bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of Vascular Hemodynamics on Aortic Stenosis Evaluation: New Insights Into the Pathophysiology of Normal Flow—Small Aortic Valve Area—Low Gradient Pattern
Authors: Côté Nancy , Simard Louis , Zenses Anne‐Sophie , Tastet Lionel , Shen Mylène , Clisson Marine , Clavel Marie‐Annick 
Published: July 2017

Background

About 50% of normal‐flow/low‐gradient patients (ie, low mean gradient [
MG
] or peak aortic jet velocity and small aortic valve area) have severe aortic valve calcification as measured by computed tomography. However, they are considered to have moderate aortic stenosis (
AS
) in current American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines. The objective was thus to evaluate the effect of hypertension and reduced arterial compliance (
rAC
) on
MG
and V
peak
measurements.

Methods and Results

Doppler‐echocardiography was performed in 4 sheep with experimentally induced severe and critical
AS
at: (1) normal aortic pressure, (2) during hypertension, and (3) with
rAC
. Hypertension and
rAC
induced a substantial decrease in
MG
/V
peak
compared with normal stage (both
P
≤0.03) despite a stable transvalvular flow (
P
>0.16). Hypertension and
rAC
resulted in a greater reduction of
MG
in critical (−42%) compared with severe (−35%)
AS
(
P
˂0.0001). Comprehensive Doppler‐echocardiography and computed tomography were performed in 220
AS
patients (mean age: 69±13 years;
MG
29±18 mm Hg) with normal flow. The population was divided in 3 groups according to the presence of hypertension and
rAC
. The slope of the linear association between
MG
/V
peak
and aortic valve calcification divided by the cross‐sectional area of the aortic annulus was significantly reduced in patients with hypertension and/or
rAC
compared with normotensive/normal
AC
patients (
P
<0.01). Accordingly, patients with normal‐flow/low‐gradient and severe aortic valve calcification density were more frequent in hypertension and
rAC
groups compared with the normotensive/normal‐
AC
group (16% and 12% compared with 2%;
P
=0.03).

Conclusions

Hypertension and
rAC
are associated with a substantial reduction in
MG
/V
peak
for similar aortic valve calcification (ie, similar
AS
anatomic severity), which may lead to underestimation of
AS
hemodynamic severity.
Signal integration at the PI3K-p85-XBP1 hub endows coagulation protease activated protein C with insulin-like function
Authors: Madhusudhan Thati , Wang Hongjie , Ghosh Sanchita , Dong Wei , Kumar Varun , Al-Dabet Moh'd Mohanad , Manoharan Jayakumar , Nazir Sumra , Elwakiel Ahmed , Bock Fabian , Kohli Shrey , Marquardt Andi , Sögüt Ibrahim , Shahzad Khurrum , Müller Andreas J. , Esmon Charles T. , Nawroth Peter P. , Reiser Jochen , Chavakis Triantafyllos , Ruf Wolfram , Isermann Berend 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Coagulation proteases have increasingly recognized functions beyond hemostasis and thrombosis. Disruption of activated protein C (aPC) or insulin signaling impair function of podocytes and ultimately cause dysfunction of the glomerular filtration barrier and diabetic kidney disease (DKD). We here show that insulin and aPC converge on a common spliced-X-box binding protein-1 (sXBP1) signaling pathway to maintain endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis. Analogous to insulin, physiological levels of aPC maintain ER proteostasis in DKD. Accordingly, genetically impaired protein C activation exacerbates maladaptive ER response, whereas genetic or pharmacological restoration of aPC maintains ER proteostasis in DKD models. Importantly, in mice with podocyte-specific deficiency of insulin receptor (INSR), aPC selectively restores the activity of the cytoprotective ER-transcription factor sXBP1 by temporally targeting INSR downstream signaling intermediates, the regulatory subunits of PI3Kinase, p85α and p85β. Genome-wide mapping of condition-specific XBP1-transcriptional regulatory patterns confirmed that concordant unfolded protein response target genes are involved in maintenance of ER proteostasis by both insulin and aPC. Thus, aPC efficiently employs disengaged insulin signaling components to reconfigure ER signaling and restore proteostasis. These results identify ER reprogramming as a novel hormonelike function of coagulation proteases and demonstrate that targeting insulin signaling intermediates may be a feasible therapeutic approach ameliorating defective insulin signaling.
Nonmuscle myosin IIB regulates epicardial integrity and epicardium-derived mesenchymal cell maturation
Authors: Ma Xuefei , Sung Derek C. , Yang Yanqin , Wakabayashi Yoshi , Adelstein Robert S. 
Published: July 2017

ABSTRACT
Nonmuscle myosin IIB (NMIIB; heavy chain encoded by MYH10) is essential for cardiac myocyte cytokinesis. The role of NMIIB in other cardiac cells is not known. Here, we show that NMIIB is required in epicardial formation and functions to support myocardial proliferation and coronary vessel development. Ablation of NMIIB in epicardial cells results in disruption of epicardial integrity with a loss of E-cadherin at cell–cell junctions and a focal detachment of epicardial cells from the myocardium. NMIIB-knockout and blebbistatin-treated epicardial explants demonstrate impaired mesenchymal cell maturation during epicardial epithelial–mesenchymal transition. This is manifested by an impaired invasion of collagen gels by the epicardium-derived mesenchymal cells and the reorganization of the cytoskeletal structure. Although there is a marked decrease in the expression of mesenchymal genes, there is no change in Snail (also known as Snai1) or E-cadherin expression. Studies from epicardium-specific NMIIB-knockout mice confirm the importance of NMIIB for epicardial integrity and epicardial functions in promoting cardiac myocyte proliferation and coronary vessel formation during heart development. Our findings provide a novel mechanism linking epicardial formation and epicardial function to the activity of the cytoplasmic motor protein NMIIB.
Laboratory-Developed Tests: A Legislative and Regulatory Review
Authors: Genzen Jonathan R , Mohlman Jeffrey S , Lynch Jerry L , Squires Michael W , Weiss Ronald L 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBACKGROUNDTwenty-five years ago, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) asserted in a draft document that “home brew” tests—now commonly referred to as laboratory-developed tests (LDTs)—are subject to the same regulatory oversight as other in vitro diagnostics (IVDs)4. In 2010, the FDA began work on developing a proposed framework for future LDT oversight. Released in 2014, the draft guidance sparked an intense debate over potential LDT regulation. While the proposed guidance has not been implemented, many questions regarding LDT oversight remain unresolved.CONTENTThis review provides an overview of federal statutes and regulations related to IVDs and clinical laboratory operations, with a focus on those potentially applicable to LDTs and proposed regulatory efforts. Sources reviewed include the Code of Federal Regulations, the Federal Register, congressional hearings, guidance and policy documents, position statements, published literature, and websites.SUMMARYFederal statutes regarding IVDs were passed without substantive evidence of congressional consideration toward the concept of LDTs. The FDA has clear oversight authority over IVD reagents introduced into interstate commerce. A 16-year delay in publicly asserting FDA authority over LDTs, the pursuit of a draft guidance approach toward oversight, and establishment of regulations under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA'88) applicable to LDTs contributed to community uncertainty toward LDT oversight. Future regulatory and/or legislative efforts may be required to resolve this uncertainty.
A direct approach to the anisotropic Plateau problem
Authors: De Lellis Camillo , De Rosa Antonio , Ghiraldin Francesco 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWe prove a compactness principle for the anisotropic formulation of the Plateau problem in codimension one, along the same lines of previous works of the authors [9, 10]. In particular, we perform a new strategy for proving the rectifiability of the minimal set, avoiding Preiss’ Rectifiability Theorem [22].
Magnetic BV-functions and the Bourgain–Brezis–Mironescu formula
Authors: Pinamonti Andrea , Squassina Marco , Vecchi Eugenio 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWe prove a general magnetic Bourgain–Brezis–Mironescu formula which extends the one obtained in [37] in the Hilbert case setting. In particular, after developing a rather complete theory of magnetic bounded variation functions, we prove the validity of the formula in this class.
Multiple solutions for an elliptic system with indefinite Robin boundary conditions
Authors: Amster Pablo 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
Multiplicity of solutions is proved for an elliptic system with an indefinite Robin boundary condition under an assumption that links the linearisation at 0 and the eigenvalues of the associated linear scalar operator. Our result is based on a precise calculation of the topological degree of a suitable fixed point operator over large and small balls.
The Shadows of a Distant Past
Authors: Gilan Amir 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe historical Introductions to the Hittite State Treaties usually portray a relatively recent history. Two compositions pertain, however, to depict a more distant past, going back all the way to the founders of the Old Hittite Kingdom. The two, the historical introduction to the treaty with Wiluša (CTH 76) and especially the historical introduction of the Aleppo Treaty (CTH 75) are the subject of this study. It is certainly not a coincidence that both historical excursions into the distant past, pose many historical problems and give rise to incredulity regarding their historicity. It will be suggested that by reviewing the historical sources available to the ancient author, one may better understand how he came to assert certain historical statements that seem exaggerated or false to the modern historian. This approach may shed new light on some of the historical riddles posed by the introduction to the Talmi-Šarruma treaty, suggesting that its problematic narrative may have resulted from its ancient author’s unsuccessful attempt to weave several stories into one coherent historical account. It will also reveal the profound historical consciousness of the ancient author of CTH 75, his knowledgeability of ancient texts, such as the Old Hittite political wisdom literature, and his didactic use of history.
Hartapu and the Land of Maša
Authors: Oreshko Rostislav 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe paper presents a re-interpretation of two longer Hieroglyphic-Luwian inscriptions from the group attributed to king Hartapu (KIZILDAĞ 4, § 2 and KARADAĞ 1). It is argued that this king should be identified as a king of Maša rather of Ḫatti or Tarḫundašša, which, in view of the probable dating of his monuments to 12
Eine mannshohe Leier im altbabylonischen Ištar-Ritual aus Mari (FM 3, no. 2)
Authors: Shehata Dahlia 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe Old Babylonian Ištar ritual from Mari (FM 3, no. 2) has been the focus of much discussion since its primary edition in 1938 by G. Dossin. This article offers a new analysis of the passage mentioning the
Defining a roadmap for harmonizing quality indicators in Laboratory Medicine: a consensus statement on behalf of the IFCC Working Group “Laboratory Error and Patient Safety” and EFLM Task and Finish Group “Performance specifications for the extra-analytical phases”
Authors: Sciacovelli Laura , Panteghini Mauro , Lippi Giuseppe , Sumarac Zorica , Cadamuro Janne , Galoro César Alex De Olivera , Pino Castro Isabel Garcia Del , Shcolnik Wilson , Plebani Mario 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe improving quality of laboratory testing requires a deep understanding of the many vulnerable steps involved in the total examination process (TEP), along with the identification of a hierarchy of risks and challenges that need to be addressed. From this perspective, the Working Group “Laboratory Errors and Patient Safety” (WG-LEPS) of International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) is focusing its activity on implementation of an efficient tool for obtaining meaningful information on the risk of errors developing throughout the TEP, and for establishing reliable information about error frequencies and their distribution. More recently, the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) has created the Task and Finish Group “Performance specifications for the extra-analytical phases” (TFG-PSEP) for defining performance specifications for extra-analytical phases. Both the IFCC and EFLM groups are working to provide laboratories with a system to evaluate their performances and recognize the critical aspects where improvement actions are needed. A Consensus Conference was organized in Padova, Italy, in 2016 in order to bring together all the experts and interested parties to achieve a consensus for effective harmonization of quality indicators (QIs). A general agreement was achieved and the main outcomes have been the release of a new version of model of quality indicators (MQI), the approval of a criterion for establishing performance specifications and the definition of the type of information that should be provided within the report to the clinical laboratories participating to the QIs project.
Constructions and the problem of discovery: A case for the paradigmatic
Authors: Wible David , Tsao Nai-Lung 
Published: July 2017

AbstractMuch of the patterned use of language occupies a poorly charted middle ground of usages that are neither frozen, one-off items listable in dictionaries nor products of maximally general rules found in grammars. Similarly, these usages fly below the radar of modular theories of language that make a strict distinction between items in a lexicon and the rules of syntax for combining them. Early constructionist approaches showed this neglected territory to be teeming with conventional form-meaning pairings, i.e., lexico-grammatical constructions. While corpora have been seen as a source for investigating these constructions, they entail a fundamental but seldom-noted limitation: constructions are constituted by both syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, but corpora lack the paradigmatic dimension. Thus corpora can reveal multiword items but not the relations among them that constitute constructions. We elaborate on an alternative, illustrating how the design of an existing machine-readable language model affords discovery of lexico-grammatical constructions by capturing bottom up the relations they contract with other patterns. The network is noise-ridden, but we exploit the noise as the necessary background against which constructions can be set into relief and thus made discoverable.
Reducing subspaces for multiplication operators on the Dirichlet space through local inverses and Riemann surfaces
Authors: Gu Caixing , Luo Shuaibing , Xiao Jie 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
This paper gives a full characterization of the reducing subspaces for the multiplication operator Mϕ on the Dirichlet space with symbol of finite Blaschke product ϕ of order 5I 6I 7. The reducing subspaces of Mϕ on the Dirichlet space and Bergman space are related. Our strategy is to use local inverses and Riemann surfaces to study the reducing subspaces of Mϕ on the Bergman space. By this means, we determine the reducing subspaces of Mϕ on the Dirichlet space and answer some questions of Douglas-Putinar-Wang in [6].
Impact of the Enlargement of the European Union on the Foreign Trade and Development of the New Members
Authors: Krajišnik Milenko , Žutić Aleksandra 
Published: July 2017

Summary
One of the most important characteristics of the process of globalization is the creation of different regional economic integrations. The most developed regional economic integration in the world is the European Union. Since it was found, when six founder countries created the free trade area for coal and steel, European Union passed all the phases of development of the economic integration, through the customs union and common market to the economic and monetary union. Through the six waves of enlargement European Union has become the integration of 28 countries with over 500 million habitants. Every enlargement of this regional integration had an impact on the economic position and the development of both the old and the new members. The biggest increase in the number of members brought the 5th big enlargement of the European Union, when the number of the member countries increased in total for 12 countries, first for 10, and then for 2 more.
The effects of this enlargement on former soviet countries are specially interesting not only because of the number of the new members, but also because of the fact that these countries during the joining have also pass the process of the transition to the market economy.
The aim of this work is to examine the effects of the enlargement on the foreign trade of the new members, and the effects of the changes in foreign trade on the economic development of these countries. The analysis of the effects of joining the European Union could be interesting for the countries which strive to become members of this economic regional integration.
Nominal and Real Convergence as a Determinant for Joining the European Monetary Union
Authors: Kasumović Merim , Heric Erna 
Published: July 2017

SummaryThe thematic framework of this work is the nominal and real convergence as a determinant for joining the European monetary union. The focus of the work is to prove that realising the criteria of the convergence affects the stability of the European monetary union, that is, that the cause of destabilisation is exactly the fact that certain member nations have not realised the assigned convergence criteria. The financial integration is an important question because it contributes to the economic growth affecting free exchange with the goal of a more efficient allocation of capital; it is the result of the economic theory and the empirical research. Introducing the Euro as a single payment method while losing the monetary sovereignty of the countries which have accepted it is the main reason for forming the European Central Bank. The mission of the European Central Bank is to define and conduct a single monetary policy within the Eurozone. Because of the already mentioned facts, the challenges of conducting the fiscal policy within the Eurozone as well as the key aspects of the monetary unification of Europe have been analysed. The results of this analysis should point out the stability of the EMU by the convergence degree of the member nations from a single monetary area.
Fiscal Decentralization - World Experience and Our Practice
Authors: Stojanović Aleksandar 
Published: July 2017

Summary
Although it is yet to be systematically investigated where the initiative for fiscal decentralization came from, limited evidence suggests that decentralization offers great opportunities to improve the delivery of public services, and that the result depends on the type of decentralization that has been implemented and the institutions that implement it. Not rare are the examples that decentralization is implemented haphazardly without a proper legal framework and clearly defined rules or is simply imported from another country, without taking into account whether the local authorities in the country are able to carry out their responsibilities. Decentralization is often a matter of political reality, and in itself, it is neither good nor bad.
Fiscal decentralization is especially topical in many countries due to fears of further growth in public spending. Data on the extent of public spending in most countries, especially in the last two decades show the constant increase in public spending in GDP. The results of numerous studies on the subject indicate the high degree of correlation between fiscal decentralization and growth of public spending in a way that centralization is associated with a greater share of public spending in GDP. Therefore, a part of the professional community has long held the view that fiscal decentralization contributes to greater efficiency in the allocation of resources and reduces the amount of public spending.
Tourist Evaluation of Religious Buildings in Montenegro
Authors: Popović Maria 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
In this article value of sacred objects like a resource for development of cultural and religious tourism is being emphased. It ia being described the current state of religious monuments, their wilingness that in existing conditions be functional factors of tourist offer. For research it is being used: qualitative and quantitative methods with which are being described recognized elements of tourist valorization: tourism-geographical location, ambiance, atractiveness and identity, decoration and equipment of the space in tourist wealth. Then, the segmenta of valorisation are being quantified through evaluation of the most representative religious monuments in Montenegro. With this work, we want to draw attention to the value of this heritage and its ability to relatively easy be recognized as a resource of cultural and religious tourism. It is being wanted to explore which segments of tourist valorization can be improved, so on the base of it and incorporated in a system of a tourist offer.
Model of Consumer Behaviour - Feminine Hygiene
Authors: Rihtaršič Tanja , Rihtaršič Matjaž 
Published: July 2017

Summary
This article starts with a review of different recent theoretical views and positions on culture, menstruation taboos, and ethical consumer behaviour. We performed a quantitative research in England, Germany, Slovenia and Sweden on 1,081 responding female students about the effect of cultural and sociological factors on female consumer behaviour when buying feminine hygiene products. Countries were selected depending on different cultures, religions and consumer behaviour. Based on the acquired results, we established a structural model of female consumer behaviour in the selected countries. This model showed a spiral transfer of cultural limitations and prejudices to the respondent students through the environment.
Presence of Corporate Frauds at a Global Level
Authors: Vranješ Svjetlana 
Published: July 2017

Summary
The legislative bodies of the countries, members of the accounting and auditing profession, various associations have taken a number of preventive measures and mechanisms for combating corporate criminal activities and financial frauds, but unfortunately, the fact is that even today they often happen in both undeveloped and the most developed market economies. It is therefore essential to pay significant attention to corporate criminal activity and financial frauds that are happening in the business world. The aim of this paper is to show the presence of different forms of corporate criminal activity at a global level, and to display a conceptual framework of criminal activity and motives for their doing. Concluding remarks of this paper provide guidelines for further research and recommendations on how to improve the mechanisms for preventing and detecting criminal activity.
The One-Parameter Odd Lindley Exponential Model: Mathematical
Properties and Applications
Authors: Korkmaz Mustafa Ç. , Yousof Haitham M. 
Published: July 2017

Abstract
In this article, an exponential model with only one shape parameter, which
can be used in modeling survival data, reliability problems and fatigue life
studies, is studied. We derive explicit expressions for some of its
statistical and mathematical quantities including the ordinary moments,
generating function, incomplete moments, order statistics, moment of
residual life and reversed residual life. The model parameter is estimated
by using the maximum likelihood method. A real data application is given to
illustrate the flexibility of the model. We assess the performance of the
maximum likelihood estimators in terms of biases and mean squared errors by
means of a simulation study.