bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Typing on a Smartwatch While Mobile: A Comparison of Input Methods
Authors: Turner Colton J. , Chaparro Barbara S. , He Jibo
Published: February 2020

Objective

The user experience of typing on a smartwatch was evaluated with three unique input methods (tap, trace, and handwriting) while standing and while walking.

Background

Despite widespread development within the technology industry, smartwatches have had a relatively slow adoption worldwide compared to smartphones. One limiting factor of smartwatches has been the lack of an efficient means of text entry. The 2017 release of Android Wear addressed this issue by providing support for native text entry (i.e., tap, trace, and handwriting). Determining how user performance and subjective ratings compare across these input methods is essential to understanding their contribution to smartwatch user experience.

Method

Twenty college-age individuals typed phrases using tap, trace, and handwriting input on a smartwatch in three different mobility scenarios (standing, walking a simple course, walking a complex course).

Results

Participants typed faster with trace (30 words per minute; WPM) than with tap (20 WPM) and handwriting (18 WPM), regardless of mobility. Trace also outperformed tap and handwriting across all subjective metrics, regardless of mobility.

Conclusion

Trace input appears to be especially well suited for typing on a smartwatch as it was found to be objectively and subjectively superior to tap and handwriting regardless of user mobility. Objectively, typing speeds with trace are shown to be nearly two times faster than most alternative input methods described in the literature.

Application

Results suggest smartwatch manufacturers should include QWERTY keyboards with trace input as a standard feature in order to provide the best overall typing experience for their users.
Refugees, Conscripts, and Constructors: Developmental Narratives and Subaltern Han in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Cliff Tom
Published: February 2020

China’s frontier construction through the PRC era, involving the often-violent expansion of Han cultural and political space, has been undertaken primarily by subaltern Han people from rural areas of China. Female domestic labor has been essential to this colonial endeavor. The focus of the article is Han people associated with the organization that makes frontier construction its raison d’être, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, or bingtuan. More often pushed by circumstance than drawn by nationalistic fervor to settle on the backward frontier, these people and their offspring nevertheless became a significant part of the affective base of Han settlement in Xinjiang. By “affective base,” I mean that this (now multigenerational) population possess a sense of belonging in and of Xinjiang that bolsters the idea of Xinjiang as an integral part of China and challenges non-Han claims of exclusive moral ownership. The ultimate construction is achieved.
Paget-Schroetter syndrome: A contemporary review of the controversies in management
Authors: Cai Tommy Y , Rajendran Saissan , Saha Prakash , Dubenec Steven
Published: February 2020

Aim

To assess the current evidence, controversies and technologies behind the various approaches and steps in the management of Paget-Schroetter syndrome.

Materials and methods

We performed a narrative review based on a literature search in Embase, Medline, Pubmed and Google Scholar through keyword searching related to upper extremity deep vein thrombosis, Paget-Schroetter syndrome and venous thoracic outlet syndrome.

Results

There is a paucity of high-quality evidence assessing the efficacy of contemporary approaches for the management of acute upper extremity deep vein thrombosis which, though promising, is largely limited to single institution case studies and small series. As a result, a formal systematic review could not be performed.

Conclusions

Paget-Schroetter syndrome is a rare condition, whose management approaches are largely guided by the accumulated expertise and clinical experience of vascular specialists. In the absence of randomized controlled trials, current practice has been guided by retrospective reviews and experience. Modern approaches and protocols appear to remain distinct between health care facilities, but have common features including early clot lysis, surgical decompression with first rib resection, followed by adjunctive open or endovascular procedures. Further high-quality level 1 evidence and research are required in order to standardize treatment for this condition.
Delhi’s public health crisis and the neglect of urbanisation
Authors: Turok Ivan
Published: February 2020

India’s capital city Delhi is facing an unprecedented public health crisis that is not receiving sufficient government attention. Rapid urbanisation is part of the challenge. For too long public authorities have neglected the needs of its expanding poor communities for decent and dignified living conditions. Meanwhile, affluent groups benefit from various government privileges that seem difficult to justify. One way of disrupting the inertia is for civil society organisations to engage communities in building a compelling evidence base to hold decision-makers to account and demand social change.
Workplace, emotional bonds and agency: Everyday gendered experiences of work in an export processing zone in Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Dutta Madhumita
Published: February 2020

This article advances labour geography’s understanding of worker agency by examining how women actively remake the workplace by forming emotional bonds and community on and off the shop floor. Based on 14 months of ethnographic research with women workers in a Nokia cell-phone factory, I prioritise attention to the ways that women act, live, work and struggle in their attempt to ‘rework’ or resist their work-life situations in a patriarchal capitalist system. I show that in the everyday practices and experiences of work and work life, women form complex feelings towards their workplaces, including a sense of self-worth and feelings of belonging and mutual care. Work is more than just a job. The research urges greater recognition of the ways in which: (a) agency is produced in the workplace through the everyday social practice of care and emotional bonds that women form with each other and, through that, to their work; (b) that agency acts both as a form of resistance and as a form of attachment to the workplace; and (c) for women, work is not just about wages – nor is it just about social reproduction through the family – it is also about the social reproduction of new identities and forms of community that are forged at work, which both shape and are shaped by their experiences as workers.
Factors Influencing Return to Play and Second Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Rates in Level 1 Athletes After Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: 2-Year Follow-up on 1432 Reconstructions at a Single Center
Authors: King Enda , Richter Chris , Jackson Mark , Franklyn-Miller Andy , Falvey Eanna , Myer Gregory D. , Strike Siobhan , Withers Dan , Moran Ray
Published: February 2020

Background:

Despite the importance of return-to-play (RTP) rates, second anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury rates, and patient-reported outcomes of athletes returning to sports after ACL reconstruction (ACLR), these outcomes have not been evaluated together across a single cohort nor the pre- and intraoperative factors influencing outcomes explored.

Purpose:

To prospectively report outcomes after ACLR relating to RTP, second ACL injury, and International Knee Document Committee (IKDC) scores in a large cohort of athletes at a single center to examine the influence of pre- and intraoperative variables on these outcomes.

Design:

Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

A consecutive cohort of 1432 athletes undergoing primary ACLR by 2 orthopaedic surgeons was followed up prospectively more than 2 years after surgery. Pre- and intraoperative findings were reported with outcomes at follow-up relating to RTP, second ACL injury, and IKDC. Between-group differences for each outcome were reported and the predictive ability of pre- and intraoperative variables relating to each outcome assessed with logistic regression.

Results:

There was >95% follow-up 2 years after surgery. The RTP rate was 81%, and of those who returned, 1.3% of those with patellar tendon grafts and 8.3% of those with hamstring grafts experienced ipsilateral rerupture (hazard ratio, 0.17). The contralateral ACL injury rate was 6.6%, and the IKDC score at follow-up was 86.8, with a greater proportion of patients with patellar tendon grafts scoring <80 on the IKDC (odds ratio, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.15-3.12). There was no relationship between time to RTP and second ACL injury, and there was a moderate correlation between ACL–Return to Sport After Injury score and RTP at follow-up ( P < .001, rho = 0.46). There were a number of differences in pre- and intraoperative variables between groups for each outcome, but they demonstrated a poor ability to predict outcomes in level 1 athletes at 2-year follow-up.

Conclusion:

Findings demonstrated high overall RTP rates, lower reinjury rates with patellar tendon graft after 2-year follow-up in level 1 athletes, and no influence of time to RTP on second ACL injury. Despite differences between groups, there was poor predictive ability of pre- and intraoperative variables. Results suggest pre- and intraoperative variables for consideration to optimize outcomes in level 1 athletes after ACLR, but future research exploring other factors, such as physical and psychological recovery, may be needed to improve outcome prediction after ACLR.

Registration:

NCT02771548 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).
β-tricalcium phosphate and octacalcium phosphate composite bioceramic material for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Ding Xinxin , Li Aimin , Yang Fushuai , Sun Kangning , Sun Xiaoning
Published: February 2020

In bone tissue engineering, suitable mechanical properties and excellent biological performance of biological substitutes are required. β-tricalcium phosphate has superior biocompatibility compared to other calcium phosphate ceramics, but poor osteoinductive properties. Among all calcium phosphates, octacalcium phosphate exhibits excellent osteoconductivity and osteoinductivity. Therefore, it is expected to have novel biological properties combining these two materials together. The FTIR and XRD results confirm abstract that pure β-tricalcium phosphate and octacalcium phosphate mixed powder is synthesized through co-precipitation method. Bulk composites of β-tricalcium phosphate and octacalcium phosphate are produced using molding and cold isostatic pressing technique. The composites exhibit suitable compressive strength and porosities of more than 33%, which meet the requirement for bone substitute materials well. In addition, a layer of hydroxyapatite is deposited on the surface of the material in simulated body fluids. This work provides a new artificial bone substitute material for the bone tissue engineering.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin inhibits formaldehyde-induced apoptosis of human peritoneal mesothelial cells
Authors: Lim Jeong-Hoon , Park Sang Mi , Yook Ju-Min , Ahn Ji-Sun , Choi Soon-Youn , Oh Se-Hyun , Jung Hee-Yeon , Choi Ji-Young , Cho Jang-Hee , Park Sun-Hee , Kim Yong-Lim , Kim Chan-Duck
Published: February 2020

Background:

The alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) protein has an important role in the anti-inflammatory and apoptotic response. AAT inhibits not only serine proteases but also cysteine and aspartic proteases. Apoptosis results from the sequential activation of cysteine proteases of the caspase family. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of AAT on formaldehyde-induced apoptosis of human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs).

Methods:

HPMCs were cultured and treated with formaldehyde (250 µM) to induce apoptosis. In the AAT group, the cultured HPMCs were pretreated with AAT (2 mg/mL) for 1 h before formaldehyde treatment. We used 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays to determine cell viability, and flow cytometry and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assays to detect apoptosis. The MTT assays were used to find optimal concentrations of formaldehyde and AAT. We measured caspase-3 activity and used Western blotting to estimate Bcl-2 and Bad expression.

Results:

Flow cytometry and TUNEL assays revealed that formaldehyde exposure significantly increased apoptosis compared with the control treatment, but pretreatment with AAT significantly inhibited this effect. Compared with the control, caspase-3 activity was significantly increased and the ratio of Bcl-2 to Bad expression significantly decreased following treatment with formaldehyde. However, caspase-3 activity was significantly lower and the Bcl-2 to Bad expression ratio higher in the AAT group than in the formaldehyde-only group.

Conclusion:

AAT inhibits formaldehyde-induced apoptosis of HPMCs via a caspase-mediated pathway. These data support a potential use for AAT as a therapeutic agent for the inhibition of peritoneal cell apoptosis during peritoneal dialysis.
Quantifying the risk of insertion-related peritoneal dialysis catheter complications following laparoscopic placement: Results from the North American PD Catheter Registry
Authors: Oliver Matthew J , Perl Jeff , McQuillan Rory , Blake Peter G , Jain Arsh K , McCormick Brendan , Yang Robert , Pirkle James L , Fissell Rachel B , Golper Thomas A , Shen Jenny I , Hu Susie L , Pellegrino Bethany , Liebman Scott E , Krishna Vinay N , Ravani Pietro , Clarke Alix , Quinn Robert R
Published: February 2020

Background:

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a more cost-effective therapy to treat kidney failure than in-center hemodialysis, but successful therapy requires a functioning PD catheter that causes minimal complications. In 2015, the North American Chapter of the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis established the North American PD Catheter Registry to improve practices and patient outcomes following PD catheter insertion.

Aims:

The objective of this study is to propose a methodology for defining insertion-related complications that lead to significant adverse events and report the risk of these complications among patients undergoing laparoscopic PD catheter insertion.

Methods:

Patients undergoing laparoscopic PD catheter insertion were enrolled at 14 participating centers in Canada and the United States and followed using a Web-based registry. Insertion-related complications were defined as flow restriction, exit-site leak, or abdominal pain at any point during follow-up. We also included infections or bleeding within 30 days of insertion, and any immediate postoperative complications. Adverse events were categorized as PD never starting or termination of PD therapy, delay in the start of PD therapy or interruption of PD therapy, an emergency department visit or hospitalization, or need for invasive procedures. Cause-specific cumulative incidence functions were used to estimate risk.

Results:

Five hundred patients underwent laparoscopic PD catheter insertion between 10 November 2015 and 24 July 2018. The cumulative risk of insertion-related complications 6 months from the date of insertion that led to an adverse event was 24%. The risk of flow restriction, exit-site leak, and pain at 6 months was 10.2%, 5.7%, and 5.3%, respectively. PD was never started or terminated in 6.4% of patients due to an insertion-related complication. Leaks and flow restrictions were most likely to delay or interrupt PD therapy. Flow restrictions were the primary cause of invasive procedures. Fifty percent of the complications occurred before the start of PD therapy.

Conclusions:

Insertion-related complications leading to significant adverse events following laparoscopic placement of PD catheters are common. Many complications occur before the start of PD. Insertion-related complications are an important area of focus for future research and quality improvement efforts.
Icodextrin use for peritoneal dialysis in Australia: A cohort study using Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry
Authors: Rangaswamy Dharshan , Guddattu Vasudeva , Webster Angela C , Borlace Monique , Boudville Neil , Clayton Philip , Badve Sunil , Johnson David W , Sud Kamal
Published: February 2020

Background:

Icodextrin is a high molecular weight, starch-derived glucose polymer that is used as an osmotic agent in peritoneal dialysis (PD) to promote ultrafiltration. There has been wide variation in its use across Australia and the rest of the world, but it is unclear whether these differences are due to patient- or centre-related factors.

Methods:

Using the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry, all adult patients (>18 years) who started PD in Australia between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2014 were included. The primary outcome was icodextrin use at PD commencement. Hierarchical logistic regression clustered around the treatment centre was applied to determine the patient- and centre-related characteristics associated with icodextrin use. The impact of centre-level practice pattern variability on icodextrin uptake was estimated using the intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC).

Results:

Of 5948 patients starting on PD in 58 centres during the study period, 2002 (33.7%) received icodextrin from the outset. Overall uptake of icodextrin increased from 29% in 2010 to 42.5% in 2014. Patient-level characteristics associated with an increased likelihood of commencing PD with icodextrin included male sex (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.35–1.77; p < 0.001), prior haemodialysis or kidney transplantation (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.09–1.47), obesity (OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.41–1.96), diabetes mellitus (OR 2.32, 95% CI 2.03–2.64) and residing in a postcode with the highest decile of socio-economic status (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.11–1.85). The centre-level characteristic associated with an increased likelihood of commencing PD with icodextrin was routine assessment of a peritoneal equilibration test (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.27–1.66). Centres with fewer patients on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) were less likely to start on icodextrin (APD proportion <57%; OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.20–0.99). Centre factors accounted for 25% of the variation in icodextrin use solution among incident PD patients (ICC 0.25).

Conclusions:

Icodextrin use in incident Australian PD patients is increasing variable and associated with both patient and centre characteristics. Centre-related factors explained 25% of variability in icodextrin use.
Health-related quality of life on combination therapy with peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis in comparison with hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Tanaka Mototsugu , Ishibashi Yoshitaka , Hamasaki Yoshifumi , Kamijo Yuka , Idei Mayumi , Kawahara Takuya , Nishi Takahiro , Takeda Michio , Nonaka Hiroshi , Nangaku Masaomi , Mise Naobumi
Published: February 2020

Background:

The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of dialysis patients has not been well examined, especially in combination therapy with peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis (PD+HD) patients. We compared the HRQOL of PD+HD patients with that of HD and PD patients.

Methods:

A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted on 36 PD+HD, 103 HD, and 90 PD patients in Japan who completed the Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form 36, version 1.3. HRQOL scores were summarized into physical- (PCS), mental- (MCS), role/social- (RCS), and kidney disease component summaries (KDCS).

Results:

Of the PD+HD patients, 31 (86%) transferred from PD and 5 (14%) transferred from HD. They had the longest dialysis vintage and the smallest urine volume. PCS, MCS, and KDCS HRQOL scores of PD+HD patients were comparable with those of HD and PD patients. However, the RCS score for PD+HD was significantly higher than that for HD ( p = 0.020) and comparable with that for PD. PD+HD and PD were associated with significantly higher RCS scores than HD after adjusting for age, gender, diabetic nephropathy, dialysis vintage, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral arterial disease.

Conclusions:

For RCS, HRQOL in PD+HD patients was better than that in HD and comparable with that in PD patients, whereas the PCS, MCS, and KDCS HRQOL scores of PD+HD patients were comparable with those of HD and PD patients.
Prescribing peritoneal dialysis and achieving good quality dialysis in low and low-middle income countries
Authors: Liew Adrian
Published: February 2020

The provision of long-term renal replacement therapies for patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in low and low-middle income countries (LLMICs) has been a pervasive challenge, impeded mainly by monetary constraints, limited health-care resources, and geographical and logistic difficulties. Even for patients who could initiate dialysis, discontinuation of dialysis treatment due to the lack of financial sustainability is a valid concern. While the delivery of high-quality dialysis should not be compromised in these settings, perpetuity on dialysis is of paramount consideration for these patients, with sustaining life being just as important as achieving clinical well-being. As intensification of peritoneal dialysis (PD) prescription comes with immense cost in these settings, the strategy for stretching affordability of dialysis involves optimizing the number of PD exchanges required or delaying the transition to a high PD dose of four bags per day of continuous ambulatory PD (CAPD) prescription. This can be accomplished through the use of low-cost adjunctive treatment, by preserving residual kidney function and adopting incremental PD. The use of expensive, complex, or inaccessible monitoring tools for peritoneal membrane function and dialysis clearance could be replaced by clinical assessment and widely available biochemical indicators, which will significantly reduce the investigation costs, with consequent savings that could allow for lengthening the duration of PD therapy. Finally, it is important for each PD program in LLMICs to monitor these outcome indicators, to ensure the consistent delivery of acceptable quality of PD to their patients.
Incremental peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Blake Peter G , Dong Jie , Davies Simon J
Published: February 2020

Incremental peritoneal dialysis (PD) has been variably defined. It involves taking advantage of the residual renal function that is usually present at initiation of dialysis to initially prescribe less onerous lower doses of PD while still achieving individualized clearance goals. We propose that incremental PD be defined as a strategy, rather than a particular regime, in which: (1) less than standard “full-dose” PD is initially prescribed in recognition of the value of residual renal function; (2) peritoneal clearance is initially less than the individualized clearance goal but the combination of peritoneal plus renal clearance achieves or exceeds that goal clearance; and (3) there is a clear intention to increase dose of PD as renal clearance declines and/or symptoms appear.

Incremental PD by its nature lessens the workload of dialysis for those doing PD, reduces cost and exposure of the peritoneal membrane to glucose, and may lessen mechanical symptoms. Evidence that incremental PD improves clinical outcomes compared to the use of full-dose PD is lacking but one randomized controlled trial, multiple observational studies, and a systematic review all suggest that outcomes are at least as good. Given that incremental PD costs less and is inherently less onerous, it is reasonable, pending larger randomized trials, to adopt this strategy.
Volume management as a key dimension of a high-quality PD prescription
Authors: Wang Angela Yee-Moon , Dong Jie , Xu Xiao , Davies Simon
Published: February 2020

Background:

Appropriate volume control is one of the key goals in a peritoneal dialysis (PD) prescription. As such it is an important component of the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) guideline for “High-quality PD prescription” necessitating a review of the literature on volume management. The workgroup recognized the importance of including within its scope measures of volume status and blood pressure in prescribing high-quality PD therapy.

Methods:

A Medline and PubMed search for publications addressing volume status and its management in PD since the publication of the 2015 ISPD Adult Cardiovascular and Metabolic Guidelines, from October 2014 through to July 2019, was conducted.

Results:

There were no randomized controlled trials on blood pressure intervention and six randomized trials of bioimpedance-guided volume management. Generally, all studies were of small sample size, short duration, and used surrogate markers as primary outcomes. As a consequence, only “practice points” were drawn. High-quality goal-directed PD prescription should aim to achieve and maintain clinical euvolemia taking residual kidney function and its preservation into account, so that both fluid removal from peritoneal ultrafiltration and urine output are considered and residual kidney function is not compromised. Blood pressure should be included as a key objective parameter in assessing the quality of PD prescription but there is currently no evidence for a specific target in PD. Clinical examination remains the keystone of routine clinical care.

Conclusions:

High-quality goal-directed PD prescription should include volume management as one of the key dimensions.
Effluent lipopolysaccharide is a prompt marker of peritoneal dialysis-related gram-negative peritonitis
Authors: Yan Hao , Ma Dahua , Yang Shuang , Ni Zhaohui , Fang Wei
Published: February 2020

Background:

To investigate the value of effluent lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for early detection of gram-negative peritonitis (GNP) in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

Methods:

PD-related peritonitis episodes occurring between January 2016 and December 2018 were included in the study. Effluent LPS and the other infectious parameters were measured at peritonitis presentation, and peritonitis was categorized as GNP, non-GNP, and culture-negative peritonitis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was employed to evaluate the efficacy of effluent LPS to distinguish GNP.

Results:

A total of 161 peritonitis episodes were analyzed, including 49 GNP episodes and 82 non-GNP episodes. In contrast with non-GNP, GNP presented with higher effluent leukocyte count (3236 (1497–6144) vs. 1904 (679–4071) cell mm−3, p = 0.008), increased effluent LPS (1.552 (0.502–2.500) vs. 0.016 (0.010–0.030) EU mL−1, p < 0.001), lower blood leukocyte count (9.95 ± 3.18 vs. 11.56 ± 4.37 × 109 L−1, p = 0.017), greater neutrophil predominance (87.1 ± 4.6% vs. 83.4 ± 7.7%, p = 0.001), and greater “procalcitonin” (PCT, 4.90 (2.20–12.60) vs. 1.00 (0.51–4.07) µg L−1, p < 0.001). It took 5.2 ± 3.1 h to report the results of effluent LPS. Effluent LPS cutoff value of >0.035 EU mL−1 showed an area under the ROC curve of 0.972 (95% CI 0.951–0.994, p < 0.001) in differentiating GNP from non-GNP with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 80.5%, and its joint utilization with PCT further increased the specificity (91.4%) to discriminate GNP.

Conclusions:

PD effluent LPS could be an applicable early marker of gram-negative organism-related peritonitis in PD patients.
Comparison of measuring serum osmolality and equations estimating osmolality in peritoneal dialysis patients
Authors: Vareesangthip Kornchanok , Davenport Andrew
Published: February 2020

The osmolar gap increases with kidney failure. A number of equations have been proposed to calculate serum osmolality, allowing determination of the osmolar gap by comparison with measured osmolality. As glucose and icodextrin absorption can potentially interfere with the laboratory measurement of serum sodium, a key component in equations calculating osmolality, we reviewed the performance of 14 equations used to calculate serum osmolality compared to the measurement of serum osmolality in 144 patients with peritoneal dialysis (PD); 81 (56.3%) males, 76 (52.5%) diabetics, mean age of 64.4 ± 16.3 years, 115 (79.9%) prescribed icodextrin and 38 (26.4%) 22.7 g/L glucose dialysates. Measured serum osmolality was 311 (304–320) mosmo/kg (mmol/kg), whereas calculated osmolality for the 14 equations ranged from a median of 274 (269–284) mosmo/kg to 307 (300–316) mosmo/kg. Bland–Altman mean bias showed that measured serum osmolality was greater than the calculated osmolality ranging from 4.0 mosmo/kg to 36.2 mosmo/kg between the 14 equations, with wide 95% limits of agreement (LoA) ranging from −27.1 mosmo/kg to 19.4 mosmo/kg and from −58.5 mosmo/kg to −13.8 mosmo/kg. Only 2 of the 14 equations gave a mean osmolar gap of <10 mosmo/kg and showed no systematic bias, median serum osmolality of 307 (300–316) and 303 (298–312) mosmo/kg, Spearman ρ of 0.57, 0.62, both p < 0.001, respectively. Our study would suggest that only 2 of the 14 equations we compared with measured serum osmolality showed no systematic bias, but still had too great a bias to be useful in clinical practice. As such we propose a new equation to calculate serum osmolality in patients with PD.
Evaluating a remote patient monitoring program for automated peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Ariza Juan G , Walton Surrey M , Sanabria Mauricio , Bunch Alfonso , Vesga Jasmin , Rivera Angela
Published: February 2020

Background:

The benefits of automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) have been established, but patient adherence to treatment remains a concern. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) programs are a potential solution; however, the cost implications are not well established. This study modeled, from the payer perspective, expected net costs and clinical consequences of a novel RPM program in Colombia.

Methods:

Amarkov model was used to project costs and clinical outcomes for APD patients with and without RPM. Clinical inputs were directly estimated from Renal Care Services data or taken from the literature. Dialysis costs were estimated from national fees. Inpatient costs were obtained from a recent Colombian study. The model projected overall direct costs and several clinical outcomes. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses (DSA and PSA) were also conducted to characterize uncertainty in the results.

Results:

The model projected that the implementation of an RPM program costing US$35 per month in a cohort of 100 APD patients over 1 year would save US$121,233. The model also projected 31 additional months free of complications, 27 fewer hospitalizations, 518 fewer hospitalization days, and 6 fewer peritonitis episodes. In the DSA, results were most sensitive to hospitalization rates and days of hospitalization, but cost savings were robust. The PSA found there was a 91% chance for the RPM program to be cost saving.

Conclusion:

The results of the model suggest that RPM is cost-effective in APD patients which should be verified by a rigorous prospective cost analysis.
Role of H3K18ac-regulated nucleotide excision repair-related genes in arsenic-induced DNA damage and repair of HaCaT cells
Authors: Zhang AL , Chen L , Ma L , Ding XJ , Tang SF , Zhang AH , Li J
Published: February 2020

Arsenic is an environmental poison and is a grade I human carcinogen that can cause many types of damage to the body. The skin is one of the main target organs of arsenic damage, but the molecular mechanisms underlying arsenic poisoning are not clear. Arsenic is an epigenetic agent. Histone acetylation is one of the earliest covalent modifications to be discovered and is closely related to the occurrence and development of tumors. To investigate the role of acetylated histone H3K18 (H3K18 ac) in arsenic-induced DNA damage, HaCaT cells were exposed to sodium arsenite (NaAsO2) for 24 h. It was found that arsenic induced the downregulation of xeroderma pigmentosum A, D, and F ( XPA, XPD, and XPF—nucleotide excision repair (NER)-related genes) expression, as well as histone H3K18 ac expression, and aggravated DNA damage. Chromatin immunoprecipitation quantitative polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-qPCR) analysis showed that H3K18 acetylation in the promoter regions of XPA, XPD, and XPF was downregulated. In addition, the use of the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A (TSA) partially inhibited arsenic-induced DNA damage, inhibited deacetylation of H3K18 ac in the promoter regions of XPA, XPD, and XPF genes, increased acetylation of H3K18, and promoted the transcriptional expression of NER-related genes. Our study revealed that NaAsO2 induces DNA damage and inhibits the expression of NER-related genes, while TSA increases the H3K18 ac enrichment level and promotes the transcriptional expression of NER, thereby inhibiting DNA damage. These findings provide new ideas for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying arsenic-induced skin damage.
Acupuncture for postprandial distress syndrome: a randomized controlled pilot trial
Authors: Tu Jian-Feng , Yang Jing-Wen , Wang Li-Qiong , Zheng Yang , Zhang Li-Wen , Li Yong-Ting , Zhang Xin , Shi Guang-Xia , Wang Jun , Zhao Jing-Jie , Du Yi , Chen San-San , Cheng Lu , Liu Cun-Zhi
Published: February 2020

Background:

Evidence for treating postprandial distress syndrome with acupuncture is limited.

Aim:

We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of verum acupuncture versus sham acupuncture in patients with postprandial distress syndrome.

Methods:

A total of 42 eligible patients were randomly allocated to either verum acupuncture or sham acupuncture groups in a 1:1 ratio. Each patient received 12 sessions over 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the response rate based on the overall treatment effect (OTE) 4 weeks after randomization. Secondary outcomes included dyspepsia symptom severity and adverse events.

Results:

In each group, 19 patients (91.5%) completed the study. Thirteen patients receiving verum acupuncture and seven patients receiving sham acupuncture were classified as responders according to OTE (61.9% vs 33.3%; rate difference 28.6%; p = 0.06). Dyspepsia symptom severity at the end of treatment also differed significantly between verum acupuncture and sham acupuncture groups (5.9 units vs 3.7 units; between-group difference 2.2 (95% CI, 0.2–4.2); p = 0.04). No serious adverse events occurred.

Conclusion:

Four weeks of acupuncture may represent a potential treatment for postprandial distress syndrome. The treatment protocol and outcome measures used in this trial were feasible. Since this was a pilot study, the efficacy of acupuncture still needs to be determined by a larger, adequately powered trial.
Leptin levels are associated with multiple sclerosis risk
Authors: Biström Martin , Hultdin Johan , Andersen Oluf , Alonso-Magdalena Lucia , Jons Daniel , Gunnarsson Martin , Vrethem Magnus , Sundström Peter
Published: February 2020

Background:

Obesity early in life has been linked to increased risk of developing multiple sclerosis (MS). Leptin and insulin are both associated with obesity, making them suitable candidates for investigating this connection.

Objective:

To determine if leptin and insulin are risk factors for relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods:

In this nested case–control study using blood samples from Swedish biobanks, we compared concentrations of leptin and insulin in 649 individuals who later developed RRMS with 649 controls matched for biobank, sex, age and date of sampling. Only pre-symptomatically drawn samples from individuals below the age of 40 years were included. Conditional logistic regression was performed on z-scored values to calculate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results:

A 1-unit leptin z-score increase was associated with increased risk of MS in individuals younger than 20 years (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.1–1.9) and in all men (OR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.0–2.0). In contrast, for women aged 30–39 years, there was a lower risk of MS with increased leptin levels (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.54–1.0) when adjusting for insulin levels.

Conclusion:

We show that the pro-inflammatory adipokine leptin is a risk factor for MS among young individuals.
Clinicians’ assumptions about Sami culture and experience providing mental health services to Indigenous patients in Norway
Authors: Dagsvold Inger , Møllersen Snefrid , Blix Bodil H
Published: February 2020

This qualitative study explores Sami and non-Sami clinicians’ assumptions about Sami culture and their experiences in providing mental health services to Sami patients. The aim is to better understand and improve the ways in which culture is incorporated into mental health services in practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 clinicians in mental health outpatient clinics in the northern Sami area in Troms and Finnmark County in Norway. The findings show that clinicians’ conceptualizations of culture influence how they take cultural considerations about their Sami patients into account. To better integrate culture into clinical practice, the cultures of both patient and clinician, as well as of mental health care itself, need to be assessed. Finally, the findings indicate a lack of professional team discussions about the role of Sami culture in clinical practice.
From Liminality to Communitas: The Collective Dimensions of Transformative Learning
Authors: Buechner Barton , Dirkx John , Konvisser Zieva Dauber , Myers Deedee , Peleg-Baker Tzofnat
Published: February 2020

This article addresses a significant gap in the transformative learning literature as it relates to collective transformation, a transformation that is a level beyond individual transformation and is differentiated from the designed and imposed forms of social or organizational change. We consider collective transformation as an emergent and shared worldview shift that is grounded in a shared experience. The participants might not be fully aware of or even able to describe this experience until they engage with it at the interpersonal level. In prior research and practice, the five authors have independently observed and documented the phenomenon of collective transformation among members of marginalized populations who have undergone liminal experiences—forms of disequilibrium that leave individuals betwixt and between. The common thread in these experiences is the emergence of a shared feeling called communitas, which is a deeply felt (yet often temporary) sense of belonging and community. This study’s purpose is to further explore the roles that states of liminality and communitas play in creating the conditions for collective transformation. We draw on several theoretical and practice-based areas of literature and on five particular types of experience. We then examine each case for shared experiences of liminality and communitas as well as for the underlying qualities of self-understanding, relational ability, and a collectively felt sense of new possibilities. This study also includes suggestions for the application of these concepts to other social groups and in other contexts.
Orbitofrontal Sulcogyral Pattern as a Transdiagnostic Trait Marker of Early Neurodevelopment in the Social Brain
Authors: Nakamura Motoaki , Nestor Paul G. , Shenton Martha E.
Published: February 2020

Objective. To systematically assess previous findings on the orbitofrontal sulcogyral pattern in psychiatric disorders and to address the utility of this pattern as a transdiagnostic trait marker of early neurodevelopment in the social brain. Methods. An online literature search was conducted using the PubMed database from inception to August 2019. Studies included in this review were based on the Chiavaras’s original classification method of this H-shaped sulcus (type I, II, and III), intermediate orbital sulcus (IOS), and posterior orbital sulcus (POS). Results. Twenty-six studies were included in the review. Sixteen studies (62%) focused on schizophrenia spectrum (Sz) disorders, and the remaining studies focused on autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), history of extremely preterm and extremely low birth weight, bipolar disorder (BD), panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, cannabis users, and pathological gambling. In Sz, compared with healthy controls, the orbitofrontal sulcogyral pattern was decreased in type I, increased in type II and III, and there were fewer numbers of IOS and POS reported, although specificity in sex and hemispheric dominance was not consistent. BD and neurodevelopmental disorders in ASD and ADHD showed a similar pattern of alteration to that observed in the Sz. Conclusions. The present review of the orbitofrontal sulcogyral pattern indicated that type I expression might reflect a neurodevelopmental protective marker, and type II and III expressions, as well as fewer numbers of IOS and POS, might reflect neurodevelopmental risk markers. These trait markers may be transdiagnostic among socially disabling diseases.
Hybrid sensor network control of vehicle ride comfort, handling, and safety with semi-active charging suspension
Authors: Bei Shaoyi , Huang Chen , Li Bo , Zhang Zhiyu
Published: February 2020

Semi-active charging suspension has been the highlight in the research of ride comfort, handling, and safety of road vehicles in real time. Adjustable damping shock absorber is the key part of semi-active suspension. Many studies are focused on the control and impacts of automotive ride comfort. However, few of them are about the relationship among the damping of adjustable damping shock absorber, handling stability, and safety. In this article, a full car model based on multi-body dynamics was built, including the steering system, front and rear suspensions, tire, driving controller, and road. And the model was verified by tests. Based on the co-simulation, a controller was built based on hybrid sensor network control. The hybrid network control principle was switched among comfort controller, stability controller, and safety controller, in accordance with working conditions. The design effectively improved ride comfort, handling stability, and driving safety. Finally, a rapid control prototype was built based on dSPACE to conduct a real vehicle test. By comparison of the time response diagram, the results on pulse input and S-shaped road indicate that handling stability and driving safety enter into the stable domain and negative effects are successfully suppressed.
Condom Use and Related Factors among Rural and Urban Men Who Have Sex With Men in Western China: Based on Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model
Authors: Hu Ling , Luo Yetao , Zhong Xiaoni , Lu Rongrong , Wang Yang , Sharma Manoj , Ye Mengliang
Published: February 2020

This study aimed to determine the differences in condom use and related factors among rural–urban men who have sex with men (MSM) in Western China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Chongqing, Sichuan, and Guangxi, which recruited MSM by non-probability sampling. Data were collected through an anonymous, standardized, and self-reported questionnaire guided by an information–motivation–behavioral skills model. Structural equation model was applied to analyze the related factors. Out of the 1141 MSM included in this analysis, 856 (75%) and 285 (25%) were from urban and rural areas, respectively. The median age was 27 years for both groups. Self-reported consistent condom use for anal sex in the past 6 months was 57.58%. The rate of consistent condom use was lower in rural MSM than in urban MSM (50.88% vs. 59.81%, p = .008). Behavioral skills, HIV/AIDS intervention services, and response costs had direct positive and negative influences on condom use, respectively. By contrast, motivation and information exhibited indirect influence. All the factors were mediated by behavioral skills in rural and urban MSM, except for the information that had no effect among urban MSM but had an indirect effect among rural MSM. These findings suggest that service providers should pay attention to substantial rural–urban differences and design different AIDS prevention and intervention strategies targeting rural and urban MSM.
The optimized selection strategy of crowdsourcing members in cloud-based design and manufacturing platform
Authors: Chen Jian , Mo Rong , Yu Suihuai , Chen Dengkai , Chu Jianjie , Gong Jing
Published: February 2020

Crowdsourcing services and cloud-based design and manufacturing platforms have been combined into an emerging network service model. Due to the diversity and differences of crowdsourcing members in the platform, member optimized selection process is uncertain and discrete, and it is difficult to find the most satisfying solution. In view of this, this article proposed an optimized selection strategy of crowdsourcing members to help users select reasonable crowdsourcing members to form the cooperative team with the most satisfaction. The research steps in this article are as follows. The first step is to analyze the characteristics of crowdsourcing services and crowdsourcing members in the cloud-based design and manufacturing platform. In the second step, according to the characteristics of crowdsourcing members, the evaluation index and target variables of members in the optimized process are proposed, the optimized selection system is established, and the calculation based on each target variable is given. In the third step, the decision-making model is established based on the optimized selection index system. The model decomposes the task-oriented global optimized selection indexes for crowdsourcing members into subtask-oriented local optimized selection indexes, and the gray relational analysis method is used to solve the model. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by taking the crowdsourcing member optimized selection process in the medical product research and development task as an example.
Long non-coding RNA AGER-1 inhibits colorectal cancer progression through sponging miR-182
Authors: Lin Mingzhu , Li Yinyan , Xian Jianfeng , Chen Jinbin , Feng Yingyi , Mao Chun , Pan Yujie , Li Zhi , Zeng Yuyuan , Yang Lei , Lu Jiachun , Wei Yisheng , Qiu Fuman
Published: February 2020

Objective:

Abundant evidence has illustrated that long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) plays a vital role in the regulation of tumor development and progression. Ectopic expression of a novel lncRNA, termed lnc-AGER-1, has been discovered in cancers, and this lncRNA was reported to exert an anti-tumor effect. However, its biological mechanism remains unelucidated in colorectal cancer.

Methods:

A total of 159 paired colorectal cancer specimens and adjacent tissues was applied to detect the expression of lnc-AGER-1 by the quantitative Real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), and a series of functional assays was executed to uncover the role of this lncRNA on colorectal cancer.

Results:

We found that the expression of lnc-AGER-1 in the tumor tissues was significantly down-regulated, while compared with adjacent normal tissues (0.0115 ± 0.0718 vs. 0.0347 ± 0.157; P < 0.0001). Also, lnc-AGER-1 was observably associated with clinical T status (r = −0.184, P = 0.024). Patients with advanced T status exerted a significantly lower level of lnc-AGER-1 than those with early T status (20.0% vs. 40.7%, P = 0.021). Over-expression of lnc-AGER-1 inhibited cell proliferation and migration efficiency, and induced cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 phase, and promoted cell apoptosis. Further research proved that lnc-AGER-1 altered the expression of its neighbor gene, AGER, through acting as a competing endogenous RNA for miR-182 in colorectal cancer.

Conclusion:

lnc-AGER-1 has a suppressive role in colorectal cancer development via modulating AGER, which may serve as a target for colorectal cancer diagnosis and treatment.