bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A multi-shell multi-tissue diffusion study of brain connectivity in early multiple sclerosis
Authors: Tur Carmen , Grussu Francesco , Prados Ferran , Charalambous Thalis , Collorone Sara , Kanber Baris , Cawley Niamh , Altmann Daniel R , Ourselin Sébastien , Barkhof Frederik , Clayden Jonathan D , Toosy Ahmed T , Wheeler-Kingshott Claudia AM Gandini , Ciccarelli Olga
Published: May 2019

Background:

The potential of multi-shell diffusion imaging to produce accurate brain connectivity metrics able to unravel key pathophysiological processes in multiple sclerosis (MS) has scarcely been investigated.

Objective:

To test, in patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS), whether multi-shell imaging-derived connectivity metrics can differentiate patients from controls, correlate with clinical measures, and perform better than metrics obtained with conventional single-shell protocols.

Methods:

Nineteen patients within 3 months from the CIS and 12 healthy controls underwent anatomical and 53-direction multi-shell diffusion-weighted 3T images. Patients were cognitively assessed. Voxel-wise fibre orientation distribution functions were estimated and used to obtain network metrics. These were also calculated using a conventional single-shell diffusion protocol. Through linear regression, we obtained effect sizes and standardised regression coefficients.

Results:

Patients had lower mean nodal strength ( p = 0.003) and greater network modularity than controls ( p = 0.045). Greater modularity was associated with worse cognitive performance in patients, even after accounting for lesion load ( p = 0.002). Multi-shell-derived metrics outperformed single-shell-derived ones.

Conclusion:

Connectivity-based nodal strength and network modularity are abnormal in the CIS. Furthermore, the increased network modularity observed in patients, indicating microstructural damage, is clinically relevant. Connectivity analyses based on multi-shell imaging can detect potentially relevant network changes in early MS.
The neurologist’s role in disabling multiple sclerosis: A qualitative study of patient and care provider perspectives
Authors: Falet Jean-Pierre R , Deshmukh Shriya , Al-Jassim Abrar , Sigler Gregory , Babinski Melanie , Moore Fraser
Published: May 2019

Background:

Patients with advanced, disabling multiple sclerosis (MS) have few effective treatment options. Little is known about the role that patients and their care providers want their neurologist to fill in this situation.

Objective:

To better understand the role that patients with disabling MS and their care providers want their neurologist to have in their care.

Methods:

In this exploratory qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 participants (19 patients with severe disability due to MS and 10 care providers). Interview transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis.

Results:

Participants identified three main roles for their neurologist: a source of hope for therapeutic advances, an educator about the disease and its management, and a source of support.

Conclusion:

Despite sustaining a level of disability that may be refractory to standard medical therapy, patients with disabling MS and care providers continue to value certain roles of their neurologist. The neurologist’s role as a source of hope and support in particular has not received enough attention in the literature.
Media, identity, and online communities in a changing Arab world
Authors: Mohamed Eid , Douai Aziz , Iskandar Adel
Published: May 2019

Our Special Issue captures the interplay of media, politics, religion, and culture in shaping Arabs’ search for more stable governing models at crossroads of global, regional, and national challenges through systematic and integrated analyses of evolving and contested Arab visual and performing arts, including media (traditional and alternative), in revolutionary and unstable public spheres. This special issue examines the role of new media in the construction of online communities in the Arab world. It contributes to the understanding of how user-generated content empowers these new publics and the novel communities established by user comments on social media and news websites. Specifically, it explores these online communities and their perceptions of the role of user-generated content to contribute to politics, and potentially engage other citizens in the public debate.
Toward a transnational model of social media privacy: How young Saudi transnationals do privacy on Facebook
Authors: Abokhodair Norah , Hodges Adam
Published: May 2019

Previous models of cross-cultural differences fail to adequately account for transnational patterns of social media use, especially as it relates to notions of privacy. Based on our study of young transnational Saudis, we propose a new model, the rubber band model of transnational privacy, to account for the way social media users stretch their conceptualization of privacy as practiced in their societies of origin to include new norms and practices in their hosting society. We explore how this process unfolds through a series of ethnographic interviews conducted with young Saudis at different stages of their migratory journey from Saudi Arabia to the United States and back. Our findings hold important implications for viewing privacy as a dynamic concept related to the fluid production of identities in online spaces. The model of privacy we put forth seeks to inform the culturally sensitive development of information and communications technology (ICTs).
Terms of reference and objectivity in US press reports in the Gulf War in 1990
Authors: Kuosmanen Sonja
Published: May 2019

Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, the conflict later known as the Gulf War became a focus of US media and the target of a campaign to gain public support for military action against Iraq. Building on previous research, this study shows that terms referring to specific actors changed in three major US newspapers during fall 1990 in ways that suggest the newspapers’ practices of objective reporting were affected. Centered on Presidents George Bush and Saddam Hussein as key players, the use of different terms of reference in press reports changed systematically to highlight Bush in a prestigious role as the US leader, while Hussein was delegitimized as a dangerous individual. Kuwait and its leaders were sidelined. Reporters prioritized officials associated with military and intelligence agencies at times of increased tensions. These changes implicitly supported the interests of the Bush administration and discourses favorable to US military action.
The politics of consumer data
Authors: Cluley Robert
Published: May 2019

Data is key to marketing. But data is not a neutral thing. It is political. There are macro-politics that validate, motivate and justify the use of particular forms of data and micro-politics between consumers, marketing organizations and other cultural institutions who want control over data. This study examines these politics by analysing attempts to restrict how marketers could access digital consumer data for the purpose of targeted advertising. Adopting a science and technology studies perspective, it concludes that caring for digital consumer data as a common resource is an important, ongoing and often unacknowledged aspect of contemporary marketing practice. It creates and maintains a market for marketing.
Key Factors Influencing Retention Rates Among Historically Underrepresented Students Groups in STEM Fields
Authors: Premraj Divya , “Rudi” Thompson Ruthanne , Hughes Lee , Adams Joshua
Published: May 2019

In this study, we identified factors influencing completion rates (graduation) of undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). We used hierarchical, logistic, and linear regression models to analyze the data and found significant predictor variable interactions across various underrepresented versus well-represented student groups. We asked six research questions, three involving two- and three-way interactions between STEM completion, underrepresented groups, and predictor variables and three involving two- and three-way interactions among time spent for graduation, predictor variables, and underrepresented groups. We found that female STEM students completed their degree in significantly less time than their male counterparts ( p < .001) and that for every 1 point increase in second-year grade point average, length of time to complete the bachelor’s degree decreased by 1.68 years. These and other findings can be used by institutions to help focus retention intervention efforts on those critical and significant predictors of STEM degree completion of underrepresented groups.
Carotid Artery Stenting Using a Closed-Cell Stent-in-Stent Technique for Unstable Plaque
Authors: Myouchin Kaoru , Takayama Katsutoshi , Wada Takeshi , Miyasaka Toshiteru , Tanaka Toshihiro , Kotsugi Masashi , Kurokawa Shinichiro , Nakagawa Hiroyuki , Kichikawa Kimihiko
Published: May 2019

Purpose: To examine whether carotid artery stenting (CAS) of stenoses with unstable plaque using a closed-cell stent-in-stent technique prevents plaque protrusion. Materials and Methods: Between December 2014 and August 2018, 35 consecutive patients (mean age 75.8 years; 29 men) with carotid artery stenosis (20 symptomatic) and unstable plaque diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging were prospectively analyzed. Mean diameter stenosis was 83.5%. All CAS procedures were performed with stent-in-stent placement of Carotid Wallstents using an embolic protection device and conservative postdilation. The technical success rate, incidence of plaque protrusion, ischemic stroke rate within 30 days, and new ipsilateral ischemic lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) within 48 hours after CAS were prospectively assessed. Follow-up outcomes included the incidences of ipsilateral stroke and restenosis. Results: The technical success rate was 100%. No plaque protrusion or stroke occurred in any patient. New ischemic lesions were observed on DWI in 10 (29%) patients. During the mean 11.6-month follow-up, no ipsilateral strokes occurred. Two (6%) patients developed asymptomatic restenosis recorded as 53% lumen narrowing and occlusion, respectively. Conclusion: CAS using a closed-cell stent-in-stent technique for unstable plaque may be useful for preventing plaque protrusion and ischemic complications.
Effectiveness of a Fractionated Therapy Scheme in Tumor Treating Fields Therapy
Authors: Jo Yunhui , Sung Jiwon , Jeong Hyesun , Hong Sunghoi , Jeong Youn Kyoung , Kim Eun Ho , Yoon Myonggeun
Published: May 2019

This study aimed to evaluate the biological effectiveness of cancer therapy with tumor treating fields using a fractionated treatment scheme that was originally designed for radiotherapy. Discontinuous fractional tumor treating fields of an intensity of 0.9 to 1.2 V/cm and a frequency of 150 KHz were applied to U373 cancer cells and IEC6 normal cells for 3 days, with durations of 3, 6, 12, or 24 h/d. As the treatment duration of the tumor treating fields increased from 3 to 24 h/d, the relative tumor cell (U373) number (% of control) reduced in proportion to the treatment duration. Compared to a 25% cell number reduction (75% of control) for the group of 6 h/d treatment at 1.2 V/cm, only 5% (70% of control) and 8% (67% of control) of additional reductions were observed for the group of 12 and 24 h/d treatment, respectively. This experimental result indicates that the dependence on treatment duration in tumor cell inhibition was weakened distinctly at treatment duration over 6 h/d. For normal cells (IEC6), the relative cell number corresponding to the treatment time of the tumor treating fields at 1.2 V/cm of electric field strength was not decreased much for the treatment times of 3, 6, and 12 h/d, revealing 93.3%, 90.0%, and 89.3% relative cell numbers, respectively, but it suddenly decreased to ∼73% for the 24 h/d treatment. Our results showed that the effects of tumor treating fields on tumor cells were higher than on normal cells for treatment duration of 3 to 12 h/d, but the difference became minimal for treatment duration of 24 h/d. The fractionated scheme, using tumor treating fields, reduced the treatment time while maintaining efficacy, suggesting that this method may be clinically applicable for cancer treatment.
The Relationship Between ZEB1-AS1 Expression and the Prognosis of Patients With Advanced Gastric Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy
Authors: Chai Haina , Sun Chao , Liu Jun , Sheng Haihui , Zhao Renyan , Feng Zhiqiang
Published: May 2019

Long noncoding RNA ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 plays a vital role in tumorigenesis and metastasis. However, the role of ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 in gastric cancer remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the expression level of ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 in gastric cancer tissues and evaluate its association with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with advanced gastric cancer receiving chemotherapy. The expression levels of ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 were examined in 224 pairs of gastric cancer and adjacent noncancerous tissues by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The associations between ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 expression and clinicopathological features or survival of patients with advanced gastric cancer were assessed. The results showed that the expression levels of ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 in gastric cancer tissues were significantly higher than those in the paracancerous tissues ( P < .001). Moreover, the high ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 expression was associated with tumor, nodes, and metastases stage IV ( P = .018) and loss of E-cadherin expression ( P = .033). Multivariate Cox hazards regression analysis revealed that high ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 expression was an independent risk factor for predicting poor prognosis in patients with advanced gastric cancer (hazard ratio = 1.530, 95% confidence interval, 1.052-2.224, P = .026). In conclusion, the present findings suggest that ZEB1 antisense RNA 1 is an independent prognostic factor for patients with advanced gastric cancer receiving chemotherapy.
Plasma Biomarkers: Potent Screeners of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Naveed Muhammad , Mubeen Shamsa , Khan Abeer , Ibrahim Sehrish , Meer Bisma
Published: May 2019

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a neurological disorder, is as a complex chronic disease of brain cell death that usher to cognitive decline and loss of memory. Its prevalence differs according to risk factors associated with it and necropsy performs vital role in its definite diagnosis. The stages of AD vary from preclinical to severe that proceeds to death of patient with no availability of treatment. Biomarker may be a biochemical change that can be recognized by different emerging technologies such as proteomics and metabolomics. Plasma biomarkers, 5-protein classifiers, are readily being used for the diagnosis of AD and can also predict its progression with a great accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity. In this review, upregulation or downregulation of few plasma proteins in patients with AD has also been discussed, when juxtaposed with control, and thus serves as potent biomarker in the diagnosis of AD.
Egalitarian Music Education in the Nineteenth Century: Joseph Mainzer and Singing for the Million
Authors: Southcott Jane
Published: May 2019

In the 1840s, massed singing classes led by charismatic pioneer music educators such as Joseph Mainzer (1801–1851) sprang up across the United Kingdom. Mainzer was a much respected composer, music journalist, and music educator. Born in Trèves (Prussia), he traveled across Europe and settled in Paris, where he was part of the revolutionary Association Polytechnique that offered free education to the working classes. His mass singing classes were a remarkable success but aroused the suspicions of authorities. Mainzer left Paris for political reasons and moved to England, and after teaching across the United Kingdom, settled in Edinburgh. His arrival in Scotland was greeted with a degree of adulation reserved for celebrities. Across Scotland classes were established to disseminate his new system that was taught in larger centers and most small towns. Although Mainzer’s fixed-doh system did not long survive him and the subsequent arrival of the tonic sol-fa method in the 1850s, his work (and that of others) created an environment in which popular singing classes in schools, churches and the community could flourish. Mainzer was a skilled and charismatic educator. He advocated tirelessly for lifelong music education for all. Mainzer has been overlooked and deserves recognition.
Collections at Work Objects and Attribution
Authors: Riep David M.
Published: May 2019

The inability to attribute art objects to specific cultures can be a problem for art historians and collections managers alike. Because the arts often express peoples’ ideas and beliefs about themselves, it is important that we be able to discern the artistic work of one culture from another. This essay will address problems of attribution in museum collections, using the art of the South Sotho of South Africa and Lesotho as a case study. Current publications on the art of Africa include few, if any, objects attributed to the South Sotho, and often attribute objects from the South Sotho as “Southern African,” rather than linking them to artists from this particular culture. However, by reviewing the extant literature, and focusing on the formal aspects of the objects in question, one can produce a sophisticated, nuanced understanding of specific local conditions through the arts, while addressing attribution problems in museum collections.
Fabrication and characterization of electrospun mats of Nylon 6/Silica nanocomposite fibers
Authors: Chen Yu , Waghmare Prashant R , Ayranci Cagri
Published: May 2019

In this article, the electrospinning process for Silica nanoparticles reinforced Nylon 6 nanofiber composite mats is investigated. More specifically, the effect of Nylon 6/Formic Acid concentration and silica weight fraction on the solution viscosity and the properties of the end product is studied. Rheological measurements were conducted to investigate the solutions’ viscosity, and scanning electron microscope was used to characterize the morphology and dimensions of the nanofibers. Energy dispersion X-ray was used to prove that silica nanoparticles are well distributed within the nanofibers. Finally, surface roughness and porosity of the mats were measured. It was found that when Nylon 6/Formic Acid concentration increased from 15 to 20 wt%, solution viscosity increased by 0.63 Pa·s, which leads to the increase in average fiber diameter from 103 to 160 nm. Also, when silica increased by 6%, highest viscosity increase was 0.1 Pa·s, while average fiber diameter increased for around 5 nm. In addition, protuberances or small silica beads are observed when silica weight fraction is increased above a critical value. The porosity remains unchanged while surface roughness increased by increasing silica weight fraction and decreasing Nylon 6 concentration. This study outlines the successful fabrication of bead-free Silica reinforced Nylon 6 nanofibers and their mats via electrospinning. Good control over processing parameters results in tailorability of size, morphology, and surface roughness of the end products.
Procedural approaches and angiographic signs predicting first-pass recanalization in patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Tomasello Alejandro , Ribò Marc , Gramegna Laura Ludovica , Melendez Fernando , Rosati Santiago , Moreu Manuel , Aixut Sonia , Lüttich Alexandre , Werner Mariano , Remollo Sebastian , Quintana Manuel , Coscojuela Pilar , Hernandez David , Dinia Lavinia , Lopez-Rueda Antonio , Rubiera Marta , Rovira Àlex
Published: May 2019

Background

First-pass recanalization via mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has been associated with improved clinical outcome in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. The optimal approach to achieve first-pass effect (FPE) remains unclear. No study has evaluated angiographic features associated with the achievement of FPE. We aimed to determine the procedural approaches and angiographic signs that may predict FPE.

Methods

We performed a prospective, multi-centre, observational study of FPE in patients with anterior circulation stroke treated with MT between February and June 2017. MTs were performed using different devices, deployment manoeuvres (standard versus ‘Push and Fluff’ technique), proximal balloon guide catheter (PBGC), distal aspiration catheter (DAC) or both. The angiographic clot protrusion sign (ACPS) was recorded. Completed FPE (cFPE) was defined as a modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score of 2c–3. Associations were sought between cFPE and procedural approaches and angiographic signs.

Results

A total of 193 patients were included. cFPE was achieved in 74 (38.3%) patients. The use of the push and fluff technique (odds ratio (OR) 3.45, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.28–9.29, p = 0.010), PBGC (OR 3.81, 95% CI: 1.41–10.22, p = 0.008) and ACPS (OR 4.71, 95% CI: 1.78–12.44, p = 0.002) were independently associated with cFPE. Concurrence of these three variables led to cFPE in 82 vs 35% of the remaining cases ( p = 0.002).

Conclusions

The concurrence of the PBGC, the push and fluff technique, and the ACPS was associated with the highest rates of cFPE. Appropriate selection of the thrombectomy device and deployment technique may lead to better procedural outcomes. ACPS could be used to assess clot integration strategies in future trials.
Getting at Equality: Research Methods Informed by the Lessons of Intersectionality
Authors: Bailey Jane , Steeves Valerie , Burkell Jacquelyn , Shade Leslie Regan , Ruparelia Rakhi , Regan Priscilla
Published: May 2019

This article evaluates a Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach with mixed methods including concept mapping, q-sorting and deliberative dialogue in the context of a research project on young people’s experiences with digital communications technologies, and addresses some of the central insights of intersectionality theory and praxis. Our approach seeks to ensure that, insofar as possible, the gathered data provide a rich and layered window into the experiences of young people from a range of marginalized communities served by our project partners. The article revisits some key insights and contestations relating to intersectionality and addresses their relationship to our approach. We evaluate whether these methods enhance understandings of the interactions of structures of subordination with other factors identified in intersectionality scholarship, as well as the extent to which they centre the knowledge and expertise of those subordinated by matrices of domination as discussed by authors such as Crenshaw and Hill Collins. Our approach is just one of many that social science researchers interested in advancing intersectionality’s key insights could deploy. While it falls short of full consistency with these insights, its mixed methods work toward our partners’ social justice objectives while facilitating exploration of intersecting axes of subordination. Our approach can also help our project recapture the politic at the heart of many intersectional feminist critiques, such as those of Crenshaw and Hill Collins - that reconceptualizing knowledge requires centring the knowledge and expertise of those traditionally excluded due to interlocking systems of subordination.
Dynamic analysis and control of a three-revolute–prismatic–spherical parallel robot by algebraic parameters identification
Authors: Ruiz-Hidalgo NC , Blanco Ortega A , Abúndez Pliego A , Colin-Ocampo J , Alcocer Rosado WM
Published: May 2019

The inverse dynamic model of a three-revolute–prismatic–spherical parallel robot based on Lagrange method is presented. This parallel robot presents a different configuration in the orientation of the actuators of the already reported in the literature. The dynamic model is validated by simulations obtained with a virtual prototype under MSC Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems environment. For positioning the moving platform in a desired orientation, a proportional–integral–derivative-type controller is implemented for trajectory tracking using the dynamic of the actuators. In this dynamic, the load supported is unknown, that is, due to the inclination of the moving platform, the weight is not evenly distributed. Algebraic identification of parameters is implemented in order to know the load and improve the response in the orientation of the moving platform. Some simulations were performed with the virtual prototype in co-simulation environment under MSC Automatic Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems/View and MATLAB/Simulink to verify the performance of the proportional–integral–derivative controller using the algebraic parameters identification.
Education journals: A comparison of publishing patterns in Australian, German and English education journals
Authors: Mertova Patricie , Ertl Hubert , Zierer Klaus
Published: May 2019

This paper compares the findings of two studies on the publication patterns in leading Australian, English and German education journals. The first study was funded by the German Research Association and the second one was unfunded, and they were conducted by a team of international researchers. The first study compared three English and three German leading education journals. The second study analysed the publication patterns in three leading Australian education journals. All papers published between 2001 and 2010 in the nine selected education journals were analysed according to their author profile, thematic focus and methodology used. The analyses (covering three geographical regions) showed the publication patterns in the selected journals, indicating similarities and also some key differences. This paper focuses on the Australian education journals and how their publication patterns relate to the English and German journals.
A snake who eats the devil’s tail: The recursivity of good and evil in the security state
Authors: Baker Natalie D , Jones Nathan
Published: May 2019

The Islamic State and Mexican drug ‘cartels’ have been positioned as extreme menaces to the Western world by media and state actors despite their inability to pose existential threats to the US. These groups deftly facilitate such representations through barbaric violence which security and information sharing apparatuses uptake and amplify. The ‘good’ neoliberal security state combats and inflates these ‘evil’ threats which, in turn, empowers purveyors of security in a deregulated environment. The authors interrogate this problem through the lens of negative utopias presented in speculative fiction to understand the implications for state and society. Projected representations of evil as an existential threat present a conflicted vision of the future manipulated by political and media actors with dire consequences for democratic ideals. National security relies on a never-ending cast of foreign threats that legitimize counter-terror actions in the name of moral good. Security institutions persist primarily through the simultaneous representation of a never-ending battle of good and evil. They stand to gain from the existence of extremely violent groups, without legitimate progress towards their eradication. They also bring fantasy into reality through the recursive enactment of good versus evil.
Skin grafting after paediatric palmar burns: an analysis of 82 patients
Authors: Morandi Evi M. , Schwabegger Elisabeth , Tasch Christoph , Pierer Gerhard , Djedovic Gabriel , Baur Eva-Maria
Published: May 2019

Contact burn injuries to the palm are common in toddlers. We report a case series of 82 paediatric patients (age 7–48 months) with contact burn injury of the palm. We share our experience and outcomes of using plantar split-thickness skin grafts for resurfacing of the paediatric palm. We found that despite the excellent colour and texture match, split-thickness skin grafts from glabrous skin during growth are prone to motion-limiting scare contracture. From this series, we conclude that full-thickness skin grafts remain the reference standard of care in paediatric patients’ hands. We recommend that children with burn scars should have regular check-up examinations until they are fully grown.

Level of evidence: IV
Proteomic analysis of gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cells reveals that microtubule-associated protein 2 upregulation associates with taxane treatment
Authors: Le Large Tessa Ya Sung , El Hassouni Btissame , Funel Niccola , Kok Bart , Piersma Sander R. , Pham Thang V. , Olive Kenneth P. , Kazemier Geert , van Laarhoven Hanneke W.M. , Jimenez Connie R. , Bijlsma Maarten F. , Giovannetti Elisa
Published: May 2019

Background:

Chemoresistance hampers the treatment of patients suffering from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Here we aimed to evaluate the (phospho)proteome of gemcitabine-sensitive and gemcitabine-resistant PDAC cells to identify novel therapeutic targets and predictive biomarkers.

Methods:

The oncogenic capabilities of gemcitabine-sensitive and resistant PDAC cells were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. Cultured cells were analyzed by label-free proteomics. Differential proteins and phosphopeptides were evaluated by gene ontology and for their predictive or prognostic biomarker potential with immunohistochemistry of tissue microarrays.

Results:

Gemcitabine-resistant cells had increased potential to induce xenograft tumours ( p value < 0.001). Differential analyses showed that proteins associated with gemcitabine resistance are correlated with microtubule regulation. Indeed, gemcitabine-resistant cells displayed an increased sensitivity for paclitaxel in vitro ( p < 0.001) and nab-paclitaxel had a strong anti-tumour efficacy in vivo. Microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2) was found to be highly upregulated ( p = 0.002, fold change = 10) and phosphorylated in these resistant cells. Expression of MAP2 was correlated with a poorer overall survival in patients treated with gemcitabine in the palliative ( p = 0.037) and adjuvant setting ( p = 0.014).

Conclusions:

These data show an explanation as to why the combination of gemcitabine with nab-paclitaxel is effective in PDAC patients. The identified gemcitabine-resistance marker, MAP2, emerged as a novel prognostic marker in PDAC patients treated with gemcitabine and warrants further clinical investigation.
Intensive first-line FIr-C/FOx-C association of triplet chemotherapy plus cetuximab in RAS wild-type metastatic colorectal cancer patients: preliminary phase II data and prediction of individual limiting toxicity syndromes by pharmacogenomic biomarkers
Authors: Bruera Gemma , Massacese Silvia , Pepe Francesco , Malapelle Umberto , Dal Mas Antonella , Ciacco Eugenio , Calvisi Giuseppe , Troncone Giancarlo , Simmaco Maurizio , Ricevuto Enrico
Published: May 2019

Background:

Intensive triplet chemotherapy/bevacizumab significantly increased metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC) outcome. This phase II study investigated the safety/activity of FIr-C/FOx-C triplet/cetuximab (CET) in first-line RAS wild-type and the prediction of individual limiting toxicity syndromes (LTS) by pharmacogenomic biomarkers.

Methods:

A Simon two-step design was used: p0 70%, p1 85%, power 80%, α5%, β20%; projected objective response rate (ORR) I step 14/19. FIr-C/FOx-C: 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) 12h-timed flat infusion 900 mg/m2 d1–2, 8–9, 15–16, 22–23; irinotecan (CPT-11) 160 mg/m2 d1 and 15, oxaliplatin 80 mg/m2 d8 and 22; CET 400mg/m2 then 250 mg/m2 d1, 8, 15, 22; every 28 days. Toxicity, and individual LTS were evaluated, compared by a Chi-square test; and activity/efficacy by log-rank. 5-FU/CPT-11 pharmacogenomic biomarkers, 5-FU degradation rate (5-FUDR), single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) ABCB1, CYP3A4, DYPD, UGT1A1 were evaluated in patients with LTS and at a recommended dose.

Results:

A total of 29 patients <75 years, with a primary/intermediate Cumulative Index Rating Scale were enrolled; the median age was 59 years; there were 7 young-elderly (yE; 24%). Recommended CPT-11/5-FU doses were 120/750 mg/m2. In the intent-to-treat analysis, the ORR was 58.6%. The primary endpoint was met in patients who received the planned three treatment cycles: the objective response (OR) was 14/18 (78%). At a median follow up of 18 months, progression-free survival (PFS) was 12, and overall survival (OS) was 23 months. At the recommended doses (received dose intensity >80%), grade 3–4 toxicities were: diarrhea 23%, asthenia 15%, vomiting 8%, hypertransaminasemy 8%; LTS 19 (65.5%), with 83% in yE patients. LTS prevalently multiple (ms) versus single site were 59% versus 7% ( p = 0.006). The prevalence of reduced FUDR was 56%, SNPs CYP3A4 22%, UGT1A1 71%, and of >2 positive pharmacogenomics biomarkers was 78%, prevalently reported in patients who developed gastrointestinal LTS.

Conclusions:

FIr-C/FOx-C is highly active and tolerable at recommended doses in non-elderly RAS wild-type MCRC patients. LTS provided an evaluation of the toxicity burden in individual patients. Reduced FUDR, CYP3A4, and UGT1A1 SNPs may predict individual LTS-ms in patients at risk of limiting gastrointestinal toxicity.

Trial registration:

The trial was registered at Osservatorio Nazionale sulla Sperimentazione Clinica dei Medicinali (OsSC) Agenzia Italiana del Farmaco (AIFA) Numero EudraCT 2009-016793-32.
‘Have you ever talked to any women with Turner syndrome?’ Using universal design and photo elicitation interviews in research with women with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Fearon Kriss
Published: May 2019

A growing body of methodological research literature demonstrates the importance of adapting research design to address the specific needs of participants from minority groups. The aim is to treat participants more respectfully during the research process and to enhance participation, ensuring the findings more closely reflect participants’ views and experience. However, there is an absence of work examining the needs of research participants with Turner syndrome, a chromosome disorder linked with mild cognitive impairment and its potential impact on research interviews. This article draws on a study of reproductive decision-making in women with Turner Syndrome and mothers of girls with Turner syndrome to consider ways to improve research access and to make methodological adaptations for this group of participants. There is little qualitative research on the experience of living with Turner syndrome or its associated experience of infertility. Most of the small number of studies that exist do not describe whether the research method was adapted to accommodate the psychosocial features of Turner syndrome. Yet, these features, which include social cognition issues and anxiety, may have an impact on women’s ability to participate fully in a research interview and consequently on the quality of the data. This article fills a gap in research describing the use of adaptions with women with Turner syndrome, which may be of use to researchers and practitioners working with this group. It describes how a novel approach to research adaptations, universal design, was used to identify and incorporate adaptions into the research design, both through the choice of photo elicitation interviews as a research method and through adjustments made at each stage of the research process. It discusses how adaptions worked to overcome barriers to participation and how effective this was, concluding with suggestions for applying this approach in future research.
Assessment of Interobserver Variability for CT Scan–Based Evaluation of Posterior Ligament Complex Injury in Thoracolumbar Fractures: An International Multicenter Pilot Study
Authors: Maheswaran Anupama , Aiyer Siddharth N. , Farouk Osama , El-Sharkawi Mohammad , Park Jong-Beom , O’Brien Andrew , Oluwole Ige , Wang Yue , Arruda André de Oliveira , Rajasekaran Shanmuganathan
Published: May 2019

Study Design:

A multicenter, pilot study, for radiological assessment of thoracolumbar spine fractures was performed with the participation of 7 centers in Africa, Europe, Asia, and South America as a part of the AO Foundation network.

Objectives:

To determine the interobserver variability for computed tomography (CT) scan–based evaluation of posterior ligament complex (PLC) injury in thoracolumbar fractures.

Methods:

Forty-two observers including 1 principal investigator at each participating center performed variability assessment. Each center contributed toward a total of 91 patient images with A3 or A4 thoracolumbar burst fractures (T11-L2) with or without suspected PLC injury. Pathological fractures, multilevel injuries, obvious posterior bony element injury and translation/dislocation injuries were excluded. Ten patients were randomly selected and commonly reported CT parameters indicating PLC injury, including superior inferior endplate angle, vertebral body height loss, local kyphotic deformity, interspinous distance and interpedicular distance were assessed for variability. Observer values were compared with an experienced gold rater in spinal trauma. Analysis of variability was performed for all observers, between the principal investigators and also between observers participating in each center.

Results:

The studied parameters showed considerable variability in measurements among all observers and amongst all participating centers. The variability between the principal investigators was lower, but still substantial. The deviation of observer measurements from the gold rater were also significant for all CT parameters.

Conclusions:

CT-based radiological parameters previously reported to be suggestive of PLC injury showed considerable variability and magnetic resonance imaging verification of a PLC injury in all doubtful cases is suggested.
To cover or not to cover: Alexei Navalny in Russian media
Authors: Kazun Anastasia
Published: May 2019

This article analyses the discourse about the opposition politician Alexei Navalny in Russian media. Navalny has been actively engaging with his audience through social media and online platforms; however, some media continue to ignore the politician, practically not covering his activities. The article analyses the intensity and sentiment of the media coverage of Navalny based on data from Medialogia. It is concluded that the media in general do cover the politician’s activities and attempts to deliberately ignore news about him are only made by TV stations. However, news about Navalny is often negative. While blogs offer a more positive outlook on the politician’s activities than do the other types of media that the article considers, the majority of the coverage of Navalny in Russian media is of a critical nature. In addition, an analysis of positive and negative news in various types of media suggests that the way the politician’s activities are covered primarily involves not information about what he did or did not do but rather the various media interpretations of these actions.
Book review: Supriyo De, India’s Fiscal Policy: Prescriptions, Pragmatics and Practice
Authors: Nair Jyoti
Published: May 2019

Supriyo De, India’s Fiscal Policy: Prescriptions, Pragmatics and Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017, 226 pp., ₹595 (hardback). ISBN: 978-1-107-15263-2.
Book review: Kaushik Basu. An Economist in the Real World: The Art of Policy Making in India
Authors: Ahmad Imran , Kunroo Mohd Hussain , Gulzar Mudabera
Published: May 2019

Kaushik Basu. An Economist in the Real World: The Art of Policy Making in India. New Delhi: Penguin India, 2016, 256 pp., ₹599. ISBN-13: 978-0670088751.
Social Media Usage Intensity: Impact Assessment on Buyers’ Behavioural Traits
Authors: Gupta Garima , Vohra Aastha Verma
Published: May 2019

With increasing proliferation of social media, there is an urgent need to examine how people engage in the social media as well as assess its role in shaping consumers' attitude and behaviour. Though the recent years have witnessed the interest of researchers in this regard, the studies have mostly been confined to analyzing the social media utilization patterns for their impact on online purchases and less emphasis has been laid on investigating its impact on the 'down side' of consumer behaviour as reflected through traits of materialism, impulse buying and conspicuous consumption. The present work makes an attempt to bridge this gap. Specifically, the study examines the influence of social media usage intensity on three behavioural traits as well as assesses the mediating role of electronic word-of-mouth in affecting this linkage. The paper also provides insights with respect to variation in the use intensity and behavioural traits across demographic components. Inputs from the present research can be used by marketers to not only leverage the power of social media and capture the changing consumer traits in favour of their brand but also to develop targeted and effective strategies to engage with their audience on this new platform.
Evaluation of Midterm Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Arthroscopically Repaired Vertical Longitudinal and Bucket-Handle Lateral Meniscal Tears
Authors: Uzun Erdal , Misir Abdulhamit , Kizkapan Turan Bilge , Ozcamdalli Mustafa , Akkurt Soner , Guney Ahmet
Published: May 2019

Background:

Lateral meniscal tears in the stable knee are rare. There are few comparative studies evaluating functional and radiological outcomes of vertical longitudinal and bucket-handle lateral meniscal tears.

Purpose:

To evaluate the midterm clinical and radiological outcomes of arthroscopically repaired traumatic vertical longitudinal and bucket-handle lateral meniscal tears.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

A total of 43 full-thickness lateral meniscal repairs, including 22 (51.2%) for vertical longitudinal tears and 21 (48.8%) for bucket-handle tears, were evaluated. A clinical assessment was performed according to the Barrett criteria, and patient outcomes were measured with the Lysholm knee score, Tegner activity scale, and overall satisfaction scale. Magnetic resonance imaging was used as the radiological re-examination method preoperatively and at final follow-up. A subgroup analysis examining isolated repair versus repair with concurrent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction was performed.

Results:

The mean follow-up period was 63.2 months (range, 24-86 months). Based on clinical and radiological outcomes, 38 of the 43 repairs (88.3%) were successful, and the remaining 5 (11.6%) cases were considered to be failures. Overall, the combined results for both groups demonstrated an improvement in the Lysholm score, Tegner score, and patient satisfaction. There was no significant difference in the postoperative Lysholm score (91.4 vs 87.0, respectively; P = .223), Tegner score (5.4 vs 5.5, respectively; P = .872), or patient satisfaction (7.2 vs 7.4, respectively; P = .624) between bucket-handle repair and vertical longitudinal repair. The subgroup analysis demonstrated no difference in outcome scores for isolated repair versus repair with concurrent ACL reconstruction. Smoking was identified as a risk factor for repair failure.

Conclusion:

Comparable clinical and radiological outcomes were obtained after vertical longitudinal and bucket-handle lateral meniscal repairs using the all-inside or hybrid suture technique with different suture configurations, regardless of whether ACL reconstruction was performed. Smoking was identified as a risk factor for failure.
Recommended Common Data Elements for International Research in Long-Term Care Homes: Exploring the Workforce and Staffing Concepts of Staff Retention and Turnover
Authors: Zúñiga Franziska , Chu Charlene H. , Boscart Veronique , Fagertun Anette , Gea-Sánchez Montserrat , Meyer Julienne , Spilsbury Karen , Devi Reena , Haunch Kirsty , Zheng Nancy , McGilton Katherine S.
Published: May 2019

The aim of this review is to develop a common data element for the concept of staff retention and turnover within the domain of workforce and staffing. This domain is one of four core domains identified by the WE-THRIVE ( Worldwide Elements to Harmonize Research in Long-Term Care Li ving Environments) group in an effort to establish an international, person-centered long-term care research infrastructure. A rapid review identified different measurement methods to assess either turnover or retention at facility level or intention to leave or stay at the individual staff level. The selection of a recommended measurement was guided by the WE-THRIVE group’s focus on capacity rather than deficits, the expected availability of internationally comparable data, and the goal to provide a short, ecologically viable measurement. We therefore recommend to measure staff’s intention to stay with a single item, at the individual staff level. This element, we argue, is an indicator of staff stability, which is important for reduced organizational cost and improved productivity, positive work environment, and better resident–staff relationships and quality of care.
Critical role of Jumonji domain of JMJD1C in MLL-rearranged leukemia
Authors: Izaguirre-Carbonell Jesus , Christiansen Luke , Burns Robert , Schmitz Jesse , Li Chenxuan , Mokry Rebekah L. , Bluemn Theresa , Zheng Yongwei , Shen Jian , Carlson Karen-Sue , Rao Sridhar , Wang Demin , Zhu Nan
Published: May 2019

JMJD1C, a member of the lysine demethylase 3 family, is aberrantly expressed in mixed lineage leukemia (MLL) gene-rearranged (MLLr) leukemias. We have shown previously that JMJD1C is required for self-renewal of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) leukemia stem cells (LSCs) but not normal hematopoietic stem cells. However, the domains within JMJD1C that promote LSC self-renewal are unknown. Here, we used clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein-9 nuclease (Cas9) negative-selection screening and identified a requirement for the catalytic Jumonji (JmjC) domain and zinc finger domain for leukemia cell survival in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we found that histone H3 lysine 36 methylation (H3K36me) is a marker for JMJD1C activity at gene loci. Moreover, we performed single cell transcriptome analysis of mouse leukemia cells harboring a single guide RNA (sgRNA) against the JmjC domain and identified increased activation of RAS/MAPK and the JAK-STAT pathway in cells harboring the JmjC sgRNA. We discovered that upregulation of interleukin 3 (IL-3) receptor genes mediates increased activation of IL-3 signaling upon JMJD1C loss or mutation. Along these lines, we observed resistance to JMJD1C loss in MLLr AML bearing activating RAS mutations, suggesting that RAS pathway activation confers resistance to JMJD1C loss. Overall, we discovered the functional importance of the JMJD1C JmjC domain in AML leukemogenesis and a novel interplay between JMJD1C and the IL-3 signaling pathway as a potential resistance mechanism to targeting JMJD1C catalytic activity.
Go together: providing nonverbal awareness cues to enhance co-located sensation in remote communication
Authors: Cai Minghao , Tanaka Jiro
Published: May 2019

Nowadays, people are easy to have a remote conferencing in different scenarios. However, the potential of mobile video communication has yet to be fully exploited. In our research, we explore providing multiple nonverbal awareness cues to create deeper empathy or understanding between users in the telecommunication. We present our design for the use of remote communication between two geographically separated users. This system provides mutual nonverbal communication cues including independent viewpoint and gesture cue to support natural human-to-human interactions. Using our setups, two users are able to perform multiple joint activities including talking, looking and gesturing together. Finally, users can share co-located sensation and feel themselves “go together” side-by-side in the same place. We performed a evaluation to explore our system’s usability and how multiple awareness cues affect the remote communication. It consists of two experiments: an asymmetric work in which an indoor helper instructed a walking worker and a symmetric collaboration in a more realistic scenario. The positive results show that our design could significantly improve the human-to-human interactions and enhance co-located sensation.