bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
International Assessment of Event-Free Survival at 24 Months and Subsequent Survival in Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Maurer Matthew J. , Ellin Fredrik , Srour Line , Jerkeman Mats , Bennani N. Nora , Connors Joseph M. , Slack Graham W. , Smedby Karin E. , Ansell Stephen M. , Link Brian K. , Cerhan James R. , Relander Thomas , Savage Kerry J. , Feldman Andrew L.
Published: October 2017

Purpose

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) have aggressive clinical behavior. We have previously shown that event-free survival (EFS) at 24 months (EFS24) is a clinically useful end point in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Here, we assess EFS24 and subsequent overall survival (OS) in large, multinational PTCL cohorts.

Patients and Methods

Patients with systemic PTCL newly diagnosed from 2000 to 2012 and treated with curative intent were included from the United States and Sweden (initial cohorts) and from Canada (replication cohort). EFS was defined as time from date of diagnosis to progression after primary treatment, retreatment, or death. Subsequent OS was measured after achieving EFS24 or from the time of progression if it occurred within 24 months. OS rates were compared with the age-, sex-, and country-matched general population.

Results

Seven hundred seventy-five patients were included in the study (the median age at diagnosis was 64 years; 63% were men). Results were similar in the initial and replication cohorts, and a combined analysis was undertaken. Sixty-four percent of patients progressed within the first 24 months and had a median OS of only 4.9 months (5-year OS, 11%). In contrast, median OS after achieving EFS24 was not reached (5-year OS, 78%), although relapses within 5 years of achieving EFS24 occurred in 23% of patients. Superior outcomes after achieving EFS24 were observed in younger patients (≤ 60 years of age: 5-year OS, 91%).

Conclusion

EFS24 stratifies subsequent outcome in PTCL. Patients with PTCL with primary refractory disease or early relapse have extremely poor survival. However, more than one third of patients with PTCL remain in remission 2 years after diagnosis with encouraging subsequent OS, especially in younger patients. These marked differences in outcome suggest that EFS24 has utility for patient counseling, study design, and risk stratification in PTCL.
Topical 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 1 Inhibition Corrects Cutaneous Features of Systemic Glucocorticoid Excess in Female Mice
Authors: Tiganescu Ana , Hupe Melanie , Uchida Yoshikazu , Mauro Theadora , Elias Peter M , Holleran Walter M
Published: October 2017

Glucocorticoid (GC) excess drives multiple cutaneous adverse effects, including skin thinning and poor wound healing. The ubiquitously expressed enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) activates mouse corticosterone from 11-dehydrocorticosterone (and human cortisol from cortisone). We previously demonstrated elevated 11β-HSD1 activity during mouse wound healing, but the interplay between cutaneous 11β-HSD1 and systemic GC excess is unexplored. Here, we examined effects of 11β-HSD1 inhibition by carbenoxolone (CBX) in mice treated with corticosterone (CORT) or vehicle for 6 weeks. Mice were treated bidaily with topical CBX or vehicle (VEH) 7 days before wounding and during wound healing. CORT mice displayed skin thinning and impaired wound healing but also increased epidermal integrity. 11β-HSD1 activity was elevated in unwounded CORT skin and was inhibited by CBX. CORT mice treated with CBX displayed 51%, 59%, and 100% normalization of wound healing, epidermal thickness, and epidermal integrity, respectively. Gene expression studies revealed normalization of interleukin 6, keratinocyte growth factor, collagen 1, collagen 3, matrix metalloproteinase 9, and tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase 4 by CBX during wound healing. Importantly, proinflammatory cytokine expression and resolution of inflammation were unaffected by 11β-HSD1 inhibition. CBX did not regulate skin function or wound healing in the absence of CORT. Our findings demonstrate that 11β-HSD1 inhibition can limit the cutaneous effects of GC excess, which may improve the safety profile of systemic steroids and the prognosis of chronic wounds.
Capturing World-Class Urbanism through Modal Governance in Saigon
Authors: Kim Hun
Published: October 2017

As the references of the world-class city pivot from traditional centers of finance in the West to include an ascendant Asia, cities dependent on foreign investment must modulate their governance to capture these flows of capital and urban development expertise. This article examines how institutions and individuals in Ho Chi Minh City, more commonly known as Saigon, deploy different modes of law and regulation to accommodate a diverse array of foreign capital producing the city. I offer two modes of governance: opacity and transparency. The first mode, opacity, affords government agencies and local developers flexibility to pursue new circuits of East and Southeast Asian foreign investment. These regulatory flexibilities are often framed and read as corruption under what I argue is another mode of urban development, transparency. Transparency is championed by international development institutions like the Asian Development Bank and World Bank that likewise produce urban infrastructure and urban development projects in the city. I argue that these flexible modes of city making are a way for state agencies to speculate on multiple and contradicting visions of the world-class city utilizing techniques of governance, law, and regulation.
An Inoperative Community: Senses of Community and the Signboard Renovation Project of Kwangrim Plaza in Contemporary South Korea
Authors: Paek Seunghan
Published: October 2017

This article explores community in contemporary South Korea's commercially saturated urban environments by investigating a recent government-run city improvement project in which the entanglement of institutional power and local commercial forces created a peculiar form of community that is fragmentary and heterogeneous rather than organic and harmonious. The case study involves an attempt by the city government in Gunpo City, South Korea, to collaborate with private enterprise to regulate the dense signage on one specific commercial building, Kwangrim Plaza. The meetings and conversations between the government officials in charge of regulating urban signage and the plaza's forty-five shopkeepers were recorded in a four-part documentary series that was televised on the Seoul Broadcasting System in 2007. The documentary was intended to exemplify the government's effectiveness as well as civic participation in producing an attractive cityscape. Though the film emphasizes reconciliation and synthesis following the shopkeepers' strenuous objections to the renovation project, its scenes reveal a series of conflicts and disagreements among shopkeepers and between shopkeepers and government officials. Though the narrative of the film treats those conflicts as temporary obstacles to the inevitable achievement of this ambitious project, the author argues that interruptions, suspensions, and instances of dissensus in the smooth narrative are the critical moments in which a sense of community manifests itself in everyday urban life.
Decentralized Exchange
Authors: Malamud Semyon , Rostek Marzena
Published: October 2017

Most assets are traded in multiple interconnected trading venues. This paper develops an equilibrium model of decentralized markets that accommodates general market structures with coexisting exchanges. Decentralized markets can allocate risk among traders with different risk preferences more efficiently, thus realizing gains from trade that cannot be reproduced in centralized markets. Market decentralization always increases price impact. Yet, markets in which assets are traded in multiple exchanges, whether they are disjoint or intermediated, can give higher welfare than the centralized market with the same traders and assets. In decentralized markets, demand substitutability across assets is endogenous and heterogeneous among traders. (JEL D43, D44, D85, G11, G12)
Housing Wealth and Consumption: Evidence from Geographically Linked Microdata
Authors: Aladangady Aditya
Published: October 2017

Rising home values also raise the cost of living, offsetting their impact on consumption. However, additional home equity collateral can loosen borrowing constraints, increasing spending for households that value their current endowment of housing highly. I use geographically linked microdata to exploit regional heterogeneity in housing markets and identify the causal effect of house price fluctuations on consumer spending. A $1 increase in home values leads to a $0.047 increase in spending for homeowners, but a negligible response for renters. Results reflect large responses among credit constrained households, suggesting looser borrowing constraints are a primary driver of the MPC out of housing wealth. (JEL D12, D14, E21, R31)
The Consumption Effects of the 2007–2008 Financial Crisis: Evidence from Households in Denmark
Authors: Jensen Thais Lærkholm , Johannesen Niels
Published: October 2017

Did the financial crisis in 2007–2008 spread from distressed banks to households through a contraction of the credit supply? We study this question with a dataset that contains observations on all accounts in Danish banks as well as comprehensive information about individual account holders and banks. We document that banks exposed to the financial crisis reduced their lending relative to nonexposed banks, which in turn caused a significant decrease in the borrowing and spending of their customers. The effects were persistent: borrowing remained lower through the postcrisis years and spending foregone during the crisis was not recovered. (JEL D12, D14, E21, E32, G01, G21)
Discriminatory Information Disclosure
Authors: Li Hao , Shi Xianwen
Published: October 2017

A seller designs a mechanism to sell a single object to a potential buyer whose private type is his incomplete information about his valuation. The seller can disclose additional information to the buyer about his valuation without observing its realization. In both discrete-type and continuous-type settings, we show that discriminatory disclosure—releasing different amounts of additional information to different buyer types—dominates full disclosure in terms of seller revenue. An implication is that the orthogonal decomposition technique, while an important tool in dynamic mechanism design, is generally invalid when information disclosure is part of the design. (JEL D11, D82, D83)
Strategies for reducing ovarian dose in volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) for postoperative uterine cervical cancer
Authors: Yoshihiro Ueda , Shingo Ohira , Masaru Isono , Masayoshi Miyazaki , Koji Konishi , Shoji Kamiura , Iori Sumida , Kazuhiko Ogawa , Teruki Teshima
Published: October 2017

Objective:

To reduce the ovarian dose with volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT), an original VMAT was designed with two types of arcs to restrict angles and fields (R-VMAT).

Methods:

The subjects were 11 patients who underwent ovarian transposition with clips left by a surgeon. Three methods, intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), standard VMAT (S-VMAT) and R-VMAT, were optimized for assessment of the ovarian dose with the target coverage kept high.

Results:

The homogeneity and conformity indexes for the planning target volume (PTV) were similar for the three methods. However, the average ± SD of the ovarian mean dose (OMD) was 5.0 ± 1.5, 4.9 ± 1.9 and 3.5 ± 1.4 Gy, and the percentage of ovarian volume exceeding 5 Gy (V5) was 41.5 ± 34.1%, 34.1 ± 38.05% and 8.4 ± 20.5% for IMRT, S-VMAT and R-VMAT, respectively. The OMD and V5 were significantly smaller for R-VMAT than for the other plans (p < 0.01). Correlation values between the OMD and the lateral distance from the ovaries to the PTV surface were 0.86, 0.81 and 0.82 for IMRT, S-VMAT and R-VMAT, respectively.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that R-VMAT delivered the lowest dose to the ovaries. To reduce the OMD to less than 3 Gy, ovaries should be transposed laterally 6.1 cm away from the PTV surface when R-VMAT is used.

Advances in knowledge:

When organs with high susceptibility to radiation, such as ovaries, are near the PTV, R-VMAT is superior to IMRT and S-VMAT.
The effect of Mepitel Film on acute radiation-induced skin reactions in head and neck cancer patients: a feasibility study
Authors: Wooding Hayley , Yan Jing , Yuan Ling , Chyou Te-Yu , Gao Shanbao , Ward Iain , Herst Patries M
Published: October 2017

Objective:

Mepitel Film significantly decreases acute radiation-induced skin reactions in breast cancer patients. Here we investigated the feasibility of using Mepitel Film in head and neck cancer patients (ACTRN12614000932662).

Methods:

Out of a total of 36 head and neck cancer patients from New Zealand (NZ) (n = 24) and China (n = 12) recruited between June 2015 and December 2016, 33 patients complied with protocol. Of these, 11 NZ patients followed a management protocol; 11 NZ patients and 11 Chinese patients followed a prophylactic protocol. An area of the neck receiving a homogenous radiation dose of > 35 Gy was divided into two equal halves; one half was randomized to Film and the other to either Sorbolene cream (NZ) or Biafine cream (China). Skin reaction severity was measured by Radiation Induced Skin Reaction Assessment Scale and expanded Radiation Therapy Oncology Group toxicity criteria. Skin dose was measured by thermoluminescent dosimeters or gafchromic film.

Results:

Film decreased overall skin reaction severity (combined Radiation Induced Skin Reaction Assessment Scale score) by 29% and moist desquamation rates by 37% in the Chinese cohort and by 27 and 28%, respectively in the NZ cohort. Mepitel Film did not affect head movements but did not adhere well to the skin, particularly in males with heavy beard stubble, and caused itchiness, particularly in Chinese patients.

Conclusion:

Mepitel Film reduced acute radiation-induced skin reactions in our head and neck cancer patients, particularly in patients without heavy stubble.

Advances in knowledge:

This is the first study to confirm the feasibility of using Mepitel Film in head and neck cancer patients.
Cervical cancer treated with reduced-volume intensity-modulated radiation therapy base on Sedlis criteria (NCCN VS RTOG)
Authors: Luo Hua-Chun , Lin Gui-Shan , Liao Shao-Guang , Wang Feng-Mei , Cheng Hui-Hua , Feng Jing , Yin Qin , Chen Qun-Hua , Zhu Jin-Feng , Xu Jian-Feng , Wang Dian , Fu Zhi-Chao
Published: October 2017

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of different target volumes in pelvic radiotherapy in postoperative treatment of cervical cancer based on the Sedlis criteria.

Methods:

Patients who admitted to our department for post-operative radiotherapy of cervical cancer from December 2001 to December 2011 and met the Sedlis criteria were retrospectively analysed. The incidences of acute and late radiation injuries, and overall, disease-free and tumour-specific survival with reduced-volume pelvic and whole-pelvis radiotherapy were evaluated and compared.

Results:

A total of 371 patients were included in the study, including 239 receiving whole-pelvis radiotherapy and 132 receiving reduced-volume pelvic radiotherapy. The volume of contours for mean PTV volumes, bilateral femoral heads and small intestine volumes in reduced-volume pelvic radiotherapy were lower than whole-pelvis radiotherapy; the results were similar to the V10, V20, V30, V40 and V45 for pelvic bone marrow and small intestine dose volume (both p < 0.05). The acute radiation injury observed in the two groups was mainly haematologic toxicity and upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms. The incidences of acute radiation injury, and late radiation injury of gastrointestinal and urinary tracts were both significantly lower with reduced-volume pelvic radiotherapy than with whole-pelvis radiotherapy (both p < 0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the incidence of lower extremity oedema, or 2-year or 5-year overall, disease-free or tumour-specific survival between groups (all p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Reduced-volume pelvic radiotherapy could relieve acute and late radiation injuries, especially myelosuppression, and did not affect long-term survival.

Advanced in knowledge:

Our study shows that reduced-volume base on National Comprehensive Cancer Network 2016 is more fit for cervical cancer than others.
Neither Phoebe nor Cinnamomum – the tetrasporangiate species of Aiouea (Lauraceae)
Authors: Rohde Randi , Rudolph Barbara , Ruthe Kristina , Lorea-Hernández Francisco G. , Moraes Pedro Luis Rodrigues de , Li Jie , Rohwer Jens G.
Published: October 2017

Cinnamomum is among the largest genera of the Lauraceae, including species from tropical to temperate Asia and from tropical to subtropical America. However, previous studies indicated that Cinnamomum might not be monophyletic in its current circumscription. We therefore re‐investigated the genus and possible relatives with an increased taxon sample, particularly of the Neotropical species. Our results, based on sequences of the nuclear ITS region and the chloroplast spacers psbA‐trnH and trnG‐trnS, show that the Neotropical Cinnamomum species indeed do not form a monophyletic group with the Paleotropical species. Instead, the American species form a clade in which most species of the Neotropical genus Aiouea are nested within several subclades. According to the ITS data the Aiouea/Cinnamomum clade is sister to the likewise predominantly Neotropical Ocoteacomplex, rather than the two Paleotropical Cinnamomum clades. Therefore, Cinnamomum cannot be upheld in its cur‐rent circumscription. As the type C. verum, is from Asia, the Neotropical species need to be placed in a different genus. We decided to transfer them to Aiouea here, because this is the oldest generic name in the Aiouea/Cinnamomum clade, and the only character separating Aiouea from Neotropical Cinnamomum is the number of pollen sacs per anther (di‐ vs. tetrasporangiate), a feature that is known to be variable within several other genera as well. This transfer requires 42 new combinations and two nomina nova. In addition, six species described in the unpublished Ph.D. thesis of one of the authors (FLH) are validated in Aioueahere, and the only species of the genus Mocinnodaphne is transferred to Aiouea as well.
Corporate Finance: valuation
Authors: Богатырев Семен , Bogatyrev Semen
Published: October 2017

This tutorial is devoted to the practical application of the theory learned by the student, the textbooks in corporate Finance. Elaborate and carefully understand the main topics associated with the valuation from the examination of the accounts before rating to approaches to assessment. Describes only the new and relevant in modern appraisal practice, technique calculations, ways of solving today's problems. Demonstrates the practical implementation of the theory of valuation in the specific calculations carried out with the use of modern and fashionable information and analytical systems, Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters. Computational problem is provided with screen shots with information systems the description of algorithms of obtaining of the information. Used keiso - oriented method of learning, when the student is "immersed" in a real situation with actual industry problems and seeking solution to the problems together with the author of the textbook. Reveal mistakes and incorrect methods accompanying the practical application of the evaluation algorithms that are well-established in practice. Picked up company, illustrating examples of application of the theory of valuation, to be of real interest to the market leaders. Algorithms for calculation of complex theoretical issues shown in the demo with a simple and ready numeric data. In the assignments the student for independent work is proposed to consolidate, already getting the actual numbers from the information systems or from open sources: websites of stock exchanges, brokerage companies, inserting them in the proposed Pro forma calculations. Of great interest this tutorial will call and appraisers specializing in the valuation of businesses in connection with what is now new appraisers pass a professional qualification exam. Previous methodological base is already outdated. New realities, new tools, new ways to customize evaluation tools are widely included in the practice, but, unfortunately, have not found wide descriptions in the academic literature. This Handbook solves this problem and will help evaluators to improve their skills to take new professional heights.
Comprehensive Work on the Word at Literary Reading Lessons
Authors: Сильченкова Л. , Sil'chenkova L. , Егорова Е. , Egorova E.
Published: October 2017

The article considers the problem of the formation of lexical skills as a meta-subject information at the lessons of literary reading. According to the authors, even when working with the text of a fictional work, the vocabulary skills of schoolchildren should be formed from the positions of a competence approach, which include both reading skills and the speech culture of younger schoolchildren.
Pilot Project: “Creative Chess Education of Younger Schoolchildren Using Electronic Educational Resource”
Authors: Полоудин В. , Poloudin V.
Published: October 2017

The article considers the methods of implementing a productive, personally-oriented education of younger schoolchildren in the chess game in the process of additional education. The features of the pilot project “Creative chess education of younger schoolchildren using electronic educational resource” are revealed, which can serve as a model for creating similar methods of teaching general subjects in a primary school. Descriptions of computer simulators for the development of attention, memory, logical thinking and spatial imagination, as well as relevant computer testers are given.
Opportunities and Challenges for Improving the Patient Experience in the Acute and Post–Acute Care Setting Using Patient Portals: The Patient's Perspective
Authors: Dalal Anuj K. , Bates David W. , Collins Sarah
Published: October 2017

Efforts to improve the patient experience are increasingly focusing on engaging patients and their “care partners” by using patient portals. The Acute Care Patient Portal Task Force was supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to convene a national meeting of an interdisciplinary group of stakeholders, including patient advocates, to consider how the acute and postacute care patient experience can be improved by using patient‐facing technologies. We identified key opportunities and challenges for enhancing cognitive support, promoting respect while maintaining boundaries, and facilitating patient and family empowerment through the lens of the patient. Institutions, clinicians, and vendors would benefit tremendously by considering these 3 patient‐centered themes when partnering with patients and family advisors to implement and realize the full potential of patient portals to enhance the acute and postacute care experience.
Things We Do For No Reason: Echocardiogram in Unselected Patients with Syncope
Authors: Madeira Charles L. , Craig Michael J. , Donohoe Andrew , Stephens John R.
Published: October 2017

The “Things We Do for No Reason” (TWDFNR) series reviews practices that have become common parts of hospital care but which may provide little value to our patients. Practices reviewed in the TWDFNR series do not represent “black and white” conclusions or clinical practice standards, but are meant as a starting place for research and active discussions among hospitalists and patients. We invite you to be part of that discussion.
The SDM 3 Circle Model: A Literature Synthesis and Adaptation for Shared Decision Making in the Hospital
Authors: Rennke Stephanie , Yuan Patrick , Monash Brad , Blankenburg Rebecca , Chua Ian , Harman Stephanie , Sakai Debbie S. , Khan Adeena , Hilton Joan F. , Shieh Lisa , Satterfield Jason
Published: October 2017

Patient engagement through shared decision‐making (SDM) is increasingly seen as a key component for patient safety, patient satisfaction, and quality of care. Current SDM models do not adequately account for medical and environmental contexts, which may influence medical decisions in the hospital. We identified leading SDM models and reviews to inductively construct a novel SDM model appropriate for the inpatient setting. A team of medicine and pediatric hospitalists reviewed the literature to integrate core SDM concepts and processes and iteratively constructed a synthesized draft model. We then solicited broad SDM expert feedback on the draft model for validation and further refinement. The SDM 3 Circle Model identifies 3 core categories of variables that dynamically interact within an “environmental frame.” The resulting Venn diagram includes overlapping circles for (1) patient/ family, (2) provider/team, and (3) medical context. The environmental frame includes all external, contextual factors that may influence any of the 3 circles. Existing multistep SDM process models were then rearticulated and contextualized to illustrate how a shared decision might be made. The SDM 3 Circle Model accounts for important environmental and contextual characteristics that vary across settings. The visual emphasis generated by each “circle” and by the environmental frame direct attention to often overlooked interactive forces and has the potential to more precisely define, promote, and improve SDM. This model provides a framework to develop interventions to improve quality and patient safety through SDM and patient engagement for hospitalists.
Observational Study of Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Outcomes in Adult Hospitalized Patients: A Multivariable Analysis of Peripheral Intravenous Catheter Failure
Authors: Marsh Nicole , Webster Joan , Larsen Emily , Cooke Marie , Mihala Gabor , Rickard Claire M.
Published: October 2017

BACKGROUND

Almost 70% of hospitalized patients require a peripheral intravenous catheter (PIV), yet up to 69% of PIVs fail prior to completion of therapy.

OBJECTIVE

To identify risk factors associated with PIV failure.

DESIGN

A single center, prospective, cohort study.

SETTING

Medical and surgical wards of a tertiary hospital located in Queensland, Australia.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult patients requiring a PIV.

MEASUREMENTS

Demographic, clinical, and potential PIV risk factors were collected. Failure occurred if the catheter had complications at removal.

RESULTS

We recruited 1000 patients. Catheter failure occurred in 512 (32%) of 1578 PIVs. Occlusion/infiltration risk factors included intravenous (IV) flucloxacillin (hazard ratio [HR], 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19‐3.31), 22‐gauge PIVs (HR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.02‐2.00), and female patients (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.10‐2.00). Phlebitis was associated with female patients (HR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.40‐2.35), bruised insertion sites (HR, 2.16; 95% CI, 1.26‐3.71), IV flucloxacillin (HR, 2.01; 95% CI, 1.26‐3.21), and dominant side insertion (HR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.09‐1.77). Dislodgement risks were a paramedic insertion (HR, 1.78; 95% CI, 1.03‐3.06). Each increase by 1 in the average number of daily PIV accesses was associated (HR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03‐1.20)–(HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.08‐1.21) with occlusion/infiltration, phlebitis and dislodgement. Additional securement products were associated with less (HR 0.32, 95% CI 0.22‐0.46)–(HR 0.63, 95% CI 0.48‐0.82) occlusion/infiltration, phlebitis and dislodgement.

CONCLUSION

Modifiable risk factors should inform education and inserter skill development to reduce the currently high rate of PIV failure.
Analysis of Seismicity and Earthquake Energy at Opak Oyo Fault - Yogyakarta
Authors: Wibowo Nugroho Budi , Sembri Juwita Nur
Published: October 2017

The earthquake that occurred in the Region of Yogyakarta caused by fault activity on the surface, such as Opak-Oyo Fault, Dengkeng Fault, Menoreh Fault  and plate tectonic activity in South of Java. Opak-Oyo fault activity reflected from epicenter distribution and earthquake energy. This research aims to analyze the earthquake energy which has epicenter around the Opak-Oyo Fault in spatial and temporal. Based on earthquake catalog from 2008 – 2016, there were 66 earthquake with 11 significant event. Epicenter distribution reflected in seismicity map and for the tectonic parameter use least square method. Seismicity map of Opak Oyo Fault area show that distribution of epicenter in the East and Southeast of fault line with the calculation result of b value by least square method is 0.4. In temporal, there is an increasing trend of events in 2008-2015 and decline trend of earthquake in 2015- 2017. Earthquake energy that released in Opak Oyo Fault area has varies value about 1x105.2 – 1x1012joules. Meanwhile, the energy that associated with the existence of Opak Fault Lines has value between 1x105.2 – 1x109.6 Joule with 10-20 km of hypocenter.The distribution energy has similar pattern with geological formations in that area.
 
Utterance content, speaker’s intentions and linguistic liability
Authors: Picazo Jaque Claudia
Published: October 2017

According to contextualists, communication has to do with pragmatically adjusted content, not with conventional meaning. This pragmatic content is sometimes identified with speaker meaning or with the thought the speaker intends to express. I will argue that given the sociolinguistic role of utterance content—the fact it provides reasons for action, liabilities and entitlements—locutionary content should not be modelled as a variety of speaker meaning.
Prevalence of malaria and treatment procurement in three local government areas of Ekiti State, Nigeria
Authors: Adewole Segun , Odeyemi Dolapo , Omotosho Olaitan
Published: October 2017

Malaria remains a major health problem in Nigeria. It accounts for over 60% outpatient visit and 30% hospital admission in Nigeria. Ineffective treatment of malaria is also one of the factors responsible for its prevalence. The prevalence of malaria and treatment procurement was studied in Ekiti state, Nigeria. The study was carried out using well-structured questionnaire comprising of three sections A to C, Socio-economic, input and output data; data on method, cost of treatment of malaria and expenditure were obtained. Multistage random sampling technique was adopted. The result obtained showed that males with percentage prevalence of 53% were more infected than females with 47%. Respondent with symptoms of fever and chills was 48.2% while 51.8% complained of headache and pains. 80.3%% of the respondents have knowledge of malaria transmission while 19.7% have no idea. 46.7% of respondents spent less than 1000 naira for treatment procurement while 53.3% spent more than 1000naira. However, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between males and female's susceptibility to malaria disease. Therefore, as at the time of study, there is prevalence of malaria in the communities despite the knowledge of the respondents on transmission of malaria and treatment procured.
Rapid and affordable size-selected PacBio single-molecule real-time sequencing template library construction using the bead-beating DNA extraction method
Authors: Kato Kengo , Hashino Masanori , Ito Tamaki , Matsu Mari , Suzuki Satowa , Kai Kumiko , Kitazume Miwako , Sekizuka Tsuyoshi , Kuroda Makoto
Published: October 2017

This study demonstrated that bead-beating method facilitates a simple and rapid protocol for genomic DNA isolation for Pacific BioSciences (PacBio) sequencing with library construction of sufficient length. The protocol may also be beneficial for inactivating pathogens by simultaneous and instant DNA fragmentation, with no special equipment required to obtain large DNA fragments. This protocol was comparable in terms of quality to the standard protocol suggested by PacBioand represents an alternative, rapid shortcut for performing accurate PacBio sequencing.
Elucidating endotoxin-biomolecule interactions with FRET: extending the frontiers of their supramolecular complexation
Authors: M. Obeng Eugene , C. Dullah Elvina , Razak Nur Syahadatain Abdul , K. Danquah Michael , Budiman Cahyo
Published: October 2017

Endotoxin has been one of the topical chemical contaminants of major concern to researchers, especially in the field of bioprocessing. This major concern of researchers stems from the fact that the presence of Gram-negative bacterial endotoxin in intracellular products is unavoidable and requires complex downstream purification steps. For instance, endotoxin interacts with recombinant proteins, peptides, antibodies and aptamers and these interactions have formed the foundation for most biosensors for endotoxin detection. It has become imperative for researchers to engineer reliable means/techniques to detect, separate and remove endotoxin, without compromising the quality and quantity of the end-product. However, the underlying mechanism involved during endotoxin-biomolecule interaction is still a gray area. The use of quantitative molecular microscopy that provides high resolution of biomolecules is highly promising, hence, may lead to the development of improved endotoxin detection strategies in biomolecule preparation. Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) spectroscopy is one of the emerging most powerful tools compatible with most super-resolution techniques for the analysis of molecular interactions. However, the scope of FRET has not been well-exploited in the analysis of endotoxin-biomolecule interaction. This article reviews endotoxin, its pathophysiological consequences and the interaction with biomolecules. Herein, we outline the common potential ways of using FRET to extend the current understanding of endotoxin-biomolecule interaction with the inference that a detailed understanding of the interaction is a prerequisite for the design of strategies for endotoxin identification and removal from protein milieus.
Aspiration techniques for bronchoalveolar lavage in translational respiratory research: Paving the way to develop novel therapeutic moieties
Authors: Dua Kamal , D. Shukla Shakti , M. Hansbro Philip
Published: October 2017

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a simple, yet informative tool in understanding the immunopathology of various lung diseases via quantifying various inflammatory cells, cytokines and growth factors. At present, this traditional method is often blended with several robust and sophisticated molecular and biological techniques sustaining the significance and longevity of this technique. Crucially, the existence of slightly distinct approaches and variables employed at different laboratories around the globe in performing BAL aspiration indeed demands an utmost need to optimize and develop an effective, cost-effective and a reproducible technique. This mini review will be of importance to the biological translational scientist, particularly respiratory researchers in understanding the fundamentals and approaches to apply and consider with BAL aspiration techniques. This will ensure generating a meaningful and clinically relevant data which in turn accelerate the development of new and effective therapeutic moieties for major respiratory conditions.
Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial, Cytotoxic and Antiplasmodial Activities of Three Sponges from Buton Islands, Indonesia
Authors: Putra Masteria Yunovilsa , Hadi Tri Aryono
Published: October 2017

GC-MS analysis of the crude extracts of three different species of Indonesian marine sponges has been carried out for identification of bioactive compounds. The GC-MS analysis from Haliclona (Gellius) sp., Lamellodysidea herbacea, and Spheciospongia inconstans revealed the presence of 23, 21, 19 various compounds, respectively and mainly sterols and fatty acids. All the sponge species has been evaluated for antimicrobial activities, cytotoxicity using brine shrimp lethality bioassay and heme polymerization inhibitory activity assay for antiplasmodial activity. In this study, all the sponge species showed antimicrobial activities against at leastone of the test strains. Among them, the extract of sponge Lamellodysidea herbacea displayed activity against two Gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus and B. subtilis) and the Gram-negative bacteria V. cholerae, with inhibition zones of 10.3, 9.2 and 9.5 mm, respectively. The sponge Haliclona (Gellius) sp., showed significant activity against fungal pathogen C. albicans. The sponge Haliclona (Gellius) sp., displayed the ability to inhibit heme polymerization indicating an anti-Plasmodium function and also showed potent cytotoxic activity against the brine shrimp Artemia sp. Keywords: GC-MS analysis, antimicrobial, sponges,bioactive
Deaf people with “no language”: Mobility and flexible accumulation in languaging practices of deaf people in Cambodia
Authors: Moriarty Harrelson Erin
Published: October 2017

Deaf people in Cambodia are often represented in the media as lacking language but in reality, deaf people’s repertoires and communicative practices challenge essentialisms regarding modalities and conventional understandings of “language.” Drawing on fieldwork in Cambodia, this article examines how notions of an urban/rural dichotomy devalue the communicative practices of rural deaf people. These ideologies marginalize the creative deployment of various modalities by deaf people in everyday languaging that are not commonly indexed as parts of a linguistic repertoire. Communicative practices such as drawing a picture to communicate, gestures, the use of physical objects such as city maps are devalued because academics and lay people tend to have rigid conceptualizations of language. This article calls for closer attention to modalities such as gestures, the drawing of pictures and the use of physical objects in everyday languaging to interrogate how the “invention” of languages results in distinctions between groups and individuals, especially in terms of access to linguistic resources such as a national signed language and perceptions about the use of modalities other than signing or speaking. In NGO narratives, often echoed by deaf Cambodians themselves, deaf people acquire a signed language only after rural-urban migration, which misrepresents their communicative competencies and creative use of linguistic resources. In reality, deaf people’s linguistic repertoires are constantly expanding as they enter new spaces, resulting in the flexible accumulation of languaging practices and modalities.
Machine learning in laboratory medicine: waiting for the flood?
Authors: Cabitza Federico , Banfi Giuseppe
Published: October 2017

This review focuses on machine learning and on how methods and models combining data analytics and artificial intelligence have been applied to laboratory medicine so far. Although still in its infancy, the potential for applying machine learning to laboratory data for both diagnostic and prognostic purposes deserves more attention by the readership of this journal, as well as by physician-scientists who will want to take advantage of this new computer-based support in pathology and laboratory medicine.
Testing the boundaries of the middle voice: Observations from English and Romanian
Authors: Calude Andreea S.
Published: October 2017

The middle voice has received ample attention in the literature, yet the precise boundary between middle voice and other related constructions still remains elusive. For example, do sentences like
Cell based therapeutic approach in vascular surgery: application and review
Authors: Rocca Aldo , Tafuri Domenico , Paccone Marianna , Giuliani Antonio , Zamboli Anna Ginevra Immacolata , Surfaro Giuseppe , Paccone Andrea , Compagna Rita , Amato Maurizo , Serra Raffaele , Amato Bruno
Published: October 2017

Multipotent stem cells - such as mesenchymal stem/stromal cells and stem cells derived from different sources like vascular wall are intensely studied to try to rapidly translate their discovered features from bench to bedside. Vascular wall resident stem cells recruitment, differentiation, survival, proliferation, growth factor production, and signaling pathways transduced were analyzed. We studied biological properties of vascular resident stem cells and explored the relationship from several factors as Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) and regulations of biological, translational and clinical features of these cells. In this review we described a translational and clinical approach to Adult Vascular Wall Resident Multipotent Vascular Stem Cells (VW-SCs) and reported their involvement in alternative clinical approach as cells based therapy in vascular disease like arterial aneurysms or peripheral arterial obstructive disease.
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Superfund Research Program: a model for multidisciplinary training of the next generation of environmental health scientists
Authors: Carlin Danielle J. , Henry Heather , Heacock Michelle , Trottier Brittany , Drew Christina H. , Suk William A.
Published: October 2017

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Superfund Research Program (SRP) funds university-based, multidisciplinary research on human health and environmental science and engineering with the central goals to understand how hazardous substances contribute to disease and how to prevent exposures to these environmental chemicals. This multi-disciplinary approach allows early career scientists (e.g. graduate students and postdoctoral researchers) to gain experience in problem-based, solution-oriented research and to conduct research in a highly collaborative environment. Training the next generation of environmental health scientists has been an important part of the SRP since its inception. In addition to basic research, the SRP has grown to include support of broader training experiences such as those in research translation and community engagement activities that provide opportunities to give new scientists many of the skills they will need to be successful in their field of research. Looking to the future, the SRP will continue to evolve its training component by tracking and analyzing outcomes from its trainees by using tools such as the NIEHS CareerTrac database system, by increasing opportunities for trainees interested in research that goes beyond US boundaries, and in the areas of bioinformatics and data integration. These opportunities will give them the skills needed to be competitive and successful no matter which employment sector they choose to enter after they have completed their training experience.
A smoothed EM-algorithm for DNA methylation profiles from sequencing-based methods in cell lines or for a single cell type
Authors: Lakhal-Chaieb Lajmi , Greenwood Celia M.T. , Ouhourane Mohamed , Zhao Kaiqiong , Abdous Belkacem , Oualkacha Karim
Published: October 2017

We consider the assessment of DNA methylation profiles for sequencing-derived data from a single cell type or from cell lines. We derive a kernel smoothed EM-algorithm, capable of analyzing an entire chromosome at once, and to simultaneously correct for experimental errors arising from either the pre-treatment steps or from the sequencing stage and to take into account spatial correlations between DNA methylation profiles at neighbouring CpG sites. The outcomes of our algorithm are then used to (i) call the true methylation status at each CpG site, (ii) provide accurate smoothed estimates of DNA methylation levels, and (iii) detect differentially methylated regions. Simulations show that the proposed methodology outperforms existing analysis methods that either ignore the correlation between DNA methylation profiles at neighbouring CpG sites or do not correct for errors. The use of the proposed inference procedure is illustrated through the analysis of a publicly available data set from a cell line of induced pluripotent H9 human embryonic stem cells and also a data set where methylation measures were obtained for a small genomic region in three different immune cell types separated from whole blood.
A Density Functional Theory Study of New Boron Nanotubes
Authors: Chen Zhao-Hua , Xie Zun
Published: October 2017

Using first-principles calculations, a series of new boron nanotubes (BNTs), which show various electronic properties, were theoretically predicted. Stable nanotubes with various chiral vectors and diameters can be formed by rolling up the boron sheet with relative stability [H. Tang and S. I. Beigi, Phys. Rev. B 82, 115412 (2010).]. By increasing the diameter for BNT, the stability is enhanced. The calculated density of states and band structures demonstrate that all the predicted BNTs are metallic, regardless of their diameter and chirality. The multicentre chemical bonds of the relatively stable boron sheet and BNTs are analysed using the deformation electron density. Within our study, the BNTs all have metallic conductive characteristics, in addition to having a low effective quality and high carrier concentration, which are very good nanoconductive material properties and could be combined to form high-power electrodes for lithium-ion batteries such as those used in many modern electronics.
Isomer Identification in Flames with Double-Imaging Photoelectron/Photoion Coincidence Spectroscopy (i2PEPICO) using Measured and Calculated Reference Photoelectron Spectra
Authors: Pieper Julia , Schmitt Steffen , Hemken Christian , Davies Emma , Wullenkord Julia , Brockhinke Andreas , Krüger Julia , Garcia Gustavo A. , Nahon Laurent , Lucassen Arnas , Eisfeld Wolfgang , Kohse-Höinghaus Katharina
Published: October 2017

Double-imaging photoelectron/photoion coincidence (i2PEPICO) spectroscopy using a multiplexing, time-efficient, fixed-photon-energy approach offers important opportunities of gas-phase analysis. Building on successful applications in combustion systems that have demonstrated the discriminative power of this technique, we attempt here to push the limits of its application further to more chemically complex combustion examples. The present investigation is devoted to identifying and potentially quantifying compounds featuring five heavy atoms in laminar, premixed low-pressure flames of hydrocarbon and oxygenated fuels and their mixtures. In these combustion examples from flames of cyclopentene, iso-pentane, iso-pentane blended with dimethyl ether (DME), and diethyl ether (DEE), we focus on the unambiguous assignment and quantitative detection of species with the sum formulae C5H6, C5H7, C5H8, C5H10, and C4H8O in the respective isomer mixtures, attempting to provide answers to specific chemical questions for each of these examples. To analyze the obtained i2PEPICO results from these combustion situations, photoelectron spectra (PES) from pure reference compounds, including several examples previously unavailable in the literature, were recorded with the same experimental setup as used in the flame measurements. In addition, PES of two species where reference spectra have not been obtained, namely 2-methyl-1-butene (C5H10) and the 2-cyclopentenyl radical (C5H7), were calculated on the basis of high-level ab initio calculations and Franck-Condon (FC) simulations. These reference measurements and quantum chemical calculations support the early fuel decomposition scheme in the cyclopentene flame towards 2-cyclopentenyl as the dominant fuel radical as well as the prevalence of branched intermediates in the early fuel destruction reactions in the iso-pentane flame, with only minor influences from DME addition. Furthermore, the presence of ethyl vinyl ether (EVE) in DEE flames that was predicted by a recent DEE combustion mechanism could be confirmed unambiguously. While combustion measurements using i2PEPICO can be readily obtained in isomer-rich situations, we wish to highlight the crucial need for high-quality reference information to assign and evaluate the obtained spectra.