bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intervertebral disc kinematics in active duty Marines with and without lumbar spine pathology
Authors: Onodera Keenan , Berry David B. , Shahidi Bahar , Kelly Karen R. , Ward Samuel R. 
Published: May 2019

AbstractMilitary members are required to carry heavy loads frequently during training and active duty combat. We investigated if operationally relevant axial loads affect lumbar disc kinematics in forty‐one male active duty Marines with no previous clinically diagnosed pathology. Marines were imaged standing upright with and without load. From T2‐weighted magnetic resonance images, intervertebral disc (IVD) health and kinematic changes between loading conditions and across lumbar levels were evaluated using two‐way repeated measures analysis of variance tests. IVD kinematics with loading were compared between individuals with and without signs of degeneration on imaging. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine associations between IVD position and kinematic changes with loading. Fifty‐eight percent (118/205) of IVDs showed evidence of degeneration and 3% (7/205) demonstrated a disc bulge. IVD degeneration was not related to posterior annular position (P > .205). Changes in sagittal intervertebral angle were not associated with changes in posterior annular position between baseline and loaded conditions at any lumbar level (r < 0.267; P = .091‐.746). Intervertebral angles were significantly larger in the lower regions of the spine (P < .001), indicating increased local lordosis when moving in the caudal direction Disc height at the L5/S1 level was significantly smaller (6.3 mm, mean difference = 1.20) than all other levels (P < .001) and baseline posterior disc heights tended to be larger at baseline (7.43 mm ± 1.46) than after loading (7.18 ± 1.57, P = .071). Individuals with a larger baseline posterior annular position demonstrated greater reduction with load at all levels (P < .002), with the largest reductions at L5/S1 level. Overall, while this population demonstrated some signs of disc degeneration, operationally relevant loading did not significantly affect disc kinematics.
GRP78‐Targeted HPMA Copolymer‐Photosensitizer Conjugate for Hyperthermia‐Induced Enhanced Uptake and Cytotoxicity in MCF‐7 Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Battogtokh Gantumur , Gotov Oyuntuya , Subrahmanyam Nithya , Ko Young Tag , Ghandehari Hamidreza 
Published: May 2019

AbstractPhotodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising cancer treatment approach. However, the photosensitizers (PS) used for PDT are often limited by their poor solubility and selectivity for tumors. The goal of this study is to improve water solubility and delivery of the photosensitizer 2‐[1‐hexyloxyethyl]‐2‐divinyl pyropheophorbide‐a (HPPH) to breast cancer cells. An N‐(2‐hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) copolymer–HPPH photosensitizer conjugate is synthesized with heat shock receptor glucose‐regulated protein 78 (GRP78), targeting to GRP78 receptors of MCF‐7 cells, which are upregulated under mild hyperthermia. It is found that the uptake of the GRP78 targeted pep‐HPMA‐HPPH copolymer conjugate in MCF‐7 cells is improved through heat induction. Under mild hyperthermia the targeted copolymers are more effective compared to free HPPH. These results show potential for the utility of mild hyperthermia and copolymer delivery vehicles to enhance the efficacy of photodynamic therapy.
A Remarkably Large Phase‐Transition Effect in a Random Copolymer of Oligo(ethylene glycol) Methyl Ether Methacrylate (OEGMA)500 Induced by the Photochemistry of the 2‐(Hydroxyimino)aldehyde Group
Authors: D’Acunzo Francesca , De Santis Serena , Masci Giancarlo , Nardi Martina , Renzi Polyssena , Sobolev Anatoly Petrovich 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe effect of UV irradiation on the cloud points (CP) of aqueous solutions of a random 1:1 copolymer of oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA500) and a 2‐(hydroxyimino)aldehyde (HIA) functionalized methacrylate is presented. CPs are determined by visible spectroscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS). 1H and 13C NMR experiments are carried out in D2O and DMSO‐d6
on the polymer and on an HIA‐functionalized model of the photoresponsive repeat unit. UV‐irradiated solutions exhibit an unprecedented increase of the phase‐separation temperature for an OEGMA photoresponsive copolymer (10–22 °C, depending on concentration and irradiation conditions). Phase separation is reversible with little hysteresis. With both pristine and irradiated polymer solutions, aggregate dimensions are <10 nm (DLS) at room temperature. Aggregates of >100 nm form at the CP and gradually grow as temperature increases, whereas the light‐induced processes of the repeat unit model in DMSO‐d6
are well identified (e.g., oxime E/Z isomerization and Norrish‐Yang cyclization of the aldehyde moiety), it is not straightforward to extrapolate such behavior to the polymeric solution in water. The remarkably large phototriggered thermal effect in the present work motivates further investigations on the solvent‐dependent photochemistry of HIA as a promising functional group for the synthesis of multi‐stimuli responsive materials.
Lessons learned from SMAD4 loss in squamous cell carcinomas
Authors: Hernandez Ariel L. , Young Christian D. , Wang Jing H. , Wang Xiao‐Jing 
Published: May 2019

AbstractSMAD4 is a potent tumor suppressor and a central mediator of the TGFß signaling pathway. SMAD4 genetic loss is frequent in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). Reports of SMAD4 expression in SCCs vary significantly possibly due to inter‐tumor heterogeneity or technical reasons. SMAD4 loss is an initiation event for SCCs. In tumor epithelial cells, SMAD4 loss causes increased proliferation, decreased apoptosis, and “Brca‐like” genomic instability associated with DNA repair defects. SMAD4 loss also plays a role in the expansion of cancer stem cells. Epithelial SMAD4 loss causes overexpression of TGFß that is released into the tumor microenvironment and contributes to SCC progression through proinflammatory and immune evasive mechanisms. SMAD4 loss, while not a direct therapeutic target, is associated with multiple targetable pathways that require further therapeutic studies. Altogether, SMAD4 loss is a potential biomarker in SCCs that should be further studied for its values in prognostic and therapeutic predictions. Such information will potentially guide future biomarker‐driven clinical trial designs and improve SCC patient outcomes.
Toilet training of preschoolers with disabilities: The perspectives of teacher aides
Authors: Shoshani Shira , Schreuer Naomi 
Published: May 2019

AbstractAimsTo examine toilet‐training (TT) challenges among children with developmental disabilities (DD), as perceived by teacher aides working in special education preschools, the TT practices they adopt, and their perspectives on TT and parental cooperation.MethodsA qualitative phenomenological approach was adopted to analyze in‐depth interviews conducted with 10 teacher aides, working in special education preschools. Interviews were audio‐recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by three researchers according to 20 categories, organized into the themes that emerged from the data.ResultsThree themes emerged from the data analysis: (1) The TT process is much more complex for children with DD than for typically developing children. (2) The central role played by teacher aides in the TT process and the TT approaches they adopt. (3) The degree to which the child's family is involved in and cooperates with the preschool staff in the context of TT.ConclusionsTT among children with DD requires a graded and child‐specific mediation process, including the parents and the educational staff. Teacher aides are revealed as an excellent resource for information about the child under their care. From the rich interviews, we obtained: principles and practical guidance as to how to provide gradual tailor‐made TT for children with DD; principles to enhance parents’ engagement in TT; and appropriate TT outcomes. The ecological theoretical frameworks used to shed light on the teacher aides’ and the context role as significant mediators in TT. The study lays the groundwork for further research on TT among children with DD.
Examination of the Lumbar Movement Pattern during a Clinical Test and a Functional Activity Test in People with and without Low Back Pain
Authors: Marich Andrej V. , Hwang Ching‐Ting , Sorensen Christopher J. , van Dillen Linda R. 
Published: May 2019

BackgroundIt is assumed that the lumbar movement pattern observed during a clinical test is representative of the movement pattern used during a functional activity. Very little is known about how the lumbar movement pattern during a clinical test is associated with the lumbar movement pattern during a functional activity and how the lumbar movement pattern is associated with functional limitation.ObjectiveThe purpose was to examine the lumbar movement pattern during a clinical test and a functional activity test in people with and people without low back pain (LBP), and the relationship of lumbar motion to LBP‐related functional limitation.DesignObservational study.Participants16 back‐healthy adults and 32 people with chronic LBP.MethodsParticipants performed a standardized clinical test of forward bending and a functional activity test of picking up an object.Main Outcome MeasurementsMaximal lumbar excursion and lumbar excursion at 0% to 50% and 50% to 100% of movement time were examined.ResultsSignificant associations were present between the two movement tests for both back‐healthy people and people with LBP (r = 0.47‐0.73). In people with LBP the amount of lumbar motion in the 0% to 50% of movement time interval for both tests was significantly associated with functional limitation (r = 0.43‐0.62).ConclusionLumbar movement patterns were similar between the two tests, and lumbar motion early in the movement of a functional test was related to self‐report of functional limitation.Level of EvidenceIII
Gene modifiers of cystic fibrosis lung disease: A systematic review
Authors: Shanthikumar Shivanthan , Neeland Melanie N. , Saffery Richard , Ranganathan Sarath 
Published: May 2019

AbstractBackgroundLung disease is the major source of morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF), with large variability in severity between patients. Although accurate prediction of lung disease severity would be extremely useful, no robust methods exist. Twin and sibling studies have highlighted the importance of non‐cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) genes in determining lung disease severity but how these impact on the severity in CF remains unclear.MethodsA systematic review was undertaken to answer the question “In patients with CF which non‐CFTR genes modify the severity of lung disease?” The method for this systematic review was based upon the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA)” statement, with a narrative synthesis of results planned.ResultsA total of 1168 articles were screened for inclusion, with 275 articles undergoing detailed assessment for inclusion. One hundred and forty articles were included. Early studies focused on candidate genes, whereas more recent studies utilized genome‐wide approaches and also examined epigenetic mechanisms, gene expression, and therapeutic response.DiscussionA large body of evidence regarding non‐CFTR gene modifiers of lung disease severity has been generated, examining a wide array of genes. Limitations to existing studies include heterogeneity in outcome measures used, limited replication, and relative lack of clinical impact. Future work examining non‐CFTR gene modifiers will have to overcome these limitations if gene modifiers are to have a meaningful role in the care of patients with CF.
Social‐contextual exposure of ethnic groups in urban China: From residential place to activity space
Authors: Tan Yiming , Chai Yanwei , Chen Zifeng 
Published: May 2019

AbstractStudies on ethnic segregation in recent decades have shifted the focus from the residential area towards people's activity locations, and policy focus requires more effort in identifying the most segregated individuals among ethnic minorities. Meanwhile, research on ethnic segregation in urban China from the activity‐based perspective remains to be examined. Thus, we analyse ethnic segregation beyond residential neighbourhoods in Chinese cities by measuring individuals' exposure to the social context in neighbourhoods where they perform daily activities (e.g., work). We conduct an empirical study in Xining City based on activity diaries with the focus on the Hui minorities and Han majorities. We find that a substantial amount of activities occur outside the respondents' home neighbourhoods, thereby resulting in notable ethnic segregation beyond home neighbourhoods. In addition, using one‐sided exposure indices and multilevel regression models, we find that different social groups may be exposed to considerably different ethnic environments in activity locations even if they live in ethnically similar neighbourhoods and identify that individuals with low income or low‐level education among the Hui minorities may have greater risks of segregation in activity locations than others. Therefore, the gaps in income and educational attainment between the Hui minorities and Han majorities should be mitigated to foster high opportunities of encounters and social integration.
European Constitutionalism and the German Basic Law
Authors: Grimm Dieter , Wendel Mattias , Reinbacher Tobias 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe German Basic Law of 1949, intended to be the counter-authoritarian answer to the atrocities committed during the National Socialist regime, enshrines a distinctive and widely followed model of constitutionalism, entrenching institutions and procedures for the protection of fundamental rights. The Constitution begins with provisions on human dignity and inalienable human rights. It determines the unamendable substantive core of the constitutional order. A pre-eminent role is held by the German Federal Constitutional Court (FCC), and its judgments are taken into account early in the process of drafting legislation. The report outlines the extensive amendments that have been made to the Constitution to allow for EU and international co-operation. Both the Constitution and the Constitutional Court adhere to a Europe-friendly approach, albeit with limits. The FCC has delivered a considerable number of widely discussed constitutional judgments with regard to a broad range of EU measures, from the early Solange cases regarding fundamental rights to the more recent Data Retention, ESM Treaty and OMT cases, which are all summarised in the report. The extensive constitutional debates regarding the European Arrest Warrant system are also outlined. In the FCC case law on the euro crisis, a key theme is that financial liabilities ought to remain calculable, in order to preserve a link between the people and democratic representation through Parliament. More broadly, the report observes the way in which the constitutionalisation through EU Treaties of wide-ranging areas of regulation which are normally not found in constitutions has reduced democracy (the ‘over-constitutionalisation’ thesis developed by Dieter Grimm); a case is made for a revised approach. Regarding contested aspects of transnational law, there has been a constant concern regarding its effects on the social state.
The Constitution of Greece: EU Membership Perspectives
Authors: Contiades Xenophon , Papacharalambous Charalambos , Papastylianos Christos 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe Constitution of Greece, adopted in 1975 after the collapse of the military dictatorship, was drafted with provisions providing the constitutional grounds for European integration. Subsequently, two EU related amendments were introduced and, additionally, constitutional interpretation is used to overcome further conflicts. The Constitution is described in the report as detailed and comprehensive, with a legal character and strong normative force. It includes a detailed list of rights, including social rights. The Constitution refers to the concept of ‘welfare state rule of law’. By way of an exception to constitutional systems of this type, Greece does not have a constitutional court, but instead a decentralised system of review of constitutionality. Adhering to the French ‘État de droit’ and the German ‘Rechtsstaat’ traditions, the rule of law works in conjunction with specific constitutional provisions. In particular, nulla poena sine lege is a cornerstone principle of constitutionality and the rule of law, and has prompted extensive scholarly concerns in relation to the European Arrest Warrant system. More widely known are the constitutional and fundamental rights issues raised in the context of the EU and IMF austerity and conditionality programmes, marking, according to the report, a darker side of sovereignty loss. The report summarises a broader concern in Greek academic commentary that constitutional rights and values have been given marginal protection, as the national constitution is no longer the guarantor of popular sovereignty rooted in a political decision made by the people, but rather has become a guarantor of the state’s compliance with EMU obligations.
Hungary: Constitutional (R)evolution or Regression?
Authors: Chronowski Nóra , Varju Márton , Bárd Petra , Sulyok Gábor 
Published: May 2019

AbstractSince 2010, Hungarian constitutionalism has turned in a direction that has widely been regarded as illiberal and has attracted criticism from European and international organisations and other Member States. Central to the change was the adoption of the new Fundamental Law in 2011. The Hungarian report explores the post-2010 period in the context of EU and international law. Whilst the Hungarian Constitutional Court in 2012 affirmed the ‘constitutional continuity’, in that the interpretations that had been used prior to the new Fundamental Law would be applied, this was overruled by a subsequent constitutional amendment, which has reinforced concern that the governing majority is ignoring the constitutional traditions of the last two decades. Since this amendment, the Constitutional Court adds reasoning if it refers to the former case law. In the rulings related to international law and EU law, the constitutional practice did not change significantly, although it became somewhat ambiguous until 2015. An Editorial Note has been added to the country chapter to explain that before the illiberal turn in 2010 and in the aftermath of the post-communist constitutional reforms, the Hungarian constitutional system had in fact been widely acclaimed in Europe for the particularly extensive safeguards for the rule of law and human dignity established by the Constitutional Court. For instance, the Hungarian Constitutional Court during that period represented a robust approach to the principles of legal certainty and non-retroactivity as part of the doctrine of the rule of law, which was invoked frequently as the basis for annulment of legislation.
The Constitution of Luxembourg in the Context of EU and International Law as ‘Higher Law’
Authors: Gerkrath Jörg 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe Constitution of Luxembourg (1868) is characterised in the report as rather a historic and political document than a truly normative one. Its style and wording are typical of a 19th century document, and thus there is a difference between the written document and the ‘living constitution’. The chapter on fundamental rights is relatively brief and fragmentary, with some widely recognised principles missing; the standards do not go beyond the standards of the ECHR. Luxembourg has embarked on a process of adopting a new Constitution, which is broadly set to continue the evolutionary constitutional tradition. In the Luxembourgish legal order, international law is regarded as ‘higher law’, a doctrine that is expected to be formalised in the new Constitution. The powers and history of the Constitutional Court, which started its work in 1998, are described as rather limited compared to other European constitutional courts; the proposed new Constitution envisages its abolition, to be replaced by the Supreme Court. EU and international measures are immune from constitutional review, and there has never been a challenge to national measures implementing EU law. However, some reservations with regard to the European Arrest Warrant have been expressed by the Conseil d’État. Luxembourg’s approach to extradition for offences of political nature is more protective than elsewhere.
The Constitution of Sweden and European Influences: The Changing Balance Between Democratic and Judicial Power
Authors: Nergelius Joakim 
Published: May 2019

AbstractThe Swedish Constitution is composed of four constitutional acts, some of which date back more than two hundred years. The central document is the Instrument of Government of 1974. The report observes that the fundamental rights chapter had rarely been applied by the Swedish courts until recent years. Traditionally, the national protection of basic rights is described as weak, as there is neither a constitutional court nor a strong tradition of judicial review by the ordinary courts. Judicial restraint is deemed necessary so as not to undermine the Swedish popular democracy. Thus, in general, EU and international law have enhanced rights protection and judicial review. Areas where constitutional concerns have arisen include the following: (a) freedom of speech enjoys a strong protection in the Constitution and this prompted delays regarding the implementation of the Data Retention Directive, which led to a consequent EU fine; (2) the ECJ ruling in Laval clashed with the right for trade unions to initiate collective action; (3) concerns have been expressed by civil society about limitation of the widespread access to documents where their secrecy may be requested by an international organisation. The European Arrest Warrant has not raised rights concerns in Sweden, although the report finds the ECJ’s approach in Melloni to be misguided. The Constitution contains extensive amendments regarding EU and international co-operation, including a fundamental rights based limitation clause that had its origin in the German Constitutional Court’s Solange decisions.
Embedded Pragmatic Effects and Conversational Implicatures
Authors: Odrowąż-Sypniewska Joanna 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn a recent paper Mandy Simons has argued that in a Gricean framework there is room for embedded pragmatic effects. One of her goals has been to demonstrate that an argument put forward by François Recanati to the effect that it is not possible to apply Gricean reasoning to generation of local pragmatic effects is mistaken. In his commentary Recanati maintains that the view suggested by Simons can be called Gricean only in a very broad sense and insists that the process responsible for local effects is essentially different from the one which generates conversational implicatures. In my view their exchange highlights important issues concerning the way in which local pragmatic effects are generated and is worthy of a careful analysis. In what follows I critically examine Simons’s and Recanati’s views and then suggest the view that in the light of this analysis seems to me the most adequate. In particular, I argue—against Recanati—that during the interpretation process interpreters construct literal propositional nuclei, which usually fell short of being truth-evaluable but which play an important role in the interpretation. I claim that the view that assumes that such literal propositions are constructed in the process of interpretation is more universal and may be used to analyse a wider range of examples than the view that does not postulate such constructions. Nevertheless, I maintain—against Simons—that the global and local pragmatic inferences are importantly different.