bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design, quality and quality assurance of solid recovered fuels for the substitution of fossil feedstock in the cement industry – Update 2019
Authors: Sarc Renato , Seidler IM , Kandlbauer L , Lorber KE , Pomberger R
Published: July 2019

Production, quality and quality assurance, as well as co-incineration of solid recovered fuels in cement industry, have become state-of-the-art in the European cement industry. At the global level, average thermal substitution rate is about 17%, whereby, only 13% in Canada and in the USA 16%, while in the European Union 28 it is about 44% (i.e. 11,300,000 t waste fuels utilised in 2016). In Austria, thermal substitution rate was ca. 80% in 2017, which was worldwide the highest one. Regarding solid recovered fuels for the cement industry, two types are relevant, namely solid recovered fuels PREMIUM Quality and solid recovered fuels MEDIUM Quality. In the case study shown, solid recovered fuels PREMIUM Quality from 11 and solid recovered fuels MEDIUM Quality from nine different solid recovered fuels production plants have been investigated. Investigations consist of sorting and sieving analyses (for PREMIUM), as well as physical–chemical analyses (for both solid recovered fuels types) according to the (inter)national standards (i.e. Austrian ‘ÖNORM’, European ‘EN’ standards and CEN TC 343 guidelines). The results gained from the first investigation were published in 2014 and here, results of further investigations are updated for 2016 and 2018 and confronted with legal and market relevant requirements. During the investigation, not enough parallel samples could be investigated and therefore no adequate scientific statistical analyses could be elaborated but a more practical indicative interpretation has been made. Finally, it can be confirmed, that all investigated solid recovered fuels fulfil the Austrian legal and international solid recovered fuels and co-incineration market requirements.
Relational Job Characteristics and Prosocial Motivation: A Longitudinal Study of Youth Care Professionals
Authors: van der Voet Joris , Steijn Bram
Published: July 2019

This study examines how changes in relational job characteristics relate to the prosocial motivation of public professionals. Drawing on relational job design theory, changes in job contact and job impact are hypothesized to covary with prosocial motivation. With a unique longitudinal design, we study youth care professionals in The Netherlands, who are embedded in a reform aimed at decentralizing youth care to bring professionals closer to their clients. Quantitative data were collected through a three-wave survey prior to the reform implementation and at, respectively, 1 and 2 years after its implementation. The results indicate that changing levels of job contact and job impact are related to changes in prosocial motivation. The study contributes to academic debates regarding the dynamic nature of prosocial motivation and our findings provide longitudinal evidence for relational job design theory.
Actigraphy to Measure Physical Activity in the Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review
Authors: Schwab Kristin E. , To An Q. , Chang Jennifer , Ronish Bonnie , Needham Dale M. , Martin Jennifer L. , Kamdar Biren B.
Published: July 2019

Objective:

In the intensive care unit (ICU), prolonged inactivity is common, increasing patients’ risk for adverse outcomes, including ICU-acquired weakness. Hence, interventions to minimize inactivity are gaining popularity, highlighting actigraphy, a measure of activity involving a wristwatch-like accelerometer, as a method to inform these efforts. Therefore, we performed a systematic review of studies that used actigraphy to measure patient activity in the ICU setting.

Data Sources:

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, and ProQuest from inception until December 2016.

Study Selection:

Two reviewers independently screened studies for inclusion. A study was eligible for inclusion if it was published in a peer-reviewed journal and used actigraphy to measure activity in ≥5 ICU patients.

Data Extraction:

Two reviewers independently performed data abstraction and risk of bias assessment. Abstracted actigraphy-based activity data included total activity time and activity counts.

Results:

Of 16 studies (607 ICU patients) identified, 14 (88%) were observational, 2 (12%) were randomized control trials, and 5 (31%) were published after 2009. Mean patient activity levels per 15 to 60 second epoch ranged from 25 to 37 daytime and 2 to 19 nighttime movements. Actigraphy was evaluated in the context of ICU and post-ICU outcomes in 11 (69%) and 5 (31%) studies, respectively, and demonstrated potential associations between actigraphy-based activity levels and delirium, sedation, pain, anxiety, time to extubation, and length of stay.

Conclusion:

Actigraphy has demonstrated that patients are profoundly inactive in the ICU with actigraphy-based activity levels potentially associated with important measures, such as delirium, sedation, and length of stay. Larger and more rigorous studies are needed to further evaluate these associations and the overall utility of actigraphy in the ICU setting.
SLE pachymeningitis and multiple cranial nerve palsies: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: John T J , John K , du Plessis L , Manie M
Published: July 2019

Hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP) is a relatively uncommon disease associated with focal or diffuse thickening of the dura mater secondary to underlying chronic inflammation. The link between systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and hypertrophic pachymeningitis (HP) is extremely rare, with only six other cases reported in the literature. We, however, report the first case of SLE pachymeningitis presenting with multiple cranial nerve palsies. The patient showed good response to steroids and cyclophosphamide therapy. One should maintain a high index of suspicion to make the diagnosis in patients with SLE presenting with neurological dysfunction. Prompt therapy prevents long-term neurological sequelae.
Excessive Corporate Liquidity and Stock Return: Evidence from the Indian Business Environment
Authors: Ganguli Santanu K.
Published: July 2019

The article examines the determinants, financial characteristics and the stock returns of Indian firms which held excessive liquidity during the post-meltdown period of 2008–2012 in the backdrop of an uncertain business environment. The research design is essentially based on a model developed by Opler, Pinkowitz, Stulz, and Williamson (1999) adjusted for variable specification necessitated by Indian conditions and data availability. The model is used to identify the transitory and persistent excess liquidity firms. Quarterly, bi-yearly and yearly stock returns of excess liquidity firms are compared with the returns of non-excess liquidity control firms. In India where banks play a major role in financing in view of the illiquid debt market, speculative motive plays a dominant role in holding excess liquidity. Build-up of excess liquidity arising from the relatively strong economic performance of earlier years is utilized conservatively to decrease leverage rather than gear up investment when investment opportunity is depressed due to a weak macroeconomic outlook and structural factors. Greater liquidity and longer holdings do not generate lesser returns for varying periods till 1 year compared to a portfolio of non-excess liquidity control firms. At variance with the existing literature the results indicate that marginal value of liquidity in terms of stockholders’ returns does not decline with higher or longer liquidity holding when the investment environment is unfavourable.
Projecting Cancer Incidence for 2025 in the 2 Largest Populated Cities in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Sang Minh , Deppen Stephen , Nguyen Giang Huong , Pham Dung Xuan , Bui Tung Duc , Tran Thuan Van
Published: July 2019

The population size and projected demographics of Vietnam’s 2 largest cities, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and Hanoi, will change dramatically over the next decade. Demographic changes in an aging population coupled with income growth and changes in lifestyle will result in a very different distribution of common cancers in the future. The study aimed to project the number of cancer incidence in the 2 largest populated cities in Vietnam for the year 2025.

Cancer incidence data from 2004 to 2013 collected from population-based cancer registries in these 2 cities were provided by Vietnam National Cancer Institute. Incidence cases in 2013 and the previous decades average annual percent changes of age-standardized cancer incidence rates combined with expected population growth were modeled to project cancer incidence for each cancer site by gender to 2025.

A substantial double in cancer incidence from 2013 to 2025 resulted from a growing and aging population in HCMC and Hanoi. Lung, colorectum, breast, thyroid, and liver cancers, which represent 67% of the overall cancer burden, are projected to become the leading cancer diagnoses by 2025 regardless of genders. For men, the leading cancer sites in 2025 are predicted to be lung, colorectum, esophagus, liver, and pharynx cancer, and among women, they are expected to be breast, thyroid, colorectum, lung, and cervical cancer. We projected an epidemiological transition from infectious-associated cancers to a high burden of cancers that have mainly been attributed to lifestyle in both cities.

We predicted that with 16.9% growth in the overall population and dramatic aging with these 2 urban centers, the burdens of cancer incidence will increase sharply in both cities over the next decades. Data on projections of cancer incidence in both cities provide useful insights for directing appropriate policies and cancer control programs in Vietnam.
Peering Behind the Veil: Trends in Types of Contracts Between Private Health Plans and Hospitals
Authors: Weber Ellerie , Floyd Eric , Kim Youngran , White Chapin
Published: July 2019

Contracting between private health plans and hospitals has been described as “chaos behind a veil of secrecy.” We develop a novel algorithm that classifies inpatient claims as one of three contract types—discounted charges, fixed rates, or per diems—and apply it to the 2009-2014 Colorado All Payer Claims Database. Of $1.1 billion in classifiable private health plan payments for inpatient care in Colorado, we find that 42.1% were fixed rates, 41.1% were discounted charges, and 16.0% were per diems. We find wide variation in contract types among private health plans and hospital types, and a pronounced shift over the study period in private plans’ contract types, away from discounted charges, and toward fixed rates. To test our algorithm’s validity, we apply it to Colorado Medicare and Medicaid claims—both of which are known primarily to pay using fixed rates—and find, reassuringly, that 86.3% of Medicare payments (98.6% when we exclude Medicare claims with special payment rules) and 79.7% of Medicaid payments are classified as fixed rates.
Superior Vena Cava Syndrome and Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy Secondary to a Massive, Right-Sided Immature Cervical Teratoma
Authors: Goldstein Nicolas PN , Zhang Xin , Sollinger Christina , Chaturvedi Apeksha , Turri Riki , Mehta Rupal , Metlay Leon A , Katzman Philip J
Published: July 2019

Cervical teratomas are a rare form of fetal teratoma that can grow to massive size. Generally, these masses can be surgically excised after birth with excellent physical and functional prognosis because the benign variants respect anatomical borders. The primary complications of these masses are associated with compromise of the trachea and esophagus: upper airway obstruction and polyhydramnios. We report the first documented occurrence of superior vena cava syndrome and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy associated with a massive, right-sided cervical teratoma. This case highlights that when cervical teratomas are right-sided and sufficiently large, they can extend inferiorly and compromise central venous return to the heart. This unique presentation would likely have required fetal surgical excision to avoid catastrophic cerebral injury.
Parvovirus B19 Myocarditis: Looking Beyond the Heart
Authors: Izquierdo-Blasco Jaume , Salcedo Allende María Teresa , Codina Grau Maria Gemma , Gran Ferran , Martínez Sáez Elena , Balcells Joan
Published: July 2019

Human parvovirus B19 represents the most common etiology of myocarditis in the pediatric population. Although it usually causes a benign exanthematic viral infection, parvovirus B19 may also present as disseminated disease with tropism for the myocardium, causing heart failure with high mortality. We present the case of a 2-year-old patient with fulminating acute myocarditis in whom the histological, immunophenotypic, and microbiological findings in necropsy showed multiorgan involvement caused by parvovirus B19. The autopsy revealed changes due to infection with parvovirus B19 as well as hypoxic-ischemic and secondary autoimmune changes. Medullary aplasia was observed, transmural lymphocyte myocarditis, lymphocytosis in the dermis with endothelial cells positive for parvovirus B19 in immunohistochemistry, cholestatic hepatitis due to ischemia and autoimmune hepatitis, lymphadenitis, and signs of hemophagocytosis. We also found hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.
A Comparison of Death Domain-Associated Protein 6 in Different Endometrial Carcinomas Histotypes
Authors: Jin Cao , Hacking Sean , Komforti Miglena K , Nasim Mansoor
Published: July 2019

Background:

Death domain-associated protein 6 (DAXX) is involved in regulating apoptosis via subcellular localization. The presence of DAXX point mutations correlates well with loss of nuclear expression on immunohistochemistry (IHC). In this study, we sought to determine (1) whether DAXX expression pattern is the same across different uterine carcinoma subtypes, and (2) which uterine carcinomas show loss of nuclear DAXX IHC.

Design:

We studied 65 uterine carcinomas of the following histologic types: 30 endometrioid (12 FIGO [The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics] grade 1, 12 FIGO grade 2, and 6 FIGO grade 3), 8 serous, 14 clear cell, and 13 undifferentiated/dedifferentiated type (UEC/DDEC). Nuclear DAXX IHC was assessed in each tumor and was graded semi-quantitatively as follows: 0% to 50%, 50% to 75%, and greater than 75% of lesional cells react.

Results:

A total of 61% (25/41) of high-grade carcinomas (FIGO grade 3, serous, clear cell, and UEC/DDEC]) showed retained DAXX nuclear staining in >75% of lesional cells, compared with only 4.2% (1/24) of the low-grade carcinomas (FIGO grades 1 and 2) ( P = .0001), where DAXX expression was cytoplasmic. In addition, in the 11 DDEC cases, all the differentiated components showed loss of nuclear DAXX compared with the undifferentiated components which retained nuclear DAXX expression.

Conclusions:

We demonstrate that loss of nuclear DAXX is present in low-grade endometrial carcinomas and the differentiated components in UEC/DDEC, but not in high-grade ones, suggesting DAXX’s role in tumor progression and its potential as a therapeutic target in high-grade endometrial carcinomas.
Effect of abrasive particle size on tribological behavior of elastomers
Authors: Hakami F , Pramanik A , Basak AK , Ridgway N , Islam MN
Published: July 2019

Effect of abrasive particle size on tribological behaviour of different elastomers was investigated experimentally in this study. The size of abrasive particle size was varied from coarse (425 µm) to fine (82 µm). Wear rate and coefficient of friction were calculated and analyzed accordingly followed by the examination of worn surfaces by a scanning electron microscope to unravel the wear mechanism. Experimental results showed that abrasive size had a significant effect on wear and friction behaviour of the elastomers. As the abrasive particle size increased, wear rate and coefficient of friction also increased at different rates and exhibited different wear mechanisms that changed from friction to fatigue and roll formation. Mechanical properties of elastomers such as hardness, tensile strength, tear strength, and elongation at break also contributed to wear and friction. The effect of elongation at break and tensile strength on wear rate is more pronounced at lower abrasive particle size, whereas hardness and tear strength play a pivotal role at the higher abrasive size.
Staging citizenship: Artistic performance as a site of contestation of citizenship
Authors: Rovisco Maria
Published: July 2019

While there is already a solid body of work on the lived dimensions of citizenship, little is known about whether artistic performance in popular culture and the arts can constitute a site for staging and contesting citizenship. In this article, I argue that the literatures on voice and citizenship need to pay more attention to what performance studies approaches can offer to the study and understanding of practices of citizenship, and suggest that an expanded notion of voice as an act of self-expression, which is not purely discursive, is needed for understanding citizenship as embodied and expressive practice. By combining interview data with textual analysis, I employ performance tools and concepts from performance studies to analyse how citizenship is staged and contested in the documentary film Wait and the performance Welcome to Dreamland.
Meditation interventions among heart failure patients: An integrative review
Authors: Viveiros Jennifer , Chamberlain Brianna , O’Hare Aminda , Sethares Kristen A
Published: July 2019

Background:

There has been growing interest in meditation techniques as an intervention in chronic disease populations. Little is known of the effect meditation practice has on outcomes among patients with heart failure.

Purpose:

To identify and examine current literature on meditation interventions on heart failure outcomes.

Method:

The review utilized methods described by Whittemore and Knafl. Three electronic databases were searched through March 2018. Terms used were “mindfulness OR meditation” and “heart failure” in combination, generating 58 articles after duplicates were removed. After inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, six studies qualified for review, including four articles with samples from the United States and two with samples from Brazil and Sweden, respectively.

Results:

Among the six studies in the final sample, the total number of participants was 320 heart failure patients. Interventional design and length varied among the studies, and 20 different dependent variables were identified. This study distinguished four categories of outcome measures with significant findings: psychosocial, biophysical, quality of life and heart failure symptom burden. Compared with controls meditation practice significantly improved depression ( p<.05), social support ( p<.05), biophysical factors and quality of life ( p<.05), in addition to reducing heart failure symptom burden. Across-study comparisons were limited due to variation in intervention definitions and designs. Additionally, the intervention dose and reporting method varied, limiting comparisons. The sample size in five out of six studies was fewer than 50 participants. Over 20 different measures were used across the six studies to measure outcome variables.

Conclusion:

Meditation may offer a patient-driven practice to reduce heart failure symptoms as well as improve psychosocial wellness and quality of life. Future research among heart failure patients should include the following: rigorous definition of meditation interventions, consistency in intervention characteristics, larger controlled trials, and standardized outcome instruments.
Seismic behavior of textile-reinforced concrete–strengthened RC columns under different axial compression ratios
Authors: Ming Liu , Shi-Ping Yin , Xi Cong
Published: July 2019

To study the effect of various axial compression ratios on the seismic behavior of reinforced concrete (RC) columns strengthened with textile-reinforced concrete, in this study, an RC column model is established using the finite element analysis software, ABAQUS. This model’s seismic performance under earthquakes is investigated, and the numerical analysis results of the two test pieces are compared with the test results to verify the correctness of the model. The results show that the initial stage of RC loading is under the three-way restraint of the axial force and textile-reinforced concrete material. The yield load and peak load of the textile-reinforced concrete–strengthened RC column increase with the increase in the axial compression ratio. However, the increase in the axial pressure during the loading process accelerates the crack development. The displacement ductility coefficient and the energy dissipation capacity of the specimen are reduced as the axial compression ratio increases. The numerical calculation results of the textile-reinforced concrete–strengthened RC column are in good agreement with the experimental results, indicating that the numerical model based on ABAQUS is reasonable.
Strain elastography for noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis: A prospective study with histological comparison
Authors: Fang Cheng , Virdee Sanjiv , Jacob Joseph , Rufai Olivia , Agarwal Kosh , Quaglia Alberto , Quinlan Daniel J , Sidhu Paul S
Published: July 2019

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic performance of strain elastography for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease using Ishak (0–6) histology stage as a reference standard. Ninety-eight consecutive patients with suspected chronic liver disease scheduled for liver biopsy (n = 78) or histologically confirmed cirrhosis (n = 20) were enrolled. Liver fibrosis Index (LF Index) calculated by strain elastography, liver stiffness by transient elastography and serum fibrosis markers (aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and King’s Score) were measured. Spearman’s correlation coefficient between the LF Index, liver stiffness, serum fibrosis markers and fibrosis stage were calculated and compared using areas under the receiver-operating characteristics (AUROCs) curves. Among 73 patients who underwent strain elastography, there was weak correlation between fibrosis stage and the LF Index (Spearman’s: ρ = 0.385 for Ishak score; P = 0.001). Among 52 patients who underwent strain elastography and transient elastography, the AUROC values using LF Index, transient elastography, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and King’s Score for diagnosing significant fibrosis (Ishak score ≥ 3) were 0.79, 0.87, 0.86 and 0.85, respectively ( P < 0.0001) and for diagnosing severe fibrosis/cirrhosis (Ishak score ≥ 5) were 0.83, 0.94, 0.92 and 0.92, respectively ( P < 0.0001). When comparing the diagnostic performance using LF Index, transient elastography, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index and King’s Score, transient elastography shows a significantly higher AUROC value than LF Index in detecting severe fibrosis ( P = 0.0149). The diagnostic performance of LF Index calculated by strain elastography was not statistically significantly different to the other noninvasive tests for the assessment of significant liver fibrosis but inferior to transient elastography for the assessment of severe fibrosis/cirrhosis.
Do recovery outcome measures improve clinical practice? A linguistic analysis of the impact of the Hope, Agency and Opportunity measure in community mental health teams
Authors: Bowen A , Maguire T , Newman-Taylor K
Published: July 2019

Aims:

Recovery approaches are identified as the overarching framework for improving mental health services for people with severe and enduring conditions. These approaches prioritise living well with long-term conditions, as evidenced by personal recovery outcomes. There is little research demonstrating how to support busy mental health teams, work in this way. This study assessed the impact of introducing a brief measure of recovery, the Hope, Agency and Opportunity (HAO), on the attitudes and behaviours of staff working in community mental health teams, to test whether routine use of such measures facilitates recovery-based practice.

Methods:

Linguistic analysis assumes that language is indicative of wider attitudes and behaviours. Anonymised clinical notes recorded by community mental health team clinicians were analysed for recovery and non-recovery language, over 30 months. This covered periods before, during and after the introduction of the recovery measure. We used a single-case design ( N = 1 community mental health team) and hypothesised that clinicians would use recovery-focused language more frequently, and non-recovery-focused language less frequently, following the introduction of the measure, and that these changes would be maintained at 18-month follow-up.

Results:

Visual inspection of the data indicated that recovery-focused language increased following the introduction of the HAO, though this was not maintained at follow-up. This pattern was not supported by statistical analyses. No clear pattern of change was found for non-recovery-focused language.

Conclusions:

The introduction of a brief measure of recovery may have influenced staff attitudes and behaviours temporarily. Any longer term impact is likely to depend on ongoing commitment to the use of the measure, without which staff language, attitudes and behaviours return to previous levels.
Immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma: recent advances and future perspectives
Authors: Xu Weiqi , Liu Ken , Chen Minjiang , Sun Jin-Yu , McCaughan Geoffrey W , Lu Xiao-Jie , Ji Jiansong
Published: July 2019

The introduction of immunotherapies has been a major development in the treatment of many advanced cancers, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We are entering a new era of systemic therapy for advanced HCC associated with an explosion of clinical trial activity. Data from phase I/II studies of checkpoint inhibitors in advanced HCC have been promising, with durable objective response rates of approximately 20% seen (in both first- and second-line settings) and acceptable safety profiles (including immune-mediated hepatitis). Phase III studies evaluating anti-programmed cell death protein 1 (anti-PD-1) and anti-programmed cell death ligand 1 (anti-PD-L1) antibodies compared with sorafenib are already underway. The potential synergistic effects of anti-PD-1/anti-PD-L1 when used in combination with agents against other checkpoint molecules, systemic therapies, as well as conventional surgical and locoregional therapies are also being explored in upcoming clinical trials. Aside from this, other strategies to harness the immune system, including chimeric antigen receptor-engineered T cells, natural killer cell therapies, and peptide vaccines directed against HCC antigens have entered phase I/II studies. Current limitations of immunotherapies and areas of future research include the accurate assessment and prediction of tumor response, overcoming the immunosuppressive effects of a hypoxic microenvironment, and the management of immune-related hepatitis in patients who already have limited liver reserve.
A laser-cutting-based manufacturing process for the generation of three-dimensional scaffolds for tissue engineering using Polycaprolactone/Hydroxyapatite composite polymer
Authors: Schmid Jakob , Schwarz Sascha , Fischer Martina , Sudhop Stefanie , Clausen-Schaumann Hauke , Schieker Matthias , Huber Robert
Published: July 2019

A manufacturing process for sheet-based stacked scaffolds (SSCs) based on laser-cutting (LC) was developed. The sheets consist of Polycaprolactone/Hydroxyapatite (PCL/HA) composite material. Single sheets were cut from a PCL/HA foil and stacked to scaffolds with interconnecting pores of defined sizes. HA quantities up to 50% were processable with high reproducibility, while the accuracy was dependent on the applied laser power. The smallest achievable pore sizes were about 40 µm, while the smallest stable solid structures were about 125 µm. The human mesenchymal stem cell line SCP-1 was cultured on the manufactured PCL/HA scaffolds. The cells developed a natural morphology and were able to differentiate to functional osteoblasts. The generation of PCL/HA SSCs via LC offers new possibilities for tissue engineering (TE) approaches. It is reliable and fast, with high resolution. The SSC approach allows for facile cell seeding and analysis of cell fate within the three-dimensional cell culture, thus allowing for the generation of functional tissue constructs.
Breast Cancer Diagnostic Delays Among Young Mexican Women Are Associated With a Lack of Suspicion by Health Care Providers at First Presentation
Authors: Unger-Saldaña Karla , Fitch-Picos Kenneth , Villarreal-Garza Cynthia
Published: July 2019

PURPOSE

There is insufficient evidence in the literature regarding the association between young age and diagnostic delay of breast cancer (BC). This study aimed to determine whether young age increases the risk of diagnostic delays among patients with BC and also to identify the mechanisms through which young age affects diagnostic delay.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of 592 patients with symptomatic BC treated at two of the largest public cancer hospitals in Mexico City available for the uninsured and those covered by Seguro Popular. A validated questionnaire was administered via face-to-face interviews with the patients, and their medical files were reviewed. Path analyses, using multivariable logistic regression models, were conducted to assess the relationship between age and diagnostic delay, as well as the role of potential confounders.

RESULTS

Younger participants (40 years of age or younger) had significantly longer diagnostic intervals and presented with more advanced cancer stage than did their older counterparts. Younger participants more often sought initial health care in private services led by gynecologists, more frequently experienced a lack of cancer suspicion by the first physician they consulted, used a higher number of different health services, and had more medical consultations before arrival to a cancer care center. Younger age was significantly associated with longer diagnostic delays after controlling for education, occupation, lack of health insurance, history of benign breast conditions, type of first health service used, specialty of the first physician consulted, first symptom presented, and benign interpretation of the first breast image study.

CONCLUSION

Young age increased the risk of diagnostic delays, which seems to be a result of an increased risk of lack of cancer suspicion at the first health care service consulted.
Factors Associated With Use of a High-Volume Cancer Center by Black Women With Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Cowan Renee A. , Shuk Elyse , Byrne Maureen , Abu-Rustum Nadeem R. , Chi Dennis S. , Boutin-Foster Carla , Brown Carol L. , Long Roche Kara
Published: July 2019

OBJECTIVE:

Disparities exist between population subgroups in the use of gynecologic oncologists and high-volume hospitals. The objectives of this study were to explore the experiences of black women obtaining ovarian cancer (OC) care at a high-volume center (HVC) and to identify patient-, provider-, and systems-related factors affecting their access to and use of this level of care.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Twenty-one semistructured interviews were conducted as part of an institutional review board–approved protocol with women who self-identified as black or African American, treated for OC at a single HVC from January 2013 to May 2017. Recurring themes were identified in transcribed interviews through the process of independent and collaborative thematic content analysis.

RESULTS:

Five themes were identified: (1) internal attributes contributing to black women’s ability/desire to be treated at an HVC, (2) pathways to high- and low-volume centers, (3) obstacles to obtaining care, (4) potential barriers for black women interested in treatment at an HVC, and (5) suggestions for improving HVC use by black women. Study participants who successfully accessed care were comfortable navigating the health care system, understood the importance of self-advocacy, and valued the expertise of an HVC. Barriers to obtaining care at an HVC included lack of knowledge about the HVC, lack of referral, transportation difficulties, and lack of insurance coverage.

CONCLUSION:

In this qualitative study, black women treated at an HVC shared attributes and experiences that helped them access care. There is a need to collaborate with black communities and establish interventions to reduce barriers, facilitate access, and disseminate information about the value of receiving care for OC at an HVC.
Teriparatide Improves Bone and Lipid Metabolism in a Male Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Nomura Sachiko , Kitami Akihiro , Takao-Kawabata Ryoko , Takakura Aya , Nakatsugawa Momoko , Kono Ryohei , Maeno Akihiro , Tokuda Akihiko , Isogai Yukihiro , Ishizuya Toshinori , Utsunomiya Hirotoshi , Nakamura Misa
Published: July 2019

Osteoporosis is a complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). The pathology of diabetic osteoporosis is distinct from postmenopausal osteoporosis, and there are no specific treatment guidelines for diabetic osteoporosis. In the current study, this issue was addressed by evaluating the effect of osteoporosis medications, such as the anabolic agent PTH [teriparatide (TPTD)] and the antiresorptive agents calcitonin [elcatonin (ECT)] and bisphosphonate [risedronate (RIS)], on bone metabolism as well as on glucose and lipid metabolism in spontaneously diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rats, which are a model of type 2 DM (T2DM). The medicines were injected subcutaneously into 8-week-old male SDT fatty rats three times weekly for 8 weeks. TPTD treatment in SDT fatty rats increased the osteoblast number and function on trabecular bone in vertebrae, and increased the trabecular bone mass, bone mineral density (BMD), and mechanical strength of vertebrae. Additionally, TPTD improved cortical bone structure and increased BMD. RIS decreased the osteoclast number and function, which led to an increase in vertebral bone mineral content and BMD in the femoral diaphysis, and mechanical strength was increased in the vertebrae. ECT showed no clear effects on bone mass or metabolism. Similar to diabetic lesions, all of the drugs had no effects on hyperglycemia, pancreas morphology, or serum insulin and glucagon levels. However, triglyceride levels and lipid droplets in fatty liver were decreased in the TPTD group. These results suggest that TPTD may be useful for treating fatty liver in addition to osteoporosis in T2DM.
Neither Hormonal Factors Nor AGEs Explain Lower Prostate Cancer Risk in Older Men With Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Chan Yi X , Alfonso Helman , Fegan P Gerry , Flicker Leon , Yeap Bu B
Published: July 2019

Context

Diabetes mellitus is conventionally associated with an increased risk of cancer; however, inverse associations of diabetes with prostate cancer are well described. Mechanisms are unclear, although hormonal factors, including alterations in sex hormone and IGF1 concentrations due to metabolic disturbances, have been hypothesized to play a role.

Objective

To assess sex hormones, IGF1, glucose, and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) as potential mediators of the association between diabetes mellitus and prostate cancer.

Design and Participants

Longitudinal cohort study. The association of baseline diabetes with prostate cancer incidence was assessed using proportional hazards competing risks analysis in 3149 men followed for 12 years. Baseline hormone, glucose, and carboxymethyllysine (CML) levels were examined as potential mediators of this association.

Results

Diabetes was associated with a lower prostate cancer risk (fully adjusted subhazard ratio, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.92; P = 0.017). This association was unchanged after accounting for testosterone, DHT, estradiol, or SHBG. Similarly, the addition of IGF1 or its binding proteins 1 and 3, or glucose, did not alter this association. CML was not associated with the risk of prostate cancer, and additional correction for CML in the fully adjusted model did not alter the inverse association of diabetes and prostate cancer risk.

Conclusions

In this study, alterations in sex hormone, IGF1, glucose, and CML levels did not account for the inverse association of diabetes and prostate cancer risk. Further studies are required to provide more insight into underlying causes of this association.
Wheat VRN1, FUL2 and FUL3 play critical and redundant roles in spikelet development and spike determinacy
Authors: Li Chengxia , Lin Huiqiong , Chen Andrew , Lau Meiyee , Jernstedt Judy , Dubcovsky Jorge
Published: July 2019

The spikelet is the basic unit of the grass inflorescence. In this study, we show that wheat MADS-box genes VRN1, FUL2 and FUL3 play critical and redundant roles in spikelet and spike development, and also affect flowering time and plant height. In the vrn1ful2ful3-null triple mutant, the inflorescence meristem formed a normal double-ridge structure, but then the lateral meristems generated vegetative tillers subtended by leaves instead of spikelets. These results suggest an essential role of these three genes in the fate of the upper spikelet ridge and the suppression of the lower leaf ridge. Inflorescence meristems of vrn1ful2ful3-null and vrn1ful2-null remained indeterminate and single vrn1-null and ful2-null mutants showed delayed formation of the terminal spikelet and increased number of spikelets per spike. Moreover, the ful2-null mutant showed more florets per spikelet, which together with a higher number of spikelets, resulted in a significant increase in the number of grains per spike in the field. Our results suggest that a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying wheat spikelet and spike development can inform future strategies to improve grain yield in wheat.
On the genus Rhinocyllus Germar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Lixinae) with description of a new subgenus and a new species from Italy
Authors: GÜLTEKİN LEVENT , DIOTTI LUCIANO , CALDARA ROBERTO
Published: July 2019

The species belonging to the weevil genus Rhinocyllus are studied. A new species, Rhinocyllus alpinus sp. nov. living on the inflorescences of Cirsium alsophilum (Pollini) Soldano (Asteraceae), is described from the central Italian Alps. A new subgenus, Rhinolarinus subgen. nov., is created for this new species. The following new synonymy is proposed: Curculio inquilinus Gyllenhal, 1827 syn. nov. of Rhinocyllus conicus (Froelich, 1792). Lectotypes for Curculio inquilinus Gyllenhal, 1827, Rhinocyllus olivieri Gyllenhal, 1835 and Rhinocyllus oblongus Capiomont, 1873 are designated. Due to lack of type specimens and information subsequently to its description, Rhinocyllus turkestanicus Desbrochers des Loges, 1900 is considered as species incertae sedis. Keys to the subgenera and to the species of Rhinocyllus s. str. are provided and taxonomical differences are illustrated.Key words: Rhinocyllus, Rhinolarinus, new subgenus, new species, Cirsium, Italy
Key issues in co-creation with stakeholders when research problems are complex
Authors: Bammer Gabriele
Published: July 2019

The extensive literature on research co-creation is mostly based on problems being treated as clearly defined and solvable. What is the impact on co-creation when problems are complex, with the following characteristics: difficult to delimit, contested definitions, multiple uncertainties and unresolvable unknowns, constraints on what can be done, and no perfect solution? Co-creation on such problems requires a research mindset that appreciates that stakeholders have an essential role in making complexity evident and that limiting stakeholder involvement also limits the ability to understand and effectively act on complex problems. The Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) framework is introduced as a way to systematically take into account multiple stakeholders with multiple relevant inputs. In addition, one specific tool, the research-relevant modified International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) spectrum, is described as a way of exploring stakeholder engagement. For complex problems this modified spectrum can be used to describe different ways of including stakeholders, to reflect on appropriate forms of engagement, as well as to take into account both level of researcher control and different categories of stakeholder groups. A research programme examining the feasibility of prescribing pharmaceutical heroin as a treatment for heroin dependence stimulated thinking about co-creation on complex problems and is used as a practice example to illustrate the points covered.
RETRACTED: Widely tunable optoelectronic oscillator based on selective parity-time-symmetry breaking
Authors: Tang Haitao , Yu Yuan , Zhang Xinliang
Published: July 2019

Optoelectronic oscillators (OEOs) are promising solutions for generating microwave signals with low phase noise and wideband tunability, and they can be applied to converging systems such as communications, radars, and electronic warfare systems. However, a significant challenge remains in ensuring a low phase noise, wideband tunability, and ultra-high side mode suppression ratio (SMSR) simultaneously. Parity-time (PT) symmetry breaking provides an excellent tool for single-mode oscillation by exploiting the interplay between the gain and loss. The oscillation mode was previously fixed because the breaking of the PT symmetry cannot be accurately manipulated. Herein, we propose an OEO with selective PT-symmetry breaking showing a wideband tunability and ultra-high SMSR. The tunability of the proposed OEO is attributed to the selection of different modes to break the PT symmetry using a widely tunable microwave photonic filter (MPF). The large roll-off of the MPF significantly enhances the gain difference between the selected and competing modes. Consequently, both the output power and SMSR of the OEO increase. During the experiment, the measured oscillation frequency is tuned from 2.6 to 40 GHz. The output power of the selected mode is enhanced by 12.9 dB, and the maximal SMSR reaches up to 71.4 dB. Further, the measured phase noise of the OEO at 17.74 GHz reaches
−129  dBc/Hz
at a 10-kHz offset frequency. Exploration of the selective PT-symmetry breaking provides the possibility of developing classes of widely tunable OEOs with an ultra-high SMSR and excellent low phase noise simultaneously.
Seminar Report
Authors: Stark Ariel
Published: July 2019

Archaeology of Fashion Film, Central Saint Martins, London, 6 July 2018
Converging practices: Fashion exhibits across museums and social media
Authors: Jenss Heike
Published: July 2019

The term ‘curation’ has migrated from the museum into everyday life, particularly on social media, and this speaks to a shifting understanding of people’s engagement with arts, culture and commodities. ‘Curation’ accentuates the participatory nature of social media, as users co-produce, edit and share content online. The term also alludes to social media’s capacity as archive and exhibition space for the documentation, display, collection and recollection of looks and styles, experiences, events and emotions. The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York was one of the first museums to acknowledge the increasing impact of participatory media with the 2007 exhibition blog.mode: addressing fashion. This established a connection between the museum collection and the fashion blog as two different forms of fashion archiving, display and discourse. Today, the use of social media and the museum visitor’s own image production (for example, for #artselfies) is a component of curatorial practice, increasing the appeal of fashion exhibitions and new forms of engagement with museums and museum objects.

By reviewing selected examples of fashion museums and archives in the United States – two major museums and two independent online archives – this article explores some of the convergences between the material culture of fashion, mediatization and musealization, including fashion curation beyond the museum, and cultural memory-making through ephemeral media.
Digital fashion heritage: Understanding europeanafashion. eu and the Google Cultural Institute’s We Wear Culture
Authors: Melchior Marie Riegels
Published: July 2019

The digitalization of cultural heritage has become an increasingly common practice among museums and online organizations. Many heritage digitalization projects are driven by an approach called ‘sharing is caring’; that is, the purpose of digitalization is accessibility, making what is considered to be valuable cultural heritage an accessible resource for everyone, while stimulating identity production and sympathy for that heritage. The digitalization of fashion heritage can be seen as part of this movement. In recent years, Europeana Fashion (launched in 2015) and the Google Cultural Institute’s Google Arts and Culture project, We Wear Culture (launched in 2017), have become major online platforms for the distribution of fashion heritage. The aim of the present article is to explore and understand how fashion heritage is performed by these two online initiatives and what constitutes fashion heritage in this context. The article is based on an explorative analysis of the two digital sites, interviews with the managers of each initiative, as well as insights from existing studies of cultural heritage and digitalization.
Preindividuation, Individuation, and Bacteria: Revisiting Gilbert Simondon’s Philosophy through the Hologenome
Authors: Terranova Charissa N.
Published: July 2019

This essay implicitly broaches the question of how science and philosophy—microbiology and metaphysics—work together, reinforcing one another. Its explicit focus is the work of French philosopher Gilbert Simondon, his idea of individuation, and the growing information about
bacteria, our multiple microbiomes, and their manifold genomes. The argument that twenty-first century understandings of the personal self must include the microbiome as well as the mind has implications for interspecies communication. The author explores the biological facts that corroborate
Simondon’s materialist metaphysics of individuation, rethinking the evolutionary individual and the fundamental place given to competition within Darwinian evolution and placing what she terms a “biotechnical evolutionary individual” at the core of Simondon’s philosophy
of individuation.
Mixing It Up: Primates, Robots, and Other Relations
Authors: Tromble Meredith , Forster Deborah , Mayeri Rachel
Published: July 2019

A conversation about their work and collaboration with scientist Deborah Forster and artist Rachel Mayeri, covering their meeting, Forster’s field research with baboons, Mayeri’s Primate Cinema series of video installations, and their experiences with interspecies communication,
concluding with a discussion of Forster’s work in animal FACS and robotics.
Ways In?
Authors: High Kathy
Published: July 2019

High traces her trajectory as an artist working and collaborating with living systems and companion species over several decades. Her videos, installations, and photographs explore how humans interact, consider, and grow alongside their companions in shared inhabitance of the earth,
building upon interspecies relations and communications bit by bit.