bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling and evaluating user behavior in exploratory visual analysis
Authors: Reda Khairi , Johnson Andrew E. , Papka Michael E. , Leigh Jason
Published: March 2016

Empirical evaluation methods for visualizations have traditionally focused on assessing the outcome of the visual analytic process as opposed to characterizing how that process unfolds. There are only a handful of methods that can be used to systematically study how people use visualizations, making it difficult for researchers to capture and characterize the subtlety of cognitive and interaction behaviors users exhibit during visual analysis. To validate and improve visualization design, it is important for researchers to be able to assess and understand how users interact with visualization systems under realistic scenarios. This article presents a methodology for modeling and evaluating the behavior of users in exploratory visual analysis. We model visual exploration using a Markov chain process comprising transitions between mental, interaction, and computational states. These states and the transitions between them can be deduced from a variety of sources, including verbal transcripts, videos and audio recordings, and log files. This model enables the evaluator to characterize the cognitive and computational processes that are essential to insight acquisition in exploratory visual analysis and reconstruct the dynamics of interaction between the user and the visualization system. We illustrate this model with two exemplar user studies, and demonstrate the qualitative and quantitative analytical tools it affords.
Sensor and software use for the glycaemic management of insulin-treated type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients
Authors: Ajjan Ramzi A , Abougila Kamal , Bellary Srikanth , Collier Andrew , Franke Bernd , Jude Edward B , Rayman Gerry , Robinson Anthony , Singh Baldev M
Published: March 2016

Lowering glucose levels, while avoiding hypoglycaemia, can be challenging in insulin-treated patients with diabetes. We evaluated the role of ambulatory glucose profile in optimising glycaemic control in this population. Insulin-treated patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes were recruited into a prospective, multicentre, 100-day study and randomised to control ( n = 28) or intervention ( n = 59) groups. The intervention group used ambulatory glucose profile, generated by continuous glucose monitoring, to assess daily glucose levels, whereas the controls relied on capillary glucose testing. Patients were reviewed at days 30 and 45 by the health care professional to adjust insulin therapy. Comparing first and last 2 weeks of the study, ambulatory glucose profile–monitored type 2 diabetes patients ( n = 28) showed increased time in euglycaemia (mean ± standard deviation) by 1.4 ± 3.5 h/day ( p = 0.0427) associated with reduction in HbA1c from 77 ± 15 to 67 ± 13 mmol/mol ( p = 0.0002) without increased hypoglycaemia. Type 1 diabetes patients ( n = 25) showed reduction in hypoglycaemia from 1.4 ± 1.7 to 0.8 ± 0.8 h/day ( p = 0.0472) associated with a marginal HbA1c decrease from 75 ± 10 to 72 ± 8 mmol/mol ( p = 0.0508). Largely similar findings were observed comparing intervention and control groups at end of study. In conclusion, ambulatory glucose profile helps glycaemic management in insulin-treated diabetes patients by increasing time spent in euglycaemia and decreasing HbA1c in type 2 diabetes patients, while reducing hypoglycaemia in type 1 diabetes patients.
Community Disadvantage, Prosocial Bonds, and Juvenile Reoffending
Authors: Intravia Jonathan , Pelletier Emily , Wolff Kevin T. , Baglivio Michael T.
Published: March 2016

Prior efforts suggest that adverse community contexts have the ability to impact juvenile recidivism. However, far less research has examined the indirect effects of community disadvantage on delinquent youth reoffending. As a result, it remains unclear whether several theoretically relevant mechanisms mediate the effects of disadvantage on continued delinquent behavior. Drawing from theoretical models of contextual effects, as well as social control theory, the present study examines whether prosocial bonds are salient mechanisms in the context–recidivism relationship. Using a sample of over 20,000 juvenile offenders, our results indicate that both prosocial relationships and prosocial activities partially mediate the effect of community disadvantage on youth reoffending. Findings from the current study are discussed, along with policy implications and directions for future research in this area.
Blue Zones
Authors: Buettner Dan , Skemp Sam
Published: March 2016

What began as a National Geographic expedition, lead by Dan Buettner, to uncover the secrets of longevity, evolved into the discovery of the 5 places around the world where people consistently live over 100 years old, dubbed the Blue Zones. Dan and his team of demographers, scientist and anthropologists were able to distill the evidence-based common denominators of these Blue Zones into 9 commonalities that they call the Power 9. They have since taken these principles into communities across the United States working with policy makers, local businesses, schools and individuals to shape the environments of the Blue Zones Project Communities. What has been found is that putting the responsibility of curating a healthy environment on an individual does not work, but through policy and environmental changes the Blue Zones Project Communities have been able to increase life expectancy, reduce obesity and make the healthy choice the easy choice for millions of Americans.
Effect of Online Training on Antenatal Physical Activity Counseling
Authors: Leiferman Jenn , Gutilla Margaret J. , Nicklas Jacinda Mawson , Paulson James
Published: March 2016

Objective: The objective of this study was to test the effect of an online education intervention on providers’ attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and practices pertaining to antenatal physical activity. Study design: A sample of 181 providers (ie, obstetricians, family medicine physicians, and certified nurse-midwives) was directed to view an online training on antenatal physical activity guidelines, counseling methods, and resources. Providers completed surveys before and 12 weeks after viewing the educational website material. Repeated-measures analyses were conducted to examine the effects of the online education. Results: A total of 164 providers (87.2%) completed baseline and follow-up surveys. After viewing the online training, participants more strongly agreed that it was their responsibility to encourage engagement in antenatal physical activity (P = .02) and believed that women would follow their advice about beginning antenatal physical activity (P = .01). Viewing the website material facilitated an increased confidence in ability to effectively talk with overweight and obese women about physical activity (P = .04) and more frequent advising to begin a moderate-intensity physical activity program for sedentary women (P = .02). Knowledge on antenatal physical activity guidelines also improved. Conclusion: Findings suggest that online educational interventions may be an effective tool in altering providers’ knowledge and practices pertaining to antenatal physical activity.
Brief Online Mindfulness Training
Authors: Kemper Kathi J.
Published: March 2016

Background.

Online training is feasible, but the impact of brief mindfulness training on health professionals needs to be better understood.

Methods.

We analyzed data from health professionals and trainees who completed self-reflection exercises embedded in online mindfulness training between May 2014 and September, 2015; their changes in mindfulness were measured using standardized scales.

Results.

Participants included nurses (34%), physicians (24%), social workers and psychologists (10%), dietitians (8%), and others (25%); 85% were women, and 20% were trainees. The most popular module was Introduction to Mindfulness (n = 161), followed by Mindfulness in Daily Life (n = 146), and Mindful Breathing and Walking (n = 129); most (68%) participants who took 1 module took all 3 modules. There were no differences in participation in any module by gender, trainee status, or profession. Completing modules was associated with small but significant improvements on the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale–Revised, the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire ( P < 0.001 for all).

Conclusion.

Online training reaches diverse health professionals and is associated with immediate improvements in mindfulness. Additional research is warranted to compare the long-term cost-effectiveness of different doses of online and in-person mindfulness training on clinician burnout and quality of care.
Physician Preferences for Physician-Targeted HIV Testing Campaigns
Authors: Arya Monisha , Phillips Ashley L. , Street Richard L. , Giordano Thomas P.
Published: March 2016

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force issued HIV testing recommendations, encouraging physicians to routinely test all adult patients for HIV. Studies have found that not all physicians are abiding by these guidelines, but that physician recommendations for HIV testing could encourage patients to get tested. Our study sought to determine physician preferences for a physician-targeted campaign to encourage them to offer HIV tests to their patients. The study took place across 19 publicly-funded community health centers. A web-based survey was sent to primary care physicians, assessing their preferences for physician-targeted HIV testing campaign elements. Response frequencies were calculated for each element. 175 physicians participated. Campaign elements were divided into “HIV Testing Information,” “Communication Tools,” and “Promotion Strategies.” Physicians selected receiving a copy of the latest HIV testing recommendations, having patients ask for the HIV test, and receiving an EMR alert for HIV testing as their top elements for each category, respectively. An effective physician HIV testing campaign should include information about HIV testing recommendations, proof of patient receptiveness to HIV testing, and strategies to prompt HIV testing conversations. A multi-faceted approach combining patient and physician prompts to discuss HIV testing might be the most effective method to improve HIV testing rates.
Sparse regression models for unraveling group and individual associations in eQTL mapping
Authors: Cheng Wei , Shi Yu , Zhang Xiang , Wang Wei
Published: March 2016

Background

As a promising tool for dissecting the genetic basis of common diseases, expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) study has attracted increasing research interest. Traditional eQTL methods focus on testing the associations between individual single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and gene expression traits. A major drawback of this approach is that it cannot model the joint effect of a set of SNPs on a set of genes, which may correspond to biological pathways.

Results

To alleviate this limitation, in this paper, we proposegeQTL, a sparse regression method that can detect both group-wise and individual associations between SNPs and expression traits.geQTLcan also correct the effects of potential confounders. Our method employs computationally efficient technique, thus it is able to fulfill large scale studies. Moreover, our method can automatically infer the proper number of group-wise associations. We perform extensive experiments on both simulated datasets and yeast datasets to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method. The results show thatgeQTLcan effectively detect both individual and group-wise signals and outperforms the state-of-the-arts by a large margin.

Conclusions

This paper well illustrates that decoupling individual and group-wise associations for association mapping is able to improve eQTL mapping accuracy, and inferring individual and group-wise associations.
caOmicsV: an R package for visualizing multidimensional cancer genomic data
Authors: Zhang Hongen , Meltzer Paul S. , Davis Sean R.
Published: March 2016

Background

Translational genomics research in cancers, e.g., International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), has generated large multidimensional datasets from high-throughput technologies. Data analysis at multidimensional level will greatly benefit clinical applications of genomic information in diagnosis, prognosis and therapeutics of cancers. To help, tools to effectively visualize integrated multidimensional data are important for understanding and describing the relationship between genomic variations and cancers.

Results

We implemented the R package, caOmicsV, to provide methods under R environment to visualize multidimensional cancer genomic data in two layouts: matrix layout and combined biological network and circular layout. Both layouts support to display sample information, gene expression (e.g., RNA and miRNA), DNA methylation, DNA copy number variations, and summarized data. A set of supplemental functions are included in the caOmicsV package to help users in generation of plot data sets from multiple genomic datasets with given gene names and sample names. Default plot methods for both layouts for easy use are also implemented.

Conclusion

caOmicsV package provides an easy and flexible way to visualize integrated multidimensional cancer genomic data under R environment.
‘Trial and error…’, ‘…happy patients' and ‘…an old toy in the cupboard’: a qualitative investigation of factors that influence practitioners in their prescription of foot orthoses
Authors: Williams Anita Ellen , Martinez‐Santos Ana , McAdam Jane , Nester Christopher James
Published: March 2016

Background

Foot orthoses are used to manage of a plethora of lower limb conditions. However, whilst the theoretical foundations might be relatively consistent, actual practices and therefore the experience of patients is likely to be less so. The factors that affect the prescription decisions that practitioners make about individual patients is unknown and hence the way in which clinical experience interacts with knowledge from training is not understood. Further, other influences on orthotic practice may include the adoption (or not) of technology. Hence the aim of this study was to explore, for the first time, the influences on orthotic practice.

Methods

A qualitative approach was adopted utilising two focus groups (16 consenting participants in total; 15 podiatrists and 1 orthotist) in order to collect the data. An opening question “What factors influence your orthotic practice?” was followed with trigger questions, which were used to maintain focus. The dialogue was recorded digitally, transcribed verbatim and a thematic framework was used to analyse the data.

Results

There were five themes: (i) influences on current practice, (ii) components of current practice, (iii) barriers to technology being used in clinical practice, (iv) how technology could enhance foot orthoses prescription and measurement of outcomes, and (v) how technology could provide information for practitioners and patients. A final global theme was agreed by the researchers and the participants: ‘Current orthotic practice is variable and does not embrace technology as it is perceived as being not fit for purpose in the clinical environment. However, practitioners do have a desire for technology that is usable and enhances patient focussed assessment, the interventions, the clinical outcomes and the patient's engagement throughout these processes'.

Conclusions

In relation to prescribing foot orthoses, practice varies considerably due to multiple influences. Measurement of outcomes from orthotic practice is a priority but there are no current norms for achieving this. There have been attempts by practitioners to integrate technology into their practice, but with largely negative experiences. The process of technology development needs to improve and have a more practice, rather than technology focus.
VisArchive: a time and relevance based visual interface for searching, browsing, and exploring project archives
Authors: Hu Keyun , Staub-French Sheryl , Tory Melanie , Nepal Madhav Prasad
Published: March 2016

Background

Project archives are becoming increasingly large and complex. On construction projects in particular, the increasing amount of information and the increasing complexity of its structure make searching and exploring information in the project archive challenging and time-consuming.

Methods

This research investigates a query-driven approach that represents new forms of contextual information to help users understand the set of documents resulting from queries of construction project archives. Specifically, this research extends query-driven interface research by representing three types of contextual information: (1) the temporal context is represented in the form of a timeline to show when each document was created; (2) the search-relevance context shows exactly which of the entered keywords matched each document; and (3) the usage context shows which project participants have accessed or modified a file.

Results

We implemented and tested these ideas within a prototype query-driven interface we call VisArchive. VisArchive employs a combination of multi-scale and multi-dimensional timelines, color-coded stacked bar charts, additional supporting visual cues and filters to support searching and exploring historical project archives. The timeline-based interface integrates three interactive timelines as focus + context visualizations.

Conclusions

The feasibility of using these visual design principles is tested in two types of project archives: searching construction project archives of an educational building project and tracking of software defects in the Mozilla Thunderbird project. These case studies demonstrate the applicability, usefulness and generality of the design principles implemented.
Recovering low spatial frequencies in wavefront sensing based on intensity measurements
Authors: Parvizi Amin , Broek Wouter Van den , Koch Christoph T.
Published: March 2016

The transport of intensity equation (TIE) offers a convenient method to retrieve the phase of a wave function from maps of the irradiance (images) recorded at different planes along the optic axis of an optical system. However, being a second-order partial differential equation, even for noise-free data a unique solution of the TIE requires boundary conditions to be specified which are generally not accessible experimentally, jeopardizing retrieval of the low-frequency information in particular. Here we introduce an iterative algorithm which forgoes the need for explicit boundary conditions and combines the well-known reciprocal space solution of the TIE with the charge-flipping algorithm that has originally been developed to solve the crystallographic phase problem in X-ray diffraction. Application of this algorithm to experimental data and comparison with conventionally used algorithms demonstrates an improved retrieval of the low spatial frequencies of the phase.
Validation of Administrative Database Codes for Acute Kidney Injury in Kidney Transplant Recipients
Authors: Molnar Amber O. , Walraven Carl van , McArthur Eric , Fergusson Dean , Garg Amit X. , Knoll Greg
Published: March 2016

Background:

Validation studies of acute kidney injury (AKI) diagnostic codes performed in the general population have shown poor sensitivity, but the accuracy of such codes in the kidney transplant population remains unknown.

Objective:

The objective of this study is to determine the accuracy of AKI diagnostic codes in kidney transplant recipients. We hypothesized that the sensitivity of diagnostic codes would be significantly greater in the kidney transplant population since these patients are closely followed by nephrologists and are more likely to have serum creatinine measured.

Design:

The design is a population-based retrospective cohort study using healthcare administrative and laboratory databases.

Setting:

The setting is in Southwestern Ontario and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from 2003 to 2012.

Patients:

We included first-time kidney transplant recipients admitted to hospital for whom serum creatinine was measured in hospital and within 6 months prior ( n = 524).

Methods:

Patients meeting the Acute Kidney Injury Network (AKIN) classification serum creatinine change criteria were classified as having AKI. We determined the sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values for the ICD-10-CA code for AKI when present as an admission diagnosis, most responsible diagnosis, or any diagnosis compared to a reference standard of AKI defined by the AKIN criteria (stage 1 or greater, stage 2 or greater, or stage 3).

Results:

Forty-five percent of included kidney transplant patients had a diagnosis of AKI. The most sensitive coding algorithm (reference standard AKIN stage 2 or greater, ICD-10 code present as any diagnosis) had a sensitivity of 42.1 % (95 % CI 31.7, 53.3), a specificity of 90.6 % (95 % CI 87.6, 93.0), and a positive likelihood ratio of 4.5. The median (IQR) rise in serum creatinine from baseline in patients with and without AKI codes was 104 (57 to 158) μmol/L and 16 (−3 to 41) μmol/L, respectively (Mann-Whitney test, p < 0.0001).

Limitations:

The low sensitivity of the AKI code may be due to an alternative diagnosis of acute rejection being assigned in certain cases. The cause of AKI could not be determined.

Conclusions:

Similar to the general population, the ICD-10 N17x code misses many kidney transplant patients with AKI during their hospitalization. This makes the code unusable for studying the incidence and consequences of AKI in hospitalized kidney transplant patients.
Reproducibility of Carotid-Femoral Pulse Wave Velocity in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients: Methodological Considerations
Authors: Rodriguez Rosendo A. , Cronin Valerie , Ramsay Timothy , Zimmerman Deborah , Ruzicka Marcel , Burns Kevin D.
Published: March 2016

Background:

In end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, increased arterial stiffness detected by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) is associated with fatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Since cf-PWV is an operator-dependent technique, poor reproducibility may be a source of bias in the estimation of arterial stiffness.

Objectives:

We assessed the week-to-week reproducibility of cf-PWV and radial artery pulse wave analysis in healthy subjects and ESRD patients. We also determined the extent of patient eligibility, enrollment, acceptance, and comfort.

Methods:

In a cohort study design, independent tonometric examinations of carotid, femoral, and radial arteries were conducted in 20 healthy subjects and 15 ESRD patients attending chronic hemodialysis treatments according to a randomized sequence by two operators on 2 days scheduled 1-week apart. cf-PWV, augmentation index (AIx@HR75) and central pulse pressure (CPP) were the outcome measures. Patients were tested at midweek and prior to dialysis treatment. The variability on the distance measured between the suprasternal notch and femoral site using two different methods (standard vs direct) was compared. A post-examination survey assessed acceptance and comfort associated with examinations. Reproducibility was evaluated by intra-class correlations (ICCs).

Results:

The mean age for healthy subjects and ESRD patients was 45 ± 12 and 63 ± 16 years, respectively. ESRD patients had higher cf-PWV ( p = 0.0002), elevated AIx@HR75 ( p = 0.003), and increased CPP ( p = 0.001) compared to healthy subjects. The mean inter-visit differences for all stiffness indices were non-significant ( p > 0.05), but the mean inter-operator differences for the cf-PWV were significant only in the healthy subject group (−0.7 m/s; p = 0.02). The ICCs between operators and visits were higher for the ESRD group compared to the healthy subjects (between operators, 0.870 vs 0.461; between visits, 0.830 vs 0.570). Distances were longer ( p < 0.001), but less variable with the standard method compared to the direct method (healthy subjects, p = 0.036; ESRD, p = 0.39). There was a high rate of patient acceptance and minimal discomfort.

Conclusions:

Week-to-week measurements of cf-PWV and pulse wave analysis are highly reproducible in ESRD patients prior to hemodialysis treatment. The high reproducibility and minimal test-to-test variations encourage use of cf-PWV to monitor changes in arterial stiffness and the efficacy of interventions in ESRD patients.

Trial registration:

ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT02196610.
Downtown Los Angeles 52-Story High-Rise and Free-Field Response to an Oil Refinery Explosion
Authors: Kohler Monica D. , Massari Anthony , Heaton Thomas H. , Kanamori Hiroo , Hauksson Egill , Guy Richard , Clayton Robert W. , Bunn Julian , Chandy K. M.
Published: March 2016

The ExxonMobil Corp. oil refinery in Torrance, California, experienced an explosion on 18 February 2015, causing ground shaking equivalent to a magnitude 2.0 earthquake. The impulse response for the source was computed from Southern California Seismic Network data for a single force system with a value of 2 × 105 kN vertically downward. The refinery explosion produced an air pressure wave that was recorded 22.8 km away in a 52-story high-rise building in downtown Los Angeles by a dense accelerometer array that is a component of the Community Seismic Network. The array recorded anomalous waveforms on each floor displaying coherent arrivals that are consistent with the building's elastic response to a pressure wave caused by the refinery explosion. Using a finite-element model of the building, the force on the building on a floor-by-floor scale was found to range up to 1.42 kN, corresponding to a pressure perturbation of 7.7 Pa.
VS30 in the NGA GMPEs: Regional Differences and Suggested Practice
Authors: Kamai Ronnie , Abrahamson Norman A. , Silva Walter J.
Published: March 2016

Shear-wave velocity profiles from California, Taiwan, and Japan are used to evaluate the regionalized linear V S30 scaling in the recent NGA-West2 GMPEs. Profiles in the same V S30 range are compared, and their differences and similarities are discussed. A simple parametric model for the median velocity profile and its standard deviation is provided for California and Japan. The model should only be used for 250 ≤ V S30 ≤ 850 m/s, representing the range of profile data availability. We make the following recommendation: for site-specific evaluations, knowledge of V S30 alone is insufficient. A representative velocity profile should be constructed either from site-specific measurements or from measured profiles in a similar geological settings and depositional environment. The representative velocity profile should be consistent with one of the proposed profiles in terms of both its median and standard deviation, for the corresponding V S30 model in the GMPE to be used, regardless of true geographical association.
21-Gene Recurrence Score Assay As a Predictor of Adjuvant Chemotherapy Administration for Early-Stage Breast Cancer: An Analysis of Use, Therapeutic Implications, and Disparity Profile
Authors: Jasem Jagar , Amini Arya , Rabinovitch Rachel , Borges Virginia F. , Elias Anthony , Fisher Christine M. , Kabos Peter
Published: March 2016

Purpose

The 21-gene Recurrence Score (RS) assay is used to predict disease recurrence and benefit of chemotherapy in estrogen receptor–positive, lymph node–negative early-stage breast cancer (EBC). Our study is the first analysis of trends and differences in the use of the RS assay and its impact on recommending chemotherapy in a population-based data set.

Methods

Patients with EBC diagnosed from 2004 to 2012 and included in the National Cancer Data Base were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the covariates associated with use of the test and its impact on chemotherapy decisions.

Results

The RS assay was ordered for 54.0% of the 143,032 identified patients. Of all the variables, RS assay had the strongest association with recommendation for chemotherapy, with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) of 83 for high assay scores. When indicated, test use was significantly associated with younger age, white race, academic centers, private insurance, and pT2/pN0(i+) grade 2 to 3 disease. Black patients (AOR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.20 to 1.43) and those treated in community facilities (AOR, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.35 to 1.63) were more likely to be tested outside the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines. Black patients (AOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.31 to 1.69) and those with high tumor grade (AOR, 30.76; 95% CI, 26.48 to 35.73) had significantly higher assay scores. Younger black patients (AOR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.54) were more likely to receive chemotherapy despite low assay scores.

Conclusion

The RS assay significantly influences clinicians’ recommendations for chemotherapy in patients with EBC. Black patients tended to have higher assay scores, which may reflect use patterns or less favorable tumor biology for estrogen receptor–positive disease. There are significant differences in use and clinical implications of the test on the basis of race, insurance, and type of facility.
Guideline on Muscle-Invasive and Metastatic Bladder Cancer (European Association of Urology Guideline): American Society of Clinical Oncology Clinical Practice Guideline Endorsement
Authors: Milowsky Matthew I. , Rumble R. Bryan , Booth Christopher M. , Gilligan Timothy , Eapen Libni J. , Hauke Ralph J. , Boumansour Pat , Lee Cheryl T.
Published: March 2016

Purpose

To endorse the European Association of Urology guideline on muscle-invasive (MIBC) and metastatic bladder cancer. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has a policy and set of procedures for endorsing clinical practice guidelines that have been developed by other professional organizations.

Methods

The guideline on MIBC and metastatic bladder cancer was reviewed for developmental rigor by methodologists. The ASCO Endorsement Panel then reviewed the content and recommendations.

Results

The ASCO Endorsement Panel determined that the recommendations from the European Association of Urology guideline on MIBC and metastatic bladder cancer, published online in March 2015, are clear, thorough, and based on the most relevant scientific evidence. ASCO endorses the guideline on MIBC and metastatic bladder cancer and has added qualifying statements, including highlighting the use of chemoradiotherapy for select patients with MIBC and recommending a preference for clinical trials in the treatment of metastatic disease in the second-line setting.

Recommendations

Multidisciplinary care for patients with MIBC and metastatic bladder cancer is critical. The standard treatment of MIBC (cT2-T4a N0M0) is neoadjuvant cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy followed by radical cystectomy. In cisplatin-ineligible patients, radical cystectomy alone is recommended. Adjuvant cisplatin-based chemotherapy may be offered to high-risk patients who have not received neoadjuvant therapy. Chemoradiotherapy may be offered as an alternative to cystectomy in appropriately selected patients with MIBC and in some patients for whom cystectomy is not an option. Metastatic disease should be treated with cisplatin-containing combination chemotherapy or with carboplatin combination chemotherapy or single agents in patients ineligible for cisplatin. Additional information is available at http://www.asco.org/endorsements/MIBC and www.asco.org/guidelineswiki .
Cumulus Cell Mitochondrial Resistance to Stress In Vitro Predicts Oocyte Development During Assisted Reproduction
Authors: Dumesic Daniel A. , Guedikian Annie A. , Madrigal Vanessa K. , Phan Julia D. , Hill David L. , Alvarez Juan P. , Chazenbalk Gregorio D.
Published: March 2016

Context:

Complex cumulus cell-oocyte interactions govern energy utilization during oocyte development.

Objective:

This study investigates the relationship of cumulus cell mitochondria with oocyte development during ovarian stimulation for in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Design:

This is a prospective cohort study.

Setting:

The setting was an academic center.

Patients:

Thirty women underwent ovarian stimulation for IVF.

Intervention(s):

Pooled cumulus cells were collected; numbers of total and mature oocytes and two-pronuclear (day 1), six- to eight-cell cleavage (day 3), and blastocyst (day 5) embryos were recorded.

Main Outcome Measure(s):

A mitochondrial bioassay was developed with Jurkat cells and used with cumulus cells from IVF patients to correlate mitochondrial membrane potential resistance to carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) stress with oocyte development and embryogenesis.

Results:

Adjusting for FSH administered and maternal age, cumulus cell mitochondrial membrane potential resistance to CCCP positively correlated with numbers of total (P < .025) and mature (P < .025) oocytes retrieved. The highest oocyte numbers that correlated with cumulus cell mitochondrial membrane potential occurred in women with the greatest ovarian response to FSH (mitochondrial membrane potential resistance to CCCP-log FSH interactions: total oocytes P < .025; mature oocytes P < .05). Multiple regression modeling of mature oocyte numbers, age, and cumulus cell mitochondrial membrane potential resistance to CCCP showed that numbers of mature oocytes best correlated with numbers of embryos at all stages (P < .0001).

Conclusion:

During ovarian stimulation for IVF, cumulus cell mitochondrial membrane potential resistance to stress correlates with numbers of total and mature oocytes retrieved, suggesting that cumulus cell–oocyte interactions involving energy facilitate oocyte development.
Regulation of Energy Balance via BDNF Expressed in Nonparaventricular Hypothalamic Neurons
Authors: Yang Haili , An Juan Ji , Sun Chao , Xu Baoji
Published: March 2016

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expressed in the paraventricular hypothalamus (PVH) has been shown to play a key role in regulating energy intake and energy expenditure. BDNF is also expressed in other hypothalamic nuclei; however, the role in the control of energy balance for BDNF produced in these structures remains largely unknown. We found that deleting the Bdnf gene in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) during embryogenesis using the Sf1-Cre transgene had no effect on body weight in mice. In contrast, deleting the Bdnf gene in the adult VMH using Cre-expressing virus led to significant hyperphagia and obesity. These observations indicate that the lack of a hyperphagia phenotype in the Sf1-Cre/Bdnf mutant mice is likely due to developmental compensation. To investigate the role of BDNF expressed in other hypothalamic areas, we employed the hypothalamus-specific Nkx2.1-Cre transgene to delete the Bdnf gene. We found that the Nkx2.1-Cre transgene could abolish BDNF expression in many hypothalamic nuclei, but not in the PVH, and that the resulting mutant mice developed modest obesity due to reduced energy expenditure. Thus, BDNF produced in the VMH plays a role in regulating energy intake. Furthermore, BDNF expressed in hypothalamic areas other than PVH and VMH is also involved in the control of energy expenditure.
A divide-and-conquer strategy in tumor sampling enhances detection of intratumor heterogeneity in routine pathology: A modeling approach in clear cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Lopez José I. , Cortes Jesús M.
Published: March 2016

Intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) is an inherent process in cancer development which follows for most of the cases a branched pattern of evolution, with different cell clones evolving independently in space and time across different areas of the same tumor. The determination of ITH (in both spatial and temporal domains) is nowadays critical to enhance patient treatment and prognosis. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) provides a good example of ITH. Sometimes the tumor is too big to be totally analyzed for ITH detection and pathologists decide which parts must be sampled for the analysis. For such a purpose, pathologists follow internationally accepted protocols. In light of the latest findings, however, current sampling protocols seem to be insufficient for detecting ITH with significant reliability. The arrival of new targeted therapies, some of them providing promising alternatives to improve patient survival, pushes the pathologist to obtain a truly representative sampling of tumor diversity in routine practice. How large this sampling must be and how this must be performed are unanswered questions so far.  Here we present a very simple method for tumor sampling that enhances ITH detection without increasing costs. This method follows a divide-and-conquer (DAC) strategy, that is, rather than sampling a small number of large-size tumor-pieces as the routine protocol (RP) advises, we suggest sampling many small-size pieces along the tumor. We performed a computational modeling approach to show that the usefulness of the DAC strategy is twofold: first, we show that DAC outperforms RP with similar laboratory costs, and second, DAC is capable of performing similar to total tumor sampling (TTS) but, very remarkably, at a much lower cost. We thus provide new light to push forward a shift in the paradigm about how pathologists should sample tumors for achieving efficient ITH detection.
Application оf Intellectual Capital Model in Formation of a Management Team
Authors: Лапыгин  , Lapygin YUriy , Макаров  , Makarov Pavel
Published: March 2016

The paper considers the various aspects of application of intellectual capital management methods in team building issues. The authors justifi ed the principal

possibility of allocating sub-category «intellectual capital of a small group (team)», and the range of its application in the management teams formation are

described including the issues of: determining the team’s strengths and weaknesses, evaluating the team performance, revealing the personal contribution

of each member to the team work and the issues of relationship within the team. The methodological characteristics of intellectual capital management team

are elaborated and a model of the team’s intellectual capital composition and structure is proposed. The properties of team’s intellectual capital components

are described. Techniques and process of the small group’s intellectual capital management are developed, covering the stages of its analysis, evaluation and

decision-making. Based on the study results the authors proposed the resource-based model of a small group activity, which can be used as an analytical tool

for decision-making related to the management of the team’s intellectual capital.
Evaluation As a Tool for the Organization’s Personnel Development
Authors: Гриненко  , Grinenko T.
Published: March 2016

The article discusses the approach to assessing the competence of staff , underlying the formation of human resources organization and development of its

staff . Formed in the modern theory of human resource management approaches to the defi nition of «competence», discloses the concept of «competency

model» are analyzed. It is shown that the development and application of competency model is carried out within the regulatory, defi cits and resource approaches.

It is proved that humanistic resource is the most appropriate approach in the development and evaluation of the use of competences. On the basis of this

approach the author identifi es the resources of the person who sells it and can implement in their professional activities. This approach is aimed at identifying

the personal and professional characteristics of the organization. It is shown that personal and professional diagnostic system developed in the framework

of the resource approach by Y.V. Sinyagin, which includes a competency model and a set of techniques, allows more fully exploit the potential of each employee

and more expedient to build its training and professional development.
Practice-Oriented Approach to Identifi cation of Psychological Resources of Management Competence of a Line Manager
Authors: Остроушко  , Ostroushko M.
Published: March 2016

The article explains the relevance of the search of organizational and psychological resources of administrative competence of «linear» multi-hospital leaders —

heads of departments. Using the psycho-diagnostic procedures it shows that the heads of departments are based mainly on two types of individual styles

of decision-making («realizational» and «situational»), on two types of organizational power — the power of expertise and the power and charismatic. According

to the results of the correlation analysis of selected types relationships with the established prevailing types of professional thinking and creativity the author

makes a conclusion about the expediency of formation of two main directions of the developing work. The fi rst is the work with representatives of «realizational»

type, the expert power, possessing mainly «symbolical» type of professional thinking. The work should include the development of problem-solving skills,

creativity, ability to infl uence others, to adjust teamwork, the understanding of managerial work. The second direction should cover the heads focused

on situational administrative actions style, a charismatic type of power, humanitarian mindset and creativity. Work assumes development of administrative

work understanding, problem solving skills, ability to establish teamwork, distribute and delegate responsibilities among subordinates. The designated concept

of the developing work with the staff «linear» managers is put in a basis of the program of special courses in system of additional education of department

head of multifunctional medical institution.
Role of Professional Standards Training for Food Industry. Certifi cation System of Qualifi ed Staff for Hospitality Industry
Authors: Вострецова  , Vostretsova M.
Published: March 2016

The article outlines the mismatch between qualifi cation level of employees of enterprises catering to the requirements of the labour market, the lack of relevant

knowledge, skills and competences of employees of public catering. The role of occupational standards and certifi cation systems in the training of qualifi ed

personnel in the food industry is identifi ed. The author provides information about the history of professional standards in the Russian Federation. The functions

of professional standards, format standards, levels of professional skills of workers are shown. Defi nitions of major components of professional standards are

given. The functions of the professional standard, determined by its format are considered. The opinion of leading restaurateurs and hoteliers of the Russian

Federation on the problem and the process of introduction of system of certifi cation at the enterprises of the food industry is given. The article emphasizes the

importance of establishing of a system of certifi cation of specialists in food service. The certifi cation process of the staff of restaurants and hotels is described.

The problems encountered during the certifi cation of qualifi ed personnel for the food industry are considered.
Crowdsourcing, Crowdrecruiting and Crowdfunding As Tools of Staff Recruitment System in the Organization
Authors: Чуланова  , Chulanova Oksana , Вишнякова  , Vishnyakova T.
Published: March 2016

The article considers the crowdsourcing technology and based on its principles a crowdrecruiting technology as instruments of staff recruitment in the

organization. The presented technologies are new eff ective tools large-scale by geographical coverage and number of participants of selection of the employees

who are really interested in work with this organization. Crowd-technologies, which are based on «the phenomenon of the crowd» can not only greatly speed

up the solution of important problems for the company, but also signifi cantly reduce costs. Was designed the methodology of introduction of crowdsourcing

technology at staff recruitment in the organization. As a result of introduction of this methodology is assumed optimization of costs of the personnel, thanks

to improvement of staff recruitment by means of crowd-technologies (crowdsourcing, crowdrecruiting, crowdstaffi ng), namely: increase of qualitative structure

of the personnel and reduction of staff turnover thanks to what will be seen labor productivity growth.
Neonatal Physician Scheduling at the University of Tennessee Medical Center
Authors: Bowers Melissa R. , Noon Charles E. , Wu Wei , Bass J. Kirk
Published: March 2016

A common issue faced by physician groups is how to schedule 24-7 coverage for hospital units such as an emergency department. The first step is to determine the shifts to be covered. The second step, assigning physicians to specific shifts, is complicated because shifts vary with respect to duration, day of week, time of day, and desirability. To ensure workload fairness, physician groups often create “equality” schedules in which they evenly divide shifts, by type, among physicians. This problem can be readily modeled and solved via optimization. This paper presents a novel approach that incorporates individual physician shift-type preference and seeks, for each physician, a schedule that is superior to his or her equality schedule. We formulate and solve the problem as a binary, mixed-integer program designed to maximize relative gains in individual physician preference. We describe the methodology and real-world implementation within a neonatal intensive care group, and present a hybrid version of the model that is capable of simultaneously accommodating physicians who prefer an equality schedule and physicians willing to deviate from the equality schedule in pursuit of a schedule that better fits their shift preferences. Increases in schedule preference for the latter group ranged from 6.3 to 8.5 percent.
Learning by Doing in Multiproduct Manufacturing: Variety, Customizations, and Overlapping Product Generations
Authors: Egelman Carolyn D. , Epple Dennis , Argote Linda , Fuchs Erica R. H.
Published: March 2016

Extending research on organizational learning to multiproduct environments is of particular importance given that the vast majority of products are manufactured in such environments. We investigate learning in a multiproduct facility drawing on exceptionally rich data for a manufacturing firm that is a leading producer of high-technology hardware components. Weekly data for 10 years from the firm’s production and human resource tracking systems are augmented by surveys of managers and engineers and by extensive firsthand observation. We find that productivity improves when multiple generations of the firm’s primary product family are produced concurrently, reflecting the firm’s ability to augment and transfer knowledge from older to newer product generations. No significant transfer of knowledge is evident between the primary product family and other products. Productivity is, however, adversely affected when the production facility is faced with extensive within-product buyer-specific customizations. We develop the implications of these findings for theory and practice.

This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.