bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sexual Assault: Forensic Examination in the Living and Deceased
Authors: Lincoln Catherine Ann
Published: December 2018

The forensic examination of a person suspected of having been sexually assaulted encapsulates the breadth of forensic medicine possibly more completely than any other situation in forensic practice. Whether in the living or deceased, detection of injury and biological material to support or exclude sexual activity requires a careful, methodical approach to ensure robust evidentiary value and an understanding of genito-anal anatomy and sexual physiology to interpret its significance for the courts. This paper is not intended as an exhaustive guideline but aims to provide a general overview of the key components of forensic sexual assault examination highlighting the common and different aspects in living and deceased persons.
Hemorrhagic Infarction of Cerebellum and Brainstem Due to Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection – Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Bao Connie , Bao Shiping
Published: December 2018

Radiculopathy is a painful condition usually due to a compressed nerve in the spine. It is reported that cervical radiculopathy has an annual incidence of 83.2 cases per 100 000 people. Cervical epidural steroid injection is one of the main treatments, but it can result in serious adverse events, including loss of vision, stroke, paralysis, and death.

A 69-year-old female died after receiving the second of three planned C5/C6 epidural steroid injections. The autopsy revealed extensive hemorrhage and necrosis of the entire right side of the cerebellum and nearby brainstem, and extensive petechial hemorrhage of the left side of the cerebellum.

This report discusses the importance of a complete autopsy in the case of death due to cervical epidural steroid injection and reporting the case either to peer review literature or to the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (F AERS) database.
Use of Fat-Suppressed T2-Weighted MRI Images to Reduce the Magic Angle Effect in Peroneal Tendons
Authors: Ieong Edmund , Rafferty Michael , Khanna Monica , Walker Miny , Rosenfeld Peter
Published: December 2018

Introduction. Peroneal tendon disorders pose a diagnostic conundrum to the clinician. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to assess tendon pathology. A recognized artifact of MRI, the magic angle effect (MAE), can lead to spurious results and inappropriate management. The aim of this study is to assess whether T2 fat-suppressed sequences (T2FSs) reduce the frequency of MAE compared with proton density fat-suppressed (PDFS) images. Methods. MRI scans of 18 patients were prospectively assessed for MAE. The peroneal tendons were assessed at 5 defined levels on PDFS and T2FS images. The frequency of MAE in the peroneal tendons were compared between the 2 scan sequences. Results. In the peroneus brevis tendon, 17/72 levels, on PDFS scans, showed MAE compared with 2/72 levels on the T2FS scans, demonstrating a reduction in the MAE by 85% (P = .0003). In the peroneus longus tendon 14/72 levels, on PDFS scans, demonstrated MAE compared with 4/72 on T2FSs, demonstrating a reduction of 71% (P = .02). Conclusion. The inclusion of T2-weighted sequences is useful in MRI scanning for peroneal tendons to mitigate the MAE artifact, avoid potential misdiagnosis, and guide subsequent management of peroneal tendon disorders.

Levels of Evidence: Level IV: Case series
Prevalence and predictors of lower urinary tract symptoms in Pakistani men: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Salman M , Khan JH , Khan AH , Sulaiman SAS , Aslam Z , Asif N , Mustafa ZU , Hassan M , Saleem Z , Iqbal M
Published: December 2018

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and severity of the condition of lower urinary tract symptoms in Pakistani men, determine its predictors and assess its impact on the quality of life.

Methods:

A cross-sectional, population-based study was conducted among men aged 30 years and over in three districts of Punjab province, Pakistan. The modified Urdu version of the International Prostate Symptom Score was used to assess the prevalence and severity of lower urinary tract symptoms. Individuals with total symptom score ⩾8 were considered as having lower urinary tract symptoms. The data were analysed using SPSS version 22. The chi-square test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to assess the difference among categorical and continuous variables, respectively. Moreover, binary logistic regressions were performed to determine the predictors of lower urinary tract symptoms.

Results:

The overall prevalence of lower urinary tract symptoms in our sample was 33.7%. The frequency of individuals having mild, moderate and severe lower urinary tract symptoms was 66.3, 30.3 and 3.4%, respectively. Storage symptoms were more common than voiding symptoms (35.6% vs 28.2%, respectively). Increasing age (one-decade interval age stratum), higher education levels, working status (currently not working), smoking, hypertension, diabetes and renal impairment were positive predictors of lower urinary tract symptoms. Moreover, the condition of lower urinary tract symptoms was associated with a significant reduction in an individual’s quality of life.

Conclusion:

Around one-third of adult Pakistani men suffer from clinically relevant urinary symptoms, with lower urinary tract symptoms sufferers having poor quality of life as compared to non-sufferers. We recommend that the aging population should be made aware of conventional measures to mitigate mild urinary symptoms affecting their routine activities. Level of evidence: 2c
“A Guy ‘Does’ and You Don’t, They Do You Instead”: Young People’s Narratives of Gender and Sexuality in a Low-Income Context of South Africa
Authors: Graham Lauren , Mphaphuli Memory
Published: December 2018

The intensive research focus on young people’s sexuality in relation to risk means that young people’s sexuality is often pathologized. We thus miss out on the day-to-day lived realities of how young people negotiate gender identity as well as sexuality in complex, nuanced, but normal ways. This article contributes to an emerging body of research that highlights how young people negotiate gender identity and sexuality in their day-to-day lives, by focusing on the narratives of young persons engaged in heteronormative relationships in a resource constrained setting in South Africa. We offer insights into dominant, but also alternative discourses of gender and sexuality that are not highlighted in the literature in this field. Furthermore, we offer new empirical insights into how socioeconomic status shapes their gender identity, beliefs about sex and their sexual practices, contributing to a small but emerging field of research engaging with the intersection of gender, sex, and socioeconomic status.
Linking Holistic Pathways to Adult Roles With Resolution of Tasks and Features of Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach
Authors: Vosylis Rimantas
Published: December 2018

Exploration of emerging adulthood (EA) experiences in different cultural settings is considered a central challenge for this area of research. Another concern surrounds the significance of role transitions in the process of becoming an adult. To address the previous, this study investigates the heterogeneity of pathways to adult roles and resolution of tasks and features outlined in the EA theory and the associations between the two, in a sample ( N = 489; 49.3% women, M age = 24.98, SD age = 0.78) of Lithuanian emerging adults. Participants were interviewed with life history calendar and filled out a questionnaire, targeting tasks and features of EA. Six pathways and three profiles were identified, and both were found to be meaningfully associated. Collectively, results show that becoming an adult, in this cultural setting, is best viewed as diverse regarding transitions to adult roles and subjective experiences and that pathways that emerging adults follow can significantly shape experiences of this period.
Autistic Traits and Purpose in Emerging Adulthood: Associations with Pathways to Purpose and Perceived Adult Status
Authors: Ratner Kaylin , Burrow Anthony L. , Hill Patrick L.
Published: December 2018

This study examined how two individual differences—autistic traits and sense of purpose—predict perceptions of purpose development and adult status. Participants ( N = 805, M age = 25.42 years) were surveyed via Qualtrics Panels. While sense of purpose positively correlated with each purpose pathway and perceived adult status, autistic traits negatively related to each outcome. We then tested the unique and interactive effects of autistic traits and sense of purpose on pathway endorsement and perceived adult status while controlling for age. Autistic traits negatively predicted proactive and reactive pathway endorsement, but did not appear to predict social learning pathway endorsement or perceived adult status. Sense of purpose continued to positively predict all outcomes and did not appear to modify the effect of autistic traits on any outcome. These findings are discussed with an eye toward future research, especially with regard to the apparent accessibility of the social learning pathway.
Annie Besant’s Defence of Indian Caste System: A Critique
Authors: Singh Chandra Lekha
Published: December 2018

Caste system has remained an integral part of the Hindu social order. It has served to provide the uniqueness and the complexity to the latter. During colonial period as well as in the postcolonial period, it has been the most sought after issue. The colonial encounter added a new narrative to this system, as has been argued by the scholars such as Nicholas Dirks. However, apart from colonial officials, the non-official leaders of the ruling country also played an important role in the making of the present-day construct of the caste system. Annie Besant was one such leader, who came to India in 1893 as a leader of the Theosophical Society. She endorsed and extolled the caste system of the land as the best social structure this world has ever had. In this article, I attempt to throw light on Besant’s reading of the caste system and her role in strengthening the roots of this system.
Usefulness of Shoulder36 in rotator cuff tears: Comparison with Simple Shoulder Test
Authors: Kawakami Junichi , Gotoh Masafumi , Matsuura Koumei , Shin Kunichika , Fujito Ikuhisa , Tanaka Aya , Matsunaga Saho , Imai Takaki , Nagamatsu Takashi , Karasuyama Masaki , Ohota Toshiaki , Madokoro Kazuya , Shiba Naoto
Published: December 2018

Background:

In patients with rotator cuff tears, Shoulder36 (Sh36) was compared to the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) to determine a broader use of Sh36 worldwide.

Methods:

Sh36, SST, “Constant score,” and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA) were used to evaluate 230 patients (male, 116; female, 114) during the first visit, analyzed by staff blinded to the study. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used for the statistical analysis.

Results:

The correlation coefficient between the Constant score and each domain in Sh36 was as follows: r = 0.68 (vs. pain, p < 0.01); r = 0.69 (vs. range of motion, p < 0.01); r = 0.74 (vs. muscle strength, p < 0.01); r = 0.62 (vs. general health, p < 0.01); r = 0.66 (vs. ability of daily living, p < 0.01); and r = 0.65 (vs. ability for sports, p < 0.01). The correlation coefficient between the JOA and each domain in Sh36 was as follows: r = 0.76 (vs. pain, p < 0.01); r = 0.73 (vs. range of motion, p < 0.01); r = 0.78 (vs. muscle strength, p < 0.01); r = 0.68 (vs. general health, p < 0.01); r = 0.71 (vs. ability of daily living, p < 0.01); and r = 0.70 (vs. ability for sports, p < 0.01). The correlation coefficient between the SST and each domain in Sh36 was as follows: r = 0.73 (vs. pain, p < 0.01); r = 0.70 (vs. range of motion, p < 0.01); r = 0.75 (vs. muscle strength, p < 0.01); r = 0.67 (vs. general health, p < 0.01); r = 0.69 (vs. ability of daily living, p < 0.01); and r = 0.64 (vs. ability for sports, p < 0.01).

Conclusion:

A strong association exists between the SST and each domain in the Sh36, in patients with rotator cuff tears ( r = 0.64–0.73), suggesting the usefulness of Sh36 for patient-based scoring.
Workplace Spirituality, Grit and Work Engagement
Authors: Singh Jasmeet , Chopra Vandana Gambhir
Published: December 2018

Workplace spirituality and grit are gaining momentum among researchers, academicians and business professionals. While workplace spirituality is an extrinsic factor which refers to a supportive working environment, grit is an internal factor which refers to passion and perseverance. The aim of this article is to examine the impact of workplace spirituality and grit on work engagement. Data were collected using standardised questionnaires from 275 full-time employees working in various government, private and public–private organisations in Delhi-NCR, India. Correlational analysis showed a positive correlation between components of workplace spirituality (inner life, meaningful work and community) and components of work engagement (attention and absorption) and between components of grit (consistency of interest and perseverance) and components of work engagement (attention and absorption). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that meaningful work, consistency of interest and perseverance significantly predicted work engagement after controlling for gender, age, tenure and educational qualification. This implies that organisations should hire employees with high grit and provide them with meaningful work to enhance their engagement. Practical and theoretical implications, along with the limitations of the study, are discussed.
A Systematic Review of Etiological Risk Factors Associated With Early Mortality Among National Football League Players
Authors: Owora Arthur H. , Kmush Brittany L. , Walia Bhavneet , Sanders Shane
Published: December 2018

Background:

Multiple risks predispose professional football players to adverse health outcomes and, in extreme cases, early death; however, our understanding of etiological risk factors related to early mortality is limited.

Purpose:

To identify etiological risk factors associated with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among National Football League (NFL) players.

Study Design:

Systematic review; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Articles examining all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk factors among previous NFL players were identified by systematically searching: PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Google Scholar from 1990 to 2017. Study eligibility and quality were evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

Results:

A total of 801 nonduplicated studies were identified through our search strategy. Of these, 9 studies examining 11 different risk factors were included in the systematic review. Overall, the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality was lower among NFL players than among the general male population in the United States. Nonwhite athletes, those in power positions, and those with a high playing-time body mass index (≥30 kg/m2) were associated with elevated all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risks.

Conclusion:

Methodological issues associated with the examined all-cause and cause-specific mortality risk factors preclude a definitive conclusion of etiological protective or risk effects. Comparison groups less prone to selection bias (“healthy worker effect”) and a life-course approach to the evaluation of suspected risk factors are warranted to identify etiological factors associated with early mortality among NFL players.
Demographics and Epidemiology of Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Elbow Among Children and Adolescents
Authors: Kessler Jeffrey I. , Jacobs John C. , Cannamela Peter C. , Weiss Jennifer M. , Shea Kevin G.
Published: December 2018

Background:

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the elbow is a disorder of subchondral bone and articular cartilage, of which the incidence among children is not clearly known.

Purpose:

To assess the demographics and epidemiology of OCD of the elbow among children.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A retrospective chart review of an integrated health system for the years 2007 through 2011 was performed for patients with elbow OCD aged 2 to 19 years. Lesion location, laterality, and all patient demographics were recorded. OCD incidence was determined for the group as a whole as well as by sex and age group (2-5, 6-11, 12-19 years). Patient differences based on age, sex, and ethnicity were analyzed, and multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the risk of elbow OCD by group.

Results:

A total of 37 patients with 40 OCD lesions fit the inclusion criteria. No lesion was found among 2- to 5-year-olds. A majority of lesions (n = 39, 97.5%) were in the capitellum, and 1 (2.5%) was in the trochlea. Twenty-five patients (67.6%) had right-sided lesions; 9 (24.3%), left-sided; and 3 (8.1%), bilateral. The incidence of elbow OCD for patients aged 6 to 19 years was 2.2 per 100,000 overall and 3.8 and 0.6 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively. The majority of OCD cases were seen in those aged 12 to 19 years, with an incidence of 3.4 per 100,000 versus 0.38 among 6- to 11-year-olds. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed a 21.7-times increased odds ratio of elbow OCD among patients aged 12 to 19 years versus 6 to 11 years, and males had a 6.8-times greater odds ratio of elbow OCD than females ( P < .0001 for both). Based on race and ethnicity, non-Hispanic whites had the highest incidence of elbow OCD as compared with all other ethnic groups.

Conclusion:

In this population-based cohort study of pediatric elbow OCD, males had almost 7 times the risk of elbow OCD as compared with females, and 12- to 19-year-olds had nearly 22 times the risk of elbow OCD versus 6- to 11-year-olds. In keeping with many prior studies, the majority of patients had right-sided lesions.
For the Salvation of the Cosmos: The Church’s Mission of Ecojustice
Authors: Nothwehr Dawn M.
Published: December 2018

The Christian ecojustice mission is grounded in the intimate relationship between creation, redemption, and incarnation. Failure to adequately integrate this truth in its mission praxis has obscured Christian proclamation. Mission clarification requires knowing the God of all creation. Mission motivation originates in humans knowing their true identity as ones loved by God within and through creation. Mission correction consists in heeding revelation from the “Book of Creation” (St. Augustine), learning wisdom from “asking of the beasts” (Job 12:7). Not to love, defend, and protect creation is to fail ourselves and God, since we are God’s creation.
The annihilation of time by space: Pluri-temporal strategies of capitalist circulation
Authors: Simpson Michael
Published: December 2018

This paper contributes to thinking about the circulation of commodities across global supply chains by considering moments when circulation is intentionally slowed down for the purpose of capital accumulation. I examine oil tank farms at sites such as Cushing, OK, which act as a spatial fix allowing producers and speculators to place millions of barrels into storage during moments of overproduction. Oil storage is largely driven by futures markets. When prices are low, speculators store oil in order to derive higher profits by selling their product at a later date – a strategy that I describe as the annihilation of time by space. However, as tanks fill up, the crisis of overproduction begins to express itself as a shortage of storage capacity. In the absence of tank space, speculators have turned to supply chain infrastructures such as railcars and oil tankers as creative storage alternatives. Any empty space remaining in tanks becomes highly valued and traded or speculated upon as its own commodity. Ultimately, this paper offers a corrective to recent literature on global capitalist supply chains by demonstrating that capital accumulation relies not only on the speedy movement of commodities across global space; rather, capital employs pluri-temporal strategies of circulation.
Phase 1b trial of an ibrutinib-based combination therapy in recurrent/refractory CNS lymphoma
Authors: Grommes Christian , Tang Sarah S. , Wolfe Julia , Kaley Thomas J. , Daras Mariza , Pentsova Elena I. , Piotrowski Anna F. , Stone Jacqueline , Lin Andrew , Nolan Craig P. , Manne Malbora , Codega Paolo , Campos Carl , Viale Agnes , Thomas Alissa A. , Berger Michael F. , Hatzoglou Vaios , Reiner Anne S. , Panageas Katherine S. , DeAngelis Lisa M. , Mellinghoff Ingo K.
Published: December 2018

Ibrutinib is a first-in-class inhibitor of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) and has shown single-agent activity in recurrent/refractory central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. Clinical responses are often transient or incomplete, suggesting a need for a combination therapy approach. We conducted a phase 1b clinical trial to explore the sequential combination of ibrutinib (560 or 840 mg daily dosing) with high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) and rituximab in patients with CNS lymphoma (CNSL). HD-MTX was given at 3.5 g/m2 every 2 weeks for a total of 8 doses (4 cycles; 1 cycle = 28 days). Ibrutinib was held on days of HD-MTX infusion and resumed 5 days after HD-MTX infusion or after HD-MTX clearance. Single-agent daily ibrutinib was administered continuously after completion of induction therapy until disease progression, intolerable toxicity, or death. We also explored next-generation sequencing of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) before and during treatment. The combination of ibrutinib, HD-MTX, and rituximab was tolerated with an acceptable safety profile (no grade 5 events, 3 grade 4 events). No dose-limiting toxicity was observed. Eleven of 15 patients proceeded to maintenance ibrutinib after completing 4 cycles of the ibrutinib/HD-MTX/rituximab combination. Clinical responses occurred in 12 of 15 patients (80%). Sustained tumor responses were associated with clearance of ctDNA from the CSF. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02315326.
Randomized trial of 10 days of decitabine ± bortezomib in untreated older patients with AML: CALGB 11002 (Alliance)
Authors: Roboz Gail J. , Mandrekar Sumithra J. , Desai Pinkal , Laumann Kristina , Walker Alison R. , Wang Eunice S. , Kolitz Jonathan E. , Powell Bayard L. , Attar Eyal C. , Stock Wendy , Bloomfield Clara D. , Kohlschmidt Jessica , Mrózek Krzysztof , Hassane Duane C. , Garraway Levi , Jané-Valbuena Judit , Baltay Michele , Tracy Adam , Marcucci Guido , Stone Richard M. , Larson Richard A.
Published: December 2018

Novel treatment strategies are needed for older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This randomized phase 2 trial compared the efficacy and safety of 20 mg/m2 of IV decitabine on days 1 to 10 alone (arm A) with those of 1.3 mg/m2 of subcutaneous bortezomib (arm B) on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 for up to 4 10-day cycles followed by monthly 5-day cycles. Previously untreated AML patients age ≥60 years (excluding those with FLT3 mutations and favorable-risk cytogenetics) without restrictions in performance status (PS) or organ function were eligible. Median age was 72.4 years (range, 60.5-92.3 years); 31 patients (19%) had baseline PS ≥2, 35 (22%) had an antecedent hematological disorder, 58 had (39%) adverse cytogenetics, and 7 (5%) and 23 (14%) had abnormal cardiac or renal function. There were no statistically significant differences in overall survival (OS) or responses between the 2 treatment arms. The overall response rate (complete remission + complete remission with incomplete blood count recovery) was 39% (n = 64), with median OS of 9.3 months. Nineteen responders (31%) underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The most common adverse event was febrile neutropenia, and there were no unexpected toxicities. Adding bortezomib to decitabine did not improve outcomes, but responses were better than those in previous trials using 5-day decitabine cycles. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01420926.
Palliative care in pulmonary arterial hypertension: an underutilised treatment
Authors: Khirfan Ghaleb , Tonelli Adriano R. , Ramsey Jennifer , Sahay Sandeep
Published: December 2018

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition characterised by increased pulmonary vascular resistance which can lead to right heart failure and premature death. It imposes a significant burden on patients' lives, affecting their physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Pharmacological therapies are the mainstay of treatment; while they are not curative, they can alleviate patient suffering, improve quality of life and delay disease progression. Despite these therapies, disease progresses in a significant number of patients, who are faced with the debilitating symptoms of PAH and treatment adverse effects. Palliative care is focused on providing relief from symptoms caused by a chronic illness. Palliative care aims to improve the health-related quality of life for patients and families, and although it is deemed appropriate at any stage of disease, it is most helpful when explored early in the course of disease. Importantly, palliative care can be provided in concert with pharmacological treatment. Despite its potential benefits, palliative care is frequently underutilised. There is a paucity of clinical studies testing the impact of palliative care in PAH which prompted us to summarise the available evidence, recognise obstacles in its utilisation and identify areas for future research.
Recent advances in stem cell therapeutics and tissue engineering strategies
Authors: Kwon Seong Gyu , Kwon Yang Woo , Lee Tae Wook , Park Gyu Tae , Kim Jae Ho
Published: December 2018

Background

Tissue regeneration includes delivering specific types of cells or cell products to injured tissues or organs for restoration of tissue and organ function. Stem cell therapy has drawn considerable attention since transplantation of stem cells can overcome the limitations of autologous transplantation of patient’s tissues; however, it is not perfect for treating diseases. To overcome the hurdles associated with stem cell therapy, tissue engineering techniques have been developed. Development of stem cell technology in combination with tissue engineering has opened new ways of producing engineered tissue substitutes. Several studies have shown that this combination of tissue engineering and stem cell technologies enhances cell viability, differentiation, and therapeutic efficacy of transplanted stem cells.

Main body

Stem cells that can be used for tissue regeneration include mesenchymal stem cells, embryonic stem cells, and induced pluripotent stem cells. Transplantation of stem cells alone into injured tissues exhibited low therapeutic efficacy due to poor viability and diminished regenerative activity of transplanted cells. In this review, we will discuss the progress of biomedical engineering, including scaffolds, biomaterials, and tissue engineering techniques to overcome the low therapeutic efficacy of stem cells and to treat human diseases.

Conclusion

The combination of stem cell and tissue engineering techniques overcomes the limitations of stem cells in therapy of human diseases, and presents a new path toward regeneration of injured tissues.
Least-squares data-to-data migration: An approach for migrating free-surface-related multiples
Authors: Zheng Yikang , Wang Yibo , Chang Xu
Published: December 2018

Free-surface-related multiples can provide extra illumination of the subsurface and thus can be usefully included in migration procedures. However, most multiple migration approaches require separation of primaries and free-surface-related multiples or at least prediction of multiples in advance, which is time consuming and prone to errors. The data-to-data migration (DDM) method migrates free-surface-related multiples by forward and backward propagating the recorded full data (containing primaries and free-surface-related multiples). For DDM, there is no need to predict or separate multiples, but the migration results suffer from the crosstalk generated by crosscorrelations of undesired seismic events, e.g., primaries and second-order free-surface-related multiples. We have developed least-squares DDM (LSDDM) for marine data to eliminate the crosstalk generated by DDM. In each iteration, the forward-propagated primaries and free-surface-related multiples are crosscorrelated with the backward-propagated primary and free-surface-related multiple residuals to form the reflectivity gradient. We use a three-layer model and the Marmousi model for numerical tests. The results validate that LSDDM can provide a migrated image with higher signal-to-noise ratio and more balanced amplitudes than DDM. The LSDDM approach might be valuable for general subsurface imaging for marine seismic data when the migration velocity is accurate, and the acquired data have sufficient recording time.
Treatment-resistant depression: problematic illness or a problem in our approach?
Authors: Malhi Gin S. , Das Pritha , Mannie Zola , Irwin Lauren
Published: December 2018

Treatment-resistant depression is widely defined as non-response to two ‘adequate’ courses of treatment. However, the definitions of treatment and depression are inconsistent reflecting gaps in our understanding. We argue that a failure to respond is often the result of administering inappropriate treatment, which occurs principally because of paradigm failure.

Declaration of interest

None.
Association of Germline Genetic Test Type and Results With Patient Cancer Worry After Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
Authors: Katz Steven J. , Ward Kevin C. , Hamilton Ann S. , Abrahamse Paul , Hawley Sarah T. , Kurian Allison W.
Published: December 2018

Background

There are concerns that multigene panel testing compared with BRCA1/2-only testing after diagnosis of breast cancer may lead to unnecessary patient worry about cancer because of more ambiguous results.

Methods

Patients with breast cancer diagnosed from 2013 to 2015 and accrued from SEER registries in Georgia and Los Angeles were surveyed (n = 5,080; response rate, 70%), and responses were merged with SEER data and germline genetic testing and results. We examined patient reports of cancer worry by test type and results in 1,063 women who linked to a genetic test and reported undergoing testing.

Results

More than half of the sample (n = 640; 60.2%) received BRCA1/2-only testing versus 423 patients (39.8%) who had a multigene panel. A minority of tested patients reported substantial cancer worry after treatment: 11.1% (n = 130) reported higher impact of cancer worry, and 15.1% (n = 162) reported a high frequency of cancer worry (worrying often or almost always) in the past month. Impact of cancer worry did not substantively differ by test type, test result outcomes, or clinical or treatment factors. The odds ratio for higher impact of cancer worry was 0.81 (95% CI, 0.51 to 1.28) for multigene versus BRCA1/2-only testing. In a separate model, the odds ratios were 1.21 (95% CI, 0.54 to 2.68) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.50 to 1.62) for pathogenic variant and variant of uncertain significance, respectively, versus a negative test (the reference group).

Conclusion

Compared with BRCA1/2 testing alone, multigene panel testing was not associated with increased cancer worry after diagnosis of breast cancer.
Novel pipeline identifies new upstream ORFs and non-AUG initiating main ORFs with conserved amino acid sequences in the 5′ leader of mRNAs in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: van der Horst Sjors , Snel Berend , Hanson Johannes , Smeekens Sjef
Published: December 2018

Eukaryotic mRNAs contain a 5′ leader sequence preceding the main open reading frame (mORF) and, depending on the species, 20%–50% of eukaryotic mRNAs harbor an upstream ORF (uORF) in the 5′ leader. An unknown fraction of these uORFs encode sequence conserved peptides (conserved peptide uORFs, CPuORFs). Experimentally validated CPuORFs demonstrated to regulate the translation of downstream mORFs often do so in a metabolite concentration-dependent manner. Previous research has shown that most CPuORFs possess a start codon context suboptimal for translation initiation, which turns out to be favorable for translational regulation. The suboptimal initiation context may even include non-AUG start codons, which makes CPuORFs hard to predict. For this reason, we developed a novel pipeline to identify CPuORFs unbiased of start codon using well-annotated sequence data from 31 eudicot plant species and rice. Our new pipeline was able to identify 29 novel Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) CPuORFs, conserved across a wide variety of eudicot species of which 15 do not initiate with an AUG start codon. In addition to CPuORFs, the pipeline was able to find 14 conserved coding regions directly upstream and in frame with the mORF, which likely initiate translation on a non-AUG start codon. Altogether, our pipeline identified highly conserved coding regions in the 5′ leaders of Arabidopsis transcripts, including in genes with proven functional importance such as LHY, a key regulator of the circadian clock, and the RAPTOR1 subunit of the target of rapamycin (TOR) kinase.
Variability in the Therapeutic Response of Metformin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Rashid Maryam , Shahzad Muhammad , Mahmood Saqib , Khan Khurshid
Published: December 2018

Objective: To assess the glycemic response of metformin in patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) as well as to see its association with reductions in BMI and GIT intolerance.

Methods: This Quasi, Experimental study was conducted at Jinnah-Allama Iqbal Institute of Diabetes and Endocrinology (JAIDE) Jinnah Hospital, Lahore from 1st March 2016 to 30th September 2016. Newly diagnosed T2DM patients were given metformin for duration of three months and later on they were categorized into Responders and Non-Responders on the basis of HbA1c (A1C) reductions, which were estimated by Hemoglobin (A1C) analyzer (TD4611A TAIDoc Tech. Taiwan) through photometry. Similarly, baseline BMI and BMI after three months therapy with metformin was also recorded.

Results: Among total of 200 patients, 40.5% of the patients were classified as Non-Responders whereas; 59.5% of the patients as Responders. The baseline BMI (26.09 kg/m2) was also decreased significantly after metformin therapy (25.40 kg/m2). It was found that metformin reduced the A1C in all the patients. However, the glycemic control was much better in patients with higher baseline A1C (1.13% ± 0.08) as compared to lower baseline levels (0.61% ± 0.07). Regarding GIT intolerance, 140 patients lacked the symptoms, out of which 60.7% were responders and 39.3% were non-responders.

Conclusions: Metformin lead to improvement in glycemic control in 59.5% of newly diagnosed T2DM patients after taking metformin for three months but in 40.5% it did not which may be because of combined effects of various gene polymorphisms and their interaction with non-genetic factors. Metformin reduced the BMI in all the patients; however, BMI lowering activity of metformin was same regardless of its effect on HbA1C. Moreover, the signs and symptoms of GIT intolerance did not differ between the two groups.

How to cite this:Rashid M, Shahzad M, Mahmood S, Khan K. Variability in the therapeutic response of Metformin treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(1):71-76. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.1.100

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Pediatric Tracheotomy: Comparison of surgical technique with early and late complications in 273 cases
Authors: Gumussoy Murat
Published: December 2018

Objectives: This study was aimed to compare the early and late complications of tracheotomy in pediatric patient, with respect to surgical techniques.

Methods: The relationship between demographic characteristics, surgical techniques obtained from the files of the children and complications developing after surgery were compared retrospectively.

Results: One hundred fifty two out of 273 developed complications after tracheotomy. Among these, 75 were early complications and 77 were late complications. Results obtained concerning early complications showed a significant difference between Skin incision and Bleeding and Accidental decannulation; Tracheal incision and Subcutaneous emphysema; surgical time and accidental decannulation and tube/ventilation problem; Surgeon’s skill level and bleeding. As regards late complications there was a significant difference between Intubation Time and Stomal-tracheal granulation; Tracheal incision and Stomal infection; Surgeon’s skill level and Stomal-tracheal granulation.

Conclusions: In pediatric tracheotomy the preferred skin incision and tracheal incision, surgeon’s experience, tracheotomoy time and intubation time are important as regards development of early or late complications.

How to cite this:Gumussoy M. Pediatric Tracheotomy: Comparison of surgical technique with early and late complications in 273 cases. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(1):247-251. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.1.132

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Estimation of serum matrix metalloproteinases among patients of oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Choudhry Nakhshab , Sarmad Sana , Waheed Noor ul Ain , Gondal Aamir Jamal
Published: December 2018

Objective: To estimate the serum levels of matrix metalloproteinases in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients and in healthy subjects.

Methods: In this observational study, biopsy diagnosed oral squamous cell carcinoma patients (n= 38) were recruited from Mayo Hospital, Lahore during 2016 to 2017. Age and gender matched Controls (n= 38) were also included. Venous blood sample of each participant was drawn, serum separated and the levels of matrix metalloproteinases were measured by multiplex ELISA.

Results: Serum levels of MMP-1, -8, -10, -12 and -13 in OSCC patients showed statistically significant increase as compared to control group (p < 0.01). The MMP-12 predicted the presence of OSCC with highest AUC of 0.836 (95% CI [0.733 to 0.911]) for sensitivity and specificity of 80% and 78.9%, respectively for a cut-off value of 16.13 pg/ml.

Conclusions: MMP-12 has been found to have significant sensitivity and specificity to qualify as a diagnostic biomarker.

How to cite this:Choudhry N, Sarmad S, Waheed NA, Gondal AJ. Estimation of serum matrix metalloproteinases among patients of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(1):252-256. doi: https://doi.org/doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.1.68

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
An Asymptotically Optimal Set Approach for Simulation Optimization
Authors: Hu Liujia , Andradóttir Sigrún
Published: December 2018

We propose an asymptotically optimal set (AOS) approach for solving stochastic optimization problems with discrete or continuous feasible regions. Our AOS approach is a framework for designing provably convergent algorithms that are adaptive in seeking new points and in resampling or discarding already sampled points. The framework is an improvement over the adaptive search with resampling (ASR) method for stochastic optimization in that it spends less effort on inferior points and uses a more robust estimate of the optimal solution. We present conditions guaranteeing that the AOS approach is globally convergent and will eventually discard suboptimal sampled points with probability one, compare the algorithms, and analyze when (additional) resampling (beyond the minimum) is desirable. Our theoretical results show that AOS has stronger performance guarantees than ASR. Our numerical results suggest that AOS makes substantial improvements over ASR, especially for difficult problems with large numbers of local optima.

The online supplement is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/ijoc.2018.0811 .
Strategizing Before Strategic Decision Making
Authors: Nickerson Jackson , Argyres Nicholas
Published: December 2018

Processes of strategic problem formulation are not only core to strategic decision making, but may be paramount. Indeed, one cannot even assess whether a situation is strategic until the problem has been formulated. To illustrate the importance of problem formulation, we present a case study, and after highlighting key features, explore several ways in which the case’s problem could be formulated. These alternative formulations highlight how strategic decision premises can dramatically affect decision making. Problem formulation, we next advance, is intimately related to the development of theories or conjectures, especially at the group level. We therefore propose that strategizing processes are appropriately understood as vital mechanisms that can be normatively designed, taught, and used in a practical way. No single formulation process is appropriate for all situations, we note, as effective and efficient formulation processes depend on a variety of organizational and situational factors. An additional consideration arises with respect to how the problem formulation process may yield profound implications not only for developing alternative strategies and making the strategic decision, but also for implementing these decisions. Based on these insights, we describe potential research opportunities and ways to enhance teaching to advance the theory and practice of strategizing.
Competitive Sensemaking in Value Creation and Capture
Authors: Cattani Gino , Sands Daniel , Porac Joe , Greenberg Jason
Published: December 2018

We suggest that a systematic socio-cognitive approach to “competitive sensemaking” has been absent from theory and research on competitive strategy. We define competitive sensemaking as the social and cognitive processes that underlie how firms detect, define, and conceptualize their competitive relationships with other firms. Competitive sensemaking is a subset of the more general process of strategic sensemaking, which is the “making plausible sense” of the broad array of stimuli and circumstances that characterize complex market situations. Using the value-based view of value creation and capture as a conceptual base for our arguments, we unpack four cognitive underpinnings of competitive sensemaking: mental time travel, comparability, counterfactual reasoning, and stories. We then show how these four components were differentially involved in shaping competitive sensemaking in four actual market situations. In doing so, we illustrate how competitive sensemaking provides fundamental inputs into the value creation and value capture process. We conclude the paper by drawing out the implications of competitive sensemaking for strategy theory and research.
(When) Is Hiring Strategic? Human Capital Acquisition in the Age of Algorithms
Authors: Elfenbein Daniel W. , Sterling Adina D.
Published: December 2018

This paper examines when and under what conditions whom to hire is a strategic decision. We identify four mechanisms involved in hiring that add to the “strategicness” of human capital decisions. We posit that, to the degree that human capital outcomes are influenced by these mechanisms, hiring cannot be effectively delegated or treated independently from a firm’s other strategic decisions, nor will a “best athlete” approach to hiring lead to optimal results. We outline the shifts in scholarly attention required for scholars to conceptualize hiring as a strategic process, and we argue that this conceptualization is critical given the increasing use of data science tools by industry to support and automate hiring decisions. By delving into the mechanisms and conditions that make hiring strategic, we contribute to a broader understanding of how and why firms acquire human capital and highlight gaps and opportunities for future research.
Anticipatory Dynamic Traffic Sensor Location Problems with Connected Vehicle Technologies
Authors: Park Hyoshin (John) , Haghani Ali , Gao Song , Knodler Michael A. , Samuel Siby
Published: December 2018

Technological advancements in wireless systems enable the advancement of traffic operations. When onboard equipment in connected vehicles transmits data to roadside sensors integrated with a traffic signal controller, green phases are redistributed to directly and indirectly reduce network delays. Despite the potential benefits of sensor technologies, the challenges associated with identifying optimal sensor locations for multiple time stages throughout a day with uncertain demand patterns has received little attention. In this paper, we focus on proactively reducing the network delay by controlling traffic signals through an optimized sensor deployment. The framework is based on portable sensors that may be repositioned within day and day to day to new locations such that delay savings over multiple time stages will be maximized. To tackle this multiperiod stochastic problem, dynamic models are proposed, considering the future sensor locations given budget constraints on the sensor costs and relocation costs, and the effect of control is tested on various demand profiles and penetration rates of an urban transportation network. A subproblem decomposed by Lagrangian relaxation enhanced with valid cuts has a better bound, and a variable neighborhood search algorithm quickly finds solutions. Two dynamic models that constrain flexible and restricted relocation, respectively, present higher savings compared to the stationary model without sensor relocation. The flexible relocation model guarantees higher savings than the restricted model by achieving the same maximum savings with fewer sensors. The gap between two dynamic models decreases when more sensors are available.
CDF Sponsoring Grants for the 2019 MCDM Conference in Istanbul
Authors: Topcu Ilker
Published: December 2018

CDF has offered to support a limited number of grants for students, Ph. D. candidates, post-docs, or young researchers who have worked in AHP/ANP to help them attend the MCDM 2019 conference by awarding a grant that will cover their conference fee.
USO DO MÉTODO DO ESTUDO DE CASO NA PESQUISA EM EMPREENDEDORISMO: ESTUDO COMPARATIVO EM PUBLICAÇÕES INTERNACIONAIS E NACIONAIS
Authors: Teixeira Rivanda Meira , Dantas Cristiane Feitoza , Lima Simone Freitas Araújo
Published: December 2018

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar como o método de estudo de caso tem sido utilizado nas pesquisas internacionais e nacionais em empreendedorismo no período de 2013 a 2015. O método de pesquisa escolhido foi a revisão sistemática da literatura (RSL). O levantamento dos artigos internacionais foi realizado nos cinco periódicos em empreendedorismo mais relevantes e, para os nacionais, utilizou-se a base de dados SPELL. Dentre os principais resultados vale destacar a diversidade de temáticas encontradas nesses estudos, o equilíbrio entre os estudos de caso único e múltiplos nos artigos internacionais, enquanto que, nos nacionais, predominam os de casos múltiplos. Grande diversidade de fontes de dados/evidências foi encontrada, com predominância de entrevistas. Já com relação as formas de análise de dados, observa-se a preferência pela análise de conteúdo nos estudos nacionais enquanto que, nos internacionais, a predominância é pelo uso de triangulação de dados/pesquisador e pela análise comparativa.