasingly mature and showed their advantages in incorporating flow behaviour and randomness of shots. High emphasis must be placed on the constitutive equations of target material where its strain-rate sensitivity, cyclic behaviour and Bauschinger effects are recommended to be incorporated in the numerical material model simultaneously since considering one of them in isolation may lead to unreliable distribution of residual stresses. Furthermore, material hardening is a critical benefit of shot peening; however, it has not received its deserved attention from the existing investigations, neither in simulation nor in optimisation. The study found that intensity and coverage are two critical control parameters recommended to be constraints for optimisation of shot peening. Finally, this work also found that developed heuristic algorithms, such as genetic algorithms have recently showed their advantages for searching optimal combinations of peening parameters. It is plausible that in the near future, the synergy of combining these algorithms with approximation models can be expected to gain more attention by researchers.
Effective optimal control strategy for hybrid electric vehicle with continuously variable transmission
Authors: Li Hangyang , Hu Xiaolan , Fu Bing , Wang Jiande , Zhang Feitie , Zhou Yunshan
Published: March 2019

Hybrid electric vehicles equipped with continuously variable transmission show dramatic improvements in fuel economy and driving performance because they can continuously adjust the operating points of the power source. This article proposes an optimal control strategy for continuously variable transmission–based hybrid electric vehicles with a pre-transmission parallel configuration. To explore the fuel-saving potential of the given configuration, a ‘control-oriented’ quasi-static vehicle model is built, and dynamic programming is adopted to determine the optimal torque split factor and continuously variable transmission speed ratio. However, a single-criterion cost function will lead to undesirable drivability problems. To tackle this problem, the main factors affecting the driving performance of a continuously variable transmission–based hybrid electric vehicle are studied. On that basis, a multicriterion cost function is proposed by introducing drivability constraints. By varying the weighting factors, the trade-off between fuel economy and drivability can be evaluated under a predetermined driving cycle. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, simulation experiments are performed under four different driving cycles, and the results indicate that the proposed method greatly enhanced the drivability without significantly increasing fuel consumption. Compared to a single-criterion cost function, the use of multiple criteria is more representative of real-world driving behaviour and thus provides better reference solutions to evaluate suboptimal online controllers.
Numerical and experimental analyses of intake silencer and its effects on turbocharger compressor performance
Authors: Liu Chen , Cao Yipeng , Liu Yang , Zhang Wenping , Ming Pingjian , Ding Sihui
Published: March 2019

Numerical studies of a marine diesel engine intake silencer are conducted to evaluate its performance, and effects of the silencer on the turbocharger compressor performance are also discussed. The results show that the duct acoustic mode method can be used in the silencer transmission loss prediction, and the predicted noise reduction and main frequency range agree with the measurements fairly well. However, it is found that the silencer compromises the compressor performance by shortening its operating range. It is found that the static pressure on the compressor blade surface is decreased, thus the compressor total-to-total pressure ratio and isentropic efficiency are reduced. Pressure fluctuations at compressor rotor and stator inlets enhanced when a silencer is installed, which means the trend of pressure spectrum in the rotor and stator passage is changed. Compared with the results of a compressor in natural aspiration, it is found that the silencer can significantly reduce high-frequency noise. In particular, it is quite effective in tonal noise reduction. In addition, the compressor inlet noise spectrum indicates that noise radiation characteristics are different with a silencer installed.
A Wiener process–based remaining life prediction method for light-emitting diode driving power in rail vehicle carriage
Authors: Gao Zhi , Yin Xiaojing , Zhang Bangcheng , Chen Minmin , Li Bo
Published: March 2019

Remaining life prediction is an effective way to optimize maintenance strategy and improve service life for light-emitting diode driving power in rail vehicle carriage. In this article, a Wiener process–based remaining life prediction method is proposed with the analysis of performance degradation data of light-emitting diode driving power in rail vehicle carriage. First, the temperature and humidity stress accelerated degradation tests are put forward in order to measure the output current of light-emitting diode driving power. Based on the output current, the accelerated degradation model is established. The drift and diffusion coefficients of the Wiener process are then obtained without prior information. Finally, the reliability of light-emitting diode driving power in rail vehicle carriage is assessed and the remaining lifetime is predicted after updating the degradation model parameters with Bayesian inference. The results show that the proposed method can improve the precision of assessment and reduce the uncertainty of prediction significantly. It also provides a potential solution for life prediction of other similar products.
Sugammadex is changing the paradigm in neuromuscular blockade in patients with myotonic dystrophy
Authors: Teixeira Joana , Matias Bernardo , Ferreira Irene , Taleço Tiago , Duarte João S
Published: March 2019

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is a rare neuromuscular disease that represents a challenge to anaesthetic management. Most of the literature does not recommend the usage of neuromuscular blocking agents, if general anaesthesia is needed in these patients. Depolarising neuromuscular blocking agents like suxamethonium are contraindicated, and there might be an increased sensitivity to non-depolarising agents like rocuronium with greater risk of postoperative residual neuromuscular blockade and consequent respiratory failure. Reversing neuromuscular blockade is also problematic as neostigmine can induce myotonic crisis, impairing normal ventilation. We discuss the use of sugammadex for neuromuscular blockade reversal, from a clinical case of a patient with myotonic dystrophy type 1 for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The patient had a general anaesthesia with neuromuscular blockade with rocuronium. After the surgical procedure, neuromuscular blockade was safely reversed with sugammadex, guided by neuromuscular monitoring without any perioperative complications.
Learning styles
Authors: Kotecha Anish
Published: March 2019

General practice requires a breadth of knowledge and continual learning. Professional development requires ongoing commitment, dedication and a strong work ethic. Often acceptance of the need to learn is not matched by knowledge of how best to learn. Educational theory suggests that being aware of individual learning preference allows more effective learning. There are several methods of learning and different learning activities will suit people according to preferred learning styles. A trainer, for example, can prepare more effective tutorials with this knowledge. This article considers some of the models of learning style to inform more effective individual learning.
Chinese development aid to Asia: Size and motives
Authors: Oh Yoon Ah
Published: March 2019

This research note empirically examines China’s development assistance to Asia, a region critical to China’s geostrategic ambition, from 2000 to 2014. It uses AidData’s Global Chinese Official Finance Dataset, one of the most reliable publicly available data sources on Chinese aid, which systematically collects and classifies different types of China’s official development finance. It is found that, despite a recent surge, China’s development assistance to Asia remains highly limited compared to that of Japan, Asia’s top donor, and that the economic sectors of energy, transport, and mining dominate financial flows. Econometric analysis results suggest that China’s aid allocation in Asia is influenced by its export relations, but, more importantly, that foreign policy considerations do not play a significant role, which is in contrast to the findings of recent work on Chinese aid to Africa. The results suggest that better measures may be needed to properly capture China’s strategic interests in Asia, including its involvement in the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
Tackling Childhood Overweight: Parental Perceptions of Stakeholders’ Roles in a Community-Based Intervention
Authors: Blanchette Sébastien , Lemoyne Jean , Trudeau Francois
Published: March 2019

Introduction. Collaborative efforts among communities, schools, parents, and health professionals are needed to prevent childhood obesity, which touches one third of Canadian youth. The purpose of this case study was to obtain parents’ experience and perceptions about stakeholder roles in a multidisciplinary community-based intervention aiming to tackle childhood overweight. Methods. Data were collected from semistructured interviews with 10 parents following their participation in a community-based program designed to help families with overweight children adopt a healthier lifestyle. Results and Discussion. All parents preferred a multidisciplinary health team to monitor their children’s health. They expect that a physician or a pediatrician could diagnose overweight, explain results to parents, and refer families to resources. The team could also include professionals from health and education such as nutritionists/dietitians, nurses, physical education teachers, psychologists, kinesiologists, and social workers. Parents’ own perceived role would consist of instructing and reinforcing their children about healthy behaviors, role modeling for a healthy lifestyle, and seeking for professional help when needed. Conclusion. Parents involved in a support group with overweight child consider their own role as crucial to help changing their family lifestyle. They also prefer a multidisciplinary team that can address different aspects of overweight/obesity. However, the physician was perceived as having the central role in mobilizing a group of stakeholders around youth with overweight/obese, including the parents. A further step would be to understand barriers and facilitators to collaboration among health professionals in childhood overweight prevention and treatment.
Cultural Capabilities of Dalit Households: Selected Villages in Karnataka
Authors: Peter Pesala , Maruthi I.
Published: March 2019

Culture is a way of life, it differs across caste and country. Rural/urban people practise different kinds of culture in India. The ways of wearing dress, speaking language, worshiping god, having faith, eating different kinds of food items, all comes under cultural practices. Cultural practices vary from group to group and from place to place. Karnataka is purposively selected as the study area. The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach in order to understand the persisting cultural capabilities of the Dalit community in Karnataka villages. Sample respondents were selected by using a multistage random sampling technique. The total sample size is 1,800. In the villages, caste hierarchy is very rigid, and work is done according to standard social norms. Cultural capabilities are different with respect to people of different caste backgrounds.
Novel CD19-targeted TriKE restores NK cell function and proliferative capacity in CLL
Authors: Felices Martin , Kodal Behiye , Hinderlie Peter , Kaminski Michael F. , Cooley Sarah , Weisdorf Daniel J. , Vallera Daniel A. , Miller Jeffrey S. , Bachanova Veronika
Published: March 2019

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is characterized by chronic clonal expansion of mature CD19-expressing B lymphocytes and global dysfunction of immune effectors, including natural killer (NK) cells. CLL remains incurable, and novel approaches to refractory CLL are needed. Our group has previously described trispecific killer engager (TriKE) molecules that redirect NK cell function against tumor cells. TriKE reagents simultaneously bind an activating receptor on NK cells, CD16, and a tumor antigen while also providing an NK cell expansion signal via an interleukin-15 moiety. Here we developed the novel CD19-targeting 161519 TriKE. We demonstrate that 161519 TriKE induced killing of a CD19-expressing Burkitt’s lymphoma cell line and examined the impact on primary CLL targets using healthy donor and patient NK cells. 161519 TriKE induced potent healthy donor NK cell activation, proliferation, and directed killing. Furthermore, 161519 TriKE rescued the inflammatory function of NK cells obtained from CLL patient peripheral blood samples. Finally, we show that 161519 TriKE induced better directed killing of CLL in vitro when compared with rituximab. In conclusion, 161519 TriKE drives a potent activating and proliferative signal on NK cells, resulting in enhanced NK cell expansion and CLL target killing. Our findings indicate the potential immunotherapeutic value of 161519 TriKE in CLL.
Combined photoluminescence and Raman microscopy for the identification of modern pigments: explanatory examples on cross-sections from Russian avant-garde paintings
Authors: Artesani Alessia , Ghirardello Marta , Mosca Sara , Nevin Austin , Valentini Gianluca , Comelli Daniela
Published: March 2019

In conservation science, the identification of painting materials is fundamental for the study of artists’ palettes, for dating and for understanding on-going degradation phenomena. For these purposes, the study of stratigraphic micro-samples provides unique information on the complex heterogeneity of the pictorial artworks. In this context, we propose a combined-microscopy approach based on the application of time-resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) micro-imaging and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The TRPL device is based on pulsed laser excitation (excitation wavelength = 355 nm, 1 ns pulse width) and time-gated detection, and it is suitable for the detection of photoluminescent emissions with lifetime from few nanoseconds to hundreds of microseconds. In this work, the technique is beneficially applied for identifying different luminescent semiconductor and mineral pigments, on the basis of their spectral and decay kinetic emission properties. The spatial heterogeneities, detected in the micro-sample, are investigated with Raman spectroscopy (785-nm in CW mode) for a further identification of the paint composition on basis of the molecular vibrations associated with the crystal structure. The effectiveness and limits of the proposed combined method is discussed through analysis of a corpus of stratigraphic micro-samples from Russian Avant-garde modern paintings. In the selected samples, the method allows the identification of modern inorganic pigments such as cadmium-based pigments, zinc white, titanium white, chrome yellow, ultramarine and cinnabar.
Seismic amplitude variation with offset inversion in a vertical transverse isotropy medium
Authors: Sams Mark , Annamalai Annushia , Gallop Jeremy
Published: March 2019

Vertical transverse isotropy (VTI) will affect seismic inversion, but it is not possible to solve for the full set of anisotropic elastic parameters from amplitude variation with offset inversion because there exists an isotropic solution to every VTI problem. We can easily approximate the pseudoisotropic properties that result from the isotropic solution to the anisotropic problem for well-log data. We can then use these well-log properties to provide a low-frequency model for inversion and/or a framework for interpreting either absolute or relative inversion results. This, however, requires prior knowledge of the anisotropic properties, which are often unavailable or poorly constrained. If we ignore anisotropy and assume that the amplitude variations caused by VTI are going to be accounted for by effective wavelets, the inversion results would be in error: The impact of anisotropy is not merely a case of linear scaling of seismic amplitudes for any particular angle range. Ignoring VTI does not affect the prediction of acoustic impedance, but it does affect predictions of [Formula: see text] and density. For realistic values of anisotropy, these errors can be significant, such as predicting oil instead of brine. If the anisotropy of the rocks is known, then we can invert for the true vertical elastic properties using the known anisotropy coefficients through a facies-based inversion. This can produce a more accurate result than solving for pseudoelastic properties, and it can take advantage of the sometimes increased separation of isotropic and anisotropic rocks in the pseudoisotropic elastic domain. Because the effect of anisotropy will vary depending on the strength of the anisotropy and the distribution of the rocks, we strongly recommend forward modeling for each case prior to inversion to understand the potential impact on the study objectives.
Weighing the Evidence: Variant Classification and Interpretation in Precision Oncology, US Food and Drug Administration Public Workshop—Workshop Proceedings
Authors: Horne Hisani N. , Roscoe Donna , Litwack E. David , Pathak Anand , Pandey Jai P. , Gallagher Pamela S. , Koontz Laura M. , Schuck Robert N. , Lee Eunice Y. , Hu Yun-Fu , Beaver Julia A. , Blumenthal Gideon M. , Philip Reena
Published: March 2019

PURPOSE

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) oncology panels are becoming integral in hospital and academic settings to guide patient treatment and enrollment in clinical trials. Although NGS technologies have revolutionized decision-making for cancer therapeutics, physicians may face many challenges in parsing and prioritizing NGS-based test results to determine the best course of treatment for individual patients. On January 29, 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration held a public workshop entitled, “Weighing the Evidence: Variant Classification and Interpretation in Precision Oncology.” Here, we discuss the presentations and discussion highlights across the four sessions of the workshop.

METHODS

The goal of the public workshop was to engage stakeholders and solicit input from experts in precision oncology to discuss the integration of complex NGS data into patient management and regulatory innovation within the precision oncology community. The US Food and Drug Administration gathered representatives from academia, industry, patient advocacy, government, and professional organizations for a series of presentations followed by panel discussions. After the workshop, the transcript and speaker presentation slides were reviewed and summarized for manuscript preparation.

RESULTS

Speakers and panelists provided diverse perspectives on the integration of NGS technology into patient care for oncology and on the complexities that surround data interpretation and sharing. Discussions highlighted the challenges with standardization for variant classification while expressing the utility of consensus recommendations among stakeholders in oncology for driving innovation in the era of precision medicine.

CONCLUSION

As precision medicine advances, clear communication within the field of precision oncology will be key to creating an environment that facilitates the generation and sharing of data that have value to patients. [Box: see text]
Exosomal transfer of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells-derived miR340 attenuates endometrial fibrosis
Authors: Xiao Bang , Zhu Yiqing , Huang Jinfeng , Wang Tiantian , Wang Fang , Sun Shuhan
Published: March 2019

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have potential therapeutic benefit for the treatment of endometrial diseases and injury. BMSCs interact with uterus parenchymal cells by direct contact or indirect secretion of growth factors to promote functional recovery. In this study, we found that BMSCs treatment of rats subjected to mechanical damage (MD) significantly increased microRNA 340 (miR-340) levels in the regenerated endometrium. Then we employed knock-in and knock-down technologies to up-regulate or down-regulate the miR-340 level in BMSCs (miR-340+ BMSCs or miR-340− BMSCs) and their corresponding exosomes, respectively to test whether exosomes from BMSCs mediate miR-340 transfer. We found that the exosomes released from the primitive BMSCs or miR-340+ BMSCs but not miR-340− BMSCs increased the miR-340 levels in primary cultured endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) compared with the control, respectively. Further verification of this exosome-mediated intercellular communication was performed using exosomal inhibitor, GW4869. Tagging exosomes with red fluorescent protein demonstrated that exosomes were released from BMSCs and transferred to adjacent ESCs. Compared with controls, rats receiving primitive BMSCs treatment significantly improved functional recovery and down-regulated collagen 1α1, α-SMA and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 at day 14 after MD. The outcomes were significantly enhanced by miR-340+ BMSCs treatment, and were significantly weakened by miR-340− BMSCs treatment, compared with primitive BMSCs treatment. In vitro studies reveal that miR-340 transferred from BMSCs suppresses the up-regulated expression of fibrotic genes in ESCs induced by TGF-β1. These data suggest that the effective antifibrotic function of BMSCs is able to transfer miR-340 to ESCs by exosomes, and that enhancing the transfer of BMSCs-derived miR-340 is an alternative modality in preventing intrauterine adhesion.
The Hunchback temporal transcription factor determines motor neuron axon and dendrite targeting in Drosophila
Authors: Seroka Austin Q. , Doe Chris Q.
Published: March 2019

The generation of neuronal diversity is essential for circuit formation and behavior. Morphological differences in sequentially born neurons could be due to intrinsic molecular identity specified by temporal transcription factors (henceforth called intrinsic temporal identity) or due to changing extrinsic cues. Here, we have used the Drosophila NB7-1 lineage to address this issue. NB7-1 generates the U1-U5 motor neurons sequentially; each has a distinct intrinsic temporal identity due to inheritance of different temporal transcription factors at its time of birth. We show that the U1-U5 neurons project axons sequentially, followed by sequential dendrite extension. We misexpressed the earliest temporal transcription factor, Hunchback, to create ‘ectopic’ U1 neurons with an early intrinsic temporal identity but later birth-order. These ectopic U1 neurons have axon muscle targeting and dendrite neuropil targeting that are consistent with U1 intrinsic temporal identity, rather than with their time of birth or differentiation. We conclude that intrinsic temporal identity plays a major role in establishing both motor axon muscle targeting and dendritic arbor targeting, which are required for proper motor circuit development.
Nuclear actin interactome analysis links actin to KAT14 histone acetyl transferase and mRNA splicing
Authors: Viita Tiina , Kyheröinen Salla , Prajapati Bina , Virtanen Jori , Frilander Mikko J. , Varjosalo Markku , Vartiainen Maria K.
Published: March 2019

In addition to its essential functions within the cytoskeleton, actin also localizes to the cell nucleus, where it is linked to many important nuclear processes from gene expression to maintenance of genomic integrity. However, the molecular mechanisms by which actin operates in the nucleus remain poorly understood. Here, we have used two complementary mass spectrometry (MS) techniques, AP-MS and BioID, to identify binding partners for nuclear actin. Common high-confidence interactions highlight the role of actin in chromatin-remodeling complexes and identify the histone-modifying complex human Ada-Two-A-containing (hATAC) as a novel actin-containing nuclear complex. Actin binds directly to the hATAC subunit KAT14, and modulates its histone acetyl transferase activity in vitro and in cells. Transient interactions detected through BioID link actin to several steps of transcription as well as to RNA processing. Alterations in nuclear actin levels disturb alternative splicing in minigene assays, likely by affecting the transcription elongation rate. This interactome analysis thus identifies both novel direct binding partners and functional roles for nuclear actin, as well as forms a platform for further mechanistic studies on how actin operates during essential nuclear processes.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Clinical outcomes of zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate partial coverage crowns compared to lithium disilicate partial coverage crowns. A randomized controlled split-mouth clinical study
Authors: Nassar Hanaa , H Halim Carl , A Katamish Hesham
Published: March 2019

Background: Despite the fact that preliminary clinical results of conservative partial coverage restorations (PCRs) are promising, the clinical behavior of different PCR ceramic materials is rarely investigated in clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical outcomes of partial coverage restorations (PCR) fabricated with zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramic system compared to partial coverage restorations fabricated with lithium disilicate ceramic system.

Methods: 46 vital premolars and molars of 14 patients were restored with PCRs (23 Vita Suprinity and 23 IPS e.max CAD). PCRs were CAD/CAM fabricated in the lab and adhesively luted with dual-polymerizing resin cement (Duolink. BISCO, USA). Clinical evaluation of PCRs was performed according to the Modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) at baseline, 6 and 12 months post-insertion. Absolute failure was demonstrated by Kaplan-Meier survival rate analysis.

Results: After 12 months observation, all PCRs of both ceramic groups demonstrated 100% survival rate. Non-significant decrease in Alpha ratings for marginal adaptation (p = 0.1560) and marginal discoloration (p = 0.6078) in e-max group. While in the Suprinity group, PCRs demonstrated 100% Alpha ratings for marginal adaptation and only one Bravo rating (p= 0.3625) for marginal discoloration after 12 month observation.

Conclusions: Both Vita-Suprinity and e.max CAD partial coverage restorations are considered reliable treatment options for restoring larger defects in posterior dentition.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02861729 04/08/2016
Constitutional and legal basis of institutionalization of civil society in the Russian Federation
Authors: Никитина Елена , Nikitina Elena
Published: March 2019

The monograph presents the author's concept of the constitutional and legal theory of civil society in the Russian Federation, the analysis of the theoretical and philosophical foundations of civil society, including those that were elaborated by the Russian philosophers and legal scholars of the pre-revolutionary period. The monograph is devoted to the history of civil society in Russia; actual issues of the content and understanding of such terms as "civil society", "civil society institution"; the system of civil society institutions, including the impact affected by modern communication technologies and the process of digitalization; the legal nature of institutions that contribute to the development of civil society in Russia; the features of civil society's development on the regional and local level. Special attention is paid to the modern issues of functioning the legal mechanisms of interaction between society and state. The monograph contains a significant number of historical and modern scientific sources. In addition, the analysis of the current federal legislation and the legislation of the subjects of the Russian Federation has been made as well as the prospects of its development have been appraised.
The author of the monograph is PhD in law, one of the leading experts on constitutional law and human rights, the author of more than 40 scientific works.
For students and graduate students, teachers and researchers involved in studies of constitutional law and theory of law as well as practitioners, and anyone interested in issues of modern society.
Technology Conglomeration, Strategic Alliances, and Corporate Innovation
Authors: Li Kai , Qiu Jiaping , Wang Jin
Published: March 2019

We examine the organizational choice and innovative activity of technology conglomerates—firms that explore different technology fields with heated inventive activity. We develop a measure of firm-to-economy technological proximity to capture the extent of a firm’s technology conglomeration. We show that technology conglomerates are more likely to form alliances and that these alliances lead to higher patent output. In terms of underlying mechanisms, we show that after alliance formation, there are significant knowledge pooling and cross-fertilization between technology conglomerates and their alliance partners. Moreover, technology conglomerates produce more patents that are novel and/or with greater impact. Our findings suggest that both synergy and tolerance for failure are important motives for technology conglomerates to use alliances to accelerate corporate innovation.

This paper was accepted by Gustavo Manso, finance.
Norwegian black metal, transgression and sonic abjection
Authors: Steinken Woodrow
Published: March 2019

This article explores the music and transgressions of Norwegian black metal in the early 1990s. Facial and vocal masking, emblematic in corpsepaint and screaming, lay at the intersection between these two modes of existence, musical and criminal. Masking in black metal leads to the creation of a new persona, what I call the ‘black metal double’. This double enacts a splitting of subjectivity between personal and public personas, and the vocal scream comes to navigate the space between these personas. This bifurcated existence predicates an alternate, abject mode of being for black metal performers. Masking becomes a theoretical means for living two lives: one as private citizens and the other as black metal musicians who transgress criminal and musical limits. By collapsing the boundaries between abjection and subjection, black metal musicians create new spaces of political and cultural meaning-making through masking.
Enfrentarse a la industria petrolera: dependencia cotidiana y protesta en la Selva Peruana
Authors: Buu-Sao Doris
Published: March 2019

Los miembros de pueblos indígenas vecinos de instalaciones petroleras no siempre participan en las movilizaciones contra la contaminación industrial: para protestar, no son suficientes ni el daño ambiental ni su visibilidad. Es lo que indica el análisis de un caso «microscópico», pero emblemático, ubicado en una zona fronteriza de la selva peruana. En los alrededores sociales de la industria petrolera, las protestas parecen improbables, debido a la multiplicidad de los lazos que se tejen diariamente entre la empresa y las comunidades. Basándose en la etnografía realizada en los alrededores del sitio extractivo, este artículo indaga las transformaciones sociales ocasionadas por la industria y sus efectos sobre las movilizaciones de las poblaciones locales. De esta manera, el artículo destaca los complejos motivos y modalidades de protesta, más allá de la aparente obviedad de las movilizaciones contra los daños generados por las empresas petroleras operando en territorios indígenas.
Conflictos socioambientales en los proyectos eléctricos en Chile (2005-2016): Un análisis configuracional
Authors: Maillet Antoine , Albala Adrián
Published: March 2019

Las últimas décadas han sido testigos de un crecimiento de los conflictos ambientales, en torno a proyectos de instalación de centrales energéticas de todo tipo. Según los casos, estos conflictos desembocaron en la construcción o el abandono del proyecto. La mayor parte de la literatura tiende a tratar estos casos de forma individual, sin caracterizar de forma sistemática la incidencia de los conflictos en la construcción o no de plantas eléctricas. En cambio, el artículo elabora un marco analítico para entender bajo qué condiciones un conflicto ambiental consigue, o no, su objetivo de detener la construcción de la planta eléctrica. Para testearlo, se somete a un análisis cualitativo comparado (qca) la información levantada para 26 casos de conflictos en Chile. El análisis arroja un escenario de causalidad compleja, donde no emerge en primera instancia una variable o combinaciones de variables que expliquen de forma sintética los resultados. El análisis avanzado permite relativizar la importancia de la articulación de los movimientos sociales con los actores políticos tradicionales para obtener resultados. Estos resultados contribuyen de forma significativa a la creciente literatura sobre las consecuencias de las movilizaciones sociales y a una mejor comprensión de las dinámicas de los conflictos socioambientales.
Assessing Sustainability in Housing LED Urban Regeneration: Insights from a Housing Association in Northern England
Authors: Dean Kevin , Trillo Claudia
Published: March 2019

How far do current assessment methods allow the thorough evaluation of sustainable urban regeneration? Would it be useful, to approach the evaluation of the environmental and social impacts of housing regeneration schemes, by making both hidden pitfalls and potentials explicit, and budgeting costs and benefits in the stakeholders’ perspective? The paper aims at answering these questions, by focusing on a case study located in the Manchester area, the City West Housing Trust, a nonprofit housing association. Drawing from extensive fieldwork and including several interviews with key experts from this housing association, the paper first attempts to monetize the environmental and social value of two extant projects – a high-rise housing estate and an environmentally-led program. It then discusses whether and how a stakeholder-oriented approach would allow more engagement of both current and potential funders in the projects at hand. Findings from both the literature and the empirical data that was gathered show how in current housing regeneration processes, room for significant improvements in terms of assessment methods still exist. Findings additionally show that the environmental and social spillovers are largely disregarded because of a gap in the evaluation tools. This may also hinder the potential contributions of further funders in the achievements of higher impacts in terms of sustainability.
PENGARUH ORIENTASI KEWIRAUSAHAAN, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT, DAN STRATEGI KEMITRAAN TERHADAP KEUNGGULAN BERSAING SERTA IMPLIKASINYA PADA KINERJA PERUSAHAAN (Studi Pada UMKM Kerajinan Logam Kecamatan Cepogo Kabupaten Boyolali)
Authors: Muchtar Muliasari Kurniati , Miyasto Miyasto , Rahardja Edy
Published: March 2019

This research was conducted to develop a model to analyze the effect of entrepreneurial orientation, knowledge management, strategic partnership to competitive advantage as well as its implications on the performance of the company. The research problem posed is a decrease in production value and investment value along with the increasing number of metal craft business units in Cepogo, Boyolali Regency. The purpose of this study was to determine and analyze the entrepreneurial background, knowledge management and partnership strategies to competitive advantage and business performance. To test and analyze the performance excellence of enterprises. This research was conducted on the owners of SMEs which are in Sub Cepogo Boyolali, using a survey of 229 sample survey. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in AMOS software program version 23. Results from seven hypotheses show entrepreneurial orientation, knowledge management, and partnership strategies positive and significant competitive advantage. Entrepreneurial orientation, knowledge management, and competitive advantages positive and significant impact on business performance. Partnership strategy does not affect the performance of the business.
ANALISIS PENGARUH PENGINDERAAN PASAR, PEMASARAN KEWIRAUSAHAAN, KEMAMPUAN JARINGAN, DAN KEUNGGULAN BERSAING TERHADAP KINERJA PEMASARAN (Studi Pada UKM Makanan dan Minuman di Kota Semarang)
Authors: Choirunnisa Choirunnisa , Ferdinand Augusty Tae , Indriani Farida
Published: March 2019

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji apakah pengaruh penginderaan pasar, pemasaran kewirausahaan, kemampuan jaringan, dan keunggulan bersaing mempunyai pengaruh terhadap kinerja pemasaran pada UKM makanan dan minuman di Kota Semarang. Penelitian ini mengambil sampel sebanyak 200 responden UKM makanan dan minuman di Kota Semarang.  Teknik pengambilan sampel yang digunakan yaitu probability sampling dengan metode simple random sampling. Alat analisis yang digunakan yaitu structural equation model (SEM) pada program AMOS. Hasil analisis data untuk model secara keseluruhan telah memenuhi kriteria Goodness Of Fit yaitu nilai chi-square = 213,800; probability = 0,059; CMIN/DF = 1,168; GFI = 0,901; AGFI = 0,875; TLI = 0,988; CFI = 0,989; RMSEA = 0,029. Dengan demikian, dapat dikatakan bahwa model penelitian yang diajukan dapat diterima. Penelitian ini mempunyai lima hipotesis dan sudah diuji, ada satu hipotesis yang ditolak dan empat diterima. H1 penginderaan pasar memiliki pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap keunggulan bersaing. Kemudian, H2 pemasaran kewirausahaan memiliki pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kemampuan jaringan, lalu H3 keunggulan bersaing memiliki pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap kinerja pemasaran. Selanjutnya H4 kemampuan jaringan memiliki pengaruh positif dan signifikan terhadap keunggulan bersaing, dan H5 kemampuan jaringan memiliki pengaruh positif dan tidak signifikan terhadap kinerja pemasaran.
Determinants of Default in Lithuanian Peer-To-Peer Platforms
Authors: Gaigalienė Asta , Česnys Dovydas
Published: March 2019

The article analyses the factors that determine the probability of debtors’ default in the Lithuanian peer-to-peer market. The results of this study are compared with previous research.
The Quintessence of Organizational Commitment and Organizational Cynicism
Authors: Margelytė-Pleskienė Aida , Vveinhardt Jolita
Published: March 2019

The article deals with the constituents of organizational commitment and organizational cynicism and in order to concisely present systematised material disclosing the very essence of the phenomena, the authors analyse their interrelation, the specificity of development (organizational commitment) and management (organizational cynicism), their causes, importance and / or consequences caused. The aim of research is to distinguish the dimensions of the relationship of these phenomena highlighting the quintessence of organizational commitment and organizational cynicism.
Presumptions of Decentralisation in the Context of Institutional and Political Economy
Authors: Žigienė Gerda
Published: March 2019

The aim of the article is to discuss and distinguish the notion of decentralisation within time, institutional economics and political organisation of States, as well as the role of decentralisation in the context of those political organisations. The differences between the notions of decentralisation and federalism are differentiated in order to avoid misinterpretations of the notions.
Crystal structure of (3E,5E)-3,5-bis(4-cyanobenzylidene)-1-((4-fluorophenyl)sulfonyl)piperidin-4-one, C27H18FN3O3S
Authors: Li Xiao-Yan , Meng Qing-Guo , Hou Gui-Ge
Published: March 2019

C27H18FN3O3S, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 8.091(6) Å, b = 42.84(3) Å, c = 7.096(6) Å, β = 107.806(10)°, V = 2342(3) Å3, Z = 4, R
gt(F) = 0.0616, wR
ref(F
2) = 0.1321, T = 173(2) K.
Electroconvulsive therapy for trichotillomania in a bipolar patient
Authors: Fontenelle Leonardo F. , dos Santos-Ribeiro Samara , Kalaf Juliana , Yücel Murat
Published: March 2019

A recent review on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in obsessive-compulsive–related disorders (OCRDs) identified reports of trichotillomania (TTM) in only three patients, but it did not describe the specific effect of ECT on hair-pulling behaviors. The authors present a case report of Mrs. A, a 77-year-old widowed housewife with a lifelong history of episodic TTM and bipolar disorder who was effectively treated with ECT. However, on each attempt to withdraw ECT, her condition deteriorated. Eventually, a decision was made to maintain ECT (one session every week), which resulted in no further relapse over the followup period. ECT shows some potential promise for reducing hair-pulling behaviors in the context of severe depression.