bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring the Visualization Design Space with Repertory Grids
Authors: Kurzhals Kuno , Weiskopf Daniel
Published: July 2018

There is an ongoing discussion in the visualization community about the relevant factors that render a visualization effective, expressive, memorable, aesthetically pleasing, etc. These factors lead to a large design space for visualizations. To explore this design space, qualitative research methods based on observations and interviews are often necessary. We describe an interview method that allows us to systematically acquire and assess important factors from subjective answers by interviewees. To this end, we adopt the repertory grid methodology in the context of visualization. It is based on the personal construct theory: each personality interprets a topic based on a set of personal, basic constructs expressed as contrasts. For the individual interpretation of visualizations, this means that these personal terms can be very different, depending on numerous influences, such as the prior experiences of the interviewed person. We present an interviewing process, visual interface, and qualitative and quantitative analysis procedures that are specifically devised to fit the needs of visualization applications. A showcase interview with 15 typical static information visualizations and 10 participants demonstrates that our approach is effective in identifying common constructs as well as individual differences. In particular, we investigate differences between expert and nonexpert interviewees. Finally, we discuss the differences to other qualitative methods and how the repertory grid can be embedded in existing theoretical frameworks of visualization research for the design process.
The Perception of Graph Properties in Graph Layouts
Authors: Soni Utkarsh , Lu Yafeng , Hansen Brett , Purchase Helen C. , Kobourov Stephen , Maciejewski Ross
Published: July 2018

When looking at drawings of graphs, questions about graph density, community structures, local clustering and other graph properties may be of critical importance for analysis. While graph layout algorithms have focused on minimizing edge crossing, symmetry, and other such layout properties, there is not much known about how these algorithms relate to a user's ability to perceive graph properties for a given graph layout. In this study, we apply previously established methodologies for perceptual analysis to identify which graph drawing layout will help the user best perceive a particular graph property. We conduct a large scale (n = 588) crowdsourced experiment to investigate whether the perception of two graph properties (graph density and average local clustering coefficient) can be modeled using Weber's law. We study three graph layout algorithms from three representative classes (Force Directed ‐ FD, Circular, and Multi‐Dimensional Scaling ‐ MDS), and the results of this experiment establish the precision of judgment for these graph layouts and properties. Our findings demonstrate that the perception of graph density can be modeled with Weber's law. Furthermore, the perception of the average clustering coefficient can be modeled as an inverse of Weber's law, and the MDS layout showed a significantly different precision of judgment than the FD layout.
Bladder Runner: Visual Analytics for the Exploration of RT‐Induced Bladder Toxicity in a Cohort Study
Authors: Raidou R.G. , Casares‐Magaz O. , Amirkhanov A. , Moiseenko V. , Muren L.P. , Einck J.P. , Vilanova A. , Gröller M.E.
Published: July 2018

We present the Bladder Runner, a novel tool to enable detailed visual exploration and analysis of the impact of bladder shape variation on the accuracy of dose delivery, during the course of prostate cancer radiotherapy (RT). Our tool enables the investigation of individual patients and cohorts through the entire treatment process, and it can give indications of RT‐induced complications for the patient. In prostate cancer RT treatment, despite the design of an initial plan prior to dose administration, bladder toxicity remains very common. The main reason is that the dose is delivered in multiple fractions over a period of weeks, during which, the anatomical variation of the bladder – due to differences in urinary filling – causes deviations between planned and delivered doses. Clinical researchers want to correlate bladder shape variations to dose deviations and toxicity risk through cohort studies, to understand which specific bladder shape characteristics are more prone to side effects. This is currently done with Dose‐Volume Histograms (DVHs), which provide limited, qualitative insight. The effect of bladder variation on dose delivery and the resulting toxicity cannot be currently examined with the DVHs. To address this need, we designed and implemented the Bladder Runner, which incorporates visualization strategies in a highly interactive environment with multiple linked views. Individual patients can be explored and analyzed through the entire treatment period, while inter‐patient and temporal exploration, analysis and comparison are also supported. We demonstrate the applicability of our presented tool with a usage scenario, employing a dataset of 29 patients followed through the course of the treatment, across 13 time points. We conducted an evaluation with three clinical researchers working on the investigation of RT‐induced bladder toxicity. All participants agreed that Bladder Runner provides better understanding and new opportunities for the exploration and analysis of the involved cohort data.
Track Xplorer: A System for Visual Analysis of Sensor‐based Motor Activity Predictions
Authors: Cavallo Marco , Demiralp Çağatay
Published: July 2018

With the rapid commoditization of wearable sensors, detecting human movements from sensor datasets has become increasingly common over a wide range of applications. To detect activities, data scientists iteratively experiment with different classifiers before deciding which model to deploy. Effective reasoning about and comparison of alternative classifiers are crucial in successful model development. This is, however, inherently difficult in developing classifiers for sensor data, where the intricacy of long temporal sequences, high prediction frequency, and imprecise labeling make standard evaluation methods relatively ineffective and even misleading.

We introduce Track Xplorer, an interactive visualization system to query, analyze, and compare the predictions of sensor‐data classifiers. Track Xplorer enables users to interactively explore and compare the results of different classifiers, and assess their accuracy with respect to the ground‐truth labels and video. Through integration with a version control system, Track Xplorer supports tracking of models and their parameters without additional workload on model developers. Track Xplorer also contributes an extensible algebra over track representations to filter, compose, and compare classification outputs, enabling users to reason effectively about classifier performance. We apply Track Xplorer in a collaborative project to develop classifiers to detect movements from multisensor data gathered from Parkinson's disease patients. We demonstrate how Track Xplorer helps identify early on possible systemic data errors, effectively track and compare the results of different classifiers, and reason about and pinpoint the causes of misclassifications.
ThreadReconstructor: Modeling Reply‐Chains to Untangle Conversational Text through Visual Analytics
Authors: El‐Assady Mennatallah , Sevastjanova Rita , Keim Daniel , Collins Christopher
Published: July 2018

We present ThreadReconstructor, a visual analytics approach for detecting and analyzing the implicit conversational structure of discussions, e.g., in political debates and forums. Our work is motivated by the need to reveal and understand single threads in massive online conversations and verbatim text transcripts. We combine supervised and unsupervised machine learning models to generate a basic structure that is enriched by user‐defined queries and rule‐based heuristics. Depending on the data and tasks, users can modify and create various reconstruction models that are presented and compared in the visualization interface. Our tool enables the exploration of the generated threaded structures and the analysis of the untangled reply‐chains, comparing different models and their agreement. To understand the inner‐workings of the models, we visualize their decision spaces, including all considered candidate relations. In addition to a quantitative evaluation, we report qualitative feedback from an expert user study with four forum moderators and one machine learning expert, showing the effectiveness of our approach.
A General Illumination Model for Molecular Visualization
Authors: Hermosilla P. , Vázquez P. , Vinacua A. , Ropinski T.
Published: July 2018

Several visual representations have been developed over the years to visualize molecular structures, and to enable a better understanding of their underlying chemical processes. Today, the most frequently used atom‐based representations are the Space‐filling, the Solvent Excluded Surface, the Balls‐and‐Sticks, and the Licorice models. While each of these representations has its individual benefits, when applied to large‐scale models spatial arrangements can be difficult to interpret when employing current visualization techniques. In the past it has been shown that global illumination techniques improve the perception of molecular visualizations; unfortunately existing approaches are tailored towards a single visual representation. We propose a general illumination model for molecular visualization that is valid for different representations. With our illumination model, it becomes possible, for the first time, to achieve consistent illumination among all atom‐based molecular representations. The proposed model can be further evaluated in real‐time, as it employs an analytical solution to simulate diffuse light interactions between objects. To be able to derive such a solution for the rather complicated and diverse visual representations, we propose the use of regression analysis together with adapted parameter sampling strategies as well as shape parametrization guided sampling, which are applied to the geometric building blocks of the targeted visual representations. We will discuss the proposed sampling strategies, the derived illumination model, and demonstrate its capabilities when visualizing several dynamic molecules.
Hunting High and Low: Visualising Shifting Correlations in Financial Markets
Authors: Simon P. M. , Turkay C.
Published: July 2018

The analysis of financial assets’ correlations is fundamental to many aspects of finance theory and practice, especially modern portfolio theory and the study of risk. In order to manage investment risk, in‐depth analysis of changing correlations is needed, with both high and low correlations between financial assets (and groups thereof) important to identify. In this paper, we propose a visual analytics framework for the interactive analysis of relations and structures in dynamic, high‐dimensional correlation data. We conduct a series of interviews and review the financial correlation analysis literature to guide our design. Our solution combines concepts from multi‐dimensional scaling, weighted complete graphs and threshold networks to present interactive, animated displays which use proximity as a visual metaphor for correlation and animation stability to encode correlation stability. We devise interaction techniques coupled with context‐sensitive auxiliary views to support the analysis of subsets of correlation networks. As part of our contribution, we also present behaviour profiles to help guide future users of our approach. We evaluate our approach by checking the validity of the layouts produced, presenting a number of analysis stories, and through a user study. We observe that our solutions help unravel complex behaviours and resonate well with study participants in addressing their needs in the context of correlation analysis in finance.
State of the Art of Sports Data Visualization
Authors: Perin C. , Vuillemot R. , Stolper C. D. , Stasko J. T. , Wood J. , Carpendale S.
Published: July 2018

In this report, we organize and reflect on recent advances and challenges in the field of sports data visualization. The exponentially‐growing body of visualization research based on sports data is a prime indication of the importance and timeliness of this report. Sports data visualization research encompasses the breadth of visualization tasks and goals: exploring the design of new visualization techniques; adapting existing visualizations to a novel domain; and conducting design studies and evaluations in close collaboration with experts, including practitioners, enthusiasts, and journalists. Frequently this research has impact beyond sports in both academia and in industry because it is i) grounded in realistic, highly heterogeneous data, ii) applied to real‐world problems, and iii) designed in close collaboration with domain experts. In this report, we analyze current research contributions through the lens of three categories of sports data: box score data (data containing statistical summaries of a sport event such as a game), tracking data (data about in‐game actions and trajectories), and meta‐data (data about the sport and its participants but not necessarily a given game). We conclude this report with a high‐level discussion of sports visualization research informed by our analysis—identifying critical research gaps and valuable opportunities for the visualization community. More information is available at the STAR's website: https://sportsdataviz.github.io/.
Implicit decision framing as an unrecognized source of confusion in endangered species classification
Authors: Cummings Jonathan W. , Converse Sarah J. , Smith David R. , Morey Steve , Runge Michael C.
Published: July 2018

Legal classification of species requires scientific and values‐based components, and how those components interact depends on how people frame the decision. Is classification a negotiation of trade‐offs, a decision on how to allocate conservation efforts, or simply a comparison of the biological status of a species to a legal standard? The answers to problem‐framing questions such as these influence decision making in species classifications. In our experience, however, decision makers, staff biologists, and stakeholders often have differing perspectives of the decision problem and assume different framings. In addition to differences between individuals, in some cases it appears individuals themselves are unclear about the decision process, which contributes to regulatory paralysis, litigation, and a loss of trust by agency staff and the public. We present 5 framings: putting species in the right bin, doing right by the species over time, saving the most species on a limited budget, weighing extinction risk against other objectives, and strategic classification to advance conservation. These framings are inspired by elements observed in current classification practices. Putting species in the right bin entails comparing a scientific status assessment with policy thresholds and accounting for potential misclassification costs. Doing right by the species adds a time dimension to the classification decision, and saving the most species on a limited budget classifies a suite of species simultaneously. Weighing extinction risk against other objectives would weigh ecological or socioeconomic concerns in classification decisions, and strategic classification to advance conservation would make negotiation a component of classification. We view these framings as a means to generate thought, discussion, and movement toward selection and application of explicit classification framings. Being explicit about the decision framing could lead decision makers toward more efficient and defensible decisions, reduce internal confusion and external conflict, and support better collaboration between scientists and policy makers.
Predator Free 2050: A flawed conservation policy displaces higher priorities and better, evidence‐based alternatives
Authors: Linklater Wayne , Steer Jamie
Published: July 2018

New Zealand's policy to exterminate five introduced predators by 2050 is well‐meant but warrants critique and comparison against alternatives. The goal is unachievable with current or near‐future technologies and resources. Its effects on ecosystems and 26 other mammalian predators and herbivores will be complex. Some negative outcomes are likely. Predators are not always and everywhere the largest impact on biodiversity. Lower intensity predator suppression, habitat protection and restoration, and prey refugia will sometimes better support threatened biodiversity. The policy draws attention to where predators are easily killed, not where biodiversity values are greatest. Pest control operations are already contested and imposing the policy is likely to escalate those conflicts. While “high‐profile,” a focus on predator eradication obscures the fact that indigenous habitat cover and quality continues to decline. Thus, the policy is flawed and risks diverting effort and resources from higher environmental priorities and better alternatives. Biodiversity conservation policies should be guided by cost‐benefit analyses, prioritization schemes, and conservation planning in an adaptive management framework to deliver nuanced outcomes appropriate to scale‐ and site‐specific variation in biodiversity values and threats. The success of biodiversity sanctuary‐“spillover” landscapes, habitat restoration, and metapopulation management provide the foundation to build a better policy.
Behandlung der erworbenen reaktiven perforierenden Dermatose – eine systematische Übersicht
Authors: Lukács Judit , Schliemann Sibylle , Elsner Peter
Published: July 2018

Die reaktive perforierende Dermatose ist eine seltene chronische Hautkrankheit, die durch die transepidermale Elimination von Kollagen und/oder Elastin gekennzeichnet ist. In der bei Erwachsenen auftretenden erworbenen Form ist sie häufig mit Krankheiten wie Diabetes und chronischer Niereninsuffizienz assoziiert. Systematische Übersichten über die Behandlungsmöglichkeiten für diese Krankheit liegen nicht vor. Das Ziel dieser systematischen Übersicht ist die Zusammenfassung aller publizierten Behandlungsoptionen für die erworbene reaktive perforierende Dermatose (ARPD). Diese systematische Übersicht stützt sich auf eine MEDLINE‐Recherche nach Artikeln aus den Jahren 1990 bis 2016 in englischer und deutscher Sprache.

Der Großteil der Literatur zur Behandlung der ARPD beschränkt sich auf einzelne Fallberichte und kleine Serien von Patienten. Zu den verschiedenen Therapien, die versucht wurden, zählen Antihistaminika, topische Keratolytika, Corticosteroide, Tretinoin, orale Medikamente wie Allopurinol oder Antibiotika sowie Phototherapie oder Photochemotherapie.

Zwar gibt es keine spezifischen Kriterien für eine evidenzbasierte Auswahl der Therapieoptionen für die ARPD, jedoch sollte bei der Therapie dieser Störungen die Behandlung einer etwaigen Grunderkrankung Priorität haben. Keine der beschriebenen Modalitäten wurde für die Primärtherapie zugelassen. Es wird empfohlen, eine Kombination von Medikamenten einzusetzen, die den Juckreiz verringern und gleichzeitig ein Abklingen der Hautläsionen bewirken.
Patientenakzeptanz und ‐vertrauen in die automatisierte, computergestützte Diagnostik des Melanoms mithilfe der Dermatofluoroskopie
Authors: Fink Christine , Uhlmann Lorenz , Hofmann Maja , Forschner Andrea , Eigentler Thomas , Garbe Claus , Enk Alexander , Haenssle Holger A.
Published: July 2018

Hintergrund und Ziele

Automatisierte computergeführte Diagnoseverfahren werden in steigendem Maße in die Patientenversorgung integriert. Trotz der zunehmenden Anwendung automatisierter Prozesse wurden jedoch Patientenakzeptanz und ‐vertrauen in die entsprechenden Technologien bisher nur selten untersucht. Die automatisierte Diagnostik des Melanoms durch Dermatofluoroskopie wurde kürzlich behördlich zugelassen. Der Zweck dieser Studie ist die Beurteilung von Patientenakzeptanz und ‐vertrauen in die automatisierte Melanomdiagnostik mithilfe der Dermatofluoroskopie.

Patienten und Methoden

Im Rahmen einer prospektiven klinischen Studie untersuchten wir 140 pigmentierte Hautläsionen mithilfe der Dermatofluoroskopie. Vier Wochen nach ihrer dermatofluoroskopischen Untersuchung kontaktierten wir 100 Patienten mit einem Fragebogen, der 10 Fragen zu Akzeptanz und Vertrauen bezüglich dieser Technik umfasste, welche anhand einer fünfstufigen visuellen Analogskala zu beantworten waren.

Ergebnisse

Ein „hoher“ bis „sehr hoher“ Grad von Patientenakzeptanz und ‐vertrauen wurde bei 74 % der Befragten gefunden. Die meisten Patienten stimmten zu, dass die computergestützte Diagnostik die diagnostische Leistungsfähigkeit von Ärzten generell verbessern kann. Alle Befragten bestanden jedoch auf einer Interpretation der computergestützten Diagnosen durch einen Arzt und wiesen überwiegend den Gedanken eines vollständigen Ersatzes von Ärzten durch Computer zurück.

Schlussfolgerung

Patientenakzeptanz und ‐vertrauen gegenüber der Dermatofluoroskopie waren hoch. Die Patienten befürworteten deutlich die Anwendung von computergestützter Diagnostik als Ergänzung zur Untersuchung durch den Arzt.
Targeting Wnt signaling pseudokinases in hematological cancers
Authors: Karvonen Hanna , Perttilä Robert , Niininen Wilhelmiina , Barker Harlan , Ungureanu Daniela
Published: July 2018

Recent studies showed that several pseudokinases from the receptor tyrosine kinase family are important players in regulating cancer cell invasion, metastasis, and drug resistance, suggesting that targeting these proteins can play a therapeutic role in cancer treatment. Receptor Tyr kinase‐like orphan receptors (RORs), protein Tyr kinase 7 (PTK7) (also called colon carcinoma kinase 4 (CCK4)), and receptor‐like Tyr kinase (RYK) are Wnt ligand binding receptors within the non‐canonical Wnt signaling, with important roles in development, tissue homeostasis, and organogenesis. At the cellular level, these receptors transduce signals important for cell survival, migration, polarization, and chemotaxis. Considerable progress has been made in the last decade in the field of pseudokinase signaling, improving our understanding of their structure‐function mechanisms, and intracellular network of transduction components. Consequently, their role in various diseases, including cancer, is now scrutinized for therapeutic interventions to improve treatment outcome. In this article, we review findings regarding molecular mechanisms and targeted therapies for ROR1, PTK7, and RYK in hematological malignancies.
Changes in carbon pools and biological activities of a sandy loam soil under medium‐term conservation agriculture and diversified cropping systems
Authors: Parihar C. M. , Jat S. L. , Singh A. K. , Datta A. , Parihar M. D. , Varghese E. , Bandyopadhyay K. K. , Nayak H. S. , Kuri B. R. , Jat M. L.
Published: July 2018

Conservation agriculture (CA) practices such as zero tillage (ZT) and permanent raised beds (PB) accelerate deposition of soil organic matter and augment associated biological properties of soil through enhanced inputs of organic carbon. However, the potential benefit of CA under intensive cereal‐based systems for key soil health indicators (such as carbon pools and biological activities) is only partially known. Therefore, we analysed the effect of three medium‐term tillage practices and four intensive crop rotations on selected soil organic carbon pools and microbial properties. The tillage practices consist of ZT, PB and conventional tillage (CT) in main plots and four crop rotations (MWMb, maize–wheat–mungbean; MCS, maize–chickpea–Sesbania; MMuMb, maize–mustard–mungbean; MMS, maize–maize–Sesbania) in subplots. The experimental design was split‐plot with three replications. After 6 years, we observed a significant positive effect of CA practices on soil organic carbon (SOC) content, labile SOC fractions, soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and dehydrogenase activity (DHA). The total organic carbon (TOC) was greatly affected by medium‐term tillage and diversified cropping systems; it was larger for CA and MCS and MWMb systems. The interaction effect between tillage and cropping systems for SOC content was not significant at all soil depths. Significantly larger contributions (8.5–25.5%) of labile SOC pools to TOC at various soil depths were recorded in PB and ZT. There was a significant positive effect of CA practices and diversified crop rotations on MBC and DHA at all the soil depths and sampling times, but the interaction effect between tillage and cropping systems was not significant. Thus, our medium‐term (≥ 5‐years) study showed that the combination of CA (PB and ZT) practices and appropriate choice of rotations (MCS and MWMb) appears to be the most appropriate option for restoration and improvement of the soil health of light‐textured Inceptisols through the accumulation of soil organic matter (SOM) and improvement in soil biological properties.

Highlights

Effect of conservation agriculture (CA) on soil labile carbon inputs and biological properties.

Observed changes in SOC stock and C‐pools at different soil depths after 6 years.

Significant effects of tillage and crop rotations observed for labile‐C pools.

Adoption of ZT and PB enhanced SOC stock, C‐pools and microbial activity compared to CT.
A liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method for analysis of intact fatty‐acid‐based lipids extracted from soil
Authors: Warren C. R.
Published: July 2018

Fatty‐acid‐based lipids are considered to be indicators of the structure and function of soil microbial biomass. Identifying and quantifying intact fatty‐acid‐based lipids in soil extracts is challenging because lipids range from polar (e.g. phospholipids and other membrane lipids) to non‐polar (e.g. triacylglycerols involved in energy storage). The aim of this study was to develop a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) method to identify and quantify intact fatty‐acid‐based lipids in soil extracts. Reversed‐phase LC separated fatty‐acid‐based lipids ranging from polar to non‐polar in one chromatographic analysis. Within classes, individual lipid species were separated predictably from one another on the basis of carbon numbers and degree of unsaturation, such that chromatographic retention time could be used to aid identification. Lipid species were identified based on intact mass of the lipid and by fragmentation into structure‐specific fragments that enabled compound classes and fatty acyl chains to be determined. Detection limits in positive and negative mode were better than 10 nmol l−1 for most lipid standards. In an extract of soil, 74 lipids from 10 classes were identified. The main non‐polar lipids were 12 diacylglyerol species and 16 triacylglycerol species. Polar lipids included phosphatidylcholines, phosphatidylethanolamines, monomethyl‐phosphatidylethanolamines, phosphatidylinositols and three classes of betaine lipid (diacylgycerol‐N‐trimethylhomoserine; diacylglycerylhydroxymethy‐N,N,N‐trimethyl‐β‐alanine; and diacylglycerylcarboxyhydroxymethylcholine). The LC–MS method developed provides a powerful analytical tool for analysis of fatty‐acid‐based lipids ranging from polar to non‐polar and should be useful for the culture‐ and gene‐independent assay of soil function.

Highlights

A novel LC–MS method is described for identification of soil lipids.

Polar and non‐polar lipids were separated in one chromatographic analysis

74 lipids from 10 classes were identified

Lipids identified included 25 species of betaine lipid
Inter‐α‐inhibitor deficiency in the mouse is associated with alterations in anxiety‐like behavior, exploration and social approach
Authors: Goulding David R. , Nikolova Viktoriya D. , Mishra Lopa , Zhuo Lisheng , Kimata Koji , McBride Sandra J. , Moy Sheryl S. , Harry G. J. , Garantziotis Stavros
Published: July 2018

In recent years, several genome‐wide association studies have identified candidate regions for genetic susceptibility in major mood disorders. Most notable are regions in a locus in chromosome 3p21, encompassing the genes NEK4‐ITIH1‐ITIH3‐ITIH4. Three of these genes represent heavy chains of the composite protein inter‐α‐inhibitor (IαI). In order to further establish associations of these genes with mood disorders, we evaluated behavioral phenotypes in mice deficient in either Ambp/bikunin, which is necessary for functional ITIH1 and ITIH3 complexes, or in Itih4, the gene encoding the heavy chain Itih4. We found that loss of Itih4 had no effect on the behaviors tested, but loss of Ambp/bikunin led to increased anxiety‐like behavior in the light/dark and open field tests and reduced exploratory activity in the elevated plus maze, light/dark preference and open field tests. Ambp/bikunin knockout mice also exhibited a sex‐dependent exaggeration of acoustic startle responses, alterations in social approach during a three‐chamber choice test, and an elevated fear conditioning response. These results provide experimental support for the role of ITIH1/ITIH3 in the development of mood disorders.
Women prefer proactive support from providers for treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding: A qualitative study in adult women with moderate or severe Von Willebrand disease
Authors: Eising H. P. , Sanders Y. V. , de Meris J. , Leebeek F. W. G. , Meijer K.
Published: July 2018

Objective

To explore key factors for successful support in women with moderate or severe Von Willebrand disease (VWD) who are faced with heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) and surgery.

Design

A qualitative study design with focus‐group interviews and thematic analysis of the discussions.

Settings and population

Eleven VWD women aged 41‐68 years (median age 58 years) who had had a hysterectomy or bipolar radiofrequency ablation (BRA) because of HMB participated in this study. Three of the 11 participants had VWD diagnosed before surgery. Two focus groups were conducted in the summer of 2012. Patients were identified through participation in a nationwide study on Von Willebrand disease in the Netherlands (WiN study). Inclusion criteria were at least 18 years of age, fluent in Dutch, diagnosed with VWD (based on Von Willebrand factor (VWF) antigen and/or activity levels < 30 IU/dL) and previous surgical therapy for HMB.

Findings

The following key factors were identified during focus‐group interviews: receiving information, proactive support from providers and considering bleeding disorders as a cause of HMB. Other topics were as follows: experiences with VWD and/or surgery, how relieved patients were when menses stopped, patients hoped that in future, providers would work better together so that women receive the best care.

Conclusions

In this focus‐group study among women with VWD who underwent surgery because of HMB, support by professionals could be improved by considering a bleeding disorder in women with HMB, providing information about different types of surgery and shared decision‐making regarding type of interventions.
A cross‐sectional study of non‐attendance among patients at a US hemophilia treatment center 2010‐2014
Authors: Barry V. , Steffens C. , Mattis S. , Sidonio R. F. , Tran D. Q. , Kempton C. L.
Published: July 2018

Introduction

Among patients with chronic disease, non‐attendance at scheduled healthcare visits is associated with poor outcomes. The impact of non‐attendance among patients with bleeding disorders is unknown.

Methods

Scheduling and medical record data over a 5‐year period for all individuals with at least one scheduled appointment during 2010‐2014 at a US Hemophilia Treatment Center (HTC) were analysed. Non‐attendance rates were calculated as the number of non‐attended visits divided by the number of years as a patient during the time period. Consistent non‐attenders were patients who did not attend more than one scheduled appointment per person‐year on average. Logistic regression determined characteristics associated with consistent non‐attendance and Poisson regression estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (aIRRs) describing associations between non‐attendance and emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations.

Results

There were 8028 appointments scheduled for 950 individuals; 12% were not attended. Consistent non‐attenders (n = 62; 7% of the HTC patient population) accounted for over one‐third of non‐attended appointments and over one‐quarter of hospitalizations. Characteristics associated with consistent non‐attendance included public health insurance and black race. Higher non‐attendance rates were associated with more ED visits (aIRR 1.78; 95% CI: 1.37‐2.30) and hospitalizations (aIRR 2.73; 95% CI: 2.18‐3.42). Consistent non‐attenders had more ED visits (aIRR 2.49; 95% CI: 1.56‐3.96) and hospitalizations (aIRR 4.73; 95% CI: 2.96‐7.57) compared with patients who never missed appointments.

Conclusions

Frequent non‐attendance identified a small but at‐risk population. Interventions to improve disease management that target them may have an impact on health outcomes and healthcare utilization.
HIV health care providers are ready to introduce pre‐exposure prophylaxis in Central and Eastern Europe and neighbouring countries: data from the Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group
Authors: Kowalska JD , Bursa D , Gökengin D , Jilich D , Tomazic J , Vasylyev M , Bukovinowa P , Mulabdic V , Antonyak S , Horban A ,   the ECEE Network Group
Published: July 2018

Objectives

Pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV infection has been introduced in only a few European countries. We investigated the potential to provide PrEP in the Central and Eastern European region, and in neighbouring countries.

Methods

The Euroguidelines in Central and Eastern Europe (ECEE) Network Group was formed in February 2016 to review standards of care for HIV infection in the region. Information related to PrEP was collected through on‐line surveys. Respondents were recruited by ECEE members based on their involvement in HIV care.

Results

Seventy‐six respondents from 23 countries participated in the survey. Twenty‐six (34.2%) respondents reported that PrEP [tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/emtricitabine (FTC)] was registered by the drug registration authority in their country. Fifty‐three (70.7%) respondents reported being aware of ‘informal’ PrEP use in their country. If they had access to PrEP, 56 (74.7%) would advise its use in their practice. Forty‐five (59.2%) respondents had concerns regarding PrEP use, and 10 (13.3%) expressed the need for more training. Most of the respondents (88.2%) would provide PrEP to people with high‐risk behaviours.

Conclusions

PrEP is already used informally in some countries in the region. Physicians are keen to use PrEP if and when it is accessible. Obstacles towards implementing PrEP in those countries were mostly related to lack of national guidelines, drug registration and governmental strategy.
Wolbachia‐induced apoptosis associated with increased fecundity in Laodelphax striatellus (Hemiptera: Delphacidae)
Authors: Guo Y. , Hoffmann A. A. , Xu X.‐Q. , Zhang X. , Huang H.‐J. , Ju J.‐F. , Gong J.‐T. , Hong X.‐Y.
Published: July 2018

Wolbachia influence the fitness of their invertebrate hosts. They have effects on reproductive incompatibility and egg production. Although the former are well characterized, the mechanistic basis of the latter is unclear. Here, we investigate whether apoptosis, which has been implicated in fecundity in model insects, influences the interaction between fecundity and Wolbachia in the planthopper Laodelphax striatellus. Wolbachia‐infected females produced about 30% more eggs than uninfected females. We used the terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase (TDT)‐mediated dUTP‐digoxigenin nick end labeling staining to visualize apoptosis. Microscopic observations indicated that the Wolbachia strain wStri increased the number of ovarioles that contained apoptotic nurse cells in both young and aged adult females. The frequency of apoptosis was much higher in the infected females. The increased fecundity appeared to be a result of apoptosis of nurse cells, which provide nutrients to the growing oocytes. In addition, cell apoptosis inhibition by caspase messenger RNA interference in Wolbachia‐infected L. striatellus markedly decreased egg numbers. Together, these data suggest that wStri might enhance fecundity by increasing the number of apoptotic cells in the ovaries in a caspase‐dependent manner. Our findings establish a link between Wolbachia‐induced apoptosis and egg production effects mediated by Wolbachia, although the way in which the endosymbiont influences caspase levels remains to be determined.
Hypoxia adaptation in termites: hypoxic conditions enhance survival and reproductive activity in royals
Authors: Tasaki E. , Matsuura K. , Iuchi Y.
Published: July 2018

Termite royals (queen and king) exhibit extraordinary longevity without sacrificing reproductive performance, unlike most animals, in whom lifespan is generally negatively associated with reproduction. Therefore, the regulatory mechanisms underlying longevity have attracted much attention. Although the ageing process is influenced by environmental factors in many insects during their life cycle, it remains unclear whether any factors have an effect on the extended survival and high reproductive capacity of termite royals. Here, we show that hypoxia, possibly an important environmental factor in the nests, enhances survival and reproductive activity in incipient royals of the subterranean termite Reticulitermes speratus compared with those in control conditions. Quantitative real‐time PCR analysis revealed that the expression levels of the vitellogenin gene in queens are maintained to a greater extent under hypoxic conditions than under control conditions. The expression levels of the antioxidant enzyme genes RsCAT1 and RsPHGPX are also significantly promoted by hypoxia in queens and kings respectively. These results suggest that hypoxic exposure can contribute in part to achieving high reproductive output by altering gene expression after founding of colonies in the royals. Our study provides novel insights into the effect of a nest environment on the reproductive characteristics in termite royals.
Does Institutional Blockholder Short‐Termism Lead to Managerial Myopia? Evidence from Income Smoothing
Authors: Cho Sang Jun , Chung Chune Young , Liu Chang
Published: July 2018

We examine institutional blockholders’ influence on income‐smoothing practices in the Korean market, which provides an interesting setting where family‐oriented chaebols dictate the corporate landscape and impede shareholder activism. The empirical results reveal that institutional shareholders with a short‐term (long‐term) investment horizon facilitate (constrain) managerial myopia. This positive (negative) association is most evident among firms with domestic institutional investors. Therefore, we argue that the presence of domestic institutional investors with transient investment goals incentivizes firms’ management to smooth out earnings.
The World Council of Churches’ Relationships with Pentecostalism: A Brief Historical Survey and Some Recent Perspectives on Membership Matters
Authors: Buda Daniel
Published: July 2018

This article approaches the problematic of relationships between the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Pentecostalism, mainly from the perspective of membership of Pentecostal churches in the WCC. It contents a brief presentation of some prejudices regarding Pentecostals in the ecumenical movement and a historical survey of the relationships between the WCC and Pentecostals, as well as a more detailed analysis of the actual status of this relationship from the perspective of membership of Pentecostal churches in the WCC. The last section assesses possible future scenarios in this regard. It is underlined that the Pentecostal movement is already represented in the WCC by a few small Pentecostal churches and that all the debate on whether to accept new Pentecostal member churches in this ecumenical organization should have as its starting point the reality that Pentecostalism is already part of the WCC. After presenting in detail the last debate in the Permanent Committee on Consensus and Collaboration (PCCC) on the issue of the WCC opening the doors to Pentecostal churches, this article concludes that the WCC should follow its previous policy of analyzing individually each application for membership according to its criteria for accepting new members. While most Pentecostal churches would agree with the basis of the WCC and some might increase their ecumenical engagement at all levels, in the near future at least, Pentecostal churches may still have a long way to go to integrate themselves in a genuine ethos and desire for unity.
Toward Common Ground: Catholicism and Pentecostalism in African Christianity
Authors: Wankar Gabriel T.
Published: July 2018

After reviewing the great appeal of Pentecostal/charismatic spirituality as a religious phenomenon that has come to stay on the tapestry of the pastoral ecology of African Christianity, this article suggests a more dynamic and practical interface and collaboration with these movements by the Catholic Church in Africa, using the Vatican Council's embrace of ecumenism and dialogue.
“Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular” (1 Cor. 12:27): Pentecostalism and its Mission
Authors: Zaprometova Olga
Published: July 2018

The paper presents Pentecostalism that is primarily a mission movement more than a hundred years old. It reflects on the place and role in World Christianity of this still young and growing church tradition, and the relationships between Pentecostalism and the ecumenical movement. The challenges that Pentecostalism is facing are discussed, with special attention to the Eastern European context.
H9N2 influenza viruses from Bangladesh: Transmission in chicken and New World quail
Authors: Seiler Patrick , Kercher Lisa , Feeroz Mohammed M. , Shanmuganatham Karthik , Jones‐Engel Lisa , Turner Jasmine , Walker David , Alam S. M. Rabiul , Hasan M. Kamrul , Akhtar Sharmin , McKenzie Pamela , Franks John , Krauss Scott , Webby Richard J. , Webster Robert G.
Published: July 2018

The H9N2 influenza viruses that have become established in Bangladeshi live poultry markets possess five gene segments of the highly pathogenic H7N3 avian influenza virus. We assessed the replication, transmission, and disease potential of three H9N2 viruses in chickens and New World quail. Each virus replicated to high titers and transmitted by the airborne route to contacts in both species. Infected chickens showed no disease signs, and the viruses differed in their disease potential in New World quail. New World quail were more susceptible than chickens to H9N2 viruses and shed virus after airborne transmission for 10 days. Consequently, New World quail are a potential threat in the maintenance and spread of influenza virus in live poultry markets.
Experiences of and satisfaction with care provided by male nurses: A convergent mixed‐method study of patients in medical surgical units
Authors: Younas Ahtisham , Sundus Amara
Published: July 2018

Aim

To understand, comprehensively, patients’ experiences of and satisfaction with care provided by male nurses in medical surgical units.

Background

Patients’ positive experiences of and satisfaction with care are plausible indicators of nurses’ caring attitude. Female nurses are considered more caring than male nurses and knowledge about patient experiences and satisfaction with care by male nurses is minimal.

Design

A convergent mixed methods.

Methods

Patients (N = 262) completed an Urdu language‐translated version of the Newcastle Satisfaction with Nursing Scale and 15 participated in semi‐structured interviews from August ‐ December 2017. Descriptive statistics were used for quantitative analysis and thematic analysis for qualitative analysis. Both quantitative and qualitative data were merged and integrated for mixed‐method analysis.

Results

High experience and moderate satisfaction scores were reported. Six themes emerged from care experiences: providing support and comfort, respecting privacy, providing information to patients and families, inability to manage workload and rushing too much, responding late and disturbing sleep. Three themes from satisfaction with nursing care: spending time with patients, capability of providing care and respecting autonomy. It was found that patients’ actual experiences and satisfaction with the male nurses’ care were considerably better than culturally accepted beliefs and perceptions about the role of men and women in the society.

Conclusion

Male nurses were caring, but patients’ views of nurses’ caring attitude were influenced by socio‐culture perceptions of the men. Male nurses supported and comforted patients and respected their privacy but did not respond to them on time and were perceived to be authoritarian.
Explanatory factors and levels of health‐related quality of life among healthy pregnant women at midpregnancy: A cross‐sectional study of The PregnActive Project
Authors: Oviedo‐Caro Miguel Angel , Bueno‐Antequera Javier , Munguía‐Izquierdo Diego
Published: July 2018

Aims

To identify potential explanatory factors and establish health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) levels of healthy pregnant women at midpregnancy.

Background

The HRQoL levels perceived by pregnant women are lower than those perceived by women of similar age and decline during the course of pregnancy.

Design

An exploratory cross‐sectional design was used.

Methods

One hundred thirty‐four healthy women from antenatal clinics completed questionnaires were administered a cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) test and wore a multisensor body monitor for 7 days at midpregnancy. Data were collected from September 2015–December 2016.

Results

Cardiorespiratory fitness, musculoskeletal symptoms, and age were identified as explanatory factors of the physical component summary of HRQoL. Explanatory factors of the mental component summary included musculoskeletal and psychological symptoms and light activity. Significant differences in HRQoL levels were identified among groups of pregnant women stratified by age, occupational status, pregnancy symptoms, and CRF.

Conclusions

Modifiable factors of HRQoL, such as CRF and active lifestyle may be important areas to target in interventions aimed at promoting HRQoL in healthy women at midpregnancy. The identification of the groups of pregnant women with lower levels of HRQoL may help midwives and health professional to focus their advice and conduct interventions on these groups of pregnant women. These modifiable factors should be considered in future longitudinal studies to determine causal effects, will likely help improve multidisciplinary treatments.