bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overdose History is associated with Postdetoxification Treatment Preference for Persons with Opioid use Disorder
Authors: Stein Michael D. , Flori Jessica N. , Risi Megan M. , Conti Micah T. , Anderson Bradley J. , Bailey Genie L.
Published: July 2017

Background

Without aftercare treatment, persons discharged from short-term inpatient detoxification for opioid use disorder are at high risk of relapse. In previous work, those who were recently homeless or had pending legal problems were more likely to prefer residential treatment for aftercare. Here, based on clinical experience, the authors hypothesize that a particular clinical factor, surviving an opioid overdose, will be associated with aftercare preference.

Methods

Between May and December 2015, the authors surveyed consecutive persons seeking inpatient opioid detoxification. To assess aftercare treatment preference, participants were asked, “If you had unlimited treatment options and all were free, which one would work best for you when you leave here?” To assess overdose history, participants were asked about overdose “since your first drug use,” and “in the last year.”

Results

Participants’ ( N = 440) mean age was 32.3 (± 8.7) years; 70.7% were male. More than half (51.1%) of participants expressed an aftercare preference for medication-assisted treatment (MAT), 12.7% for outpatient counseling only, 10.7% for residential treatment,18.6% for no formal treatment (Narcotics Anonymous/Alcoholics Anonymous only or a halfway house), and 6.8% did not want any postdetoxification treatment. About 40% reported a history of overdose, and 24.8% reported past year overdose. In the multivariate model, treatment preference was associated with sex ( P < .001), homelessness ( P = .01), and history of drug overdose ( P = .02).

Conclusions

Although MAT was preferred by the majority of participants, the experience of a nonfatal overdose was associated with the choice of residential treatment as postdetoxification treatment.
On expert curation and scalability: UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot as a case study
Authors: Poux Sylvain , Arighi Cecilia N , Magrane Michele , Bateman Alex , Wei Chih-Hsuan , Lu Zhiyong , Boutet Emmanuel , Bye-A-Jee Hema , Famiglietti Maria Livia , Roechert Bernd , UniProt Consortium The
Published: July 2017

Motivation

Biological knowledgebases, such as UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot, constitute an essential component of daily scientific research by offering distilled, summarized and computable knowledge extracted from the literature by expert curators. While knowledgebases play an increasingly important role in the scientific community, their ability to keep up with the growth of biomedical literature is under scrutiny. Using UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot as a case study, we address this concern via multiple literature triage approaches.

Results

With the assistance of the PubTator text-mining tool, we tagged more than 10 000 articles to assess the ratio of papers relevant for curation. We first show that curators read and evaluate many more papers than they curate, and that measuring the number of curated publications is insufficient to provide a complete picture as demonstrated by the fact that 8000–10 000 papers are curated in UniProt each year while curators evaluate 50 000–70 000 papers per year. We show that 90% of the papers in PubMed are out of the scope of UniProt, that a maximum of 2–3% of the papers indexed in PubMed each year are relevant for UniProt curation, and that, despite appearances, expert curation in UniProt is scalable.

Availability and implementation

UniProt is freely available at http://www.uniprot.org/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
cgHeliParm: analysis of dsDNA helical parameters for coarse-grained MARTINI molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Faustino Ignacio , Marrink S J
Published: July 2017

We introduce cgHeliParm, a python program that provides the conformational analysis of Martini-based coarse-grained double strand DNA molecules. The software calculates the helical parameters such as base, base pair and base pair step parameters. cgHeliParm can be used for the analysis of coarse grain Martini molecular dynamics trajectories without transformation into atomistic models.

Availability and implementation

This package works with Python 2.7 on MacOS and Linux. The program is freely available for download from https://github.com/ifaust83/cgheliparm. Together with the main script, the base reference files CG_X_std.lib, a number of examples and R scripts are also available from the same website. A tutorial on the use and application is also available at http://cgmartini.nl/index.php/tutorials-general-introduction/tutorial-martini-dna.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
MethRaFo: MeDIP-seq methylation estimate using a Random Forest Regressor
Authors: Ding Jun , Bar-Joseph Ziv
Published: July 2017

Motivation

Profiling of genome wide DNA methylation is now routinely performed when studying development, cancer and several other biological processes. Although Whole genome Bisulfite Sequencing provides high-quality methylation measurements at the resolution of nucleotides, it is relatively costly and so several studies have used alternative methods for such profiling. One of the most widely used low cost alternatives is MeDIP-Seq. However, MeDIP-Seq is biased for CpG enriched regions and thus its results need to be corrected in order to determine accurate methylation levels.

Results

Here we present a method for correcting MeDIP-Seq results based on Random Forest regression. Applying the method to real data from several different tissues (brain, cortex, penis) we show that it achieves almost 4 fold decrease in run time while increasing accuracy by as much as 20% over prior methods developed for this task.

Availability and implementation

MethRaFo is freely available as a python package (with a R wrapper) at https://github.com/phoenixding/methrafo.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Common continuum polarization properties: a possible link between proto-planetary nebulae and Type Ia Supernova progenitors
Authors: Cikota Aleksandar , Patat Ferdinando , Cikota Stefan , Spyromilio Jason , Rau Gioia
Published: July 2017

The lines of sight to highly reddened SNe Ia show peculiar continuum polarization curves, growing towards blue wavelengths and peaking at $\lambda _{\text{max}} \lesssim 0.4 \,\mu \mathrm{m}$, like no other sightline to any normal Galactic star. We examined continuum polarization measurements of a sample of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) and post-AGB stars from the literature, finding that some proto-planetary nebulae (PPNe) have polarization curves similar to those observed along SN Ia sightlines. These polarization curves are produced by scattering on circumstellar dust. We discuss the similarity and the possibility that at least some SNe Ia might explode during the post-AGB phase of their binary companion. Furthermore, we speculate that the peculiar SN Ia polarization curves might provide observational support to the core-degenerate progenitor model.
Additive Dose Response Models: Explicit Formulations and the Loewe Additivity Consistency Condition
Authors: Lederer Simone , Dijkstra Tjeerd M. H. , Heskes Tom
Published: July 2017

High-throughput techniques allow for massive screening of drug combinations. To find combinations that exhibit an interaction effect, one filters for promising compound combinations by comparing to a response without interaction. A common principle for no interaction is Loewe Additivity which is based on the assumption that no compound interacts with itself and that doses of both compounds for a given effect are equivalent. For the model to be consistent, the doses of both compounds have to be proportional. We call this restriction the Loewe Additivity Consistency Condition (LACC). We derive explicit and implicit null reference models from the Loewe Additivity principle that are equivalent when the LACC holds. Of these two formulations, the implicit formulation is the known General Isobole Equation [1], whereas the explicit one is the novel contribution. The LACC is violated in a significant number of cases. In this scenario the models make different predictions. We analyze two data sets of drug screening that are non-interactive [2, 3] and show that the LACC is mostly violated and Loewe Additivity not defined. Further, we compare the measurements of the non-interactive cases of both data sets to the theoretical null reference models in terms of bias and mean squared error. We demonstrate that the explicit formulation of the null reference model leads to smaller mean squared errors than the implicit one and is much faster to compute.
Precision genome editing using synthesis-dependent repair of Cas9-induced DNA breaks
Authors: Paix Alexandre , Folkmann Andrew , Goldman Daniel H , Kulaga Heather , Grzelak Michael , Rasoloson Dominique , Paidemarry Supriya , Green Rachel , Reed Randall , Seydoux Geraldine
Published: July 2017

The RNA-guided DNA endonuclease Cas9 has emerged as a powerful new tool for genome engineering. Cas9 creates targeted double-strand breaks (DSBs) in the genome. Knock-in of specific mutations (precision genome editing) requires homology-directed repair (HDR) of the DSB by synthetic donor DNAs containing the desired edits, but HDR has been reported to be variably efficient. Here, we report that linear DNAs (single and double-stranded) engage in a high-efficiency HDR mechanism that requires only ∼35 nucleotides of homology with the targeted locus to introduce edits ranging from 1 to 1000 nucleotides. We demonstrate the utility of linear donors by introducing fluorescent protein tags in human cells and mouse embryos using PCR fragments. We find that repair is local, polarity-sensitive, and prone to template switching, characteristics that are consistent with gene conversion by synthesis-dependent strand-annealing (SDSA). Our findings enable rational design of synthetic donor DNAs for efficient genome editing.

Significance

Genome editing, the introduction of precise changes in the genome, is revolutionizing our ability to decode the genome. Here we describe a simple method for genome editing that takes advantage of an efficient mechanism for DNA repair called synthesis-dependent strand annealing. We demonstrate that synthetic linear DNAs (ssODNs and PCR fragments) with ∼35bp homology arms function as efficient donors for SDSA repair of Cas9-induced double-strand breaks. Edits from 1 to 1000 base pairs can be introduced in the genome without cloning or selection.
Pair distribution functions of amorphous organic thin films from synchrotron X-ray scattering in transmission mode
Authors: Shi Chenyang , Teerakapibal Rattavut , Yu Lian , Zhang Geoff G. Z.
Published: July 2017

Using high-brilliance high-energy synchrotron X-ray radiation, for the first time the total scattering of a thin organic glass film deposited on a strongly scattering inorganic substrate has been measured in transmission mode. The organic thin film was composed of the weakly scattering pharmaceutical substance indomethacin in the amorphous state. The film was 130 µm thick atop a borosilicate glass substrate of equal thickness. The atomic pair distribution function derived from the thin-film measurement is in excellent agreement with that from bulk measurements. This ability to measure the total scattering of amorphous organic thin films in transmission will enable accuratein situstructural studies for a wide range of materials.
A typology of social venture business model configurations
Authors: Margiono Ari , Zolin Roxanne , Chang Artemis
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Social ventures are unique and important for society; yet, we know very little about their business models. The purpose of this paper is to: re-conceptualize extant business model frameworks so that they can analyze social ventures; identify the key characteristics of social ventures; and identify the typology of effective social venture business model configurations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses resource dependence theory to make sense of extant business models and borrows from public administration literature to identify key characteristics and different configurations of social venture business models.

Findings

The paper re-conceptualizes business model frameworks as inter-organizational arrangements to cope with external resource dependence; this paper also identifies four key characteristics of social ventures, and develops a social venture business model typology based on these unique key characteristics and extant business model dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

The typology may guide further social venture research, e.g. research on social venture business model creation, on social venture business model innovation, and on social change. Limitations and boundary conditions are discussed in the paper.

Practical implications

The research may further help social entrepreneurs to develop effective business models that meet the social and financial objectives.

Originality/value

The paper offers a novel reconceptualization of traditional business model frameworks, a unique set of key characteristics of social ventures, and a theoretical typology of effective social venture business model configurations.
Misinformation in a riot: a two-step flow view
Authors: Pang Natalie , Ng Joshua
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Misinformation can have lasting impacts in the management and control of a public emergency. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how misinformation flows and how user characteristics can shape such flows in the context of a violent riot in Singapore.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors apply the two-step flow theory and discuss the mixed methods approach involving wrangling Twitter data and descriptive analysis to develop and analyse two corpuses of misinformation related to the riot.

Findings

The findings are mostly consistent with the two-step flow theory, in that misinformation flows to the masses from opinion leaders (as indicated by higher measures such as online social influence and followers/following ratio). In the presence of misinformation, tweets opposing such misinformation may not always come from opinion leaders.

Practical implications

The authors work furthers knowledge about how misinformation goes viral, which provides practical implications to help policymakers and scholars in understanding and managing the dynamics and pitfalls of misinformation during an emergency.

Originality/value

This paper tackles the problem of misinformation in public emergencies using a mixed methods approach and contributes to ongoing theoretical work on managing online misinformation especially in public emergencies and crises.
Large-size color models visualization under 3D paper-based printing
Authors: Yuan Jiangping , Yu Zhaohui , Chen Guangxue , Zhu Ming , Gao Yanfei
Published: July 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study a feasible visualization of large-size three-dimension (3D) color models which are beyond the maximum print size of newest paper-based 3D printer used 3D cutting-bonding frame (3D-CBF) and evaluate the effects of cutting angle and layout method on printing time of designed models.

Design/methodology/approach

Sixteen models, including cuboid model, cylinder model, hole model and sphere model with different shape features, were divided into two symmetric parts and printed by the Mcor IRIS HD 3D printer. Before printing, two sub-parts were rearranged in one of three layout methods. Nine scaled sizes of original models were printed to find the quantitative relationship between printing time and scale values in each type. For the 0.3 times of original models, six cutting angles were evaluated in detail.

Findings

The correlation function about colorization time and printed pages was proposed. Based on 3D-CBF, the correlation between printing time and scale size is statistically defined. Optimization parameters of designed parts visualization about cutting angel and layout method were found, even if their statistical results were difficult to model their effects on printing time of specimens.

Research limitations/implications

The research is comparative and limited to the special models and used procedures.

Originality/value

The paper provides a feasible visualization and printing speed optimization methods for the further industrialization of 3D paper-based printing technology in cultural creative field.
Twin-wire welding based additive manufacturing (TWAM): manufacture of functionally gradient objects
Authors: M. Adinarayanappa Somashekara , Simhambhatla Suryakumar
Published: July 2017

Purpose

Twin-wire welding-based additive manufacturing (TWAM) is a unique process which uses gas metal arc welding (GMAW)-based twin-wire weld-deposition to create functionally gradient materials (FGMs). Presented study aims to focus on creating metallic objects with a hardness gradient using GMAW of twin-wire weld deposition setup.

Design/methodology/approach

By using dissimilar filler wires in twin-wire weld-deposition, it is possible to create metallic objects with varying hardness. This is made possible by individually controlling the proportion of each filler wire used. ER70S-6 and ER110S-G are the two filler wires used for the study; the former has lower hardness than the latter. In the current study, methodology and various experiments carried out to identify the suitable process parameters at a given location for a desired variation of hardness have been presented. A predictive model for obtaining the wire speed of the filler wires required for a desired value of hardness was also created. Subsequently, sample parts with gradient in various directions have been fabricated.

Findings

For dissimilar twin-wire weld-deposition used here, it is observed that the resultant hardness is in the volumetric proportion of the hardness of the individual filler wires. This aids the fabrication of FGMs using arc based weld-deposition with localized control of hardness, achieved through the control of the ratio of wire speeds of the individual filler wires. Four sample parts were fabricated to demonstrate the concept of realizing FGMs through TWAM. The fabricated parts showed good match with the desired hardness variation.

Research limitations/implications

This paper successfully presents the capability of TWAM for creating gradient metallic objects with varying hardness. Although developed using ER70S-6 and ER110S-G filler wire combination, the methodology can be extended for other filler wire combinations too for creating FGMs

Originality/value

GMAW-based twin-wire welding for additive manufacturing is a novel process which uses dissimilar filler wires for creating FGMs. This paper describes methodology of the same followed by illustration of parts created with bi-directional hardness gradient.
The comprehensibility of pantomimes produced by people with aphasia
Authors: van Nispen Karin , Mieke W.M.E. , van de Sandt‐Koenderman E. , Krahmer Emiel
Published: July 2017

Background

People with aphasia (PWA) use pantomime, gesture in absence of speech, differently from non‐brain‐damaged people (NBDP).

Aims

To evaluate through an exploratory study the comprehensibility of PWA's pantomimes and to find out whether they can compensate for information PWA are unable to convey in speech.

Methods & Procedures

A total of 273 naïve observers participated in one of two judgement tasks: forced‐choice and open‐ended questions. These were used to determine the comprehensibility of pantomimes produced to depict objects by PWA as compared with NBDP. Furthermore, we compared the information conveyed in pantomime with the information in speech. We looked into factors influencing pantomime's comprehensibility: individual factors, manner of depiction and information needed to be depicted.

Outcome & Results

Although comprehensibility scores for PWA's pantomimes were lower than for those produced by NBDP, all PWA were able to convey information in pantomime that they could not convey in speech. Comprehensibility of pantomimes was predicted by apraxia. The inability to use the right hand related to slightly lower comprehensibility scores. Objects for which individuals depicted its use were best understood.

Conclusion & Implications

Our findings highlight the potential benefit of pantomime for clinical practice. Pantomimes, even though sometimes impaired, can convey information that PWA cannot convey in speech. Clinical implications are discussed.
Response to Vogelstein: How the 2012 AAP Task Force on circumcision went wrong
Authors: Van Howe Robert S.
Published: July 2017

Vogelstein cautions medical organizations against jumping into the fray of controversial issues, yet proffers the 2012 American Academy of Pediatrics' Task Force policy position on infant male circumcision as ‘an appropriate use of position‐statements.’ Only a scratch below the surface of this policy statement uncovers the Task Force's failure to consider Vogelstein's many caveats. The Task Force supported the cultural practice by putting undeserved emphasis on questionable scientific data, while ignoring or underplaying the importance of valid contrary scientific data. Without any effort to quantitatively assess the risk/benefit balance, the Task Force concluded the benefits of circumcision outweighed the risks, while acknowledging that the incidence of risks was unknown. This Task Force differed from other Academy policy‐forming panels by ignoring the Academy's standard quality measures and by not appointing members with extensive research experience, extensive publications, or recognized expertise directly related to this topic. Despite nearly 100 publications available at the time addressing the substantial ethical issues associated with infant male circumcision, the Task Force chose to ignore the ethical controversy. They merely stated, with minimal justification, the opinion of one of the Task Force members that the practice of infant male circumcision is morally permissible. The release of the report has fostered an explosion of academic discussion on the ethics of infant male circumcision with a number of national medical organizations now decrying the practice as a human rights violation.
Gender differences in preferences for psychological treatment, coping strategies, and triggers to help‐seeking
Authors: Liddon Louise , Kingerlee Roger , Barry John A.
Published: July 2017

Objective

There is some evidence that men and women deal with stress in different ways; for example, a meta‐analysis found that women prefer to focus on emotions as a coping strategy more than men do. However, sex differences in preferences for therapy is a subject little explored.

Design

A cross‐sectional online survey.

Method

Participants (115 men and 232 women) were recruited via relevant websites and social media. The survey described therapies and asked participants how much they liked each. Their coping strategies and help‐seeking behaviour were assessed too.

Results

Survey data were analysed using multiple linear regression. After familywise adjustment of the alpha for multiple testing to p < .0125, and controlling for other relevant variables, men liked support groups more than women did (β = −.163, p < .010), used sex or pornography to cope with stress more than women did (Exp[B] = .280, p < .0002), and thought that there is a lack of male‐friendly options more than women did (Exp[B] = .264, p < .002). The majority of participants expressed no preference for the sex of their therapist, but of those who did, men were only slightly more likely to prefer a female therapist whereas women were much more likely to prefer females (p < .0004). Even after familywise adjustment, there were still more significant findings than would be expected by chance (p < .001, two‐tailed).

Conclusions

Although there are many similarities in the preferences of men and women regarding therapy, our findings support the hypothesis that men and women show statistically significant differences of relevance to clinical psychologists.

Practitioner points

Men are less inclined than women to seek help for psychological issues

This study demonstrates that men and women show significant differences in some aspects of therapy, coping behaviour, and help‐seeking

It is possible that men would be more inclined to seek help if therapies catered more for men's preferences

Practitioners can learn to improve the success of their practice by taking the gender of clients into account
“Tell me what they do to my body”: A survey to find out what information people with learning disabilities want with their medications
Authors: Fish Rebecca , Hatton Chris , Chauhan Umesh
Published: July 2017

Accessible summary

We gave a questionnaire to self‐advocates who were attending a conference. The questionnaire asked them how they felt about the information they get with their medicine.

Fifty‐eight people completed the questionnaire. Many of them said they did not get enough information about their medicine. Most people wanted easy‐read leaflets and pictures.

There are many different places to find easy‐read information on the internet. We think they should be collected and checked. We also think that doctors and chemists need to spend more time with people to explain about medicines.

Background

Previous research has found that people with learning disabilities are not given prescription information that is tailored to their needs. We wanted to find out people’s information requirements.

Materials and Methods

A questionnaire was co‐produced by the authors and consultants with learning disabilities. It asked what information people received from their GP and pharmacist about medications. The questionnaire was circulated at a self‐advocacy conference in the North of England. Fifty‐eight self‐advocates completed the questionnaire.

Results

Information from GPs and pharmacists was mainly instructional, referring to when and how to take the medicine and dosage. Most respondents struggled to read the leaflets and remember verbal information. Many wanted the information in easy‐read format, and some wanted pictures or diagrams as well. A key theme was that health professionals often talked only to carers or support workers rather than involving the patient directly, and some respondents disclosed that they were not informed about side effects or alternative medications.

Conclusions

Health professionals should take time to discuss health issues and medication with the individual rather than only with carers. This could be facilitated by providing information in an accessible format.
Exogenic forcing and autogenic processes on continental divide location and mobility
Authors: Moodie Andrew J. , Pazzaglia Frank J. , Berti Claudio
Published: July 2017

The position and mobility of drainage divides is an expression of exogenic landscape forcing and autogenic channel network processes integrated across a range of scales. At the large scale, represented by major rivers and continental drainage divides, the organization of drainage patterns and divide migration reflects the long‐wavelength gradients of the topography, which are exogenically influenced by tectonics, isostasy, and/or dynamic topography. This analysis utilizes long‐wavelength topography synthesized by a low‐pass filter, which provides a novel framework for predicting the direction of divide movement as well as an estimate of the ultimate divide location that is complementary to recent studies that have focused on the χ channel metric. The Gibraltar Arc active plate boundary and Appalachian stable plate interior, two tectonically diverse settings with ongoing drainage system reorganization, are chosen to explore the length scales of exogenic forcings that influence continental drainage divide location and migration. The major watersheds draining both the active‐ and decay‐phase orogens studied here are organized by topographic gradients that are expressed in long‐wavelength low‐pass filtered topography (λ ≥ 100 km). In contrast, the river network and divide location is insensitive to topographic gradients measured over filtered wavelengths <100 km that are set by local crustal structures and rock type. The lag time between exogenic forcing and geomorphic response and feedbacks cause divide migration to be unsteady, and occur through pulses of drainage capture and drainage network reorganization that are recorded in sedimentological, geomorphic, or denudation data.
Practice‐based spillover effects: Evidence from Calgary's municipal food and yard waste recycling pilot
Authors: Wonneck Luke A. , Hobson Kersty
Published: July 2017

Analyzing the spillover effects of environmental interventions is vital for understanding how they contribute to broader societal transitions towards or away from sustainability. Past research analyzing spillover effects has produced inconsistent results, which we argue is in part due to its assumption that social life consists of rational and autonomous individuals. By contrast, we place practices as central units of inquiry, arguing that social practice theory opens up promising alternative sets of theoretical and methodological possibilities for analyzing spillover effects. Using the City of Calgary's municipal food and yard waste recycling pilot program known as the “Green Cart Pilot” (GCP) as a case study, we adopt a mixed methods approach to analyze practice‐based spillover effects (PSEs). The results suggest that the GCP had positive PSEs on dry recycling and food shopping, and negative PSEs on home composting. These PSEs could be tracked through the shared elements and geographies of mutually evolving practices, providing opportunities to respond with further interventions informed by social practice theory.

Effets d'entraînement fondés sur la pratique : Preuve du programme pilote municipal de recyclage des déchets de cuisine et des résidus de jardin de Calgary

L'analyse des effets d'entraînement des interventions environnementales est essentielle pour comprendre la façon dont ils contribuent à des transitions sociales plus importantes vers ou à l'encontre de la durabilité. Les recherches antérieures analysant les effets d'entraînement ont produit des résultats contradictoires qui, faisons‐nous valoir, sont dus en partie à leur postulat d'une vie sociale formée de personnes autonomes et rationnelles. À titre de comparaison, nous plaçons les pratiques comme unités centrales de l'enquête, affirmant que la théorie de la pratique sociale dégage une série de possibilités théoriques et méthodologiques différentes et prometteuses pour l'analyse des effets d'entraînement. En utilisant le programme pilote municipal de recyclage des déchets de cuisine et des résidus de jardin de la ville de Calgary connu sous le nom de « Green Cart Pilot » comme étude de cas, nous adoptons une approche de méthodes mixtes à l'égard de l'analyse des effets d'entraînement fondés sur la pratique (EE). Les résultats suggèrent que ce programme a eu des EE positifs sur le recyclage des matériaux secs et l'achat d'aliments et des EE négatifs sur le compostage domestique. Ces EE pourraient faire l'objet d'un suivi au moyen de géographies et d'éléments partagés de pratiques mutuellement changeantes, offrant des possibilités de répondre au moyen d'autres interventions documentées par la théorie de la pratique sociale.
Heat shock protein 70 inhibitors suppress androgen receptor expression in LNCaP95 prostate cancer cells
Authors: Kita Kazuaki , Shiota Masayuki , Tanaka Masako , Otsuka Asuka , Matsumoto Masaki , Kato Minoru , Tamada Satoshi , Iwao Hiroshi , Miura Katsuyuki , Nakatani Tatsuya , Tomita Shuhei
Published: July 2017

Androgen deprivation therapy is initially effective for treating patients with advanced prostate cancer; however, the prostate cancer gradually becomes resistant to androgen deprivation therapy, which is termed castration‐resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Androgen receptor splice variant 7 (AR‐V7), one of the causes of CRPC, is correlated with resistance to a new‐generation AR antagonist (enzalutamide) and poor prognosis. Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) inhibitor is known to decrease the levels of full‐length AR (AR‐FL), but little is known about its effects against CRPC cells expressing AR‐V7. In this study, we investigated the effect of the Hsp70 inhibitors quercetin and VER155008 in the prostate cancer cell line LNCaP95 that expresses AR‐V7, and explored the mechanism by which Hsp70 regulates AR‐FL and AR‐V7 expression. Quercetin and VER155008 decreased cell proliferation, increased the proportion of apoptotic cells, and decreased the protein levels of AR‐FL and AR‐V7. Furthermore, VER155008 decreased AR‐FL and AR‐V7 mRNA levels. Immunoprecipitation with Hsp70 antibody and mass spectrometry identified Y‐box binding protein 1 (YB‐1) as one of the molecules regulating AR‐FL and AR‐V7 at the transcription level through interaction with Hsp70. VER155008 decreased the phosphorylation of YB‐1 and its localization in the nucleus, indicating that the involvement of Hsp70 in AR regulation might be mediated through the activation and nuclear translocation of YB‐1. Collectively, these results suggest that Hsp70 inhibitors have potential anti‐tumor activity against CRPC by decreasing AR‐FL and AR‐V7 expression through YB‐1 suppression.
Regulating clinical trials in India: The economics of ethics
Authors: Porter Gerard
Published: July 2017

The relationship between the ethical standards for the governance of clinical trials and market forces can be complex and problematic. This article uses India as a case study to explore this nexus. From the mid‐2000s, India became a popular destination for foreign‐sponsored clinical trials. The Indian government had sought to both attract clinical trials and ensure these would be run in line with internationally accepted ethical norms. Reports of controversial medical research, however, triggered debate about the robustness and suitability of India's regulatory system. In response to civil society pressure and interventions by the Supreme Court, the Indian government proposed additional measures aimed at strengthening protections for clinical trial participants. Whilst the reforms can be seen as a victory for human rights activists, they have also been criticised as being overly burdensome for sponsors. Indeed, their announcement prompted an exodus of clinical trials from India. Fearful of losing business to ‘rival’ countries, the Indian government is revisiting some of its proposals.

The Indian example suggests that research ethics frameworks and national policies for economic development are increasingly intertwined. Host countries are in theory free to improve the lot of research participants, but doing so may make them appear less attractive to foreign sponsors, who can simply shift their activities to more industry‐friendly jurisdictions. Although these economic pressures are unlikely to lead to a regulatory ‘race to the bottom’, they may limit host countries' ability to enact socially desirable reforms.
Relationships as Indirect Intensifiers: Solving the Puzzle of Partiality
Authors: Löschke Jörg
Published: July 2017

Abstract

Two intuitions are important to commonsense morality: the claim that all persons have equal moral worth and the claim that persons have associative duties. These intuitions seem to contradict each other, and there has been extensive discussion concerning their reconciliation. The most widely held view claims that associative duties arise because relationships generate moral reasons to benefit our loved ones. However, such a view cannot account for the phenomenon that some acts are supererogatory when performed on behalf of a stranger but obligatory when performed on behalf of a loved one. This paper offers a novel view of associative duties, according to which such duties arise because relationships serve as indirect intensifiers of moral reasons: they decrease the cost to the agent that certain acts imply, and this increases the relative weight of the reasons that speak in favour of the act in an all‐things‐considered judgement. This reconciles moral egalitarianism and associative duties in a promising way: the moral worth of a person always generates the same moral reasons, but due to differences in the cost to the agent, these reasons sometimes amount to obligations and sometimes do not.
Between borders: Franks, Danes, and Abodrites in the trans‐Elben world up to 827
Authors: Melleno Daniel
Published: July 2017

This article examines the 804 decision by Charlemagne to cede territory beyond the Elbe to the Slavic confederacy known as the Abodrites. In so doing Charlemagne attempted to create a stable buffer along the Carolingian empire's northern border, in large part as security against the growing power of the Danes. Using textual and archaeological evidence this article demonstrates the ways in which the Abodrite buffer between the Franks and Danes influenced the political and cultural development of the Slavs and set the stage for a series of major political showdowns in the first three decades of the ninth century.
What Kind of Reformation?: The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation and Today
Authors: Raiser Konrad
Published: July 2017

While Luther did not intend to start a Reformation with his 95 Theses, the increasingly sharp conflict with the ecclesiastical authorities led to a separation between Luther and his followers and the Catholic Church of the time. Nevertheless, while the focal point for the 500th anniversary commemorations is Germany, even in the 16th century the Reformation had more centres than Wittenberg, such as Zürich, where Zwingli was active, and particularly Geneva. From here the impulse of Calvin's Reformation together with Free Church traditions prepared the way for the development of the culture of modernity in its various social and political manifestations. In view of the contemporary cultural conflicts in the globalized world, the churches of historic Protestantism should use the anniversary celebrations as an occasion to reappropriate the Protestant principle as a dynamic force, to search for a transformed embodiment of grace in the contemporary situation of cultural conflict, and to contribute to the shaping of a new culture of life.
The Protestant Reformation and Social Justice in Latin America
Authors: Cervantes‐Ortiz Leopoldo
Published: July 2017

The political effects of the 16th‐century religious reformations have never been in doubt. What is debatable, however, is how these effects have been felt in different contexts. In what is now Latin America, their influence was kept at a distance to avoid the changes in Europe from taking place on the other side of the Atlantic. This article examines Latin American writers to demonstrate how, in the different cultural and geographical contexts of the sub‐continent, the social and political imprint of the Reformation and its emancipating and libertarian emphasis has been perceived.
A case study of duplications detection for educational domain thorough ad hoc search and identification NLP‐based method
Authors: Mikhaylov S.N. , Chuikova V.V. , Sokolova Marina V. , Potapenko A.M.
Published: July 2017

During the organization and planning of lecture courses for a discipline, its content may be overlapped and partially delivered in more than one course. Sometimes this action causes time loss through unnecessary repeating. This paper introduces an automated tool for duplications detections adapting methods of natural language processing used for Web search. The experiment for unstructured electronic document repositories clustering for thematic duplicate identification in different documents in the case of educational domain is presented. A prototype of this Web service‐based software search engine is being designed and discussed. The experiment aimed to identify thematic duplicates of various courses within one of the teaching disciplines is also presented.
Analysis and recognition of operations using SEMG from upper arm muscles
Authors: Veer Karan , Vig Renu
Published: July 2017

Accurate muscular force estimation (from upper arm muscles) based on surface electromyogram forms an important issue in upper limb prosthetic design applications. The whole system consists of surface electrodes, signal acquisition protocols, and signal conditioning at different levels. Labview soft scope was used to acquire the surface electromyogram signal from the designed hardware. The study is concerned with the estimation of characteristics of recorded signals, and for that, statistical techniques of PCA were exercised for verifying the effectiveness of the processed signal against different upper arm motions before its classification. Thereafter, artificial neural network classifier was implemented for the classification surface electromyogram signals with best classification rate of 89.30%. Finally, the processing technique was used to significantly (p < .05) improve classification rate, without much loss of information.
Pretreatment with melatonin protects against cyclophosphamide‐induced oxidative stress and renal damage in mice
Authors: Goudarzi Mehdi , Khodayar Mohammad Javad , Hosseini Tabatabaei Seyed Mohammad Taghi , Ghaznavi Habib , Fatemi Iman , Mehrzadi Saeed
Published: July 2017

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is widely used in treatment of different cancers. Nephrotoxicity is one of the dose‐limiting side effects of CP. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of melatonin (MEL) on CP‐induced nephrotoxicity in mice. In this study, 50 Swiss albino mice (20–25 g) were randomly divided into five groups. Mice were pretreated with MEL intraperitoneally (i.p) in doses of 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg for five consecutive days, and CP (200 mg/kg, i.p) was administrated on the 5th day 1 h after the last dose of MEL. Then on day 6, blood samples were collected to determine serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The kidneys were used for histological examination, biochemical assays and real‐time PCR studies. Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), protein carbonyl (PC), nitric oxide (NO) level, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity were assessed in renal tissue. In addition, the expression of SOD2 and PGx1 was measured using real‐time PCR method in renal tissue. Results showed that CP administration significantly increases Cr, BUN, MDA, PC, NO level and MPO activity. It also decreases renal GSH level, SOD, GPx and CAT activity. Pretreatment with MEL (especially 20 mg/kg, i.p.) for 5 days prevented these changes; however, it did not affect the SOD activity. Our results revealed that MEL might be useful for prevention of the nephrotoxicity induced by CP through ameliorative effects on biochemical indices and oxidative stress parameters.
Effects of inclusions on the very high cycle fatigue behaviour of steels
Authors: Pineau André , Forest Samuel
Published: July 2017

The very high cycle fatigue of high‐strength steels and many other alloys is controlled by the initiation and the propagation of cracks initiated at nonmetallic inclusions. Tiny cracks are early initiated from these inclusions. They propagate very slowly in a specific zone located close to the inclusion and called the fine‐grained area (FGA) or optical dark area. This area has a size of the order of that of the inclusion. The FGA is followed by the formation of conventional crack propagation area with the presence of striations in many cases. The details of initiation of these very high cycle fatigue cracks depend on the relative elastic and thermal properties of inclusions and matrix. The specificities of the FGA zone are dependent on the hydrogen segregated at the interface of the inclusions. An elasto‐plastic finite element calculation is performed to determine the residual stresses in the vicinity of the inclusions and to evaluate the effect of residual stresses.
Experimental study of the effect of pre‐bond contamination with de‐icing fluid and ageing on the fracture toughness of composite bonded joints
Authors: Moutsompegka E. , Tserpes K.I. , Polydoropoulou P. , Tornow C. , Schlag M. , Brune K. , Mayer B. , Pantelakis S.
Published: July 2017

The scope of the present work is to experimentally investigate the effect of pre‐bond contamination with de‐icing (DI) fluid and the combined effect of DI fluid and hygrothermal ageing on the fracture toughness of carbon fibre reinforced plastic bonded joints. These scenarios could occur in the implementation of an adhesively bonded patch repair in a composite aircraft structural part. To this end, mode I and mode II fracture toughness tests were conducted on contaminated specimens and mode II fracture toughness tests on contaminated/aged specimens. Three levels of contamination with a de‐icer were considered. The hygrothermal ageing conditions applied until saturation are 70°C/85% relative humidity. The experimental results reveal a detrimental effect of DI fluid on both mode I and mode II fracture toughness of the bonded joints. With increasing the contamination level, the mode I and mode II critical energy release rates decrease. Under mode I loading, the specimens failed mainly in light‐fibre‐tear mode, while under mode II loading, in adhesive failure mode. Hygrothermal ageing decreased further the mode II fracture toughness of the specimens and increased the adhesive failure mode. The present study reveals that the pre‐bond DI contamination and after‐bond ageing could critically degrade the strength of adhesively bonded patch repairs.
Tangential strain‐based criteria for mixed‐mode I/II fracture toughness of cement concrete
Authors: Mirsayar M.M. , Razmi A. , Berto F.
Published: July 2017

Experimental and theoretical works are performed on the mixed‐mode I/II brittle fracture of cement concrete tested by edge cracked semicircular bend specimens. Theoretical background of the traditional fracture criteria including strain energy density, maximum tangential stress, and maximum tangential strain (MTSN) are introduced. The ability of each fracture criterion in prediction of the fracture test data is investigated. The comparison between the evaluations by the traditional criteria and the experimental data shows that none of them are capable of successfully estimating the fracture resistance of cement concrete. An enhanced version of the MTSN criterion is then employed to predict the test data. It is demonstrated that the extended MTSN criterion can successfully predict the test data in a higher accuracy than traditional criteria.
Synthesis of well‐dispersed β‐Si3N4 with equiaxed structures using carbothermal reduction–nitridation method
Authors: Sun Si‐Yuan , Ge Yi‐Yao , Tian Zhao‐Bo , Zhang Jie , Chen Ke‐Xin , Xie Zhi‐peng
Published: July 2017

Well‐dispersed β‐Si3N4 powders with a novel equiaxed structure and eminent crystal integrity were prepared by carbothermal reduction–nitridation (CRN) strategy with the assistance of CaF2 additive. The growth mechanism of Si3N4 particles in the CRN process was elucidated. It is proposed that the liquid phase formed by SiO2 and CaF2 additive is crucial to the formation of equiaxed β‐Si3N4, and with an appropriate content of CaF2, Si3N4 powders with pure β phase, superior dispersity and crystal integrity can be obtained.
Effectiveness of speech therapy in adults with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Terband Hayo , Coppens‐Hofman Marjolein C. , Reffeltrath Maaike , Maassen Ben A. M.
Published: July 2017

Background

This study investigated the effect of speech therapy in a heterogeneous group of adults with intellectual disability.

Method

Thirty‐six adults with mild and moderate intellectual disabilities (IQs 40–70; age 18–40 years) with reported poor speech intelligibility received tailored training in articulation and listening skills delivered in two 3‐month periods. Pre‐ to post‐changes in speech intelligibility and receptive vocabulary were assessed using standardized tasks.

Results

The results showed a positive effect of treatment on speech intelligibility and receptive vocabulary, irrespective of severity of intellectual disability, hearing loss and intellectual disability aetiology.

Conclusions

Speech therapy for people with intellectual disability can be effective at adult age and hearing loss should not prevent treatment. Continued attention to speech can help augment verbal communication skills in this population.