bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An empirical model for educational simulation of cervical dilation in first-stage labor
Authors: Gefferie Silvano R. , Scholten Anouk W. J. , Wijlens Kim A. E. , Ferreira Bastos M. Luísa , van der Hout-van der Jagt M. Beatrijs , Zwart Hans , van Meurs Willem J.
Published: June 2018

Background

Several models for educational simulation of labor and delivery were published in the literature and incorporated into a commercially available training simulator (CAE Healthcare Lucina). However, the engine of this simulator does not include a model for the clinically relevant indicators: uterine contraction amplitude and frequency, and cervical dilation. In this paper, such a model is presented for the primigravida in normal labor.

Methods

The conceptual and mathematical models represent oxytocin release by the hypothalamus, oxytocin pharmacokinetics, and oxytocin effect on uterine contractions, cervical dilation, and (positive) feedback from cervical dilation to oxytocin release by the hypothalamus.

Results

Simulation results for cervical dilation are presented, together with target data for a normal primigravida. Corresponding oxytocin concentrations and amplitude and frequency of uterine contractions are also presented.

Conclusion

An original empirical model for educational simulation of oxytocin concentration, uterine contractions, and cervical dilation in first-stage labor is presented. Simulation results for cervical dilation match target data for a normal patient. The model forms a basis for taking into account more independent variables and patient profiles and can thereby considerably expand the range of training scenarios that can be simulated.
Source-independent extended waveform inversion based on space-time source extension: Frequency-domain implementation
Authors: Huang Guanghui , Nammour Rami , Symes William W.
Published: June 2018

Source signature estimation from seismic data is a crucial ingredient for successful application of seismic migration and full-waveform inversion (FWI). If the starting velocity deviates from the target velocity, FWI method with on-the-fly source estimation may fail due to the cycle-skipping problem. We have developed a source-based extended waveform inversion method, by introducing additional parameters in the source function, to solve the FWI problem without the source signature as a priori. Specifically, we allow the point source function to be dependent on spatial and time variables. In this way, we can easily construct an extended source function to fit the recorded data by solving a source matching subproblem; hence, it is less prone to cycle skipping. A novel source focusing annihilator, defined as the distance function from the real source position, is used for penalizing the defocused energy in the extended source function. A close data fit avoiding the cycle-skipping problem effectively makes the new method less likely to suffer from local minima, which does not require extreme low-frequency signals in the data. Numerical experiments confirm that our method can mitigate cycle skipping in FWI and is robust against random noise.
Pembrolizumab for Patients With Refractory or Relapsed Thymic Epithelial Tumor: An Open-Label Phase II Trial
Authors: Cho Jinhyun , Kim Hae Su , Ku Bo Mi , Choi Yoon-La , Cristescu Razvan , Han Joungho , Sun Jong-Mu , Lee Se-Hoon , Ahn Jin Seok , Park Keunchil , Ahn Myung-Ju
Published: June 2018

PURPOSE

Limited treatment options exist for patients with thymic epithelial tumor (TET) whose disease progresses after platinum-based chemotherapy. We conducted a phase II study of pembrolizumab in patients with TET to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

METHODS

Patients with histologically confirmed TET whose disease progressed after at least one line of platinum-based chemotherapy were eligible for the study. Patients were excluded if they had an active autoimmune disease requiring systemic treatment within the past year or documented history of clinically severe autoimmune disease. Patients received 200 mg of pembrolizumab intravenously every 3 weeks until tumor progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary objective of response rate was assessed every 9 weeks by investigators.

RESULTS

Of 33 patients enrolled, 26 had thymic carcinoma and seven had thymoma. Of seven thymoma, two (28.6%; 95% CI, 8.2% to 64.1%) had partial response, and five (71.6%) had stable disease. Of 26 thymic carcinoma, five (19.2%; 95% CI, 8.5% to 37.9%) had partial response and 14 (53.8%) had stable disease. The median progression-free survival was 6.1 months for both groups. The most common adverse events of any grade included dyspnea (11; 33.3%), chest wall pain (10; 30.3%), anorexia (seven; 21.2%), and fatigue (seven; 21.2%). Five (71.4%) of seven patients with thymoma and four (15.4%) of 26 patients with thymic carcinoma reported grade ≥ 3 immune-related adverse events, including hepatitis (four; 12.1%), myocarditis (three; 9.1%), myasthenia gravis (two; 6.1%), thyroiditis (one; 3.0%), antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody–associated rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (one; 3.0%), colitis (one; 3.0%), and subacute myoclonus (one; 3.0%).

CONCLUSIONS

Pembrolizumab showed encouraging antitumor activity in patients with advanced TET. Given the high incidence of autoimmunity, additional studies are needed to identify those who can benefit from pembrolizumab without immune-related adverse events.
Telomerase reverse transcriptase coordinates with the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition through a feedback loop to define properties of breast cancer stem cells
Authors: El-Badawy Ahmed , Ghoneim Nehal I. , Nasr Mohamed A. , Elkhenany Hoda , Ahmed Toka A. , Ahmed Sara M. , El-Badri Nagwa
Published: June 2018

Telomerase and its core component, telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), are critical for stem cell compartment integrity. Normal adult stem cells have the longest telomeres in a given tissue, a property mediated by high hTERT expression and high telomerase enzymatic activity. In contrast, cancer stem cells (CSCs) have short telomeres despite high expression of hTERT, indicating that the role of hTERT in CSCs is not limited to telomere elongation and/or maintenance. The function of hTERT in CSCs remains poorly understood. Here, we knocked down hTERT expression in CSCs and observed a morphological shift to a more epithelial phenotype, suggesting a role for hTERT in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of CSCs. Therefore, in this study, we systematically explored the relationship between hTERT and EMT and identified a reciprocal, bidirectional feedback loop between hTERT and EMT in CSCs. We found that hTERT expression is mutually exclusive to the mesenchymal phenotype and that, reciprocally, loss of the mesenchymal phenotype represses hTERT expression. We also showed that hTERT plays a critical role in the expression of key CSC markers and nuclear β-catenin localization, increases the percentage of cells with side-population properties, and upregulates the CD133 expression. hTERT also promotes chemoresistance properties, tumorsphere formation and other important functional CSC properties. Subsequently, hTERT knockdown leads to the loss of the above advantages, indicating a loss of CSC properties. Our findings suggest that targeting hTERT might improve CSCs elimination by transitioning them from the aggressive mesenchymal state to a more steady epithelial state, thereby preventing cancer progression.
Epigenetic regulators Rbbp4 and Hdac1 are overexpressed in a zebrafish model of RB1 embryonal brain tumor, and are required for neural progenitor survival and proliferation
Authors: Schultz Laura E. , Haltom Jeffrey A. , Almeida Maira P. , Wierson Wesley A. , Solin Staci L. , Weiss Trevor J. , Helmer Jordan A. , Sandquist Elizabeth J. , Shive Heather R. , McGrail Maura
Published: June 2018

In this study, we used comparative genomics and developmental genetics to identify epigenetic regulators driving oncogenesis in a zebrafish retinoblastoma 1 (rb1) somatic-targeting model of RB1 mutant embryonal brain tumors. Zebrafish rb1 brain tumors caused by TALEN or CRISPR targeting are histologically similar to human central nervous system primitive neuroectodermal tumors (CNS-PNETs). Like the human oligoneural OLIG2+/SOX10+ CNS-PNET subtype, zebrafish rb1 tumors show elevated expression of neural progenitor transcription factors olig2, sox10, sox8b and the receptor tyrosine kinase erbb3a oncogene. Comparison of rb1 tumor and rb1/rb1 germline mutant larval transcriptomes shows that the altered oligoneural precursor signature is specific to tumor tissue. More than 170 chromatin regulators were differentially expressed in rb1 tumors, including overexpression of chromatin remodeler components histone deacetylase 1 (hdac1) and retinoblastoma binding protein 4 (rbbp4). Germline mutant analysis confirms that zebrafish rb1, rbbp4 and hdac1 are required during brain development. rb1 is necessary for neural precursor cell cycle exit and terminal differentiation, rbbp4 is required for survival of postmitotic precursors, and hdac1 maintains proliferation of the neural stem cell/progenitor pool. We present an in vivo assay using somatic CRISPR targeting plus live imaging of histone-H2A.F/Z-GFP fusion protein in developing larval brain to rapidly test the role of chromatin remodelers in neural stem and progenitor cells. Our somatic assay recapitulates germline mutant phenotypes and reveals a dynamic view of their roles in neural cell populations. Our study provides new insight into the epigenetic processes that might drive pathogenesis in RB1 brain tumors, and identifies Rbbp4 and its associated chromatin remodeling complexes as potential target pathways to induce apoptosis in RB1 mutant brain cancer cells.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
P1 promoter-driven HNF4α isoforms are specifically repressed by β-catenin signaling in colorectal cancer cells
Authors: Babeu Jean-Philippe , Jones Christine , Geha Sameh , Carrier Julie C. , Boudreau François
Published: June 2018

HNF4α is a key nuclear receptor for regulating gene expression in the gut. Although both P1 and P2 isoform classes of HNF4α are expressed in colonic epithelium, specific inhibition of P1 isoforms is commonly found in colorectal cancer. Previous studies have suggested that P1 and P2 isoforms might regulate different cellular functions. Despite these advances, it remains unclear whether these isoform classes are functionally divergent in the context of human biology. Here, the consequences of specific inhibition of P1 or P2 isoform expression was measured in a human colorectal cancer cell transcriptome. Results indicate that P1 isoforms were specifically associated with the control of cell metabolism, whereas P2 isoforms globally supported aberrant oncogenic signalization, promoting cancer cell survival and progression. P1 promoter-driven isoform expression was found to be repressed by β-catenin, one of the earliest oncogenic pathways to be activated during colon tumorigenesis. These findings identify a novel cascade by which the expression of P1 isoforms is rapidly shut down in the early stages of colon tumorigenesis, allowing a change in HNF4α-dependent transcriptome, thereby promoting colorectal cancer progression.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Mutations that prevent methylation of cohesin render sensitivity to DNA damage in S. pombe
Authors: Sanyal Swastika , Molnarova Lucia , Richterova Judita , Huraiova Barbora , Benko Zsigmond , Polakova Silvia , Cipakova Ingrid , Sevcovicova Andrea , Gaplovska-Kysela Katarina , Mechtler Karl , Cipak Lubos , Gregan Juraj
Published: June 2018

The canonical role of cohesin is to mediate sister chromatid cohesion. In addition, cohesin plays important roles in processes such as DNA repair and regulation of gene expression. Mounting evidence suggests that various post-translational modifications, including phosphorylation, acetylation and sumoylation regulate cohesin functions. Our mass spectrometry analysis of cohesin purified from Schizosaccharomyces pombe cells revealed that the cohesin subunit Psm1 is methylated on two evolutionarily conserved lysine residues, K536 and K1200. We found that mutations that prevent methylation of Psm1 K536 and K1200 render sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents and show positive genetic interactions with mutations in genes encoding the Mus81–Eme1 endonuclease. Yeast two-hybrid and co-immunoprecipitation assays showed that there were interactions between subunits of the cohesin and Mus81–Eme1 complexes. We conclude that cohesin is methylated and that mutations that prevent methylation of Psm1 K536 and K1200 show synthetic phenotypes with mutants defective in the homologous recombination DNA repair pathway.
Epigenetic alterations mediate iPSC-induced normalization of DNA repair gene expression and TNR stability in Huntington's disease cells
Authors: Mollica Peter A. , Zamponi Martina , Reid John A. , Sharma Deepak K. , White Alyson E. , Ogle Roy C. , Bruno Robert D. , Sachs Patrick C.
Published: June 2018

Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by a cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansion within the HTT gene. The mechanisms underlying HD-associated cellular dysfunction in pluripotency and neurodevelopment are poorly understood. We had previously identified downregulation of selected DNA repair genes in HD fibroblasts relative to wild-type fibroblasts, as a result of promoter hypermethylation. Here, we tested the hypothesis that hypomethylation during cellular reprogramming to the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) state leads to upregulation of DNA repair genes and stabilization of TNRs in HD cells. We sought to determine how the HD TNR region is affected by global epigenetic changes through cellular reprogramming and early neurodifferentiation. We find that early stage HD-affected neural stem cells (HD-NSCs) contain increased levels of global 5-hydroxymethylation (5-hmC) and normalized DNA repair gene expression. We confirm TNR stability is induced in iPSCs, and maintained in HD-NSCs. We also identify that upregulation of 5-hmC increases ten-eleven translocation 1 and 2 (TET1/2) protein levels, and show their knockdown leads to a corresponding decrease in the expression of select DNA repair genes. We further confirm decreased expression of TET1/2-regulating miR-29 family members in HD-NSCs. Our findings demonstrate that mechanisms associated with pluripotency induction lead to a recovery in the expression of select DNA repair gene and stabilize pathogenic TNRs in HD.
Wnt7b signalling through Frizzled-7 receptor promotes dendrite development by coactivating CaMKII and JNK
Authors: Ferrari María E. , Bernis María E. , McLeod Faye , Podpolny Marina , Coullery Romina P. , Casadei Inelia M. , Salinas Patricia C. , Rosso Silvana B.
Published: June 2018

The formation of complex dendritic arbors is crucial for the assembly of functional networks as abnormal dendrite formation underlies several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. Many extracellular factors have been postulated as regulators of dendritic growth. Wnt proteins play a critical role in neuronal development and circuit formation. We previously demonstrated that Wnt7b acts through the scaffold protein dishevelled 1 (Dvl1) to modulate dendrite arborisation by activating a non-canonical Wnt signalling pathway. Here, we identify the seven-transmembrane frizzled-7 (Fz7, also known as FZD7) as the receptor for Wnt7b-mediated dendrite growth and complexity. Importantly, Fz7 is developmentally regulated in the intact hippocampus, and is localised along neurites and at dendritic growth cones, suggesting a role in dendrite formation and maturation. Fz7 loss-of-function studies demonstrated that Wnt7b requires Fz7 to promote dendritic arborisation. Moreover, in vivo Fz7 loss of function results in dendritic defects in the intact mouse hippocampus. Furthermore, our findings reveal that Wnt7b and Fz7 induce the phosphorylation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and JNK proteins, which are required for dendritic development. Here, we demonstrate that Wnt7b–Fz7 signals through two non-canonical Wnt pathways to modulate dendritic growth and complexity.
Recent advances in the detection of repeat expansions with short-read next-generation sequencing
Authors: Bahlo Melanie , Bennett Mark F , Degorski Peter , Tankard Rick M , Delatycki Martin B , Lockhart Paul J
Published: June 2018

Short tandem repeats (STRs), also known as microsatellites, are commonly defined as consisting of tandemly repeated nucleotide motifs of 2–6 base pairs in length. STRs appear throughout the human genome, and about 239,000 are documented in the Simple Repeats Track available from the UCSC (University of California, Santa Cruz) genome browser. STRs vary in size, producing highly polymorphic markers commonly used as genetic markers. A small fraction of STRs (about 30 loci) have been associated with human disease whereby one or both alleles exceed an STR-specific threshold in size, leading to disease. Detection of repeat expansions is currently performed with polymerase chain reaction–based assays or with Southern blots for large expansions. The tests are expensive and time-consuming and are not always conclusive, leading to lengthy diagnostic journeys for patients, potentially including missed diagnoses. The advent of whole exome and whole genome sequencing has identified the genetic cause of many genetic disorders; however, analysis pipelines are focused primarily on the detection of short nucleotide variations and short insertions and deletions (indels). Until recently, repeat expansions, with the exception of the smallest expansion (SCA6), were not detectable in next-generation short-read sequencing datasets and would have been ignored in most analyses. In the last two years, four analysis methods with accompanying software (ExpansionHunter, exSTRa, STRetch, and TREDPARSE) have been released. Although a comprehensive comparative analysis of the performance of these methods across all known repeat expansions is still lacking, it is clear that these methods are a valuable addition to any existing analysis pipeline. Here, we detail how to assess short-read data for evidence of expansions, reviewing all four methods and outlining their strengths and weaknesses. Implementation of these methods should lead to increased diagnostic yield of repeat expansion disorders for known STR loci and has the potential to detect novel repeat expansions.
Obstructive sleep apnea as an independent predictor of postoperative delirium and pain: protocol for an observational study of a surgical cohort
Authors: Strutz Patricia , Tzeng William , Arrington Brianna , Kronzer Vanessa , McKinnon Sherry , Ben Abdallah Arbi , Haroutounian Simon , Avidan Michael S.
Published: June 2018

Introduction: Postoperative delirium and pain are common complications in adults, and are difficult both to prevent and treat. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is prevalent in surgical patients, and has been suggested to be a risk factor for postoperative delirium and pain. OSA also might impact pain perception, and alter pain medication requirements. This protocol describes an observational study, with the primary aim of testing whether OSA is an independent predictor of postoperative complications, focusing on (i) postoperative incident delirium and (ii) acute postoperative pain severity. We secondarily hypothesize that compliance with prescribed treatment for OSA (typically continuous positive airway pressure or CPAP) might decrease the risk of delirium and the severity of pain.

Methods and analysis: We will include data from patients who have been enrolled into three prospective studies: ENGAGES, PODCAST, and SATISFY-SOS. All participants underwent general anesthesia for a non-neurosurgical inpatient operation, and had a postoperative hospital stay of at least one day at Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, from February 2013 to May 2018.  Patients included in this study have been assessed for postoperative delirium and pain severity as part of the parent studies. In the current study, determination of delirium diagnosis will be based on the Confusion Assessment Method, and the Visual Analogue Pain Scale will be used for pain severity. Data on OSA diagnosis, OSA risk and compliance with treatment will be obtained from the preoperative assessment record. Other variables that are candidate risk factors for delirium and pain will also be extracted from this record. We will use logistic regression to test whether OSA independently predicts postoperative delirium and linear regression to assess OSAs relationship to acute pain severity. We will conduct secondary analyses with subgroups to explore whether these relationships are modified by compliance with OSA treatment.
The Impact of Online Product Reviews on Product Returns
Authors: Sahoo Nachiketa , Dellarocas Chrysanthos , Srinivasan Shuba
Published: June 2018

Although many researchers in information systems and marketing have studied the effect of product reviews on sales, few have looked at their effect on product returns. We hypothesize that, by reducing product uncertainty, product reviews affect the probability of product returns. We elaborate this hypothesis starting with an analytical model that examines how changes in valence and precision of information from product reviews influence the purchase and return probabilities of risk-averse, but rational, consumers. We then empirically test our hypotheses using a transaction-level data set from a multichannel, multibrand North American specialty retailer. Harnessing different consumers’ purchases and returns of the same products, but with varying sets of product reviews over two years, we show that the availability of more reviews and the presence of more “helpful” reviews, as voted by consumers, lead to fewer product returns—after controlling for customer, product, and other context-related factors. Analyzing the purchase behavior of the consumers, we find that when fewer product reviews are available, consumers buy more substitutes in conjunction with a product, potentially to mitigate their uncertainty. Purchase of substitutes, in turn, leads to more product returns. Finally, leveraging a discontinuity in the displayed average ratings, we find that when products are shown with an average rating that is higher than the true rating, they are returned more often. These results support the predictions of our theoretical model—unbiased online reviews indeed help consumers make better purchase decisions, leading to lower product returns; biasing reviews upward results in more returns. The presence of online reviews has important cost implications for the firm beyond the cost of reprocessing the returns; we observe that when consumers return products, they are more likely to write online reviews and that these reviews are more negative than reviews that follow a nonreturned purchase.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2017.0736 .
Optimal Pricing and Inventory Planning with Charitable Donations
Authors: Chu Leon Yang , Li Guang , Rusmevichientong Paat
Published: June 2018

Problem definition: This paper investigates firms’ optimal operational decisions and after-tax profits with regard to tax deduction for charitable donations. Academic/practical relevance: Motivated by the steady growth in noncash donations from U.S. companies, our work is the first to provide theoretical guidance on operational planning under tax deduction for both precommitted donations and end-of-season donations. Methodology: We analyze the impact of tax deduction for a profit-driven firm under a two-period price-markdown newsvendor model and characterize the firm’s optimal price and quantity decisions. Results: The firm’s optimal donation behavior is driven by two factors—fixed cost and demand uncertainty. Specifically, a positive fixed cost can induce precommitted donation during the regular selling season, and demand uncertainty can induce end-of-season donation during the clearance period. Managerial insights: The enhanced tax deduction that is designed to encourage charitable donations results in unexpected behavior by the firm. For example, the firm’s optimal clearance price can increase with the amount of leftover inventory, and the firm’s optimal after-tax profit can increase as the tax rate increases. While the value of the deduction is tied to the fair market value (and the price) of the product, surprisingly, the firm may find it more profitable to charge a lower price, because the lower price may scale up the demand uncertainty and consequently increase the expected tax subsidy under the enhanced tax deduction. Our analysis reveals important insights about the impact of the tax law on a monopolist’s optimal operational decisions and profit.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2017.0676 .
Chief Information Officer team evolution in university hospitals: interaction of the three ‘C’s (CIO, CCIO, CRIO)
Authors: Sridharan Shankar , Priestman Ward , Sebire Neil J.
Published: June 2018

Background

The Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) are now established senior roles in hospital practice. With increasing emphasis on optimising use of routine health data for secondary purposes and research, additional skills are required as part of the senior information officer team, particularly in academic health care institutions.

Objective

To present the role of the Chief Research Information Officer (CRIO), as an emerging, and important, component of the senior information team.

Method

We review recent publications describing the composition of the senior information team, including CIO and CCIO roles, and discuss the development of the CRIO as a distinct component of the team, based on the published evidence and our experience.

Results

The CRIO is emerging as an additional senior role in academic healthcare institutions, whose roles include leadership of the informatics strategy and optimisation of routine data collection systems for research data use, in addition to important aspects of research data governance. Such individuals should be senior clinicians with experience in informatics, in addition to having established research expertise and knowledge of research processes, governance and academic networks.

Conclusions

The CRIO is emerging as a distinct senior information leadership role in conjunction with the already established positions of CCIO and CIO, who together, can provide optimal oversight of digital activities across the organisation.
MEINE FORMELLE ENTSCHULDIGUNG: URBANE KUNST IM SPANNUNGSFELD VON (SOZIALER) ÖFFENTLICHKEIT UND PRIVATSPHÄRE
Authors:   Crazy Mister Sketch
Published: June 2018

Der urbane Künstler Crazy Mister Sketch beschäftigt sich in seinem Text nicht nur mit Invasionen in unsere Privatsphäre, etwa durch soziale Medien, und der Frage, ob wir gezwungen sind, diese zu ignorieren, sondern auch mit seinem eigenen Hintergrund, dessen Vorteilen und den dadurch entstehenden Schwierigkeiten beim Schaffen von gesellschaftskritischer Kunst.
Unsicheres Mitleid
Authors: Siller Georg
Published: June 2018

Wie kaum ein anderes Gefühl ist Mitleid von Unsicherheiten geprägt: Der Begriff »Mitleid« wird widersprüchlich verwendet - aber auch das Gefühl selbst kann schwanken. Dies wirft Fragen der Angemessenheit auf. Georg Sillers genaue Lektüre Ludwig Wittgensteins zeigt, dass solche Unbestimmtheiten jedoch nicht als Defizite gesehen werden müssen: Erstens sind psychologische Begriffe in ihrer Bedeutungsvielfalt Teil unserer Lebensform und damit mehr als die Bezeichnung von Zuständen, zweitens stellt schwankendes Mitleid eine ganz eigene Haltung dar - und zwar häufig die des Respekts. Diese Perspektive ermöglicht neue Zugriffe auf Aristoteles, Nietzsche, Brecht, Arendt sowie die Neuropsychologie - und nicht zuletzt auf Wittgenstein selbst.
Stadt und Straße
Authors: Pöhlmann Sascha
Published: June 2018

Stadt und Straße - wie und warum werden gerade diese Orte oft zu außergewöhnlichen literarischen Anfangsorten gemacht? Sascha Pöhlmann wendet sich in doppelter Absicht an ein Publikum, das sich für US-amerikanische Literatur (etwa von Walt Whitman, Don DeLillo, Jack Kerouac oder Kathy Acker) interessiert, aber nicht den akademischen Fachdiskurs verfolgt. Erstens will er dieser Leserschaft ein Konzept nahebringen, das zentral für die amerikanische Kulturgeschichte ist: nämlich die Idee des Anfangs. Zweitens will er dadurch eine neue Perspektive auf bekannte Klassiker der amerikanischen Prosa eröffnen und zugleich weniger bekannte, aber nicht minder bedeutsame Texte erschließen.
Análise do perfil dos alunos do primeiro curso de ead em engenharia de produção em instituição de ensino superior pública
Authors: Assumpção Georgia de Souza , Hamada Priscila Carneiro , Castro Alexandre de Carvalho
Published: June 2018

Dados sobre cursos superiores a distância, divulgados em estudos de órgãos oficiais brasileiros como o INEP, apontam um crescimento significativo do número de alunos e cursos nessa modalidade de Ensino a Distância. O curso de graduação a distância de Engenharia de Produção, proposta conjunta do CEFET/RJ, da UFF e do consórcio CEDERJ é uma nova iniciativa criada em meio a um cenário de expansão da demanda pela formação, expansão da modalidade de ensino, e o estímulo de órgãos como a CAPES e a ABENGE para ampliação do número de engenheiros no país. O presente artigo tem por objetivo analisar o perfil dos alunos do curso de Engenharia de Produção oferecido à sociedade pelo CEFET-RJ e UFF, através do consórcio CEDERJ, a partir do primeiro semestre de 2015. A metodologia qualitativa adotada no estudo permitiu elaborar um panorama geral sobre o ensino de Engenharia de Produção e o consórcio CEDERJ, uma descrição detalhada sobre o curso e sua estrutura básica. Através dos dados coletados no CEDERJ e no sistema de controle acadêmico do CEFET-RJ, foi realizada uma análise preliminar do perfil sociodemográfico dos alunos matriculados no curso. Foi possível perceber que o curso está atendendo majoritariamente a alunos do estado do Rio de Janeiro, oriundos de instituições públicas de ensino médio, do sexo masculino e com idade média de 30 anos.
Habilidades de resiliência em distribuidora de energia elétrica: recrutamento, seleção e treinamento de eletricistas e operadores do centro de operações da distribuição
Authors: Alves Alexandre Eberle , Saurin Tarcísio Abreu
Published: June 2018

A convergência das habilidades técnicas com as de resiliência contribui para promover um ambiente que opere de maneira segura e eficiente. Nesta busca, sob o prisma da Engenharia de Resiliência, pretende-se obter um sistema que mantenha o processo operante durante os infortúnios, em especial, os inesperados. O objetivo deste artigo é identificar habilidades de resiliência utilizadas em atividades de manutenção emergencial de problemas na rede elétrica de uma distribuidora de energia. Foram observadas as atividades de eletricistas e operadores do Centro de Operações da Distribuição (COD) da empresa estudada, com o propósito de: (1) investigar quais procedimentos utilizados no processo de recrutamento e seleção da empresa para verificar se as habilidades de resiliência são contempladas e (2) propor melhorias no processo de treinamento, para facilitar e minimizar a necessidade das habilidades de resiliência identificadas.
Kınık Höyük in South Cappadocia
Authors: d’Alfonso Lorenzo , Castellano Lorenzo
Published: June 2018

This note complements the preliminary comparative stratigraphy of excavated sites of Cilicia published in AoF 44/2 with the new stratigraphic data obtained at the ongoing excavation of Niğde Kınık Höyük, in South Cappadocia. South Cappadocia lies directly north of Cilicia beyond the Taurus mountains, and from Prehistory it has controlled the access from Cilicia to the Anatolian Plateau. The region knew periods of minor, and more intense, participation in the cultural developments experienced in Cilicia, and the note is intended to provide basic stratigraphic information to start the study of this relation in a more precise and comprehensive way. The note only adds the information for the site of Kınık Höyük, but it is a strong invitation to other colleagues working in Cappadocia to build a similar comparative stratigraphy.
Physicochemical properties of stabilized sewage sludge admixtures by modified steel slag
Authors: Zhu Xi , Li Fei , Zhang Jingdong , Wu Shengzhe
Published: June 2018

Cement stabilization is used extensively to solidify sludge. However, previous studies suggest that the organic acids in sludge can restrain the hydration processes of cementitious materials. This study presents a new binder (steel slag based materials) whose effectiveness of stabilization was investigated on sewage sludge. Several series of tests for solidified sludge were conducted including the moisture content, compressive strength, shear force, permeability, and toxicity characteristic leaching (TCLP). The result shows that the stabilization effect of physicochemical properties of stabilized sewage by S1* (content 90% steel slag) were better than that of cement. With 20% S1, the moisture content of the sludge could be reduced to 30% at 20+1°C for 7 days; The compressive strength was 74.5 kappa and the permeability coefficient was 5.03 × 10–5 (cm/s); The TCLP was below the limit value. The hydration products of paste and solidified sludge at 1, 3, 14, 28, and 90 days were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and energy spectroscopy to distinguish ettringite/iron ettringite in S1 solidified sludge. the result shows the Needle-like ettringite of S1 possess high iron content and may be Fe–Aft.
DNA-encoded libraries – an efficient small molecule discovery technology for the biomedical sciences
Authors: Kunig Verena , Potowski Marco , Gohla Anne , Brunschweiger Andreas
Published: June 2018

DNA-encoded compound libraries are a highly attractive technology for the discovery of small molecule protein ligands. These compound collections consist of small molecules covalently connected to individual DNA sequences carrying readable information about the compound structure. DNA-tagging allows for efficient synthesis, handling and interrogation of vast numbers of chemically synthesized, drug-like compounds. They are screened on proteins by an efficient, generic assay based on Darwinian principles of selection. To date, selection of DNA-encoded libraries allowed for the identification of numerous bioactive compounds. Some of these compounds uncovered hitherto unknown allosteric binding sites on target proteins; several compounds proved their value as chemical biology probes unraveling complex biology; and the first examples of clinical candidates that trace their ancestry to a DNA-encoded library were reported. Thus, DNA-encoded libraries proved their value for the biomedical sciences as a generic technology for the identification of bioactive drug-like molecules numerous times. However, large scale experiments showed that even the selection of billions of compounds failed to deliver bioactive compounds for the majority of proteins in an unbiased panel of target proteins. This raises the question of compound library design.
Hypoxia and serum deprivation induces glycan alterations in triple negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Albuquerque Amanda P.B. , Balmaña Meritxell , Mereiter Stefan , Pinto Filipe , Reis Celso A. , Beltrão Eduardo I.C.
Published: June 2018

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a major global public health problem. The lack of targeted therapy and the elevated mortality evidence the need for better knowledge of the tumor biology. Hypoxia and aberrant glycosylation are associated with advanced stages of malignancy, tumor progression and treatment resistance. Importantly, serum deprivation regulates the invasive phenotype and favors TNBC cell survival. However, in TNBC, the role of hypoxia and serum deprivation in the regulation of glycosylation remains largely unknown. The effects of hypoxia and serum deprivation on the expression of glycosyltransferases and glycan profile were evaluated in the MDA-MB-231 cell line. We showed that the overexpression of HIF-1α was accompanied by acquisition of epithelial-mesenchimal transition features. Significant upregulation of fucosyl- and sialyltransferases involved in the synthesis of tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens was observed together with changes in fucosylation and sialylation detected by Aleuria aurantia lectin and Sambucus nigra agglutinin lectin blots. Bioinformatic analysis further indicated a mechanism by which HIF-1α can regulate ST3GAL6 expression and the relationship within the intrinsic characteristics of TNBC tumors. In conclusion, our results showed the involvement of hypoxia and serum deprivation in glycosylation profile regulation of TNBC cells triggering breast cancer aggressive features and suggesting glycosylation as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic target.
Protein crystallization in living cells
Authors: Schönherr Robert , Rudolph Janine Mia , Redecke Lars
Published: June 2018

Protein crystallization in living cells has been observed surprisingly often as a native assembly process during the past decades, and emerging evidence indicates that this phenomenon is also accessible for recombinant proteins. But only recently the advent of high-brilliance synchrotron sources, X-ray free-electron lasers, and improved serial data collection strategies has allowed the use of these micrometer-sized crystals for structural biology. Thus, in cellulo crystallization could offer exciting new possibilities for proteins that do not crystallize applying conventional approaches. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the current knowledge of intracellular protein crystallization. This includes an overview of the cellular functions, the physical properties, and, if known, the mode of regulation of native in cellulo crystal formation, complemented with a discussion of the reported crystallization events of recombinant proteins and the current method developments to successfully collect X-ray diffraction data from in cellulo crystals. Although the intracellular protein self-assembly mechanisms are still poorly understood, regulatory differences between native in cellulo crystallization linked to a specific function and accidently crystallizing proteins, either disease associated or recombinantly introduced, become evident. These insights are important to systematically exploit living cells as protein crystallization chambers in the future.
Effects of Single versus Multiple Bouts of Resistance Training on Maximal Strength and Anaerobic Performance
Authors: Shiau Kai , Tsao Te Hung , Yang Chang Bin
Published: June 2018

This study examined the effects of one single bout daily versus triple bouts of resistance exercise for 12 weeks on muscular strength and anaerobic performance of the upper body. Twenty young male adults (age: 22.0 ± 1.0 years, bench press: 44.0 ± 10.3 kg) were randomly assigned to a single bout (SB) or triple bouts (TB) of resistance exercise group. Maximal strength and anaerobic performance of the upper body using the bench press (one-repetition maximum) and the modified 30 s Wingate test were determined before and after the intervention. Additionally, changes in lactate levels before and after the Wingate test were measured. Although the SB and TB groups showed a significant increase in maximal strength (post-intervention, SB: 67.2 ± 9.2 and TB: 67.6 ± 7.6 kg, respectively) compared with the values at pre-intervention (SB: 44.6 ± 11.4 and TB: 43.9 ± 8.7 kg, respectively), there was no significant difference for this variable between the two groups post-intervention (p> 0.05). The anaerobic performance of the upper body in the SB and TB groups also displayed improvements without significant difference between the two groups after the completion of different training regimes. On the basis of the same training volume, multiple bouts of resistance training showed similar improvements in maximal strength and anaerobic performance to one bout of resistance training in young adult men without prior experience in resistance training
Epidemiology of Time-Loss Injuries in Senior and Under-18 Portuguese Male Rugby Players
Authors: Cruz-Ferreira Antonio Miguel , Cruz-Ferreira Eduardo Miguel , Ribeiro Pedro Barbosa , Santiago Luiz Miguel , Taborda-Barata Luis
Published: June 2018

Rugby union has one of the highest injury incidence rates in team sports, however, most of the available data focus on the epidemiology of injuries in countries where rugby is popular. We aimed to report the incidence rate and relevant epidemiological aspects of injuries occurred in a group of Portuguese male rugby players. A prospective cohort study was conducted with a group of 45 senior and 32 under-18 male players (total of 77 players). Outcome measures included injury incidence, position, type, location and severity of injuries. The match injury incidence for all players was 55.84 per 1000 player match-hours (66.66 for seniors, 42.85 for under-18), while mean time-loss for injury was 20.79 days. No statistical differences were found between groups. Lower limb injuries accounted for 60.5% of all injuries, while joint/ligament injuries were the most prevalent type. Contact events were responsible for 65.1% of injuries. Despite the limitations, the obtained data are consistent with the literature. Time-loss injuries seem highly prevalent in rugby union and the incidence rates found in this Portuguese-based study were lower than the reported for international and senior men’s professional rugby union, but higher than those occurring in community rugby in tier-1 countries. The authors believe these data reinforce the need to develop and implement effective injury surveillance and prevention programs.
The Effectiveness of Land and Water Based Resistance Training on Shoulder Rotator Cuff Strength and Balance of Youth Swimmers
Authors: Batalha Nuno , Dias Sónia , Marinho Daniel A. , Parraca José A.
Published: June 2018

The continuous execution of swimming techniques, supported mainly by the upper limbs, may cause shoulder rotator muscle imbalances, which leads to injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of two training programs on strength, balance and endurance of shoulder rotator cuff muscles in youth swimmers. Twenty-five male swimmers were evaluated and randomly divided into two groups – the land group (n = 13), which conducted a conventional dry-land training program with elastic bands, and the water group (n = 12), which conducted a water resistance program. In both groups, the level of strength of the shoulder rotators was evaluated with an isokinetic dynamometer on two occasions (baseline and after 10 weeks) using two protocols: i) three repetitions at 60
o
/s; ii) twenty repetitions at 180
o
/s. The land group significantly increased the unilateral ratios compared to the water group. The land group also decreased the external rotator levels of muscular fatigue. The dry-land training program conducted proved to be more effective than the one conducted in the water, allowing to reduce the muscle imbalance and to decrease muscle fatigue.
Effect of Pitch Size on Technical-Tactical Actions of the Goalkeeper in Small-Sided Games
Authors: Jara Daniel , Ortega Enrique , Gómez Miguel-Ángel , Baranda Pilar Sainz de
Published: June 2018

The aim of this paper was to determine how the size of the pitch affected technical and tactical actions of the goalkeeper when playing small-sided games. The participants were 13 male youth players, including 3 goalkeepers. Three different pitch sizes were used (62 x 44 m; 50 x 35 m; 32 x 23 m). On each pitch, the players played three matches of 8 minutes, with 5-minute breaks between matches. Numerous variables were recorded and examined: defensive and offensive technical and tactical actions, opponent’s shooting zone, length and zone of the offensive action, and goal zone where the shoot was directed. An ad hoc observational tool was used. A descriptive analysis was described. The Fisher’s exact test was used when the expected distribution was below 5 or included values below 1%. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. The results showed that the technical-tactical actions of the goalkeeper differed among pitch sizes. In defensive actions, when the pitch was larger, the 1-on-1 situations took precedence, whereas when the pitch was smaller, the proportion of blocks increased. In offensive actions, the goalkeepers did not show a wide variety of actions when the pitch was larger, but when the pitch was smaller, passes with a hand or foot increased. These results show that the size should be taken into account when planning and designing tasks.
Production of NMSBA from NMST Catalyzed by Co/Mn/Br and HPW@C Modified with ZnCl2 Solution
Authors: Wen Di , Fang Zhou-wen , He Heng , Zhang Chao , Long Xiang-li
Published: June 2018

2-nitro-4-methylsulfonylbenzoic acid (NMSBA) can be produced by oxidizing 2-nitro-4-methylsulfonyltoluene (NMST) with air catalyzed by Co/Mn/Br and phosphotungstic acid(HPW) loaded on activated carbon. This paper reports that the catalytic ability of the HPW@C catalyst in the oxidation of NMST to NMSBA can be improved by treating the activated carbon with ZnCl2solution. The best modification condition with ZnCl2solution is impregnating the carbon sample in 0.1 mol/L solution for 6 h followed by calcination at 600 °C for 4 h. The increase of the surface area and the acidic groups on the carbon surface enhances the catalytic ability of the HPW@C catalyst. The mesopores play an important role in the catalytic oxidation of NMST to NMSBA.
A stochastic differential game of low carbon technology sharing in collaborative innovation system of superior enterprises and inferior enterprises under uncertain environment
Authors: Yin Shi , Li Baizhou
Published: June 2018

Considering the fact that the development of low carbon economy calls for the low carbon technology sharing between interested enterprises, this paper study a stochastic differential game of low carbon technology sharing in collaborative innovation system of superior enterprises and inferior enterprises. In the paper, we consider the random interference factors that include the uncertain external environment and the internal understanding limitations of decision maker. In the model, superior enterprises and inferior enterprises are separated entities, and they play Stacklberg master-slave game, Nash non-cooperative game, and cooperative game, respectively. We discuss the feedback equilibrium strategies of superior enterprises and inferior enterprises, and it is found that some random interference factors in sharing system can make the variance of improvement degree of low carbon technology level in the cooperation game higher than the variance in the Stackelberg game, and the result of Stackelberg game is similar to the result of Nash game. Additionally, a government subsidy incentive and a special subsidy that inferior enterprises give to superior enterprises are proposed.