bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated cell isolation and purification method for rat dorsal root ganglion neurons
Authors: Shen Huaishuang , Gan Minfeng , Yang Huilin , Zou Jun
Published: June 2019

Objective

Neurobiology studies are increasingly focused on the dorsal root ganglion (DRG), which plays an important role in neuropathic pain. Existing DRG neuron primary culture methods have considerable limitations, including challenging cell isolation and poor cell yield, which cause difficulty in signaling pathway studies. The present study aimed to establish an integrated primary culture method for DRG neurons.

Methods

DRGs were obtained from fetal rats by microdissection, and then dissociated with trypsin. The dissociated neurons were treated with 5-fluorouracil to promote growth of neurons from the isolated cells. Then, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and immunofluorescence assays were used to identify and purify DRG neurons.

Results

Isolated DRGs were successfully dissociated and showed robust growth as individual DRG neurons in neurobasal medium. Both mRNA and protein assays confirmed that DRG neurons expressed neurofilament-200 and neuron-specific enolase.

Conclusions

Highly purified, stable DRG neurons could be easily harvested and grown for extended periods by using this integrated cell isolation and purification method, which may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain.
Improved Support Vector Machine Models for Work Zone Crash Injury Severity Prediction and Analysis
Authors: Mokhtarimousavi Seyedmirsajad , Anderson Jason C. , Azizinamini Atorod , Hadi Mohammed
Published: June 2019

Work zones are a high priority issue in the field of road transportation because of their impacts on traffic safety. A better understanding of work zone crashes can help to identify the contributing factors and countermeasures to enhance roadway safety. This study investigates the prediction of work zone crash severity and the contributing factors by employing a parametric approach using the mixed logit modeling framework and a non-parametric machine learning approach using the support vector machine (SVM). The mixed logit model belongs to the class of random parameter models in which the effects of flexible variables across different observations are identified, that is, data heterogeneity is taken into account. The performance of the SVM model is enhanced by applying three metaheuristic algorithms: particle swarm optimization (PSO), harmony search (HS), and the whale optimization algorithm (WOA). Empirical findings indicate that SVM provides higher prediction accuracy and outperforms the mixed logit model. Estimation results reveal key factors that increase the likelihood of severe work zone crashes. Furthermore, the analysis illustrates the ability of the three metaheuristics to enhance the SVM and the superiority of the harmony search algorithm in improving the performance of the SVM model.
Retirement and the Sectors: Do Private and Public Personnel Differ in Their Retirement Decision?
Authors: Levi Racheli , Vashdi Dana R. , Vigoda-Gadot Eran
Published: June 2019

Retirement is a field of growing interest in both the public and the private sectors. Given the aging workforce in Western countries, understanding the factors that contribute to an employee’s decision to retire is an area of increasing interest to political, economic, social, and organizational scholars. Most retirement studies concentrate on a narrow set of factors, examining their impact on retirement in isolation of the broader context. Drawing from public management theory, and based on theories of person–organization fit (POF), we examine whether and when private and public personnel differ in their retirement decision. Findings indicate that previously shown relationships between individual-level financial status and the decision to retire are contingent on employment sector. The results of this research extend knowledge regarding the normative influence of mechanisms driving retirement and demonstrate the broader implications of sector on retirement decision-making.
Decolonizing the child protection apparatus: Revisiting child rights governance in Zanzibar
Authors: Fay Franziska
Published: June 2019

In Zanzibar, child protection actors hold reservations against the child protection aspects of child rights governance as they are considered to carry connotations of moral devaluation and to dismiss multiple ways of protecting children. In this article, I argue that this rejection of child protection is a means of constructing a distinction from too exclusive ways of regulating and defining what childhood and safety ought to be, rather than a disagreement with the fact that children should be safe. This, ultimately, calls for a decolonial approach that rethinks current child protection activities from the perspectives of local child protection actors in order to allow protection programs to better fulfill their well-intentioned aims. Drawing on data generated during 18 months of ethnographic fieldwork in Zanzibar, I propose a decolonization of child protection that will help to prevent misuses and misinterpretations of programs that intend to better children’s lives.
Governing vulnerabilised migrant childhoods through children’s rights
Authors: Lind Jacob
Published: June 2019

This article analyses four different contexts in Sweden where children’s rights have been mobilised to govern vulnerabilised migrant childhoods. The concept of ‘vulnerabilisation’ is suggested to capture the political processes creating the conditions for defining and attributing vulnerability. To enable children’s rights to be a productive tool for challenging the repressive governing of migrant families and children, the article argues for the need of a problematisation and contextualisation of both the children’s rights paradigm and the vulnerabilisation of migrant childhoods.
The rights of intended children: The best interests of the child argument in assisted reproduction policy
Authors: Lind Judith
Published: June 2019

Assisted reproduction policies constitute a particularly interesting case for the study of child rights governance as the child here is an intended child. The child’s rights are in potential conflict not with the parental, but the reproductive rights of adults. The article aims to analyse the mobilisation of the best interests of the child principle as a rhetorical resource in Swedish assisted reproduction policies and to trace the limits of governance in the name of the rights of the child.
Temporal dynamics of political trust in China: A cohort analysis
Authors: Wu Jiebing , Li Yong , Song Chengcheng
Published: June 2019

This article focuses on the changing trends in political trust in China. Based on data drawn from the Asian Barometer Survey for 2002, 2008, and 2011, as well as the Chinese General Social Survey for 2010 and 2012, we find a declining trend in the level of political trust in China, whether it be trust in the central government, trust in the local government, or the central–local government trust gap. Additionally, the results of our analysis show a strong cohort effect on the erosion of political trust. This study provides solid empirical evidence of declining political trust in China and increases our understanding of the changing dynamics of political trust. By analysing changes in citizens’ values and in the political expectations of the new generation, this article sheds light on the antecedents of political trust in China, which is gradually changing across different generations.
Prognostic markers of lymphoma development in primary Sjögren syndrome
Authors: Retamozo S , Brito-Zerón P , Ramos-Casals M
Published: June 2019

Sjögren syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease that principally affects women between the fourth and sixth decades of life who present with sicca symptomatology caused by dryness of the main mucosal surfaces. The clinical spectrum of Sjögren syndrome extends from dryness to systemic involvement. Since 1978, Sjögren syndrome has been closely associated with an enhanced risk of lymphoma, one of the most severe complications a patient may develop. Primary Sjögren syndrome patients have a 10–44-fold greater risk of lymphoma than healthy individuals, higher than that reported for systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis. The close link between lymphoma and Sjögren syndrome is clearly exemplified by the very specific type of lymphoma arising in Sjögren syndrome patients, mainly low-grade B-cell lymphomas (predominantly a marginal zone histological type) with primary extranodal involvement of the major salivary glands (overwhelmingly parotid), with a primordial role of cryoglobulinemic-related markers (both clinical and immunological). The most recent studies support a higher number of risk factors detected in an individual leads to a higher lymphoma risk. A close follow-up of high-risk groups with longitudinal assessments of all known risk factors, including cryoglobulin-related markers and EULAR Sjögren's syndrome disease activity index measurement in particular, is mandatory.
Achieving explanatory depth and spatial breadth in infectious disease modelling: Integrating active and passive case surveillance
Authors: Nelli Luca , Ferguson Heather M , Matthiopoulos Jason
Published: June 2019

Ideally, the data used for robust spatial prediction of disease distribution should be both high-resolution and spatially expansive. However, such in-depth and geographically broad data are rarely available in practice. Instead, researchers usually acquire either detailed epidemiological data with high resolution at a small number of active sampling sites, or more broad-ranging but less precise data from passive case surveillance. We propose a novel inferential framework, capable of simultaneously drawing insights from both passive and active data types. We developed a Bayesian latent point process approach, combining active data collection in a limited set of points, where in-depth covariates are measured, with passive case detection, where error-prone, large-scale disease data are accompanied only by coarse or remotely-sensed covariate layers. Using the example of malaria, we tested our method's efficiency under several hypothetical scenarios of reported incidence in different combinations of imperfect detection and spatial complexity of the environmental variables. We provide a simple solution to a widespread problem in spatial epidemiology, combining latent process modelling and spatially autoregressive modelling. By using active sampling and passive case detection in a complementary way, we achieved the best-of-both-worlds, in effect, a formal calibration of spatially extensive, error-prone data by localised, high-quality data.
Market Competition, Managerial Incentives and Agency Cost
Authors: Brahmana Rayenda Khresna , Loh Hui San , Kontesa Maria
Published: June 2019

This study investigates the determinants of board of director compensation from the view of strategic management. Specifically, this study examines the association between product market competition and directors’ compensation for a sample of 524 listed firms in Malaysia from 2010 to 2014. We find that there is a positive relationship between a competitive firm and its compensation to its directors. Our research indicates that managerial incentives reflect more of talent appreciation, rather than purely for acknowledging better performance or a bigger size firm. This research contests the use of agency theory and managerialism in explaining directors’ compensation, especially for the developing country context of Malaysia. Our findings also imply that firms may pay higher compensation in a competitive market.
Effect of using a home-bed mattress on bystander chest compression during out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Authors: Ahn Hong Joon , Cho Yongchul , You Yeon Ho , Min Jin Hong , Jeong Won Joon , Ryu Seung , Lee Jin Woong , Cho Sung Uk , Oh Se Kwang , Park Jung Soo , Choi Younhyuk
Published: June 2019

Background:

Bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a key component of life-saving after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. In the pre-arrival instructions for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, it is recommended that the patient be laid on a flat floor. However, the most common reason for not performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation is that the bystander could not move the patient.

Objectives:

This study aim to investigate the effects of using a home-bed mattress on the quality of chest compression.

Methods:

In this prospective, randomized study, chest compression without ventilation was performed for 4 min on a Resusci Anne manikin placed on a flat floor or on three types of home-bed mattresses (hard, medium and soft). Chest compression depth, chest compression rate and chest recoil were measured from the manikin with the Laerdal PC Skill Reporting System, and changes in chest compression quality using the four different surfaces were compared.

Results:

Thirty participants were enrolled to perform chest compression. There was no significant difference in chest compression depth and depth accuracy between the four surfaces. The median chest compression rates were 108.1 ± 8.5, 107.0 ± 8.3, 103.3 ± 8.9 and 98.3 ± 7.9 compressions/min ( p < 0.001) for the flat floor, hard-, medium-, and soft-firmness mattresses, respectively. Moreover, there was no a significant difference in chest recoil accuracy.

Conclusion:

Using a home-bed mattress did not decrease the chest compression quality, except chest compression rate of soft-firmness mattress. Thus, it may be effective to initiate chest compression on a home-bed mattress if the bystander cannot move the patient to the floor.
Counselors and Psychologists Mentoring Gifted Black Males With Disabilities to Foster College and Career Readiness
Authors: Mayes Renae D. , Hines Erik M. , Bibbs Deidra L. , Rodman Jennifer
Published: June 2019

Despite greater emphasis on college and career readiness in PK-12 education, gifted Black males with disabilities still encounter various barriers in making successful transitions to postsecondary educational opportunities. These barriers include negative educational experiences, deficit ideologies, and limited opportunities for positive identity development, which all, in turn, impact their college and career readiness. Provided these experiences, it is imperative that educational stakeholders, including school counselors and school psychologists, work together to address systemic barriers while utilizing mentorship and peer support to foster positive college and career readiness.
Free vibration analysis of porous laminated rotating circular cylindrical shells
Authors: Ghasemi Ahmad Reza , Meskini Mohammad
Published: June 2019

In this research, investigations are presented of the free vibration of porous laminated rotating circular cylindrical shells based on Love’s shell theory with simply supported boundary conditions. The equilibrium equations for circular cylindrical shells are obtained using Hamilton’s principle. Also, Navier’s solution is used to solve the equations of the cylindrical shell due to the simply supported boundary conditions. The results are compared with previous results of other researchers. The numerical result of this study indicates that with increase of the porosity coefficient the nondimensional backward and forward frequency decreased. Then the results of the free vibration of rotating cylindrical shells are presented in terms of the effects of porous coefficients, porous type, length to radius ratio, rotating speed, and axial and circumferential wave numbers.
Effect of padding on flexural response of sandwich composites
Authors: Newaz G , Dhaliwal GS , Phadatare A , Hailat M
Published: June 2019

Under flexural loading, premature indentation of face sheet is a major concern in sandwich-structured composites with a softer core. A composite material having sandwich structure is a special class of composite materials that is developed by adhesively bonding two thin but stiff skins to a lightweight but thick core. ASTM C393 standard recommends the use of a wider load pad under the loading pin to ensure distribution of concentrated load [ 21 ]. However, it does not address how padding influences the overall flexural behavior of sandwich composites. This investigation focuses on evaluating the effect of padding by comparing flexural tests of sandwich beams with and without padding. Rubber and Teflon materials are used as padding, which are adhesively bonded in the sandwich composite beams. Results show that flexural stiffness and peak load carried by the beams are not affected, but the failure modes can change significantly due to load-point padding. More significant core collapse (failure) in the padded case is the key difference in failure modes between the padded and unpadded cases. This change in failure mode requires careful attention, particularly, for the development of a proper test standard. We conducted finite element analysis, which clarifies the stress distribution in the face sheets and in the core due to padding as well as when padding is absent. Finite element analysis results show that greater volume of the core material is subjected to higher level of von Mises stresses, which occurs in the padded case, increasing the probability of core failure. High shear zones are also observed in the case of padding, and balsawood core cracking is consistent with these high shear zones. Results from this investigation shed light on current experimental methods and consequence of padding in altering failure modes and eventual load-deflection response in sandwich composites subjected to flexural loading.
Prediction model of the clearance oil film for static vertical rail considering the ram deformation
Authors: Zhang Yan-qin , Hou Jin-jun , Gao Wei-cheng , Zhao Zhi-wei , Zhou De-fan , Cheng Hai-kuo
Published: June 2019

In order to improve the cutting rigidity of hydrostatic oil pad on large vertical lathes’ vertical rail of hydrostatic ram, on the basis of a single-chamber oil pad, this paper proposed a new type of the double-chamber oil pad. Pressure field distribution law of the single-chamber and the double-chamber oil pad was obtained by the finite element volume method. Then, using the fluid–structure coupling method and Workbench software the deformation law of ram was obtained under different working conditions. Finally, oil film’s prediction model of the single-chamber and the double-chamber oil pad was solved under different working conditions. Oil film’s prediction model of the single-chamber oil pad and the double-chamber oil pad was obtained under various working conditions. The results show that the maximum deformation of the single-chamber of upper oil pad ranges from 0.079 to 0.92 µm, while the double-chamber oil pad ranges from 0.07 to 0.68 µm. The maximum deformation of the single chamber of lower oil pad ranges from 0.91 to 9.21 µm, while the double-chamber oil pad ranges from 0.74 to 9.14 µm, and the maximum deformation of the double-chamber oil pad is less than that of the single chamber, which shows that the rigidity of the double-chamber oil pad is better than that of the single chamber. The results are helpful to improve the bearing performance and service life of bearings.
Videoconferencing psychotherapy for veterans with PTSD: Results from a randomized controlled non-inferiority trial
Authors: Liu Lin , Thorp Steven R , Moreno Lucy , Wells Stephanie Y , Glassman Lisa H , Busch Angela C , Zamora Tania , Rodgers Carie S , Allard Carolyn B , Morland Leslie A , Agha Zia
Published: June 2019

Introduction

Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) face significant barriers that make it less likely for them to pursue treatment. A randomized controlled non-inferiority trial was used to determine if providing psychotherapy for PTSD via videoconference (VC) is as effective as in-person (IP) psychotherapy.

Methods

All eligible veterans ( n = 207) received cognitive processing therapy (CPT) to treat PTSD symptoms in one of the two treatment modalities. Participant symptoms were collected at baseline, post-treatment, and six months after treatment completion. The primary outcome measure, the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS), was used to assess PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity. Secondary outcomes included two self-report measures of symptom severity, the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Specific (PCL–S) for PTSD and the Patient Health Questionnaire – 9 (PHQ–9) for depressive symptoms. A linear mixed-effects model was used to assess non-inferiority for participants who completed treatment (completers) and those who were randomized to treatment (intention-to-treat (ITT)).

Results

Both completer and ITT analyses showed that improvement in CAPS scores in the VC condition was non-inferior to that in the IP condition at six-month follow-up, but VC was inferior to IP for improvement in CAPS at post-treatment. Non-inferiority was supported by completer analyses for PCL–S and PHQ–9 in both post-treatment change and six-month follow-up change, and the ITT analysis supported the significant non-inferiority for PCL at post-treatment change.

Discussion

These findings generally suggest that CPT delivered via VC can be as effective as IP for reducing the severity of PTSD symptoms.
The Resilient Bond With Zhujiajiao: (Re)making Community in a Chinese Tourism Town
Authors: Cao Siyang , Wu Wenzhi
Published: June 2019

This article examines how community has been reinterpreted and remade among local residents in relation to the development of tourism in Zhujiajiao, China. Focusing on the narratives and practices of long-term residents, it was found that people generally maintain a resilient bond with their community in Zhujiajiao despite profound local changes. Drawing on in-depth interviews, the article brings to light the complicated and contextual meanings of community that are constantly under negotiation. We argue that the notion of community is reconstructed through narratives of the past, everyday social interactions, and material connections between people and places. Meanwhile, the process of remaking Zhujiajiao community is shaped by cultural values and situated within wider structural conditions. In this way, the article contributes to debates on the analytical importance of relationality and sociality in the recent rethinking of community from a Chinese perspective. It also argues for the need to develop more nuanced understandings of community in contemporary China beyond viewing it as a form of urban governance by focusing on residents’ narratives and practices.
Intergroup contact and willingness for renewed cohabitation in Cyprus: Exploring the mediating and moderating mechanisms
Authors: Yucel Deniz , Psaltis Charis
Published: June 2019

One of the major challenges in divided societies is finding ways to overcome geographical partition by increasing readiness for cohabitation in mixed areas. Cyprus has faced a protracted situation of division (between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots) for the last 44 years. In this paper, we explore the role of intergroup contact (both quantity and quality of contact) in enhancing the willingness of members of these two communities to reestablish cohabitation, using representative survey samples from both communities. We hypothesize that such an effect is mediated by a decrease in the levels of prejudice between the two communities and an increase in the levels of trust. In addition, we hypothesize that the direct effect of intergroup contact and the indirect effect of intergroup contact through trust and prejudice are both moderated by age. To explore these hypotheses, we collected data from a representative sample of 502 Greek Cypriots and 504 Turkish Cypriots. The hypotheses are tested among the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot samples separately. In both samples, the results show that the positive effect of intergroup contact on willingness for renewed cohabitation is mediated by both trust and prejudice. There is also some support for the moderating effect of age for both the direct and indirect effects of intergroup contact.
Performance evaluation by computational fluid dynamics modelling of the heavy gas dispersion with a low Froude number in a built environment
Authors: Zhang Ying , Wang Longtao , Li Angui , Tao Pengfei
Published: June 2019

To evaluate the dispersion of a heavy gas, such as sulphur hexafluoride, with a low Froude number in a built environment, an experimental and numerical simulation study was conducted. The experiment was carried out using seven different injection inlet configurations in an experimental chamber. The release rate was found to have a great effect on the concentration in the lower part of the chamber. The obstacle in the middle of the chamber could cause a non-uniform distribution of concentration, particularly due to variations in locations and angles of the release outlets. Additionally, numerical simulations were carried out to evaluate four turbulence models: the standard k- ε model, the realizable k- ε model, the re-normalization group (RNG) k- ε model and the shear stress transport (SST) k-ω model. Four indicators were used to evaluate the turbulent model performance. In general, the SST k-ω model performed the best, with geometric mean bias ( MG) = 0.968 and geometric variance ( VG) = 1.09 at 0.055 m height, and with MG = 0.384 and VG = 2.80 at 0.6 m height. The standard k- ε model was the next best in performance, followed by the realizable k- ε and the RNG k- ε model.
Towards a phenomenology of poverty: Defining poverty through the lived experiences of the ‘poor’
Authors: Simpson Reeves Laura , Parsell Cameron , Liu Shuang
Published: June 2019

This article argues for the importance of defining poverty from the perspective of those who experience poverty. How poverty is defined and operationalised is critical to policy and academic debates, as this is intertwined with explanations, causes, and possible solutions. Yet current definitions are typically provided by the ‘non-poor’. What we lack is knowledge of whether these definitions of the concept are similar to or different from those understood and conceptualised by those experiencing poverty. Australian poverty research has typically relied on panel data, administrative data, or surveys to construct and define ‘poverty’. We propose that Australian poverty scholars embrace phenomenology as a way to highlight the voices of those experiencing poverty.
The United States’ Regulatory Environment Is Evolving to Accommodate a Coming Boom in Gene Therapy Research
Authors: Eisenman Daniel
Published: June 2019

Introduction:

A dramatic increase in the number of clinical trials involving gene-modified cell therapy and gene therapy is taking place. The field is on the verge of a boom, and the regulatory environment is evolving to accommodate the growth.

Discussion:

This commentary summarizes the current state of the field, including an overview of the growth. The United States (US) regulatory structure for gene therapy will be summarized, and the evolution of the oversight structure will be explained.

Conclusion:

The gene therapy field has recently produced its first FDA-approved therapeutics and has a pipeline of other investigational products in the final stages of clinical trials before they can be evaluated by the FDA as safe and effective therapeutics. As research continues to evolve, so must the oversight structure. Biosafety professionals and IBCs have always played key roles in contributing to the safe, evidence-based advancement of gene therapy research. With the recent regulatory changes and current surge in gene therapy research, the importance of those roles has increased dramatically.
Design of a micro pole-climbing robot
Authors: Qiaoling Du , Yan Li , Sinan Liu
Published: June 2019

Pole-climbing robots are increasingly needed to carry out high-risk tasks for human beings. A micro pole-climbing robot is designed in this article. A strategy of climbing pole is proposed, which has high precision in each stride. To enable the robot to sample the angle relative to the ground in real time, micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) three-axis accelerometers are equipped on micro pole-climbing robot. Accelerometer measurements provide an absolute reference for the pitch-and-roll components of the estimated orientation, which are used as feedback input signal of proportional–integral–derivative algorithm. A supporting structure is installed at the joint of each gripper to assist the robot to clamp a pole. The support structure improves the load capacity of the robot. The maximum load of micro pole-climbing robot is 3.5 times its own weight. The climbing pole strategy includes the following sections: a Denavit–Hartenberg model is established and the inverse kinematic solution is analyzed; the flip locomotion is analyzed; and the parameters of KP, KI, and KD in the proportional–integral–derivative control method are obtained according to the Ziegler–Nichols controller. The performance of pole climbing based on micro pole-climbing robot prototype was tested. By using this strategy of climbing pole, the self-continuous climbing with controllable stride is realized, and the angular velocity fluctuation of the five-bar mechanism driven by steering gear is reduced. The average time of a single step is 27 s, the maximum relative error of step distance is 4.6%, and the average relative error is 2.8%. These results confirm that the structure scheme and the strategy of climbing pole are feasible.
Fighting for public health: The promotion of desirable bodies in interactive military marketing
Authors: Strand Sanna
Published: June 2019

In 2016, the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) launched a digital Sports Club and began providing the public with fitness programmes and wellness advice. The SAF were now, in their words, ‘fighting for a healthier Sweden’. By taking ‘the Club’ as its point of departure, this article contributes to emerging literature on military public relations in general, and digital outreach in particular. It illustrates how interactive, digital technologies enable armed forces to position themselves as both visible and useful in the everyday lives of a diversity of citizens. This presence carries considerable potential for military institutions seeking to recruit and retain soldiers and supporters for war preparations and deployments. In addition, by showing how the Club renders the SAF appealing and accessible through gendered language and imagery, which partly challenges ideas of muscular, military masculinity, this article contributes knowledge about the ways in which armed forces are (re)gendered in military marketing.
Oral treprostinil in transition or as add‐on therapy in pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Ivy D. Dunbar , Feinstein Jeffrey A. , Yung Delphine , Mullen Mary P. , Kirkpatrick Edward C. , Hirsch Russel , Austin Eric D. , Fineman Jeffrey , Truong Uyen , Solum Derek , Deng C.Q. , Hopper Rachel K.
Published: June 2019

Treprostinil, a prostacyclin analogue, is approved for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in adults. Transition from parenteral to oral treprostinil has been successfully accomplished in adults with PAH but not in children. In this multicenter study, pediatric patients treated with parenteral (Cohort 1) or inhaled (Cohort 2) treprostinil were transitioned to oral treprostinil. Prostacyclin‐naïve individuals on background oral PAH therapy received oral treprostinil as add‐on therapy (Cohort 3). Successful transition was oral treprostinil dose maintenance through week 24. Patients were monitored for adverse events (AEs), 6‐min walk distance (6MWD), PAH symptoms, World Health Organization (WHO) Functional Class (FC), cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI), cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET), and quality of life through 24 weeks. A total of 32 patients were enrolled in the study; 23 (72%) were girls (mean age = 12.2 years). All patients were on background oral PAH therapy. Overall, patients (96.9%) maintained transition to oral treprostinil; one patient (Cohort 1) transitioned to oral treprostinil, then back to parenteral after experiencing syncope and WHO FC change from II to III. Cohorts 1, 2, and 3 received a final mean oral treprostinil dose of 5.6, 3.3, and 4.5 mg t.i.d., respectively. All cohorts had variable changes in 6MWD, cMRI, and CPET. Overall, 12 serious AEs were reported. All patients had drug‐related AEs including headache (81%), diarrhea (69%), nausea (66%), vomiting (66%), and flushing (56%). Pediatric patients maintained transition to oral treprostinil with preservation of exercise capacity and WHO FC. Prostanoid‐related AEs were most common and similar to those reported in adults.
Oral treprostinil use in children: a multicenter, observational experience
Authors: Kanaan Usama , Varghese Nidhy P. , Coleman Ryan D. , Huckaby Jeryl , Lawrence Patricia , Jorgensen Lynda O. , Miller‐Reed Kathleen , Day Ronald W. , Mallory George B. , Ivy David D.
Published: June 2019

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a progressive, incurable disease that occurs in adults and children alike. Therapeutic options for children are limited and infrequently described, including newer agents such as treprostinil, an oral prostanoid. Herein, we describe the pooled pediatric experience in 28 patients from four pediatric pulmonary hypertension programs over two years. This descriptive, observational study describes the various methods of initiation of oral treprostinil in both prostanoid‐naïve patients and those transitioning from parenteral or inhaled prostanoids. The youngest patient was four years old and the smallest weighed 16 kg. We describe adverse reactions and their management. Most patients in this study (27/28) were able to successfully initiate therapy. However, gastrointestinal adverse reactions were common; half of the patients started on this therapy had discontinued it within the two‐year study period.
Phenomapping of subgroups in hypertensive patients using unsupervised data-driven cluster analysis: An exploratory study of the SPRINT trial
Authors: Yang Da-ya , Nie Zhi-qiang , Liao Li-zhen , Zhang Shao-zhao , Zhou Hui-min , Sun Xiu-ting , Zhong Xiang-bin , Du Zhi-min , Zhuang Xiao-dong , Liao Xin-xue
Published: June 2019

Background

Hypertensive patients are highly heterogeneous in cardiovascular prognosis and treatment responses. A better classification system with phenomapping of clinical features would be of greater value to identify patients at higher risk of developing cardiovascular outcomes and direct individual decision-making for antihypertensive treatment.

Methods

An unsupervised, data-driven cluster analysis was performed for all baseline variables related to cardiovascular outcomes and treatment responses in subjects from the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), in order to identify distinct subgroups with maximal within-group similarities and between-group differences. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cardiovascular outcomes and compare the effect of intensive antihypertensive treatment in different clusters.

Results

Four replicable clusters of patients were identified: cluster 1 (index hypertensives); cluster 2 (chronic kidney disease hypertensives); cluster 3 (obese hypertensives) and cluster 4 (extra risky hypertensives). In terms of prognosis, individuals in cluster 4 had the highest risk of developing primary outcomes. In terms of treatment responses, intensive antihypertensive treatment was shown to be beneficial only in cluster 4 (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55–0.98) and cluster 1 (HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.37–0.79) and was associated with an increased risk of severe adverse effects in cluster 2 (HR 1.18, 95% CI 1.05–1.32).

Conclusion

Using a data-driven approach, SPRINT subjects can be stratified into four phenotypically distinct subgroups with different profiles on cardiovascular prognoses and responses to intensive antihypertensive treatment. Of note, these results should be taken as hypothesis generating that warrant further validation in future prospective studies.
Selective neglect: Gender disparities in children’s healthcare utilization in rural China
Authors: Yan Hope Xu , Ren Qiang
Published: June 2019

This research studies whether children’s gender influences household adults’ perceptions of their illnesses and the pattern of seeking medical treatments for them, the aim of which is to understand to what extent minor girls (under 15) are discriminated against in Chinese rural households’ allocation of curative healthcare. Using the 2014 wave of China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we find that households in rural China do allocate more medical resources to boys than girls. Gender differences mainly exist in children’s hospitalization rates and medical expenditures. Girls are especially disadvantaged as they grow older. They also face an added problem of sibling rivalry that leads to sick girls being less likely to be taken to a hospital when they have siblings of the same gender. These results suggest that sick girls in rural China may not be able to receive sufficient curative healthcare due to son preference. This is not only a threat to girls’ well-being, but also a potential cause of the imbalanced sex-ratio of the Chinese population.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Gene Xpert in the Diagnosis of Spinal Tuberculosis: A Prospective Controlled Clinical Study
Authors: Solanki Anil M. , Basu Saumyajit , Biswas Amitava , Roy Subhendu , Banta Aditya
Published: June 2019

Study Design:

Prospective matched cohort study

Objective:

To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of Gene Xpert in the diagnosis of spinal tuberculosis.

Methods:

From January 2016 to August 2018, Gene Xpert results were prospectively studied in 68 patients of clinicoradiologically suspected spinal tuberculosis (STB) and a control group (CG) of 92 patients, all of whom underwent computed tomography–guided/C-arm-guided/open surgical biopsy. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value are obtained using standard equations.

Results:

Out of 68 cases of STB, Gene Xpert was positive in 62 (true positive: 62/68) and negative in 6 (false negative: 6/68). Gene Xpert was negative for all 92 cases of CG (true negative: 92/92, false positive 0/92). Thus, in our series, sensitivity of Gene Xpert is 91.18%, specificity is 100%, positive predictive value is 100%, and negative predictive value is 93.88%. Out of all cases of STB, 62/68 (91.18%) were Gene Xpert positive, but only 35/64 (54.69%) was acid-fast bacilli (AFB) culture positive and 53/60(88.33%) was histopathologically conclusive of TB. Also, Gene Xpert was positive in 7/7 (100%) cases of STB in which histopathology were inconclusive and 25/29 (86.21%) cases of STB in which AFB culture was negative.

Conclusion:

In STB, Gene Xpert clearly outperforms AFB culture and histopathology due to its high sensitivity and specificity apart from being rapid in diagnosis. Hence it is justified to diagnose spinal tuberculosis by Gene Xpert though histopathology is confirmative and AFB culture remains the gold standard.
Rubber/crete: Mechanical properties of scrap to reuse tire-derived rubber in concrete; A review
Authors: Valente Marco , Sibai Abbas
Published: June 2019

The recycling of waste tires is of paramount importance for environmental protection and for economic reasons. The number of scrapped tires in the United States has reached 550 million per year and is still rising. Even higher numbers are estimated in the European Union, reaching 1 billion tires per year. Disused tires create waste with a highly negative environmental impact. Tire disposal mainly involves highly polluting treatments (e.g. combustion processes to produce fuel oil), with only a small percentage of waste (3% to 15%) destined for less-invasive treatments such as powdering. In this article we will look at previous studies in which different amounts of waste tire powder are combined with cement concrete mixtures to provide a final product with mechanical properties suitable for engineering applications. Previous work has shown that a good compressive strength can be achieved through replacing 30% of powdered tire with crushed sand. First, as the percentage of aggregation between crumb rubber and crushed sand increases, compressive strength decreases. Second, aggregation replacement of crumb rubber and crushed sand shows a reduction in density at around 10%. Third, the modulus of elasticity depends on the percentages added: the more rubber added to concrete, the less elastic the product will be. In addition, a less tough concrete means higher strength. However, adding rubber to concrete increases the toughness.1
Negotiating Trust, Power, and Culture in a Research–Practice Partnership
Authors: Denner Jill , Bean Steve , Campe Shannon , Martinez Jacob , Torres David
Published: June 2019

This article describes the role of culture and power in building a research–practice partnership (RPP). The original aims that drove the building of the RPP were to generate and use research to inform the programs and services provided by the youth-serving organization to Latinx youth and to use the findings to inform research on how to broaden participation in computing. In this article, we describe how the RPP evolved. Data include documentation from meeting notes, e-mails, and observations as well as interviews with practitioners. The results suggest that the research goals and process changed when the partners began to critically analyze and discuss the role of power and culture, and adjustments to the methods and theoretical grounding of the research were made as a result. The lessons learned are summarized in terms of their implications for generating research that has both theoretical and social justice implications.
Suicide Attempts and Pattern Among the Beginners and Established Female Commercial Sex Workers
Authors: G. V. Vaniprabha , S. Madhusudhan
Published: June 2019

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the pattern of suicide and extent of depression among female commercial sex workers (CSWs).

Methodology: 200 female CSWs classified as beginners and established depending on the number of years of sex work were referred to Victoria Hospital in Bengaluru, India, by an NGO called Swathi Mane which works for the betterment of these women.

Results: The pattern of suicide and the number of attempts among both the groups were different indicating that the number of years of sex work played a major role among these women in deciding the number of attempts and pattern of suicide. The reasons for attempting suicide also are interesting to the fact that the women who are new to this profession suffer from depression and guilt and attempt suicide, while women who are into this profession for quite some time now are accustomed to this trade and have lesser or no suicide attempts. The depression scores among these two groups were also higher as per Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression scores.
Haploidentical vs haplo-cord transplant in adults under 60 years receiving fludarabine and melphalan conditioning
Authors: van Besien Koen , Artz Andrew , Champlin Richard E. , Guarneri Danielle , Bishop Michael R. , Chen Julianne , Gergis Usama , Shore Tsiporah , Liu Hongtao , Rondon Gabriela , Mayer Sebastian A. , Srour Samer A. , Stock Wendy , Ciurea Stefan O.
Published: June 2019

Haplo-identical transplant with posttransplant cyclophosphamide (haplo) and umbilical cord blood transplant supported by third-party CD34 cells (haplo-cord) are competing approaches to alternative donor transplant. We compared, in adults younger than age 60 years, the outcomes of 170 haplo at 1 institution with that of 137 haplo-cord at 2 other institutions. All received reduced intensity conditioning with fludarabine and melphalan ± total body irradiation. GVHD prophylaxis for haplo consisted of cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate, whereas haplo-cord received antithymocyte globulin, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate. Haplo transplant used mostly bone marrow, and peripheral blood stem cells were used in haplo-cord transplants. Haplo-cord were older and had more advanced disease. Haplo-cord hastened median time to neutrophil (11 vs 18 days, P = .001) and platelet recovery (22 vs 25 days, P = .03). At 4 years, overall survival (OS) was 50% for haplo-cord vs 49% for haplo. Progression-free survival (PFS) was 40% for haplo-cord vs 45% for haplo. In multivariate analysis, the disease risk index was significant for OS (hazard ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.48-2.17; P = .00) and PFS. Total body irradiation was associated with decreased recurrence and improved PFS, age >40 with increased nonrelapse mortality. The type of transplant had no effect on OS, PFS, relapse, or nonrelapse mortality. Cumulative incidence of grade 2-4 acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by day 100 was 16% after haplo-cord vs 33% after haplo (P < .0001), but grade 3-4 GVHD was similar. Chronic GVHD at 1 year was 4% after haplo-cord vs 16% after haplo (P < .0001). Haplo or haplo-cord results in similar and encouraging outcomes. Haplo-cord is associated with more rapid neutrophil and platelet recovery and lower acute and chronic GVHD. Institutional review board authorization for this retrospective study was obtained at each institution. Some patients participated in trials registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01810588 and NCT 01050946.
Oncolytic paramyxoviruses-induced autophagy; a prudent weapon for cancer therapy
Authors: Keshavarz Mohsen , Solaymani-Mohammadi Farid , Miri Seyed Mohammad , Ghaemi Amir
Published: June 2019

Oncolytic virotherapy has currently emerged as a promising approach upon which scientists have been able to induce tumor-specific cell death in a broad spectrum of malignancies. Paramyxoviruses represent intrinsic oncolytic capability, which makes them excellent candidates to be widely used in oncolytic virotherapy. The mechanisms through which these viruses destroy the cancerous cells involve triggering the autophagic machinery and apoptosis in target cells. Interestingly, oncolytic paramyxoviruses have been found to induce autophagy and lead to tumor cells death rather than their survival. Indeed, the induction of autophagy has been revealed to enhance the immunogenicity of tumor cells via the release of damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and the activation of autophagy-related immunogenic cell death (ICD). Subsequent cross-presentation of tumor-associated antigens (TAA) through the MHC-I complex to CD8+ T cells results in the productive priming of the tumor-specific immune response. In this review, we first briefly discuss autophagy and explain the process of viral xenophagy. Finally, we focus on the interactions between virus and autophagy proteins, elaborating on the global preclinical studies on oncolytic paramyxoviruses.