bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural Disasters and Financial Implications for Subnational Governments: Evidence from China
Authors: Miao Qing , Chen Can , Lu Yi , Abrigo Michael
Published: December 2019

Because of their uncertain and destructive nature, natural disasters can pose severe shocks to societies and jurisdictions across all levels of government. Disaster-related financial risk is a critical problem in developing countries where people are highly vulnerable to the losses of natural hazards and climate change. This study empirically examines the fiscal impact of natural disasters at the provincial government level in China. Using a panel vector autoregression model, we find that natural disasters increase a province’s total governmental spending and intergovernmental revenues received from the central government while having little effect on its tax revenues. In particular, earthquakes and tropical storms cause larger impacts on spending and intergovernmental transfers. We also show that governments in higher-income Chinese provinces experience larger increases in spending and intergovernmental transfer following natural disasters than lower-income provincial governments. Our results provide important implications for the financial management of disaster risks in the developing context.
Social Discount Rates for Seventeen Latin American Countries: Theory and Parameter Estimation
Authors: Moore Mark A. , Boardman Anthony E. , Vining Aidan R.
Published: December 2019

This article presents new estimates of social discount rates (SDRs) for seventeen Latin American countries for use in public project evaluation. We derive the SDRs based on the social rate of time preference method and provide the required parameter values. These rates range from 2.14 percent for Paraguay to 5.83 percent for Chile. The unweighted average recommended rate is 3.77 percent, which is close to the rates mandated by most European countries. We also review current governments’ SDR practices worldwide, including Latin America, and find that the proposed country-specific SDRs are significantly lower and less dispersed across countries than the rates most Latin American countries currently recommend. Using four archetypal projects profiles, we show the potential impact on the net present values of varying important parameters, including growth rates.
The Intersection of Service and Sales: The Increased Importance of Ambidexterity
Authors: Rapp Adam , Baker Thomas L. , Hartmann Nathaniel N. , Ahearne Michael
Published: December 2019

Blurring roles in the front line are changing how many organizations interact with their customers. Whereas frontline employees were tasked with functional roles of service or selling, an increased competitive environment and growing customer expectations have caused a shift requiring many employees to be effective at both selling and service. The growth of sales/service ambidexterity in both practice and research has prompted more meaningful investigation of the topic. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief background of ambidexterity and positioning of the topic. We provide a discussion of the articles compiled in this special issue and the synergy across papers. We conclude with the implications of this research and avenues for future research.
Large choroidal excavation in pachychoroid disease: A case report
Authors: Iacono Pierluigi , Battaglia Parodi Maurizio , Saviano Sandro , Parravano Mariacristina , Varano Monica
Published: December 2019

Purpose:

To report the morphological and clinical features of a case of pachychoroid disease with focal choroidal excavation and large choroidal excavation complicated by choroidal neovascularization.

Methods:

The patient underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination including best-corrected visual acuity assessment, anterior segment and dilated fundus examination, fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Results:

During the previous follow-up, the 57-year-old man received a diagnosis of central serous chorioretinopathy in the right eye with a late appearance of a choroidal neovascularization. The best-corrected visual acuity was 20/125 and 20/20 in the right and left eye, respectively. Dilated fundus examination, fluorescein angiography, and indocyanine green angiography confirmed a large subretinal fibrosis corresponding to the evolution of the choroidal neovascularization in the right eye. Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography clearly demonstrated in the right eye a large choroidal excavation below the fibrotic neovascular lesion with multiple hyperreflective foci inside the cavity, and in the left eye, a conforming focal choroidal excavation, bowl-shape type, associated with increased choroidal thickness with pachyvessels.

Conclusion:

Large choroidal excavation has been rarely reported. Although the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to the formation of large choroidal excavation are still only hypotheses, a combination of primary degenerative inflammatory factors sustaining the focal choroidal excavation formation and disruptive process of the choroidal neovascularization could be retained responsible for the large choroidal excavation.
Glimpses of resistance: Entrepreneurial subjectivity and freelance journalist work
Authors: Norbäck Maria
Published: December 2019

New precarious work practices are emerging in the post-industrial labor market together with subjects that are fit to cope with them. The literature on neoliberal governmentality theorizes how individuals are made to embrace a subjectivity that enforces competition, personal responsibility, and autonomy. However, few studies so far have investigated how such subjectivities may be resisted. Building on a study of freelance journalists, this article investigates the question of resistance. Although these professionals are indeed governed by a neoliberal regime, the findings illustrate how they also attempt to resist by enacting alternative subjectivities. The freelance journalists engage in resistance by organizing professional communities and boycotting exploitative copyright contracts, reduce and refuse work, lower the quality on delivered jobs, and quit freelance journalism altogether. By doing so, they refuse personal responsibility for their situation, they spend their time not generating economic value, and they enact a subjectivity of collaborator rather than competitor. This study thus illustrates how individuals who are poised to embrace a subjectivity as ‘entrepreneurial subjects par excellence’ are, despite everything, still able to engage in practices that constitute subject positions that denaturalize and challenge entrepreneurial subjectivity, even if the immediate outcomes of such resistance may be ambiguous at best. The study adds to the recent literature on resistance, particularly to the discussion about what it is one resists and against whom resistance is aimed, by showing how more traditional notions of resistance may intermingle and interact with more recent ideas related to refusal and exit movements.
The relationship between length of stay and land transportation mode in the tourism sector: A discrete–continuous framework applied to Swiss data
Authors: Pellegrini Andrea , Scagnolari Stefano
Published: December 2019

This study aims to investigate the relationship between travel mode and length of stay decisions in the context of domestic trips in Switzerland, formulating a discrete–continuous choice model. The adoption of this method allows us to explicitly recognize the interrelated nature of such decisions while testing and measuring the underlying correlation effects. The data source employed for the empirical analysis refers to the Household Budget Survey, which gathers information with regard to the 642 trips undertaken by Swiss resided tourists in 2010 and in particular to the most recent nonbusiness sojourn in this regard. The estimated correlation parameters reveal that tourists are likely to stay longer at the destination when travelling by train and appear to be less inclined to spend more extended sojourns when heading to the destination by car.
Specialization and minority health care: hormone therapy for trans people in England
Authors: Toze Michael
Published: December 2019

Specialization serves an important purpose in health services, ensuring resources are used efficiently and patients can access specialized skills and interventions. However, specialization also results in services being concentrated in fewer locations, with less patient choice. Focussing upon the example of gender-identity services for trans people in England, this paper outlines contemporary debates regarding hormone prescription pathways and argues that concepts of ‘specialization’ in health care may at times disadvantage minority populations who have needs that are uncommon but not clinically complex. Supplying gender-identity services in specialized clinics has sometimes been presented as avoiding discrimination that may occur in wider health services, but may reinforce perceptions that other health providers do not need to engage with trans populations. Primary care-led models for providing trans health care operate internationally and are being explored in the UK. However, reform processes may be helped by further critical attention to the purposes and implications of specialization.
A review of endovascular stenting for superior vena cava syndrome in fibrosing mediastinitis
Authors: Deshwal Himanshu , Ghosh Subha , Magruder Karen , Bartholomew John R , Montgomery Jennifer , Mehta Atul C
Published: December 2019

Fibrosing mediastinitis (FM) is a rare disorder of inflammation and fibrosis involving the mediastinum. The formation of fibroinflammatory mass in the mediastinum can lead to obstruction of mediastinal structures and cause severe debilitating and life-threatening symptoms. Superior vena cava syndrome (SVCS) is a dreaded complication of FM with no medical therapy proven to be efficacious. Spiral vein grafting has long been utilized as first-line therapy for SVC syndrome due to FM. Endovascular repair with stents and angioplasty for malignant causes of SVC syndrome is well established. However, there are limited data on their utility in SVC syndrome due to FM. We present two cases of SVC syndrome due to FM treated with endovascular stenting and a detailed review of current literature on its utility in SVCS due to benign causes.
Affective labour of creating atmospheres
Authors: Kolehmainen Marjo , Mäkinen Katariina
Published: December 2019

In this article, we suggest that the production of atmospheres is a significant form of the capitalisation of affect – the ongoing cultural shift that encompasses diverse ways in which affect itself has become a selling point. We further the discussion of this capitalisation of affect by offering insights into forms of capitalisation that mobilise atmospheres rather than single, individual or clearly identified affects. Through two ethnographic case studies, we examine how affective labour is invested in the co-production of atmospheres during collective events in commercial settings. Audiences or participants are actively involved in the production of atmospheres, both intentionally and unintentionally. This kind of affective labour is collective, intercorporeal and trans-subjective and takes various forms from embodied activities to virtual processes. Furthermore, the co-production of atmospheres is itself a component of atmospheres. The article thus opens up new paths into the study of both affective labour and atmospheres, by providing alternative imaginaries to prevailing notions of affective labour.
Welfare, social citizenship, and the spectre of inequality in Amsterdam
Authors: de Koning Anouk , Ruijtenberg Wiebe
Published: December 2019

This article explores how notions of citizenship are negotiated in encounters between parents and youth care professionals in Amsterdam in the context of heated debates over citizenship and belonging. We draw on ethnographic research on Egyptian migrant parents’ interactions with the welfare state, and on the work of youth care professionals. We found that both parents and professionals were invested in universal forms of citizenship. Parents wanted to be treated like their fellow citizens regardless of their background, while professionals wanted to care for all children. While parents feared and suspected that their children were subject to unfair treatment, professional practices left little space for disagreement or a consideration of racialized aspects of their encounters with clients. We conclude that notions of equal citizenship provide a primary, but uncertain ground for the elaboration of citizenship and belonging in parenting encounters, which is haunted by the spectre of difference and inequality.
Is it OK to ask? The impact of instructor openness to questions on student help-seeking and academic outcomes
Authors: Micari Marina , Calkins Susanna
Published: December 2019

Instructors’ actions in the classroom matter; what the instructor does and says can impact students’ attitudes about the course and learning approaches, which can in turn impact the quality of their learning. This study examines the relationships among instructor openness to student questions, student help-seeking behavior, and student final grade in lecture-style college/university courses. Two hundred sixty-eight university students completed measures on their perception of instructor openness to questions and their approach to help-seeking in class. Perceived instructor openness and help-seeking were positively related to grade. Help-seeking mediated the relationship between perceived instructor openness to questions and final grade. Participants were also asked for examples of communication behaviors instructors used to either promote or suppress help-seeking; themes emerging from these responses are presented, and implications for instructors are given.
Abounaddara and the global visual politics of the ‘right to the image’
Authors: Jurich Joscelyn Shawn Ganjhara
Published: December 2019

The anonymous Syrian film collective Abounaddara has posted a new short video on Vimeo and distributed it via social media every Friday since April 2011, the beginning of the Syrian popular uprising. Working with limited equipment, no regular funding, and under very dangerous conditions, Abounaddara has termed its work ‘emergency cinema’, recalling one of the group’s vital influences, Walter Benjamin, who envisioned artistic collectives as potentially effective responses to political violence. This article demonstrates how Abounaddara’s work subverts international and national media coverage of the Syrian conflict by consciously employing what Benjamin described as an artisanal form of storytelling. The author illustrates how and why Abounaddara’s concept of ‘the right to the image’ is politically vital and ethically complex, arguing for its relevance within the broader context of global digital images of state and police violence rousing debates about representation, media ethics, and the circulation of graphic images.
A Randomized Trial of Intravenous Thyroxine for Brain-Dead Organ Donors With Impaired Cardiac Function
Authors: Dhar Rajat , Stahlschmidt Emily , Marklin Gary
Published: December 2019

Rationale:

Brain death (BD) precipitates cardiac dysfunction impairing the ability to transplant hearts from eligible organ donors. Retrospective studies have suggested that thyroid hormone may enhance myocardial recovery and increase hearts transplanted. We performed a randomized trial evaluating whether intravenous thyroxine (T4) improves cardiac function in BD donors with impaired ejection fraction (EF).

Methods:

All heart-eligible donors managed at a single-organ procurement organization (OPO) underwent protocolized fluid resuscitation. Those weaned off vasopressors underwent transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) within 12 hours of BD and, if EF was below 60%, were randomized to T4 infusion or no T4 for 8 hours, after which TTE was repeated.

Results:

Of 77 heart-eligible donors, 36 were weaned off vasopressors. Ejection fraction was depressed in 30, of whom 28 were randomized to T4 (n = 17) vs control (n = 11). Baseline EF was comparable (45%, interquartile range [IQR] 42.5-47.5 vs 40%, 40-50, P = .32). Ejection fraction did not improve more with T4 (10%, IQR 5-15 vs 5%, 0-12.5, P = .24), although there was a trend to more hearts transplanted (59% vs 27%, P = .14). This difference appeared to be accounted for by more donors with a history of drug use in the T4 group, who exhibited greater improvements in EF (15% vs 0% without drug use, P = .01) and more often had hearts transplanted (12 of 19 vs 1 of 9, P = .01).

Conclusions:

In this small randomized study of BD donors with impaired cardiac function, T4 infusion did not result in greater cardiac recovery. A larger randomized trial comparing T4 to placebo appears warranted but would require collaboration across multiple OPOs.
Treatment of chronic noncancer pain in patients on opioid therapy in primary care: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Barry Arden R. , Chris Chantal E.
Published: December 2019

Background:

This study sought to characterize the real-world treatment of chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) in patients on opioid therapy in primary care.

Methods:

A retrospective cohort study from 2014-18 was conducted at a multidisciplinary primary care clinic in Chilliwack, British Columbia. Included were adults on daily opioid therapy for CNCP. Patients receiving palliative care or ≤1 visit were excluded. Outcomes of interest included use of opioid/nonopioid pharmacotherapy, number/frequency of visits and proportion of patients able to reduce/discontinue opioid therapy.

Results:

Seventy patients (mean age 53 years, 53% male, 51% back pain) were included. Median follow-up was 6 visits over 12 months. Sixty-two patients (89%) reduced their opioid dose, 6 patients had no change and 2 patients required a dose increase. Mean opioid dose was reduced from 183 to 70 mg morphine equivalents daily. Twenty-four patients (34%) discontinued opioid therapy, 6 patients (9%) transitioned to opioid agonist therapy and 6 patients (9%) breached their opioid treatment agreement. Nonopioid pharmacotherapy included nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (64%), gabapentinoids (63%), tricyclic antidepressants (56%) and nabilone (51%).

Discussion:

Over half of patients were no longer on opioid therapy by the end of the study. Most patients had a disorder (e.g., back pain) for which opioids are generally not recommended. Overall mean opioid dose was reduced from baseline by approximately 60% over 1 year. Lack of access to specialized pain treatments may have accounted for high nonopioid pharmacotherapy usage.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that treatment of CNCP and opioid tapering can successfully be achieved in a primary care setting. Can Pharm J (Ott) 2020;153:xx-xx.
Newly registered nurses’ experiences of delivering patient education in an acute care setting: an exploratory study
Authors: Fawkes Karen , Moore Jaqualyn
Published: December 2019

Background

Nurses’ education of patients is important for building the knowledge and skills necessary for self-management. Little is known of newly registered nurses’ preparedness to deliver patient education, or of their experiences in clinical contexts where they may encounter barriers.

Aims

The aim of this study was to explore newly registered nurses’ patient education role in an acute hospital setting.

Methods

A purposive sample of seven newly registered nurses from an NHS teaching hospital in England were interviewed to explore their understanding and experiences of educating patients. An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to analyse responses.

Results

Three superordinate themes were identified: the professional self; the ward environment; and the nurse-patient relationship. Tensions existed between the ideals newly registered nurses brought to registered practice and the practice-based realities of patient education, which was often delivered informally with limited patient involvement in collaborative goal setting. Few newly registered nurses recalled more than superficial preparation in university for the role and some were encouraged by senior colleagues to downplay the importance of patient education.

Conclusions

The patient-education aspirations of newly registered nurses need to be nurtured. Educational institutions have an important role to play as do experienced nurses, making explicit the education they routinely deliver and supporting newly registered nurses to build their own pedagogic expertise.
Human-in-the-Loop Insulin Dosing
Authors: Bequette B. Wayne
Published: December 2019

The last ten years of efforts in developing automated insulin dosing systems have led to one hybrid closed-loop device in the US market with more in the late stages of development. Much of the focus has been on algorithms, including closed-loop, detection of sensor and pump faults, and safety. There has been less discussion in the open literature about user interface design and related options. This article provides perspectives on automated insulin delivery (AID) system design by analyzing commonly used devices, such as bicycles and car entertainment systems. The recent Boeing 737 Max 8 disasters are used to highlight related challenges with AID systems. The role that system engineers can play in the do it yourself artificial pancreas system movement is also discussed. The human-in-the-loop remains by far the most important “component” of any AID system.
Emerging treatment options for patients with p53-pathway-deficient CLL
Authors: Aitken Marisa J. L. , Lee Hun J. , Post Sean M.
Published: December 2019

Over the past 40 years, p53 has been the most widely studied protein in cancer biology. Originally thought to be an oncogene due to its stabilization in many cancers, it is now considered to be one of the most critical tumor suppressors in a cell’s ability to combat neoplastic transformation. Due to its critical roles in apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, and senescence, TP53 deletions and mutations are commonly observed and are often a portent of treatment failures and poor clinical outcomes. This is particularly true in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), as patients with p53 alterations have historically had dismal outcomes. As such, the tremendous efforts made to better understand the functions of p53 in CLL have contributed substantially to recent advances in treating patients with p53-pathway-deficient CLL.
Heterogeneity of Cause, Care, and Prognosis in Severe Acute Kidney Injury in Hospitalized Patients: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Aglae Cedric , Muller Laurent , Reboul Pascal , Cariou Sylvain , Saber Davide Barbar , Trusson Remi , Messikh Ziyad , De Brauwere David-Paul , Lefrant Jean-Yves , Moranne Olivier
Published: December 2019

Background:

KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) defines acute kidney injury (AKI) solely by serum creatinine (SCr) and urine output variation. Severe AKI is a syndrome covering various clinical situations.

Objective:

To describe severe AKI heterogeneity by department of hospitalization.

Design:

This is a prospective observational single-center study.

Setting:

Adult patients hospitalized in a French tertiary hospital from August 2016 to December 2017.

Patients:

All adults with severe AKI, defined by dialysis for AKI or an increase in SCr above 354 μmol/L.

Measurements:

Patient characteristics, clinical and laboratory presentation, AKI cause, medical indication for renal replacement therapy (RRT), planned palliative care, and vital status 30 days after severe AKI.

Methods:

A global description of patient characteristics, care, and prognosis and comparison by department of hospitalization: intensive care unit (ICU), nephrology, and others.

Results:

The study included 480 patients (73% men, median age: 72 years, range: 64-83), with medical histories including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic kidney disease. Principal causes were sepsis (104; 22%), hypovolemia (98; 20%), obstructive AKI (84; 18%), acute tubular necrosis (ATN; 74; 15%), and cardiorenal syndrome (51; 11%). Severe AKI was diagnosed in the ICU for 188 (39%) patients, the nephrology department for 130 (27%), and in other wards for 162 (34%). Patient characteristics differed by department for age, comorbidity, cause, and RRT use and indications. Palliative care was planned for 72 (15%) patients, most frequently in other wards.

Limitations:

We studied a subgroup of stage 3 KDIGO AKI patients in a single center without cardiac surgery.

Conclusion:

Patients hospitalized for severe AKI have frequent and various comorbidities, different clinical presentations, care, hospitalization in various departments, and different prognosis. The heterogeneity of this severe AKI implies the need for personalized care, which requires prognostic tools that include information besides SCr and diuresis.
Youthful Discretion: Police Selection Bias in Access to Pre-Charge Diversion Programs in Canada
Authors: Samuels-Wortley Kanika
Published: December 2019

The increase use of formal youth diversion programs in Canada coincided with the enactment of the Youth Criminal Justice Act in 2003. Following the tenets of the labeling theory, the statute sought a balance that would help limit formal court intervention to increase fairness and accountability for youth committing minor offenses. Despite the perceived benefits, diversion programs have not escaped criticism. Some researchers contend pre-charge diversion programs that are based on police discretion may suffer from selection bias. Using police data from a local police service ( N = 6,479 cases) in Ontario, Canada, this article conducts a bivariate analysis to explore the personal characteristics of first-time offending youth (gender, race, and area of residence) and attempts to determine whether there are any differences in the youth being charged or diverted for minor drug possession and minor thefts. Results demonstrate variances in charging practices based on race. Race has a small but statistically significant impact on arrest decisions. In general, Black youth are more likely to be charged and less likely to be cautioned than White youth and youth from other racial backgrounds. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Treatment Costs of Matrix-Associated Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation Compared With Microfracture: Results of a Matched-Pair Claims Data Analysis on the Treatment of Cartilage Knee Defects in Germany
Authors: Niemeyer Philipp , Schubert Tino , Grebe Marco , Hoburg Arnd
Published: December 2019

Background:

Articular cartilage damage is caused by traumatic sport accidents or age-related degeneration and might lead to osteoarthritis, which represents a socioeconomic burden to society. Cartilage damage in the knee is commonly treated surgically with microfracture (MFX) or matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI).

Purpose:

To quantify the initial and follow-up costs associated with MFX and MACI treatments from the viewpoint of statutory health insurance in Germany.

Study Design:

Economic decision analysis; Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

This comparative study was based on an anonymized representative claims data set of 4 million patients covered by statutory health insurance in Germany. Patients undergoing outpatient or inpatient treatment with MACI or MFX for cartilage damage in the knee between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2013, were included and evaluated over 5 years. Groups (MACI and MFX) were adjusted via propensity score matching before initial treatment. The matched groups were compared regarding their outpatient, inpatient, pharmaceutical, and other costs during the 5-year period.

Results:

In total, 127 patients per group were analyzed (59.1% male, 40.9% female; mean age, 37 years). In the year of the initial surgical procedure, costs were €14,804.13 in the MACI group and €5458.59 in the MFX group. In years 2 and 3 after initial surgery, treatment costs were comparable between patients treated with MACI (€2897.97 and €2114.87, respectively) and MFX (€2842.66 and €1967.42, respectively), with slightly higher treatment costs for those treated with MACI. In years 4 and 5 after surgery, costs were less in patients treated with MACI (€2154.79 and €1478.08, respectively) than in those treated with MFX (€2232.57 and €2061.63, respectively). Costs related to revision surgery were, on average, €3732 for MACI and €3765 for MFX. Thus, additional costs in years with revision surgery were €1672 for MACI and €1915 for MFX.

Conclusion:

This was the first study to analyze a large representative population claims database with propensity score matching, and results indicated that follow-up costs of patients treated with MACI and MFX began to converge over time. We found that total costs for MACI were higher than for MFX but that additional costs for MACI were lower than previously reported. Perceived morbidity may have little to do with cost.
Caregiver’s Recall of Stroke Discharge Education Exceeds Patients and Is Associated With Greater Satisfaction
Authors: Heiberger Caleb J , Busch Clayton , Chandler John , Rance Kevin , Montieth Brett , Hanscom Josh , Sandhu Guaravjot , Sandhu Divyajot
Published: December 2019

Stroke survivors and their caregivers report not receiving enough information at discharge. To identify strengths and weaknesses of stroke discharge education, we delivered questionnaires that assessed patient and caregiver recall, perceived utility, and satisfaction at discharge as well as 1- and 3-month follow-up. Categorical data of responses were compared between time periods using Fischer exact test. Recall significantly differed between discharge (86%) and 1-month follow-up (54%, P < .05), but not discharge and 3-month follow-up (69%). Patient perceived utility at both 1 month (69%) and 3 months (64%) was lower than at discharge (92%, P < .05). Patient satisfaction was lower at 1 month (69%) and 3 months (54%) than discharge (92%, P < .05). Caregiver recall declined from discharge (81%) to 1 month (65%) but improved from 1 to 3 months (82%, P < .05). Caregiver satisfaction and perceived utility remained positive through the study. The results suggest stroke patients and their caregivers suffer from education recall failure over time that is associated with worse satisfaction and perceived utility by patients. Reinforcement at 1 month may improve caregiver recall. We conclude that education for caregivers may be more reliably reinforced, suggesting a role in continued patient education.
CHROs: Enablers of Value Creating Boards
Authors: Srinivasan Vasanthi
Published: December 2019

This article argues that chief human resource officers (CHROs) as directors on the board are strategically best placed to lead conversations pertaining to board processes due to their extensive expertise in talent management. Board composition and managing board processes and dynamics are important aspects of board effectiveness. Using the behavioural perspective to corporate governance, the article holds that the key differentiator in value creating boards are the members, the roles they play and the dynamics that allows them to create value for the firm. CHROs can play a decisive role in the board skill evaluation and incorporation of new and diverse members into boards.
Romiplostim in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: results of a phase 1/2 multicenter trial
Authors: Peffault de Latour Régis , Chevret Sylvie , Ruggeri Anna Lisa , Suarez Felipe , Souchet Laetitia , Michonneau David , Sicre de Fontbrune Flore , Coman Tereza , Dhedin Nathalie , Rubio Marie Thérèse , Nguyen Stéphanie , Mohty Mohamad , Socié Gérard
Published: December 2019

Persisting severe thrombocytopenia more than 6 weeks after allogeneic stem cell transplantation is a common problem associated with adverse prognosis. Peffault de Latour et al report the results of the first trial of the thrombopoietin mimetic, romiplostim, in this setting, demonstrating recovery of platelet counts in 18 of 24 patients.
Safety of dabigatran etexilate for the secondary prevention of venous thromboembolism in children
Authors: Brandão Leonardo R. , Albisetti Manuela , Halton Jacqueline , Bomgaars Lisa , Chalmers Elizabeth , Mitchell Lesley G. , Nurmeev Ildar , Svirin Pavel , Kuhn Tomas , Zapletal Ondrej , Tartakovsky Igor , Simetzberger Monika , Huang Fenglei , Sun Zhichao , Kreuzer Jörg , Gropper Savion , Brueckmann Martina , Luciani Matteo
Published: December 2019

This open-label, single-arm, prospective cohort trial is the first phase 3 safety study to describe outcomes in children treated with dabigatran etexilate for secondary venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention. Eligible children aged 12 to <18 years (age stratum 1), 2 to <12 years (stratum 2), and >3 months to <2 years (stratum 3) had an objectively confirmed diagnosis of VTE treated with standard of care (SOC) for ≥3 months, or had completed dabigatran or SOC treatment in the DIVERSITY trial (NCT01895777) and had an unresolved clinical thrombosis risk factor requiring further anticoagulation. Children received dabigatran for up to 12 months, or less if the identified VTE clinical risk factor resolved. Primary end points included VTE recurrence, bleeding events, and mortality at 6 and 12 months. Overall, 203 children received dabigatran, with median exposure being 36.3 weeks (range, 0-57 weeks); 171 of 203 (84.2%) and 32 of 203 (15.8%) took capsules and pellets, respectively. Overall, 2 of 203 children (1.0%) experienced on-treatment VTE recurrence, and 3 of 203 (1.5%) experienced major bleeding events, with 2 (1.0%) reporting clinically relevant nonmajor bleeding events, and 37 (18.2%) minor bleeding events. There were no on-treatment deaths. On-treatment postthrombotic syndrome was reported for 2 of 162 children (1.2%) who had deep vein thrombosis or central-line thrombosis as their most recent VTE. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic relationships of dabigatran were similar to those in adult VTE patients. In summary, dabigatran showed a favorable safety profile for secondary VTE prevention in children aged from >3 months to <18 years with persistent VTE risk factor(s). This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT02197416.
Ready for prime time: role for geriatric assessment to improve quality of care in hematology practice
Authors: Klepin Heidi D.
Published: December 2019

These 2 reviews respectively examine the value and utility of geriatric assessment (GA) tools and discuss the role of GA in the clinical management of patients with hematologic malignancies.
Delivering intensive therapies to older adults with hematologic malignancies: strategies to personalize care
Authors: Olin Rebecca L.
Published: December 2019

These 2 reviews respectively examine the value and utility of geriatric assessment (GA) tools and discuss the role of GA in the clinical management of patients with hematologic malignancies.
Stroke and myocardial infarction in hereditary thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: similarities to sickle cell anemia
Authors: Borogovac Azra , George James N.
Published: December 2019

Key Points

Stroke is common in hereditary thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) patients, occurring in 25% to 31% of patients. In hereditary TTP patients, the age of occurrence of first stroke (median, 19 years) is similar to that for sickle cell anemia patients.
Targeting treatable traits in severe asthma: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: McDonald Vanessa M. , Clark Vanessa L. , Cordova-Rivera Laura , Wark Peter A.B. , Baines Katherine J. , Gibson Peter G.
Published: December 2019

Rationale

Treatable traits have been proposed as a new paradigm for airway disease management.

Objectives

To characterise treatable traits in a severe asthma population and to determine the efficacy of targeting treatments to these treatable traits in severe asthma.

Methods

Participants (n=140) with severe asthma were recruited to a cross-sectional study and underwent a multidimensional assessment to characterise treatable traits. Eligible participants with severe asthma (n=55) participated in a 16-week parallel-group randomised controlled trial to determine the feasibility and efficacy of management targeted to predefined treatable traits, compared to usual care in a severe asthma clinic. The patient-reported outcome of health-related quality of life was the trial's primary end-point.

Main results

Participants with severe asthma had a mean±sdof 10.44±3.03 traits per person, comprising 3.01±1.54 pulmonary and 4.85±1.86 extrapulmonary traits and 2.58±1.31 behavioural/risk factors. Individualised treatment that targeted the traits was feasible and led to significantly improved health-related quality of life (0.86 units, p<0.001) and asthma control (0.73, p=0.01).

Conclusions

Multidimensional assessment enables detection of treatable traits and identifies a significant trait burden in severe asthma. Targeting these treatable traits using a personalised-medicine approach in severe asthma leads to improvements in health-related quality of life, asthma control and reduced primary care acute visits. Treatable traits may be an effective way to address the complexity of severe asthma.
A New System to Evaluate Comprehensive Performance of Hard-Rock Tunnel Boring Machine Cutterheads
Authors: Zhu Ye , Sun Wei , Huo Junzhou , Meng Zhichao
Published: December 2019

The accurate performance evaluation of a cutterhead is essential to improving cutterhead structure design and predicting project cost. Through extensive research, this paper evaluates the performance of a tunnel boring machine (TBM) cutterhead for cutting ability and slagging ability. This paper propose cutting efficiency, stability, and continuity of slagging as the evaluation indexes of comprehensive cutterhead performance. On the basis of research of true TBM engineering applications, this paper proposes a calculation method for each index. A slagging efficiency index with a ratio of the maximum difference between the slagging amount and average slagging is established. And a slagging stability index with a ratio of the maximum slagging fluctuation and average slagging is presented. Meanwhile, a cutting efficiency index by the weighed average value of multistage rock fragmentation of a cutter’s specific energy is established. The Robbins and China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC) cutterheads are evaluated. The results show that under the same thrust and torque, the slagging stability of the CRCC scheme is worse, but the slagging continuity of the CRCC scheme is better. The cutting ability index shows that the CRCC cutterhead is more efficient.
Nonlinear Static and Dynamic Stiffness Characteristics of Support Hydraulic System of TBM
Authors: Tao Jianfeng , Lei Junbo , Liu Chengliang , Yuan Wei
Published: December 2019

Full-face hard rock tunnel boring machines (TBM) are essential equipment in highway and railway tunnel engineering construction. During the tunneling process, TBM have serious vibrations, which can damage some of its key components. The support system,an important part of TBM, is one path through which vibrational energy from the cutter head is transmitted. To reduce the vibration of support systems of TBM during the excavation process, based on the structural features of the support hydraulic system, a nonlinear dynamical model of support hydraulic systems of TBM is established. The influences of the component structure parameters and operating conditions parameters on the stiffness characteristics of the support hydraulic system are analyzed. The analysis results indicate that the static stiffness of the support hydraulic system consists of an increase stage, stable stage and decrease stage. The static stiffness value increases with an increase in the clearances. The pre-compression length of the spring in the relief valve affects the range of the stable stage of the static stiffness, and it does not affect the static stiffness value. The dynamic stiffness of the support hydraulic system consists of a U-shape and reverse U-shape. The bottom value of the U-shape increases with the amplitude and frequency of the external force acting on the cylinder body, however, the top value of the reverse U-shape remains constant. This study instructs how to design the support hydraulic system of TBM.
Correction to: Lazy Sundays: role of day of the week and reactivity on objectively measured physical activity in older people
Authors:   the ActiFE Study Group, Klenk Jochen , Peter Raphael Simon , Rapp Kilian , Dallmeier Dhayana , Rothenbacher Dietrich , Denkinger Michael , Büchele Gisela
Published: December 2019

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors reported an error in the author list. The study group has been listed with the authors in the pdf version. The correct presentation of the authors is shown below.
Genomic prediction based on selected variants from imputed whole-genome sequence data in Australian sheep populations
Authors: Moghaddar Nasir , Khansefid Majid , van der Werf Julius H. J. , Bolormaa Sunduimijid , Duijvesteijn Naomi , Clark Samuel A. , Swan Andrew A. , Daetwyler Hans D. , MacLeod Iona M.
Published: December 2019

Background

Whole-genome sequence (WGS) data could contain information on genetic variants at or in high linkage disequilibrium with causative mutations that underlie the genetic variation of polygenic traits. Thus far, genomic prediction accuracy has shown limited increase when using such information in dairy cattle studies, in which one or few breeds with limited diversity predominate. The objective of our study was to evaluate the accuracy of genomic prediction in a multi-breed Australian sheep population of relatively less related target individuals, when using information on imputed WGS genotypes.

Methods

Between 9626 and 26,657 animals with phenotypes were available for nine economically important sheep production traits and all had WGS imputed genotypes. About 30% of the data were used to discover predictive single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) based on a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and the remaining data were used for training and validation of genomic prediction. Prediction accuracy using selected variants from imputed sequence data was compared to that using a standard array of 50k SNP genotypes, thereby comparing genomic best linear prediction (GBLUP) and Bayesian methods (BayesR/BayesRC). Accuracy of genomic prediction was evaluated in two independent populations that were each lowly related to the training set, one being purebred Merino and the other crossbred Border Leicester x Merino sheep.

Results

A substantial improvement in prediction accuracy was observed when selected sequence variants were fitted alongside 50k genotypes as a separate variance component in GBLUP (2GBLUP) or in Bayesian analysis as a separate category of SNPs (BayesRC). From an average accuracy of 0.27 in both validation sets for the 50k array, the average absolute increase in accuracy across traits with 2GBLUP was 0.083 and 0.073 for purebred and crossbred animals, respectively, whereas with BayesRC it was 0.102 and 0.087. The average gain in accuracy was smaller when selected sequence variants were treated in the same category as 50k SNPs. Very little improvement over 50k prediction was observed when using all WGS variants.

Conclusions

Accuracy of genomic prediction in diverse sheep populations increased substantially by using variants selected from whole-genome sequence data based on an independent multi-breed GWAS, when compared to genomic prediction using standard 50K genotypes.
Identification and characterization of differentially expressed exosomal microRNAs in bovine milk infected with Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Ma Shaoyang , Tong Chao , Ibeagha-Awemu Eveline M. , Zhao Xin
Published: December 2019

Background

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) in milk-derived exosomes may reflect pathophysiological changes caused by mastitis. This study profiled miRNAs in exosomes from both normal milk and mastitic milk infected byStaphylococcus aureus(S. aureus). The potential targets for differentially expressed (DE) miRNAs were predicted and the target genes for bta-miR-378 and bta-miR-185 were also validated.

Results

Total RNA from milk exosomes was collected from healthy cows (n = 3, the control group) andS. aureusinfected cows (n = 6, the SA group). Two hundred ninety miRNAs (221 known and 69 novel ones) were identified. Among them, 22 known and 15 novel miRNAs were differentially expressed. Target genes of DE miRNAs were significantly enriched in intracellular protein transport, endoplasmic reticulum and identical protein binding. The expression of two miRNAs (bta-miR-378 and bta-miR-185) with high read counts and log2fold changes (> 3.5) was significantly higher in mastitic milk infected withS. aureus.One target gene (VAT1L) of bta-miR-378 and five target genes (DYRK1B,MLLT3,HP1BP3,NPR2andPGM1) of bta-miR-185 were validated.

Conclusion

DE miRNAs in exosomes from normal andS. aureusinfected milk were identified. The predicted targets for two DE miRNAs (bta-miR-378 and bta-miR-185) were further validated. The linkage between the validated target genes and diseases suggested that we should pay particular attention to exosome miRNAs from mastitic milk in terms of milk safety.
Transcriptional profiling of skeletal muscle reveals starvation response and compensatory growth in Spinibarbus hollandi
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhou Huiqiang , Hou Liping , Xing Ke , Shu Hu
Published: December 2019

Background

Spinibarbus hollandi is an economically important fish species in southern China. This fish is known to have nutritional and medicinal properties; however, its farming is limited by its slow growth rate. In the present study, we observed that a compensatory growth phenomenon could be induced by adequate refeeding following 7 days of fasting in S. hollandi. To understand the starvation response and compensatory growth mechanisms in this fish, the muscle transcriptomes of S. hollandi under control, fasting, and refeeding conditions were profiled using next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques.

Results

More than 4.45 × 108 quality-filtered 150-base-pair Illumina reads were obtained from all nine muscle samples. De novo assemblies yielded a total of 156,735 unigenes, among which 142,918 (91.18%) could be annotated in at least one available database. After 7 days of fasting, 2422 differentially expressed genes were detected, including 1510 up-regulated genes and 912 down-regulated genes. Genes involved in fat, protein, and carbohydrate metabolism were significantly up-regulated, and genes associated with the cell cycle, DNA replication, and immune and cellular structures were inhibited during fasting. After refeeding, 84 up-regulated genes and 16 down-regulated genes were identified. Many genes encoding the components of myofibers were significantly up-regulated. Histological analysis of muscle verified the important role of muscle hypertrophy in compensatory growth.

Conclusion

In the present work, we reported the transcriptome profiles of S. hollandi muscle under different conditions. During fasting, the genes involved in the mobilization of stored energy were up-regulated, while the genes associated with growth were down-regulated. After refeeding, muscle hypertrophy contributed to the recovery of growth. The results of this study may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the starvation response and compensatory growth.