bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A 13-year time trend analysis of 3724 small bowel video capsule endoscopies and a forecast model during the financial crisis in Greece
Authors: Triantafyllou Konstantinos , Gkolfakis Paraskevas , Viazis Nikos , Tsibouris Panagiotis , Tsigaridas Athanasios , Apostolopoulos Periklis , Anastasiou John , Hounda Eleni , Skianis Ioannis , Katopodi Konstantina , Ndini Xhoela , Alexandrakis George , Karamanolis Demetrios G.
Published: October 2016

Introduction

Since its introduction, small bowel video capsule endoscopy (VCE) use has evolved considerably.

Aim

Evaluation of the temporal changes of small bowel VCE utilization in three tertiary centers in Greece in Era 1 (2002–2009) and Era 2 (2010–2014) and the development a forecast model for future VCE use during 2015–2017.

Materials and methods

Data from all small bowel VCE examinations were retrieved and analyzed in terms of the annual number of the performed examinations, their indications and the significance of their findings.

Results

Overall, we evaluated 3724 VCE examinations. The number of studies peaked in 2009 (n=595) and then decreased to reach 225 in 2014. Overall, more (53.8 vs. 51.4%) patients with iron-deficiency anemia and obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (IDA/OGIB) and fewer (10.7 vs. 14%) patients with chronic diarrhea were evaluated in Era 2 compared with Era 1 (P=0.046). In Era 2, there were more nondiagnostic examinations (39.5 vs. 29.3%, P<0.001), whereas the rate of cases with relevant findings decreased from 47.8 to 40.9%. According to the time trend analysis, we developed a forecast model with two scenarios: the pessimistic and the optimistic. Validation of the model with 2015 data showed that reality was close to the pessimistic scenario: the number of exams further decreased to 190, studies carried out for IDA/OGIB increased to 67%, and there were more negative than positive exams (40.7 vs. 39.2%).

Conclusion

The number of VCE studies carried out after the emergence of the financial crisis decreased significantly and VCE indications were optimized. Our forecast model predicts lower numbers of VCE studies, with IDA/OGIB being the dominant indication. However, the predicted increase of negative exams requires further evaluation.
Effect of Decentration on the Optical Quality of Two Intraocular Lenses
Authors: Ortiz Carolina , Esteve-Taboada José J. , Belda-Salmerón Lurdes , Monsálvez-Romín Daniel , Domínguez-Vicent Alberto
Published: October 2016

Purpose

To analyze the effect of decentration on the optical quality of two diffractive-refractive intraocular lenses, a bifocal and a trifocal, when displaced laterally (horizontal direction) from the center.

Methods

The AT LISA 809M IOL (+3.75 D add) with two main foci and the AT LISA tri 839MP intraocular lens with three main foci (Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, Jena, Germany) were analyzed. The optical quality of the intraocular lenses was measured with the PMTF (power and modulation transfer function [MTF] measurement for refractive and diffractive intraocular lenses) optical bench (Lambda-X, Nivelles, Belgium). The optical quality of the lenses was evaluated by the MTF at different object vergences, the average modulation in the range of frequencies from 0 to 100 cycles/mm, and the through-focus MTF curves. All measures were recorded when the intraocular lenses were centered and decentered for 3.0- and 4.5-mm apertures. The Strehl ratio and the percentage of energy allocated at each focus at the centered position were also obtained.

Results

Our results showed a lower optical quality with increasing decentration. The MTFs for the diffractive-refractive intraocular lenses decreased when the intraocular lenses were decentered. Also, the relative percentages of light energy allocated at each object vergence, for both intraocular lenses, agreed well with theoretical specifications and were consistent with the overall design of each lens.

Conclusions

The optical quality of these diffractive-refractive multifocal intraocular lenses was slightly reduced when the induced decentration was less than 0.4 mm. For a decentration of 0.4 mm, the maximum difference in average modulation values was about 18% compared to the centered position.
Uterine Serous Carcinomas Frequently Metastasize to the Fallopian Tube and Can Mimic Serous Tubal Intraepithelial Carcinoma
Authors: Kommoss Friedrich , Faruqi Asma , Gilks C. Blake , Lamshang Leen Sarah , Singh Naveena , Wilkinson Nafisa , McCluggage W. Glenn
Published: October 2016

We investigated the frequency, histopathologic, and immunohistochemical characteristics of tubal involvement in uterine serous carcinoma (USC) and aimed to clarify the relationship between “serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC)” and USC in these cases. Cases of USC with complete tubal examination were prospectively collected and reviewed for the presence of tubal involvement. Immunohistochemical analysis for p53 and WT1 was performed on the endometrial and tubal tumor in cases with tubal involvement. Of 161 USC cases (pure USC or a component of a mixed carcinoma or a carcinosarcoma), 32 (20%) showed tubal involvement (unilateral: n=19; bilateral: n=13). The uterine tumors in cases with tubal involvement showed a trend toward increased likelihood of deep myometrial and lymphovascular invasion (LVI) compared with those without tubal involvement. The tubal fimbriae were involved in 15/32 cases. Tubal involvement was mucosal in 30/32 cases, mural in 14/32, serosal in 5/32, invasive in 22/32, and there was LVI in the tube in 13/32. STIC-like features were seen in 17/32 cases (7 as the only pattern of involvement, 9 with associated invasive carcinoma, and 5 with LVI). Immunostaining showed complete concordance of p53 and WT1 between the endometrial and tubal tumors in 26/32 cases, the majority being WT1 negative or only focally positive (19/26), and all exhibiting mutation-type p53 staining. On the basis of the histologic and immunohistochemical features, the tubal tumor was considered to represent metastatic USC in 26/32 cases, most likely metastatic USC in 2/32 cases, an independent tubal primary tumor in 3/32 cases, and to be of uncertain origin in the 1 remaining case. STIC-like lesions were considered to represent metastatic USC in 12/17 cases, most likely metastatic USC in 2/17 cases, an independent tubal primary in 2/17 cases, and of uncertain origin in the 1 remaining case. Tubal involvement, including STIC-like lesions, is seen in one fifth of USC when the tubes are examined in their entirety. The tubal involvement is metastatic in the vast majority of cases. Immunohistochemical studies assist, in most cases, in confirming the metastatic nature of the tubal disease. Consideration should be given to completely examining the fallopian tubes in apparent stage I or II USCs, as this will result in upstaging in a significant minority of cases.
A Comparison of Morphologic and Molecular Features of BRAF, ALK, and NTRK1 Fusion Spitzoid Neoplasms
Authors: Amin Sapna M. , Haugh Alexandra M. , Lee Christina Y. , Zhang Bin , Bubley Jeffrey A. , Merkel Emily A. , Verzì Anna Elisa , Gerami Pedram
Published: October 2016

Recent studies have identified translocations involving the kinase domains of ALK, NTRK1, BRAF, RET, and ROS in spitzoid neoplasms. Subsequent studies have also characterized morphologic features corresponding to ALK and NTRK1 translocations. In this study, we sought to further compare morphologic features across a range of 49 genetically defined spitzoid neoplasms with ALK, NTRK1, BRAF, or RET fusions to determine discriminating features. We also compared them with a group of 22 spitzoid neoplasms, which were confirmed to be negative for fusions in ALK, NTRK1, BRAF, and RET. Features with the highest discriminatory value included diameter of the lesion, dermal architecture, and certain cytomorphologic features. Specifically, cases with a large diameter (≥9 mm) and wedge-shaped, plexiform dermal architecture of nests of large, spindle-shaped cells were most likely to have an ALK fusion. NTRK1-fused cases were most likely of the fusions to have Kamino bodies and were typically arranged in smaller nests with smaller predominantly spindle-shaped cells, occasionally forming rosettes. BRAF fusion cases were the only fusion subtype to have a predominance of epithelioid cells, were less organized in nests, and commonly had a sheet-like growth pattern or dysplastic Spitz architecture. BRAF fusion cases were most likely to have high-grade nuclear atypia, to be diagnosed as spitzoid melanoma, to have a positive result by melanoma fluorescence in situ hybridization assay, and to develop copy number gains in the kinase domain of the fusion protein. On the basis of experience from this cohort, BRAF-fused cases appear most likely to progress to melanoma.
Patterns of Postoperative Delirium in Children*
Authors: Meyburg Jochen , Dill Mona-Lisa , Traube Chani , Silver Gabrielle , von Haken Rebecca
Published: October 2016

Objective:

Intensive care delirium is a substantial problem in adults. Intensive care delirium is increasingly recognized in pediatrics in parallel with the development of specific scoring systems for children. However, little is known about the fluctuating course of intensive care delirium in children after surgery and possible implications on diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Design:

Patients that needed treatment in the PICU following elective surgery were screened for intensive care delirium with the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium. When the patients were awake (Richmond Agitation and Sedation Score > -3), two trained investigators conducted the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium twice daily for five consecutive days.

Patients:

Ninety-three patients aged 0 to 17 years.

Interventions:

Eight hundred forty-five assessments completed.

Measurements and Main Results:

Of the 845 scores, 230 were consistent with delirium (27.2%). Sixty-one patients (65.5%) were diagnosed with intensive care delirium. Half of these patients (n = 30; 32.2%) had a short-lasting delirium that resolved within 24 hours, and half (n = 31; 33.3%) had delirium of longer duration. Delirium could be clearly distinguished from sedation by analysis of individual test items of the Cornell Assessment of Pediatric Delirium. Time spent delirious had a measurable effect on outcome variables, including hospital length of stay.

Conclusion:

Most postoperative PICU patients develop intensive care delirium. Some have a short-lasting course, which underlines the need for early screening. Our findings support the view of delirium as a continuum of acute neurocognitive disorder. Further research is needed to investigate prophylactic and treatment approaches for intensive care delirium.
Empirical Bayes estimation of semi-parametric hierarchical mixture models for unbiased characterization of polygenic disease architectures
Authors: Nishino Jo , Kochi Yuta , Shigemizu Daichi , Kato Mamoru , Ikari Katsunori , Ochi Hidenori , Noma Hisashi , Matsui Kota , Morizono Takashi , Boroevich Keith A , Tsunoda Tatsuhiko , Matsui Shigeyuki
Published: October 2016

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) suggest that the genetic architecture of complex diseases consists of unexpectedly numerous variants with small effect sizes. However, the polygenic architectures of many diseases have not been well characterized due to lack of simple and fast methods for unbiased estimation of the underlying proportion of disease-associated variants and their effect-size distribution. Applying empirical Bayes estimation of semi-parametric hierarchical mixture models to GWAS summary statistics, we confirmed that schizophrenia was extremely polygenic (∼ 40% risk variants of independent genome-wide SNPs, most within odds ratio (OR)=1.03), whereas rheumatoid arthritis was less polygenic (∼ 4 to 8% risk variants, significant portion reaching OR=1.05 to 1.1). For rheumatoid arthritis, stratified estimations revealed that expression quantitative loci in blood explained large genetic variance, and low- and high-frequency derived alleles were prone to be risk and protective, respectively, suggesting a predominance of deleterious-risk and advantageous-protective mutation. Despite genetic correlation, effect-size distributions for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder differed across allele frequency. These analyses distinguished disease polygenic architectures and provided clues for etiological differences in complex diseases.
Bees Without Flowers: Before Peak Bloom, Diverse Native Bees Visit Insect-produced Honeydew Sugars
Authors: Meiners Joan M. , Griswold Terry L. , Harris David J. , Ernest S.K. Morgan
Published: October 2016

Bee foragers respond to complex visual, olfactory, and extrasensory cues to optimize searches for floral rewards. Their abilities to detect and distinguish floral colors, shapes, volatiles, and ultraviolet signals, and even gauge nectar availability from changes in floral humidity or electric fields are well studied. Bee foraging behaviors in the absence of floral cues, however, are rarely considered. We observed forty-four species of wild bees visiting inconspicuous, non-flowering shrubs during early spring in a protected, Mediterranean habitat. We determined experimentally that these bees were accessing sugary honeydew secretions from scale insects without the aid of standard cues. While honeydew use is known among some social Hymenoptera, its use across a diverse community of mostly solitary bees is a novel observation. The widespread ability of native bees to locate and use unadvertised, non-floral sugars suggests unappreciated sensory mechanisms and/or the existence of a social foraging network among solitary bees that may influence how native bee communities cope with increasing environmental change.
Selection Corrected Statistical Inference for Region Detection with High-throughput Assays
Authors: Benjamini Yuval , Taylor Jonathan , Irizarry Rafael A.
Published: October 2016

Scientists use high-dimensional measurement assays to detect and prioritize regions of strong signal in a spatially organized domain. Examples include finding methylation enriched genomic regions using microarrays and identifying active cortical areas using brain-imaging. The most common procedure for detecting potential regions is to group together neighboring sites where the signal passed a threshold. However, one needs to account for the selection bias induced by this opportunistic procedure to avoid diminishing effects when generalizing to a population. In this paper, we present a model and a method that permit population inference for these detected regions. In particular, we provide non-asymptotic point and confidence interval estimates for mean effect in the region, which account for the local selection bias and the non-stationary covariance that is typical of these data. Such summaries allow researchers to better compare regions of different sizes and different correlation structures. Inference is provided within a conditional one-parameter exponential family for each region, with truncations that match the constraints of selection. A secondary screening-and-adjustment step allows pruning the set of detected regions, while controlling the false-coverage rate for the set of regions that are reported. We illustrate the benefits of the method by applying it to detected genomic regions with differing DNA-methylation rates across tissue types. Our method is shown to provide superior power compared to non-parametric approaches.
Shorter neural adaptation to sounds accounts for dyslexics’ abnormal perceptual and reading dynamics
Authors: Jaffe-Dax Sagi , Frenkel Orr , Ahissar Merav
Published: October 2016

Dyslexia is a prevalent reading disability whose underlying mechanisms are still disputed. We studied the neural mechanisms underlying dyslexia using a simple frequency-discrimination task. Though participants were asked to compare the 2-tones in each trial, implicit memory of previous trials affected their responses. We hypothesized that implicit memory decays faster among dyslexics. We tested this by increasing the temporal intervals between consecutive trials, and measuring the behavioral impact and ERP responses from the auditory cortex. Dyslexics showed a faster decay of implicit memory effects on both measures, with similar time constants. Finally, faster decay also characterized dyslexics’ benefits in oral reading rate. It decreased faster as a function of the time interval from the previous reading of the same non-word. We propose that dyslexics’ shorter neural adaptation paradoxically accounts for their longer reading times, since it induces noisier and less reliable predictions for both simple and complex stimuli.
Estimating the implicit component of visuomotor rotation learning by constraining movement preparation time
Authors: Leow Li-Ann , Gunn Reece , Marinovic Welber , Carroll Timothy J
Published: October 2016

When sensory feedback is perturbed, accurate movement is restored by a combination of implicit processes and deliberate re-aiming to strategically compensate for errors. Here, we directly compare two methods used previously to dissociate implicit from explicit learning on a trial-by-trial basis: 1) asking participants to report the direction that they aim their movements, and contrasting this with the directions of the target and the movement that they actually produce, 2) manipulating movement preparation time. By instructing participants to re-aim without a sensory perturbation, we show that re-aiming is possible even with the shortest possible preparation times, particularly when targets are narrowly distributed. Nonetheless, re-aiming is effortful and comes at the cost of increased variability, so we tested whether constraining preparation time is sufficient to suppress strategic re-aiming during adaptation to visuomotor rotation with a broad target distribution. The rate and extent of error reduction under preparation time constraints were similar to estimates of implicit learning obtained from self-report without time pressure, suggesting that participants chose not to apply a re-aiming strategy to correct visual errors under time pressure. Surprisingly, participants who reported aiming directions showed less implicit learning according to an alternative measure, obtained during trials performed without visual feedback. This suggests that the process of reporting can affect the extent or persistence of implicit learning. The data extend existing evidence that restricting preparation time can suppress explicit re-aiming, and provide an estimate of implicit visuomotor rotation learning that does not require participants to report their aiming directions.

New and Noteworthy

During sensorimotor adaptation, implicit, error-driven learning can be isolated from explicit strategy-driven re-aiming by subtracting self-reported aiming directions from movement directions, or by restricting movement preparation time. Here, we compared the two methods. Restricting preparation times did not eliminate re-aiming, but was sufficient to suppress reaiming during adaptation with widely-distributed targets. The self-report method produced a discrepancy in implicit learning estimated by subtracting aiming directions, and implicit learning measured in no-feedback trials.
Fidelity of parent-offspring transmission and the evolution of social behavior in structured populations
Authors: Débarre F.
Published: October 2016

The theoretical investigation of how spatial structure affects the evolution of social behavior has mostly been done under the assumption that parent-offspring strategy transmission is perfect,i.e., for genetically transmitted traits, that mutation is very weak or absent. Here, we investigate the evolution of social behavior in structured populations under arbitrary mutation probabilities. We consider populations of fixed sizeN, structured such that in the absence of selection, all individuals have the same probability of reproducing or dying (neutral reproductive values are the all same). Two types of individuals,AandB, corresponding to two types of social behavior, are competing; the fidelity of strategy transmission from parent to offspring is tuned by a parameterμ. Social interactions have a direct effect on individual fecundities. Under the assumption of small phenotypic differences (implyingweak selection), we provide a formula for the expected frequency of typeAindividuals in the population, and deduce conditions for the long-term success of one strategy against another. We then illustrate our results with three common life-cycles (Wright-Fisher, Moran Birth-Death and Moran Death-Birth), and specific population structures (graph-structured populations). Qualitatively, we find that some life-cycles (Moran Birth-Death, Wright-Fisher) prevent the evolution of altruistic behavior, confirming previous results obtained with perfect strategy transmission. We also show that computing the expected frequency of altruists on a regular graph may require knowing more than just the graph’s size and degree.
Structure and third-order nonlinear optical properties of the two-dimensional CoIIcoordination polymer [Co(1,2-BIB)(PA)]n{1,2-BIB is 1,2-bis[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene and H2PA is phthalic acid}
Authors: Liu Ping , Liu Qiuxia , Zhao Ning , An Caixia , Lian Zhaoxun
Published: October 2016

The design of nonlinear optical (NLO) materials with large NLO responses has been a challenge for materials scientists and chemists. Recently, organic polymers have received attention regarding their NLO properties and fast nonlinear response, and clusters involving delocalizeddπ–pπ systems and conjugateddπ–pπ systems are expected to be a new class of NLO materials. Metal–organic coordination polymers combine the advantages of the organic and inorganic species. Thus far, tuning the third-order NLO properties of these materials has been a significant challenge. A two-dimensional coordination polymer, namely poly[(μ-benzene-1,2-dicarboxylato-κ3O1,O1′:O3){μ-1,2-bis[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene-κ2N3:N3′}cobalt(II)], [Co(C8H4O4)(C14H14N4)]n, was synthesized by hydrothermal methods. In the structure, the CoIIion is pentacoordinated by two N atoms from two different 1,2-bis[(1H-imidazol-1-yl)methyl]benzene (1,2-BIB) ligands and three O atoms from two symmetry-related benzene-1,2-dicarboxylate (isophthalate, PA) anions. The pentacoordinated CoIIions are linked by PA ligands to form a chain structure parallel to thecaxis. Adjacent chains are further connected by 1,2-BIB ligands to produce a two-dimensional layered structure. The compound exhibits strong third-order nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction effects as a thin film. The third-order susceptibility χ(3)is calculated to be 1.07 × 10−8esu, which is much larger than the values found for pure inorganic semiconductors and some polymers.
Engineering crystals that facilitate the acyl-transfer reaction: insight from a comparison of the crystal structures ofmyo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived benzoates and carbonates
Authors: Tamboli Majid I. , Krishanaswamy Shobhana , Gonnade Rajesh G. , Shashidhar Mysore S.
Published: October 2016

Minor variations in the molecular structure of constituent molecules of reactive crystals often yield crystals with significantly different properties due to altered modes of molecular association in the solid state. Hence, these studies could provide a better understanding of the complex chemical processes occurring in the crystalline state. However, reactions that proceed efficiently in molecular crystals are only a small fraction of the reactions that are known to proceed (with comparable efficiency) in the solution state. Hence, for consistent progress in this area of research, investigation of newer reactive molecular crystals which support different kinds of reactions and their related systems is essential. The crystal structures and acyl-transfer reactivity of amyo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived dibenzoate and its carbonate (4-O-benzoyl-2-O-phenoxycarbonyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate, C21H18O9) and thiocarbonate (4-O-benzoyl-2-O-phenoxythiocarbonyl-myo-inositol 1,3,5-orthoformate, C21H18O8S) analogs are compared with the aim of understanding the relationship between crystal structure and acyl-transfer reactivity. Insertion of an O atom in the acyl (or thioacyl) group of an ester gives the corresponding carbonate (or thiocarbonate). This seemingly minor change in molecular structure results in a considerable change in the packing of the molecules in the crystals ofmyo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived benzoates and the corresponding carbonates. These differences result in a lack of intermolecular acyl-transfer reactivity in crystals ofmyo-inositol-1,3,5-orthoformate-derived carbonates. Hence, this study illustrates the sensitivity of the relative orientation of molecules, their packing and ensuing changes in the reactivity of resulting crystals to minor changes in molecular structure.
Crystal structures of a yeast 14-3-3 protein fromLachancea thermotoleransin the unliganded form and bound to a human lipid kinase PI4KB-derived peptide reveal high evolutionary conservation
Authors: Eisenreichova Andrea , Klima Martin , Boura Evzen
Published: October 2016

14-3-3 proteins bind phosphorylated binding partners to regulate several of their properties, including enzymatic activity, stability and subcellular localization. Here, two crystal structures are presented: the crystal structures of the 14-3-3 protein (also known as Bmh1) from the yeastLachancea thermotoleransin the unliganded form and bound to a phosphopeptide derived from human PI4KB (phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase B). The structures demonstrate the high evolutionary conservation of ligand recognition by 14-3-3 proteins. The structural analysis suggests that ligand recognition by 14-3-3 proteins evolved very early in the evolution of eukaryotes and remained conserved, underlying the importance of 14-3-3 proteins in physiology.
Crystal structure of a phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase from the hyperthermophilic archaeonThermococcus kodakaraensis
Authors: Perveen Sumera , Rashid Naeem , Papageorgiou Anastassios C.
Published: October 2016

A phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerase,TkTrpF, fromThermococcus kodakaraensiswas expressed inEscherichia coliand purified to homogeneity.TkTrpF was crystallized and its structure was determined by molecular replacement in two different space groups (C2 andP1) using data to 1.85 and 1.75 Å resolution, respectively.TkTrpF belongs to the class of TIM-barrel proteins. Structural comparison with other phosphoribosyl anthranilate isomerases (TrpFs) showed the highest structural similarity toPyrococcus furiosusTrpF. Similarly toP. furiosusTrpF,TkTrpF is a monomer in solution, in contrast to other thermophilic enzymes, which exist as functional dimers. Although in space groupP1TkTrpF crystallizes with two molecules in the asymmetric unit, the interface is highly improbable in solution. Potential factors for the thermostability ofTkTrpF were attributed to an increase in helical structure, an increased number of charged residues and an increase in the number of salt bridges.
Stakeholder analysis for Lean Six Sigma project management
Authors: Elias Arun Abraham
Published: October 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to illustrate the usefulness of stakeholder analysis for managing Lean Six Sigma (LSS) projects effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on an LSS case study that was initiated in a New Zealand public sector organisation.

Findings

A ten-step stakeholder analysis framework was applied to a public sector organisation in New Zealand. This analysis identified the stakeholders and their stakes, analysed the efficiency of their stakeholder management processes and evaluated the effectiveness of transactions between the stakeholders and the LSS project management. It also captured the changing salience of stakeholders during an LSS project.

Practical implications

The stakeholder analysis framework illustrated in this paper provides a practical toolset for managers involved in LSS projects.

Originality/value

Although some LSS experts have conducted a preliminary stakeholder analysis, the LSS literature lacks concrete examples of a thorough stakeholder analysis. This study tries to address this research gap by illustrating a stakeholder analysis framework for a New Zealand-based LSS project.
Relationship between electronic journal downloads and citations in library consortia
Authors: Singson Mangkhollen , Thiyagarajan S. , Leeladharan M.
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between electronic journal downloads and citations and whether online electronic resource usage can be adopted as an alternative to citation for evaluation of scholarly discourse.

Design/methodology/approach

A consolidated 16 publishers’ COUNTER usage data of UGC-Infonet members was collected from INFLIBNET Centre. The usage was meticulously filtered from UGC-subscribed journals and institutional subscriptions. The quantitative data were analysed to establish the relationship between download, impact factor (IF) and price. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the influence of price and IF on usage and to predict the usage when they are known and the threshold for significance was set at p < 0.05.

Findings

There exists a relationship between IF and downloads of journals in UGC-Infonet. Journal IF and price significantly influence usage, where journal IF plays an important role in the intensity of the use. Also, the top 25 hottest downloaded papers were journals with IF; hence, no journal without IF featured in the top 25 most downloaded journals in the consortia. The relationship between the top 25 IF journals in the consortia and download is strong (r = 0.368537).

Originality/value

The only account that reports on the relationship between journal IFs and downloads for UGC-Infonet consortia. Also, the influence of usage behaviour with respect to citation and price of a journal.
Surpassing the business model: a public sphere approach to public library management
Authors: Koizumi Masanori , Widdersheim Michael M.
Published: October 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the characteristics of the public sphere with those of a shared value approach and better understand the value that public libraries can offer to management theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses two methods. First, this study uses a systematic literature review to identify sources relevant to shared value and the public sphere in public libraries. Next, this study uses comparative theoretical analysis using data gathered from the systematic review to analyse the two theories.

Findings

This study successfully describes the similarities and differences between “shared value” and the “public sphere in public libraries”.

Originality/value

This study elucidates public library innovation from the perspectives of library management and the public sphere concept.
Livedoid vasculopathy and popliteal artery occlusion in a patient with protein S deficiency
Authors: Nakayama Takayuki , Mizutani Kentaro , Hanamura Ichiro , Kato Hidefumi , Takami Akiyoshi , Takeshita Kyosuke , Watanabe Daisuke
Published: October 2016

Livedoid vasculopathy (LV) is a chronic disease with recurrent reticularis and ulcers, mainly affecting the feet and lower legs. The pathogenesis of LV has not been yet thoroughly understood, but thrombosis is thought to play a major role because fibrin deposition within both the wall and lumen of affected vessels is pathologically detected. A 68‐year‐old woman first presented to our hospital in 2004 with a 6‐year history of a reticular rash and ulceration on the lower legs. Screening tests for vasculitis and collagen disease were mostly normal, leading to diagnosis of LV. After failed treatment with steroid and aspirin, she was started on warfarin, to which she had a favorable response. However, she had to be admitted to the hospital because complication of swelling and infection in her left lower leg in 2004 + 10. Contrast‐enhanced computed tomography showed thrombosis in the left popliteal artery. Screening tests for thrombotic tendency revealed that protein S activity was low (27%) although total protein S antigen was within normal range (73%). Analysis of protein S‐alpha gene revealed 155 Lys>Glu mutation in exon VI, which was reported in 1994 and named as protein S Tokushima. Thus, we conclude that protein S deficiency could contribute to LV.
Flammability as an ecological and evolutionary driver
Authors: Pausas Juli G. , Keeley Jon E. , Schwilk Dylan W.
Published: October 2016

We live on a flammable planet yet there is little consensus on the origin and evolution of flammability in our flora.

We argue that part of the problem lies in the concept of flammability, which should not be viewed as a single quantitative trait or metric. Rather, we propose that flammability has three major dimensions that are not necessarily correlated: ignitability, heat release and fire spread rate. These major axes of variation are controlled by different plant traits and have differing ecological impacts during fire.

At the individual plant scale, these traits define three flammability strategies observed in fire‐prone ecosystems: the non‐flammable, the fast‐flammable and the hot‐flammable strategy (with low ignitability, high flame spread rate and high heat release, respectively). These strategies increase the survival or reproduction under recurrent fires, and thus, plants in fire‐prone ecosystems benefit from acquiring one of them; they represent different (alternative) ways to live under recurrent fires.

Synthesis. This novel framework based on different flammability strategies helps us to understand variability in flammability across scales, and provides a basis for further research.
To what extent does diagnosis matter? Dementia diagnosis, trouble interpretation and caregiving network dynamics
Authors: Brossard Baptiste , Carpentier Normand
Published: October 2016

Contemporary research into health treats diagnosis as a central step in illness management and trajectories. Most public health policies, especially in the case of Alzheimer’s disease, claim that the earlier a diagnosis is made, the better it is for patients and caregivers. Quantitative and qualitative analysis from our longitudinal interview study, conducted with 60 caregivers of persons diagnosed with dementia, shows that this usual model of diagnosis [symptoms → diagnosis → meaning and caregiving] should be nuanced. First, diagnosis does not follow increased symptoms, but occurs rather through a process involving the observability of patients’ troubles and their interpretation of said troubles as requiring medical assistance ‐the ‘trouble?observability?interpretation convergence.’ Second, diagnosis does not systematically trigger the mobilisation of a caregiving network: such mobilisation may follow the diagnosis, but it can also provoke it, temporarily prevent it, or have no immediate impact. These observations beg the question: To what extent does diagnosis matter? We conclude by questioning the centrality of diagnosis in the illness trajectories and its crucial role in the mobilisation of a caregiving network, that is often taken for granted, and propose to distinguish between ‘anticipation diagnosis’ and ‘emergency diagnosis’.
Avoiding the ‘SoHo Effect’ in Baltimore: Neighborhood Revitalization and Arts and Entertainment Districts
Authors: Rich Meghan Ashlin , Tsitsos William
Published: October 2016

This article investigates how state‐sponsored ‘arts and cultural districts' and ‘creative placemaking' revitalization strategies affect urban neighborhoods, using the Station North Arts & Entertainment (A&E) District in Baltimore, Maryland (USA) as a case study. Through ethnographic participatory methods and 39 qualitative interviews, we studied the activities and attitudes of various stakeholders within Station North. Since its designation as an arts and entertainment district in 2002, a number of public–private partnerships have helped increase home values in Station North, suggesting that the ‘branding' of Station North has been successful. While the institutions involved in the district, including community development corporations and local universities, are careful to insist that they do not want to displace low‐income residents, many interviewees expressed concerns that these institutions exert influence outweighing that of longtime residents. While a certain level of gentrification has occurred with the arrival of new residents, we argue that the people who are most likely to be displaced from the arts and entertainment district in the future are, paradoxically, artists, especially those who wish to buy homes and settle in the district. After discussing the case of Station North, we consider broader implications of the use of arts for urban revitalization.
An economic evaluation of planned immediate versus delayed birth for preterm prelabour rupture of membranes: findings from the PPROMT randomised controlled trial
Authors: Lain SJ , Roberts CL , Bond DM , Smith J , Morris JM
Published: October 2016

Objective

This study is an economic evaluation of immediate birth compared with expectant management in women with preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes near term (PPROMT).

Design

A cost‐effectiveness analysis alongside the PPROMT randomised controlled trial.

Setting

Obstetric departments in 65 hospitals across 11 countries.

Population

Women with a singleton pregnancy with ruptured membranes between 34+0 and 36+6 weeks gestation.

Methods

Women were randomly allocated to immediate birth or expectant management. Costs to the health system were identified and valued. National hospital costing data from both the UK and Australia were used. Average cost per recruit in each arm was calculated and 95% confidence intervals were estimated using bootstrap re‐sampling. Averages costs during antenatal care, delivery and postnatal care, and by country were estimated.

Main outcomes measures

Total mean cost difference between immediate birth and expectant management arms of the trial.

Results

From 11 countries 923 women were randomised to immediate birth and 912 were randomised to expectant management. Total mean costs per recruit were £8852 for immediate birth and £8740 for expectant delivery resulting in a mean difference in costs of £112 (95% CI: −431 to 662). The expectant management arm had significantly higher antenatal costs, whereas the immediate birth arm had significantly higher delivery and neonatal costs. There was large variation between total mean costs by country.

Conclusion

This economic evaluation found no evidence that expectant management was more or less costly than immediate birth. Outpatient management may offer opportunities for cost savings for those women with delayed delivery.

Tweetable abstract

For women with preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes, the relative benefits and harms of immediate and expectant management should inform counselling as costs are similar.
Medical therapies for heavy menstrual bleeding in women with uterine fibroids: a retrospective analysis of a large commercially insured population in the USA
Authors: Yao X , Stewart EA , Laughlin‐Tommaso SK , Heien HC , Borah BJ
Published: October 2016

Objectives

To report patterns and patient characteristics associated with initiation of and persistence with medical therapies for uterine fibroid‐related heavy menstrual bleeding.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

US commercial insurance claims database.

Population

41 561 women aged 18–54 years with uterine fibroids and heavy menstrual bleeding who initiated medical therapies from January 2000 through December 2013.

Method

Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess patient characteristics associated with initiation and persistence. Cox proportional hazards regression was used on propensity score‐matched cohorts to examine change from index medication.

Main outcomes measures

Initiation of and persistence with four first‐line medical therapies: short‐ and long‐acting reversible contraceptive steroids, leuprolide acetate, and tranexamic acid.

Results

Most women (79.4%) took short‐acting reversible contraceptive steroids as first‐line therapy (index medication), whereas 9.5%, 8.5%, and 2.7% used long‐acting reversible contraceptive steroids, leuprolide acetate, and tranexamic acid, respectively. During follow‐up, 16 594 women (39.9%) switched to nonindex medication (18.4%) or procedural treatment (81.6%). In comparison with women taking short‐acting steroids, those receiving long‐acting steroids were less likely to switch [hazard ratio (HR) 0.84, 95% CI 0.79–0.91], whereas women taking leuprolide acetate (HR 2.44, 95% CI 2.27–2.62) or tranexamic acid (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.26–1.65) were more likely to switch. Older age, emergency department visits, anaemia, and inflammatory disease diagnoses at baseline were associated with increased probability of discontinuing the index medication or switching to another therapy.

Conclusions

Women with uterine fibroid‐related heavy menstrual bleeding were more likely to persist with their initial therapy of long‐acting reversible contraceptive steroid compared with other medical options.

Tweetable Abstract

80% women with fibroid‐related heavy menstrual bleeding use SARC, but LARC users are more persistent.
Devising Strategic Plans to improve Organizational Performance of Intergovernmental Organizations
Authors: Federo Ryan , Saz‐Carranza Angel
Published: October 2016

This article discusses how intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) can use different strategic planning approaches in devising strategic plans to improve organizational performance. Six strategic planning approaches from the business sector are highlighted in this study. Each of the strategic planning approaches specifically addresses a core aspect of the strategic planning process. Thus, this article posits that an IGO must choose the most appropriate strategic planning approach depending on its specific organizational design features: membership, control, scope, centralization, flexibility, and independence. We argue that an IGO's design features affect its decision‐making, organizational performance orientation, and legitimacy, and these, in turn should determine whether it opts for member‐driven, results‐driven, or environment‐driven strategies. This article also explores how IGOs can complementary combine distinct approaches to maximize the benefits from strategic planning by determining how one approach compensates the limitation of another in devising strategic plans. This article ultimately produces a framework to provide propositions for researchers, and a tool for IGO leaders to identify the optimum strategic planning approach to help improve organizational performance.
Analysis of clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase‐positive and surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Tao Hong , Cai Yiran , Shi Liang , Tang Junfang , Liu Zhidong , Wang Zitong , Bai Lianqi , Liu Zhe
Published: October 2016

Background

Recent research into lung cancer‐related driver genes has identified a distinctive molecular subtype of non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) – anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)‐positive NSCLC. We evaluated the clinical features and survival rates of ALK‐positive lung adenocarcinoma patients who had undergone surgery but had not received ALK inhibitor therapy, along with the characteristics of patients with distant metastases.

Methods

Clinical data of 40 patients with ALK‐positive, postsurgical lung adenocarcinoma were retrospectively analyzed. Relationships between the patients’ clinical characteristics, distant metastases, and their disease‐free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were assessed.

Results

Most patients were relatively young, never‐smokers, had peripheral tumors, and the tumors were either moderately or poorly differentiated. The most common organ of distant metastases was the brain. The median time from surgery to brain metastasis was 17.2 months. The median OS following brain metastasis was 9.4 months. DFS in patients with early stage disease, peripheral tumors, no lymph node metastases, and treated with adjuvant therapy was significantly longer than for those with late stage disease (P = 0.015), central tumors (P = 0.000), lymph node metastases (P = 0.026), and not treated with adjuvant therapy (P = 0.000). Patients with early stage disease, peripheral tumors, and treated with adjuvant therapy obtained markedly longer OS than those with late stage disease (P = 0.021), central tumors (P = 0.003), and not treated with adjuvant therapy (P = 0.006).

Conclusion

Patients with ALK‐positive surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma have distinctive clinical characteristics. The brain is the most common site of extrapulmonary metastasis. Survival is associated with stage, tumor location, and the administration of adjuvant therapy.
Point‐of‐care Ultrasound for Diagnosis of Abscess in Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
Authors: Subramaniam Sathyaseelan , Bober Jacqueline , Chao Jennifer , Zehtabchi Shahriar
Published: October 2016

Background

Traditionally, emergency department (ED) physicians rely on their clinical examination to differentiate between cellulitis and abscess when evaluating skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). Management of an abscess requires incision and drainage, whereas cellulitis generally requires a course of antibiotics. Misdiagnosis often results in unnecessary invasive procedures, sedations (for incision and drainage in pediatric patients), or a return ED visit for failed antibiotic therapy.

Objective

The objective was to describe the operating characteristics of point‐of‐care ultrasound (POCUS) compared to clinical examination in identifying abscesses in ED patients with SSTI.

Methods

We systematically searched Medline, Web of Science, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane Library databases from inception until May 2015. Trials comparing POCUS with clinical examination to identify abscesses when evaluating SSTI in the ED were included. Trials that included intraoral abscesses or abscess drainage in the operating room were excluded. The presence of an abscess was defined by drainage of pus. The absence of an abscess was defined as no pus drainage upon incision and drainage or resolution of SSTI without pus drainage at follow‐up. Quality of trials was assessed using the QUADAS‐2 tool. Operating characteristics were reported as sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and negative likelihood ratio (LR−), with their respective 95% confidence intervals (CI). Summary measures were calculated by generating a hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) model.

Results

Of 3,203 references identified, six observational studies (four pediatric trials and two adult trials) with a total of 800 patients were included. Two trials compared clinical examination with clinical examination plus POCUS. The other four trials directly compared clinical examination to POCUS. The POCUS HSROC revealed a sensitivity of 97% (95% CI = 94% to 98%), specificity of 83% (95% CI = 75% to 88%), LR+ of 5.5 (95% CI = 3.7 to 8.2), and LR− of 0.04 (95% CI = 0.02 to 0.08).

Conclusion

Existing evidence indicates that POCUS is useful in identifying abscess in ED patients with SSTI. In cases where physical examination is equivocal, POCUS can assist physicians to distinguish abscess from cellulitis.
A Potentially Heteroglossic Policy Becomes Monoglossic in Context: An Ethnographic Analysis of Paraguayan Bilingual Education Policy
Authors: Mortimer Katherine S.
Published: October 2016

Ethnographic and discursive approaches to educational language policy (ELP) that explore how policy is appropriated in context are important for understanding policy success/failure in meeting goals of educational equity for language‐minoritized students. This study describes how Paraguayan national policy for universal bilingual education successfully disrupted the traditional exclusion of Guarani from education, but it has failed so far to disrupt hegemonic monoglossic ideologies that continue to exclude Guarani‐dominant students from high‐quality education.